merry christmas!!...

well, it's officially over!! (for this year at least)... we'd a wonderful christmas... ours started out last night (christmas eve) meeting at dad/mom's house... spike, i & all 6 of our kiddos (suzy came too!), aaron, sharon & 2 of their kids, jim jones, dad & mom were all there... we all ate until we were stuffed (great food too!)... then the natives began to get restless & wanted to open presents so we moved that direction & everything that everyone got was a hit *smile*... we stayed & visited for quite awhile & then left, came home & dropped everything off (gifts, chairs, tables, food, etc.) along with brit who got very sick (stomach flu) on the way home & the little bear cubs... we got everyone in bed & then spike, myself, dad & mom all went to the indianapolis airport at midnight as some great friends of ours were there to pick up their 2 newest children from haiti... donalson & stevenson hilty arrived just about midnight to some very happy people who've had an incredibly long way... praise the lord their home & have started 'living' now *smile*... we then came home, got to bed about 3am, got up at 6am to exchange gifts as we had to be done by 8am as spike was taking barbara (who brought the hilty boys 'home' & had spent the night with us) to the airport... we knew that when he returned from the airport we'd all be needing to get ready as we were having christmas with his side of the family at 1pm... after opening everything, spike made his 'airport run' & then returned & said he wasn't feeling well... it's now evening & i've got spike, brit & dustin just walked in & they['ve all 3 got the stomach flu YIKES!!... needless to say, we did NOT go to grandmas today for christmas, we'll have to catch her later on this week... saying all that, now we know we could've all slept in had we known all this, getting up only to take barbara quickly to the airport & then we could've opened gifts when spike got back, but who knew?!?!... i'd started friday, taking all the girls' hair down, bathing, washing hair, rebraiding, etc.... then after braiding, i decided to jump in there & try extensions & here's the outcome (above)... they turned out much nicer than i even thought they would (for my first try)... i was rather pleased & they LOVE IT!... well, i'm bushed & heading to bed as it's after 1am & i've been up since 6am & only running on the 3 hours of sleep i got last night which i can assure you, was NOT enough... nite all & merry christmas!!

still got some sick kiddos...

well, karleigh's somwhat better, but still keeps complaining her belly hurts (poor baby)... kiara's got a runny nose & watery eyes so they're both a bit under the weather... ruby's for now doing fine, so she may sidestep the whole thing... we're all just like shut-in's over here in that we've not been out of the house for days - talk about stir crazy!!... we've still got all the wrapping to do (UGH, haven't even started), still have to take brit out for her last minute shopping (alright, up to this point, she's only bought 1 gift!! - how can this be, with a mother that's always shopping?!?!?!?)...

we've a sick little bear cub around here...

well, our littlest bear cub's not feeling well... karleigh got up this AM complaining that she was sick... boy, she's been very sick all day long & i so hope that she wakes up tomorrow feeling better... she's mainly been on the couch or sitting on my lap all day... no fever, just an upset stomach & 'choking' (you guessed it!) a lot... i'll post tomorrow on how she's doing, but please be praying for her as she's a sick little girl...

our new family pictures...

well, we got everyone together the other night & had family pictures taken & they turned out really well... our kiddos are great & it sure shows!... dustin's 21, brit's 15, kiara's 4, ruby's 3 & karleigh's 2 (in picture of kiddos laying down, kiara's on bottom left, smiling really big, ruby's just to the right of kiara & then karleigh's at the top!)... dustin's the great protector of 'the group', brit's (AKA edna~long story!) is a HUGE helper around here, kiara's the mother of our group, ruby's our drama queen & also miss independant & karleigh's our fireball - what would we do without any of them?!?!...

he's 21 today!...

well, our son turned 21y today (how can he be that old & we're still so young? *wink*)... we spent some time with he & suzy this weekend & took them to olive garden (his favorite place)... he's a great guy & committed to himself & everyone that he's on the right track to getting the things in his life cleaned up (YEAH DUSTIN!)... we love him so much & can't imagine not having him around... if you've got dustin for a friend, you've got a friend for life... here's a picture of him, isn't he handsome??... i hope you've a great birthday dustin... remember how special you are to everyone that knows you... we love you & want only the best for you... always remember ~ we're a team!

rainy weather & snow's movin' in!...

