- PRAYER PLEASE! -

well, here's what we've got - a home that we love, but is waaaay to small for us (family of 7 - 6 full time, 1 from time to time & an in-home office) - as you'll see, brit's room has all the music/computer stuff in it & she's no room at all for 'her stuff' - then you'll notice that the bear cubs room's somewhat bigger, but remember, there's 3 cubs living in there - that full sized bed sleeps kiara & karleigh & then under that bed's a toddler mattress that we pull out every night for miss ruby - it's not that we like making her sleep on the floor, but with her being deaf, she's loud (did i mention she's LOUD??) & gets up several times through the night just to yell for me on the monitor, for me to run in there (yes, this fat mama runs so as to not have entire house woke up to the screeching sounds of our little pterodactyl), stumbling all the way, for her to ask me if it's time to wake up yet! (keep in mind this routine of hers/ours starts every morning around 2:30am & goes on almost hourly until it's time to in fact...WAKE UP! - by putting her down on the mattress, it helps to keep her from waking up the other 2 during our 'night-time fun' (doesn't always work, but sometimes it does) - you'll also notice a kitchen table, that's mainly used now as spike's desk - the kitchen has become his 'home office' & we've to move fax machines, copiers, printers, computers, etc. when it's time to eat dinner - for those that 'know me', you know my house's usually full of things on the walls, on the tables, etc., but as you can see, we're in the 'moving out' stage & things are quickly movin' outta here! - we've got a storage shed here in town that we're storing all our boxed up things - watch out, because whatever's not moving will get packed (note: do not worry at all about karleigh getting boxed up as this child's not stopped movin' since her mama anna marie gave birth to her!) - moral of this post's to get some more prayer warriors praying for this house to sell soon! - we've got a floor plan picked out, plans have been made & a contract's signed with our builder, as we see this' something god's brought to us as an investment for the future of our family - we've done what we've been called to do, we've taken care of things that needed tending to, we've helped others in things they were called to do & now we're praying it's our time of harvest & we can get this thing underway - we've been given 60 days to sell our home before the signed contract's void - they'll stretch it to 90 days if we're having showings & people seem interested - so far it's been about 3-4 weeks & we've only had 2 showings - the family today liked our house, but liked some they'd already seen... better - the couple last week said they liked ours best out of 6 they went in, but chose one of the other ones as ours was on a corner lot & they did NOT want a corner lot (remind me again why a person who's decided they did NOT want a corner lot would even look at a house on a...corner lot???) - after the showing this morning & the 'review', i've been really down all day - i'm not a real patient person (alright, who's gonna be the first to make a remark on this one?), but it's hard enough emotionally to sell a home, get it ready to sell, keep everything in it's place & at a moments notice be able to scoop everyone up & leave the house, but to do this with 6 people living here (3 of which are 5 & under) is extremely HARD! - geez, i know i'm rambling, but again, all those that will, please pray for this place to sell to just the right family - thank you & from reading a post on a blog of a friend of mine, i'll coin the term, "now i'll go readjust my 'happy cap'! - nite!

- Lori - [keep smilin']

- SOME MORE FUNNY KID THINGS (past/present) -

sorry, but with a title like this, i could write everyday & have lots to share - someone (who'll remain nameless for now) decided when she was younger, around 8ish (keep in mind kiara's 5, ruby's 4 & karleigh's 3 now) that she was going to make me breakfast - well, she made me toast - awww, how sweet you might add, but you didn't see it - it was burnt to a crisp (never saw something THAT black), but soggy & wet on the other side, not burnt at all - i said, "(XX nameless, remember), how'd you make this?" - she said, "oh mom, it's the coolest thing, i thought i'd make you breakfast, but to save time i buttered the bread first & then toasted it so when it came out of the toaster, voila, it was ready to eat!" (oh my!!)

another story about (nameless) was recently, like within the past XX months, she decided she was going to make a frozen pizza - well, it was cookin' away & the top got very done, but she said the bottom was still somewhat 'raw' - i went & looked & she'd not taken the cardboard out from under the pizza (oh my!!)

