- frustration...such a big word -

frustration doesn't even begin to say how i feel right now - going back a bit... right before we closed on our house, we began looking for a contractor to do some work for us between closing & moving in - we wanted some more cabinets hung [above toilets], a stained glass window inserted in a wall & a couple french doors hung - not making light of the fact that it was going to be a job, but that's what a contractor does...right? - well, we'd gotten prices for a few in the area & narrowed it down to one we'd chosen [due to affordability & time he could get the job done in] - we had him set up & he was ready to go - we then found out from a family member of a guy 'robert' that had a company that went to their church that really needed the work - spike went ahead & called him & robert agreed that yes, he did need/want the job, but it took him a long time to get back to us on the price [he'd originally priced in not only the contracting work, but also the painting of the house too & we wanted only the contracting price as we already had a painter lined up]
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finally, he got the figures back to us & he was the same price as the contractor that we'd already decided on, so due to robert being a family friend, a christian man & us wanting to help him out, we hired him [oh, how i wish i could take that decision back!]
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robert & co. [what's what i call them as he brought to 'helpers' named jeffrey & michael with him] showed up to begin & they had 1 week to finish [they knew this before they got the job] before our painters & then movers would be showing up - they began planning on how they'd do whatever it was they were preparing to do - that's fine, but they planed forever & i thought they'd never get started - about the time they did get started, they'd stop & say, "well, we're gonna break for lunch now" or something like that & they'd not done anything up to that point!
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they took the entire week & didn't get hardly anything done! - then, when it was time for the painters to come in [little mexican crew of about 1 million workers that work very quickly & efficiently], robert & co. weren't finished & got very mad [making comments about how the painters were rushing them, etc.] - the painters worked circles around robert & co., making them madder by the minute - the painters were finished & robert & co. were still where they were before the painters showed up - the painters couldn't finish what they had to do until robert & co. were done, due to the them having to paint around the french doors, etc., so after robert & co. got the french doors finally hung, the painters came back to finish their job, but we'd to pay a bit more for having the painters come back extra day [which i think robert & co. should've had to pay
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well, robert & co. were supposed to only be here for 1 week, but they took 2 & still weren't done - robert had ordered the wrong cabinet for in brit's bathroom [which we didn't make him change out as he'd already painted it & we knew he couldn't return it...thus saving him $$], he then forgot to order the bathroom cabinets for above the other 2 toilets & he also had to come back to hang/insert the stained glass window in spike's office wall
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we've been in our house 4 week & it was 2 weeks prior to that, that robert & co. began this work, so he's been at this for 6 weeks [what he agreed would only take him 1 week to complete!] - they were supposed to come last weekend one day & we got a call the morning of, saying robert had an unexpected surgery & couldn't come [don't know why jeffrey & michael couldn't come, but...], so they were rescheduling it for today [saturday] - we've been preparing for the to finally be done as of today & i couldn't have been happier
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i got up this morning & was getting the girls up, so we could all be dressed & presentable for when robert & co. showed up - after waking all the girls up [brit loved that!], i find out that robert & co. called & they're not coming today!!! - michael woke up sick, so none of them are coming!!! - i'm not kidding this' such a joke now - they're not doing anything they said they'd do - something that was supposed to take 1 week has gone into 6 weeks & they're still not done! - i'd not recommend them to anyone!! - they're nice guys, but they're not interested in working at all - they're slow & ½ the time, don't even show up!
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spike thinks i'm being too hard on them, but i sure don't know anyone else that would put up with what we're putting up with & not think what i'm thinking...this' ridiculous! - it's cost us more money in not only paying the painters more for them having to come back an extra day, but also robert & co. were to remove all their trash before they left & didn't - we couldn't leave it here as it filled our garage, so spike & my dad had to remove it [which was a lot of work] & it cost $80 to do so
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if you can't tell, i'm beyond frustrated, but at least now i know why robert & co. were begging so, for the job saying how much they needed work, etc...it's because they don't keep working & so no one wants to hire them!!!
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i'll get off my soapbox now - thanks for listening

- pacifiers, etc...needing suggestions -

just curious for suggestions - ahniér's now 10 weeks [where's the time gone?] & we can't get her attached to anything specific - she took to her thumb for a few days right after birth, but then stopped - we then tried her on about 4 different kinds of pacifiers & found 1 that she seemed to like & have been using it [the ugly big green ones that they give you in the hospitals that look like a bottle nipple...pictured above & no, that's not ahniér], but now she's not wanting it either - she'll accept it when you first put it in her mouth, she'll take a few sucks off of it, then secretly pushes it out the corner of her mouth UGH - we've went back to her thumb [which's what we'd prefer as our other girls are thumb suckers & that's something they've always got with them & can't loose!] - the closest she comes to taking her thumb is that she'll get her entire fist in her mouth & suck on it, but can't seem to find just the thumb - she'll then get discouraged & cry - dustin was a paci baby, brit sucked her bottom lip & kiara, ruby & karleigh were all thumb babies, so this' all new to us

now, the only reason i'm really needing her to attach to something is for this reason...she's a butterball right now due to anytime she wakes up or needs soothing, she thinks it's time to eat! - she's still on an every 2 hour feeding schedule & takes 4 oz each time - she's not physically able to take on any more than 4 oz, so thus the reason it's on an every 2 hour basis - when she eats, she'll then go to sleep after visiting for about 20 minutes, but let's say she only cat-naps for about 15 minutes, she then upon waking up, thinks it's time to eat again!!! - she's to the point now, it's best to let her lay [even when holding her], as when we tip her upright as in a sitting position, she's soooo full, she spills over

hopefully, you'll all see now why we need a soother of some sort & am ready to do anything i can to find something she connects to & STAYS WITH! - BTW, most kids are attached to something by what age? - am i too late since she's already 10 weeks old??

