- the missing ci is... -

still lost! - a lot of you've written, asking if it's been found & no, it hasn't been - it doesn't look very promising at all that we'll be finding it either [don't think i've given up though, cause we haven't] - ruby loved, loved, loved her ci & wore it proudly [like a badge] - she wanted it on first thing in the morning & wanted to wear it all day - she even convinced her teacher that she was allowed to wear it during naptimes [she wasn't], just so she could leave it on longer

`

what we're seeing now though, is that she's so much more 'herself' - even though she loved the ci, she's more 'in her element' now, living in a totally deaf world, with no aids at all - she's signing so much more [which's a great help to us as typically when she's home, she'll not sign to us as much as she knows we're slower than she is in sign language & she also knows that we can hear, so she talks instead] - she's not sitting back watching as much, but instead she's right in there 'leading' [sometimes that's not a good thing either!] & has sort of come out of her shell

`

we're still telling her to look for it at school, but it's not coming up anywhere

- it's ours!!! -

well, we closed on our new home today & it's ours...all ours!!! - we've been so blessed through this whole process - ryland homes was wonderful to work with & we'd highly recommend using them to anyone - we'd a good experience from the first meeting to look at floor plans, to today at closing & everything in between

`

we're having contractors come in tomorrow morning & start filling in 3 walls to form spike's office & a music room upstairs & the painter's coming in on saturday to begin painting as we're having the entire house repainted [ryland only paints in white/off white & flat paint [ewww] -
`

we have all white trim & here's what we've decided for our interior colors [hope you can really see them well]

`

entry & kitchen

[brown'ish' mustard]

family room, dining room, spike's office, upstairs hallway & den

[olive'ish' looking green]

brit's room [wall #1]

[deep 'dirty' green]

brit's room [wall #2]

[deep'ish' cranberry]

brit's room [walls #3 & 4]

& her bathroom

[oatmeal'ish']

master bedroom & bath

[deep mahogany]

kiara & karleigh's room, ruby's room & upstairs bathroom

[deep butter]

ahniér's room

[mushrooms]

- the cutest little baby girl -

[clicking on photo will enlarge it]

`

i had this taken the other day & thought it came out so adorable

here, ahniér's 4 weeks old [october 2007]

- skating party & a wonderful surprise gift! -

well, last night our family had a blast as we were invited to a birthday party for 6 children - no, it wasn't for the gosselins [john & kate plus 8] - it was a big birthday/skate party for our 6 nieces/nephews that all have birthdays very close to each other [lucas 10/21, elijah 11/7, loudnie 11/7, garrett 11/20, gideon 11/4 & braedey 9/26]

`

these kids belong to 3 different families & so they all got together & rented a local skating rink that was only for their family/friends [wow, that was very neat idea!] - we were there from 5-7pm & our family had a good time

`

here's some pictures of the evening & true to form, i added captions to them [enjoy!]

`

click here to see a video of madisyn skating for the first time - keep in mind i'd told her that if she felt she was about to fall down, so as to not get embarrassed, just stand there & act like she was dancing [she pulled it off too!!]

`

here, we have spike & ralph working really hard on their 'waltz hand off' - spike's been practicing for quite awhile on this & as you can see, he's really getting the hang of it [notice his left arm...such form!], so that ralph knows exactly what he's to be doing - spike must have been getting a upset with him, as it looks like he's surrendering [white rag] - that's alright ralph, you keep practicing!

here we have the blind leading the blind so to speak - girls, don't you think you ought to be looking up, instead of looking down??

madisyn, getting ready to hit the floor

she's no idea what she's in for as she's never had skates on before!!

here we have the 'roll arena skating praise team'!!

they're all out there praising the lord [well, most of them are, but it looks as if someone isn't really into their praise today, huh]

here's dustin & brit trying to look so cool for the camera

they're both so cute!

wave to the camera kiara!!

ruby, you do know you're supposed to stand up on those things, right?