(insert prayer here that before nameless moves away from our home, that our house doesn't mysteriously BURN DOWN!)

today, i was talking to kiara & she mentioned that in school they'd asked all the kids what they wanted to be when they grew up - i asked what her response was & she said, "gosh mommy, i wanna be a person who sells popcorn at the movies!" (you gotta know kiara to appreciate this, this kids lives to eat & she does it well - it's all about food to her from morning until night - at the breakfast table as she's eating, she's discussing what time lunch will be & what's on the menu - at lunch, it's a repeat preformance as it's all about what's for dinner - there's times that we'll do a late breakfast & then have a pretty big lunch & no one's hungry for dinner so we just kind of snack - well, kiara wants her 'snack' at a table as she's all about being at a TABLE 3 times a day!)

yesterday i'd taken ruby to get pics taken & while we were there waiting for our appointment time to come, we were shopping (gotta do something, right?) - well, there was a sale paper in the bottom of the cart that she was looking at & kept pointing at costumes & then making a sign (sign language) that i didn't know - i tried & tried to figure out what she was talking about, but nope, mom wasn't getting it - she was beginning to get frustrated with me so in her frustration, she began rummaging through my purse, grabbed my cell, handed it to me & loudly said, "mommy... HELLO!" - (everytime i don't know what she's signing, i call my best friend angela to help me out as she's fluent in ASL) - even though she never knows 'who' i call, she does know that 'when' i call, i come up with the right answer - i took her advise & called ang & found out she was signing 'WRONG/NOT RIGHT' - after looking closely at the pic she was pointing out, saw a dog in a halloween costume & to that she was telling me, "that's soooo wrong!!" - how funny!

- Lori - [keep smilin']

- I'VE BEEN TAGGED -

i've been tagged, so here goes:

what i was doing 10 years ago: i was the mother of 2 (wow, seems like a long time ago) & we were living in lafayette, indiana - we worked on the praise & worship team for the church we were attending - we kept busy (or so we thought) & life was good

what i was doing 5 years ago: i, along with spike were waiting to go in to IBESR with kiara & i was getting used to the idea of being a mother of 3

what i was doing 1 year ago: i'd gone to haiti with spike, my mother & brit - neither mom or brit had ever been there before & we were there from october 3-10 & had a wonderful time!!

what i was doing yesterday: forgetting children at school (ooops!) - yep, i'd picked everyone up from school at the appropriate times, came home, got lunch ready, let the girls play a bit & told them to get ready for naptime - kiara says, "doesn't karleigh have to take a nap too?" - EEEEK, i'd forgotten to pick her up (does that mean i've got to many children???)

5 snacks i enjoy: black jelly beans (the cheap ones!), peanut butter candy they sell at halloween in the black & orange wrappers - marshmallow easter eggs, seedless grapes & doughnuts (fresh yeast ones that are flimsy = VERY fresh!)

what i'd do with a million dollars: pay off our home, build our dream home, pay off our parents homes, set up a fund to help pay for haitian adoptions & give to the church

5 places i'd like to go: haiti, france, haiti, the holy lands to take spike as he's always wanted to go there & then, back to haiti!

5 bad habits: not sitting down to eat throughout the day, but instead, just 'piecing' all day, saying to my girls, "this' the last time i'll tell you" (over & over & over), picking at my fingernails, feeling the need to be in control (but i'm soooooo good at it!) & at the end of every day, wishing i'd taken more time with the kids... 1 on 1

5 things i like to do in my free time: BLOG!!, go shopping, go to haiti, get my nails done & go places with my family

5 shows i like to watch: although i don't hardly ever watch TV, i'd say... andy griffith, little house on the prairie, mad about you, a baby's story & home makeover shows

5 things i hate to do: go shopping for clothing for me, argue with my family, pack up things in the house in order to move, tell salesmen 'NO' at the front door (i do, but hate it!) & iron

5 biggest accomplishments at the moment: dustin, brit, kiara, ruby & karleigh (wow, that was an easy one!)

anyone that reads this... consider yourself TAGGED!

- Lori - [keep smilin']

- GOD'S CONTINUING TO MOVE! -

well, i just opened my mail & in it was $50, a very sweet note (not signed) & a short story (very appropriate for a situation dad/mom's dealing with) - a HUGE thank you to whomever sent it & just know we're praying for you that you'll be blessed above anything you can ask or think - here's the story that was sent:

Making a difference... Once a man was walking on a beach & he saw many starfish on the sand. The starfish were dying because the tide was going out & the starfish couldn't reach the water. A small child was running up & down the beach, busily picking up starfish & throwing each back into the sea. The man said to her, "Child, why are you even bothering? There are so many starfish to help, you can't save them ALL, so why not save one & then stop?" The child stopped, picked up a starfish & threw it into the sea. "Because I made a difference to THAT one & had i stopped, IT wouldn't have lived", she said.

- Lori - [keep smilin']

- MY BEST FRIEND!! -

just wanted to share a picture of my best friend angela caswell! - she came to my house the other day & we ran to walmart to get her pictures taken - just got them back & couldn't believe how well they captured 'her eyes'! - angela, love the new hair color too, you're adorable girl!!

