Happy Birthday Binah!!

It was my Binah’s birthday Sunday.  She got so much stuff.  Not that day, but slowly everyone’s been dropping things off and well, as usual, Aunt M and Uncle B spoiled her rotten.  But, she enjoyed the evening out with M and A at the movies, dinner and shopping, but boy was she a grouch when she came home.  

 Here are pictures from my baby’s birthday cake.

Happy Birthday baby!

Off she goes...the newest kindergartner

No sniff sniff. It doesn't make me sad, it makes me proud to know they're doing well going out in the world and watching them mature. Now ask me in 3 more years when my baby goes....another story I'm sure.

What can YOU do with an old curtain valance??

What I decided to call a bunk buddy. :)

The two middles sleep in lofts and they get so aggrivated when they have to get down from their bunks to get something small, like Chase's MP3, etc. So I had an old curtain valance that didn't sell at last year's rummage sale and thought I'd try to make something.

I bought each of them some ribbon for $1.97 each, $2 worth of velcro and some $4 permanent fabric glue. That's right girls, no stitching!

Here's what I came out with after about 1 hour's worth of work.

Kaelin's


Chase's

Minivacation....detoured

We planned to go to a water park a few weeks ago.  We thought since Cole didn’t get to swim or do any waterpark stuff in FL like we’d hoped (due to his surgery) we’d do this before school starts.  So the plan was to go tomorrow….on a Friday.  Just for the afternoon so it wouldn’t overwhelm Chelsi.  Well, then they put rain in the forecast and the temps were only going to be 70’s.  Too cold for me….Chase too.  :)  We decided we’d go today instead because the rain wasn’t supposed to start until tonight.  Well, they were wrong!  Imagine that.  It ended up raining after we got there.  So we opted to pay a little more and go to the indoor park instead.  It was a lot smaller, but at least the kids still got to do what they were initially planning….waterslides!  It was their first time at a waterpark, so it was probably just as well.  They really didn’t know what they were missing.  They had a great time and were not ready to leave, but Chelsi was.  Poor baby was exhausted.  She slept on the way there and the way back. 

She’s so funny.  On the way there I told her it was nap time.  She, so politely, closed her eyes and promptly went to sleep.  On the way back, after dinner, she just kept blinking her eyes.  You know the “if only I had toothpicks  to hold them open” blink?  And then she was out!

 They were ALL ready for bed tonight!  So am I. 

[slideshow id=2594073385374199778&w=426&h=320]

More good news..

Brian went to see his surgeon this week.  It’s been 7 months since the accident and he said the film looked great.  He said it looks like the graft is taking really well.  He has to go back in 6 months to see him and in 1 year to see the physiologist.  He seems to think that in another year he won’t be able to tell he had an accident.  That’s truly amazing!  I mean right now his fine motor skills are still behind and his strength is just over half way to full power….80 lbs in each hand.  We were told normal male is 125 lbs.  Since he’s construction, she said he was probably more originally.

Even if he’s never perfect it’s all so amazing how well he’s done.  I’m in awe at what God, prayers, luck and hard work can do.

Lisa

They know better, but they do it anyways

She’s learned from tv, it’s not okay to bounce/jump on the bed.  She can even tell you why, but little girls will be little girls.

Weiny Roast??

We worked most of the day on the landscaping, so the kids deserved a little something for being so patient lately.  We decided that supper would consist of a weiny and marshmellow roast then they could swim some more.  They LOVED it and had a great time roasting their dinner. 









That marshmellow was yummy!

Float Trip 2008

The kids had to check out the minnows and crawdads in the river after we stopped to eat on our float trip.

Have you counted your blessings today?

I was just reflecting on the past six months this week.  The 14th marked 6 months since Brian’s accident and I was thinking about how much we’ve been through in these past 6 months and how friends, family and even strangers have crossed our paths and made a difference in our lives.  I know so many days I, personally, would not have gotten through without some of these people. 

