expecting...

Moms Heart Conference!

2011-12-05T07:13:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder about the Moms Heart Conference coming up in January. I am so
Looking forward to some time away with friends, to hear from a woman who has gone before me in loving God well, and her husband and children, too. This will be my 3rd year to attend this conference. I'm really excited about the topic this year!

THE HEARTSHAPING MOM - How to Open, Fill, and Hold Your Child’s Heart
Sally Clarkson (CO/CA/TX)
Your greatest desire as a mother is to win the heart of your child.Sally Clarkson (ITakeJoy.com) shares your passion and can help. By God’s design, your child’s heart is already turned to you, just as you are already designed by God to be a heartshaper. Sally will share her secrets, learned over 27 years of motherhood with four children, how to open and fill your child’s heart with grace and truth, and to hold it with love. This is life-learned, heartfelt biblical insight that will change you, and your children. Join Sally and her special guests Deb Weakly (Mom Heart Leader Team, CO/CA/TX),Courtney Joseph (WomenLivingWell.org, TX), Angela Perritt(GoodMorningGirls.org, CA/TX), and Ruth Schwenk (TheBetterMom.com, CO). It will be a weekend of fellowship, inspiration, and worship you won’t want to miss. We hope you can join us!
Deb Weakly (CO/CA/TX) Mom Heart Leader Team
Courtney Joseph (TX) WomenLivingWell.org
Angela Perritt (CA,TX) GoodMorningGirls.org
Ruth Schwenk (CO) TheBetterMom.com
Conference States & Dates:
COLORADO: January 20-21, Denver/Littleton, CO (Denver Marriott at Park Meadows, $79.00/night room rate)
Click here: For MORE INFO | Click here: To REGISTER NOW for CO
CALIFORNIA: February 3-4, Irvine/OC, CA (Irvine Marriott, $99.00/night room rate, includes up to two full buffet breakfasts)
Click here: For MORE INFO | Click here: To REGISTER NOW for CA
TEXAS: February 17-18, Irving/DFW, TX (Dallas Marriott Las Colinas, $84.00/night room rate, includes up to two full buffet breakfasts)
Click here: For MORE INFO | Click here: To REGISTER NOW for TX

Conference Registration Cost:
Early: $89.00 | Regular: $99.00
Conference Schedule: Check-in for each of the events begins at 1:00PM on Friday. Afternoon workshops begin at 3:00PM and 4:00PM that afternoon. Guests are on their own for dinner. The first main conference session is 7:00-10:00PM that night. The second session is 8:45-11:45AM Saturday morning, followed by a lovely banquet luncheon. The final conference session is 2:00-4:30PM that afternoon. Sally will be the main speaker for all main sessions; other noted guest speakers will be announced soon.
PossibiliTea (Separate Event): We also plan to offer a Friday morning PossibiliTea at each of the conferences from 9:30AM-Noon. This special time with Sally will focus on personal insights about motherhood, Mom Heart Ministry, and how to be more involved. However, space will be very limited and attendance will require a separate $25.00 registration fee.

Something Big is Coming and a $56,000 Homeschool Sweepstakes! | Home Educating Association

2011-09-28T07:06:00.000-07:00

Something Big is Coming and a $56,000 Homeschool Sweepstakes! | Home Educating Association

All About Spelling, Again!

2011-08-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

Just another quick note about AAS. We are still loving it! I've been tutoring 4 kids this summer (in addition to my own, of course) and I'm more convinced than ever that it is an awesome program. I'm going to be teaching it in a classroom setting this year at Options. My classes are full with 12-13 kids in each class. I can't wait. I love this program!

You may know that I became an affiliate. You can read more about the program, and I will get a small commission with any sales, if you order with this link:
http://allaboutlearningpress.net/go.php?id=147

I asked my kids the other day if they "liked it" or "loved it" because I wanted to tell a little friend about it. They all 4 shouted "Love it!"
Wow. Nothing like making school fun! The lesson plans are easy. It's great for kids with dyslexia. It is multi-sensory.honestly, I can't say enough good things about it!

This program is great whether you homeschool, or not. If your kids are still learning to read, or if they are struggling in reading, writing, and or spelling, or if they are great students who you want to teach the rules of spelling in a dynamic way, All About Spelling is your answer. You can work on it as much, or as little as you need. And, everyone starts at level 1, whether they are 4 years old, or an adult! You can teach all of your kids at the same time, regardless of their age. I highly recommend it!

If you have any questions, please ask!

House Projects

2011-07-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

In the last few weeks we've been going crazy with house projects.

We got a free piano off of craigslist.

I painted our front door red.

And switched out the ugly gold-but-turning-green knobs and handles for new ones.

I painted my kitchen cabinets white! with help from friends.

I painted a chalkboard wall in our school room.

And dyed my couch slipcovers.

I made curtains out of painter's drop cloth.

Yes. I've been a busy little bee! And, there is...

More to come! Check back for photo updates. Anyone know how to add photos to blogger from your iPad? Frustrating!

Mothers Day

2011-05-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

May you each have:
A little blonde boy who says "I want to do this for you every morning, mommy" as he brings you a cup of coffee in bed. And he does!
A little blonde girl who showers you with kisses and caresses all through your mothers day luncheon and wants to be with you always.
A little brown haired girl who loves dresses more than life itself and loves to stroke your hand.
A little brown haired boy who tells you "you are sooooo pretty, mama" even on you ugliest days.

For these blessings, I am so utterly thankful.

A word from Jenn

2011-04-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

Dear friends and supporters of From HIV to Home,

With World AIDS Orphans Day (May 7) just around the corner, we'd like to introduce you to one of our amazing orphan care partners!

Lola Children's Home is an orphanage for HIV-affected children in Mekele, Ethiopia - and they have just celebrated their first anniversary!

In the past year, Lola has started three support programs: resident, day care and family sponsorship - serving the needs of dozens of children. With your help, Lola will grow to serve even more children and families in the region and will not only provide a safe and loving place for orphans and children affected by HIV, but will also be able to provide outreach and support to mothers and families.

To celebrate Lola's very first year, we are giving away this beautiful quilt (*) sewn by one of Lola’s supporters.

We are also giving away several additional items - two Starbucks Jonathan Adler limited edition (Red) travel mugs, a Starbucks (Red) gift card, and our very last "embrace" necklace! That means that for every entry, you have five chances to win!

To participate in the giveaway, simply visit our donation page at Network for Good to make a donation to our Lola fund. 100% of donations to this fund go directly to the work of Lola Children's Home. $5 is worth one entry (so $50 is ten entries!). Please be sure to note "Lola" in the designation box of your giving form and include your email address so we contact you if you are a winner.

Since Lola is a new organization, they depend hugely on word of mouth. If you share this info on your blog or website together with a link to our donor page, email me (jennifer@fromhivtohome.org) with the web address for your post, and we will give you a free raffle entry!

Drawing will be held on May 7 - World AIDS Orphans Day. To learn more about Lola Children's Home, please visit their website at www.lolachildrensfund.org

Blessings,
Jennifer Isaac, From HIV to Home

* about the quilt - Kari Nichols is a nationally known quilt designer for Mountainpeek Creations. Her patterns can be seen in stores across the country as well as in magazines and catalogs familiar to quilters. Peeks and Valleys was designed for a fabric company and has been seen at the International Quilt Market. The wonderful fabrics show off the "peeks" very nicely. Exquisite quilting by Pam Cosgrove enhances the pattern. Kari says that she "believes that each quilt has a forever home somewhere, as quilts are chosen with the heart and made with the hands. I'm sure this quilt will find it's home while helping to create a home for a wonderful child in Ethiopia. Not everyone can adopt a child, but I can do my part to help the people that can. My blessings to all who care so much for these children." Thank you Kari!!

All About Spelling

2011-03-06T06:53:00.000-08:00

I just started All About Spelling with my kids a few weeks ago and we are loving it! All 4 of my kids (ages 4-8) are doing great with it...even teenagers or adults can use it.
It's different than any other spelling program out there! I really feel like they are getting a clear understanding of all of the phonomes, and that it is reinforcing their reading skills.
My favorite things about it:

-- The program is multisensory, approaching spelling through sight,
sound, and touch
-- The lesson plans are easy to use and leave nothing out
-- the kids work toasted mastery from the beginning, andd are so motivated! They love it!

I like this spelling program so much that I signed up to become
an affiliate! Aren't you surprised? ;) You can check it out here:
www.allaboutspelling.com/AngelaDormish

Love love love,

Angela

2011-02-15T10:30:00.000-08:00

Just had to share this blog post with you all today. I know I needed to hear it! Yesterday was a hard homeschooling day...a day when I doubted if what I was doing was the RIGHT THING for our family...
Today, however brought new joys. Children who sat and worked hard. A mom at peace. A new garage door being installed by a guy who has 10 siblings, some of which are adopted, and all of whom were home schooled.
Sweet blessings from the Lord of affirmation to this once stressed and weary mind.
What joy a new day can bring...

Angela

A Corner Turned.

2011-02-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

Addie came to me the other day and said this:
"When I came home, I didn't let you hold me."
Me: I know. Why?
Her: Cause. I was scared. But, now I not scared. Now, I let you hold me.

And, it is true. In the past month or so there has been a sweetness that hadn't been.
She has stroked my hair as I have read Mr. Popper's Penguins. She has laid her head in my lap and stroked my leg. She has kissed me. And, told me she loves me.

Some of these things she had done before, but not on her own. It was always after a brother or her sister had done it first, and she was parroting them...as if she needed to learn how to give love. That is it, I think. She didn't know. With Tony, she knew. She had a deep bond with him before she ever came home, but with another adult, she didn't.

And, now she does.

A friend of mine says "It seems like we turn a corner, and then, we turn another, until finally I realize we have gone not in a square, but in a circle, where we are right back where have started." And so it goes with adoption. It is a work. A work in progress. We take 2 steps forward, and a step back. (She cut up one of the cork tiles I had hanging above my desk in the school room later! Cutting is a behavior she does to test if the love is still there)

And, so it goes...but today, I rejoice in the amazing insight and articulation of our 5 year old of what was...and what is...

One Thousand Gifts

2011-01-17T09:13:00.000-08:00

Oh my. Spending most of my computer time over at Ann Voskamp's blog A Holy Experience.
You should go over there. And, read. Be encouraged. Join me in the challenge of reading Colossians in a year with her. Join the FB group.
Read her new book One Thousand Gifts. Join the book club. Read all about it all on her blog.

Being renewed this weekend. Can't wait for next weekend, when I get to go on a retreat with a sweet friend that I haven't seen in way too long.

May His Peace be yours today!

No Bettah Buttah

2010-12-31T14:49:00.000-08:00

Do any of you remember the No Bettah Buttah skit on Mad TV in the 90's? Well, we have been using the above spread for a long time w/ Mae. I just bought her some more the other day. It is the closest thing to the real thing we have found. It's been great! Or, so we thought.

The last 2 nights Maegan has had Rice Cakes w/ this spread during dinner, and the last 2 nights she has come to me in the middle of the night telling me that her throat and tongue itched and that she had been scratching her tongue w/ her blankie! This morning we realized that this spread has 'natural flavorings' which are derived from CORN!!! AHHHH!!! Seriously? Does NO ONE make a spread that is free of dairy, soy, corn, etc? I mean, is it that too much to ask? ;)

I had heard that some people who are allergic to dairy can tolerate Ghee (clarified butter) so we tried making our own today. The protein, Casein, is what dairy allergic people react to, and it is contained in the fat that rises to the top. You simply melt it, wait for the solids to come to the top and then strain it over a glass jar w/ cheese cloth. We tried. It turned out great, but...you guessed it, she reacted to it right away. Her little face broke out in red splotches and her throat got all itchy.

I guess there truly is NO BETTAH BUTTAH! :(

What is more, is that Ry has been breaking out the last couple of days with a rash on his face, after eating Greek yogurt (which he LOVES) Seems like we may be heading into some new teritory w/ him, too. In the past he's only reacted to artificial preservatives. OH (little) BROTHER!

Keep my little ones in your prayers, and if you hear of (or invent!) a buttery spread w/ no corn, gluten, dairy, or soy, let me know! :)

*AH! I just realized the skit was called MO BETTAH BUTTAH. Not NO bettah buttah. How funny. I'm a dork! and by no means do I recommend Mad TV, just sayin'. ;)

Another reaction...

2010-12-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hives. From a squirt of Hershey's syrup. They got worse. And they stayed through the next day. She reacted to the corn (high fructose corn syrup)

We decided to make our own, corn-free version. I need to get a ketchup style squirt bottle for it. Hopefully, she will reach for a squirt of this next time. ;)

Recipe for corn-free Chocolate Syrup:
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar (we use organic cane sugar)
1 1/2 cups water
Boil, and let cool.
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and refrigerate.