karleigh, quit polishing the floor dear

ahniér said to me just before this picture was taken, "mommy, what are these people doing with the wheels on the bottoms of their shoes? - do they know how silly they look?" - "i know baby girl, you'll be much more 'grown up' than that when you're their age"

now for the surprise... - my niece alicyn & her hubby chad just had a baby boy about a week ago [xavier dennis arnold] & last night at the skate party she came up to me with some news - as a 'baby gift', every time she nurses xavier, she's going to pump breast milk from the other side for ahniér [PRAISE THE LORD!!] - this' the exact same 'gift' that we received when kiara came home from haiti - at that time, our other niece chanda had just had their little boy harrison & she did the very same thing - kiara lived on chandas breast milk for many months & it made the world of difference - of all the gifts we received [clothing, gift cards, toys, $$, etc.] that was one of our favorites & soooo unique - thank you alicyn for being willing to do this to help ahniér stay as healthy as possible, it's such a blessing to us

- grrr -

i know that all kids [everyone really, not just kids], have issues from time to time - i understand that they all have 'off days', but i'm telling you what, ruby's about to drive us nuts!

`

she's sneaking things, like toys, trash, small items, etc. into her backpack & then lies about it when she's asked [she tells the truth about the 3rd time she's questioned], she keeps getting into my computer desk [which she knows is off limits!] & whenever we've got soda sitting out that we've been drinking on, we'll find her chugging it down when no one's looking, etc.

`

well, yesterday she arrived home from school & i met her at the door - i said something to her & there was no response - i looked & noticed that she didn't have her CI on - i questioned her about it & she signed to me that she forgot it at school - all last night was trying as we don't mind signing [we do that usually along with spoken english], but when she knows that we have to get her attention to look at us to communicate, she turns away so she doesn't have to listen [grrr] - well, i received a phone call this morning from her teacher that questioned me on why i didn't allow ruby to wear her ci to school - she said that she asked ruby why she didn't have it on & ruby told her that she'd gotten in trouble & as a punishment, i said she couldn't wear it to school!! [grrr]

`

i then heard from the speech pathologist that works with ruby & she was questioning why i'd send her to school without her ci as i knew she had speech therapy - i told her the story & how ruby didn't come home from school yesterday with it on, etc. - she said, "well, ruby said she got in trouble & you wouldn't let her wear it" [grrr]

`

please pray they find it as it can't be replaced [it's waaaay to much $$ & the insurance company that agreed to let it be implanted in the beginning, shut us off [due to us making too much money] about 3 months after surgery, so they'll not give us another one] - i'll post when i know more, but at this time the search is on for the missing ci [grrr]

`

sorry about not explaining it totally, so here goes - ruby's totally deaf in both ears & has a cochlear implant [ci] to make it so she can hear - it's a small flexible rubber piece [about the size of a sweet/low packet] that's been inserted just behind her left ear & in the middle of it, there's a magnet - don't ask me how as i don't totally understand it, but on the outside of her body, she wears something that resembles a bluetooth/hearing aid that goes on her ear - onto that is a wire [black cord] that contains a magnet as well & when you put magnet [outside] to magnet [inside], voila...she can hear!! - she hears everything that's being said & is doing great with it - things aren't nearly as clear as you/i hear them, but with her being profoundly deaf, it's wonderful - i've added a pic so you can get an idea of what i'm talking about [thanks for asking kathy!!]

- please pray for ahniér -

she's got a very bad cold & i even think i heard her say earlier, "mommy, i don't feel good" - she's all congested, has a runny nose, is sneezing, etc. - she's 1 month old today & she's under the weather...that stinks! - she goes to sleep & wakes less than 10 minutes later due to not being able to breathe well [UGH] - just pray this passes quickly, so she can get some sleep [alright, so we can all get some sleep!] - love ya sissy!

- our family -

here's our entire family last sunday afternoon on the front porch of our new home - [clockwise, starting with back row, left to right: dustin, brit, ahniér, me, spike, kiara, karleigh & ruby] - dad & mom stopped by to see the house & mom took this - i'm wanting to take one at the same location every year now, sort of a 'tradition' - now you can all put faces with names!

