~ 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!

~ NOT AGAIN!! ~

well, brit got sick on saturday with congestion, headache & sore throat & she's politely passed it on to kiara who's been running a fever since yesterday morning ~ this can't stay here, anyone else want it? ~ since we couldn't go to church yesterday, i used that day to do hair ~ we're now done with hair until the end of may, when i'll need it to be redone for vacation ~ here's a picture of ruby & karleigh in their 'new do' (kiara's not in the picture due to her being puny sick & sleeping right now)today we've been home all day (except for spike & ruby who had work & school) ~ i'm heading out tonight with ruby & karleigh for dinner with licia (haitian missionary), her 2 little boys, her dad zach, a friend of his, my parents & hopefully spike (if he can get back in time to meet us) ~ we're hitting the golden corral (wonderful buffet) at 6:30 as i leave the 2 sickos home to eat popcorn, lay on the living room floor & watch a movie ~ kiara's looking forward to it, but doesn't know what she'll be missing (all you can eat buffet - shhhh, don't tell her!) ~ this morning i got up & made reservations at the VISA lodge in haiti for our time there, prayed for dads passport to come quickly, ordered my antibiotics, prayed for dads passport to come quickly, found somewhere that brit could stay as spike will be gone for 3 days while i'm gone & i don't want her here at home alone at night (day's fine, but not at night), prayed for dads passport to come quickly, contacted the schools, prayed for dads passport to come quickly, let the bus driver know the dates ruby will not be riding the bus & then prayed for dads passport to come quickly! ~ we REALLY need his passport to come quickly! ~ well, tata for now! ~ hugs

~ HEADING TO HAITI (CHEAP FARES!) ~

just wanted to post that my dad, my mom & i will all 3 be traveling to haiti on may 15 & returning home on may 22 (we'll actually be IN haiti from the 16-21 as we'll be overnighting in miami both going in & coming out) ~ this'll be the first time we'll be able to see/meet madisyn (my sister) & we all can't wait! ~ pray that my father's passport comes in as it's due on the 11th of may & we're leaving the 15th (EEEEK)! ~ aa.com's having a great sale & we're flying RT from indianapolis, IN to PAP, haiti for just $383.00pp ($270.00 + $103.20 tax & $10 booking fee) for going through american over the phone & letting them do it ~ i wish spike was able to go with us, but with us leaving for vacation on june 8, he'd have a hard time taking off for the haiti trip & then again for vacation a couple 3 weeks later ~ also, in may he's got a couple days here & a couple days there he could go, but not several all in a row ~ not only will i miss him & the kids terribly, but our anniversary's on the 18th & we'll not be together (whaaa) ~ the bear cubs will be staying with the caswells (pray for angie!!) & they're so excited! ~ we were with them tonight when the girls found out & when we got home karleigh said, "daddy, when you takin' us to papa kyles?" ~ he said, "oh that's not going to be for a couple weeks" ~ she just stared & looked confused ~ [if you want to know where 'papa kyle' comes from it's this: their kids call him papa, we call him kyle ~ to our little ones, PAPA + KYLE = PAPA KYLE! ~ they'vce called him this forever & boy you should see the looks we get ie: 2 white couples with 1 teenage white girl & 6 young haitian children ~ some calling 'mama', 'papa', 'daddy', 'mommy', 'papa kyle' & 'boo' ~ hehehe] ~ just thought we'd share the excitement!!

