Holy Family Academy

More birthday pictures

2010-02-12T20:25:00.001-05:00

Hannah turns 5!!!

2010-02-10T19:30:00.001-05:00

Dear Hannah,

Happy birthday my beautiful daughter. I can't believe you're already 5! Where has the time gone? You've brought so much joy and laughter to our lives. Your smile brightens my every day. We are so thankful God brought you to our family. I hope you've had a wonderful 5th birthday! WE LOVE YOU!!! I had a hard time finding a picture of Hannah by herself. Her little shadow, Rachel, is always by her side. And Clara, Robby, Lyndsey and all the rest of the Witmers we miss you so much!!!

My poor neglected blog...

2010-01-21T19:58:00.000-05:00

Obviously I haven't paid much attention to my blog in a long time. I'm trying to figure out how to add book images and other things on here. I just added what the boys are using for school this year. It still doesn't look like I want it to but it's good enough for now.

I'll be back soon to post pictures my homekeeping binders I spent the month of December revamping. They're working very well and keeping me much more organized!

I also want to do a year in review. I've got some great pics of the move and our new house!

See you soon!

Ray's retirement

2009-06-22T16:52:00.001-04:00

Attached are some pictures of Ray's retirement ceremony last Friday. Words cannot begin to express how proud the kids and I were to stand by his side on this momentous day. Serving your country for more than 25 years is much more than just an accomplishment. I wish you all could have been here to see your son/brother/cousin/friend honored by his country, friends and fellow Air Force men and women.

Ray ended his speech with a prayer he wrote. It is truly from his heart and the tears just flow all over again each time I read it.

Joshua wrote a very emotional and personal letter to his dad which he read aloud for everyone. Needless to say, there wasn't a dry eye in the room when he finished.

Leaving the Air Force is proving to be much more difficult than we expected. It's the only way of life we've known for our 25 years of marriage. Leaving Spokane is just as hard. I'm sure we'll all find our way as we begin this next chapter but for now it's an extremely bitter-sweet time.

Dress-up anyone?

2009-05-11T18:19:00.001-04:00

This is for one of the ladies on the 4REAL boards! This is our dress up clothes organization. Excuse the pipe coming out of the wall....we live in base housing and the basement is unfinished.

Rachel part 7

2009-03-22T18:00:00.000-04:00

This is our local Chinese New Year celebration and the girls making banana bread. The last one is of Rachel taken just today. I also included a picture of what it looks like in DeSheng, China where she is from and a picture of the orphanage where she lived for a short time. That is actually someone's house in the picture. The one with the red gate is the orphanage. I'm so grateful she lived most of her life in a foster home with people who truly loved and cared for her. I can only imagine the life she would have had if we had not brought her home. That thought just breaks my heart.

If you look at the first picture I posted when the nanny placed her in my arms to this last picture, I'm sure you'll be as amazed as I am at this precious little girl and the transformation she's taken. Oh, we are mighty blessed by our Father in heaven. Mighty blessed.

Rachel part 6

2009-03-22T17:58:00.000-04:00

Visiting the pumpkin patch and Christmas!

Rachel part 5

2009-03-22T17:55:00.000-04:00

Rachel's cleft palate and then happier times....2nd birthday!!

Rachel part 4

2009-03-22T17:49:00.000-04:00

I think she is fitting in quite well, don't you?

Rachel part 3

2009-03-22T17:47:00.001-04:00

This is Rachel being so silly in the hotel room back in Guangzhou. We had only had her 5 days!

Rachel part 2

2009-03-22T17:44:00.001-04:00

These are pictures of us on the official adoption day and just playing in the hotel in Nanning.

One year ago today.....

2009-03-22T10:58:00.000-04:00

we were standing in a room in the Civil Affairs office in Nanning, China. I was so nervous I thought I was going to throw-up! Hannah was running around the room with the children of the other waiting families, oblivious to what was about to happen to her world and ours. Josh and Jake were half a world away staying with my sister in Virginia. They stayed up very late anxiously waiting by the computer for us to send pictures via our blog of their newest little sister.

After what seemed like eternity, the orphanage director and nanny walked in with Rachel and 2 other children from DeSheng, China. My heart nearly stopped beating and time stood still. I couldn't keep my eyes off her and my arms ached to hold her. She was so tiny and so beautiful.

