- OUR DAY/EVENING -

well, we were all sitting around today as the 'twins' are sick (thanks kiara for sharing what you had!) & about 2pm the phone rang - spike got off & yelled, "everyone help as they're showing our house in 2 hours!!" - keep in mind everyone's in jammies, no one's got clothes laid out as we weren't going anywhere - no one's eaten lunch - toys are all over the living room floor as the girls were just chillin' & playing quietly (alright, not quietly, just playin') - the floor needed swept & we were right in the middle of doing all the laundry from the weekend - EEEEEK - everyone jumped up & started in & worked together well - brit was vacuuming & dusting, spike was finishing what he was working on as he's got a project due tomorrow, i started getting the girls ready & whomever wasn't being lotioned/dressed was picking up toys - we made it!! - we were out of the house & at the dr. office right on time - the twins were seen & yes, they've the same ick that kiara had - we then went to dinner & dustin me us there (monkey BBQ=mongolian BBQ), ate & then came back home - hopefully the family that looked at the house today will buy it & we'll not have to re-do this scene anymore (a girl can hope, can't she??) - we'll post when we know more & hopefully that'll be soon
- Lori - [keep smilin']

- WE NOW LIVE IN A 'NO SNIP' ZONE -

that's right! - i'm working hard on our family living in a 'no snip' zone as i get so tired of hearing the kids (sometimes us too!) snipping at one another - it's getting ridiculous & it's got to stop! - they'll go to play dolls for instance & all i'll hear's "she's covering up MY baby!" - "i don't want HER to play with me!" - "i want THAT baby, not this one!", etc. - so, after listening to it all morning (everyone's feeling sickly, so keep that in mind), i've declared our home as NO SNIP ZONE... effective immediately!!

- Lori - [keep smilin']

-IT'S OFFICIALLY ON THE MARKET -

yep, that's right - we put our house up for sale & it went on the market as of friday - you can view it by going to www.pictureplanit.com/g/c/6543crossbridge.html - when you click on this link, you'll see a picture of our home & you'll see 3 buttons at the bottom - click on the SLIDE SHOW & it'll automatically start flipping through the photos - as it's doing this, move your cursor to the top right where it says ZOOM (don't click it, just lay the cursor on it) & it'll make the pictures fill the computer screen so you can see the details better - we love the house, just need more room - let me know whatcha think! - also, please be praying it sells quickly so we can get the builder started building our new home
- Lori - [keep smilin']

- MAMA'S GOT A BRAND NEW BAG! -

our at least a brand new pair of glasses ordered, but that wouldn't have really made sense (& we all know this blog ALWAYS makes sense, doesn't it?? - brit & i both went in on friday & had our eyes examined (me for the first time in over 11 years!) - we both ordered new glasses & they'll be in next saturday - i'm excited, but i know me & it'll take a lot of work for me to wear them - brit came in here earlier & said, "so mom, when you get your new glasses are you even going to wear them? - dad & i were talking about that at the game today & he said he doesn't think you will & i've gotta admit, i don't either!" (they love me sooooo much!) - i'm really going to try hard to make myself wear them on a regular basis as much as i do NOT want to - what i really want's contacts, but my eyes are sooooooooooo sensitive, i'm really not sure i could without looking as if i were crying all the time - i'll post a picture of these new glasses & let you all 'coax me' into wearing them - i really do like the looks (not on this fat face of mine, but there's none that would look 'cute' on me... those of you who 'know' me are nodding their heads up & down at this statement)
- Lori - [keep smilin']

- MORE SICK KIDDOS grrrr -

well, went to bed last night with my throat feeling a bit sore, but woke up this morning fine & thought, whew, i'm in the clear! - well, went through the day with way whiney kiddos (the 2 little ones), but thought they were just 'having issues' - well, spike & brit left me for a bunch to sweaty boys in black/gold uniforms & went to the purdue game - they called to see if i'd want to bring the bear cubs up & have dinner at our all time favorite restaurant pepe's mexican & "YES", was my reply - we went up there & had a good time & the food was wonderful (as always), but.................................... on the way home, karleigh cried (VERY hard) all the way home (45-60 minutes) GRRRR & this' so not her - we got home, got jammies on & to bed it was - well, that was just before 8pm & i was in there about 45 mintues ago & she was still away - i took her to the bathroom again & when getting her up, noticed W.A.R.M. = fever!! - i took it & yep, she's up to 101.5 (rectal) GRRRR - i gave some tylenol & put her back down - she's resting if nothing else, which's good at this point - well, then i move on to my 'blog chair' with the sounds of ruby snoring behind me as my puter room's brit's bedroom (god... we really need a bigger house) - as i'm typing this, ruby sneezes 2 times VERY loudy & doesn't even wake up (how can a person even do that???) - i've got everything out for church in the morning, but the sheplers may just be homebound tomorrow GRRRR - i'll post more about better things, so read on
- Lori - [keep smilin']