~ BARBARA'S HEADED BACK TO HAITI TODAY (PRAY FOR HER) ~

well, i took her to the airport this morning as she's heading back to haiti today ~ she'll be arriving there this afternoon about 3:30pm ~ please be praying for her as she's in a LOT of pain as her hip's giving her so much trouble ~ they've scheduled her surgery for the end of may to have her hip replaced, but until then (& after) she'll certainly need our prayers as she's really hurting ~ i did learn something about her this week that i never knew ~ in haiti she's always drinking coke & LOVES it, so whenever she's heading our way we've coke & potato chips for her because we know how much she loves them ~ we went to dinner & the movies last night & at dinner she was asked by the server what she'd like to drink ~ she stated, "pepsi" & the server let her know that they have coke products & so she said, "well, that's fine, but i really wish you had pepsi" ~ after the server walked away i inquired about this coke/pepsi thing & she said that she really does like pepsi MUCH better in the states, but will drink coke if pepsi's not available ~ GRRRRR ~ she'd never said anything to us about this so we've been buying her cokes when she could've been drinking pepsi all this time! ~ well, i can assure you, i'll never happen again & she'll forever, from here on out, receive PEPSI COLA from the sheplers! ~ we'd a wonderful time with her even though her stay was short, but she did get a lot accomplished while here ~ she's hoping to start seeing things move swiftly in haiti with all the dossiers/adoptions that she's working on at this time ~ i'll be phoning her this evening to make sure she got in alright so i'll post when i hear something! ~

~ MADISYN: SHE'LL NOT BE RAISED BY THE SAME PARENTS WE WERE - BUT FOR GOD! ~

well, madisyn's having a birthday on may 2 & i wanted to post a bit about her & our family ~ when spike & i got married we moved to lafayette & during that time there was a lot of strife between us & my parents ~ we all had faults, but of course one can usually only sees others faults & to me dad had a very bad temper & mom seemed very controlling ~ we prayed & prayed for the situation to heal (as i know they did as well) & over the years, things began improving ~ now, several years later it's great! ~ we're with them all the time whether it's at our house, their house, camping, meeting for dinner or at the movies, we're together all the time it seems ~ i keep teasing them both saying that madisyn won't be raised by the same parents that we were raised with ~ they just laugh, but i know what it'll be like: she'll never have to lift a finger (i remember doing dishes & boy, do i remember 'yard work saturdays'), she'll have everything her little heart desires (i don't remember getting EVERYTHING i wanted!) & then there's old blue (brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it) ~ i'm anxious to see if she ends up standing at the attic door on 'fan day' just to be handed old blue ~ naw, she'll be too good for that, but you know what? ~ that's fine with me ~ i can't wait to spoil her right along with them & treat her like a queen ~ with mom homeschooling her, i'll be able to spend a lot of time with her & i can't wait ~ i just wanted to say happy birthday madisyn & i can't wait to see you ~ just remember & never forget, I'LL be the one that'll be passing out the fans on 'fan day' & i'll make sure you get an 'old blue' of your own (inside family joke) *hehehe, smiling & giggling inside* ~ in the end it was god that mended hearts & lives & it was him that's caused dad & mom's hearts to be opened to adopt madisyn & give her a home, family & all that she could ever hope for & for that i'm thankful to him & them ~ madisyn, you'll have a good life with them, i promise.... but for god!

~ THE EAGLE (BARBARA) HAS LANDED ~

well, barbara got in to our house this morning about 2ish AM after driving for hours ~ we stayed up & visited for about an hour or so, then off to bed we went ~ we woke this morning, got ready & took off about 11 or so, went to lunch, then to walmart for some shopping ~ we then took kiara & karleigh home to spike as he & brit were heading to get haircuts & they took K & K with them as i had to take ruby for a dr. appointment ~ spike, brit, K & K all went for hair cuts, then out to eat, then home for bedtime while barbara & i took ruby to the dr., then to the model home we're sooooo wanting so she could see it & 'her room' to see if it'd be suitable for her *smile* ~ it passed with flying colors as she loved it as much as we do ~ we then went to see the 2 neighborhoods where we'd have a choice to build it in & she loved the locations as well ~ we then ran to get some dinner & then headed to dad & mom's house as they were wanting to show her madisyn's room & how they've got it all fixed up for her ~ we spent about an hour there & then headed home to put ruby to bed, get clothing out for tomorrow, check email & now i'm off to bed! ~ angie, if you're reading this, spike just told me you called today, but it's after 11 so i'll call you in the morning (SORRY!) ~ tata for now & hugs!