- we've a pool 'in' our house! -

well, today was hair day - got up this morning, gave ahniér her bath, then gave kiara, ruby & karleigh their baths - then i started braiding hair & although it was a simple style, they love it [especially karleigh as she loves hair to hang in her eyes & she's got the longest hair & thinks that's so cool!] - they got to bathe in our bathroom today [they've never done that since we've moved] & kiara says, "oh cool, i didn't know we had a pool inside the house!!" - where's she been since we moved?? - it's a garden bath w/ jets & they call it a pool - it's been there since we moved in... are they just now noticing??

- 2 of our kids & my sister -

well, today after church, brit, ahniér & myself all went to my parents church for a dinner they were having - while there i took a few pics of 2 of our kids [dustin & brit] & also, my sister [madisyn] - hope you enjoy them

- an extremely hard post to write...extremely hard -

i received permission from our son dustin, to post this prior to doing so

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this' something i've written up to give to friends & family about an upcoming open house for dustin - please read it & pray for our family heavily [extremely hard] on december 10 - thinking about what's coming up, causes me to truly think...i can't do this - dustin, i know you're reading this & want you to know that even though you made a horrible judgment call, we'll get through this - it's the hardest thing we've ever had to go through as a family & pray for god to help us through as i know he will - we're there for you in whatever way we can help, but just know that your help comes from the lord & he's the one you'll ultimately have to turn to - we love you more than you know - we're a team

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back in january, dustin & an acquaintance committed an armed robbery here in noblesville - dustin wasn't caught, but told someone he knew what he’d done & it got back to us & i’m the one that turned him in [something i never want to do again!] - it’s been almost a year & on december 10 he’ll be sentenced & is facing up to 11 years in prison - this’ the first time he’s been in trouble with the law, but since he was armed, the judge can sentence him to anything from 6 years probation to 11 years in prison, so we’re not sure what the outcome will be
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he’ll turn 23 on december 4 & we wanted to have an open house for him so friends & family could come over, just to encourage him for what lies ahead, as this might be the last time they’ll see him for a while - this is a come & go type open house, so please stop by when you can [even if it’s for a few minutes] - there’ll be snacks, finger foods & drinks provided, so hope to see a lot of you there!!
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he knows what he did was wrong, but can’t change what he’s facing, so please come & let him know he’s not alone & we’re all there to see him through...because this’ not what his life’s about & it never has been...it’s about what he does with his life from here on out!
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no gifts are necessary, but we’re requesting everyone bring a note of ‘what dustin means to them’ to leave with him, reminding him how loved & appreciated he is
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we want to say, that anything given monetarily, will be going into an account that he’ll draw on while he’s ‘away’ as he’ll have to buy everything he needs while ’in’ [ie: soap, tooth brush, toilet paper, deodorant, etc.], as he can’t take anything with him.
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DATE:
saturday, december 6, 2008
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LOCATION:
11188 giddings place
noblesville, IN 46060
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TIME:
1-4 PM

- our week -

things around here are progressing nicely & we're all but settled in [praise the lord] - thanks for all the cards & emails we've received congratulating us as it was a huge undertaking [but so worth it!] - here's a picture i took yesterday of ahniér & i think it sums up all our feelings [so glad it's over!] - isn't she a cutie!!

- there ya have it! -

brit's room

[library theme]

[flat screen tv will hang on wall where the 2 plate covers are

it should be done yet this week]

kitchen

dining room

family room

entry

family closet [we LOVE it!]

girls' 'wall of clothing'

girls' shoe bins [one for each girl]

girls' 'dresser'

master bedroom

den

girls' bathroom

ahniér's room

[safari animal theme]

kiara & karleigh's room

[haitian theme]

ruby's room

[haitian theme]

- we're in! -

wow, where's the time gone? - we've been sobusy, there isn't time to go through it all, so y ou'll just have to believe me - we had a mover move us last monday as we'd tons of the little things already brought over - we had to work around a contractor & painters that weren't quite finished with their work, so that made it a bit stressful, but we all did alrigh - we love, love, love the new house & all it has to offer us - the girls love their new rooms & are sleeping in them fine - i'll try & take pics this week & post them at that time as we've not only moved in, but hav e not 1 box left to open/put away & everything's up on the walls too! - some friends of ours [bob/cheryl bartoo] came one day & helped out in so many ways [from cleaning, to hanging curtains & everything in between] - then dad/mom came over several days to help out as well - dad & spike took many loads to the dump [trash] &then also filled dad's huge truck up about 4-5 times full of things we had hat we no longer wanted - dad's wanting to have a big garale sale coming up soon & so i told him that if he'd have it, then they could keep the mondy [he's so excited!!] - well, i need to run as i've got a little one downstairs wanting fed - i'll try & post more later!!

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ps. dad's not the one wanting to have the sale, mom is & it's driving dad nuts having all our stuff packed in his garage, shed everywhere else he can find a spot!! hehe

- 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

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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

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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

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

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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]