- WHAT I'M LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW -

spike's in the living room playing/singing with the 3 bear cubs & they're all having a grand time - i was in there, then it came bedtime & i was out-voted! - daddy said that he'd sing awhile & i could go blog & they were sure excited about that - they're in there singing at the top of their lungs: 'if you're happy & you know it', 'twinkle, twinkle, little star', 'give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning', 'jesus loves me', 'amazing grace' & 'this little light of mine, i'm gonna let it shine' - they're all having a great time! - one funny kiara story from today went like this - kiara got sick last sunday (fever, coughing, sore throat, headache, watery eyes... you get the picture) & so she wasn't at school monday, tuesday, wednesday or thursday - she went back today & had a blast - while she was off, we did hair, which like i posted a few days ago, was a HORRIBLE mistake, but..... - when she came home today i asked her what the bus driver & her teacher said about her not being at school for so many days - she said,

kiara: they both asked me the saaaaame thing!
me: what did they say?
kiara: they asked me where i've been for so long?
me: what did you tell them?
kiara: i just told them you needed me to stay home because we had to re-do my hair!

UGH - i'm slow, but not 4 DAYS LONG SLOW!! - i'm telling you, after all these kids get through school, i bet i'm sure looked at weird by people who've taught our kids! - kids, what would i do without them (not be embarrassed??)
- Lori - [keep smilin']

- HAIR DAY(S), BUT ALMOST DONE! -

well, monday night since kiara was missing school anyhow, i decided i'd go ahead & start with her (giving her a new 'do) tuesday morning & then do the other 2 since they'd school - well, in theory that makes since, but oh my goodness, i'll never do that again! - what was i thinking making an already sick child go throug having her hair done?!?! - poor baby girl, mommy's sooooo sorry - she handled it alright, with only minor tears, but with many, many, many breaks (but that's alright) - we got it finished & she loves it... WHEW! - i then took karleigh's down & did hers last night - she did wake me up in the middle of the night saying her 'hair hurt' OOOPS! - it's been a long time since i've braided it too tight, but this time i did more of a veil style on top so i wanted to make sure it stayed (guess that's not an issue now, huh?) - she didn't complain at all today, so i think she'll be fine - today after ruby got home from school, i took hers down & gave her a bath, got her conditioned really well & she's now ready to go first thing in the morning - i'll finish her tomorrow & we'll be done until the end of october YEAH - even though have 3 bear cubs with heads full of hair, different textures, different lengths & hair that takes soooo much time, i'd do it all again in a minute as i love doing their hair! - they enjoy having it done & i love doing it - our kids almost never get candy (alright, unless they're at nana's house, right mom?... mom AKA 'queen of the chocolate snacks for the grandkids') - what works for us here at home's on hair days, whomever's in the 'hair seat' can have suckers - they can have as many as it takes me to braid their hair, just so long as they don't chew them - they've got to lick only & then they can have more - 1 bite & they're done! - it's funny because they're all so eager to be in that 'hair seat' & getting suckers, but they don't even ask before it's their time - i'm so glad i didn't give in a long time ago & give the 'waiting ones' suckers to help them wait as it wouldn't be as effective as it is now - i'll take pictures of them all 3 after having it done, but here's a couple pictures of the pattern i'm using, taken of kiara last night [keep smilin']

- Lori -

- SICK BABY'S GOT 'FREE HAIR' -

well, i went ahead & took kiara's hair down today as she'll NOT be going to school tomorrow - she's no better at this point, but has only had 2 doses of her meds & we don't want to infect anyone at school now, do we? (gosh, wish everyone felt this way!) - after getting her hair down, she went into a pretty hot tub (kiara: "wow mommy, this' very hot!"), but i explained to her that it'd make her feel better & after sitting in there playing for about 45 mintues, she's certainly agreed! - we then got her slathered up with lotion, put cholesterol conditioner on her hair, combed it through, gave her the meds & put her to bed to not hear a word from her since (& she slept today from 2-6!) - she'll be sleeping with us tonight as we do this for all the kids when they're sick (thank god brit's not been sick lately! -hehe) - i'll post pics of her 'new do' tomorrow if it turns out (hehe) - until then, this mama's heading for the shower [keep smilin']
- Lori -