~ COMPUTER TERMS WAY OVER MY HEAD! ~

well, i'm lost (again) on this blog thing ~ spike keeps teasing me saying, "i'm going to wear out my blog", with all the 'moving things around, adding things, etc. that i do, but oh well, it's mine & i like doing it! ~ i do have something (alright a lot of things), that's got me stumped ~ on my blog (bottom right), i've added the links to blogs that i read daily ~ yesteady one of those people (a person i don't know), added a comment to my recent post that stated how appreciative she was with me adding her to my blog & for the traffic i've created on her site ~ how did she know who i was? ~ how did she know that i added her? ~ how did she know where to find me? ~ that's the neatest thing, but ooooh, how'd she do dat? ~ anyone out there that's smart in this blog thing, please email me with (how'd she do dat) information as i'm in awe ~ hope to hear from someone soon (sherri, if you're reading this, you've made we wonder, can you share?)

~ BLACK REALLY DOES EQUAL WHITE ~

if you look in the dictionary, here are some words & their definitions ~ read through them & see where they go (hmmm, interesting)~

black = dark

dark = obscure

obscure = dim

dim = pale

pale = white

so the end, black really does equal white!!

where are you allowing your tent to be pitched?...

the pastor preached a great sermon yesterday on how far away from sin/negative things do we really have to stay, to still be alright & on the right track ~ he commented on how we've got to not only stay clear of negative things in our lives, but not even go where these things are ~ he talked about how lots wife looked back & was turned into a pillar of salt, stating that lot was ahead of her & she wasn't walking 'with' him, but instead behind him ~ we can't drag behind, but instead, stay up where we need to be ~ we can't do what god would have us do if we're constantly looking back ~ your directions & your decisions determine your destiny ~ why pitch your tent where you know you're not supposed to be, thinking it'll be alright & even though you're pitching it there, you'll not be tempted with the things around you ~ why not just pitch your tent elsewhere so you're not even tempted ~ it's not just you, you're affecting, but it's your whole family & those around you ~ i'm sure i'm not doing his sermon justice, but all i can say's that it was very good & very well presented ~ here's the scripture to back what he referred to:

Genesis 13:1-13

1) So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife & everything he had & Lot went with him 2) Abram had become very wealthy in livestock & in silver & gold 3) From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel & Ai where his tent had been earlier 4) And where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord. 5) Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks & herds & tents. 6) But the land stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7) And quarreling arose between Abram's herdsmen & the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites & Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. 8) So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you & me, or between your herdsmen & mine, for we are brothers. 9) Is not the whole land before you? Let's part complany. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left." 10) Lot looked up & saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the Lord," like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar." (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom & Gomorrah) 11) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan & set out toward the east. The two men parted company; 12) Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain & pitched his tents near Sodom. 13) Now the men of Sodom were wicked & were sinning greatly against the Lord.

9 hours just to take a drive?? ~

yep, you read it right ~ we left this house today (spike, me & the 3 bear cubs - brit opted to stay home & read UGH) & headed out for an outing ~ we planned to stop for lunch & then just take a drive ~ well, with our house gaining weight & getting smaller & us all busting at the seams, we went out looking at more homes today ~ here's the once we found that we love love & it's called the somerset (floorplans as well) ~~ it has all the bedrooms upstairs ie: master, brit/bedroom #2, kiara/karleigh together/bedroom #3 & ruby/bedroom #4 ~ it has a HUGE office for spike, den for barbara & our music equipment, kitchen & family room ~ we loved it & spike also loved the idea of having a 3 car garage ~ we're going tomorrow to check out a couple more in different communities, then we'll check on getting preapproved, selling our house & then moving (gosh, sounds like loads of fun & lots of work!) ~ we left the house about 1:30 & didn't get back home until about 10, but the girls were very good ~ tomorrow, we've got church & then we're house hunting/looking again ~ anyone else out there take drives that last 9 hours like we do?? ~ after we got home i asked brit what she did all day & she said, "well, i think all i did was read" ~ 9 hours of nonstop reading??? ~ how can a person do that & stay mentally alright in the head? ~ i can't hardly (alright, i can't!) read a book from cover to cover in 1 setting (alright, if the truth be known, i started a book - a very good book - back in june of last year & am only half done with it & boy, does that drive brit nuts!) ~ on the trip today we discussed everything from A to Z including kiara asking if we should or shouldn't say, "oh my gosh!", kiara asked when she was going to turn white, karleigh asked if chuck e. cheese was opened each time she spotted one (we'd no idea how many chuck e. cheese's there are around here!) ~ kiara & karleigh were at one point shouting very loudly for daddy to, "GO FASTER LIKE MANDY DOES!" (mandy's our niece that watched kiara & karleigh last week when we went with ralph & sharel to chicago), guess they loved your driving mandy! *smile* ~ we also heard every chorus of 'we are family', 'i can only imagine', 'you are my sunshine' & lots of other things that neither spike, nor myself could understand ~ they received play microphones (thanks McDonalds!) with their happy meals today, so they were even more moved to be an american idol today given they now had their props ~ none of the 3 fell asleep, but were extremely tired by the end of the trip (as were we) ~ all in all we had a wonderful day, nice weather & loads of laughs ~ thanks for the great day, guys! ~ hugs...

