Rest & Relaxation

Some rest & relaxation going on here at the farm. The long holiday weekend was nice for catching up on things and a little sleep! The kids have begged me forever to get them a cucumber they could wear on their eyes. Not sure where they saw that but I finally got them one. They had the best time wearing them and then they ate them (gross!). 
Please pray for Laurel as she starts her Pre-Op stuff for her surgery this week. Lots of appointments coming up but excited to get it started. She's definately "off" in her hearing this week. I pray the Cochlear Implant will help. I hate seeing her frustrated when she just can't hear.


Quote of the week:   Noah:   "Laurel, I'm a Good Ninja, now you be the bad one"
                                    Laurel:  " NO!, I'm not bad, I'm a Mommy!"


PS: I ASK EVERYONE TO GO TO THIS BLOG http://www.lovebringsyouhome.com/2012/05/hope-and-heartache.html AND SEE "KACEY" WHO IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF A FAMILY. HER CAREGIVERS IN HER ORPHANAGE DID NOT EVEN WANT TO HAVE HER PHOTO TAKEN BECAUSE THEY SAID NO ONE WOULD WANT HER! LET'S PROVE THEM WRONG!! HELP
 THIS TREASURE FIND A FOREVER FAMILY!!!!

DESPERATE NEED!

***Below is a little girl who has just been posted on Reeces Rainbow.com. She is absolutely precious but the orphanage director has asked someone visiting another child in the orphanage to help find her a home as she will be transferred very soon!! Don't let this happen to this little girl. Her needs seem relatively mild and it would be horrible to have her transferred to an institution. Because her transfer is close, a PAPER READY family would be ideal. She is in Russia. Also, I just love another little girl found on RR and turns out they are in the same orphanage. She is listed below Marena. Please pray Church!

Marena 15H

225y0-15
She was born in February 2008
Brown eyes
Black hair
The nature of communicative

Marena has a crossed eye (surgery is required) and Cerebral Palsy (surgically corrected and not really noticeable).

She is FACING TRANSFER SOON!

Look how beautiful she is!  Marena is simply adorable, very energetic, curious, likes to communicate. She walks, runs, jumps and loves active play.

She has siblings but it has been confirmed that she is available for international adoption alone.

From a family who met her in May 2012:

I was asked by the orphanage administration if there is any possibility to find a family for Marena, as she is scheduled to be transferred very very soon. It will be such a tragedy for a child (she has been living there since her birth)!  I hope that maybe we can find a paper-ready family and she would be saved soon. 

$0.00 is available towards the cost of my adoption!

Kacey 15H

 1hz0v-15
Girl, born November, 2008
Sociable nature
Kacey has Apert Syndrome

Such a blessing to have a new photo, isn’t she gorgeous?

From an adoptive family who met her in August 2011:  She is very active despite her limitations with feet and hands- she kept up with the whole bunch. Very determined, a bit shy.

From an adoptive family who  met her in November 2011: Every day she’d walk up to me and say, “Mama?”  It broke my heart to tell her no.  She’s due for another surgery soon (presumably on her skull).  Her hands and feet look really good; she showed me all her scars.

More pictures available.  Single mons welcome.  This is a great region to adopt from, with little in country travel.  We have had many successful adoptions here, with a fabulous agency partner!

$2896.61 is available towards the cost of my adoption

Temperance 15H

1hz1c-15
She was born in July 2011
Blue Eyes
Dark hair
The nature of a quiet, observant

Achondroplasia (dwarfism)

The child is calm, smiley, with good appetite and no problems with sleeping.

Additional pictures available.

$0.00 is available towards the cost of my adoption!

Donations are tax deductible.

Randomness

              *Love* this old house-it's going to be burned :(

  Noah had to have his hat & shades like his Dat!