Not quite the same as Hershey's, but still yummy. Especially since it comes w/o hives. It's really nice over a sliced banana for an easy, allergy-free dessert.

Laundry Room Makeover Part 2

2010-12-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

I painted the cabinets! Sea foam. The color doesn't show up very well in these pictures, but it is a fun, vintage, thrift store sort of green.

I lightly sanded them, cleaned them, and then painted them with one coat of paint. I waited for it to dry, lightly sanded again (especially around the edges for that 'distressed' look, and painted them again. For the second coat I watered down the paint 1:1 for a lighter glaze. Once it was dry, I lightly sanded again.
Now all I need to do is cover it w/ a protective coating.

I added some baskets to the top of the cabinet to hold board games.
Still much to do in there. I still have plans to paint the walls a creamy color (that lavender blue dilly dilly has to go!) and add a shelf and some other touches here and there.

All that to come!

Rockin' Momma

2010-12-29T07:40:00.000-08:00

A sweet blogger friend and fellow From HIV to Home staff member, Lisa, has recently posted a challenge. The idea is to rock your child for 15 minutes a day for 28 days. You can read all about it on her post, The Rockin' Mama Challenge.
Parenting kids from hard places is sometimes hard. 3 of our 4 kids have medical conditions and/or have been adopted into a new family and culture. They have wounds that I alone can not heal.

My youngest two are healing from their past, while my oldest deals with a present reality of living in a body that causes her daily pain, suffering, and isolation on different levels. My second little one has the softest of hearts. A true snuggler. A recently broken thumb sucker. A corners twiddler.

To really be able to take on this challenge is going to mean that I spend 15 minutes each day, rocking each of my 4 children. It is going to be hard. That is one hour out of my day. Every day. I need a plan. It most certainly will not be done all in one chunk, of that I am sure.

This challenge comes to me, as many do, at the perfect time. Just last night I sensed thee Lord encouraging me to spend more individual time with each child. "But...how is that possible, Lord? There are 4 of them." His answer came this morning. 15 minutes. Each day. So little to ask, when raising these little ones is the greatest responsibility He has given me.

So, I ask you. Will you accept the challenge as well? Or, will you pray for me? For us? For times of comfort and joy as we rock these, our most precious gifts?

We sing this prayer together, every morn. It is my prayer for you, and your families as well. May it ring true for each of us as we end a year and begin a new.

May the peace of the Lord God go with you, wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing, at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing, once again into our doors.

Laundry Room Makeover Part 1

2010-12-27T15:33:00.000-08:00

I've been surfing a ton of design blogs lately, and having so much fun. I could literally spend days on end drooling over the DIY projects I have seen. It seems that there are many of us Thrift Store Junkies who see the beauty in the past and want to give it a fresh turn. My favorite one of yet is Centsational Girl. I love her thrift and her style (and her gorgeous home in the vineyards of Cali, too)

My laundry room, on the otherhand, I have been able to see NO beauty in. For years it has haunted me as the last unfinished room in our home and it makes me cringe each time I enter. It is full of crammed in necessaties like a w/d (imagine that! in a laundry room!) and an old furnace. and a radon tube thingy. and various other hoses and such of which I do not know.

I wish I had a true 'before' picture to show you, but I began the process of decluttering our cabinets yesterday right before dinner. (This habit of mine of starting a project right before we are needing to go somewhere or do something drives my hubs nuts. I'm not sure why I do it, but inspiration always seems to find me when I have a 20 minute deadline! Sorry, Honey!)But, in the end, the cabinets were in deed decluttered while Marrty heated up Christmas leftovers from his momma (Thanks Shirley! And, Marrty!)
So. Here is a semi-before picture:

Tune in tomorrow for more make-over fun!

Avocados

2010-12-17T18:11:00.000-08:00

Avocados. They are one of Maegan's staples. Or, they were. Now they are on the "NO" list. The other night I handed Mae half of one, still in its skin but sliced and diced inside. She ate 2 little cubes and said she thought she should stop eating it b/c her lip felt funny. It stung, she said. And, it hurt. I asked her to take her hand away from her mouth and I looked at it. Her top lip was swelled up, and it had a white ring around it.
So...No avocados.
Epi-pen is on alert.

365 Things...

2010-12-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

Book of the Week

365 things to draw and paint

Brand New for January 2011!
365 Things to Draw and Paint
by Fiona Watt
Ages 6 yrs +
128pp
$24.99

365 Things to Draw and Paint is available on my Usborne Website today Wednesday Dec. 15th!

* An inspiring book with something to draw or paint for every day of the year.
* All brand new activities include fingerprint monkeys, a chalky fish picture, collage robots and jungle silhouettes.
* Each activity is clearly explained with step-by-step instructions.
* Includes additional tips and ideas to make each activity a work of art.

I can't wait to see what my little artist does with this! Shhhh... It'll be a surprise! :)

Christmas Crazy

2010-12-07T08:45:00.000-08:00

Just dropping in for a minute during a crazy busy fun filled week!

We went to a Christmas Literary Tea yesterday...well, we TRIED to go, at least. They had dogs, so we couldn't stay. At Thanksgiving we were at my bro in law's house...the one who we gave our precious Anna Dog to. Maegan had an asthma attack, and broke out all over her hands and face. Poor baby girl! So, from now on...no visiting houses with pets. So so so sad for all of us. I ended up leaving the boys there to play w/ the one lone boy in the basement and taking the girls to Starbucks for our own special tea time and book discussion (we are reading the Little House series) I think I may volunteer to host the next one. There were about 15 little girls there. Adorable!

Tomorrow-swim lessons
Thursday-school Christmas Party (swimming again!)
Friday-another school Christmas Party (and more swimming!)
Saturday-the kids get to go on a trip to the NORTH POLE via United Airlines! More on that later, I'm sure!
Sunday-we scored free tickets to Disney on Ice!
Oh. My. Goodness. Could our week be more crazy busy and insanely fun? We shall see how it all goes.

In the meantime, I'm still coughing up green and yellow goo... Prayers for wellness much appreciated!

xoxo,
angela

Home Work

2010-12-04T19:31:00.000-08:00

I've NEVER liked our stairway banister. The spindles are too far apart to meet code, and...well, i'm not really a spindle kind of girl anyway. When we got our crib for maegan i didn't want the kind w/ the frilly spindles. i wanted the one w/ FLAT spindles, but i couldn't find one (until one day when a friend told me her mom had rescued said crib from the TRASH and it was in her garage for the taking. yay!) I digress...
stairway...so. I've tried different things just for safety: clear plastic (it ripped and always had finger prints all over it), netting (it ripped, and i HATE the look of it)
Well. NOW i have decided that I'm done w/ those spindles and temporary fixes and I'm going to just board.it.up. YES. you heard me right. I'm going to buy some 2x4's, paint them white and HAMMER those puppies to my stairway banister.

Here is my inspiration.
http://theletteredcottage.net/our-dining-room-wonder-wall

Now, I just have to get over my sinus infection, and bronchitis, so I can get to work.

What do you think?

World AIDS Day: Five Things You Can Do

2010-11-30T08:41:00.000-08:00

Many of you know that 2 of our children have HIV. Some of you may not have known before now. They are doing great on medication, and their virus is 'undetectable'. I love to advocate for orphans with special needs, and especially those living with HIV. (You may have picked up on that? Did you read this interview?) Anyway, I am thrilled to announce to you that I am now officially on staff with From HIV to Home.

I have been a part of my friend Jennifer's organization From HIV to Home since its beginning. I even had the privilege of brainstorming with her the night before she launched. She asked me to be a part of the Board of Directors, which I joyously accepted, and later to be on staff. Unfortunately, with us starting our nonprofit, Sharing Their Story around the same time, the timing just wasn't right. Until a few weeks ago. It is such an honor and a privilege to serve along side of Jennifer, Brianna, Lisa and Abbey to champion this cause...these little people.

In honor of World AIDS Day, I wanted to share with you Lisa's beautiful words.

World AIDS Day: Five Things You Can Do

By OneThankfulMom Monday November 29, 2010

December 1st is World AIDS Day. Does it matter to us? Should it matter? Many of us have lived unaffected by HIV/AIDS, but in Ethiopia, my children’s birthplace, there may not be a single person who can say that. Every day children are orphaned by this incurable but treatable disease; they are left to raise their siblings, left on the street, left to a neighbor’s kindness,or left at the gate of an orphanage. They cry, they starve, they suffer, and many of them do not yet know that they too are infected with this virus.

What can you do?
1. Read

If you only have time to read one book, I recommend There Is No Me Without You: One Woman’s Odyssey to Rescue Her Country’s Children. Written by an adoptive mother, the book tells the story of one Ethiopian woman who responded to the AIDS orphan crisis with practical compassion. It is a compelling and interesting read.

If you have time for two books, get 28: Stories of AIDS in Africa World AIDS Day: Five Things You Can Do by Stephanie Nolen. My exposure to AIDS in Africa had been limited primarily to Ethiopia, but this book features a short story about 28 different people across the continent and how AIDS has affected them. 28: Stories of AIDS in Africa will give you a quick education about HIV/AIDS in a captivating style.
2. Learn

Visit the From HIV to Home website, to find great information including our free webinar and audioconference. You can also read Family Stories about families who have adopted children living with HIV.

If you have 30 seconds, go to my HIV Fact page and get the facts.

Take three minutes to watch Truth Pandemic by Project Hopeful; make sure your knowledge about HIV/AIDS isn’t stuck in the eighties.
3. Shop

Shop with a purpose. Christmas will be here soon and this year you can purchase gifts that will benefit children with HIV/AIDS.

At From HIV to Home we have some great new earrings available for a donation of $30.

4. Care

If it all seems remote to you, take a few moments to watch my family’s video of our Ethiopian adoption. I know I don’t write about HIV/AIDS much, but our lives have been forever changed by this virus. I am so thankful to God that we learned there was nothing to fear about HIV, and I feel honored that God trusted us to adopt our children who are HIV+.

5. Adopt

Consider adopting an HIV+ child. It isn’t as hard as you think! The last four years have seen an explosion in the number of families adopting HIV+ children. When we began the process, a handful of HIV+ children had been adopted from our daughters’ orphanage. Now, the children are finding families very quickly. For more information on HIV+ adoption, contact Adoption Advocates International or one of the other agencies placing HIV+ children.

Don’t wait until December 1st to wear a red ribbon. Do something today and when World AIDS Day arrives, you will be ready to tell somebody else what it is all about. Please feel free to share this post and spread the word about World AIDS Day. My family thanks you for caring.

And, Angela speaking again, my family thanks you, too. From the bottom of all of our hearts.

Please feel free to leave comments, ask questions, and direct others to me if they are considering HIV adoption. I love to talk about it. I love to fan the awareness flame. To help destroy stigma. To make hope. Will you join me?

An Important Interruption

2010-11-23T09:49:00.000-08:00

You remember my friend Jody. Water. Big heart. Loads of fun. Great friend. Well, she is at it again, and we are along for the ride.

Will you join us?

Mr. K

2010-11-23T08:26:00.000-08:00

You may remember my old love interests, Mr. Crockpot and Mr. Laminator. And, I know you read about my newest love, Mr. Blendtec. How have I not blogged about Mr. K? He is, perhaps, my favorite kitchen love. He greets me every morning with warmth.

Meet Mr. Keurig.

I did a job for someone who INSISTED on paying me (and threatened to hire someone else next time for more $ if I didn't take it) and...well, I used the cash for this guy.

Oh. How. I. LOVE. THEE! He's quick. He's simple. He brews the BEST coffee. He's clean. He's easy. Ha! That sounds funny, but you know what I mean! No messy filters. No waiting for the brew. No pot to clean. You just pop in one of these K-cups (that I can buy at Costco in bulk):

push the button and out comes steamy, yummy, organic, fair trade coffee.

Yes. Mr. K. I love you.

And, the best part? He is so easy to use that Marrty (who isn't a coffee drinker) often brings me a cup of coffee in bed now!!! woo hoo!!

Apple Basket

2010-11-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

Is there anything better than a crisp juicy apple? My kids love them. Ryan is insatiable these days. I think he's going through YET ANOTHER growth spurt. Anyway, apples are always at the ready in this sweet thrifted apple basket. It sits beneath my makeshift kitchen island (also thrifted)

Pumpkin Candles

2010-11-21T08:16:00.000-08:00

I found these adorable pumpkin candle holders at the thrift store...

I couldn't resist.

Since putting them on our table last month, we've lit them each night at dinner. I love the soft glow they cast and the atmosphere they create. It seems everyone remembers to use their 'inside voice' when they are aglow.