another dossier, on it's way!...

well, yesterday spike & i went to chicago with ralph & sharel (loudnie's new parents)... we went there to have their dossier authenticated at the haitian consulate... when we returned home last night, we went & picked up the girls (their daughter mandy had watched them for us - thanks mandy!!), took them home to put in bed & then i went to kinko's to copy the rest of the rest of their dossier... i mailed it out last night at 11pm YEAH!... it'll be arriving to barbara tomorrow (thursday) by 10am... it's so nice when things come together as these 2 adoptions have come together... dad & mom got madisyn's paperwork done in just 3 weeks & ralph & sharel only took 4 weeks (good work you 2!!)... here one family's getting madisyn (13y) & the other family's getting loudnie (6y) & they're both sisters, will be raised 10 minutes apart & both in 'our' family (madisyn will be my sister & loudnie will be my niece)... well, it's a god thing & i'm so happy that he's allowed me to be a small part of it... well, i'm off to bed, another busy day in 'my life' tomorrow... ta ta!!

a mother who wanted 10 fingers & 10 toes, but got something more...

My friend's expecting her first child. People keep asking what she wants. She smiles demurely, shakes her head & gives the answer mothers have given throughout the pages of time. She says it doesn't matter whether it's a boy or a girl. She just wants it to have ten fingers & ten toes. Of course, that's what she says. That's what mothers have always said. Mothers lie. Truth be told, every mother wants a whole lot more. Every mother wants a perfectly healthy baby with a round head, rosebud lips, button nose, beautiful eyes & satin skin. Every mother wants a baby so gorgeous that people will pity the Gerber baby for being flat-out ugly. Every mother wants a baby that will roll over, sit up & take those first steps right on schedule (according to the baby development chart on page 57, column two). Every mother wants a baby that can see, hear, run, jump & fire neurons by the billions. She wants a kid that can smack the ball out of the park & do toe points that are the envy of the entire ballet class. Call it greed if you want, but we mothers want what we want. Some mothers get babies with something more. Some mothers get babies with conditions they can't pronounce, a spine that didn't fuse, a missing chromosome or a palette that didn't close. Most of those mothers can remember the time, the place, the shoes they were wearing & the color of the walls in the small, suffocating room where the doctor uttered the words that took their breath away. It felt like recess in the fourth grade when you didn't see the kick ball coming & it knocked the wind clean out of you. Some mothers leave the hospital with a healthy bundle, then months, even years later, take him in for a routine visit, or schedule her for a well check & crash head first into a brick wall as they bear the brunt of devastating news. It can't be possible! That doesn't run in our family. Can this really be happening in our lifetime? I'm a woman who watches the Olympics for the sheer thrill of seeing finely sculpted bodies. It's not a lust thing, it's a wondrous thing. The athletes appear as specimens without flaw - rippling muscles with nary an ounce of flab or fat, virtual powerhouses of strength withlungs & limbs working in perfect harmony. Then the athlete walks over to a tote bag, rustles through the contents & pulls out an inhaler. As I've told my own kids, be it on the way to physical therapy after a third knee surgery, or on a trip home from an echo cardiogram, there's no such thing as a perfect body. Everybody will bear something at some time or another. Maybe the affliction will be apparent to curious eyes, or maybe it'll be unseen, quietly treated with trips to the doctor, medication or