Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

 

 

I didn't find the time to write a Christmas letter this year.  I still don't even have the cards done.  So I guess maybe this can be our Christmas letter!  :)

 

This last Sunday the children had their Christmas program at church.  It was a beautiful service and I was proud of the kids on how well they did not only on their speaking parts but their musical pieces they did.  Isaiah played his cello and the piano for the first time in church.  It took everything I had to not start crying.  It was beautiful listening to him play for God's glory.

 

Todd and I made the decision this weekend that the school year for our children was going to be done.  After Kendra's surgery, there are many things that just needed to be caught up on and this week seemed much better spent finishing up things at home and spending time with the kids just having fun compared to teaching.  So I'm officially on Christmas break!!!  :)
 

 

JERICA

Jerica wasn't too happy that I was going to post this picture because, "My hair is a mess!"  Typical teenager response.  But it's the only one I have of Sunday and I think she's beautiful, not only on the outside but incredibly beautiful on the inside.  So many people fret when their kids reach "teenager" status but Jerica has shown us that having a teen in the house is wonderful.  She's such a pleasant girl and just plain fun to be around.  She is a great helper with the younger children but an even greater help in the kitchen.  She loves to cook and bake.  Perhaps that's why were not the skinniest people on the block!  ;)  Jerica has loved taking a biology class this school year.  She spends every spare moment with her nose in her biology book.  How can we complain about that?? 

 

 

ARIANA

And now on to Ariana.  Ariana has blessed us so much.  I think back to the beginning and how she was not a fan of us and to see her today, is simply amazing.  She has the most beautiful personality.  She keeps the family calm.  Nothing seems to frazzle her and her siblings adore her.  She is a builder of anything.  Her mind is so sharp and in tune to all around her.  She attempted a goal of reading her bible every day last year, and she did it.  Even when life was crazy and we were traveling in China, she made it her top priority and read every single day.  We were so proud of her.  She started at the beginning and just the other day finished the entire bible.  Now she is starting over.  It's incredible to see the faith in this child.  God definitely has great plans for her!



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ALEXA

Oh, what can I say about this bundle of spunk?  She has kept us on our toes for the last 10 years but has kept us laughing each day.  She is the one that brings us to tears from her joking personality.  Her whole life revolves around singing!  The worst thing that could happen to Alexa would be laryngitis!   We're trying hard to get her into a musical.  Hopefully one of these days, she'll make it!   She is ALL girl and wants to be so grown up.   She spends WAY too much time in the bathroom doing her hair but takes pride in looking nice.

 

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ISAIAH

Isaiah, my little man has started a new adventure - WRESTLING!  He had the opportunity to participate and we thought we'd let him try it out and see if he likes it.  Well, there's no turning back now.  He LOVES it!  It's been a great workout for him and he's enjoyed hanging out with other boys.  He likes to be the oldest brother and to teach his little brothers the ropes.  I'm so happy that God saw to it that this little boy would be ours to teach, train, and enjoy!  He's blessed us beyond anything we could imagine!

 

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ELIJAH

That smile!  That's what Elijah is known for!  He brings us all to smile!  He has now become a fan of Josiah and thinks having a brother his age to play with is awesome.  Those two are 2 peas in a pod.  They can still fight and try to blame each other but overall, it's going well.  He likes to smother Kendra with lots of love and most of the time brings Kendra to tears because she wants to get away.  He loves her though....

Just can't imagine my life without this bundle of smiles in it!

 -

 

JOSIAH

This little man has changed SO much in the last 7 months.  We went from barely walking to running all around the backyard with 2 brothers that are fast and very athletic.  I guess once again, God knew what He was doing and what Josiah needed.  He's learning more and more English everyday.  We still can't understand him all the time but it will eventually come.  He's good at tattling though...