Some of our friends and family and yes, even strangers, gave us some spare cash and gas cards to help us through as we paid for medical deductibles and expenses to see each other during Brian’s hospital stay.  It’s pretty hard on the kids to be 45 minutes from their father on a daily basis for 6 weeks by no choice of anyone of us.  I will never forget the night M brought the kids up so I could visit with them and then she could, in turn, visit Brian.  She suddenly came back down the elevator and said Brian needed me NOW!  That was the story of the nurse from hell…..if you remember from our caringbridge site at the time.  I had to run upstairs suddenly and it left Chelsi screaming for me in the lobb of the hospital.  She hadn’t seen me in a couple of days, just phone calls to say goodnight.  I was crying on the walk to the elevators.  It was about 9:00 pm and some young girl sitting in the lobby grabbed me as I was getting on the elevator and said “I thought you could use a hug”.  Such a simple gesture that still brings tears to my eyes today.  Such a nice thing for a stranger to do.  She recognized the pain my family was in.  I have a friend who I called while staying at the hospital one morning.  I told her I just needed someone there with me and she dropped everything to come.  All of this means the world.

We also had friends who drove me to see him once I returned home.  It may not seem like much, but I was so exhausted with parenting, working full-time and worry that I don’t think I could have safely made it on my own.  My mom or sister road with me and the kids on the weekends so I could have help with the kids….since again I was worn thin.  Some people brought over food.  Such a blessing I’ll tell ya!  Some friends even bought Brian clothes to wear for rehab, so he could really workou comfortably.  Brian’s work….they were nothing short of awesome from the administration to his co-workers.  He’s been there for so many years, but that doesn’t guarantee treatment like this in bad times.  They made sure his insurance stayed in place, co-workers donated their leave time to get us a paycheck and they let us use his work cell phone (I only have Tracfone) to enable Brian and I to talk to each other every night once I returned home.  The ability to communicate with my husband during this was a gift!

On top of this, we had so many prayers.  We had prayers from so many across the United States.  We had heard about him being on prayers lines everywhere.  Even the rehab facility wondered if it wasn’t those prayers that allowed him to recooperate the way he did.  People we didn’t even know took time out of their day to think of us and pray for our family.

I think it’s his accident that made Cole’s appendectomy and Chelsi’s seizure, just four months later, both stressful and easier for me to get through.  I was terrified through Chelsi’s seizure, ambulance ride etc., but most of that fear may have been because we were so far from home. 

It’s so true that you don’t know who your friends are until you really need them and they’re either there or they’re not.  They’re there to take care of you and your kids when your husband can’t, give you rides when you just can’t do it, nurish you and your children and just be there.  We had no idea how rich we were in friends. 

Do what you can for your friends when they need you.  They will never forget the little things.  During those times, it’s the little things that really count.  We have a lot of blessings to count in our lives.  Six months of stress and six months of blessings.

Count yours.

Lisa

Parent Share

Just wanted to share this. I read it yesterday and it describes a lot of the ways we raise our kids in our home. Thought someone here might appreciate it too. It made me feel a little better.....not such a meany mom.

http://men.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=7881416

Lisa

Sleeping Beauty or Repunzel??

Happy 4th of July!!

We didn’t do too much.  Since we’d painted the night before I wanted Brian to get some rest in.  So Kae and I went to town (yes we made an extra trip, that I rarely do with gas as high).  We had to buy the lights for the addition.  We figured this way we can pick inexpensive outdoor lights and not end up paying $30 for a floodlight the electrician might put out.  We got everything we set out to get except the outdoor fireplace. 

 About 7:30 we all headed to town again to watch the fireworks.  We walked around a bit first and listened to the various bands playing.  Stopped to look at the little goat zoo and the Liger.  Then on to find a spot to watch fireworks.  The garage worked great!  We could see almost everyone of them.  A couple of lower ones were blocked by a building, but that was all.  There was plenty of room up there, so we got a funnel cake and sat on a blanket and ate and drank the juices I brought waiting for the show to begin.  The older three liked them a lot.  We haven’t gone to town to watch for years.  Chelsi was scared.  She liked the colors, but the whole way home she kept saying “they say boom, boom, boom” and she’d yell it real loud.  :)  She loved watching the ones individuals were shooting off as we were driving home because there were no booms.





Can you tell what all of the items are in this photo?  It didn’t turn out, but it was sort of interesting.

Laundry Day

Look what we found under the laundry.

No, just kidding.  Chelsi fell asleep on the chair in our room while we were cleaning house.  That chair is where I dump the clothes out of the dryer so I can fold.  I thought I’d wake her since it wasn’t naptime yet anyways, but no, no she stayed asleep laundray and all.

