~ VACATION TIME'S GETTING CLOSER! ~

~ well, it's almost here as we leave in just 8 days!! ~ it's funny because we've tried explaining to the girls (ages 5y, 4y & 3y) that we're going on a plane to disney world to see mickey mouse for quite awhile now ~ i overheard kiara (5y) telling her sisters the other day about us all flying to haiti soon ~ i talked to them about it & explained that we were flying, but we weren't going to haiti, but instead to florida ~ kiara said, "don't you know, all planes fly to haiti mommy!" ~ i thought about it & we've been blessed to have attended many, many, many homecomings of people bringing children home from other countries by adoption & all but 1 have come from haiti ~ when we're standing in the airport at these homecomings we say, "be looking for 'so&so' as they're coming home from haiti today", or "they just went to haiti to pick up their child 'so&so' & we're going to the airport to meet them!", etc. so our children not only believe that babies/children come from the airport & NOT from hospitals (or anywhere else for that matter!), but that all planes fly to haiti (ONLY) *smile* ~ i'm sure we'll have much blog material when we return as even though they've all flown, they were much younger & don't remember it, they've never been to florida & we're going with our best friends the caswells http://thehotrod5.blogspot.com/ & there's ALWAYS blog material when all 11 of us get together!! ~ they're leaving their house a couple days prior to us & driving out & then we're all meeting up on the 8th & will be together until the 17th (look out florida, here we come!) ~ while there we're hitting the magic kingdom, universal studios, sightseeing as angie used to live in florida & eating our way throughout the entire state, trying our best to top the eating marathon we had going in myrtle beach last year when we vacationed with them! ~ there will be spike, myself, kyle, angie, brit (turns 16 on july 10), sanite (7), noah (5), kiara (5), ruby (4), karleigh (3) & maddie (2) ~ i'm going to begin packing this weekend as the time's creeping up on us ~ we'll be checking 8 bags (ie: suitcase with 3 booster car seats in it, pool bag & then 6 suitcases/1 for each of us) & 2 strollers (one of which's a double stroller) & we'll be taking a few things on the plane with us (ie: 2 purses, 2 backpacks & a laptop computer) ~ it's funny because when we go anywhere with my parents, dad loves to sit & make up stories about families he sees (ie: sitting a restaurant with them & a family comes in ~ dad will say, "watch martha, she's got to be the one seating everyone (as we're watching it unfold before our very eyes), c'mon charlie sit down (as a little boy might be not wanting to sit where his mom's telling him to sit), etc. ~ it's so hillarious to hear this all from dad as he's 'living through another family' for a bit ~ we keep teasing him telling him that he needs to go with us on vacation as with all 6 of us, all our luggage, strollers, 3 bear cubs who've never flown (that they remember), it'll for sure be memorable ~ he just laughs & says, "there's noooooooooo way!" ~ well, i've gotta catch some sleep so hugs for now! ~ can you tell i'm excited?!?! ~

~ MY YOUNG LADY ~

well, i don't say it often enough, how proud i am that brit's my daughter ~ she's a great young lady with tons of personality & just all around, loves life! ~ i took her outside this evening & snapped some shots of her & wanted to post a few ~ she helps out a lot with the bear cubs & seems to enjoy it, not complaining at all (sometimes even asks to help out, go figure!!) ~ they love her to pieces & look up to her more than she even knows ~ brit, thanks for being you & for allowing me to be your mom (i know, i know - like you even had a choice, huh?) ~ i love you!!!

~ BARBARA'S SURGERY ~

just wanted to quick update everyone on barbara & her surgery ~ i talked to her just awhile ago & although she's dopey (oh wait, she always is!), she's doing very well ~ i'll be talking to her tomorrow afternoon again & will then find out what the dr. had to say ~ her surgery went very well & she's on the other side now where the real work starts ~ i told her we're all praying for her & will keep everyone updated as i know more ~ thanks for all the prayers up to this point, keep them up!!

~ PEARLS ~

This' a good story & a good read if you will. Let me know your thoughts.