 

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KENDRA

And last but not least, the Kendra girl!  She is our second spunky daughter.  She has been doing so well lately with her palate fixed.  She is now eating blended food and is one happy girl.  She needed and wanted food!  Now the tricky part is trying to keep her from grabbing food and putting it in her mouth.  She no longer has to wear her arm braces so we have to really watch what she's doing.  For a 2 year old, she'd doing really well.  She LOVES her daddy more than anyone else but the rest of us will do when he's at work. 

 

 

And here's the WHOLE gang!  It's NOT easy to get a picture of everyone looking halfway decent!  Todd and I are extremely blessed by these kids that God has given us.  Sometimes when I look at them, I am in awe that this is my life and what we've been given.  We don't deserve these kids but God blessed us anyway.  It's a busy, noisy, crazy life, but it's ours and I wouldn't trade it for anything! 

So, from our family to yours, we wish you a very blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year!  God bless you all!

Kendra Update

I am happy to report that Kendra is recovering well.  That little fighter worked hard and got us out of the hospital after only 1 night!  She was simply amazing.   It was hard to say good bye to her that day...  She was in good hands but hard to put her through what she went through.

After 2 1/2 hours the surgery was completed and about 1 1/2 hours later we were reunited.  She looked rough but was awake when we saw her.  Her little eyes were taped shut during the procedure and when they took the tape off, it tore her skin so that made her look even worse.
The first 8 hours were the hardest on her and on us.  She could only make it about 2 hours and needed pain meds again.  Later that afternoon she started drinking, which was amazing and then she was able to switch off of morphine to a different pain medicine that lasted longer.  She had a restful night (until the nurse woke her up every 4 hours).  She spent most of the night in my lap but she seemed to be content and not in much pain.

The last few days have been tough.  She wants food so badly but can only drink for the next 2 weeks.  I can see why it would be beneficial to do this surgery earlier in life when they aren't as aware of food as she is at this age.  She walks around the house saying "I'm hungry" but refuses her drinks most of the time.  I'm hoping she realizes soon that she'll feel better if she drinks.  Today she drank the most.  Hoping tomorrow is even better.

Well, it's kind of crazy here right now and she's been crying most of the afternoon so sorry for the short post, but she needs me....  Honestly though, she prefers Daddy but he's not home so I'm second best!  :)

Kendra's Surgery

It's a real quick post but I wanted to let you all know that tomorrow (November 27th) at 8:00 am, Kendra will be undergoing surgery to fix her cleft palate.  She will be hospitalized at least 2 nights and then the surgeon will determine if she's well enough to go home.  Please pray for her.  The surgeon says it's a very painful surgery and the worst one she will go through.  She will also have braces on her arms so that she can't bend her elbows so she doesn't touch her mouth.  Please pray for us!  She's NOT going to be a very happy girl.  I am very thankful though that we are able to provide this surgery for her.  So as you are gathering around your Thanksgiving table enjoying family and friends, please remember Kendra in your prayers!  (Todd tells me that he's going to take granola bars along and shape them into turkeys for our Thanksgiving!!)  Ha ha!
I'll let you know how everything goes.  Thanks!

November = National Adoption Month and Thanksgiving

Happy November! 

Not sure where the days are going but they are going fast!  This month we are marking the 6th month anniversary of adopting Kendra and Josiah.  It does feel like a couple months have gone by but NOT 6!!  It is an amazing transformation to watch.  Taking 2 kids from a foreign country, that did not speak one word of English, and to see them 6 months later is AMAZING!  Kendra, bless her little heart, is trying SO hard to say so many words.  Unfortunately with her palate still not fixed, (I'll get to that later) she just can't form the sounds.  Josiah has turned a corner lately and is really speaking in sentences.  It's fun to listen to him form his short sentences and sometimes he has to stop to think about what word he wants to use.  It's cute!