it's been raining all day long here & boy is it soggy out there... we took kiara to school today, then karleigh & i went to nana's house, went back to pick up kiara, brought both girls home for naptime, brit & ruby came home from school & now we're into the evening as spike's out on business tonight until late... i got a big box of hair supplies that i'd ordered from a friend of mine & was thrilled to see all the 'goodies'... i'm now trying to think ahead of what hairstyle i'll be doing next... it's driving me nuts this planning as i'm now ready to jump in there & do it, but we're getting pictures taken on december 10 & if i do it now, i'm not sure it'll look as crisp as it could (i know, i'm obsessing about it!)... we're due to get some snow starting tonight & into tomorrow, but at this point, not sure how much... dustin turns 21y on december & i still can't believe time's flown by that fast... spike & i are taking him & suzy out for lunch on saturday at olive garden & he's very excited about that... well, i'll add more later, but now have to get dinner started...

all but 4 gift cards, my christmas shopping's done!!...

well, you read it right, i've only 4 gift cards left to purchase & i'm done with ALL my christmas shopping!!... here's a picture that we recently took of our christmas tree (the girls had a wonderful time decorating it!!)... there's also a few pictures from today when i took the girls to the park... they had such a great time (although it was a bit chilly)... there's also a picture of brit on thanksgiving day as she's watching a movie, but paused long enough to pose for mom!

happy thanksgiving...

well, it's already the end of the year & turkey day's tomorrow... usually spike & 'the guys' from his side of the family all leave the night before thanksgiving (tonight) & head out for a camping trip of 4 days or so... well, this year, they were having trouble pulling it together as spike's been working so much overtime, a nephew of ours just got a new job so he can't take off work, etc., etc., etc.... spike decided to not go (so the trips off now) & to stay home to make sure he's got things caught up by the beginning of next week... it'll be the first thanksgiving we'll ALL be together & i'm looking soooo forward to it... there's been so much going on in our family (not immediate family) that's just plain 'not right', but even with all that, we can still see we've so much to be thankful for... god's been very good to us & he's given us so much... we've got jesus christ, our health, roofs over our heads, children around us, friends, family, etc., what more could we ask for?... it's just a nice time of year to sit & reflect on what we've got in our lives & pray for those that don't have nearly as much... again, happy thanksgiving!!

ready for the holidays??...

well, we're getting ready for the holidays around here... i've already got 2 layaways going & ready to come out soon (YEAH!)... i've got tons of other things in mind to buy, just waiting on the $$ to come in (if i could only remember where that money tree is that i planted!)... the girls will be so fun this year & with dustin & brit being older i'm really looking forward to it... last year was our first year all together, but karleigh was still soooooooo little & ruby didn't have a clue & couldn't hear, so this year for us will be a great one i think!... we'll be having thanksgiving at mom's this year i think & then spending christmas eve with them as well... we'll have christmas morning with our kids & then it's off to spike's side for christmas there... we'll be bushed by the end of that day, but it's all so fun... i've been talking to spike about putting up christmas lights pretty soon as we usually wait & then FREEZE putting them up & that's noooooo fun!... we'll see, but for now it's looking like freezing's what we'll be into *frozen smile*... well, i'll post more soon when i get time, but somedays i get none to myself, so we'll see... ttfn!

our 5 bear cubs...

well, we're still on the go over here... last night was a bit rough as i woke up having severe chest pains for about 1-2 hours... i'm a heart patient so was a bit concerned, but phoned the dr. today & they'll be waiting to hear from me if anything else occurs, but will be seeing me at the my dr. visit that's already scheduled for december 1... other than that, we're all feeling great... dustin's still working both jobs right now, getting bills paid off & planning on saving for another car, etc.... brit's started in a small group (bible study) on monday nights & really likes it... she's met several girls & they all get along really well... kiara's having a wonderful time at preschool this year & comes home with a smile on her face daily... ruby's working hard at learning new signs & also correcting us when we use one incorrectly... karleigh's been a bit 'snippy' here lately & i really don't know why... she's just got that testiness about her & we're all hoping that it goes away, QUICK!... well, that's what our 5 bear cubs are up too so i'll close for now & write more soon...

lots going on around here...