The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in an pink foil box. "Oh Mommy please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?". Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box & then looked back in to the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face." A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you to do & in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthdays only a week away & you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma." As soon as Jenny got home she emptied her penny bank & counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores, went to the neighbor & asked if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill & at last she had enough money to buy the necklace. Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up & grown up. She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet they might turn her neck green. Jenny had a very loving daddy. Every night when she was ready for bed he'd stop what he was doing & come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?" "Oh yes, Daddy. I love you.""Then give me your pearls." "Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my Princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite." "That's okay, Honey, Daddy loves you. Good Night." He brushed her cheek with a kiss. About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?" "Daddy, you know I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She's beautiful & you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper." "That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." As always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss. A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed in Indian style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling & one silent tear rolled down her cheek."What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?" Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. When she opened it there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy, this' for you." With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace & with the other hand he reached into his pocket & pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls & gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.

So it is, with our Heavenly Father. He's waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our life so that he can give us the beautiful treasures.

Author Unknown

~ KIARA & THE MISSING TOOTH ~

well, she's a big girl now even if i don't want her to be & she's lost her first tooth (waaaaa!) ~ she usually falls asleep in our bed & then heads to hers when we're ready to go down to sleep & 2 nights ago, we went in to do our normal routine & when she awoke she let us know that her tooth was loose ~ i checked it & sure enough not only 1 was loose, but 2 were loose (1, a bit more than the other) ~ i wiggled & she wiggled & then POP, out it came & she was thrilled!! ~ she's now still got the other one to deal with, but seems to be 'holding out' for that one ~ the 'twins' thought that was the neatest thing seeing their big(ger) sister with a hole in her head ~ they were wide eyed & full of questions, i can tell you! ~ between our 3 bear cubs it's funny coz there's the same amount of age difference between kiara & ruby that there is between ruby & karleigh ~ with the 2 younger ones being the exact same size, wearing the exact same clothing, doing the exact same things, even they look at themselves both as being the same age & kiara being 'the big sister' ~ she's bigger than they are, wears much bigger clothing & just 'seems' bigger ~ ruby & karleigh are much more on the same level when it comes to most things & that's working out well for everyone ~ also, if you think about it, karleigh's 2 full years behind kiara & always will, be so whether kiara lost a tooth or not, she really is our big girl (of the 3 bear cubs, that is)!!

~ I MISSED THE RACE (GRRR) ~

well, spike bought tickets to the 500 today & we were both going to go sort of as an 'anniversary getaway' since i was in haiti last week on our anniversary (18th) ~ we're not huge race fans, but it's close & we like it so we were planning a day away ~ well, i'm home with the 3 bear cubs & brit's taken my seat at the track with her dad as i'm still not up to par ~ i hate the way it's turned out, but nothing could be done about it ~ we've had a really good morning here at home, but i can't stop coughing (which's really annoying me!) ~ i just received a call from brit saying the race's getting ready to start & that they'll call me later, oh how i wish i could be there, but it just wasn't in the cards today i guess ~ ruby's come to me 2 times this morning signing that her tummy hurts, so i'm not sure exactly what's going on with her ~ i'll be posting later about kiara as she's got news for the world, but i want to post a picture to go along with what i'll be writing about so it all will make sense ~ well i'm starting to cough again so i'll sign off for now ~ hugs!

~ I'VE BEEN TAGGED! ~

rules

1) each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves

2) people who're tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things & post these rules

3) at the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged & list their names

4) don't forget to leave a comment telling them they're tagged & asking them to read your blog

here's 8 random things about me!
1) i'd open heart surgery when i was 18y old & almost died... but god! ~ i just started getting sick (like the flu), was taken to the hospital & when all was said & done, i'd had open heart surgery & a spenectomy all within 2 weeks

2) my 2nd home's haiti where 3 of our children are from (one might say it's my 'summer' home) ~ we go there on a very regular basis & on the trip home, we're already planning the next trip as we love going there

3) i'm the oldest of 3 children ~ i've a younger brother (aaron) & sister (madisyn) ~ my brother's 37 & although dad & mom said they were DONE (after they had him, i sure can't blame 'em - hehe - teasing!!), they decided to adopt madisyn ~ she's from haiti & we just got back from visiting her last week ~ she's great!

4) i love hot foods, the hotter the better ~ mexican food's the best!!