I'll be looking at the thrift store for candle holders every season now... I'm dreading putting these away after Thanksgiving! I'll have to find some sweet Christmas ones to take their place.

A Natural...

2010-11-16T16:43:00.000-08:00

I just found out about this all natural candy store! I'm so excited to order some allergy free holiday treats for my little turkeys! :)

Maegan is going to be thrilled! They have candy that is free of all stuff that isn't natural...and they have candy that is free from the 8 major allergens, too! wow!

Natural Candy Store

Buy all natural candy online at the first 100% natural candy store! In stock and ready to ship same day. No artificial colors, dyes, flavors, preservatives, or sweeteners. All the Fun without the Funny Stuff! (tm)

P.S. If you order through the link above, I'll get credit. ;)

Black Friday...coming soon!

2010-11-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

I love Usborne Books. But, you knew that, didn't you?

Go here to shop now, and help out our nonprofit Sharing Their Story, at the same time!

My Birthday w/ a little help from Craig...

2010-11-15T06:57:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting the Blendtec Total Blender for more than a year and a half. I've been waiting, and wishing and hoping that for my birthday it would appear on my counter. The problem is...it is expensive. And, we don't have $. :) I buy everything I can from thrift stores (and I think it is COOL, I love it, PLEASE don't feel sorry for me...it is FUN for me. I would shop there EVEN if I had more $)
Unfortunately, the Blendtec never shows up at my neighborhood thrift store. ;)
And, I haven't been able to find one cheap enough on Craigslist. SO. I put my brain on and started selling things in our garage. I sold our stroller. I sold our portable crib. I sold our buggy board that hooked on the back of our stroller. I am selling our juicer (any takers?) and I earned enough cash, together with birthday $ from friends and fam to get it. As fate would have it, Blendtec was at my Costco the same week as my birthday!! Thank you, Jesus (not sure if you had anything to do w/ it, God, but if you did...thank you thank you thank you thank you!!)

I have a million reasons to justify this magnificent appliance...but I'll just say two words: Maegan's Diet.

1. The GF/DF diet is expensive. Finding treats and milks and butters that she can have aren't cheap. AND, they are often loaded w/ sugar, soy, or corn, which, for her, can add to more flares. And, often these things just don't taste very good. She will eat them, but to have the whole family eat them...well...its just mean.

2. Soups: I can make a hot soup in just a few minutes with this creature. AND, it is free of gluten and dairy. AND, it tastes good. The whole family can enjoy the same meal, and it only takes a few minutes to prepare. I made Potatoe and Pea soup Friday night. It was an amazing bright green, and it tasted delish. The kids even had seconds.

3. Gluten Free Dairy Free Sugar Free Ice Cream! Last night I made ice cream for Maegan (and yes, I had some, too! I couldn't resist!) I only used 3 ingredients (4 if you count the ice) and it took all of 5 minutes and that includes clean up!
It had started to melt by the time I got it out of Mae's hands to take a picture, but it was more firm than this when it first came out of the Blendtec. It seriously tastes like homemade ice cream. It is delish. And healthy! And, GF/DF/SF!

Here is my recipe:

1 cup Almond Milk
1 banana, peeled
1 squirt agave nectar, to taste
1 tray of ice cubes

Add ingredients to blendtec in the order listed. Hit the 'ice cream' button. Wait 45 seconds or so, (or use this time to run to go pee pee like i did!) and ENJOY!
It is that quick and easy. And...it really was the best banana ice cream i've ever had.

**TIP** If you decide you need a blendtec, I suggest getting it from Costco like I did. You will get a 7 year warranty, rather than a 3 year AND...with Costco's gaurentee you can always return it if ever it breaks for a full refund. Be sure and get the 4" blade carafe, in addition to the 3" one it comes with. It makes all the difference.

An Altar

2010-11-14T07:17:00.000-08:00

This week, at the suggestion of my friends Jennifer and Brianna, I thought I would show you around our house, a bit. Just a few little posts to share with you a peek into us. Things that make me smile, and give me joy.

Several years ago, as a student on a summer mission trip to Hungary, I was encouraged to build an altar to the Lord. No, not a literal altar with stones, but one that I could look back on, to remember what the Lord had done in my life that summer. The suggestion was given that we write out our prayers in a journal. When we saw God answer that prayer, we were to draw a rock in the cover of our journal, and write the thing we had prayed for, and the date. As the summer went on, the altar grew. I was amazed at how God was working in my life. How He heard my prayers. How He answered. So, as the Israelites had done before me, I was building my own altar to remember what the Lord had done.

Something Jennifer said to me a few weeks ago reminded me of that journal... and how I had planned to do something similar with my kiddos. I bought some river rocks at the $1 store, and this fun black pottery piece at the thrift store for $3. When we pray for someone, we write their name on the rock. When we see prayers answered we will remove them from the bowl and put them into a glass jar. We are excited to see our altar grow, as God answers the prayers of His children.

Do you have any fun ideas to make Jesus seem more tangible? Please share them in the comments below.

A Recommendation

2010-11-11T01:09:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is on its way! Treat your kids to a new book they will enjoy year after year! 100% of the proceeds from this book go to our nonprofit: Sharing Their Story!

more from the pumpkin patch...

2010-11-05T06:53:00.001-07:00

The Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-04T15:42:00.000-07:00

Another Lil Reader!!

2010-11-02T11:41:00.001-07:00

Last week, our 4 year old, Tony, read his FIRST WORDS!!! I was so proud of him as he sounded out all 6 words on his worksheet.

Today, we picked up Usborne's Very First Reader #1 and...you guessed it! He read it!
His first book! He was giggling and beaming with pride. I was giddy watching him beam. I've now had the privilege of watching each of our 4 kiddos read their very first words...what a blessing!! I love it!!

These books are awesome. There are little games in the back, and Internet links for each of the 15 books in the set. As a teacher, with a degree in Elementary Education, I think this is the very best reading program out there. You can go to VeryFirstReading to check it out for yourself! The set is normally 69.99, but I earned it for FREE when I hosted an eShow for a friend. That show was so successful that I became an Usborne Consultant!

Would you like to earn this set FREE too? Just send me a quick message and I'll get you started with your own eShow! I donate half of all my proceeds to the adoption, so... you earn free books, AND get to help bring home kids with books!
Shoot me an email at BringingHomeKidsWithBooks@gmail.com or leave me a comment.
I'd love to help you earn this amazing set!

If you would just like to order it, or other amazing books, you can shop anytime at my site. Proceeds benefit adoption!

Know Someone Adopting?

2010-10-31T08:51:00.000-07:00

I had kindof a brain storm the other day on how to fundraise for adoption w/o leaving my home, and long story short...I started selling Usborne books online.

For every show I have, I am donating 50% of the profits to adoption (the other 50% is to support my hubby in our nonprofit, Sharing Their Story)

Are YOU adopting? Do you know someone who is and want to bless them? Host an online eShow for them! It is EASY!

I will donate 50% of the proceeds to their adoption and you earn free books.

It is SO SO easy! I promise. All you do is send me your email and phone number, and your address and I will set up an eshow for you. Then, you get a special link to post on your facebook page or blog or email for your friends and family to shop at.

The books SHIP DIRECTLY TO THEM, so you don't have to worry about getting them anything, and you EARN FREE BOOKS (you could keep them, or you could donate them to the the Adoptive Family's library! This would be an awesome way to stock them up!! And, it won't cost you anything, unless you want to shop more and even then...there are half price benefits for hosting as well!)

Right now, since I am new, I am able to offer double free books, so you could get some books your own kids, neices, nephews, or your future adorable kids!

Let me know.
No pressure.
Just a fun idea of a way to SHOWER Adoptive Families w/ LOVE...BOOKS, and $ towards their adoption.

:)

If you want to participate, just msg me your phone number, email address, and physical address and i'll get it started right away.
xoxoxo,
ang

(50% of the proceeds will be donated directly to their adoption agency)

Vewy Vewy Intewesting...

2010-10-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

(just want to make clear here that I do believe that ADHD is a valid diagnosis for many, many kids. I also think that the trend is fascinating)

So...what do you think about the subject of education?

Jody...on the Kingdom

2010-10-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

"Until Jesus comes to set it right once and for all…the call is clear. Usher in that kingdom. Bring that heaven to earth. Live with the tension. Embrace it and fight it. Don’t give up."
-Jody Landers, my friend.
She just got back from a whirlwind trip to Haiti. This post (like all of hers) is worth reading. Go there, now. ;) Don't give up. Live with the tension. Embrace it and fight it... oh, how I love her.

Fundraiser for the Heldts!

2010-10-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

Friends,
Many of you already know that my sweet friend BRIANNA is adopting 2 girls who have Down's Syndrome! You can read all about their journey to adopt these girls on her post. They have 3 girls biologically, twin boys that they adopted, and now are bringing home 2 more girls. They are an amazing family. So sweet. The perfect fam for these precious girls. I can't wait to hug and snuggle these 2 newest babes. :)
YOU can be a part of bringing them home!! I'm now selling Usborne Books. They are amazing. Our amazing friend Jenn agreed to host an eShow for the Heldt's adoption fund. Since it is my first eShow, I am donating 100% of the proceeds to The Heldts adoption.
So...go HERE now to support the Heldts, and to help Jenn earn some free books in the process!!

If you haven't ordered The Best Family in the World yet, now would be the time! You can read my review of it in this post.

3M

2010-10-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

clockwise from bottom right: Brianna, Me, Jennifer, Tisha (just met her, love her), Cassie (just met and love her, too...visiting Jody from Iowa...come back on the next 3M) and Jody.

I love these women.
They inspire me.
And challenge me.
And, they are safe.
A safe place to be me.
To ask questions, without having to have answers.
To dream. To ponder. To weep. To give a bleep.
A place to love Jesus. Together.
And, so, every Third Monday, we gather. And, I leave refreshed.
Inspired. Challenged. And longing for the next
3M

A Wish...

2010-10-18T12:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Sweet Fairy Godmother,
Could I borrow your magic wand? Just for one day?
I promise not to break it, (although I can't guarantee that my kids won't)
I have laundry to do.
And closets to organize.
My craft room is a jungle.
And Costco is missing me terribly.
My fridge is empty.
I need to feed my family something tonight.

Because, Fairy Godmother, I have somewhere to go tonight...and although, I've already met my Prince Charming, Girls Night Out is NOT a thing to be missed!

Amen.
I mean, thank you.
In advance.

Did You Know?

2010-10-17T07:24:00.000-07:00

I sell Stampin'Up! Want some really high quality stamping and scrapbooking products CHEAP? Check out MY STAMPIN'UP WEBSITE and save up to 80% on our Clearance Rack! Ends Monday!!! Hurry!! Stock up on Stocking Stuffers now. :)

Paying For It...

2010-10-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

Just like having biological kids, not everything with adoption is roses.
Here is an email I wrote to a close friend, with a child who isn't always easy. She completely understands. I hope I don't get backlash for this...

So. Here it is. The fall out. I was gone on Th and Fri teaching, then Sat afternoon i picked up my race packet and scouted out the route... Sunday, the race. Yesterday, I took the kids to Marrty's moms so I could spend the day w/ Peter and Alana at the hospital where their baby Ellie was having brain surgery.
So...this morning I had a dentist appointment. I've been gone. A LOT the last few days. And, Addie is paying me back.
She's lying.
She's writing on the walls, the step stool, the bookshelf.
She's stealing mae's cookies from the cabinet.
She got caught by me, and was told not to do it.
She did it again. Gave them to her sibs. Told them mom said it was okay.
They ate the whole box.
I'm livid. LIVID I tell you.
How do you want to connect w/ someone who feel is out to sabotage you?
I just want to shake her. Call her a liar. A thief. (I didn't, but I wanted to!)
How can I have no sympathy right now for this orphan who has been through so much?

Whew. I feel better just typing it out.
Thanks for listening.

All kids don't do this.

So, that was the end of the email. Reading it now, it seems so petty that I would be angry by those seemingly little things. But, when they build, when they feel so personal,like a punishment for being gone... they hurt. I know in my head what is happening. It is a text book reaction. So many kids who have been adopted act out after their parents have been away. I get it. But, still, it stings.

This morning I read this, from Henri Nouwen's book In the Name of Jesus.

"...But how can we lay down our life for those with whom we are not even allowed to enter into a deep personal relationship? Laying down your life means making your own faith and doubt, hope and despair, joy and sadness, courage and fear available to others as ways of getting in touch with the Lord of life.
We are not healers, we are not the reconcilers, we are not the givers of life. We are sinful, broken, vulnerable people who need as much care as anyone we care for. The mystery of ministry is that we have been chosen to make our own limited and very conditional love the gateway for the unlimited and unconditional love of God."

