Go hug your kids and Thank God for them....

Since the kiddos were adopted at an "older" age, I really have virtually no information about them before they came to be in the care of Barbara Walker. At that time Katharine was 2years 10 months, Noah was 15 days, and Maddie from birth. Still, there isn't much information to give as they were with foster parents and I can't exactly contact them directly to find out what my kids were like before coming home. In reality, anything that happened before they ever came into contact with Barbara is basically inaccessible information. Can you think about how many times you have told your kids about "the day they were born?" That is a story we can not share around our house, not to any of the three, but the oldest is feeling the brunt of this missing information. As we were trying to do Language Arts this week I had to skip over many of the lessons as it was writing things that had to do with her "birth story." I could have changed it to the "coming into our family story" but my nerves got the best of me and I decided "sweeping it under the rug" was the best technique at the time.

All of this on the heels of getting translations back from a sweet young woman at our congregation. No we are not going through another adoption (yet), but we translated our kids Haitian homestudies. Much of the information I knew, some was still yet shocking to me. At any rate I cried and cried at the thought of my kiddos former life...and then cried and cried for the siblings they all have down there.....and then for the thought of their birthmoms who deal with this on a daily basis. Don't get me wrong, I love the Haitian people. It has amazed me to see things through Nerriils eyes...to have so little but to be praising the lord through everything...and to yet be more content than we find ourselves as Americans. While this goes through my mind,I shudder at the thought of "if my kids were still there."

Somethings that were mentioned were kids lives were referred to as timid, fearful, awkward, severe malnutrition, orange hair, poor, and unstable. *sigh* Sometimes you wish you could just take a big eraser and make it all go away.....but yet as adoptive parents we have been given the much more difficult task of teaching our children how to "recover" and pray that they grow in the understanding that it is all by the grace of God.


I have been really frustrated lately...kind of falling in a rut....gettin to be a lil' bit ornery.....I think this huge reminder of what my kids came from, and what I need to be, was in perfect timing.

So I am back to the land of the living.....

After a nice visit to the Dr yesterday I am feeling MUCH better. Basically I was told that most of my symptoms are from a viral infection but I also have chronic sinus infections so I ended up with an antibiotic and a nice dose of Phenergan...yummmmmmm (gag). I was told the phenergan would make me feel better than the antibiotic and I think he is probably right. I actually feel like living today and not floating in between some odd state of "Am I really here???Or am I just dreaming???" We started back to school today after being off for almost a week due to everyones illnesses and birthdays. It actually went pretty well.......and my daughter told me she could not perform at peak becuase *ahem* MOM*ahem* forgot to do her sensory exercises. Yeah ok...brand me.....believe me I did NOT do that on purpose as it could of ended up being punishment for ALL lol

Banana Splits for Breakfast!

Yep! You read that right:) I saw this in a magazine a couple weeks back (I wish I could remember which one it was to give them credit). We are always looking for new ideas for breakfast as having the same thing all the time becomes very boring lol.

Banana Split Breakfast

1 banana

yogurt

berries

cereal (about 1/4c)

Take your banana and split it in 1/2. Top with yogurt, berries of your choice and some crushed up cereal (we used some crushed up life). The kids loved it! I am not a yogurt person so I leave that out and it still tasted pretty yummy!

Noah is 6! Now pass the Nyquil....

It is a VERY good thing that the poor boy had a party last Saturday as Kyle and I have both been out of commission since. We didn't even go to assembly AT ALL on Sunday....which if you knew us...I can't recall the last time that EVER happened! I can probably count on one hand how many Sunday's we have both missed since we have been married and that was usually because be were traveling somewhere and ended up having the Lords supper ourselves as we were not able to locate a congregation. Kyle stayed in bed yesterday while I stayed on the couch. I was so glad we gave Noah his PlayStation on Saturday as the kids had a ball with it while we were down for the count lol. My back is killing me and my hearing is...um...going....