5) traveling's one of the things that i enjoy doing with my family more than anything ~ we've got vacation plans 2 weeks from today & we're going to florida to visit mickey mouse ~ i'm so excited to see their faces when we arrive ~ we'll be flying & all 3 of them think that disney world's in haiti as everyone they know that fly, fly to haiti so i'm not sure what they'll think when they finally find out that we're not going to haiti!

6) i'm a very impatient person, but am getting better with time (or at least i think i am!)

7) i'm an organizing freak & do it for fun most days ~ i like everything to have it's own 'home' & hate it when others don't do the same (referring to #6) ~ i like to label things & reorganize all the time (drives my family crazy, i'm sure)

8) in my spare time i (wait!, what's spare time?) ~ i really don't mind not having much spare time as my life's wrapped around my family & for them, i'm so grateful ~ i've got the best husband & the 5 best kiddos in the world ~ i've been so blessed with what i've been given & feel so truly blessed ~ to look at what god's blessed me with, i'm in awe ~ he's my all in all, my life & what i live for daily ~ i so appreciate him working through me in this 'mommy challange' &

blessing me as he has

thanks jennifer for 'tagging' me!!

~ my trip & what's gone on since ~

wow, where do i start? ~ we arrived at the PAP airport & as we were loading luggage/bins in the back of barbara's truck, i was grabbed firmly by liz (ruby's mama) ~ she looks sooooooooo good & i was thrilled to be able to see her again ~ she's in the final stages of AIDS & has been really bad here lately, but was looking very good & i was so glad to be able to spend a few minutes with her ~ she was very talkative too & asked all about ruby ~ i told her that she's doing very well, extremely smart, goes to school & can now hear ~ i didn't know, but she'd no idea that ruby was deaf ~ she indicated that she knew that something 'wasn't right', but didn't know what it was ~ i shared with her that she couldn't hear/talk at all, but since she's had her surgery (CI implant) she's hearing very well & talking up a storm ~ she beamed a grin from ear to ear ~ i gave her the gifts that ruby had purchased for her (a blouse, sundress, photo album, necklace & some $) ~ she absolutely loved them all, but especially the blouse ~ we were using mirlande to translate for us & liz asked her who does ruby's hair (after seeing the pics in the photo album) ~ mirlande asked me & i said, "i do it" ~ liz said something & mirlande explained that liz didn't want to know who did MY hair, but who did ruby's hair ~ i said, "i do it!" ~ liz was told that i'm the one that does ruby's hair as well as the other 2 & then showed her pics of them too ~ she smiled the biggest smile known to man & said, "BON!!!" ~ she then told mirlande to tell me i'm doing a very good job & that she's impressed that i, being white, could do it as well as i could ~ she said that it's hard for haitians to do other haitian's hair & that she couldn't get over how well our girls' hair looked & she was glad that ruby had a mom that would keep her hair looking pretty & then she thanked me ~ man, i was feeling so good & was so glad that she 'approved' of how i was taking care of her daughter ~ we spent a few more minutes catching up & then she left ~ things were so hectic in our chatting as we'd just gotten there, dad had never been to haiti, madisyn (my sister) was at the airport too & we were seeing her for the first time as well, barbara needed to get moving as we had things to do, places to go & people to see so we didn't have a ton of time to stand & chat ~ it wasn't until about 30 minutes AFTER liz left that mom & i realized I'D FORGOT TO GET PICTURES OF HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ~ it still makes me sick to think about seeing her & not getting new pictures UGH ~ while on the trip we were also able to spend time with karleigh's papa richard ~ we took him with us to the beach one day & spent the entire day with him ~ he's doing well & looks very good too ~ we told him (through mirlande) that karleigh's a very good girl, loves to dance & sing, is very smart, etc. ~ he seemed to enjoy hearing all of it & smiled when we told him stories of her ~ after spending the entire day with him, we sent him back home with gifts from karleigh ($, 2 shirts, ball hat & a bracelet) & yes, i remembered to take a ton of pictures of him! ~ we stopped by kiara's papa beau's house, but he wasn't home ~ some other family members were there, but refused to share with him that we were there due to us having 'gifts' & choosing to not leave them with the family members as they requested ~ we told them we'd return when he was there & for them to pass word along to him, but was told no, if we wouldn't leave the gifts with them, then they wouldn't tell him UGH ~ we made a couple attempts to get with him, but none worked out so we'll have to see him the next time ~ we also spent the night in cazale with the missionaries that we know (zachary's) ~ madisyn was able to show us all her friends, where she lived, where she used to live, to her school, her church, to meet her grandma, brother, sister & cousin ~ we'd a wonderful time seeing everything & she'd a wonderful time being 'queen for a day' ~ the first day we arrived she asked if i'd do her hair & after i got it done she said she loved it ~ while in cazale she was getting compliment after compliment on it & how good it looked ~ she kept telling everyone that her sister did it & they were even telling me that i did a good job (man, this trip was really a 'pick me up' when it comes to hair!) ~ we were able to get tickets at very low rates ($380 rt) & for that we'd to stay over night going in & over night coming home ~ going in, we decided to just 'camp' in the miami airport which we did & it worked out just fine ~ coming home we got a hotel room with a hot shower etc., so we were a bit rested when we returned ~ dad came home with a stomach bug of some sort & i came home with a sore throat & migraine which i've had for several days now & will be so glad when it leaves ~ i've not posted anything about my trip, due to not feeling all that great, but thought that it was time i posted something so everyone would know we're back ~ some that we spent time with in cazale are sick now too with a lot of the same symptoms so those that pray, please pray for carmelo (10y), trey (3y), dad & myself to feel back to normal soon ~ i'll post pics when i can, but wanted you all to know we're back & had a wonderful time ~ jennifer, i know you tagged me & i'll get on that right away, thanks!!