 

In my last post I promised more family pictures so I'm finally adding them!  Here is a picture of the girls.  We were so excited to add another little girl to our mix.   She favors her daddy though so we don't always get the snuggles we want from her!  She truly does LOVE her daddy.  When we are together as a family she always wants him.  Yep, a Daddy's Little Girl!  And when she's really naughty, I'm OK with that!  ;)

 

  

 I don't know what I would do if I didn't have my big girls.  They have a been a HUGE blessing to us. 

So here's the news on Kendra.  She was scheduled to have her palate repaired on Oct. 16th but unfortunately she came down with a cough.  The anesthesiologist will not put her under with any respiratory issues.  My mom was already at our house to help with the kids while we were to be in the hospital so we ended up sending her home early and rebooking another flight for her to return this month.  The plan is to have surgery on Nov. 27th, yep, the day before Thanksgiving.  Most people feel bad for us but we actually asked if that was a possibility and it was.  We normally don't travel for Thanksgiving because it is so close to Christmas so we're home.  Todd would have off Thurs and Fri so he wouldn't be away from work much for this.  So, it just worked out well for us.  Now the key is to try to keep her healthy.  We've been staying home as much as possible and when we do have to take her out, we put her in a stroller so she's not touching as many germs.  I feel like a germaphobic right now but I really don't want to have to reschedule again.  Please pray for Kendra, after her surgery she will have splints put on her arms so that she can't bend her elbows.  They do not want her touching her mouth.  She is going to be miserable!  (And we might be too!!)

She will be on a very restricted diet for 2 weeks (liquid) and then very soft foods for 2 more.  No Christmas cookies for this little one!  :(

 

 

So now we need to talk about National Adoption Month!  It is my prayer that somehow, somewhere, someone reading this will open their heart to adoption.  I just can't even begin to tell you the joys of adding another child to the family.  These kids are so special to us.  Some came from harder places than others but bottom line is they ALL needed a family!  Is it hard?  YES!  Is it worth it? YES!  YES!   Just look at this picture below, they all are smiling, laughing, and enjoying life.  Many of them would not be doing that in their former situations.  We were able to see 2 orphanages throughout the years and they both were "nice," (for an orphanage) but NOTHING replaces the joy and happiness of having a HOME, with parents, with siblings, and with lots of love!  NOTHING!!  So until my dying day, I will encourage others to open their hearts and their homes.  You will be blessed beyond anything you could ever imagine.

Today, I received this text from my sister - "Just found out that November is National Adoption Month....Happy adoption month 7 times.  :)"

It first brought tears to my eyes.  WOW!  We really have done this 7 times?  Yep!  If I had to do it all over again, I'd do it again.  7 children have a home, 7 children have a set of parents that love each other and show their kids that they love each other, and how they should love their spouse some day, 7 children have brothers and sisters to love on, play with, laugh with, cry with, and enjoy life with, and 7 children are hearing the word of God every single day.  Incredible!  I'm humbled that God would give us this privilege and honor to do what we are doing.

I love this man with all my being!  He has always been by my side during these past 22 years and is crazy enough to listen to me when I would say, "I think we should adopt again!"  He has put the needs of these children before anything else.  We have invested so much in adopting these kids.  As much fun as "toys" (boat, vacation home, cars, etc) would be, we have chosen the kids instead.  I'm thankful for a husband that sees the eternal difference we make compared to just "having fun with things."   I can't take any material object with me to heaven but I can make an eternal difference and show my kids the way to heaven and enjoy them for eternity.  I'm not trying to offend anyone that has those things,  because someday maybe we'll have the extra funds to do that too, but for now, we've chosen to add children to our family instead.

 

God has truly blessed us with each other and it's been so fun to run this race of life together.  I pray God gives us many more years together to watch this amazing group of kids grow up!

 

Thanksgiving! 