And, so, today I share with you my own brokenness. And, I ask you to pray for me. And for those in my home that I am a daily minister to. That although I myself am broken and vulnerable, that I would be the gateway to the unconditional love of God.

Triathlon- The Proof

2010-10-12T14:39:00.001-07:00

The Triathlon

2010-10-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

i woke up nervous as could be. would i finish? could i get up that hill? am i stupid for even trying this?
we had to be there at 8:30 to set up the transition area. it was freezing cold, and we were hanging out in the drizzle in our swim suits. The grass was wet and our feet were ice cubes. We lined up according to our swim times and waited our turn to get into the outdoor pool. The race started at 10, I think.

The swim was good. I felt good about it, except I kept getting passed which meant I had to stop and wait for people to pass me. My time ended up being 8 minutes rather than the 6 minutes that I expected it to be. that was disappointing.
I got on my bike and got up the hill. Wendi and I were at the same pace. We started together...but then she got a burst of energy on the hill, and I was left behind. I wasn't upset with her... i was proud of her, and inwardly cheering her on! i was disappointed with myself for not being stronger. Bike after bike after bike passed me, including Alana, who started her swim much later than I, but I eventually made it up the hill. Probably because of the prayers of my family back at home around the table. Not 2 minutes after Alana passed me, I passed her. She got a flat tire! Should I stop? I'll never make it up the hill if I do! Should I give her my bike? Do they allow that? Would we both be disqualified? She needs this more than I do, with Ellie's surgery tomorrow.
What do I do? I was conflicted... but I kept going. Was this the selfish thing to do? I don't know. I'm so torn.
Once I got to the top of the hill and headed East on Hwy 52, my pubic bone felt like it was on fire. I was in so much pain... I shifted my weight, I stood up...anything to get relief from the pain. In spite of that, I was still feeling okay otherwise and I kept riding and riding and riding and riding and riding. Down 287, then turn back south on a slight upgrade. It's raining on me now. I can feel the drops off of my helmet and see the drips coming off of my visor. I love the rain. It smells so good coming off of the pavement. More riders pass and I push on. Will this ever end? Everyone is passing me. I'm sure I am the last rider by now. I see the police up ahead stopping traffic and I head back south towards the finish. Most of this is downhill, so I'm going fast, standing up for relief, and feeling that it is almost over. I can do this. I've got it. Even if I'm last, I'm going to finish before the cut off. And, then, I can't see. Another migraine hits me as I'm flying downhill. No pain, just my vision is going. I can only see about 50%...it helps if I look down at the road, rather than up into the blue grey sky. I'm almost done. I can do this. And...then...another hill. My legs almost refuse to pedal anymore. I wobble once, but push through. My migraine is getting stronger. The pain is starting to come. And, then it goes.
I turn right onto Arapahoe and the police and volunteers are cheering me on. I'm there. I've got it. Nearly 14 miles finished. I turn into the transition area and see my friends. They've already finished the race. They've already ran their 5k, and I haven't even began. I'm discouraged that I am so far behind them, and my migraine is hurting me. I put down my bike, and began to walk. My legs feel like rubber underneath me.
I hear Alana say that she is going to run with me... she didn't get to do the bike, so she's going to run again. She stayed with me, cheering me on the whole way. She sang songs like "I Believe the Children are the Future" I sand and laughed with her. She cheered me and said 'you can do it!' 'come on!' I wanted to walk so badly. My head...I was nauseous. I tasted the stomach acid come up in my mouth. She asked if I wanted to stop, to which I replied NO. She say I was stubborn and I agreed. We grabbed some gatoraid at an aide station, and I gulped it as we ran. I would slow to a walk and she would cheer me to run again... I ran. My calves froze up. They felt like huge ice packs strapped to my bone. It was cold outside, but I wasn't. My legs ached. My head hurt. That first mile was brutal.
During the 2nd mile my legs felt better, my eyesight improved and I was able to get a good pace. I was running. Feeling better. We ran through a neighborhood, and then onto Arapahoe. We were almost there. I heard my name being called by Alana's family. They were cheering me in. I hear the announcer say 'We have another finisher' and the crowd began to cheer. They said my name as I crossed the finish line:Angela Dormish, from Broomfield! They took my anklet off and put a medal around my neck.
And it was over. I had finished.
I felt a mixture of emotions. I was disappointed in myself, but I was relieved, too. I want to do it again. No, I don't ever want to do it again.
They handed out awards, which took a long time. I got a big basket of chips for having the most children, along w/ another guy w/ 5 kids. My final time was somewhere around 2 hours and 45 minutes. I got a water bottle and a sweatshirt for raising more than $500 for a grant through From Hiv to Home for some of our friends adopting 2 little boys with HIV.
I had finished. There were more that came behind me. I wasn't last.
But as I looked at the results last night online, I realized I was the last before the cutoff. Other racers finished, but their times weren't recorded. I was last. But I had finished. That was my goal.

You Should Know!

2010-10-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

Someone sweet someone on one of the adoption boards I am a part of just asked what a great adoption gift is... and I had to share with them my newest find. I immediately thought of you...my blog readers (is there anybody out there?) and thought you should know about it, too, because you are probably an adoptive mom...or... you know one...or you at least read the blog of one. :)
Without further ado, I introduce to you, my new favorite book...

Maybe it is the amazing illustrations, or the sweet nature of the book, or the fact the author is from Spain, I don't know. I LOVE THIS BOOK. No. It's not just anyone of those things, although they are all true. It is because this book normalizes adoption to me. It brings it down to the fact that there are little people out there with wishes and dreams for a family. This little girl is daydreaming of what her family will be like. Will they be pastry chefs?? Pirates? I don't want to give it all away, but really. You need to buy this book. Read it to your kids, and your grandkids or your neighbor's kids... or put it in your closet until someone you know adopts, or even thinks about adopting and then give it to them.

And, guess what?! If you buy it now, all of the proceeds will go to our non profit, Sharing Their Story.

Quick! Go! Get it HERE.

7 Quick Takes Friday, Vol. 1

2010-10-08T18:01:00.000-07:00

So. I've never done this before, but I think the idea is just to write about the first 7 things that come into your mind, so... since I'm pretty much a chatty cathy, i think i can. we'll see...

1. My new teaching job is going really well. I only teach 2 days a week, the classes are small, the kids are adorable, I get called things like "Ms. Spanish Teacher" and today I was told that my name is "pretty" "pig" "Ms. Angela" and "God" to which one little boy replied "GOD IS GETTING ANGRY!" with a really stern little face. It was really hard not to laugh at that. ;) Both the being called God, and the "God is getting angry" remark. Kinders are so so funny.

2. Right now I have: one kid in the bath tub, one kid outside the bath tub reading to the one in the tub (the one in the tub being the tutor to the one outside the tub)
one amazingly adorable little boy bouncing off the wall in the hall b/c he isn't allowed inside the bathroom b/c he was bouncing of the walls in there while the girls are trying to read. He's giggling non stop and saying things like "goo goo flah flah hee hee haaaaa haaaa woooza poooza lefta loosa (driving me nuts, but boy is he cute)

3. Someone just rang the door bell. A sales person, perhaps? At 7pm? On a Friday night? More on that to come, Marrty answered the door.

4. I had an Usborne Books party last night and I'm pretty much destined to sell these things, I think. I LOVE them. I knew that before the party, but afterward I was salivating. 2 of my BFF's have agreed to do an online eshow if I sign up, so...stay continued. ;) And, if you want to do an online eshow and earn some of the most amazing books on the planet for free, send me a message and I'll hook you up! Seriously, could there be any greater books? We love them...
That leads me into my next thought...

5. Usborne books are yet another reason we SO LOVE our homeschool curriculum. SONLIGHT.It is chalk full of great Usborne Books! Go click on that Sonlight link on my sidebar and you will get $5 off of your first order of $50 or more, and I'll get some referral points towards free books. We really love Sonlight. Really. No joke. We've done Cores: P3/4, P4/5, Core K, and are currently loving Core 1.

6. My kids go to bed really early. I don't know why I feel compelled to share this, just b/c they are going there now, I guess. Last night they were all tuckered out and tucked in before my guests arrived for the party... which started at 7. Granted, we put them down a tad early last night, but not much. We nearly always have them in bed by 7 or 7:30 and then one of us (usually Marrty) reads to them for half an hour or so with the lights out. He's read them The Chronicles of Narnia (all but the scariest one, can't remember which is which... The Last Battle, maybe?), The Black Stallion, The Hobbit, and I don't know what all. A LOT. He's read them tons of books over the last few years and I know that those will be precious memories my kids will treasure. I'm so so thankful for that time over great literature that he invests with them...

7. Addie and Tony have been home for 2 years!!!!! I don't know how I've seemed to miss not posting about it. I always think about it (well...both years I've thought about it) a few weeks before it happens, and then...the anniversary comes and goes w/o notice. I think it is in part b/c I am so used to them being a part of our family that I can't imagine that they weren't always with us. That I didn't always know the smiles and hugs that I receive from BOTH of them each day. (And...to keep it real, the minor annoyances, too) ;) I so love them. They are a whole bunch of funny, adorable, smart, giggly goodness. I'm so blessed.

Wow. That was 7? I have so much more to say!

wanna play along? head over to http://www.conversiondiary.com/ to link up! i wanna hear what you have to say! please post a comment to let me know if you do!

Another Adoption...

2010-10-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

My sweet Maegan turned 8 yesterday.
For her birthday, she wanted to adopt a baby girl from China...
...and so she did.

Introducing Lina Loraine, and proud mama Maegan:

She informed me that she didn't want to wear her in her new backpack quite yet because "a newly adopted baby needs lots of close momma love":

She promptly changed her into new clothes:

and gave her something good to eat:

I couldn't be more proud of my daughter...and the little mama she is.

Rocky Mountain Hike...and high, too.

2010-09-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

2010-09-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

A walk in the woods...

2010-09-26T10:51:00.000-07:00

That Reminds Me...

2010-09-21T12:28:00.001-07:00

When I was in college (or was it high school?), I had a cassette tape that I listened to all the time. It was Amy Grant's Songs From the Loft. I LOVED it and have often wished I still had it for my kids to listen to. I just ordered it off of Amazon.

The Seeds Family Worship reminded me of it. The songs online are great. You can listen online HERE.
I especially like the Ask, Seek, Knock song. And, I wish you could see Tony jamming and hammering his little fists to the Convinced song. So stinkin' cute!

my friend jenn

2010-09-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

she's awesome. you can find her HERE.
go there now and enter to win a Seeds of Purpose cd!
it must be good, if she likes it.
afterall, she introduced me to The Jesus Storybook Bible and it totally rocks.
and, she likes hot tamales in her popcorn, so you know she has great taste!
go there now and enter to win! :)
and...if you win, will you give it to me?
just kidding.
sortof.

:)

And, yes, Marrty, I still want more.

2010-09-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

call me crazy. But, it's true.

And another thing (or 2)

2010-09-18T21:29:00.000-07:00

We went to a certain fast food place tonight w/ friends after their daughters birthday party.

While we were there, one of the kids whispered in their mother's ear:
"Don't tell Daddy, but I accidentally flushed my underwear down the toilet."

A few miliseconds after the mom returned from cleaning the poo off of that child's bottom, legs, pants, and hands, 2 other children ran up to her screaming "(So & So) just threw up all down the slide!"

Is it bad that I find this hysterical? As we were driving home, I began laughing really hard. Wow. 2 moms. 2 dads. 6 kids. And, we most likely shut down the bathroom, and for sure shut down the play room. And, we weren't even phased.

Parenthood.

Good stuff.

My First 5k

2010-09-18T21:22:00.000-07:00

So, yes. I did it. I ran my very first ever 5k. And, I was probably last. I'm very slow. VERY. But, i don't care. I ran a 5k! And...I used to HATE running. Just a couple of months ago I could only run 1 minute before I had to walk and catch my breath. Now, I'm up to 40 minutes. So yes. I did it. My knee hurts. But its worth it. :)

Love em.

2010-09-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

My kids. Really. Could there be any cuter kids than mine? I know... I'm prejudice. But, honestly. They are the cutest.

It probably helps that I've had them in small doses today. :) I took the girls to a Fall Fundraiser Festival for another Ethiopia adoption in our community. We had a great time. They got to ride on a paddle boat, paint a live pony (no kidding), do crafts,ride a bike (i know! exciting!), collect eggs from hens, catch a frog (not a toad, this time..but a water frog, that we need to research to learn how to take care of! Oh...and a tadpole, too! They are currently living in a cup in the middle of our dining room table, but I assure you...that won't last!) Anyway, we had a ball.