well, this weeks already getting very full so i'll blog this & then we'll see how things go & how much time i'll get to my name... i'll be taking my 3 little bear cubs out trick or treating tomorrow night alone as spike's got meetings & won't be able to go with us... wednesday evening we'll be heading to the airport as barbara's flying 2 more little ones home to their new parents... 1 of the little guys that'll be coming in's ruby's cousin so i'm very excited about that!... barbara will then be staying with us for a few days & not leaving until saturday... it looks as if she'll be heading back to the states sometime next week as well as she's got visa appointments set up for next week as well (YEAH GOD!!)... i've got another heart dr. appointment friday AM just for my checkup & am sure that'll go well... everyone here's doing great & feeling well too... we've been having chilly weather here lately, but no one's sick (praise the lord!)... dustin spent the weekend with us & so we spent a ton of time with he & suzy & was very thankful for it - we had a great time!... well, i guess i'll close now as this mama bear's getting a bit tired & feel i'm rambling... tata for now!!

boy, how time flies!...

kiara's papa beau

kiara's brother vilbo (12y)

kiara's sister lilanne (15y)

kiara's sister florette (19y) & her son chechiron (1y)

florette's other son sonson'n (2y)

karleigh's papa richard

well, we're back from our trip to haiti & had a wonderful time!... we were gone from october 3-10 & have been running nonstop ever since... our little chicklets have a fabulous time staying with 'papa kyle, angela & all their kids' (hehehe), that's what they call them... while in haiti we were with barbara walker in passing out food, back packs, clothing & visiting kiara & karleigh's birth papas too... karleigh's papa flew down from cap haitien to visit us for the day... it was so good to see him again & after having dinner together he asked us when we'd be bringing karleigh back to see him... we assured him, we would be doing this someday when she got older & he seemed very happy about that... we visited with kiara's papa 1 day & then made plans to see him again the latter part of the week... when we got there the last day he surprised us by telling us to take him down the road a bit (about 15 minutes away) & we could meet/see kiara's birth siblings!!!... WOW, what a blessing!!... well, it's taken me forever to upload these pics, so i'm heading to bed, but will blog more soon... ttfn!

getting ready to leave!!...

well, more than likely this'll be my last blog posting until we get home from haiti... we're leaving tuesday morning VERY early & between now & then, man, i'm swamped!!... tonight we're heading out to get all the 'last minute items', pick up some things out of the camper, etc... tomorrow we've got to head to the airport to make sure they're still allowing 'containers' & not making you take everything in duffle bags (boy, that'll be a pain if they are!)... we've got 8 FULL containers packed & waiting for spike to drill holes in the corners & add zip strips to them for the security aspect... brit & mom are already packed & i'll be completely packed tonight & then there's spike... UGH... he's not even started!!!... i'm sure he'll make it in time, but i sure couldn't wait until the last minute like that... we've already talked to barbara & she's got things planned for us to do while we're there & we're sooooooooo excited!... i'm the last one in our family to have been there, but that's been 1½ years ago so to me, it's been forever!!... brit's never flown & her first flights out of the country, how cool will that be for her... mom's never been to haiti & we all are looking so forward to going & seeing our little chicklets birth parents as that's always the highlight of the trip for us... i'll post again when i get back & add pictures too... all of you that pray, please pray for us while we're gone (until the 9th of october) that we stay safe, have a good time, stay well & get much accomplished while we're there... god bless you!!

my pappy...

well, i lost my pappy tonight... he was well into his years & had lived a long life, but it's still hard when they're gone... he was a very good man, hard worker & father of 4 daughters (my mother being the youngest)... when i was younger, they tell me that all my older cousins called him papaw, but then i came along & i called him pappy, but he was alright with it... i know i've heard stories where they say i'd take a big handpicked bouquet of flowers to him & say, "i picked you some fluffies"... i know he got upset as they were his flowers that he'd worked so hard on & there i was at 3 years or so, pulling them all up!... here's a picture of him in these later years along with my mother... he'll for sure be missed, but i know he's in a much better place where 'fluffies' are all around him & no one will pick them!!... he's with my memaw & their daughter kay & many other family members as well... we miss you pappy, but we'll see you again soon... we love you... toodle-doo (the same word he said every night before retiring to bed)...

where's the time gone?...