surgery. The health problems our children have experienced have been minimal & manageable, so I watch with keen interest & great admiration the mothers of children with serious disabilities & wonder how they do it. Frankly, sometimes you mothers scare me. How you lift that child in & out of a wheelchair 20 times a day. How you monitor tests, track medications, regulate diet & serve as the gate keeper to a hundred specialists yammering in your ear. I wonder how you endure the clichés & the platitudes, well-intentioned souls explaining how God's at work when you've occasionally questioned if God's on strike. I even wonder how you endure schmaltzy pieces like this one -- saluting you, painting you as hero & saint, when you know you're ordinary. You snap, you bark, you bite. You didn't volunteer for this. You didn't jump up & down in the motherhood line yelling, "Choose me, God! Choose me! I've got what it takes." You're a woman who doesn't have time to step back & put things in perspective, so, please, let me do it for you. From where I sit, you're way ahead of the pack. You've developed the strength of a draft horse while holding onto the delicacy of a daffodil. You've a heart that melts like chocolate in a glove box in July, carefully counter-balanced against the stubbornness of an Ozark mule. You can be warm & tender one minute & when circumstances require intense & aggressive the next. You're the mother, advocate & protector of a child with a disability. You're a neighbor, a friend, the stranger I pass at the mall. You're the woman I sit next to at church, my cousin & my sister-in-law. In some cases you're not the woman that gave birth to this child, but instead you've even surpassed her in that, you're the woman that 'chose' to adopt this child even knowing what was in store for you & your family down the road. You easily could've said, "No thanks, I'll wait for the next 'healthy' child to parent", but instead you pulled up your bootstraps & said, "I'm ready, with God on my side, I can do this". You're a woman who wanted ten fingers & ten toes & got something more. You're a wonder.

--------------------------------------------------

this was sent to me by a friend of mine (laurie s)... i read it, thought it was very beautifully written about these mothers who give so much of themselves for their children... i emailed her thanking her for sending it as it was beautiful... she replied back with, "I thought so & passed it on to those mom's that get something more, but Do GREAT!!!!!"... it wasn't until i read that sentence that i even stopped to think that 'I' was one of 'these moms' the story's talking about... i was so touched as i'd never looked at myself that way... i thank god for allowing me the opportunity to raise the children we've got & for ruby, being as she is & causing me to be 'one of these moms'... i'm humbled...

i'm sick & feel beat down...

well, the 3 bear cubs have not been feeling well (ie: cough, runny noses, sneezing, watery eyes, fever, etc.) & now i've got it... i feel horrible, but have to get out in the next day or so as there's things i HAVE to do!... kiara's about to drive me over the edge (& i've been teetering for a LONG time)... she's into everything & she's almost 5y old!!... when she lays down for naptime (& yes, she definately needs a nap!), she goes into the bathroom & gets into shampoo from the shower, cat food & water, sneaks into the living room when she can hear i'm not in there & gets drinks out of my cup... she's being pushy with her sisters, is lying about everything & it's driving me crazy!... it's been going on for awhile now, but seems to get worse everyday... i truly don't know what to do with her, but something's certainly got to be done... i'll write more on this when i get time, but for now, this tired mommy's hittin' the sack!... nite

are you a cracked pot?...