- 2 DOCTORS, 2 STREP TESTS & 1 PRESCRIPTION LATER... -

she's on the mend & wow, what a day! - kiara began not feeling well yesterday, complaining of a runny nose - by evening, she was running a low-grade fever, aching all over, very bad sore throat & watery eyes - we got up this morning & called the pediatrician - they said that they were double booked & couldn't be seen by a dr., but that i could bring her in & have a strep test done on her & since we didn't see a dr. we'd just have the lab bill - well, we did that & it was negative - then i was told that we could go & if she wasn't better in 2 weeks to bring her back!! - DUH, i wanted her on something TODAY! - they kindly gave me the $85 bill & we left - we went 1 block away to immediate care & she had yes another strep (negative), but she was seen by a dr. who was very nice/helpful & he prescribed amoxicillan, tylenol for fever & something for nasal congestion (that was free as he gave me a sample) - stopped by meijer & got the meds for free (gosh, i love that place!), came home, gave her the meds & put her to bed - she's wore out, let me tell you! - at least she's now on the right road & should improve quickly (hopefully she can go to school tomorrow as they're having a program!)
- Lori -

- BUTT KICKIN' WEEKEND -

well, this weekend started out with a bang - we were to go camping with dad/mom, but their camper wasn't in working order so on thursday (i think) they called to say they couldn't go - we'd thought for a bit about going ahead & going anyhow since we weren't sure how many more campouts we'd have this summer, but chose not to, due to spike needing to get some things done for work - since we weren't going camping, we told brit she'd now be able to attend her homecoming dance (she didn't tell us about the dance & her wanting to go, until AFTER we'd made camping arrangements sooooo, due to us not knowing ahead of time, she wasn't going) - she was thrilled, but that made us on thursday night pretty late, needing to go purchase her dress (AND shoes, AND purse, AND bra, AND jewelry... you get the picture!) - well, by the end of the evening she'd decided (YEAH!), had it purchased & was thrilled to be looking forward to attending the dance - friday came & since things had been so hectic, we'd decided to make it 'family night', have pizza's or something, watch movies, play games, eat popcorn, etc. - well, none of that happened as we were just getting ready to 'settle down' to get started when our friend/realtor called (becky) & said she'd be over within 30 minutes to talk about the house - well, she arrived with her hubby (craig) & she said that we needed to 'thin things out a bit' as my house's VERY busy - that she was also sending over a photographer on saturday & didn't know the time, but she was going to take pictures to put online of a virtual tour of our home - well, by the time they left, we were all in a tizzy as we'd tons to do! - we began pulling things down off the walls, boxing things up, etc. & to me, it looks HORRIBLE! - i know it's got to be done, but can people not come into your home (that's you're still living in) & 'see' it without things on the walls? - does it literally have to be bare for them to 'see it'? - where's the imagination people??? - we worked until late that night, ran out of boxes & out of energy as well

i didn't sleep to well friday night due to my foot hurting (i'm on a blood thinner & it does this when my blood's 'off' - meaning either too thick/too thin) - we got up saturday morning, rushed around trying to pack up yet more stuff & shove into the garage, that's now begging for mercy - i ran to the hospital to have labs drawn, but didn't get there until 4:30 & they closed at 3 GRRR - the photographer came by at 5 (was due at 4, hmmm), took the pictures & left, just in time for us to throw brit together for her dance, take her outside for some pictures & off she went to the high school - she was there until 11 & had a blast - i was still hurting pretty bad with my foot, so i opted to head to bed for a good night's sleep

i woke up this morning (sunday) with a throbbing foot, calf & wrist (yep, it's my blood!) - i've tried staying off of it all day & have done really well, if i do say so myself - i did help brit get dinner ready & she did a great job - we'd parmesan chicken, salad, buttered carrots, italian green beans & homemade banana bread for dessert & it was yummy too!

as the day went along, kiara began to sound like a man - what i mean's that she was loosing her voice & what she had sounded horrible - the later the evening got, she began to not only talk about how funny she sounded, but that her throat indeed hurt UGH - she's right now sound asleep in bed, but isn't feeling well at all - i'm sure i'll not be sending her to school tomorrow, but instead we'll make a stop at the drs. office for an antibiotic - we've been very blessed this year that so far we've not had many sicknesses at all & when there's 6 people all under 1 roof, 4 of which go to 4 different school systems, 1 is on the road in meetings all the time & the other one's (hmmm, what is it i do again?) - like i said, we're blessed & i think i'll just leave it at that for now! [hugs]
- Lori -