well, barbara left last thursday morning to head back to haiti & we've already gotten emails from her saying how much she misses us & our cool weather! (we just love her *smile*)... we've now gotten back into the routine of it just being 'us' around here & everyone's doing rather well... kiara & ruby go to school every tuesday, wednesday & thursday & that gives karleigh & i some 'us' time & we're loving that... we went to the library last week & we're going shopping tomorrow... i've already started putting layaways in for christmas so i don't get hit hard when the time gets here... my best friend's been in pennsylvania for a week & just got home last night (it's sure a good thing she's back!)... i wasn't able to chat with her today due to me having a bad headache & so i took a nap today (can't even tell you when i did that last)... it'll be good to chat with her tomorrow as i've so missed that... she'll be the one that'll be watching our 3 little chicklets when we go to haiti (3 weeks from today!)... they're excited, but kiara keeps saying, "can i stay with angela during the days & then come home to 'you & daddy' at night?"... she's the one that likes to be home & on 'our schedule', so i'm hoping she'll do alright... she loves spending time with angela & her family, but she's a homebody too, so we'll see how it goes... we'll certainly be praying for angela & her family as she'll have 6 children in her care that week (10 days total), between her 3 & our 3 she'll have: G6y, B4y, G4y, G3y, G2y & G2y... well, it's getting late so i'd better get to bed - early mornings around here, ya know!... i'll write more tomorrow...

whew, have we been busy!...

well, last week a friend of mine, lynn from california was flying to our home to meet up with barbara walker... barbara was bringing lynns little girl, josie 'home' & indianapolis was the meeting place... barbara had more work to be done on her teeth so they opted to arrive here, then barbara would stay for the tooth issue & lynn (along with josie) would fly home... well, nothing in that whole plan fell into place at all... lynn was already on a plane when i found out that barbara wasn't able to get a flight out due to the hurricane that was affecting haiti UGH... when lynn got here i told her of the news & she worked very hard to make things work together... i was able to get barbara & josie another flight scheduled for yesterday, september 5, but that meant lynn would be stuck in indiana until then... she worked it out at home with all her other children & so she's been here since then... we'd a camping trip with our family this past friday, saturday, sunday & monday so we just took lynn along for the ride & we all had a wonderful time... we arrived home yesterday afternoon, got ready & headed for the airport... her daughter & barbara came in last night at 8:30pm & man, was it good to see them both... lynn's chosen to rename her daughter naomi faith & she loves it! YEAH!!... lynn & naomi's both leaving tomorrow morning & then barbara will be flying out thursday morning... it's been so nice having them all here & boy, have my girls enjoyed all the added attention *smile*... well, i'm bushed & it's only 11:30pm, but i've got to get up for another busy day at 5:30am so tata for now & i'll write again tomorrow (tomorrYO as kiara says it!)...

busy next few days...

well, thought i'd better write now as the next few days are going to be extremely busy... tomorrow (tuesday) i'll get ruby on the bus & then i'm off to clean up this house ~ WHOA!!... i'll then need to leave the house by 2:30 to go pick dustin up from work & take him home... i'll stop by our house to scoop up brit & ruby & we'll then race off to the airport to pick up a friend of mine that's flying in... we'll go shopping, running around town, etc. on wednesday & then we'll head to the airport again on wednesday night as barbara will be bringing in my friends daughter *smiling*... we're all so excited!... i've not gotten to see this gorgeous little girl since january 2005 & believe me, i can't wait!!... they'll stay overnight again with us & then thursday afternoon my friend & her daughter will head to their home & barbara will stay another day or so in order to have another tooth worked on... not sure at this point how long she'll get to stay, so we'll see... we'll then pack on thursday night as we're going camping on friday for the holiday weekend & won't be returning home until monday.. needless to say, i may not be blogging for a few days!!

yesterday...

well, yesterday was spikes birthday (52!) & we went to my brother in laws house for a get together... it was a combination of party for spike & a party for their secretary that just retired... the kids swam, we all ate & had a great time... we remembered that it was 4 years ago yesterday (august 26) that we first heard about kiara & started the process... man, how time flies!... well, we're heading out now to go eat lunch & then do some shopping so i'll write more later!

this weekend...