- Lori - [keep smilin']

- DOES IT MEAN YOU'VE TO MANY CHILDREN WHEN... -

you forget to pick one up from school????????? - it's been a morning, let me tell ya - i'm on a blood thinner everyday & i got up this morning & couldn't hardly walk as my foot's throbbing - i can tell from past experiences, that my blood levels are off, so i'm ms. hobbles today - i race around (alright, i limped), getting kiara ready & off to kindergarten at 8am, got karleigh ready & off to preschool at 9am & ruby stayed home with daddy today as he's working at home - i then ran (alright, i limped) to the hospital for my 'blood check', then i went to mom's to drop off another of brit's christmas presents since we've no room & she'd know it was for her - i then went back to pick kiara up at 11am, then grabbed some tacos for lunch, came home, fed everyone & they'd playtime (kiara & ruby) while i got some things done - we were just putting things away, doing laundry, etc. & i told the kids to get things picked up for naptime - they'd done it all & it wasn't until i said, "now go potty" that i heard the words, "isn't karleigh gonna take a nap too?" - i looked at the clock & it was 1pm on the dot (karleigh gets out at 1!!) - i said, "OH NO, I FORGOT KARLEIGH!!!", to which her 2 sisters began laughing (they wouldn't have laughed if they'd been the ones left, i can assure you) & headed for the door (quickly!) - i drove as quickly as i could to the school & picked her up - i apologized to the teacher, but she said they were running late today so they'd just stepped outside to look for us (WHEW!) - i brought her home, plopped them all 3 into bed, am blogging now - i then have to leave in 30 minutes to pick brit up from school as she/i both ordered new glasses the other day & they're in (she'll be thrilled!!), so have to go pick them up, then have to drive to indianapolis to pick up another of brit's christmas presents as our walmart didn't have it, so they called another walmart that did - (brit, i know you're reading this trying to see if by some chance i've slipped & written in something that you can read & learn what your christmas gift is, but nope, i'm smarter than that!) - well, anyhow, i'm pooped, limpin', dealing with a headache = from the way it sounds, i'm a mess!! - i'll write more later (guess you all knew that!!)

- Lori - [keep smilin']

- ANOTHER PRAISE THE LORD! -

just checked my email & there's been another $25 donated via paypal towards madisyn's adoption - they're now up to $1398 & it's still rising!! - thanks to all who've donated so far & for those others that are planning on it, it's appreciated more than you know

- Lori - [keep smilin']

- SHE'S OUT, PRAISE THE LORD, SHE'S OUT!! -

yep, just got off the phone with barbara & she said she's got madisyn's dossier in her hands!! - they went into IBESR on march 28, 2007, so it's been 6 months & 5 days in IBESR & their number was (love to say WAS!!!) #14726 - they've had to wait longer than madisyn's sister loudnie (being adopted by my BIL/SIL) & also longer than one of madisyn's friends jenna (being adopted by some of our very good friends) because problems with their attorney GRRR - anyhow, long story short, they're out - oh my goodness, it feels so good to say that & know that their IBESR wait's over FOREVER - now, moving on to the next 'wait', at least we're 1 step closer to madisyn coming 'home' - praise the lord!!

we'd been planning all along on telling dad first & then he could share with mom - well, we just found out (9:30pm) & since dad's gotta get up in the mornings at 3am for work, he goes to bed VERY early - well, we knew if i called & asked mom to wake dad up, she'd know for sure (she's a pretty smart cookie & you usually can't put anything past her) - so i talked my hubby into lying (hehe) - he phoned & when mom answered, this' how it went,

spike: "georgi, hey it's spike, does wayne work tomorrow?"
mom: "yeah, why?"
spike: "oh, so he's already in bed?"
mom: "yeah, what's going on?"
spike: "well, kyle's re-doing our jeep ya know & he just called & has to order a part for it, but has to order it tonight online & needs to know what size the (spike named some jeep part) is & since the jeep used to be wayne's, i wanted to confirm with him that the size i was thinking, was the right size"
mom: "oh, well hang on & i'll get him"
dad: "hello"
spike: "hang on"
me: "dad, it's me & i wanted you to be the first one to find out"
dad: "huh?" (keep in mind dad's been asleep for about 3 hours!)
me: "dad, you're OUT OF IBESR!!"
dad: "oh wow, what did your mom say?"
me: "she doesn't know, we wanted you to be the one that shared the news with her"
dad: "WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
mom: "WHAT'S WRONG???"
dad: "we're out! - we're out of that SBIN or whatever it's called"
mom: "we're out? (cry), we're out? (cry), we're out? (cry), we're out? (cry)"

that was about it - i'm so proud of spike for being the liar that he is... i just love him (wink) - also, thanks kyle for being a part of the 'big lie', you're awesome!

- Lori - [keep smilin'] just try & get me to stop!!