We were the last family to be introduced to our new daughter. When the nanny handed Rachel to me, the look of fear on her face still makes me cry. I wanted her to know she would be okay, that we loved her so much already, that she had a big sister and 2 big brothers who couldn't wait to share life with her but of course we couldn't communicate yet. She began to cry. Loud and hysterically. Oh, my heart ached for her. So much fear and confusion. Too much and too many times for such a little girl.

We finished the necessary paperwork and headed back to our hotel room. She finally calmed down and fell asleep on my lap on the bus. It was so sweet to just hold her. My tears began to flow then. I had to hold it together until she was asleep so I wouldn't scare her more. That was an incredible feat to be sure.

Back at the hotel I fed her a bottle and she played with Hannah and all the toys we brought with us. She didn't cry anymore but was very quiet, just taking it all in. Our guide came in to do more paperwork and we were left alone for the rest of the afternoon. She was amazing! She played, laughed and just settled right in with us. I know Hannah helped so much with Rachel's adjustment. She loves being the big sister and trying to be a "mommy" as well.

At bedtime we bathed her and fed her another bottle and laid her in her crib. We gave her a wash cloth to suck on. We had learned that from our first night with Hannah. She fell right to sleep without a sound and slept all night. The next morning we woke up and just laid in bed waiting to see what would happen when she woke up. We heard her stirring and she very slowly got on her knees and peeked over the side of her crib. Heaven knows what she was thinking. Probably, "it still these people and who in the world are they anyway!" When she saw us she very quietly and timidly reached for us to pick her up. Trust was beginning.

This past year has flown by. She has changed and grown so much. She's still a petite little girl but she has the biggest smile. Our lives have been incredibly sweeter with her in it. Enjoy some pictures of her first year with us. FYI: There are 7 total posts with pictures since Blogger will only allow 5 pictures per post.

Wash Day

2009-02-11T10:27:00.000-05:00

Monday Wash Day
Lord, help me wash away all my selfishness and
Vanity, so I may serve you with perfect humility
Through the week ahead.

Tuesday Ironing Day
Dear Lord, help me iron out all the wrinkles
Of prejudice I have collected through the years
So that I may see the beauty in others.

Wednesday Mending Day
Oh God, help me mend my ways so I will not
Set a bad example for others.

Thursday Cleaning Day
Lord Jesus, help me to dust out all the many faults
I have been hiding in the secret corners of my heart.

Friday Shopping Day
Oh God, give me the grace to shop wisely so I may purchase eternal happiness for myself and all others in need of love.

Saturday Cooking Day
Help me, my Savior, to brew a big kettle of brotherly
Love and serve it with clean, sweet bread of human kindness.

Sunday The Lord's Day
Oh God, I have prepared my house for you. Please
Come into my heart so I may spend the day and the
rest of my life in your presence.

Round 2

2009-02-04T14:15:00.000-05:00

No other comment except that we're apparently on round 2 of whatever this "bug" is. I guess it can be worse.

Climbing out...

2009-02-03T18:31:00.000-05:00

at least I think. We're starting to feel better and seeing the light of day again. So far 4 of the 6 of us had the flu and now I've got a sinus cold. Yuck. Helloooo, February. I'm just sure Spring is right around the corner no matter what "Phil" the groundhog says!

Our week didn't start out really great though despite the departure of the flu. I visited the doctor for my irregular heartbeat thing and am being sent back downtown to the cardiologist. Fun....not.

Ray went to the Orthopedic Surgeon today and needs surgery on his left shoulder. He just had the right shoulder done 3 years ago. His surgery is February 25 and he'll be down and out for about 4 weeks. That day is Ash Wednesday. A good day if one has to go under the knife I suppose. At least we get to have him home with us for a good long time.

I'm sure it will get better and it can always be worse, right?

UGH!!

2009-02-01T20:15:00.000-05:00

We have the flu here and we're dropping like flies. I'm afraid Ray is next. He's not looking too good right now. I haven't even gotten the mail in 4 days and my washing machine is running overtime. Please send prayers!