- who knew?? -

that my little ones would love [or even like] sauerkraut?? - i made this dish last night, thinking i'd just give them something else because even though our kids are excellent eaters, sauerkraut wouldn't be something i think they'd like at all - they were in the kitchen with me last night as i was finishing up making this & karleigh said, "mommy, what's that?" - i told her it was sauerkraut & smoked sausage - she said, "yum, i love smoked sausage!" - i then said, "well, you can have it, but you're not eating the smoked sausage only, you'll have to eat the sauerkraut too" - she agreed, but i was still a bit 'iffy' on the subject

`

i sat them all down with their bowls, we prayed & they began - i watched each of their faces as they began, thinking they'd turn their noses up, but to my surprise, they inhaled the entire bowl & 2 of them [kiara & karleigh] asked for seconds & ate it all! - karleigh even asked tonight if we were having that sour stuff tonight & frowned when i told her no, we were having meatloaf [she doesn't know there's more 'sour stuff' in the frig that she might get instead of meatloaf!...shhhhh]

- my day today [with pictures!] -

my day today consisted of carpooling 2 of our 6 kids to/from school, then i took ahniér to get her pictures taken - then home to clean house [thanks kiara & karleigh for helping, you both did a grrrrreat job!!] - then it was rest time for the girls as i finished working on the house - then i went to pick brit up from school as she had TONS to carry, then headed to dad/mom's as i was going to take madisyn to the park for a 'photo shoot' - she wasn't feeling well, so that got cancelled, so i headed back home where we had dinner & called it a night - here's some pictures that i took this afternoon of the littlest shepler [is she not a doll!!] - hope you all had a great day...we did!

`

ps: my niece alicyn & her hubby chad are at the hospital right now as they were induced today - i'll post as soon as i hear, but until then, please be praying for them as this' their first child & at this point don't know what they're having - thanks!

- thanking god they're alright -

this afternoon, spike & i had to meet with the painters & landscapers over at the new house - there's playground right across the street, so i told the girls to get ready & we were going to the park [that's what they call it]

`

i did today what i always do & here's what it was... after they'd all gone potty, i got my keys & popped open the slider doors on the van, by pushing the remote buttons from inside the house

`

i opened the front door & said, "go on to the van & be strapped when i get there" - keep in mind we're in a small rental house, right smack in the middle of town [not on a busy street at all] - they all 3 ran out & so i turned & walked across the living room [that has a HUGE picture window facing the street] - i layed ahniér in her carseat, strapped her in & off we went for the door

`

as i was starting to lock the door, i saw that kiara & karleigh we're even in the van, but instead standing on the sidewalk, looking down the street - i said [angrily], "what are you doing?? - i told you to be in the van, now get movin', do you hear me?"

`

kiara said, "well, they were wanting us to play with them" - i said, "who?" - she said, "that daddy & mommy" - i asked what she was talking about & apparently in the 1½ minutes [literally] that it took me to walk across the living room, lay ahniér in her carseat & get her strapped in, there was a red car that pulled up alongside of my van - the girls were starting to get in the van & saw the 'daddy & mommy' [meaning grownups] & the mommy said, "hey girls, wanna come play with us?"

`

i said [frantic], "what did you say to them?" - i was then told that kiara said, "oh, no thanks coz we're gettin' ready to leave & go somewhere" - karleigh said, "yeah, we're goin' to the park!" - they said that it was at this time they [the girls] heard me coming & the red car with the daddy & mommy drove off

`

we called the police & they came right over, talked to the girls & made a report - the girls told them the exact same story that we'd been told & they did very good - the police said he was going to pass it along to the other officers so they can be on the lookout

`

oh my goodness, i can't believe what could've happened & thinking of it makes me ill!! - i'm thanking god tonight that i've got all 5 of my girls at home where they belong & am able to tuck them into their own beds tonight [alright, i don't tuck brit in, but sure am glad i know she's 'home']

`

we've told our kids about these kinds of things over the years, but haven't for awhile & this proves that it can happen at any minute & they all need refresher courses from time to time to remind them - please remind your children today, about the dangers of them going with [or talking to] strangers as it only takes a minute for them to be lured

- no need for words -

- random pics -

the workers starting to sod our yard

'lil miss cutie pie herself!