- DOES $.10 MATTER... REALLY? -

in the full scheme of things, does $.10 REALLY matter? - well, it's driving me crazy, i can tell ya - i went to balance my checkbook (need i say more?) & after a LONNNNNNNNNNNNG time, i'm still $.10 off GRRR - i can't tell you how this fumes me as i'm so careful & then to find out i'm wrong! - well, i know most will say, "get over it", "move on", "get a life" & "don't ya have better things to do with your time?" & yes, i do have, i'll move on & get over it, but GRRRR, that just irritates me to no end (sorry)
- Lori - [keep smilin']

- SPIKE'S BAD AWFUL DAY -

man, spike sure had 'one of those days' today & he's still not home - he got up a bit late this morning & was trying to get some work done prior to leaving the house - he had to be somewhere about 11:00, but HAD to finish what he was working on (insert stress) - i'd left, but talked to him once on the phone & he just sounded 'busy' (insert stress) - i told him to phone me when he left the house, which he did - he asked me to be praying about some new projects - we're doing fine financially, but with the upcoming house selling, moving into an apartment, building another house, etc., he'll be needing some more projects to come up very soon - he's got at least 5 now that are in the 'ready to sign contracts' stages, but they've just not signed yet & he really needs this to be done soon, just so he can move on without having to think about it all the time (insert stress) - as we're talking on the phone about all this he says, "AHHHHHH MAN!!" - to which i say, "WHAT?" - he says, "i think i just hit a car" - i say, "call me back!" - minutes later he does call to say that he'd to stop on his way to his 11:00 meeting (which remember, he's running late for), at walmart to pick up some 'convention items' as that's where he's headed was to a convention - as he was pulling into his spot, the car next to him hadn't lined up straight & spike cut a bit to close & yep, swiped the side of our van! - he got out & checked & the other car was fine as it was their bumper that was 'hit', but it was rubber so no harm done - but then he looked at our van & he said the trim strip down the side of the van that 'pokes out a bit' has about a 3-4' strip that's paintLESS - luckily it's on the trim strip & not the van door or anything, but it doesn't matter, it's ours & we take care of our things UGH - that devil's sure trying his stuff right now as we've had 3 of the kids all sick with ick (fevers, watery eyes, coughing, sore throats, aching, runny noses, etc.) all on medicines, etc. & we're tired of it! - devil we're not going to back down with what we feel god's called us to do here with this house sell & this house build - you better just back off now as we're not going to! - pray for spike to have a better day tomorrow - he's a great husband, great dad & a great provider - i just love him!

PS after all this happens, he phones to tell me that he'd just spoken with his brother (they work together) that's already at the convention & instead of it starting at 11:00, it didn't even start until 3:00 so in the end, he didn't even need to rush!!
- Lori - [keep smilin']

- MADISYN'S BLOG -

well, i re-did madisyn's fundraising blog over the weekend & i must say, i like it a LOT better - go check it out by clicking here - for those that are interested in donating to help bring madisyn home, you can use paypal or mail the $ to me which will go directly to the foyer de la nouvelle vie agency that madisyn's being adopted through - you can also click on the paypal donate button on my blog (located on the left hand side, just above the fundraising thermometer) - thanks for all those that are praying for my sister to get home soon - her paperwork's been in IBESR for 6 months now, but they're hopeful that their time in IBESR's quickly coming to an end - thanks & hopefully this will help get her home soon! SIDENOTE: $26 has already come in just in the past 2 hours (praise the lord!!)
- Lori - [keep smilin']

- ANYONE NEED A QUAD STROLLER? -

i just posted for the first time on ebay! - i'm selling a commerical type quad stroller that i've started the bidding at $300 (paid $530 for it & still have the receipt) - if you'd like to see it, go to ebay.com & put in this number (130159177094) & you'll be able to view it - we're moving & don't want to have to store it - thanks!

- Lori - [keep smilin']

- MENU MONDAY @ LORI'S DINER -

this week will be a very busy one (are there any for us, that's not??) - anyhow, we're getting on the heavy duty packing this week as we rented (today) a storage unit so we're determined to get boxed up everything that we can & take it to storage so that things look 'bigger' when people come to look at the house - man, this selling a house's a LOT OF WORK! - here's the menu for this week as it stands now (all meals are subject to change at the discretion of the management)

monday (october 1)

hotdogs

chips

fruit

tuesday (october 2)

crockpot meatloaf

greenbeans

wednesday (october 3)

chili/crackers (chili supper @ the kids' school)

peanut butter sandwiches

thursday (october 4)

smoked sausage

macaroni & cheese

friday (october 5)

schwans lasagna

sourdough bread

- Lori - [keep smilin']

- OUR DAY/EVENING -

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

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

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

- Lori - [keep smilin']