I ended up taking the kids to the movies this am as the free movie today was Firehouse dog and that is one of the kids favorites. Since it was Noah's birthday I let him pick if he wanted everyone to get candy, or a kids pack (I usually get a popcorn to split....but it was a special day so I figured I would splurge). Then the birthday boy was able to pick what he wanted for lunch and he picked Bob Evans (yeah!!! Can't beat $1.99 for a kids meal that includes a drink!). I had a lovely bowl of bean soup and a side salad. Little did I know that the blue cheese salad dressing had more calories in it than the salad and soup COMBINED! Oh well....

Noah has made cupcakes to take to dance tonight and Kyle went to go pick up a package of balloons...um yeah we are horrible parents. It is a TRADITION around our house for the birthday kiddo to wake up on the day of his/her birthday to find their room covered in balloons...this is the 1st time we missed it! We were both so sick that we completely forgot. I called Kyle on his lunch and reminded him...he said "oh no.........did he notice?" So needless to say papa is going to pick up a bunch of balloons when he gets off work and get them ready while the kids are at dance tonight...this way at least Noah can come HOME to a room full of balloons:)

We had a party at Chuck E. Cheese last Sat with a bunch of friends...as soon as my drugs cough medicine wears off I will try to get them loaded!

1st goal....MET!

Ok everyone...my 1st weight loss goal was a 27lb weight loss...there it is! 1st goal...MET! next goal is a total of 51 pounds....:) this one took me 2 1/2 months....hopefully in another 2 1/2 months I will be down to my NEXT goal! Another big goal I have is to lose 60 lbs (1/2 way to my goal weight) by my birthday (July 12). If I can keep going like this I think I might make it!

Middle name Meme

Connie had tagged me for this meme and I am passing it on t you!



Here are the Rules: Post the rules on your blog, and then give your answers. List one fact about yourself for each letter in your middle name. Each fact must begin with a letter from your middle name. If you do not have a middle name, use your maiden name(or create a middle name).Once you are tagged, update your blog with your middle name and your answers. At the end of your post, tag one person for each letter of you middle name. Leave them a comment on their blog telling them that they have been tagged, and that they need to come read your blog for details.



and my middle name is....Katharine...



K- kind......kind of odd...without a doubt



A-anal.....yes you read that right...I know that you find this hard to believe but I can be anal. I have a hard time overcoming the "there-is-only-one-way-to-do-things-and-that-would-be-my way" syndrome



T- thought provoking....



H- hard working- ok I will myself a pat on the back for this one...I think I work pretty hard on taking care of my family. next to God, they are my priority!



A-always learning something new....is there anyone out there with kids that are NOT taught something new about themselves each and every day???



R- ready for a date night with my husband...it has been very long time since we have had time for just the two of us...I am very much looking forward to the next one!



I- In need of a Savior!



N-Needful (ok is that really a word?) I need the people around me, my God, my husband, my kids, my friends and family.



E-Ever so thankful for what the Lord our God has done for us!



Ok so now I tag:



Terri

Lori

Michele

Melissa

Amanda

Brittan

WMFW- "lighter" french toast sticks

One of the favorites around our house is French toast. However.....due to the "dietary change"...I am no longer allowed the "higher calorie" version lol. Here is what we have come up with to try and salvage one of our favorite breakfasts!

*Flour, white, 2 cup

Salt, 1/2 tsp

Cream of tartar, 1/2 tsp

Granulated Sugar, 2T

Baking Powder, 4 tsp

Applesauce, unsweetened, 1/2 cup

Milk, nonfat, .2/3c

Cinnamon sugar

spray oil

Fat: 0.6g
Carbohydrates: 48.7g
Calories:226.0
Protein: 6.3g
Mix together all ingredients. Knead the dough on a lightly foured surface for about 1 minute. Roll into a rectangle about 8X8 (or bigger if you like yours thinner). On a cookie sheet, spray with oil and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Place dough on cookie sheet and then spray with oil and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Use a pizza cutter to cut into 24 "sticks." Bake for 15 minutes and serve with your favorite toppings :)

Number of Servings: 5

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user AKCASWELL.

Head on over to Shannon's and see what else is going on!

Noah pouring the flour
Katharine pouring the applesauce

The finished product...and Maddie's finger in the background licking up the cinnamon sugar LOL

The future of our nation is scary...