The boys went w/ me to church tonight where they insisted on staying w/ me in the nursery. I got to love on a little one named Lily while they looked on.
At one point, Lilly, who is probably almost 2, kept touching Tony's arms and rubbing his hair. It was adorable. I don't think she'd ever touched someone as brown as Tony before and she was fascinated by him. He is adorable. Seriously.

He and Ryan kept hugging me tonight and saying "I love you, mommy" and "I'm so glad YOU are my mommy" and other things that make my heart melt. I think that being away from me for 2 days at school on Thurs and Fridays is making them a bit clingy...but it is oh so sweet to hear those words come out of their mouths! I am oh-so-blessed!

A Tri and a Why?

2010-09-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

Why is it called JUNK food, when it tastes so much like TREASURE?

I've been stuffing my face w/ it every chance I get lately. One of my sweet friends so thoughtfully got me hooked on malt balls from Sprouts Market. They are so so yummy. And, of course there are the peach rings, and hot tamales and the bottle caps... all of which I bought a month or two ago when she and I and this sweet friend all had a girls night. Only, they didn't eat them all. So now... I am eating them. Slowly but surely the glass mason jars that sit atop our coat bench are dwindling. When they are gone, I will go off of sugar. Maybe. We will see.

I DID start using agave nectar again in my coffee to try to quick sugar. But the treasure food, as i'm calling it now, keeps calling me.

This isn't helping my triathalon training. Not at all.

Have I mentioned that I have been training for a tri? It is the Tri for Your Cause.
My cause is From HIV to Home. The money that I get as sponsors will be earmarked for a grant for some good friends of ours who are adopting 2 boys from Ethiopia. The boys both have HIV. I can't wait to meet these 2 little guys. They will be so so blessed to have Amy and Kev as their parents. So blessed. They are such fun parents, who love Jesus and have such hysterical personalities. I love love love them.

YOU can help bring these boys home! Just CLICK HERE to make an online donation!

Thanks so much. I'm so excited to do this triathlon. I've done a couple of smaller ones before, 5 years ago! This is a small one, too, but it is twice the length of my last one. I will be swimming 600 m (which is 24 lengths of the pool), biking 12 miles, and then running a 5k (3.1 miles) This is way more than I've ever done IN MY LIFE, but I'm excited about the challenge of it. 3 of my good friends are doing it with me. It has been so fun to have others to train with me. Want to join in?

Proof Indeed...

2010-08-28T15:54:00.001-07:00

Look out below! I am indeed a 'real teacher'.
Brianna has proof...

And, how cute are our kiddos? I mean, seriously? Couldn't you just eat them?
Yesterday I walked into the Kinder room and found a little girl w/ Tony's arm in her hands. She was examining it very closely and then I heard her say "Your skin. It's BROWN." To which Tony replied, w/ eyebrows raised "Yep. It's brown." I couldn't contain my giggles at her wonder, and his matter-of-fact-ness. :) Everyone who meets him wants to take him home, I believe. He is a doll. I am so so thankful he is ours.

We had a great 2 days of school on Th and Fri. I am wiped out, though. I was actually completely knocked out, dead to the world by 8pm Thurs night and by about 4pm on Friday! Who knew it would take that much out of me?

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my sweet classes of Kinders, and 1st graders, and my older kids in Sign Language are amazing, too. I am really excited about our year singing and signing and spanish-ing together. I think we are going to have a ball!

Addie is a big kinder now. She did so great. I am so proud of her and how far she has come in the last 2 years! She is reading, doing math, and riding a bike w/o training wheels! She's sweet,, too. So sweet, and funny, too. She's a snuggler. It took her awhile to give me her heart, but I assure you, it is mine now. I adore my Addie Kate (as she prefers to be called) ADORE her.

Maegan is taking a ton of classes at Options and she did so well the last 2 days! The first period she had a hard time letting go of me, but after that she did fine, and by Friday she was zooming from class to class on her own w/ a huge smile on her face. She gets to take piano, choir, science, sign language, p.e., spanish, computers, art...and something else i'm forgetting right now...literature. She's all in or all out, and i think this year she's going to be all in. I think that it helps that I'm there.

Ry went to bed last night begging to run w/ me this morning. He was up and ready to roll before the sun. We ended up going for a long bike ride together instead. He was so adorable in his Mizzou basketball outfit and his green argyle socks up to his knees. Oh my heart nearly burst. We both laughed and smiled the whole ride. I am so thankful for this kid. Looking at him just makes me yearn for another babe. He is so yummy and sweet, and he ADORES his momma. Every mom needs a Ryan, I promise. I'm so lucky that I get to be his. Later I took him to get his new backpack. We went to the local thrift store and he picked out a Buzz Lightyear one. It cost me a whopping $1.50. We got Addie a purple one, and everyone is thrilled w/ their new purchases...including me! I brought home some new skirts for teaching, and 3 pair of nike running shorts and running skirts. so so fun. My total bill was under $25 and I got 12 items, I think. wow.

Okay. Off to church I go. It's Saturday night, and free dinner awaits us at The Refuge. :)

Chops

2010-08-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

A and T had routine doctor appointments today. When we left they each got a beanie baby...both of them were adorable little lambs. Addie's was named Fleece and Tony's was named Chops. Tony couldn't remember what his was called. He kept saying "Mommy? What's his name? Cut down?"

It took me quite awhile before I got why he was saying 'cut down'...and now, I can't stop smiling...

I AM a 'real' teacher...

2010-08-21T21:57:00.000-07:00

okay...so...i was PLANNING on starting school w/ my kids on Monday.

BUT...now i get to drive to an Education department instead and sign my papers to start work! yay!

I am now, what Mae calls, a 'REAL' teacher. I've been trying to convince her for years that I AM a real teacher, but she never really believed me until now. I got a job. I'll be teaching 2 days a week at my kids school. I get to teach Spanish and Music to Kindergartners and 1st graders, Beginning and 2nd year Piano, and Sign Language. I'm so excited I can hardly sleep. And, when I do sleep, I'm planning lessons in my dreams. I get to teach other peoples kids. And, I get to continue homeschooling my own, too. How perfect is that?

I never really wanted to teach other people's kids. Isn't that weird? Why on earth did I get a degree in Elementary Education if I didn't want to teach other people's kids?

Because. I wanted to have children. Check. And I wanted to be a missionary. Check. I wanted to live overseas. Check. I thought I'd need to homeschool. Check. It seemed like a reasonable degree...more reasonable, lets say, than the Theatre degree that I started out pursuing. Turns out I was right. Because now...11 years after graduating from college, I have a job. Teaching. Other peoples kids.

Just a month or two ago I remember saying that if I had to get a job and work outside of the home, that it would be 'the death of a dream' for me. I always wanted to stay home full time. To never work outside of the home. To be provided for in everyway by my husband (ultimately by God, but through my husband)

Then, a few weeks ago, Marrty and I spent some time praying. We prayed that God would show us how to pay our bills. Our support hasn't been what it needs to be since we started Sharing Their Story. We are still working on developing our new support team. We prayed that God would show us what He wanted for us and that we would be willing to do whatever He asked. We prayed for wisdom and for His leading. We prayed that something would drop in our laps. And, it did.

I think that it is ironic. You see, what I saw before as the death of a dream, actually was the birth of a new one. It seems as though God created a new dream in me as I surrendered my own for His.

Yesterday was my first Teacher Work Day. I loved it. I was one of the first there, and the last to leave and then I went to Starbucks and planned for another several hours. It was a 12 hour day. And I put in several more this morning. And this evening. I've been writing letters to parents, and researching curriculum, and writing syllabi...and loving every minute.

Who would've thought?
His dreams have become mine...

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart" Psalm 37:4

and then there were 4...

2010-08-21T21:55:00.000-07:00

yes! we now have 4 froggie friends! Thank you Coors kids! :)

Freddy and Teddy are small and belong to Ryan and Tony.

Freida and Leeta are big and belong to Addie and Mae.

I'm going to quit promising pics...b/c they rarely come.

But they are cute. Trust me.

Who Knew You Could Love a Toad?

2010-08-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

Yes... I do. I love a toad (and NO. I am not calling my hubby a toad!) His name is Freddy.
We found him on a friends driveway several weeks ago and he has become our family pet. He's a Woodhouse's Toad.
We had a bit of a scare when he blew up (like a toad! ha!) and was floating in his dish. Turns out he was just bloated. He's fine now, and hopping around normally. Isn't he cute?! Finally, a pet that my little animal lover isn't allergic to!

Another Try...or NOT.

2010-07-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

Maegan is as bad as she's ever been. She also has been refusing to stand up straight most of the time for the last few days. She says her legs hurt too bad to walk and she crawls around or asks to be carried. There is so much inflamation in her skin, that the docs say that it seems to be in her joints as well. She just got off of a 9 day course of oral prednisone. Every time she comes off of it she has a bad rebound flare. It is awful, but sometimes worth the price for a few days of relief. Right now, though, we are paying for it.

My mom sent me a link to this website this week. She's as concerned about Mae as I, and is always trying to find something that will give her comfort and relief. It looks like this product is extremely gentle, and doctor's offices are starting to carry it.

For you AD sufferers and parents, we'll let you know if it works. We are going to give it a try. You get free shipping with orders over $50, and a 20% discount with the purchase of 3 or more products. The products are no more expensive than vanicream, or aquaphor, or CeraVe (our current lotion)...and they have a cute baby on them and you know how I feel about babies. ;)
Giving it a go.

Please up your prayers for sweet Mae. And for her parents as we care for her.

*edited to add: YIKES. It didn't work for us. We are sending it back. It broke Mae out all over. Possibly just from her being anxious to try it, I don't know... but we have to send it back b/c she had a bad reaction! :(

Don't Faint

2010-07-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

I know. I'm posting! I actually have something to say, that won't sound like a broken record, maybe. See, I haven't really wanted to post, b/c I feel like everyday around here is the same.

YES. Maegan is still miserable.

NO. Ryan's collar bone is STILL not healed after being broken. Twice.

YEP. Addie and Tony are still adorable, and doing great.

Nuff said, right?

Well...Today, my friends, I found THIS. If you aren't a homeschooler, it may or may not make much sense for you to buy it. (Although, you could, I suppose, use it to record your children's homework assignments in, if you were the very organized type)
For those who aren't homeschoolers, I've loved the Polestar Family Planner. But, for this year, I am making a switch. I just ordered this oh-so-cute, full color, scripture enriched, budget recording, menu scheduling, lesson planning marvel. I'll let you know if I love it. For now, she will be my new companion. Her name, my friends, is The Well Planned Day. I think I'll call her Daylie for short. Isn't she pretty?

3 lbs!

2010-07-16T20:08:00.001-07:00

Maegan has gained 3 pounds in the last few months!! WE ARE THRILLED! Thank you, God!
After nearly 2 1/2 years of NOT gaining anything, we were really worried. I was thrilled to find out yesterday some GOOD NEWS for a change! (Her skin is still as horrible as ever, and she is now on another round of oral steroids. ugh!)

Ryan, on the other hand, still has a broken collar bone. His xray yesterday revealed that after 6 weeks, it still isn't healed... leading us to believe it wasn't completely healed the first time (in March), which led to the break the 2nd time (in May).

Addie and Tony are great! Amazing, actually! Who knew they would be so easy? God. He only gives us what we can handle, I suppose. :)

We had a fab time in MO. I'll try to post pics. soon. maybe. once i come up for air! :)

Foster Care: Still thinking and praying and wishing and hoping and waiting...for His timing. Pray with us! And for us! Please!

Wanna see some more cute pics of Ryan and Addie? Click HERE! :)

In Mo

2010-07-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

Hey friends...I'm having a ball in Missouri! Here is what we've been up to:

Seeing family and friends and spending time campaigning a bit for my brother, who is running for State Rep.
We were on a float in the 4th of July parade.
The kids are spending way too much time in front of Nick Jr.
We got a stray kitten that we've been loving on and nursing back to health.
I've been doing a Couch to 5K program with my best friend from High School.
Went out to dinner with 4 other friends from high school that I hadn't seen in years!
We decided to meet up each year for a run of some sort...the first to be held in Boulder, CO! Yay!
I've seen lots of old friends, had fun lunches, etc. It's been an amazing time. I'll go back to CO on Wednesday. Anxious to see my hubby, who didn't come with me.
It has been relaxing. I've taken several naps. Eaten homemade peach cobbler. Grilled out with my neices and nephews and my brothers.
It has been such a treat.
One I hope to repeat every year...
I hope to post pics soon. Until then, enjoy this post by my friend Brianna. You'll see pics of my kids there! :)

Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, I neeeeeed I neeeeeeeed I neeeeeeeed.