-IT'S OFFICIALLY ON THE MARKET -

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

- MAMA'S GOT A BRAND NEW BAG! -

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

- MORE SICK KIDDOS grrrr -

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

- WHAT I'M LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW -

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

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

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

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

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

- Lori -

- SICK BABY'S GOT 'FREE HAIR' -

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

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

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

- BUTT KICKIN' WEEKEND -

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

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

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

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

- TIMBERLINES?? -

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

- lori -

- TONIGHT'S 'THE NIGHT' -

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

- Lori -

- MY 'BIG GIRL' -

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

- Lori -

- ALL'S QUIET -

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

- Lori -

- JOHN 3:16 -

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

- Lori -

- OUR KIDS' KIDS -

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- LIFECYCLE OF AN ADOPTION -

Life Cycle of an Adoption
By Steve Morrison (revised)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- DRESS FOR THE WEATHER -

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

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

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

- OH NO, NOT THE FURNACE!! -

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

- WE'VE MADE A DECISION -

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- MOM'S COMING HOME TOMORROW -

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

- HOW ADDICTED AM I??? -

88%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

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

- WHERE'D MY BABY GO? -

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

- I'M GETTING A ROSIE! -

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

- WHICH ONE WOULD YOU PICK? -

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

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

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

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

- CONSIDER LINKING THIS TO YOUR BLOG/WEBSITE? -

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

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

- SOME FAMILY FUNNIES -

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

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

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

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

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

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

- TROUBLE ON THE BUS, ALREADY?? -

oh my, she's already been scolded! - kiara's rode the bus just 6 days & i've already gotten a call from her bus driver via the teacher (eeek) - kiara just loves harry (the bus driver) & can't wait for him to come pick her up every morning - well, today i got a call from her teacher & she said, "well, did kiara mention what happened on the bus today?" - i said, "well, when she gets home, it's lunchtime (chaos), then it's naptime (quiet) & THEN we sit down & run through her day - today was no different so at this point when she called, kiara was still napping & i'd only heard of who she'd played with & what they played, on the short van ride home (about 1 minute drive)

she said that harry called her (the teacher) & informed her that kiara got on & sat down, but before they were even out of our neighborhood, she was asked to sit down, due to her standing up - from the time he gets her, until he drops her off at school, they only make a few stops in our neighborhood & the adjoining neighborhood - well, harry asked her again to sit down & apparently she wasn't obeying - this happened a few times so finally when she was responding to his request, mr. harry pulled the bus over, called her up to the front (in front of everyone & i know she must have been horrified!!) - he then proceeded to tell her how dangerous it was to ride on a bus while standing - he also said that her parents were expecting him to travel to the school & deliver her safely there & that she, if standing, might bump her head if they'd hit a bump - apparently at this point, the bus was dead quiet & she busted out bawling (loudly), sucking her thumb & saying, "I JUST NEED MY MOMMY TO HOLD ME!!" - he called her teacher to share with her what happened & why kiara might be upset - he told her he was about to phone me, but she said she would later so she could also tell me how kiara did today - i was on my cell when this was shared so afterwards i called home & talked to kiara

me: kiara, this' mommy

kiara: hi mommy

me: hello, i've got a question for you

kiara: what is it?

me: well, did something happen today that i need to know about?

kiara: (long pause) well..... yeah

me: what was it?

kiara: i told boo (brit) 'no' & signed it too

me: well, thanks for telling me, but that's not it, was there something else?

kiara: (long pause) well... yeah

me: what was it?

kiara: when they said the pledge of alliegiance in class, i didn't say it

me: well, thanks for telling me, but that's not it, was there something else?

kiara: (long pause) well, why don't you tell me what you know & i'll tell you if you're right!

me: something happen on the bus today?

kiara: OH YEAH!

she then shared what all happened & it was exactly what i'd heard from her teacher - i said, "did you say anything to harry after it was all finished?" she said, "yes, i told him i was sorry, i wouldn't do it again, asked him to forgive me & then told him that if they'd make seatbelts on buses, then i'd not be able to get up!" - UGH, somedays i feel so old!!