- TIMBERLINES?? -

well, that's what kiara calls them... tenderloins, that is - we had 'em tonight for dinner with salad & she was yum yum yumming as she really liked them, but called them timberlines

- lori -

- TONIGHT'S 'THE NIGHT' -

here's 2 pictures of brit tonight right before leaving for the homecoming dance - if you can't tell, she's about as excited as can be - she's meeting several friends at the dance & hanging out with them - she really looked pretty as her dad drove her away - you'd think she was getting married at how her dad was acting (ie: warning her of things, making her recite what he was saying, etc.) - brit kept saying, "mom, what's dad doing!!!!!" - to which i'd say, "he's being a dad"

- Lori -

- MY 'BIG GIRL' -

we don't have much planned for this weekend though - dad/mom were planning on going camping at indiana beach & they'd asked us & aaron's family to go along - well, aaron's family had something come up so they couldn't go, but we were able to - come to find out, they'd gone the other day to get the camper to bring it home & get it ready & it died - yep, died right in aaron's driveway UGH - they were scrambling around to get it fixed, but they'd to order parts, etc. & spike told me to just tell them that he's got 2 new 'hopeful projects' coming up that he really needs to get ready for, so he could use the time at home - we called them yesterday morning & they acted a bit relieved that we weren't going as now they've got more time to deal with it - also, with us staying home, brit's going to get to go to her homecoming dance - see, she'd known about it for several weeks & said nothing (but was planning on going) - since i'd not heard anything about it, we planned on going camping with dad/mom - after she found out we'd planned something, then all of a sudden she 'spoke up'! - well, in our house, unless it's an urgent thing, we don't change plans so she wasn't going to get to go - well, then when this all changed & we'd no control over it, we told her she could attend & she's so excited - she & i went 'outfit shopping' yesterday & she got a new dress (soooo cute!), shoes (that couldn't match any better!), a fancy purse, jewelry & bra (shhhhh!) - she can not wait to get all dolled up & head to the dance floor - she's hoping this guy named wilson will ask her to dance, so we'll see - here's some pictures i took of her dressed up last night when we stopped by dad/mom's house to show them - can you tell she's excited!

- Lori -

- ALL'S QUIET -

well, here i sit in a very quiet home - a home where 6 people reside (3 of whom are 5 & under) so it's NEVER, EVER, EVER quiet around here (did i mention, NEVER, EVER, EVER?) - i'm sitting here listening to only the sound of my fingers tapping the keyboard, a vehicle passing every now & then in front of the house & you know what???, it's toooooo quiet! - everyone's at school & i don't pick kiara up for another hour - i'm pathetic i know, but i can't help it - for 21 years now all i hear are: little feet running, giggles, 'i gotta potty!', crying, yelling, toys being tossed (alright, thrown), whining, interupting, complaining, 'i love you mommy', 'can i paleeeeeeeease??', etc. & not hearing anything, makes me sad - we're soooooooo done having babies (more children at all/any age), but still it's sad to me that we're 'done' with all that - i know some funny person will comment about, "well, maybe you're not done" & to that i say, "oh yes we are *grinning from ear to ear*", but it does make me a bit sad - i loved our kiddos being babies, loved & still do, the toddler years, 'handled' & still am, the teenage years, am working on handling the 'adult' years as a mom, but i so wish our kids could stay young, under my wing, where i can make all the decisions for them (as i know i'm better able to do it than they are, right?... i am right on that, aren't i??... c'mon, someone tell me i'm right, paleeeeeeeease) - anyhow, i'm not down/depressed or anything today, just a quiet house got me to thinking... memories, gotta love 'em! [hugs]

- Lori -

- JOHN 3:16 -

kiara came out of sunday school class yesterday morning & said, "i finally learned it!" - i asked what she was talking about & she kept saying, "the verse, i finally learned it!" - she then recited the entire verse john 3:16... "for god so love the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him, would not perish, but have everlasting life" - kiara, you've make us so happy (& jesus too!)