2010-05-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

Does it ever seem like you hear these words from "What About Bob?" spilling forth from your kids mouths? It does around here sometimes. One day when this whine fest was happening, Marrty had the bright idea of showing the kids some clips from the Movie What About Bob. It had us all rolling with laughs and now, whenever one of them gets whiney, we quote the movie. "I neeeeeeeed. I neeeeeeeeeeeeed. I neeeeeeed."

Now, for your viewing pleasure...

A Plea...

2010-05-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

Friends,
A few weeks ago a friend, knowing my interest in adoption, asked me to help find a home for a baby who needed to be in foster care. We were hoping to be able to place this little guy within a Christian family, so that we could easily come alongside them and support and encourage them in the process of fostering him.

I know a lot of people who have a heart for this. You are many of them. Yet, as I asked around and prayed...noone was paper ready. No one I knew. It broke my heart that among us there was no one (including Marrty and I!) legally prepared to take on a little guy in need...

God has really been working in me these last few weeks, prompting me to tell this story. And, to ask you to help. Marrty has agreed to go through the foster care training with me so that we will better be able to share the story of those in need in the foster care system. Our first step will be to attend a free informational meeting.

Will you join us in getting ready, just in case He puts a little one in your life?

Rockies V. Mets

2010-05-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

We scored FREE tickets to the game...
It was chilly, but fun! We didn't make it through the whole game, but no one scored after we left anyway. I think the highlight was the cotton candy! And...the woodpecker Mae spotted as we were walking from our car to the stadium. I love this age...

Please...Take a minute and read this

2010-05-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/10/world/africa/10aids.html?hp

what can we do?

what can you do?

Really...fun fun filled day!

2010-04-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

I had a fun filled day of stamping at Denver's Stampin' Up Stamposium Event. Linda Hansen (who is as lovely and amazing in person as she is on the SU! videos we get to watch) was there. I got to meet her and hug her, and hear all about the wonderful nonprofits she is on staff with now...they are working on clean water projects in Africa, as well as education and hospice care. Awesome. Check out her blog HERE. She was so funny and had some amazing stories to tell! Wow. Did I laugh? Yes.

There were 125 other amazing ladies there as well, full of great ideas, and stamping fun. I got to present some ideas from stage, which was fun for me, too. I didn't think I was nervous, but my hands wouldn't stop quivering, so I guess I was! It was all videoed, so I'll see how it really went when I get the dvd. ;)
I got to show a pic of our fam, and say a sentence or two about adoption. A few people came up to me afterward, wanting to talk more about it. I hope God uses it to bring kids into families... I love to talk about adoption, every chance I get!
I came home just now, and found 4 drawings on my desk from Maegan. One was a full page poster of a bunny and a gnome...so cute. I hung it up right away. Another was of a blue kitty that she had drawn. The third was of a colorful heart, with the words "I love you Mommy" printed in pink ink. When I flipped to the 4th page, this is what I saw:

Can you tell what it says? It is a request...of sorts... It says "To: Mommy, havene a baby. Love, Maegan

Translation: "To: Mommy, who is havING a baby" And, no. I am not pregnant (although I would be thrilled if I were... babies are such a blessing!) Mae is persistent. I will give her that! I love the progression in this photo. First, I'm having a cup of steaming coffee with a big smile on my face and my hand on my tummy... later I'm kicked back with a 'ooo...this sort of hurts' face on. Then, I'm relaxing on the hospital bed, and finally my face is all scrunched in pain as the crying baby exits from my southern hemisphere. I'm not sure yet, as I haven't gotten to ask the artist, but I'm pretty sure that is a self portrait of the happy big sister up there in the corner. She's hysterical. Just had to share.

Hope you have a great night!

Angela

He is RISEN!

2010-04-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

We celebrated last night with our church family... Here are a few pics of an Easter celebration, Refuge Style...

There was much rejoicing...

and dancing...

and dancing...

and more dancing...

and eggs...

and eggs...

and more eggs...

We are celebrating His Kingdom Coming... It is here. God with us. He is Risen. And New Life has Begun! We are trying to figure out what that means in our lives as we live day by day. In our Marriage. In our Parenting. In our every day lives, moment by moment. We celebrate today. And each day...
Happy Easter!

Addie wants to know...

2010-03-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

how to spell: Daddy, I hope you never go to work again. I love you, Daddy. I love all the Dormishes, and I love you, too, Mommy.

How sweet is that?

So...

2010-03-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

Last week was a doosie. Me with bronchitis. Ryan breaking his collar bone. (He has been such a trooper! I'm so proud to be his mommy. Keeping him from running for a whole month is going to be rough, though!)
This week is going to be better, I'm sure.
Although, last week did have a very bright spot.
I was asked to be a presenter at a large Stampin'Up event called Stamposium!! I'm so excited. I can't wait! It's going to be a blast!
GO HERE to read all the details and to register to join me for a fun day of stamping!

Okay...back to teaching the kids...

My Day

2010-03-17T16:40:00.000-07:00

A rough marriage counseling session- check.

Looking all over a parking lot for my wallet and phone, that i thought i left on my van's roof-check.

Call from a family member saying their wife filed for divorce-check.

A trip to the hospital for xrays of a 5 year old boy's broken collar bone-check.

Hopefully, the rotisserie chicken that I bought for an easy dinner isn't laced with arsenic...

Diamond Tails...

2010-03-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

No real news on the Mae front. We are still awaiting the tests for CF and a couple of rare genetic diseases. Keep praying.
We have her off of fruit again, and that-with the prevacid and chiropractic seem to be helping her. She is much less itchy, and is sleeping a bit better. Thank God! Keep praying.

Here is a little ditty that Mae and Ry wrote in the van the other night on the way home from Grandma's:

What are handsome daddies made of?
Sports and cars and everything cool.
That is what handsome daddies are made of.

What are beautiful mommies made of?
Roses and flower petals and diamond tails.
That is what beautiful mommies are made of.

How blessed am I? ;)

News

2010-02-23T16:39:00.000-08:00

Well, Maegan's biopsy's came back and it looks like she has...GERD.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease is caused when the muscle at the bottom of the esophagus doesn't close properly and stomach contents and acid can back up into the esophagus.
Click here to read more about the signs and symptoms of this disease.
There is no cure for GERD, but there are treatments. Her doc wants to put her on a prescription right away.
Still waiting on the CF test, as well as the Philagrins and the Nethertons tests. Hopefully they will all be negative and these 2 chronic diseases (Atopic Dermatis and GERD) are the only 2 causing her symptoms.
Thanks so much for praying. Please continue to pray for her, and for our marriage and family...

A Weekend at Home...

2010-02-14T11:20:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much for all of your prayers and support. The love of Jesus has just poured out through you all to us and we are so humbled by it... We've found toys (The Meyer Fam) and groceries (who are you? Awesome choices! Thank you!) and yummy homemade soup (Robin MacC) on our front porch, a delivery of MIN meals (amazing ministry Rebs!), had babysitting so we could go out on a Valentine's date (The Rake's), a card with cash for the date (thank you, whoever you all were!! We had a great and much needed time together!) and an offer for a housekeeper to come tomorrow (Erin! Thank you!) We are so so so thankful to each of you. You truly are the hands of Jesus to us, and He is holding us up, and together, through your acts of kindness and prayers.

Mae's day on Friday was both HARD and GOOD. She had blood drawn first thing in the morning. It was so hard for her. Her skin is so sore all over that even getting her to let us put the numbing cream on her was traumatic. It took 4 nurses and me to do the first blood draw. Once the needle was in, she breathed deeply and did well...at least until her vein collapsed after the 3rd vile of blood and we had to do the other arm. They got 4 or 5 more viles out of that arm, but it still wasn't enough for all of the tests they wanted to run. She went completely white and I thought she would pass out, but she didn't. We had a repeat blood draw in the afternoon, and she did better with that one...especially after the needle was in. She was breathing so deep, I thought she might hyperventilate.

The bathing treatments that we do 3x's a day now, are making her crazy. She used to tolerate them well, but now she is saying that the water is making her itchier and sometimes she screams for the second half of the 20 minute soak. The itchies really do stink. I can't imagine how she is feeling...She has a fight or flight response when we put the creams on her. It really is so emotionally draining for her (and all of us).So far we haven't found a medication that will relieve her itch. They all have an adverse reaction, drying her out worse and making her even more itchy. They don't help her sleep...they hype her up instead. My heart breaks for her, but it is also hard at times not to be angry. Pray for all of us, that we will have patience and understanding...

The good part of Friday was the visitors from one of our pastors, Karl, and from Rachel and Holly H. Both brought gifts for Mae and Carmel Mocchiatos with Extra Carmel for me! Yay for SB and books! Maegan LOVED that they were there to splash and color with her. On the way home Friday night she was in the best mood that I have seen her in in weeks.She said it was because of her visitors. :) The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I guess. :)

We go back in to the hospital again tomorrow, all day, and some of the allergy tests and the celiac should be back. The Cystic Fibrosis and Netherton's tests (Netherton's is a rare genetic skin disorder that is resistant to most treatment) won't be back for 6-8 WEEKS. UGH. I don't expect to find out anything from the allergy tests, since she often shows up negative.(For example, she shows up negative to eggs, but her face breaks out in hives when she eats them) We are testing this time for more rare things like specific fruits, etc. Pray for some answers. We know some of her issues are food related, but I feel like we are searching for the needle in the haystack at times.

My mom got here yesterday afternoon, and the kids are now surrounding her while she reads to them on the couch. She will join us at the hospital tomorrow. So thankful for her...and so glad she is here to be with Mae and I. She is one of our fav people.

Thanks for your prayers... Keep praying for answers, and wisdom and patience. Thanks for standing with us.
Angela

Wednesday & Thursday

2010-02-11T20:50:00.000-08:00

Wednesday

Thanks so much, to all of you, for your texts and calls and prayers. We've been overwhelmed with your love today, really.Thank you so so much.

Today was long, and honestly felt fruitless most of the day...until the end. At 5 pm the doc we've been wanting to see came in. He had read all of Mae's files, and had read through all of Mae's history that Marrty and I had put together for him. He spent AN HOUR AND A HALF sitting in our room, asking us questions and listening to everything that I was concerned about, and asking more questions, and answering questions. He wasn't in a hurry. He was completely focused on Maegan and how to figure her out. She isn't a typical patient, as she has MANY different chronic issues that they are trying to figure out and many of them don't present normally. I LOVE this doc. LOVE HIM. (THANK YOU, MARYLOU, FOR FINDING OUT ABOUT HIM!) He will be meeting with us again tomorrow, after we see the GI and the whole team of docs we saw get together and discuss her case. This is exactly what we have been praying for!!! They are holding off on testing until we meet with the GI guy and find out what tests he wants, so they can do them all at once. One of them requires a blood draw first thing in the morning, so we will wait and do them all on Friday morning.

Maegan was mostly happy, so that was a plus. She got her free backpack filled with goodies, and a tub full of fun bath toys for treatments, so she was content most of the day. (Thanks so much Holly Heassler for the bag of books! I can't tell you how much Maegan LOVES them! She took them ALL to the hospital with her, IN THE GIFT BAG, and looked at them all day! LOVE LOVE LOVES THEM! Thank you!)

I was counting on the way home tonight, and we met with 5 docs today. 5. 5 doctors. In one day. And, tomorrow we will go in and meet with at least 3 more. So...YAY. Your prayers are being answered and we are being HEARD.

Tomorrow we meet for a Psych Consult in the morning to talk about living with/or parenting a child with chronic needs. I'm excited about that. Can't wait to hear what advice they have for her, and me. Then, we meet with the Gastro Guy at 1 (with treatments in between)

Thank you for everything. I love you all to pieces. Keep praying for our sweet girl.

Angela

THURSDAY

the day started off horrible. maegan had a BAD reaction to a new topical cream we tried and she screamed the entire way to the hosp, and a good 30 minutes after. her head was throbing, she was itching uncontrollably,and she was confronted with nurses who were very rough in telling her NOT TO SCRATCH! which didn't go over well with mae or mamabear. i said something like 'I really think we are going to need someone who is a bit more compassionate...' and a few other things. After that they calmed down and we gave mae a warm blanket and finally...after probably an hour total, of screaming, she was able to calm down. makes me tense all over again just typing it here. It was bad. POOR girl. (our nurse was GREAT the rest of the day...really great)
It was just a hard, tough situation...

the doc checked her ears again, and now BOTH ears are infected. she started oral antibiotics as well as the drops. hopefully she'll be hearing and feeling better soon.

After that we saw a psych/soc person and she was lovely. it was so nice to be able to chat with someone who sees kids like maegan all day, and really understands her struggles. her office was full of great toys and maegan even got to hold her bearded dragon at the end of the session, which she thought was amazing. how much are bearded dragon hatchlings, i wonder?