A NASCAR hopeful posing with my babies at Krispy Kreme

Total randomness today. We've been winding down Laurel's therapies, only about 2 weeks left. Next week we go to visit her classroom & teacher who will teach her special needs class starting in Sept. She's excited! Last year I would have NEVER considered putting her in a classroom but she's grown up so much. Her implant surgery is in June and I think that the preschool setting will help her so much. She'll get her therapies in that setting as well. Noah is just reading away and enjoying all that has to offer. I'll start figuring out his curriculum for Kindergarten pretty soon. I can't believe he's starting school!


In other news, Laurel found a turtle in the driveway yesterday and we watched it awhile. We figured out that she was laying eggs. Now, being that she put the nest in the middle of the driveway, we decided to move the nest. We got to digging and found 9 eggs! We "replanted" them and hope to see some baby turtles. So, that's all for now!

Beautiful Skies, Baptism, Being Silly & Being Sick

                                  Here's the Whole Gang who came to the Retreat this year

                                         We got to witness our sister Katie being baptized!

                                                              Elizabeth & Scarlett

                                                              Rachael & Duncan

                                                                   Amy & Jim

         (I have no idea who these ladies are...... they were uninvited guests!! yikes/)

This past weekend I attended our yearly ladies retreat with the ladies from our church. This year we had 18 in attendance.... we missed several ladies who I hope will come next year! It was a bit different this year as since we've had a baby boom in our little church this year (6 with 1 one the way!) so babies under 6 months old could come. I admit I was a little skeptical on how they'd do but they did fantastic!  (I can say this b/c one of them was my roomie- Way to go baby Jim!!)Our theme was women of the Bible who did great things so our teaching sessions were on 1. The women of Moses' life 2. Rahab 3. Abigail. It was a great time of praying, learning, singing, building stronger relationships, encouraging each other and being silly!. The highlight I would say was a new sister in Christ's baptism in the ocean. Praise God!

I started feeling sick on Sat. am and quickly got worse. By Sunday noon I was feeling like I'd been hit by a truck. Before I left, 3 different women grabbed me to pray for me as I drove home. I praise God for these godly examples that I have in my life. I dropped Amy off and went STRAIGHT to Urgent Care. The Dr. thought I had the flu (I did to) but thankfully I didn't, just a raging fever, ear infection & sinus infection & nasty cough. I got home & my babies were sick to0. Monday I took them to the Dr. & they had ear infections and Noah had pneumonia-again. However, he's been about 2 years since he's had it so I say he's done good with his new asthma meds.. We are all on 10 days worth of antibiotics and feeling a bit better but not 100% yet. THANK YOU JESUS FOR MEDICINE AND DOCTORS!!!

Beating the Heat

                                                 Laurel caught this fish ALL by herself yesterday.
                                              She threw it out and everything. No shirt because it was
                                             so hot. We'll have to work on that ;)

                                              Not to be outdone, Noah caught some tadpoles
                                                          which now reside in my kitchen.

So it has gotten HOT here. I mean really hot. And it's just May. Oh boy, I sure hope I toughen up or it's going to be a looong summer. The kids and I are trying to find ways to beat the heat (lots of popsicles, frozen go gurts). When Mike comes home from work and it's a bit cooler they beg to go fishing and the pond. We have to dodge the poison ivy a bit but luckily it doesn't seem anyone is very allergic to it.
Noah & Laurel are  both passing around a sore throat and cough but everyone I've talked to that has kids, seem to have the same thing. I think it's just the   seasonal transition thing.


Friday I leave for our Ladies Retreat with about 20 or so ladies from church. We always have a good time with each other and use the weekend to encourage each other. Your prayers are appreciated as I will be leading a session on Rahab. I love this story and will be sharing some thoughts on how God uses unlikely people to accomplish his purposes and not letting the baggage of the past hold us back in our relationships with others or the Lord. Rahab is such a beautiful story on how God can use anyone if the person has a willing and soft heart for the Lord!


Anyway, the last picture is of the car that is going on vacation. Laurel loaded it up and said the family was going to the beach. Yeah, she's been on a few vacations with us before! :) The car is loaded and it made me laugh :)