well, tonight we opted to just stay at home so after eating dinner, we played with the girls & then put them to bed... i was able to get things done around here (straightened, etc.) so we're ready (kind of) for the weekend... i've been soooooooooooo tired/drained & sore today as i went for bloodwork this morning & it wasn't the reading they wanted so it's really tired me out WHEW! (i know i'll get yelled at from my mother as i didn't tell her!... she's dealing with a bit of her own 'body weary' things & i know she's got enough on her plate - don't be mad mom *smile*)... anyhow, i'm fine & will get better with each passing day, but for today, man i'm bushed!... here's some pictures of the chicklets that i took tonight when we were playing... aren't they adorable ~ nite!

rubys first week of school...

well, ruby's been in school now for 3 days (she only goes on tuesdays, wednesdays, & thursdays)... she's loving it already & her teacher's great!... here's a picture of her on her first day & also 1 of her & her teacher, kristyn... everyday when she's gotten off the bus, she's smiling from ear to ear & starts signing, "ruby", "friends" & "school"... she's a sweetheart!!

we're home from camping...

well, even though there was a HUGE threat of rain over the weekend (friday night, all day saturday & sunday until midday), we went ahead & went camping, praying we'd stay dry & we're sooooooooo glad we did... we'd a wonderful time as did the girls & also my parents (whom went with us)... don't ask my how i managed it, but i came away from the weekend with NO PICTURES!!... i took video, but forgot to get out my digital camera!... ugh... we're going again in 2 weeks (labor day weekend), so look out, there'll be tons of pictures from that campout... we'll be going with dad & mom again & also spikes sister & her husband (russell & vickie) will be coming along so it's sure to be a good time!... more tomorrow as i'm bushed!!

our day started with...

the girls bringing me beads that they'd found in their beds this morning!... i couldn't believe it, they all brought me some at different times, not knowing the others had done the same thing!!... they've had this hairstyle in for just over 3 weeks & we still had a week or so to go (or so i thought)... i went to put the missing beads back, but found lots of bands had snapped & it just wasn't worth it... i began with ruby, taking each & every braid out (remind me again, who was it that wanted micro braids in their hair???)... i then moved on to kiara & finished with karleigh this evening at bedtime... they're all ready to jump into the tub tomorrow morning & play for as long as mommy will let them... then it's off to the drawing board again to come up with another style... here's a picture of what we decided to do (& it only took 5 hours to get them all 3 done!!)

a bittersweet day...

well, this morning we all got up, dressed & was out the door at 10:30am... we headed to muncie to eat at brits favorite place 'carlos okellys' (mexican)... i'd decided to take her out for 'her day' as today was her last day of summer... she starts school in the morning & she's a bit nervous as she'll be a freshman & is so scared she'll get lost in the high school... after eating a wonderful lunch, we headed back to the other side of indianapolis to dj's beauty supply house for yet, MORE BEADS for our little chicklets!... after going there we went to target as brit wanted to get a certain outfit for the first day of school (nothing like waiting till the last minute!)... after that we went to pendleton for dinner with my parents & spike met us there... we ate pizza at 3rd generation & boy was it YUMMY!... we then came home to 3 little chicklets not feeling so well... kiara's complaining of needing to choke (you know what that means), ruby's got a temp of 103.3º & karleigh's running one of 101.3º UGH... well, we'll for sure be home all day tomorrow... i'll post more then!!

what we did this weekend...

well, this past weekend we went camping at clifty falls state park with our best friends (caswells) & their children... they've 3 little ones from haiti (6y, 4y & 2y) & along with ours (4y, 3y & 2y) there's never a dull moment... they're the same family that went with us to myrtle beach this summer (boy, does that seem like a long time ago - we're already looking forward to seeing mickey mouse next year!!)... it was so nice that when we got there friday night, angela had already made homemade cornbread & garden greenbeans over the fire & kyle was cooking chicken on the grill & man, was it a gooooood meal!!... we got up saturday morning & went to their town (madison) & spent the entire day walking around & they were able to show us all over... they took us to a fabulous lunch at the downtowner & we'd highly recommend it!... they serve sandwiches, chips, soup, salads, etc. & they were soooooooo good... we had campfires every night & then had to leave on sunday, but not before spike hit angela square in the eye!... yep, you read it right, he was holding a hard rubber ball (about the size of a softball) & had been holding it for quite awhile & went to throw it over to our camper, but when he went to release it, it hesitated as his hands were sweaty & about the time it did release it met up with her eyeball & boy does he feel bad now!... here's some pictures of the kids while we were out...