~ TO MY FAMILY ~

spike ~ i sooooooo wish you were coming with me on this trip ~ i understand you can't, but know i'll miss you like crazy ~ i love you more than anything & thank you for making this trip possible

dustin ~ i love you & appreciate you taking care of dakota for dad & mom ~ be careful & take care of yourself while i'm gone ~ i'll see you when i return ~ love ya!

brit ~ thanks for helping me get ready to leave ~ have a great time with your dad, uncle ralph & aunt shari while i'm gone ~ i'll email you when i can in the evenings so look for them! ~ i love you & have a great time

kiara, ruby & karleigh ~ please be good for papa kyle & angie & do what they say ~ have a wonderful time as i know you will & help out when/where you can ~ i love you guys more than anything & will see your papas & mamas while i'm in haiti ~ i'll tell 'em you love 'em too! ~ have a great time ~ i love you

kyle, angie & "all your kids" ~ that's how my kids describe you when referring to your family *smile* ~ just wanted to publically say how much we appreciate what you're doing for us ~ we'll for sure repay the favor in the future for you too ~ i hope you enjoy the girls as i'm sure they're going to enjoy being with you again ~ make them mind & kiss 'em for me as i miss them already ~ i'll email when i can & feel free to phone spike from time to time to see if we've talked ~ thanks again ~ love ya!

~ WE'RE OFF! ~

just wanted to let everyone know that we'll be leaving for haiti tomorrow morning about 8:30ish (dad, mom & myself) ~ we're over-nighting in miami & then into PAP at 8am wednesday for a week ~ we can't wait & have tons of things to do while we're there ~ please pray for safe travels & that things get accomplished ~ i'll post when i return!! ~ hugs!

~ HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! ~

~ i just wanted to write & say happy mothers day to all the moms out there! ~ today started at 11am (YES, brit's present to me was to let me sleep in & she watched the bear cubs - THANKS A MILLION BRIT!) ~ we all got ready, met dustin & suzy at 'monkey' bbq (mongolian bbq's the real name) & it was wonderful! ~ we then stopped at walmart for a quick stop to purchase the last of the last of the last (yeah right!) things we'll be needing to take on this trip, then it was off to grandmas where we had a good long visit, we then stopped by nana's to see her, then to the dq for a treat & then home ~ the kids all went to bed without a complaint at all as they were sooooooooooo tired ~ we'll be taking them to columbus tomorrow morning to meet ang as she's watching them while we're gone ~ after that we've got some errands to run & then we're off to bed early (i'm really going to try & do this too!) as we're leaving tuesday morning ~ our flight doesn't leave until 12:30pm (i think), but we've got to be there a couple hours early (10:30am) & it's about an hour drive from my house so we'll be leaving by 9:30am ~ keep in mind my dad's driving so we'll probably be leaving by 6am still in our pj's!! ~ we're all so excited & can't wait to see madisyn ~ we'll be seeing her on wednesday, but not until the afternoon ~ well, guess i've gotta go, spike's securing all the bins & he needs more zip strips! ~ hugs! ~