An elderly woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect & always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course , the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection & miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream "I'm ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house." The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?" "That's because I've always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path & every day while we walk back, you water them." "For two years I've been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house." Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks & flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting & rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are & look for the good in them. So, to all of my crackpot friends, have a great day & remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

"but they're not NANA's EGGS!!", says karleigh...

well, got up this morning a bit later than normal as the bear cubs & i are all under the weather... being the time was what it was, i decided to just do brunch & then dinner tonight so i started getting everything out... karleigh said, "mommy, what's for breakfast?"... i said, "well, we'll not be having just a breakfast, but instead, we'll have a breakfast & lunch together, how will that be?"... she said, "great, so what's for lunch?"... i said (as i was getting things out of the frig), "sausage, eggs & toast with orange juice, how's that?"... at that moment she colapsed onto the floor & said, "BUT THEY'RE NOT NANA'S EGGS!!!"... i couldn't figure out what she was talking about as she made the comment that she could ONLY eat nanas black eggs!... after questioning her about it, i found that she wanted to eat only eggs that nana makes & that she needed to call nana right now!... she talked to mom & mom even told her she'd brought the eggs that i had, to my house for her - nope, not good enough... she wanted nana's black eggs (brown eggs)... she finally did eat MY eggs, but grumbled the whole time & then just as she finished, in walks grandpa & nana with a surprise... yep, you guessed it - BLACK EGGS!!... ahhh, now the princess' happy as she's got 'nana eggs' *smile*

naked barbies, whiney kids, runny noses & coughs...

well, where do i even begin?... i woke up this AM to an opened box (from last night) of naked barbie dolls (which around here's a no-no!), WHINEY KIDS (those certainly are caps as they've VERY whiney), runny noses & coughs... mom came over this AM & we headed out for a funfilled day at the childrens museum... we all couldn't wait as this' spring break & since i've been working almost 24/7 on these adoption dossiers, we've not had any time at all to do anything 'fun' so today was 'our day'... we got to the CM & the kids were squirming to get out of their seats... pulled into the parking lot to see about 352 thousand people there, there was a line from here to haiti & all the parking lots were FULL!!... UGH!... what to do with 3 whiney kids after they've been told they were going to a 'fun place'?... we pulled out, much to the dismay of our kids & headed to the movies... we went to see 'is it done yet?' & we had a pretty good time... no one's had naps so bedtime will come at 7:30 tonight *smiling, just at the thought of it*... we're planning on staying home this evening, watching TV & doing absolutely NOTHING *smiling, just at the thought of it*... tomorrow (saturday) we're staying home, watching TV & doing absolutely NOTHING *smiling, just at the thought of it* (get my drift?)... we're just all so spent!... we feel as if we've had no 'family time' for a long time & believe me, we're all suffering from it... kids are scrapping at one another, spike & i are passing in the night & brit's got that - girl whatchu talkin' 'bout, head shake down to an art & has perfected it rather nicely these past few days so i can assure you, we really NEED it!... well, the natives are getting restless & so i need to get going... i'll get on here later & add more about my day as it's only 5PM & there's still more time for things to happen around here!

yesterday & today...

boy, have these 2 days been extremely B.U.S.Y.~!... yesterday the girls & i went to my SIL's (sharel) & picked up her dossier, had to go get another dr. letter for my MIL, went to the police station as the lady had forgotten to print her name when she notarized it, took everything else to the notary & have things notarized... in the afternoon i took dustin to indianapolis FOR NOTHING as when we got there we found out what he had wasn't what he needed UGH... today i got up early & went to pick up licia (the missionary) as she's here for 1 month... we went to INS for her to file some paperwork (which didn't happen as her hubby's haitian & so they'll have to file in haiti), filed some papers for sharel, went to the statehouse to authenticate everything else that we had left, for sharel... after eating lunch, we went to dad/mom's house so licia could see & take pics of madisyn's room & visit with my parents... i then took her home & headed for kinko's copy shop & copied paperwork for the next 3 hours *smile*... spike met me & we then went to dinner, just the 2 of us *smiling BIG*... tomorrow's going to be a day just for the kids & i... it's been brit's spring break all week, but i've had to work so much, we've not gotten to do anything, so i'm really looking forward to it... i'll take pics & post them tomorrow... nite!

what's gone on this week...