As the kids are feverishly trying to get their chores done this morning, Noah (5, soon to be 6) came out to me and was VERY upset. He was acting very scared as if he had done something wrong to get into trouble.....

Noah: "MOM????"

Me: "Yes????"

Noah: "There is something wrong with the vacuum?!?!"

Me: "What do you mean something is wrong??"

Noah: "I can't even get it to turn ON!!!"

after evaluating the situation for a moment....

Me: "Try plugging it in first............."

Guess what I did today?

I made reservations for our vacation!!!! Several years ago when we went to Myrtle beach with Lori and Spike we bought a trial of a timeshare. That has now been paid in full and we are ready to use it! Actually we have to use it by Christmas or we loose it. I called today and made the reservations for the 6th-13th of September this year. Since it is a trial there were only certain weeks we could use it, and unless we used it by Mid may this year we would have to wait until Sept 6. Being as we have so much going on the next few months (Noahs birthday this weekend, Ladies Advance and Standing for the truth weekends in March, Homeschool convention in April, then several camping trips already scheduled in May as well as a car show-a possible mothers day banquet-and possible birthday parties, then Maddies birthday and the Good Guys weekend in June) planning for a week to Myrtle beach anytime in the next few months would almost be like WORK. Not to mention we are BEACH PEOPLE and we want some NICE, WARM water to swim in LOL. We are hoping to be able to head back to The Dixie Stampeede or Medivial Times Castke for a night show- but if we go these will have to be purchased in advance...if not..oh well :). We are hoping for a little more "frugal" vacation so as to still go and enjoy ourselves, but yet still work extra hard on paying things off so Kyle can be home with us working instead of off at the factory. We are hoping to spend breakfast and lunch around the condo (or packed) and then do dinner somewhere (most nights....if I can find a good deal on seafood I would SO be into cooking a great seafood meal at the condo!)...I even got my Myrtle Beach vacation planner in the mail today...off to go look at it!!!

3 more pounds gone!

Ok so it has taken me a while to get these 3 pounds off.....after hitting a stationary point and then off the to Haitian family weekend I was VERY glad to see a loss of 3 pounds on the scale this am!only 3 more pounds until I hit my 1st goal! Yeah! Go me!

Public schools are evil...just plain ol evil I tell ya....

Today was SUPPOSED to be a snow day......today Kyle is home from work....Today EVERYONE gets to sleep in....except Katharine and myself....the 2 in this house that need our *beauty* sleep.....Due to a SNOW MAKE UP DAY we have to get up at the crack of dawn and head into school with not-so -fresh smiles on our faces. How much of tease is that? Ok you get to have this day off to sleep in and not worry about school.... JUST KIDDING! HAHA...sorry that's just cruel and unusual punishment. Then let's talk about what it does to the kids.......

I love this!

I am not sure who came up with this.....but it is SO true and very "inline" with the KONOS way of teaching!

I tried to teach my child with books,

He gave me only puzzled looks.

I tried to teach my child with words -

They often passed him by, unheard.

Despairingly, I turned aside,

'How shall I teach this child?' I cried!

Into my hand he put the key -

'Come', he said, 'and play with me.' "

Valentines day!

Our traditional Valentines day feast is a night of Fondue! The kids always have a great time except for the "kissing" part lol (our rule is that if you lose your food in the pot, you have to kiss the person to your left). Unfortunately the kids forgot about this and Noah and Katharine sat next to each other...they had to kiss several times and they were just AMUZED lol

Noah and Sissy after they had to kiss

Oh yum....the food...

And more food.....

Noah ever so proud

Maddie singing...she is always too busy flapping her jaws to eat

Katharine stabbing her food....It's dead honey! I promise!

Maddie and papa

Adoptive parents...get ready to cry....

I stole this off Lori's blog, but since I am giving her credit I don't think she will mind!

- YOU KNOW YOU'RE AN ADOPTIVE PARENT IF... -

1. The fact that there are 143 million children
without a parent to kiss them goodnight has made you lose sleep.

2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love & family.
3. You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing.

4. The fact that, if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child
there would be no orphans in the world, is convicting to you.