~ BIRTHDAY BOWLING PARTY ~

well, this evening was kiara's official birthday party & we held it at the local bowling alley ~ there were 13 children there (brit, sanite, lucas, garrett, megan, noah, kiara, ruby, karleigh, morgon, maddie, katie & braedey) & they all seemed to have a good time ~ everyone bowled 1 game, got a cup of tokens (which turned in to lots of tickets which turned in to toys/snacks!), recieved a soda & spent time with each other ~ we then went with my parents to a pizza place here in town & after eating, came home & the girls went out to play ~ they've since gone to bed & apparently mom has too, cause i'm calling her & she's not answering (mom, do you know it's just now 9pm & i've been calling you forever - it's still daylight outside & you're asleep???) ~ well, tomorrow we're heading to see my mother in law, then for lunch & probably back home for the night ~ monday morning mom & i've to take the girls to columbus, IN to meet up with angie as she's watching our kids when we go to haiti (thanks ang!) ~ after dropping them off, we're off to run a couple errands & then i'm home for the night to try my best & get some sleep due to leaving tuesday morning & not getting much sleep while gone ~ we're overnighting in miami the first night coming in & since we'll be getting in late, we're just 'camping' in the airport ~ we'll be overnight in miami coming back too, but will have more 'sleep time' so we'll get a room that night ~ anyway, i'll try & blog tomorrow ~ gosh, we're getting so excited to leave!!! ~ hugs!

~ PAPAW & THE 'TWINS' ~

well, today mom & i went to kiara's end of the year program & had a great time ~ they're so cute at that age & how they 'perform' ~ since i couldn't take the twins with me, i asked dad to watch them ~ he was a bit concerned there'd be poop issues, but said he'd watch them & seemed excited about it ~ they couldn't wait & i heard about 'going to papaws' from the minute they woke up ~ this was the first time he's watched them alone, so we didn't know what would happen, but was eager to find out ~ i dropped them off at 10am & picked them up at noon ~ neither one wanted to come home when i got there, karleigh said they'd both been given, "cookies, chocolate & ice cream" (keep in mind i picked them up at NOON!) & that they'd gone to the park! ~ i thought it was so sweet of papaw taking them & he even said he walked them there instead of driving ~ they had a blast & karleigh's already asked me if i needed to go to another program tomorrow as she knew papaw could watch them again (hehe) ~ here's a picture of how we left them at 10am, - that's cookies in those cups! ~ THANKS PAPAW!!

~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIARA! ~

~ i can't believe she's 5, where's the time gone? ~ to think of her coming home when she did & as tiny as she was ~ just to give you an idea of how far she's come, check out these pictures ~ this' kiara when she came home from haiti & at almost 11 months old, she weighed only 12.9#! ~

~ this' her today as a big 5 years old girl! ~

~ she weighs 49.2# & is such a delight & wonderful in every way ~ she'll be starting kindergarten in the fall & absolutely can not wait! ~ she loves meeting new people, playing, 'homework' & has a grin on her face all the time ~ she's got a heart as big as the world & loves everyone ~ she talks all the time about when she gets older, she's wanting to adopt 3 brown little girls too ~ thinking she was talking about adopting from haiti, but when i asked her she stated that, "no, i'm going adopt 3 little brown girls from california!" ~ don't know where that came from as we've never even been to california, so we'll see! ~ we're going out for dinner tonight somewhere when they 'sing' to her as that's the one thing she requested is that we go somewhere where they sing & that we get cake! ~ we're throwing her a birthday party this saturday at the local bowling alley where her, her sisters, some friends & lots of cousins will be bowling & having a good 'ol time! ~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIARA, WE LOVE YOU!! ~