kiaras day wasn't so hot...

well, since we've come home from haitian camp kiara & karleigh have begun showing signs of being ate up with mosquitoes... karleighs have been driving her crazy (itching!), but we've noticed that kiara hasn't been bothered by that at all... this' been odd as kiara's our 'scratcher' anyway & scratches all the time for comfort (ie: when she's tired, sick, scared, upset, etc.)... i began noticing kiaras 'bites' on sunday night at the same time i noticed karleighs... i began giving both girls benedryl for itching & it seemed to help... i lotion the girls down 2 times daily (morning & night) & did so on monday night as well (feeling the bumps all over them)... karleighs are mostly on her arms & back, where kiaras are ALL OVER HER!... she's got them on both legs from ankles to very top of leg, both arms, shoulder blades, wrists, face, etc... when she got up yesterday (tuesday) i went to lotion her & upon starting at the high part of her left thigh & moving towards her ankle i felt something NOT RIGHT... i turned her leg over & all down her left calf was huge blister type things where the small 'bites' had been... i knew then they weren't an ordinary mosquito bite so i called her pediatrician... we went in yesterday for them to say they had no idea & for us to go to a dermatologist... we went this AM & he didn't know what it was UGH... he did want to biopsy it (which he did) & will send it off to a lab & should have the results middle of next week... here's a picture of what it looks like... we're just praying that things come back alright & there's nothing to worry about... BTW, she did fine during the procedure although she did get a pickie (numbing shot)... she wasn't very happy (alright, screaming), but in the end went out smiling (just like kiara!) & was very polite to all that she spoke to...

well, we're home from haitian camp...

well, we had haitian camp this weekend (friday/saturday/sunday) & had a blast!... there were several families that stayed the entire weekend & then other families just came for the day on saturday... the food that was served was wonderful & we all got to spend so much time together just visiting... there was swimming, chatting, eating, playing, bonfire, singing, testimonies, stories, etc., etc., etc... we were able to use our camper for the first time & it worked great... here's some pictures from the weekend... i've even posted one of all the kids that barbara's adopted out...

heading to haitian camp tomorrow...

well, we're heading out to haitian camp tomorrow for the weekend & we all can't wait... we're going to be able to use our new camper for the first time & we're very excited about testing it out... the girls all had a horrible time getting to sleep as they're sooooooooooooo looking forward to heading out in the morning... i'll post pictures as soon as we get home too...

our time with barbara...

well, barbara got in several days ago & has been staying with us since then... we're having a very good time & really enjoying her company (as always)... today she went to visit some haitian children near us that have been home a couple months... they really enjoyed seeing her again & she was very happy to see that they've grown so much!... this evening we had brit watch all the 'little people' at our house & spike & i took barbara out to dinner & to the movies... here we had no children to take with us & what did we go see? "the ant bully" (a kids cartoon movie!!)... it was cute & we had a good time so i guess that's all that matters, huh?!?!... tomorrow we're planning on doing some shopping & then we're heading over to spend some time with my mom, who's going to haiti with us in october... the girls haven't seen dad & mom for several days & that's all i heard today was, "can we go to nanas house??"... i'll try & post some pictures of girls kids & barbara tomorrow...

our new (to us) camper...

well, we've been 'moving up' as far as campers go for several years now... when we married we started out with a tent (one that leaked no less!) & moved up to a popup/fold down... we then sold it & purchased an small, old motorhome as it was only spike, myself, dustin & brit & we had plenty of room... we then decided to add more to our family tree so we sold the motorhome to pay for an adoption... we knew that 'one of these days we'd get another one'... we had a very close friend of ours phone us about 1½ - 2 years ago & said that he'd aquired an older motorhome, didn't want it & just gave it to us!!... we were back in the camping business (whooo)... well, since then we've added to our growing tree AGAIN & had been thinking about getting another bigger one, but just knew that we'd get one when we found that 'perfect' deal... well, last week spike was on his way to work & spotted a motorhome for sale... he stopped & fell in love with it... he phoned me to go look at it, i did, we both loved it so it's now ours!!... it's a 1998 34' coachman mirada & has everything inside that we'd wanted & only had 24,000 miles!!... it's in excellent condition & has only been stored inside... here's a picture of 'our new camper!!'... we already had camping plans for the next 3 weekends in a row... this weekend's haitian camp (bedford, IN), next weekend's camping with the caswells (madison, IN) & then the following weekend it's camping with my parents (greenfield, IN) & hopefully many more yet this year... oh, we're so excited to finally have a bit more room!