*lori*

- GETTING READY TO LEAVE -

well, kiara went to school this monrning & brit's home sick (yes, again) - she's better, but still congested - since she's now on antibiotics, i'm sure she'll bounce back quick, she usually does - spike & i are taking the camper out today & setting up, then we'll come home & stay the night at home - we'll then let kiara & brit go to school tomorrow, but when brit gets out (2:35), we'll leave for the weekend - we'll not be returning until monday late in the afternoon/evening so it'll be fun to be there so long - we were thinking we'd go out tonight to stay, but forgot we've got 2 in school tomorrow! (ooops) - when we drop off the camper, spike & i are stopping by a home to look through as we're wanting to get movin' on this house thing right away - we're so out of room it's incredible - there's 6 of us living here & our house's just under 1800sf - we're desperately needing another bedroom & spike needs an office (so we can have our kitchen table back) - we're not planning anything tonight as we'll have a busy weekend - well, not a lot more to say, so tata! [hugs]

*lori*

- RAMBLINGS OF MY DAY -

well, doesn't seem like we did much, but we were busy all day long - this was brit's 2nd day home from school sick & she's only been in school like a week or 2!! - we got up, got 2 of the girls off to school, then talked to mom in haiti - she's doing fine, it's just extremely hot down there right now (it always is, but it's even hotter now) & she's cookin'! - she says bryce's eating more than she can shovel down him - he's VERY, VERY, VERY independant & will ONLY feed himself - she said he'll just scream bloody murder if she (or anyone else) tries to feed him, but give him stuff of his own & he's good to go - he's not even 2 yet & i know that he ate 2 whole bananas, 2 pretty good sized bowls of cheerios (cassandra, stock up as they're his absolute favs!!!), 2 packs of cheese/crackers, water & lots of it & 2 whole hot dogs - mom then opened her a big can of chuncked chicken as she just had surgery & that's the main thing she could eat, but guess what? - she never got it due to 'bubba' eating it all - she said he got ahold of that bowl, pulled it up next to him & started shoveling - she said she didn't have the heart to take it from him (even though it was hers) as she's just thrilled that he's eating so well - when he's finished with one thing, he'll just start grunting & pointing for more of whatever it is you've got to eat - they do this from morning until night & he stays content - he's been sleeping really well, so mom's glad about that as when bryce sleeps well... mom sleeps well!! - she's having a blast with madisyn & a young deaf boy named evans - mom's staying at the village full time now until the 8th of september when she leaves to come home - i know she's enjoying herself, but will be soooooooo glad to return home

we'd dad (aka the little lost boy) over for dinner tonight & that was nice - we'd smoked sausage, mac 'n cheese, peas & tomatoes & was able to send some home with him for tomorrows dinner as well - he then took spike to get our camper as we're leaving tomorrow for a few days to go camping & we're all excited (especially karleigh as she's the 'lil camper of the bunch)

we began (again) looking at homes last night (only 1 for now) & will hit it hard next week - we put our house up for sale yesterday so we're praying it sells quick as selling a home's something i hate to do! - when it sells, we've no idea where we'll move temporarily, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it

i may post more later, but for now i'm off to add poundage to my hips & grab a 'not so good for me' snack ("i'm comin' sweet thangs, i'm a comin' really fast", i say to the kit kat bars that are beckoning me from the kitchen) [hugs]
*lori*

- HOW YOU LIKE THE NEW COLORS? -

well, i've added a bit more colors to my blog & i think it's 'getting there'! - i love the orange background, but boy, it's sure hard to get colors that go with it as many are hard to see

*lori*

- HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY -

whew, glad there wasn't a typo there! (those on the yahoo group with me, know what i'm talking about) - yes, today's spike's birthday & we did nothing! - we were to go to church like always, but didn't due to brit getting sick yesterday (horrible sinus thingy) & went to bed last night sick, then kiara got up this morning with a runny nose - being they were both 'off' (yes, that's their normal maybe), we opted to stay home - spike got to nap today, went to the salon (picture below), got to stay in jammies & all around had a sluggish day, but hey, gotta have 'em every once in awhile - tomorrow we're off & running into another week, but wanted to take a minute to share with you all how wonderful my man is - he's the best friend i've ever had, he's a great provider, loving husband & father - he talks a great talk & walks what he believes in (being a godly christian man) - he's fair, down to earth, honest - we love him more than words can say - honey, thanks for loving me & our children & thanks for being you - we love you & happy birthday!!

spike & his 3 hair stylists

(ruby, karleigh & kiara)

the price for their daddys 'treatment': unlimited hugs all day

- SHE ARRIVED -

well, i've talked to mom several times since she's arrived in haiti & seems to having a great time - she's staying at ruuska village - she arrived in miami & did just fine & then a friend of mine that's also adopting from barbara, had given me the name & picture of her father in law that was due to be on mom's flight into PAP - i sent it to mom & she was able to know who to be looking for - he was given her information as well & so they both found each other & ended up trading seats & sitting together from miami to PAP - she'd been there 2 times prior, but not ever doing it alone, she felt more comfortable going in with an experienced 'haiti man' hehehe - after arriving in PAP, she was met by barbara's group - several adoptive parents, barbara & madisyn - sounds like things are great with the bonding thing there - they stopped by the visa lodge to drop off some who were staying there & then it was off to the village