well, here it is thursday, i've been busy all week, but what have i done??... i know i must have done something as i've been exhausted all week long!!... kiara went to school 2 times this week (monday & wednesday), ruby went 3 days (monday, tuesday & wednesday) & brit went 4 days (monday, tuesday, wednesday & thursday)... brit's off tomorrow (friday) for the start of an early spring break, but then again she's 'off' a lot (we'll not EVEN go down that road!)... i went shopping with mom 2-3 days this week to some consignment shops looking for madisyn (my new sister!) some clothes... i was able to pick kiara up some new things too, due to her growing SO much here lately... she's 4 & she's wearing 6x in pants (some 7's) & she's in size 7 shirts - seems like she was just going into 5's!!... mom & i are wanting to get started working on madisyn's room... mom bought her a beautiful comforter the other day, that i'm sure she'll love, some 'pretties' for the wall & new clothes, etc... it'll be so nice to get everythere where it belongs, bed made up, etc. & make it 'ready for her to come home'... we took the girls out 1 evening this week & let them ride their bikes & they loved it!... i went to the statehouse & INS yesterday to work on paperwork for a friends adoption & we were able to do that all in & amoungst carpooling preschool children... tomorrow morning (friday), my sister & i will be heading down to INS to drop off her adoption paperwork!!... we'll then head over to the department of health to pick up their birth certificates, then to the statehouse to have everything authenticated... she'll then be ready to send everything to the translator!!... they've done very well on gathering their paperwork & moving quickly too... can't wait to see how long (or short) god takes to get madisyn & her sister loudnie home - GO GOD!!... our best friends are coming over saturday to get together with us & so we're all very excited about that & i'll also be getting ready to do hair the beginning of next week, so there'll be more 'hair pics' coming shortly!!... i'll try & blog more when i've got time as i know over the past few days i've not been very good at it... ttfn

ruby's mama's nearing the end...

as much as i hate to think about it, i received word tonight that ruby's mama liz (lee's) is NOT doing well at all... barbara saw her today & she's now in the final stages of aids... she's got growths all over her & isn't well at this time... i pray she comes to know the lord first & foremost & that she doesn't suffer... she's given me so much, when she didn't have much to give & for that i'm so grateful... i can't imagine all that it takes to give a child up... i know some can say, "they don't seem to care for their children", "they don't care, as they can have more", "if they cared, they'd not have given them up", etc., but i don't feel that way at all... they care (maybe not in the exact same way as i do, but they do care)... they don't want their child to live the same way they've lived for all those years & some do make the choice to give their child up for a better life... it's one thing to sign paperwork saying you're releasing them, but then to see them for the last time & know that you more than likely will never see them again, i can't even begin to know what that's like... i so wish i could take ruby back there 1 time & let liz see with her own eyes how she's doing... let her see that she's being taken care of, she now hears, she's getting bigger (she's still petite & always will be, but is getting bigger!), she's a happy, healthy toddler, she's got attitude (which to her, would be a big +), she's silly, loves to dance & sing & is an all around normal little girl with tons of spunk!... here are the 2 of them together in '05, carbon copies, huh?... mama liz, we're praying for you, love you & thank you from the bottom of our hearts for what you've done...

one step down (already??)...

we mailed madisyn's dossier to haiti on monday the 12th & barbara received it on thusday the 15th... she put it into 1st legalization on friday the 16th & got it out yesterday on monday the 19th!!... 1st legalization takes anywhere from 2 weeks - ??? (there are some families that i just heard about tonight that's been in that office for over 8 months, how ridiculous' that!!)... we're just praising god for the 'quick move' on madisyn's adoption as i truly think it'll be a quick one *smiling sister over here!*... barbara's to pick up the haitian homestudy tomorrow, wednesday the 21st & will submit them into IBESR right away... we're praying that IBESR's a quick stay as well as the rest of the adoption, but we'll have to wait & see... we're just trusting god & believing that he's got his hands on it & that she'll come home when he's ready for her to be here... just thought i'd share!! ~ GO GOD!!

it's official ~ loundie has a home!!!!...