been looking at houses...

well, we spent all day looking at model homes... whew, what a long day (fun, but long)... we've narrowed it down to 3 homes, but our absolute favorite's the statton home... here's a picture of the outside of it... we'd do this elevation, but choose different brick, etc... not sure what we'll end up doing, but it's fun to dream, huh?... barbara is on her way to our home now... she should be here in about 30 minutes & will be here from 1-2 weeks (YEAH!!)... well, i'll get off here & will post again soon...

yesterday at the cookout...

we went over to my brother/sister in laws house last night for a cookout with spikes whole side of the family & we had a blast... here's some pictures of the girls playing in their pool (i did take pictures of brit, but she kept sticking out her tounge so i opted to not add them!!)... all our little ones jumped off the diving board & thought they were big stuff (even karleigh, who's the chicken of the bunch!)...

our kings island trip...

well, we returned home sunday, from a wonderful trip to kings island... we'd taken all 5 of our kiddos along with dustins girlfriend, suzy & we had a blast... we were at the park all day on saturday from 10am - 10pm & boy, were we bushed at the end of that day!... our tiny tots enjoyed meeting dora the explorer, diego, scooby doo & more, while the bigger kids were all over the park from 1 rollercoaster to another... kiara (our 4y old) rode her first ever rollercoaster (front seat & alone i might add) & she's now hooked!! (YEAH!!)... believe it or not, karleigh's the one that's always trying to act all big & bad & she's the biggest chicken of them all!!... monday, i took all the girls to dad & moms house & started braiding hair... mom mentioned how cool it was on their big front porch & that if i came over there to do their hair, then the other 2 could play outside & not be stuck indoors all day... i got rubys hair done on monday (8 hours) & then on tuesday i did karleighs (3½ hours) & also kiaras (6 hours) so all in all i braided for 18 hours!! UGH... it'll now last for 1 month & they better not decide to brush it or play in sand!!

todays mapping...

well, today i took ruby down to riley again for her to be re-mapped (where they 'up' her CI & tweek it as need be)... they commented on how well she's doing... she responded exactly correct in her session & received fro new programs (she's already on #3!!)... we go back again in october & are looking to see more incredible things soon to come...

leaving for kings island tomorrow...

well, tomorrow's the day that we're leaving for kings island... we'll get there midday, but our son dustin & his girlfriend suzy won't arrive until tomorrow night... we'll be heading to the theme park on saturday & then dustin & suzy will head home on sunday sometime, but spike, myself & the girls will all come home on monday... we're planning on a nice time with ALL of our kiddos... praying for nice weather, which we heard we're to have... we'll post when we return...

not a lot going on...

well, not a lot's been going on over the past couple days... yesterday, mom & i went to the movies & saw the lake house... it was the 2nd time i'd seen it, but moms 1st & it was sooooooooo good... i was supposed to take ruby to ISD for speech therapy today, but last night i wasn't feeling well AT ALL, so i opted to put it off & today i'm much, much better (PTL!)... i stayed home with all the girls & they played & i cleaned house & messed on the computer to set brit up a blog... it's taken forever as my computer wasn't willing (& still not) to accept what i was telling it to do!... tomorrow's errand day as we've been in all week & i really need to get out & get things done... karleigh's chicken bites (what she calls them) are in the non-passible stage now & she only got 17 of them... she'll not leave them alone, which's driving me nuts!... i never did take her to the dr., but they truly do look like chicken pox, but i guess who knows!... well, that's about it from our bunch to yours!!...

another gotcha day?...

wow, i can't believe we're celebrating yet again, another gotcha day... karleigh just had hers 2 weeks ago (july 3) & now it's rubys turn... we brought ruby home from haiti last year on this date (july 17) & man, what a difference a year makes... she's a wonderful little thing & loves being included in whatever's going on... she loves helping around the house & has a good time with her sisters (when they're not arguing)... she's adjusted well with her 2 cats & her daddy!!... it's been neat to see her progress through her hearing loss & then adjust to her ci & she's done remarkably well... i just can't imagine life without her... what a fun little girl she is & here's a picture to show you how pretty she's become...