today, they went to see bryce, the little boy mom will be caring for while she's there - he's 19 months old, but weighs about the same as a 6 month old little boy - she said he's adorable & they'll be picking him up tomorrow (they had to notify the place where he's at a day ahead of time i guess) - mom's very excited to get him 'home' to the village & start fattening him up (poor little guy will weigh 30# by the end of mom's 2 weeks) - they won't call him bryce, but instead, 'bubba' - cassandra.. mom said to tell you she's met your daughter & she's OH, SO PRECIOUS TOO!! - mom said she's, "absolutely perfect" - she's getting lots of pictures of all the village children for all you parents that are on pins/needles to see them - when she arrives home at midnight on the 8th, we'll get them on the puter & emailed to you the next day,more than likely

here's a funny picture of our day today with dad when he stopped by for a visit (madisyn, this'll who you'll be calling papi, but remember, i'm there for ya sis!)

- 1 DOWN & JUST 2 MORE TO GO! -

well, i got karleigh's hair done today & it looks so cute - i did all different colors & it turned out really neat - i'll be working on kiara & ruby's tomorrow so busy, busy, busy, i'll be - brit's got some fun things planned for the 2 not being worked on (ie: school work, puzzles, books on tape, etc.) & then whomever i'm working on gets unlimited suckers (as long as they don't chew them!) - i'll try & post pictures tomorrow of them all sporting their new do's & hopefully they'll both go quick - someone remind me again, how was it we ended up with 3 little girls with tons of hair... oh yeah, god told us to [hugs]

- JUST A FEW MORE HOURS & SHE'S OFF -

well, it's off to haiti for mom tomorrow! - she's very excited (nervous, but excited) - she absolutely can't wait to meet bryce, the little boy she'll be caring for while she's there - she also found out tonight that madisyn will be arriving tomorrow sometime so she'll be there when mom shows up & just talking about it, brings tears to moms eyes - just pray that a lot's accomplished while she's there (ie: lots of weigh on bryce, great bonding for her & madisyn, her being a help to lawanna, having a wonderful time with barbara & whatever else god's got for her) - i'll be talking to her nightly (i know, i know, you're all surprised by that) & giving updates as often as i can - we found out she'll be arriving on a flight with someone else coming that's being picked up at the airport by barbara - we've emailed pics back & forth so they both know who to look for to come in together (even though they don't know each other) - i'm hoping that'll help mom as she's never done this alone before - she's been to haiti 2 times, but never alone - she went with spike, brit & myself last october & then i took her & dad back in may & that's it so tomorrow she's wingin' it, just her & god!

- DOES ANYONE KNOW? -

well, i've a question for all of you - months ago, i'd added something to my blog (don't remember what it was or where i found it) that would 'alert' me when someone added my blog as a link to theirs or posted about my blog, etc. - i'd open the page & it's list all the people that had either referred to my blog, linked it to theirs or linked it into a post, etc. - my puter decided it's not cooperate one day (many days) & when it decided to work, that 'alert' was missing & i receive nothing any longer - now i can still go to 'sitemeter' (that's the box that's directly under the taptap picture in my blog header) & it'll show me some of who reads it, but nothing on who's linking me - i'm just nosey & want to see - any helper will earn 5 tokens (which at our house means you'll get a piece of candy!) - thanks! [hugs]

- TOMORROW'S FRIDAY -

well, we've made it to another weekend! - we were to go camping tomorrow for the weekend, but mom's leaving for haiti on saturday early in the morning & we're going along for the ride with dad when he releases her into the throws of haiti - she can't wait! - we've got her all packed up (but keep adding more things) & her bags are maxed out on weight - she'll be arriving in haiti at 3:30 haitian time on saturday & staying for 2 weeks - my dad will be a mess until she gets home! - i'll take pics of her all loaded down when she's leaving the airport & then again when she's returning (bet she's walking a faster pace when she returns, wanna bet?)

- FUNNY THINGS MY KIDS HAVE SAID -

i'm sure after i post this, i'll think of more, but here's few highlights to get you going...

today we'd a funeral (my aunts) to attend & had the 3 bear cubs with us - they were so good & sat quietly through the entire service, etc. & when it was all over, kiara leaned over to me & said, "are they gonna serve the food now?" - maybe that's why she was being on her best behavior, thinking food was coming??