- Lori -

- OUR KIDS' KIDS -

the contents in this post are all accurate, but will more than likely NOT be accepted by other parents as the 'correct way of raising a child' & for that i'm sorry... well, not really! - i'll post at the bottom as to the reasons why we chose to do what we did, but again, it's just what we chose to do

here's our girls & their 'kids'...

kiara (top) came home from haiti in 2003 & was an avid thumb sucker - we tried to get her also attached to her pink silkie along with sucking her thumb as a bit of 'exta comfort' & NO WAY, she'd not have any part of it - all she wanted to do was suck her thumb & nothing else! - she'd sleep with things from time to time, but nothing 'stuck' except the thumb

karleigh (bottom) came home from haiti in 2004 & was also an avid thumb sucker - we did the same thing with trying to get her attached to her blue silkie along with sucking her thumb - she not only continued sucking her thumb, but also accepted the silkie just fine & became VERY attached to it

ruby (middle) came home from hait in 2005 & with her being 2.5 upon arrival we knew we'd never get her attached to much of anything as when we'd visit her in haiti all those trips, she'd not want to sleep with a stuffed animal, a doll, a silkie, etc. & she was NOT interested in sucking her thumb AT ALL! - well, when she got off the plane in indiana, it was late at night so kiara & karleigh were both really sleepy as they were sitting in their strollers - ruby walked up to them, looked very closely at their thumbs in their mouths, looked closely at her own thumb, stuck it in her mouth & that's where it's been ever since - now, she's the biggest (BY FAR) thumb sucker of the 3!!

they've also all 3 adopted a stuffed animal & so when all's said & done they all sleep great (some sleep MORE than others, but that's a different post) & they've now got several 'things of comfort' & here they are in the order of importance:

kiara: thumb, douglas & pink silkie
ruby: thumb, yellow silkie & hershey
karleigh: thumb, blue silkie & chloe

the reason why we chose to do this (allowing the thumb sucking, silkies, etc.) is due to what all they've gone through - i know we can't live our life treating them as 'different' due to what they've gone through, but as babies/very small children you can (or at least we did) - we wanted to shower them with comforts (ie: being rocked to sleep every night & carried to bed, holding their hands walking through a store, carrying them rather than having them walk - laying in bed with them for a bit & just 'talking', etc.) - some may say that sucking the thumb will destroy the teeth & yes, i'm sure it does & might for them too, but brit (16y) came to us & had never sucked her thumb EVER & has had more dental work that i care to talk about so we really don't see the harm in allowing them to do it - if we've got to have braces placed on them years from now, then so be it, at least we'll know they were comforted when they needed it most [hugs]

- LIFECYCLE OF AN ADOPTION -

Life Cycle of an Adoption
By Steve Morrison (revised)

1) Nervous Relief - Those documents are out of your hands. Good thing too. You’ll need those hands so you can chew on your fingernails.

2) Anxiety - Reality sets in. Those precious documents ARE OUT OF YOUR HANDS. Oh my gosh, I've no more control!!

3) Glee - “Absolutely, we’ll have our referral soon!”. You’re giddy with building excitement.

4) Jumpiness - Your mail delivery person's scared to death of you because you wait for him/her everyday, in a sprinter’s starting crouch, blasting off like the Rocket Man when you see him/her, almost knocking over the mail truck in your efforts to get the mail. Your telephone never completes it’s first ring as you dive over the furniture to reach it quickly.

5) Intelligence - You become much more intelligent than everyone regarding the ins & outs of adoption. You become a walking encyclopedia of knowledge regarding Haiti, its history & its culture. After all, you gotta occupy your time somehow!

6) Worn Out - You've painted your fence, painted your house, cleaned your garage, hung drywall, stripped wallpaper in the child’s new room, painted the walls, dug/tilled & planted a new garden. Wow, are you tired!

7) Impatient - If I hear one more person ask “So what’s happening with your adoption” or “When are you going to Haiti” one more time, I’m going to run, naked & screaming down Main Street!

8) Inquisitive - You begin calling your agency every hour on the hour everyday without fail.

9) Quivering - You sob a lot. You whine a lot. You lay in a fetal position & rock a lot. (Geez, good thing your psychological evaluation's completed & out of our hands, what would our social worker think of us now!)

10) Animosity - You notice everyone else’s referrals. That shoulda been mine!!!

11) Anger - At everyone & everything. Nothing makes sense. This thing isn’t really going to happen. If it were, I’d have my referral by now. Everyone else in the world has theirs.

12) Religious Experience - You realize anger does no one any good. You notice people who've been waiting longer than you and how nice they are. How can that be? Are they crazy? You begin to understand that God’s plan's for you to have a certain, special child. That you'll get that child. It may take time, but there's a plan. You begin to lend support to others in stages 7 & 9.

13) Acceptance - No more anger left. Some sadness though. But, it’s out of your hands & in the hands of God. So, you roll with the punches & wait calmly.

14) Referral - After awakening from fainting, you begin to acknowledge the fact that you don't remember ANYTHING from what you've learned while waiting. You NEED information. You must prepare to travel.