We did more baths (which were not without more screaming in pain) and then met with a GI doc this afternoon. AGAIN, a huge prayer was answered. He was awesome. He also had an amazing bedside manner with me, and especially with Maegan. What a sweet man. He was very thourough and is ordering an upper and lower GI as well as a biopsy to screen for celiac's disease. These tests will all be done at Children's under general anesthesia sometime in the next 2 weeks.

Tomorrow morning we go in for blood work to look at foods that may be causing some of her symptoms, as well as the genetic test
Cystic Fibrosis. I got the feeling that CF is their biggest concern, although they were trying hard not to alarm me. I am okay right now...trying not to jump ahead. Trying to rest in Him, and pray for the best. Obviously, we don't want her to suffer with any disease, but of course, we would hope that all of this be a result of Celiac, rather than CF...

Her Atopic Dermatitis (eczema) is bad. And, chronic. And, making her miserable. We are still praying for her to be cured of it. Still hoping for answers, and praying for them to come quickly.

Thanks so much for joining us in prayer!
Marrty hasn't been able to answer all (if any!) of the phone calls. He is doing great with Ry, Addie and Tony, but just doesn't have the emotional energy to pick up the phone right now... I understand. I love to talk on the phone (he doesn't) and not even I have the energy to return calls right now... If you have called or emailed, know that we appreciate every single message. We feel so loved and supported by you. I'll try to get back to you soon!
Until then, keep praying!
Angela

2010-02-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

we decided to readmit maegan to national jewish. please pray for our marriage as we are having to make a lot of tough decisions about her medical care, and especially for maegan's health, as we go through more testing for her... for cystic fibrosis, celiac's disease, and more...we covet your prayers.
pray, too, for our other little 3. they are weathering the storm as little troopers. happy to entertain themselves and play with each other (most of the time) and doing a lot of unschooling type things on their own, like copying pages out of their favorite books and drawing up a storm.
i'm not even at the hospital with mae yet, and i miss the little 3 already...

i don't know how to feel. i am numb. i can't stand the not-knowing, but if it is CF, i don't want to know.

she's sick. on top of all of her other issues, she's been fighting a bad ear infection (in her one and only hearing ear!) which has made her very hard of hearing off and on this last week and a half. poor dear.

she's been having an almost allergic reaction to cold, she can't stand it. she screams that she is "itchy!!!!"

appreciate your prayers...

Not Exactly the News We Wanted to Hear...

2010-02-04T07:17:00.000-08:00

Tuesday we had Mae tested for Cystic Fibrosis at Children's Hosp. I wasn't concerned at all about this test, until I was actually sitting at the hosp with her thinking 'oh my goodness! we are testing her for CF! yikes!' Nevertheless, I was expecting a good report. Afterall, she doesn't have any of the lung issues that accompany CF... She does have malabsorption and poor growth (she hasn't grown at all for more than a year and a half and is 32 pounds and 7 years old) She is miserable with severe Atopic Dermatitis, and is now complaining of severe pain in her joints (knees, elbows and feet) Some of this could be due to the juicing detox we are trying, but it is hard to tell. The lines seem so blurred.

Around 6:30 last night we got a call from our pediatrician. Her sweat chloride numbers are higher than normal. They aren't as high as most children with CF, but they are still out of the normal range. They want to do more testing.
They are asking that we readmit her to the hospital for further tests, and treatment. We are asking, that if possilble, we can do this on an outpatient basis to make it easier on her. We are waiting for a call back, again.

Please join us in praying for our girl. And for wisdom for us as her parents...to know what to do for her, and to make the right choices for her medical care.

It's 4:17

2010-02-03T15:17:00.000-08:00

and I still haven't heard from the hospital. Maegan was tested for Cystic Fibrosis yesterday. Results were supposed to be in today. It's 4:18 now... and I want to hear 'that isn't it' right about...now.

Written by Marrty

2010-02-03T14:58:00.000-08:00

We're glad it's February, because January wasn't very kind to us health-wise and other-wise. Everyone but me in our family of six got sick last month, and mixed with Maegan's ever-present health problems things have been tough at our house. Addie, Ryan, Maegan and Angela all came down with a 24- or 48-hour stomach flu, and Addie continues to battle a croupy-sounding cough. A recent trip to Maegan's pediatrician confirmed that Maegan isn't growing, which is obviously a concern. We're continuing her juicing regimen that we started in December, but we're looking at some other options to try to get to the bottom of her issues. She started a gymnastics class with a few friends a few weeks ago but hasn't been able to participate fully because of her persistent, painful ezcema. It's been tough to deal with, honestly, and it's thrown our life out of balance. And there are other little frustrations like trying to finish this email five times over the last several days, but my computer and internet connection have conspired against me. So if you're reading this it means victory! The highlights of last month were Angela getting to go on individual "dates" with Ryan (for a candle-light dinner at church), Tony (out and about on errands) and Addie (out and about and dinner), and finding the video footage we took of our two weeks in Ethiopia from the fall of 2008. That's when we met and brought Addie and Tony home! I had misplaced it, but it turned up last month, which was awesome!!!

What's new with STS?
Last month, we had some financial support setbacks, but we continue to move forward with building our network of grassroots organizations committed to serving those in need. We're working on our website content upgrade and have received yet another round of logo proofs. We've still got three to four initial "stories" we want to tell via our website and in the presentations we're creating and fine-tuning, which we hope to soon begin giving in the community (at churches, civic organizations, with small groups, etc.). One of the most encouraging connections we made last month was with Hope 2 Others International, a grassroots organization founded by our friend, Dave. Hope 2 Others focuses on providing water, sanitation and hygiene resources worldwide, with a current focus on Africa. Dave is a very practically minded, get-things-done kind of person, so we're excited to tap into his story, passion and expertise on water issues. His is the kind of story we want to help tell and his organization is the kind of group we want to connect with and connect others to in order to put their vocations of service into practice.

Next week, thanks to a friend who had a friend stand in line to get us (free) tickets, our STS team is taking a field trip to nearby Greeley, Colorado, where we will hear from Greg Mortenson, the NY Times bestselling author of Three Cups of Tea. We highlighted his incredible story in our October 2009 update.

Book of the Month
In keeping with the Greg Mortenson theme, this month we'd like to highlight his latest book, Stones into Schools. It's a continuation of Three Cups of Tea, with a focus on the reasons behind his success in promoting peace through building schools and advocating education for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. I haven't finished this book yet, but what I have read so far has been great.

Thank you for your support! Please continue to keep Maegan and the rest of our family in your prayers.

May the Kingdom Come,
Marrty & Angela
Maegan, Ryan, Addie and Tony

Grasping for Hope

2010-01-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

Magan:still miserable. Now complaining of joint aches and pains as well. She needs help getting out of the tub, for example, b/c her knees hurt too badly.

Ryan: has thrown up more than a dozen times in the last 8 hours.

Addie and Tony: hacking cough. Addie had chest xrays on Tuesday at Children's Hosp. to check for pneumonia. Back to the doc today for TB skin test to be read...

Pray for us...

NEW POST

2010-01-13T14:54:00.000-08:00

within the below post...
no energy to fix it.
read below.

much love.
a

p.s. add ry to your prayer list as well. we slept on the couch together last night. pretty sure he has croup.

on the bright side: I'm really enjoying my kids today. They are such a blessing. Love all the snuggles that I'm getting, and the pleas to play another game of frustration. so...off i go. i'm being called.
Don't forget to read the real post, below.
And, Stephanie- I finally updated!

Mae Update

2010-01-07T17:09:00.000-08:00

OUCH!! DETOX HURTS!!
(this should be a new post, but i made a mistake and started editing, so... here we go. i'm too lazy to change it now that i've added pics.) Anyway, the toxins in Mae's body are coming out in her skin (primarily her face and hands right now) The doc says we need to slow down on the coconut oil, as it is drawing out the toxins too quickly and causing mae a lot of pain as well as oozing of her skin that smells foul. poor baby. My heart breaks for her...
We heard this song in the van the other day and Mae said 'that's me. i have pain. i love this song, mom.' It gives her comfort, although she cries every time she hears it.
Watch. Listen... Keep Praying for Mae.

thanks for praying for maegan. so many of you have encouraged me so much lately in your concern for her.
i talked to her doc today, and he thinks that on top of her other conditions, that she most likely has Raynaud's disease as well.
You can read more about it HERE. Basically, she shivers a lot, and her extremeties swell some and turn blue if she isn't warm enough (this happened at Options on Monday and I brought her home) The attacks can last a few minutes, to a few hours. It isn't serious (I don't think) just uncomfortable. We just need to keep her warm. She's been wearing a hat inside, and carrying around a warm rice sock thing. She actually doesn't notice when the rice bag is too hot and will hold it on her when it is scaldiing. I have to make sure it isn't too warm. This explains why she always wants her bath water really hot, and why she always says the bath water makes her 'prickely'. Keep praying for our girl...and for us, that we would have PATIENCE and WISDOM as we do this juicing protocol with her. Pray for her HEART. She keeps asking why Jesus isn't healing her. She's pretty angry with God right now, and confused. She keeps looking for people to blame: herself, God, satan... I don't really know what to say, except that God loves her, and is here with her. He knows her pain. Any other advice appreciated!!
Thanks for praying...

Christmas in the Ozarks!

2009-12-24T09:10:00.000-08:00

Everything is going well here. It is so nice to have mom's help with Mae. (Mom says 'she is a full time job!) She helps with bathtime, mostly, and helps her drink her juice. Mae is loving all of the extra attention. There is a special bond between her and my mom that i love to see.
Her skin is extremly dry and flaky, but no hives, so we are thankful for that. She seems to be improving... We are hopeful.
Everyone LOVES all the kids, and i love seeing them get so much attention from their aunts and uncles and cousins. It is sweet. My step dad adores all 4 of them. He had us bring them out to a friend's farm and they got to ride a horse, he took them for a ride on his bulldozer, they watched him feed cows, got to ride a 4 wheeler with daddy, and watched me feed his donkey a carrot. :) They are having a big ol time. :)
My dad adores addie and tony, too. We went out there the other night and will go back again tonight for lots of singing and cardplaying with my aunts and uncles and cousins. Christmas Day we will stay here with mom and my brothers will be here.
We are having a great time.
Keep bugging me for pictures, and maybe I'll upload some soon. ;) I've got some great ones.

Not the way I want to have MY coffee in the morning...

2009-12-09T18:40:00.000-08:00

We found out last week at Mae's check up that on top of her skin issuses, and digestive issues, she hasn't grown AT ALL in over a year and a half! She had some blood work, and DNA testing, and we learned that she has a Malabsorption Syndrome, as well as several allergies (both food and environmental) and she has a condition that prevents her from excreting toxins on her own...hence the constant rashes. We are getting ready to start a detoxification protocol with her which includes daily coffee enemas (which, they say, will help with the itching!) as well as a diet heavy in fresh juices (carrot, apple, and sweet potato). The good news is we get to add in several foods: fruits, vegetables, salmon, cod, halibut, seeds, and nuts (NOT peanut. Turns out she IS allergic to peanuts afterall. They aren't really a nut, I learned, but a legume. Got it. We are switching to Almond Butter instead) She still has to avoid wheat, dairy, soy, and now has to avoid all meats as well (you were right Wendi!) We are finally finding out some things! It is probably going to get worse before it gets better... Here we go.
Keep praying!

Day 4 of 5 for 5!

2009-12-04T07:01:00.001-08:00

Welcome to Day 4 of our Five for Five campaign for World AIDS Day - a chance to give $5 a day for 5 days - each day funding a different project serving orphans living with HIV!

Today's project is "TLC Orphanage" in South Africa. TLC was founded in 1993 and has served over 600 babies through the years. They generally have up to 60 children in care and currently are caring for 11 positive children.
All "5 for 5" donations received today (December 4) will be designated toward TLC's education fund, financing schooling costs for their positive orphans.

Go to From HIV to Home to give!

Chiro and Pediatrician...

2009-12-03T18:52:00.000-08:00

Our amazing Chiropractor has offered to treat Maegan 4 days a week at an amazing rate. She is really on his heart, he says, and he wants to do all he can to help her.
A few friends of ours took a day last week to fast and pray with us, for her. Please, if you feel so led, join in. Her food list is still short: rice, chicken, carrots, peanut butter and...on Thanksgiving we added in Turkey. We tried bananas this week, and our poor girl is miserable. Bloody and raw between her fingers, and around her mouth and neck...
She had her 7 yo check up today at the Pediatrician, and she hasn't grown in the last year. (!) She is still 33 pounds, and 41". teeny tiny. So. He sent us for more blood work today. He is concerned about malabsorption issues. Zinc deficiency, maybe? Or maybe she isn't able to absorb fatty acids? We don't know. And so we wait... again.

World Aids Day!