"KIARA"S ERUPTED!" is what we heard karleigh yelling from the backseat today - when we asked her what she was talking about, she said that kiara erupted (& was not happy at all!) - in delving a bit deeper, we found out that karleigh was trying to talk & kiara erupted her (INTERUPTED HER!)

when brit was about 4 years old, we'd only had her just a few months & i'd got her all dressed up & we were heading out to run errands (just her & i) - i'd to stop & get gas on my way, so i went to the local gas station, right by our house that we always used - we were the only ones there, it was early in the morning so to have a change of pace, i asked her if she'd want to go pay for me - she was thrilled & said, "YES!" - i gave her $5 & said, "you go in & tell them your mommy's putting 5 bucks in pump 9 & then hand them this money & return to the car" - she eagerly jumped out, ran in as i was watching her, came back out just like she was supposed to do, got in the car & SLAMMED the door! - i asked what was wrong & she said they laughed at her - i couldn't imagine what she was talking about so after i finished getting gas, i got in the car & asked her again what had happened - she said, "i did just what you said" - i said, "tell me exactly what you said to them, just like you said it" - she said, "i told them this... my mom's humping pump 9 for 5 bucks!" - needless to say, i never returned to that gas station again!!!

when brit (yes, it's about her again... sorry brit!) was about 4 she came to me one day & asked if she could have sex - i said, "WHAT???" (keep in mind we'd adopted her at 3.5 years from the welfare system & we didn't know for sure about anything she'd seen, experienced, etc.) - she repeated to me what she'd asked already, "mommy, can i have sex?" - still not wanting to give in & assume 'SEX' was what she was really asking for, i played dumb - i said, "i don't know what you're talking about, can you ask it a different way?" - she said, "you know, what you & daddy have!" - EEEEEEEEEK!!! - i'm sweating at this point, not knowing what to say or heaven forbid what she's seen & so still acting dumb, i thought i try 1 more time & asked her to tell me in another way - to this she replied, "you know, when you don't say 'charge it', but instead you have sex!" - she was saying CHECKS!!!

once when brit was in preschool, they were told they could bring in a show 'n tell - she asked if she could sing a song & they allowed it - the next week, she wanted to sing a song again & they allowed it - this got to be a habbit with her during show 'n tell & finally they told her to start bringing an item to show the class - she informed them that she was going to just sing a song instead - they asked her to bring an item & she informed them that she was going to sing a song - this went on & on until the teacher finally said, "brit, i'm telling you one more time, I WANT YOU TO BRING AN ITEM TO SHOW 'N TELL NEXT WEEK" - to that brit replied (with hands on her hips), "WELL WE DON'T ALWAYS GET WHAT WE WANT, NOW DO WE??" - from then on she took an item every week (ps. we never knew any of this was going on until after it'd been settled or we'd have stopped it a long time before that!)

lastly (yes, another brit story), when we'd first moved here to this community brit started first grade - about a week into school, the principal called me & asked if i could come to the school right away - i raced over to find the principal, brit's teacher, a fireman, a police officer & brit all standing at the door - i thought to myself, oh my goodness, what's she done! - she's always been a great kid & i knew she wasn't hurt as she was standing there smiling all over herself, but i sure couldn't imagine what was going on that they'd need this much 'backup' & would need to call me in - they all introduced themselves & then they proceeded to tell me that it was fire prevention week & all the kids in brit's class were sitting around talking about safety - they were saying things like, "don't cross the road without looking both ways", "don't play with matches", "don't mess with knives", etc. - they said one little boy had said, "don't do drugs", which my daughter commented that, "my mommy does drugs because they make her feel good" - they said to her something about me NOT doing drugs, but brit stuck to her story about me doing drugs because they made me feel good & to take 'good feeling' drugs was alright - now keep in mind, i'm now 40 years old & i've never taken drugs in my life - if someone would hand me some, i'd not know to sniff it, drink it, put it in my viens or what, so i couldn't imagine why she'd say such a thing - i was dying on the inside & everyone was looking at me for an answer - i looked at brit & said, "honey (gritting my teeth as i wore a tight smile), mommy doesn't do drugs, do i?", to which she replied (whispering as if no one would hear her & smiling all the while), "yes you do, but that's alright" - i said, "brit, mommy's never done drugs, why would you say such a thing?" to which she replied, "because i'm supposed to tell the truth to my teacher" - at this point i'm realizing they're thinking i'm role playing with her to get her to see it 'my way' & change her story - finally i said, "alright brit, if mommy does drugs, what drugs do i do?" to which she replied, "the ones that make your head feel better" to which i shared with everyone that i suffer migraines & take perscription meds for them & apparently that's what she was talking about - they let me leave, but i'm sure they kept their eye on me for quite awhile as we were new to the community & they probably thought this poor little girl was being raised by drug addicts GEEEZ - (ps. now they've got kiara, then ruby & then karleigh - by the time karleigh gets there, it's hard telling what they'll think of me!)

thanks for letting me share, oh wait, it's MY blog! [hugs]