Yes, as we think about being thankful because it's that month to think about it, I just can't help but smile at this picture and be thankful that those crazy kids running around us, are ours!   My thankful list could go on forever but since it's late and I have 7 kids to run around after tomorrow, I better not list them all.  :)

So, until next time, pray for families to step up and open their homes to orphans, pray for churches to step up and be an advocate for orphans, help out families that have adopted or are in the process, tell others about it, just do SOMETHING because my house is getting kind of full, and my husband is saying no more!  ;) 

(He said that after Alexa's adoption too!) Hehehehe!!

Family Picture Day!!

Last Friday we had our family picture taken.  Luckily the lady who took our pictures was up to the task of trying to catch all 9 of us smiling at the same time.  It worked, some of the time!!  Kendra of course was being her usual self and lasted about 3 minutes and then decided that it's much more fun to run around than pose for pictures.  We did get some good ones captured and I feel so far ahead of the game since I really wanted the pictures for Christmas cards!

 

This is my favorite!

Now what are the chances we'd have 9 people in our family and have 9 letters in our last name???

It was no easy task to get Kendra to sit still and actually hold her letter but somehow she captured her at the perfect time.

 

 

This one melts my heart!  Elijah adores Kendra and this photo just captures that for me. 

 

 

 

 

I really like this one too!  When I think back over 22 years ago when we first got married, I would NEVER have thought that we would have 7 children.  I never had thought much about adoption either.  Now fast forward to my life in 2013 and there is NO way I would want it any different.  We have been able to make an eternal difference in the lives of 7 children.  That is such a huge responsibility but even a greater blessing.  These kids were made for us and they truly are our "Happily Ever After!"

 

 

(More photos to come, it's just getting too late for this tired mama!!)

 

 





Kendra turns 2!!

On September 15th, Kendra Grace turned 2 years old!  (Yeah, I know I'm behind a good week but better late than never!)  We didn't have a huge party, just celebrated together as a family.  She had no idea what was going on but enjoyed the new adventure of opening presents.  She "sang" along with us the entire time we sang Happy Birthday to her!  Cute as ever.

 

 

 

It is simply amazing that God put these beautiful children in our lives.  We've been blessed beyond anything we could have ever dreamed. 

 

 



 She looks a bit concerned about the fire!  She needed help blowing out the candles because she actually can't blow.  With an open palate, blowing is not an option!  Soon baby girl, real soon you're going to be able to do it!  Maybe we should celebrate after her palate is fixed and when she learns how to blow, then we'll bake a cake just so she can blow out candles! 

(Nice excuse for baking a cake, huh?)

 

Kendra's favorite toy is a "may may"  (her way of saying baby)!  I just love the way she's looking at the baby.  Happy Birthday sweetie!

 

 

Scoliosis Appt:

 

Today Alexa and I took Kendra to Children's Mercy in Kansas City for her appointment with the pediatric orthopedic.  We are happy to announce that she does NOT have scoliosis.  She has one vertebrate that is abnormal but the dr is not concerned about it at all.  She shouldn't have any issues with it during her life.  Wow!  God has been so gracious to us and has given us a much lighter load of medical issues with both children than we expected.  Praise the Lord!

 

 

 

THE BIG GIRLS!

 

 Just had to share some pictures of the big girls with you.  (Well, to be honest, Jerica has been taking all the pictures lately so I get what's on her camera!  I need to get mine out and take more....)

 

We had family pictures taken last Friday so the girls all got haircuts.  Alexa decided she wanted bangs.  I think she looks very pretty! 

 

 And this picture, well it makes me kind of sad.  Jerica is so grown up.  She's not my little girl anymore :( but I love the young lady she's turning into!

Oh, why does the time have to go SO fast??

Jerica has been very busy lately with volleyball and biology.  (She LOVES them both) 

 

And Ariana is as beautiful as ever (inside and out).  She loves her little siblings a ton and will do ANYTHING for them. 

 

Next post I guess will have to be about the boys!  They are still here, feisty as ever!  ;) 

 

Overall, the kids are doing wonderfully.  We've been back to schoolwork for about 8 weeks now and everyone has adjusted pretty well to the new schedule.  Since the weather is nice, it really helps to have the little ones outside and I either do school in the kitchen or the back deck.  Not sure what I'm going to do once the weather gets cold!!  (I need a gym!)