15) Waiting to travel - Repeat stages 3 through 13, try your best to remember to breathe & have fun on the journey!

- DRESS FOR THE WEATHER -

well, got up today & kiara couldn't wait to go to school as they're having a field trip (a walk in the neighborhood that the school's located in) - she woke up in a great mood, but as i got her dressed she seemed bothered & as i fed her breakfast she seemed bothered - here's how our conversation went:

me: what's wrong?
kiara: we're going on a fieldtrip today
me: yes, i know, that'll be great fun!
me: (as she's still acting 'odd') what's bothering you?
kiara: we're supposed to dress for the weather
me: yes, i've got your jacket out at the front door with your backpack, k?
kiara: yeah, but i don't wanna get in trouble!
me: for what??
kiara: my teacher said we're ALL supposed to dress for the weather today
me: kiara you'll be dressed for the weather, but i'm not putting the jacket on you yet
kiara: then where's my dress???
me: huh?
kiara: she said to DRESS for the weather, so where's my dress (she was wearing jeans)

don't know what she thought the boys would be wearing!! [hugs]

- OH NO, NOT THE FURNACE!! -

oh my goodness, i can't believe that's it's only september 12 & i've had to turn on my furnace!! - as all who know me, you KNOW i like a cool house (not a COLD house angela, my dear best friend who went to haiti with me & brought her COAT - haiti's like 'hell hot' & she takes a coat!) - anyhow, here i sit at the puter in the coolest room in the house & my fingers are freezing! - i went & turned on the furnace just a tad to get the chill out & now i'm better - i'll leave it this way for a bit & then the air's coming back on!! - well, i beter get movin' as i've still got things to do (is there EVER a time when there's not 'things to do'??) [hugs]

- WE'VE MADE A DECISION -

well gosh, my days seem to be running together here lately, but i'll try & recap for you all what we've been up to - we picked mom up at the airport late saturday night (midnight) & enjoyed chatting with her all the way home, looking at pictures she'd taken & hearing about her trip (makes me wanna go back NOW!) - we slept in sunday morning & played hookie from church as we'd been out so late - sunday night we were back at the airport at 11pm, another little boy came home from haiti (this makes 7 children home from foyer de la nouvelle vie, just this month & it's only the 11th!!) - we spent all day monday, resting up, getting things done around the house & then going on a 2.5 hour shopping spree at walmart last night! - around 10pm last night, angela, sanite, noah & maddie showed up to spend the night! (it was already planned) - angela had an appointment this morning & i was going to watch the kiddos, so it worked out well as this way she's not having a 2+ hour drive in the wee hours of the morning - we bedded everyone down for the night & i can tell you, morning came too early! - spike got up at 4:45am to take barbara to the airport (bye barbara!!) & angela, brit & myself were all up at 6 - angela was getting ready for her appointment, i was getting ruby ready for school (the poor baby gets on the bus at 6:25am) & brit was getting ready for school - i then got myself ready, woke kiara up at 7:30 to get her ready as she leaves at 8 - it was at this time that sanite, noah, karleigh & maddie all woke up so we were just 'assembly lining it' (ie: getting dressed, lotioned, hair, etc.) - angela walked in at that time & so she helped finish up & then it was perfect timing as it was time to take karleigh to school - i dropped her off at 9, then it was to breakfast for the rest of us - after breakfast we drove to the neighborhood that we've chosen (yes, it's official so look below to find out if you voted for the correct one) - she loved the neighborhood, the lot we've picked & the house - although she couldn't see inside the house yet (we'll do that the next time she comes up), they've a few of 'our home' in the neighborhood so she could at least see the outside & how it'll look

well, (drumroll please)..... - we've decided on the davis home (the somerset) - it's neat that in the end, that's the home that was voted for the most - it's a gorgeous home & we're very excited - we signed a contact last friday night with a contengency that our house sells - we're meeting with our realitor this monday night so hopefully we'll get some 'lookers' really soon - we'll keep you all posted & for those that pray, please do so as we're busting at the seams over here!!