Jobs done and babies resting

Games are done now, so that’s a load off and will give Brian some rest he very badly needs.  I offer to go for him so he can stay with the littles, but he wants to be the one to see his sons play, so he only let me go to one.  It’s hard to deny him that.

I was a little stressed about more work on the house tonight.  It wasn’t a big job, but nothing ever seems big until you get into it.  So, grandma watched the kids so mom and dad could paint the kitchen in peace.  We finished tearing off the wallpaper this week and sprayed the lower wall with knockdown last night.  Then the few pieces of wallpaper left are not visible at all.  It really does look good.  Can’t wait to get the trim back up.  Then we ate a bite and went to pick the kids up.  We were completely done within a couple of hours, so not near as bad as I was really expecting.  I’ll be thrilled when the house is done, inside and out and we can just live without thinking what needs to be done next or what’s in the way or are they going to go over the bid.

The boys are in bed and the girls are watching a movie.  We hung a little curtain on the loft so they’d have a little hideout in Chelsi’s bed.  They thought it was pretty neat.

Picture from tonight.

Time for a Change

We have gone from Then Came Two Boys and Two Girls to Life in the Parent Lane. 

I feel like the previous title was more for when we were in family transition....adding kids and such, but now we're in a 'we're done' phase and onto parenting.  No concentrations on adoptions and babies, just normal parental life or what we hope will be.  You'd think we'd know after 11 years, but it's an ever changing job.

What one kid doesn't have happen, decide to try or the likes thereof, one of the other three will.  If it hasn't happened yet, I'm fairly certain most things (normal childhood anyways) will.

So, since, I'd been veering this way for awhile, I thought it would be good to change the title to fit.

Lisa

The Three Bears song by Kaelin and Chelsi

Kaelin and Chelsi singing the "Three Bears" song in Korean

This is kind of a Korean nursery rhyme that someone was nice enough to post on youtube with the words (Korean) spelled out so that I could learn it and teach the girls. Chelsi now starts singing it all the time.....mostly in the shower. LOL!

Lisa

My lesson for the day

We get to take classes every so often at work, so today I took one on attitudes.  It doesn't just focus on the workplace, but home too. 

I realized today that I didn't handle the stuff that happened this year as badly as I first thought.  I'm sure some close to me might judge on the days that were bad when I was in a bad mood with everything going on at once, but if any one of those people put themselves in my place for just a second, I don't think they'd be so judgemental.  I know there are people who have been or are going throughg more harsh times than what we've been through this year.  I remember that when something happens and remember how blessed I am that it's not worse.  Regardless of what others close to me think, on my bad days, I'm allowed a bad day here and there.  I'm allowed to be a little grouchy the day after my youngest baby has a seizure and scares the crap out of me.  I'm allowed a little slack.  Give it to me!

All in all, I was scared through all of it; Brian's accident, Cole's appendectomy (a little) and Chelsi's seizure, I handled it well.  I tried my best to keep the positive thoughts coming through as the scary ones kept creeping into my conscious.  I reminded myself daily how lucky I was.  When Brian was paralyzed, I reminded myself he was still here.  When he could walk and not move his hands, I reminded myself he could walk and most can't.  I'm not perfect, I know that.  However, the person probably hardest on me, is me.  I don't allow myself any give.  So, when others make comments to make me feel weak through this, it makes it that much harder on me.  I come down even harder on myself.  Shame on me for not believing in myself and my strength. 

I'm glad we had this class today.  I needed to see this in myself.  I need to be able to relax and not think I'm always wrong in the way I handle life. 

So, if you're reading this and a friend or family member of yours is or has gone through some rough times and they were a little on edge (sometimes to say the least), don't judge them until you've realistically put yourself in their place.  Give them some space and some room to feel the way they feel.  We all deserve that.  It might be your turn some time down the road....how will you handle it?

 Lisa

More pictures from Florida

Since I had left the batter to my camera at the condo the day we went to Sea World I was dependent o mom and M for some of our pictures.  Here are some of the ones from M.

The girls while mom, dad, Chase and Cole road Journey to Atlantis.

This kids getting to pet the dolphins in Dolphin Cove.