~ 'BOUT PACKED UP & READY TO GO! ~

well, spike & i ran over to dad & mom's house last night to pick up some supplies that needed to be packed in the bins that are at our house ~ while over there, mom (aka: T.A.N.S. - The Adorable Nana Swatter! - we call her 'tanner' for short!) was busy swatting bees ~ here's a picture of her 'in action' as she waited ever so patiently to go in for the kill of 'the bees' ~ i can tell you all, it was pure entertainment as we watched her running (yes, my goodness she was bolting everywhere) all over the front porch, duckin' & weaving in & our of chairs in order to smash just 1 poor helpless bee ~ after 'the kill' happened, she looked on with glee in knowing she'd rid the world of yet another, 'pest'~

when we got home i worked on my packing & went to bed ~ after taking kiara to school this morning, i came home to finish what i'd begun last night & am happy (thrilled) to report that i'm done! (*-* my cameras, as i've got to use them this weekend at kiara's birthday party), all 6 bins that are stuffed to the max that we'll be taking down, full of supplies & the kids things are also packed to take to kyle & angies ~ i've tried to remember everything i could think of & more ~ hope i remembered it all! ~ we're very excited, just hoping tanner doesn't bring along her swatter! *ready to duck & weave as need be!* ~ hugs!

~ TRYING ON CLOTHING'S HORRIBLE FOR THIS FAT LADY! ~

well, i've been gone all day today ~ took kiara to preschool (9-11:30) & while she was there, karleigh & i went to meijer, picked kiara up, then out to lunch with dad & mom & saw their new ugly grey jeep! (hehehe, just had to say that ~ they're teasing me that i don't like it due to me saying i'd never want a grey vehicle, but it's really sharp!) ~ after leaving there, we headed home for naptime, then when brit got home, i left to run more errands ~ i headed to the post office, back to meijer, to the house to pick spike up, out to dinner (just spike & i), picked up things at 'just kiddin' around', off to fashion bug, walmart & home ~ wow, i'm bushed! ~ from the title, i'm sure you can tell that this fat lady's tried on clothing today & gosh, that's horrible! (not getting new clothes, oh no-no!, it's the bending, huffing, panting, squeezing into things that you 'thought' would fit (alright, you knew they wouldn't, but man, you had to try!), only to have to take them back off, get redressed, go get the 'correct size', go back to the fitting room for a repeat preformance) ~ grrrrr, one of these days, i'm going to be 'not fat', yep, one of these days! ~ well, i'm off to get clothing out for the girls as nana's coming over in the morning to pack for haiti & she's on me really badly if they're not in matching clothes ~ GRRR ~ no, not really, just in a teasing mood tonight for some reason as she's always saying they look adorable & I'M the one that's obsessed with them matching (they'll love this in me, when they get to be teenagers - "karleigh, you WILL wear the hot pink shirt as kiara & karleigh both have hot pink in their shirts, so get it on!" hehe, i can see the eyes rolling now! ~ karleigh's the only one of our 5 children that really cares what she wears ~ she's got opinions about everything when it comes to the fashion of a 3y old ~ heaven help me as she gets older!) ~ hugs!

~ SUNDAY, SUNDAY ~

well, today was a lazy day ~ spike came down on friday night, with the same thing that brit & kiara had last week UGH ~ he's not feeling too good, but is already on meds so hopefully he'll be over it soon ~ i then woke up this morning with a headache, not a migrane like i usually get (PRAISE THE LORD!), but a headache none the less ~ i slept for 2 hours this afternoon & anyone that knows me at all, knows that's unheard of for me ~ it's feeling a bit better now & hopefully will continue to get better & better until gone ~ i cleaned out a couple cabinets today (fun, i know) & did some laundry (yep, more fun), but that's about it ~ tomorrow, i'll take kiara to school & then karleigh & i will hit meijer as we've got to get some things for my upcoming haiti trip (hard candy, bubble gum, gifts for madisyn, loudnie & karleigh's papa richard, etc.) ~ between now & the time we leave (15th), i've got to gather all the items i still need to purchase, pack my carryon suitcase & backpack, purchase & pack all 6 of the containers that we'll be taking supplies down in, take kiara out for dinner on wednesday night for her birthday that's on thursday, throw kiara a birthday party on saturday afternoon, church on sunday, field trip on monday with kiara's class in which i'm keeping ruby home from school that day so she can go with us & then i'll be taking all 3 of the bear cubs to angie's house immediately following the field trip monday afternoon, just in time to rush home, do last minute packing to be able to leave on tuesday morning ~ i've got to admit, i do better in rushed situations so i really don't think it'll be to hard or stressful (i sure hope not - at least i won't be having to pack my parka for haiti, huh angie? hehe) ~ for those that are keeping up on the fundraising we're doing for foyer de la nouvelle vie, we've already raised $6500 & more's still due to come in (praise the lord!) ~ we'll keep posting to let you know how it's going as the days move on ~ hugs!