- WHO'S UP FOR PLAYING THE NAME GAME? -

no, we're NOT adopting more children, nor are we getting another pet - we've many friends that are adopting & were asking what names we liked & that's just opened the door (for brit & i at least - NOT spike) - so, what names do you all like? - here's some of our favs (along with our favorite spellings too), in alphabetical order:

BOYS: ashton, blake, camden, clayton, connor, dalton, derick, drake, dustin, foster, garison, jack, jackson, jaydon, jason, joseph, kaiden, keegan, kiel, lance, maxx, reid, riley, ryan, saige, sam, shaun, tanner, toby, tony, trey

GIRLS: abby, aisley, amber, amberly, annie, aron, brittany, emily, emma, haidyn, jalyn, jenai, jenna, kaidyn, kamdyn, kami, karleigh, karmyn, katie, kella, kenda, kendall, kiara, kimi, kristen, nana, paige, ruby, sami, steffi

ut oh! - spike just heard me reading these names off to brit, ran in here & said, "WHAT ARE WE NAMING NOW???" - i'm sure he's in a panic that i'll start asking for more children (which's what usually happens when the baby name book finds it's place off the bookcase & into my hands, but fear not honey, I'M DONE!

now, who's going to go next? - whomever goes next, please comment on my blog that you did so - don't forget to share also, your blog addy, so when they read your comment, they'll know where they can find you!! [hugs]

- MOM'S COMING HOME TOMORROW -

well, mom's been gone for 2 weeks now & is coming home tomorrow night at midnight - we'll all be glad to see her, but she's had a very good time - she's been caring for bryce (the baby boy i mentioned several posts back) - when she got him, he only ewighed 9# & yesterday he's up to over 13#!!! - she said now, he's looking pudgy!! - he's eating anything/everything he can get in his mouth & grunts when he wants more food - he's able to support his weight on his legs (ONLY WITH SUPPORT) as he's very weak still - oh, this 13# little guy's almost 2 years old! - i'll post before/after pics when i get them, but she's very excited about how far he's come - his mama's heading to see him in another week so i'm sure he'll gain more then too! - cassandra, mom's having a very hard time leaving him - he'll be spoiled rotten when you get there from nana caring for him for all this time! [hugs]

- HOW ADDICTED AM I??? -

88%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

i received this 'test' on how addicted one is to blogging from angela (my bestest bestest friend) - she posted one on her site & made mention of the fact that she'd be interested to see how 'addicted' i am - well, here it is, I AM ADDICTED!! - i'll be passing it on to my mother as she's 'bout as bad as i am & she's been in haiti for 2 weeks (with no puter) - everytime i talk to her on the phone, she starts telling me about things that have happened & then says, "lori, i've got soooooo much blog material, you'd not even believe it!" - it'll be interesting to see what all she blogs about - well, my girly girls got me up way to early this morning & so now i've got 'mommy things to do', so i'll blog again later with yet more BLOG MATERIAL! [hugs]

- WHERE'D MY BABY GO? -

well, our younges (3y) karleigh, started preschool today - she was sooooooo excited preparing over the past couple days, packing lunches, getting clothes out, etc. - i went in this morning at 7:30 to wake her & started tapping her arm, calling her name, etc. - she peeked open 1 eye as if to say, "it's already morning??" & i said, "karleigh, you need to get up & get movin' as today's the day you start school & have lunch bunch - she (still peeking out one eye only) said, "mommy, it's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to early for schooltime!" - (keep in mind she's my 10am sleeper... oh, this year's the start of something fun with getting her up in the mornings i'm afraid... anyone know of a nightime preschool??? hehe) - here she is getting ready to load into the van & head off!

- I'M GETTING A ROSIE! -

well, it's taken how many years for me to come to the acceptance that i needed someone to help out - all these years i've tried to be superhuman & do it all by myself, but adding all the kids, getting bigger homes over the years, me getting older, etc. i'm throwing in the towel! - everytime i leave town for any length of time, spike suprises me by hiring his sister vickie (who cleans home for a living) to come over & deep clean - i do appreciate it, but still makes me feel like i'm slipping or something & 'fight it all the way' - well, we went camping with russell & vickie over the weekend & while there, vickie mentioned that she was trying to get a couple more cleaning jobs to fill in on the 'off days' - spike & i talked, called her last night & told her we'd hire her - she stated that she'll be cleaning for someone else every other wednesday 9-12 so we're taking her other wednesdays at the same time - i now have a rosie of my own coming every other wednesday for 3 hours & believe it or not, i'm excited!!