well, man where do i begin?!?!... first off let me remind you that my parents are adopting madisyn from haiti... she & her sister live together & are VERY close... their birthmother passed away leaving them to care for themselves as they'd done for a few years, since she became ill... well, dad & mom decided to adopt madisyn & although they wanted to adopt loundie too (& were seriously considering it), they opted not to for 2 reasons... 1) was the $$ issue in doing 2 international adoptions at the same time 2) was that after thinking about it, praying about it & talking to licia about it (the missionary that lives near madisyn & is the one that hooked us all up), they all felt that madisyn needed to be adopted separately from loundie as she'd more than likely never be able to give up the 'mother' role in her life... she'd always feel she needed to do for loundie what loundie couldn't do for herself... she'd never feel like she could be a kid/teen as she'd continue feeling as if she needed to 'spend time with her child', etc... as hard as it was, they felt that they should NOT adopt them both, so they proceeded with madisyn's adoption... in 3 weeks time, they got their entire dossier completed & mailed... we've all (licia, my parents, us, our church, neighbors, friends & family) been telling everyone we can about loundie & trying our best to find her a home... we didn't really care where she went as long as it was a good christian home & that the girls could always stay in contact, but we were praying she'd at least be adopted into indiana (where my parents live)... some said they were interested, but it never went much further... there was 1 family that was interested, but was pretty dead set on the girls staying together & for that reason opted not to adopt loundie... some didn't want to take on a 6.5y old child, some are still praying & seeking god in the matter, etc, but to date no one had stepped forward & said, "i'd love to be her parent, now where do we sign"... well, i'm happy to report that loundie's NOT available any longer!!... she's been 'hand picked by god' as were her new parents in ways i can't even begin to share with you at this time... god's been dealing with this family for awhile now, as they've been looking & searching for a 'home for loundie'... they've told everyone they know about her, called everyone they could think of, etc., but to no avail... they finally said the other day that, "if she's not adopted, then maybe, just maybe we could do something"... well, i talked to them tonight & they've already called licia & made it offical, they're adopting her!!!!!... now some of you may be saying, "who are these people that she's talking about", well it's (drumroll please...........) spike's sister sharel & her husband ralph & they only live 10 mintues from my parents & only 25 minutes from me!!!... i'm so excited i just can't believe how god's worked this all out... he's so good & not only has he given both these girls wonderful, loving, christian homes, but he's given this all to them only minutes from each others homes... sometimes i write about us all going camping with our families... well, it's usually our family, spike's sisters & their families, my brother & his family & my parents... we'll all be together so much... oh my goodness it'll be so much fun & think of how excited the girls will be when they find out that they'll be able to spend so much time together living here in the states!!!... PRAISE THE LORD!!... here's a picture of the 2 of them together...

leaving town...

well, tomorrow morning i'll get up & take kiara to school... i've then got to run a couple errands before picking her back up... we'll come home & do naptime until 3pm when brit gets home & then we're off to ohio for the weekend as our niece's getting married... we'll be there until sunday night so if anyone needs/wants to reach me phone 317.432.3103... i called haiti tonight & barbara received dad/mom's dossier (praise the lord) & will go into 1st legalization tomorrow!... i just truly believe that this adoption will be a quick one... we're still looking for a family for her sister loundie & praying that god's getting someone's heart ready to receive her... well, i've still got things to do before heading to bed so i'm off here for now, but will write when i can... tata!!

long day, but it's finished!!!

just wanted to quick write & say, it is finished!!!... dad & mom started 3+ weeks ago, compiling a dossier to adopt madisyn & as of today, it's in the mail & on its way to haiti!!... it should get there wednesday afternoon (we'll breathe a lot better when we know it's arrived)... they worked so hard & so congrats to them's in order - CONGRATS YOU 2!!... here are some pictures of todays trip...

dad & mom walking into the chicago haitian consulate to pick up their authenticated dossier

dad & mom with the gentleman that signed & authenticated all their paperwork

dad & mom getting ready to leave the consulate with papers in hand...

they thought their work was over, but it's only just begun

the 'group' eating lunch & after a long day in the car & were just being silly (note all the hats)...

LtoR: dad, mom, karleigh, spike & kiara

scenes from around town

well, heading to bed as i've got to braid hair tomorrow UGH & i'm very tired... will write more tomorrow night more than likely, but remember, it is finished!!