~ ISN'T SHE TALENTED? ~

yesterday, i sat the 3 bear cubs down to do their schoolwork & at the end, they were coloring a picture ~ they had their picture & crayons & could do it however they wanted ~ i left the room & stepped in periodically to find all 3 working very well ~ i noticed ruby (4y) was very intent on her work & seemed excited to show me ~ when she finished, she handed it to me & this' what i saw ~ she's 4y & look how good she did!! ~ she had no help whatsoever & was so proud of herself (so were we!) ~ i'd written her name at the top of the picture, but then she copied me & wrote her name again, underneath mine ~ good work ruby!! ~ the other 2 colored, but they seemed to be playing more than working & it showed ~ hugs!

~ GOD'S SO GOOD! ~

in just 24 hours from the time i sent out the original post concerning barbara & her kiddos, i'm happy to report that 4 families have stepped up to the plate & donated ($2500 + $2500 + $600 + $600), for a grand total of $6200 ~ he said, "ask & it shall be given", & he's followed through (like always) on what he promised (you go, god!!) ~ i just spoke with barbara on the phone & told her about the money that i'll be bringing in & she was THRILLED!! ~ i said, "& that's just in day 1!" ~ i'll be phoning her tomorrow night as well so will update her then too ~ i want to thank everyone that's donated, said they would or will in the end as it's an act of love & it's appreciated much more than you know ~ hugs!

~ ROTH $ UPDATE ~

praise the lord! ~ there's been another family that's donating $2500 & is mailing it to me immediately!! ~ so far there's 3 families that have given me exact dollar amounts & they are:

$2500
$2000
$600

if you're sending $ & you're not one of those 3, please let me know how much so we can figure out how much's coming in so she can purchase what's needed!! ~ thanks for all the help guys!

~ REACH OUT TO HAITI UPDATE ~

just wanted to let you all know how much i appreciate you all pitching together to help our adoption agency & all the kiddos out ~ i'll be talking to them again tonight, but wanted to post that i've talked to them 2 times this morning & they're thrilled with what's being down to help them ~ there have been many people who've emailed me directly asking if they can donate ~ i asked them where to send the $ & they said to send it to me & for me to bring it in when i come in 10 days ~ so far i've been told exact $$ figures by 2 families & they've been:

$2000
$600

there have been a few other families that have said, "we're sending some $", but they didn't indicate how much ~ (those that are in that group, if you let me know what's 'on the way', i'll share that with them in haiti & they'll know what to expect so they can go ahead & get things ready for the purchase when i arrive ~ i asked them how much a generator would cost & they said they think they're $5000US, but they're checking today & will let me know this evening ~ i asked about how much it'll take to fix their truck & they said, "well, to fix what's wrong with it now, i'm not sure ~ we just fix what's broken & then try to go as long as we can until the next thing breaks" ~ whatever $ comes in for the truck will be put into a 'pot' & they'll pull out what they need, as they needs it ~ i took a leap & said, "you really need another truck ~ the one you've got works as you dump $ into it, but you're really needing another one" ~ they said, "well, this one might last 1 more year if we're lucky, but i don't know beyond that" ~ i asked them how much $ it'd take to purchase another one & they said, "$25K & no one will donate that much!" ~ well, i don't know about that! ~ we'll be sending in some $ for it & adding it to the 'pot' ~ when they need the truck that they're using now, fixed, then they can dip into that pot, but hopefully the pot will grow & hopefully it'll grow fast ~ when the time comes that they're able to come up with $25K, then they'll get another truck ~ keep in mind that they're in that truck more than they're in their home ~ they works, travels, eats & sometimes sleeps in that truck so it's more of a need than a want ~ when sending in your $, please put in the memo what it's to be used for (ie: generator, truck, etc.) & it'll go for that use ONLY ~ again, anything needing to go to haiti with me, should be sent immediately ~ if it's $, then it arriving as late as the 14th would be alright, but if it's something that needs to be packed, get it here ASAP as we're starting to pack already & will not be able to wait until the end to do so ~ thank you all once again for your $ raising efforts to help foyer de la nouvelle vie & all the kiddos as it's a blessing when we can all pull together to help those who need it most ~