- WHICH ONE WOULD YOU PICK? -

well, our goal's to sign a contact with a builder by this weekend & we've narrowed it down to 3 builders/3 houses - we'll be adding a 3rd car garage to any of these 3 homes, even though only 2 of them show it - just wanting to see what you all think so go to the the left side of the page (above the clocks) & vote!

beazer - amberly floorplan 2944 sf
http://www.beazer.com/photofiles/2944-amberley-C-elev.jpg

davis - somerset floorplan 3430 sf
http://www.davishomes.com/homes/somerset_c.jpg

ryland - bridgeport floorplan 2867 sf
http://www.ryland.com/find-your-new-home/12-indianapolis/1225-preserve-at-wolf-run/12501-bridgeport.html

- CONSIDER LINKING THIS TO YOUR BLOG/WEBSITE? -

some of you've asked how to donate to help us bring madisyn home & you can do so by going to the left side of my blog, down to where you'll see a large thermometer with a 'CLICK HERE' link above it - click on that link & it'll take you to the homepage for, 'help us bring madisyn home' with instructions on how & where to send you dontations

also, if you'd like to advertise our 'help us bring madisyn home' need on your blog/website, by adding a thermometer like the one on my site, just email me & i'll send you the code for you to copy & paste onto your site - we thank you in advance!!

- SOME FAMILY FUNNIES -

here's a few funny stories (at least we think they are) that deal with our family...

spike... aka 'poo sprayer' (pass this post if you're weak in the tummy) - this weekend we went camping & at one point spike had to empty the toilet water - there's a hose going from the camper to a hole in the ground that then leads off to 'poo land' somewhere - our hose was clogged so spike had to flush it out & when he did, there was such a gush of water pressure that it popped the hose out of the hole in the ground, spraying 'stuff' (you know what's inserted here) all over the ground of our camping neighbors (who by the way, were having some sort of get together for the holiday weekend) & they were so NOT impressed - he cleaned it all up, was a bit embarrassed by it, but we sure had a laugh over that one (no, we'd not have been laughing if it'd been us, but... )

'dustin's lunch' - when brit was in 3rd grade, dustin was a freshman - one day they were both up & getting ready for school - brit was in the bathroom when dustin's bus came so out the door he ran, got on the bus & off it went (keep in mind we're at the front of the addition, so it has to pass our house again on the way out) - it was just after the bus pulled away that i noticed dustin had forgotten his lunch - i yelled to brit to hurry up & run it outside right away to catch it on its way out - she quickly ran out of the bathroom, grabbed her fuzzy pink robe, slipped on her snowboots (keep in mind it's warm outside & no one's wearing boots, but that's the first thing she grabbed as she was in a hurry) - she caught the bus just as it was leaving & walked back into the house - the sight i saw was funny enough, but then this' what i heard her say, "mom, that was soooooooooo embarrassing as i was going to the bathroom when you yelled 'HURRY', so i jumped off the toilet, grabbed my robe, threw it on over my nightgown, went to grab shoes, but the snowboots were the first thing i grabbed so i put them on & it's not even cold outside! - when the bus pulled up, the driver told me to get on & take it to bub & mom, IT WAS FULL OF HIGHSCHOOLERS! - while standing for that long & waiting for the bus to even come, all our neighbors saw me dressed like that as they were driving by to go to work & to top it all off........... in all the hurry, I'D FORGOTTEN TO PULL MY PANTIES UP! - (it was then she removed her fuzzy robe, raised her nightgown up a bit & hanging down at the tops of her snowboots, were her panties) - we laughed about that for a long time (yes, we both did!) & then she said, "guess it was a good thing i'd messed up & grabbed the snowboots or my panties would've been down around my ankles! - we still get to laughing when that story's brought up!

'bloody knuckles' - we're always teasing brit that she'll never be able to operate a motorized vehicle as she's way to dangerous - for several years, when she'd go out to ride her bike, she'd return with bloody knuckels, skinned knees, etc. - we'd say, "how in the world do you do this all the time? - how'd your knuckles get so bloody?" - she'd then laugh & say, "well, i was riding my bike & looking behind me & you know the signs between the sidewalk & the road... well, i'd run into them & scrap my knuckles - we still tease her about that as if it were yesterday (& to think she's now getting ready to drive!!! - look out everyone!!)

'lucy ricardo' - last year brit was a freshman & was wanting her hair colored again - one night she & i were at dad & mom's house & she asked if we would color it there - we did it & ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh myyyyyyyyyyyyyyy goodnessssssssssssssss, it's NOT what it was supposed to be - my dad saw it & said, "lori, you can't let her go to school like that!" as it was lucy ricardo orange (pictured above) - after mom & i went back to CVS 2 times, purchased 3-4 more boxes of hair color (all different colors) & tried several before it was alright - she ended up loving the color & the end result & teases me now from time to time that she wants me to color it again, but this time she wants me to make it the 'end result' color & there's NO WAY i can duplicate that one (nor do i want to!)

i know you're all probably sitting there reading this (& other posts) thinking man, this' 1 weird family & maybe we are, but we love each other a lot... bloody knuckles & all! [hugs]