 

English is coming along slowly but surely.  Crazy part is, Josiah can say "I beat you" to his brothers while racing to get dressed but can't say, "milk, please!"  Just goes to show you what's important in his life - Beating his brothers at whatever activity possible!  :)

Trust me, there's never a dull moment around here!

 

 

 

Finally, catching up!!

Most of you probably think we left the US again since it's been pretty quiet here on the blog.  But no, we're still here pluggin' away!

 

I'm playing catch up for you so here's a picture of Kendra and Josiah's first 4th of July!

Our original plan was to spend it here in KS but Todd's uncle passed away and we made a trip to WI for the funeral.  So our families got to meet the kids before originally planned!  They were not sad about that one bit.

 

 

At the beginning of August Todd's family spent the weekend together in Warrens, WI for our Christmas present from his mother.  Resting around the campfire was a nice needed break. 

 

On the way home from Warrens, we made a stop in Baraboo to see the Circus World Museum.  The entire walk to the entrance had these rocks and the boys had to climb almost every single one.  Even Josiah tried to climb them.  He has gotten so much more willing to run, climb, and explore since being home with his brothers.  Isaiah and Elijah are not easy to keep up with but Josiah sure does give it his all!

 

Our Animals....

 

Elijah continues to adore Kendra.  He's always wanting to walk with her and hold her hand.

 

Cousin Time!

These 3 girls were all 10 years old for about a month and a half,  so we had to get a "10 year old" picture before Ariana's birthday.

 

After our Warren's trip, we spent a few days at my mom's house while Todd was doing some work.  The kids absolutely love exploring the land at her house.  We usually don't see much of them while we are there.  They are on the golf carts, in the pond catching frogs, tadpoles, fish, or anything they find.  The memories they are making are priceless.

 

Josiah has discovered that popsicles are pretty tasty!

 

Thanks big cousin, Aaron, for the awesome ball!

 

 

We celebrated Ariana's birthday a tad early with family!

 

 

Isaiah went fishing in the pond with no bait.  I thought it would keep him busy for a while but surprisingly he caught a frog.  He was one HAPPY boy!



School Starts!!!

 

 

I'll be honest, I was a bit apprehensive to begin this school year.  Trying to get everyone educated and to keep the 3 little ones occupied had me a bit nervous.  Our days are extremely filled to the top but we're doing it.  The girls have been helpful by taking turns playing with the "Littles" and that has helped give me some individual time with the others.  

Well, that's it for this post.  Everybody is up from their naps and everyone is demanding "mom" time.  Hope it's not another month before you hear from us, but it just might be.  ;)

Confirmation/Baptisms

Last Sunday, July 14th, Jerica was confirmed and Josiah and Kendra were baptized.  It was a special day for our family. 

 

Jerica has such a strong faith,  I only wish I would have known what she knows at 14.  She is such a lovely young lady.  I pray she continues to strengthen her faith each and every day. 

 

 

Jerica with her grandmas

 

 

We have such comfort now knowing Josiah and Kendra are baptized children of God. 

With Kendra having surgery in a couple months, it gives us lots of relief and comfort knowing she's a child of God!

 We are very thankful that Tracy and Tricia, and Travis and Amanda were willing to sponsor these 2 children and to keep them in their prayers. 

 

 

 

Some of our family members were able to make the long trip to KS last weekend.  It was so much fun to have everyone here.  There were lots of laughs and giggles!  Thanks everyone for taking the time and effort to celebrate with our family!

 

Thanks to my friend, Beth, for making the most delicious cake!!

We enjoyed the afternoon with many of our church friends and had a Chinese dinner to celebrate!  The weather cooperated and it was so nice.  Thanks everyone for all your prayers and support as we raise these children for Him!!