this weekend/next week...

well, i'm not sure how often i'll be writing ver the next few days as things are going to get rather busy(ier) for us next week... not that a household with 6 people (spike said to note that 5 of them are females) isn't busy enough, but it's to get a bit busier soon... tonight we've decided that instead of going out for dinner, which we usually do, we're having dinner at home... i made a meatloaf today in the crockpot, scalloped potatoes & corn on the cob (YUM!)... not sure what we'll do tomorrow, but i'm sure we'll be gone... tomorrow night we've church, but with karleigh having chicken pox, they won't let her into class so we'll be home... sunday's still up in the air for what to do during the day, but sunday night brit's got youth at church... she's always gone to youth on fridays, but now that she's in high school, her youth meets on sundays... they just made the switch last week, but we weren't home so this'll be her first high school youth group & she's excited!... next week (tuesday) we've got speech therapy in the morning & a realtor coming over to appraise the house in the evening... (friday) we'll be leaving for kings island (yes, we told brit & she knows now)... we were planning on coming home sunday the 23, but spike's got a meeting to attend first thing monday morning & it'll be on our way home, so we're staying over until monday the 24... dustin & his girlfriend suzy are going with us so we'll have a blast i'm sure... we're all very excited about it... i'll post more when i get time...

well, we've got the 'pox'...

chicken pox that is... karleigh woke up this morning with a few bumps on her face & arms... throughout the day they've continued to increase & after naptime they'd really multiplied... we've been able to count 17 on her so far, so we'll see how she wakes up tomorrow... she had chicken pox a year ago, but only had a mild case (3 total), so i think now it's truly 'the real thing' UGH... kiara got her pickies/shots yesterday & so today she's been very cranky as she's sore... then this afternoon she didn't want lunch as she said she didn't feel good... i thought she'd devour dinner with being so hungry, but she only had a couple bites & said she didn't feel well & needed to go to bed... boy, after me having a migraine all day, i sure hope everyone sleeps well tonight (praying here!!)...

kiara & her 'pickies'...

just an update on our day today... we were up this morning for rubys voice therapy & then immediately following, i took kiara to the health department for her shots/'pickies'... she was sooooooo excited that she was going to get pickies & that ruby & karleigh couldn't come... she was beaming from ear to ear just at the thought of it... we went in & with her eyes wide, she proceeded to share with the nurse what was about to happen... she said that she was going to get pickies & that they'd hurt, but if she held really still that they'd hurt less... i kept thinking to myself, hold still - yeah right!... well, i held her as they gave the first pickie in her arm & all she said was, "oh oh oh oh oh" & just whimpered... the lady had already told her (without asking me) that if she didn't cry, then mommy would be taking her out for lunch... when pickie #2 came, she let it all out & screamed!!... then pickie #3 arrived & she cried, but was soooo ready to leave... on the way out the door she said, "i didn't cry on that first pickie, right mom?"... i said, "no honey, you did great!"... she said, "good, cause i'm hungry & ready for lunch" UGH... (we then went to chili's to eat!)... this evening dustin & suzy stopped by & visited for quite awhile & were both in very good moods & we really enjoyed ourselves... spike's away on business & won't return until tomorrow night so it's just me & the girls :(...

brit's now 15y!!...

well, today's brits birthday & she's now 15y!... she picked panera bread for lunch & sapporos for dinner tonight (& it was YUMMY!!)... her grandparents, her brother & his girlfriend all came over last night to visit & she's gotten tons of phone calls today wishing her a happy birthday (she's just loved that!)... we bought her a cake & spike picked it up this evening along with ice cream & we ate some after we get home & i'm so far beyond stuffed it's not even funny (that'll be great for the hips to eat cake & then go to bed, huh?)... we bought her a beautiful dress for her birthday, that she'd picked out & gave it to her yesterday... we're also taking her to kings island next weekend (21, 22 & 23) & she knows nothing about it (PLEASE DO NOT TELL HER, IT'S A SURPRISE!!!!!)... she's never been to kings island & has been begging to go, so she'll be soooooooo surprised!!... we're planning on driving down that friday (not telling her where we're heading), going to kings island that saturday & then driving home that sunday... here's a couple pictures i took of her today out in the yard, isn't she pretty??