2009-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to World AIDS Day and the start of From HIV to Home's Five for Five campaign - a chance to give $5 a day for 5 days - each day funding a different project serving orphans living with HIV! .

Today's project is "Agape Children's Home" in Thailand. Located in Chiang Mai Thailand, the Agape Home for babies with HIV/AIDS opened in May 1996 as a response to the plight of children impacted by the spread of HIV/AIDS across Thailand. All of the children who come to the Agape Home to live are, or are at risk of being, HIV positive. Many of them have already lost their parents to AIDS, and there are no other options for their care.

All "5 for 5" donations received today (December 1) will be designated toward Agape's current building project - a village of smaller homes where children will be able to live in a more family-type situation rather than in one large facility. .

Go HERE to GIVE

Click to be directed to the From HIV to Home donor page at Network for Good and type "5 for 5" in the designation box.

Share:

share the link to the website (www.fromhivtohome.org) wherever you can today - Facebook, Twitter, emails, blogs!

Lots going on! Baking, Juicing, Stampin'!

2009-11-29T21:11:00.000-08:00

Wow. I'm still here! Sorry for the long blog break. I've been busy grinding wheat, and baking bread and... eating a lot of it. MMMmmm... The house smells so good, and the hubs has thanked me over and over. I highly recommend it.

I've also been researching juicing for Maegan. I posted on Craigslist that I wanted a juicer for Mae's health, and someone gave me a Champion! For free! Wow! (God bless you, sweet retired veteran! You didn't know me, but you gave, b/c you believe it could help Mae, too! Thank you!!)A sweet new friend (thanks Ash!) told us about a doctor that she really believes can help Mae. I have new hope again. I sent in a hair sample, and a saliva sample, and I have a phone consult next week. (He is on the other side of the country, or we would go and see him ourselves.)
So far we have tried to add back in a few things and have successfully added back Turkey and bananas! Yay! We tried popcorn, and she broke out in hives. She accidentally ate egg while I was in MO (oh yes! I went and visited my fam for a few days! ALONE! It was amazing! Mom bought me a plane ticket for my bday! Thanks mom! It was SO SO fun!) Anyway, Maegan ate mayo...homemade mayo...made with raw egg. She broke out bad, and it took nearly a week to go away. She had hives, that turned into a nasty dry flaky mess. Now it is gone. She feels good. And... We have bananas back!

The other news around here is that I became a Stampin'Up demonstrator!! I've loved stamping, and especially Stampin' Up Products, since I went to my first workshop back in 1999. On staff I couldn't be a demo...but now that we have Sharing Their Story, I have the freedom to do so. I love it. I love hanging out with other women, teaching them something I love, and seeing them create. I've been wanting to give more to Water, and From HIV to Home, and my friends' adoption, and this is a way I can do that. My profits will go to help others around the world. Would YOU like to help? You can shop for the scrapbooker, crafter, or stamper on your Christmas list (or for yourself!) and know that the profits are going to a good cause! Check out my new website! You can shop in your jammies!

Make WATER your 1st Gift of the Season...

2009-11-15T14:19:00.000-08:00

So...I'm a couple of days late posting this, but I bet they won't mind if your donation is. Please...consider making a $10 donation to bring life giving water to people in Africa. $10. Give life. GO HERE.

mae update

2009-11-05T11:44:00.000-08:00

we added peanut butter back in...with SUCCESS!! We enjoyed 3 full days of no itching or scratching. i got brave and tried agave on her rice cereal this morning. BIG MISTAKE. She has been an itchy hivey crying mess all morning. I pray it gets out of her system soon, so she can enjoy a few days of rest again. Agave? UGH.
So her YES foods are up to:
rice
chicken
carrots
margarine (i know. GROSS.)
sugar (right?)
AND...
peanut butter (Kirkland brand Organic is the BEST PB i've tried! LOVE IT. Yay Costco)

Can you smell it?

2009-11-05T11:40:00.000-08:00

MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......

This is where the cute halloween pictures should be...

2009-10-31T19:37:00.000-07:00

but, my camera batteries are dead and so i took none.
tony wore his same pooh bear costume from last year.
mae and addie wore the witch (we call them princess) costumes and ry wore the ninja costmue, all of which i got at target after halloween for a couple of dollars last year. i'm sure there are pictures on here already of them all in these same costumes, already... so i'm off the hook, right?

mae is mis.er.a.ble. really. i slept (or didn't) on the couch with her last night and she is a scratchy, flaky, sticky, raw, bloody mess. SIGH.

I haven't been blogging much. For one, I'm making my own homemade bread now. Yes... very exciting for me. I am NOT a natural baker. Usually don't like it at all. But, a very generous person I know gave our family a sweet gift of a Bosch machine, and now I'm an addict. Grinding my own wheat (yes...i'm back on gluten! hallelujah!) and baking my own bread. I've made bread, cinnamon rolls, pumpkin muffins and more bread in the last few days. so so so fun. and yummy.

the other reason i've been in a blog funk...i'm drowning in the elimination diet with her. pretty exhausted by it. everything we try to add back in...and i mean everything... causes a reaction. apples. dairy. egg. wheat. all of it. CRAP! i want to pull out my hair...and so does she. her diet right now consists of: rice. chicken. carrots. repeat. rice. chicken. carrots. repeat.

i have not been so excited about halloween this year, dreading the 'its not fair! everyone can eat candy but me!' wails that i knew would be coming. We went to church tonight and a sweet new friend from church took it upon herself to make little gift bags filled with non food items for mae for our church party instead. At each little game station, instead of the candy she can't have, she was given a little prize bag instead. AWWWWWWWWWWW.... Thank you so much, Stacy. You really rock the planet. So so so thankful for you and all your generosity! (She watched the kids for us last night, too, so that we could go out to a fundraising dinner for a ministry in Denver. Shout out to the Staceter.)
So. Tonight turned out fun. AND, the Mizzou vs. Colorado game was at 11 am, so Marrty could go with us to church (cause he couldn't miss being at that game, with Mizzou right here in Colorado). And, he was in a good mood, b/c Mizzou won. So... it was a Happy Halloween afterall!
How was yours?!

Mae's Heart

2009-10-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

While I was working with Ryan yesterday Maegan drew this picture and wrote these words. Can you tell what is on her heart? Yes. Clean WATER. You can click it to make it larger. I especially love the kid who is filling his bucket at the dirty water hole.

I like to eat eat eat...APPLES and bananas?

2009-10-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

I think we are narrowing down mae's food allergies... Right now it looks like it is FRUIT related. Oranges, pineapples, peaches and tomatoes we knew about. Our newest discovery? APPLES! She had hives for almost a full week!
We are in the midst of doing the elimination diet. We started with rice, chicken, sweet potatoes, apples, and asparagus. She got diarehha and hives! We backed up to just rice and chicken and apples, and it got worse. We took out apples, and after a few days, it is gone. Apples? Hm. We've been giving her apple sauce or apple juice since she was 6 months old. When did her eczema start, you ask? Yep. 6 months old.
We may finally be on to something here!

I do think, however, that if she was in a bubble all the time and only drank water, she would still itch b/c of her AD. BUT, I am convinced their are foods that are causing her to flare, and at times even break out in hives. FRUIT allergy. Huh. Who would've thought?

We added gluten back into her diet at lunch today, and so far, no itchies. We will wait several days and then try to add egg and see how she does with that one. One step at a time! But for today... I have HOPE!

Happy 7th Bday Mae!

2009-10-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

7 years ago last week my life changed forever. You made me a mommy and my life has never been the same. You gave me a gift that I had longed for...and you are such a gift. I adore your humor, and your creativity. I love your spunk and determination. You drive me crazy, and you make my days. I love that you still love to be held and snuggled and that you love spending time with me. I pray that will always be true. You are smart, and funny... a deep thinker, and the most creative kid I know. You aren't afraid to be you... I to say I love you doesn't seem enough. I adore you, Maegan. YOU are a gift. Happy Birthday!

honkin' long update

2009-10-08T19:08:00.000-07:00

Things are going well around here. The first part of the week was a bit busy with MealsFromMoms and Options (and mae having to come home early b/c of itchies) and a long STS staff meeting yesterday afternoon. I felt the NEED to stay home the past 2 days and give my kids lots of stories and snuggles on the couch, so that is what we have done yesterday and today. Ry even said 'you are so fun to be with mom' and 'i like being with you, dear mommy' aww... enough love to melt my heart for a week! just proves to me how much he needs snuggle time.
school update: mae and ry have been doing well independently (at times, anyway, ry is harder to keep on task) with math and handwriting which frees me up to say 'yes' to the pleas coming from addie and tony: 'can we do OUR WORK?' i've started hwt with both of them and they are loving it. addie learned to write her name this past week on her own inititive. today she sat down while i was snuggling with mae and wrote her name 8 times on a sheet of paper. so fun. Mae just started her 2nd grade Handwriting Without Tears book, and Ry started his 1st grade one. They both were thrilled to put a big sticker on their completed books.
We are still loving Sonlight and are ahead of schedule on the read alouds, and behind on Bible and Hero Tales (i may just chuck both of them as we prefer another Bible and I'm not crazy about HT...they replaced it in their new catalog) We are loving the poetry and nursery rhymes and I am really enjoying SL LA1 this year, too. Amazing how much difference a year makes. The oldest 2 kids are doing well with it and are in a good routine with writing their spelling words BIG one day, small the next, and getting to paint them, or write them in chalk, sand, or shaving cream... I am enjoying their ability to work independently more, as it allows me to be more hands on with the little 2.
I'm trying to get back on track with Motivated Moms, too, and have started copying it to my Polestar Planner in the Home column. I'm trying to use Sunday nights for planning for the week: menu, shopping list, look over the curriculum for the week, chore rotation, etc. Right now it is going well, but you know how I am. I do well for a bit and then fall off the wagon, so check back with me in a week and see how I'm doing. ;)
On a different note, Addie has been very sweet and snuggly with me lately. She has been making great eye contact, REALLY snuggling, saying really sweet things to me, and just making me feel like she is really giving me her heart. I am so encouraged by that.

That's about it. We met with an allergist last Friday and a dietician yesterday afternoon to try out a different diet (the Elimination Diet) with Mae in the hopes that we can pin down what is really causing her strife, and be able to add back in some big things like wheat! Cross your fingers. Or better yet, please pray for her. It'll be rough going this next week as she can basically only eat chicken and lettuce and rice and pears for 7 days. It will be so worth it, though, if we can add back some of her fav's. Atopic Dermatitis stinks. Mae has started saying 'I am SO DONE with THIS' which cracks me up, but also breaks my heart. I know she is miserable and I ache for her. They are telling us that there have been new breakthroughs in the last year with AD and that Mae has a genetic skin disorder where her body literally doesn't make the type of skin cell needed for the outer protective layer of skin. This is the layer responsible for helping you retain moisture, and protect you from allergens. There is no cure. It is chronic and we can only hope to manage it with treatments and diet. They told me this last December, but I wasn't willing to accept it. Here I am, nearly a year later, after having tried everything I know (and still trying!) and I'm finally coming to terms with it. Grief, I guess, comes in cycles. This is not the life I would chose for her... or wish on anyone.

On a brighter note, my numbness is improving. Yay! It is limited mostly to my cheeks and forehead now, and it comes and goes. I think the meds are working on my migraine aura (still can't say or type that word without chuckling)

and a side note... I found some home improvement and decorating shows on Hulu.com. If I'm not here, you know where to find me. ;)

BRAIDS!

2009-09-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, be kind. Here is my first real attempt at braiding A's hair. It is only half done, and this much took me about 2 hours. Oh, I know! I'm pathetic!
She LOVES it, though. She feels like a super star I think. She is constantly staring in the mirror smiling at herself, and she can't wait to show everyone.
I'm ordering some beads to put on the ends, and a bead threader through this website. They have some great how-to video tutorials, as well. Thanks Lisa and Jenn for pointing me to this site! :)

Mae says she's next! ;)

The Planner

2009-09-26T14:50:00.000-07:00

I may have mentioned it before... (as a matter of fact, I think I have, but I can't seem to find it) but I really like The Polestar Family Planner. I learned about it first from Jody and now several of my friends use it, too. Jenn, and Brianna, to name 2. Lately I've been drooling over my friend G's Itouch, but being that it is $200 and my planner is less than $20, I think I'll stick with TPFP.
The covers, however, are not so appealing. 2 years ago I bought some cute scrapbook paper and covered it. Last year I was too lazy (or busy doubling my children...you decide) to do anything about it. This year, inspired by THIS, I got out my sewing machine and scrap vintage fabric that my mother in law gave me (most of it from the 1960's, I think) and made a cover for it.
It is messy. And crooked. I even had to trim my planner in the back to get it to fit. But... I think I like it. What do you think?