5. You spend free time surfing blogs about families
who've experienced the blessing of adoption.

6. It drives you crazy when people ask you
about adopted child's "real" parents.

7. You've been "pregnant" with your adoptive child longer
than it takes an elephant to give birth.(2 years!)

8. You'd no idea how you'd afford to adopt,
but stepped out in faith anyway, knowing He'd provide. (& He does!)

9. You've taken an airplane half-way around the world
with a child you just met.

10. You believe God's heart's for adoption.

11. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart & family
is one of the most important legacies you could ever leave on this earth.

12. You know what the word "Dossier" means
& you can actually pronounce it correctly!

13. You've welcomed a social worker into
the most private parts of your life.

14. You shudder when people say your child's so lucky that you adopted them,
knowing full well you're the blessed one to have him or her in your life.

We're BACK!

And we had a BLAST! The hotel was WONDERFUL and the kids had such a GREAT time swimming at the Buccaneer Bay! As always we love meeting up with our old friends and meeting new ones. It is always such a joy to see these wonderful children who have been brought home to their forever families! Of course, our kids and the Shepler crew were inseparable! They also made some new friends and Katharine and Noah were able to spend some time with their biological cousin. too neat!

Katharine being her usual goofy self!

Handsome Noah!

The men having a conference on "How to remove a parachute man from an overly large treasure chest"

Ruby's thinking "you're lips are moving but all I hear is blah, blah blah"

Yep here we are again

The weekends "siamese twins"

Maddie giving some kid what-for....Ruby along for the ride lol

This picture was taken just before the above....some kid was squirting them with water guns

Noah, Kiara, Katharine...is something wrong Kiara????

My darling katharine

The "girl" train lol

Has it been a week???

Ok sooooooooo sorry! I can not believe it has been a week since my last post! Things have been rather crazy around here. We ended up with Noah sick, then Maddie had a nice case of the stomach flu.

On the financial side things are once again looking up. Kyle was called by a boat shop here in town to come and give several estimates for boats. As of last week, 2 have commited to having the work done and he is picking one up today. It is getting crazy out there as he currently has 4 cars to work on (all of them here) and now this boat coming home today.

Also we are coming up to the end of our school year so we are all getting pretty antsy around here! SIX MORE WEEKS AND WE ARE DONE!! WHOO-HOO!!!! OK yeah..and um I am sure the kids will be excited too LOL. Honestly though...this is the time of year I enjoy...I begin planning for the following year and get all excited to go out and buy new curriculum. I love the excitement of "new" books and materials. I guess I am just a nerd, geek, freak mom who gets too excited over new school books! This year we are not ordering any of our books. We are getting to go to the homeschool convention in Indianapolis where we will buy all of our curriculum. I am also excited that Kyle gets to go with me. I have been praying that he would feel a little more "desire" to be involved in the kids education. He was actually the one who looked at the guest speakers at the conferance and decided what he wanted to go to. One real blessing is that there will be one speaker speaking about SID and homeschooling...something we BOTH need to listen to! Also...we will be dumping the kids for the weekend. Yep thats right. No kids. They will be staying with Spike and Lori for that weekend. I know they all will a blast! It will be good for Kyle and I to actually have a weekend to ourselves! The kids have been home for almost 5 years and this will be our first time away for a whole weekend. I say all this in jest knowing that I am going to miss them like crazy.

And soooooooooo......we started packing tonight for the Haitian family camp............YAHOO!!!!!!!!! We are SOOOOOOOOO ready to head out...even if tis just for the night. We REALLY need to get away and meet up with friends...not just friends but friends whose families LOOK like ours. It is always nice to be the "norm"...even if its just for a couple days a year:). Also it is so good for the kids to see other families like theirs. Many don't really think that color matters....but thats easy to say when you are part of the "majority." My kids (at least my oldest) are costantly searching for people that look like them...and notice it right away. My oldest right now is gravitating towards everything that has a brown person in it.....the books she prefers to read have African characters in it, her dolls are black, she wanted me to get Tae-bo tapes because the leader (Billy Blanks) is Black, and she even wants to go to Chicago for her birthday to the American Girl store where she can get Addie, the African American doll. Also, she also has birth family that usually comes to the Haitian camp every year...hopefully we will see them there this year too!