~ A BIT TESTY, EH?? ~

well, my blog's being testy in that when i open it, all the font's HUGE & it's driving me crazy! ~ hopefully, i'll get it fixed soon so i don't loose my mind

~ A DAY AT THE PARK ~

i took the girls to the park today & everyone had a great time ~ here's a few pictures of the fun they had! ~ brit's feeling better, but not great as her throats still raw ~ i kept her home again today (no, not to play at the park!), but to get her out of the house for a bit as she's been stuck in the house since saturday morning ~ she'll be heading to school tomorrow & then be home, doing homework over the weekend ~ i'm not sure what we're doing tonight as i don't know if spike's working late or what he's doing, guess we'll have to wait & see! ~ i'm sure i'll post more later so for now.... hugs!

~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS! ~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MADISYN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!

today's madisyns birthday & we all want to scream this loudly ~ we'll be arriving in haiti to meet her just 2 weeks from today ~ we arrive in PAP at 8am & won't be leaving until 4:45pm on the 21st ~ we're so excited & am looking forward to seeing what god's going to do on this trip ~ licia, her boys & a friend (cheryle bartoo) headed back to haiti today to spend a week, so we'll be getting new pictures even before we leave!! ~ i may sneak over to dad/mom's house this evening as they're going to phone madisyn (hehe) ~ hugs!

~ KIARA'S KINDERGARTEN ROUNDUP ~

(heading to kindergarten roundup)

(standing out front of the school, ready to enter)

(walking down the hallway, 'showing me' where her new classroom will be)

(sitting out front of the building ready to head home - she had a blast!)

'bout forgot, but today was kiaras kindergarten roundup for the fall ~ she & i went to see her school & turn in all the proper paperwork ~ she was sooooooooo excited! ~ after turning everything in they said we could walk through & 'view' classes in session, which we did ~ i was showing her the 3 classrooms that might be hers next year & telling her the names of the teachers ~ we could also see that in 1 of them (mrs. spear) there was a 'loft' area that she kept calling the treehouse, where they'd puters & such for the kids to work on ~ after seeing all the rooms, the lunchroom, the art room, bathrooms, etc. i said, "so, kiara, which teacher do you hope you get next year?" ~ she said, "i KNOW which one i'm gonna get, i'm gonna get mrs. spear!" ~ i said, "did you like that treehouse in her room?" ~ she said, "NOPE, I PICKED HER COZ HER ROOM'S RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE LUNCH ROOM!!" UGH, that girl! ~ here's some pics of her from today, can you tell she had a good time?

~ I DON'T FEEL I'VE ANY BRAIN CELLS LEFT AT ALL ~

i feel my brian's mush as brit & i've played on the puter for hours since the girls went to bed ~ i've been changing the look of my blog, adding things, taking things away, talking mom into changing her 'look' too (see what she did at http://papawandnanas.blogspot.com) & i'm so sleepy ~ spike's out of town & on those nights, i don't sleep well, so i figured, "hey, i'm so smart, it won't hurt me to loose a few thousand cells here & there, so i went for it" (i truly don't know why in the world brit would risk loosing hers though ... did i say that out loud? hehehe, teasing brit!) ~ well, it's off to bed for me ~ toodledoo!

~ HOW'S EVERYONE LIKE THE 'NEW LOOK'? ~

just wondering how everyone likes the 'new look' ~ i've been trying to get a 'theme' & with the kids pics at the top (before) & then the title being about a taptap, it just didn't seem to flow so.................. hopefully it'll flow better now ~ those that post comments, let me know what you think!