It's happening already

2009-01-24T12:26:00.000-05:00

These two articles are exactly why having Obama as president is so scary and so incredibly sad. God help us all...this is just the beginning. I don't find it at all surprising that he submitted this on the EXACT day the March for Life was taking place on the mall in Washington D.C. We plan to attend this March every year when we move this summer until this horrible act is erased from our society. KEEP PRAYING!!! Never give up!!! And hug your babies.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/23/obama.abortion/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/11/obama.executive.orders/index.html#cnnSTCText

We have success!!!

2009-01-21T17:32:00.000-05:00

Today while the boys were at Taekwondo, I took the girls to Target (our usual routine). I decided to buy Rachel a new potty chair just to introduce her to it; nothing serious. So we come home, have lunch and get ready for naps.

Hannah is so excited about this chair for Rachel that she is insisting Rachel give it a try. Okay, I say, just for fun. Rachel is equally excited and starts taking her clothes off in the living room. I get her into the bathroom and take off her diaper and she sits down, grinning from ear to ear. She's just sitting there smiling and I ask her if she's done and wants to get up. She says no, still smiling, and continues to sit. I leave the room to do some lunch dishes and Jake comes in the kitchen. "Mom," he says, "I think Rachel went potty." I tell him no way, she's just playing. Imagine my shock and surprise to go in and find she has, in deed, gone potty! Both!!!

I'm sure this will not be the norm but it was amazing just the same. I don't know who was more excited, me or Hannah!

Farewell George W. Bush...

2009-01-18T21:09:00.001-05:00

National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2009

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

All human life is a gift from our Creator that is sacred, unique, and worthy of protection. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, our country recognizes that each person, including every person waiting to be born, has a special place and purpose in this world. We also underscore our dedication to heeding this message of conscience by speaking up for the weak and voiceless among us.

The most basic duty of government is to protect the life of the innocent. My Administration has been committed to building a culture of life by vigorously promoting adoption and parental notification laws, opposing Federal funding for abortions overseas, encouraging teen abstinence, and funding crisis pregnancy programs. In 2002, I was honored to sign into law the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which extends legal protection to children who survive an abortion attempt. I signed legislation in 2003 to ban the cruel practice of partial-birth abortion, and that law represents our commitment to building a culture of life in America. Also, I was proud to sign the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004, which allows authorities to charge a person who causes death or injury to a child in the womb with a separate offense in addition to any charges relating to the mother.

America is a caring Nation, and our values should guide us as we harness the gifts of science. In our zeal for new treatments and cures, we must never abandon our fundamental morals. We can achieve the great breakthroughs we all seek with reverence for the gift of life.

The sanctity of life is written in the hearts of all men and women. On this day and throughout the year, we aspire to build a society in which every child is welcome in life and protected in law. We also encourage more of our fellow Americans to join our just and noble cause. History tells us that with a cause rooted in our deepest principles and appealing to the best instincts of our citizens, we will prevail.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 18, 2009, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call upon all Americans to recognize this day with appropriate ceremonies and to underscore our commitment to respecting and protecting the life and dignity of every human being.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

~~What a beautiful last act from a great president. I may not have always agreed with everything he's done or said, but at least he stood for LIFE!

Please pray for our country and especially our next president that he, too, may come to believe in the importance of LIFE.

A couple of prayer requests

2009-01-16T18:01:00.001-05:00

We've had some terrible fog here lately. It's been bad in ALL 6 winters we've spent here, but this seems to be the worst. I actually bought a light box last year to get some light therapy in the winter. It's incredibly depressing. Anyway, today the fog is freezing heavily on the power lines and there are many power outages. Thankfully, we live on base and haven't lost any power. Love those generators! Makes me grateful we live where we do. The town where the base is and some neighboring towns don't have power and it's really cold today. Please pray the power is restored very soon.

Also, I've been having an irregular heartbeat thing lately. I was diagnosed a few years ago with PVC's (premature ventricular contractions) but haven't had much trouble until the past week and a half. Please pray my heart would stop doing this and that all would be okay. It's kind of scary.

Thanks!

I'll post pictures of the fog as soon as Ray gets them off my camera! I'm so NOT computer savy!

After playing in the snow...

2009-01-11T17:28:00.000-05:00

you have to have hot chocolate! It's a must. Check out those red cheeks on Hannah!

Correction: We had 72 inches of snow. That's too much for me!

More snow

2009-01-10T17:26:00.000-05:00

Crazy snow amounts here!!!

2009-01-10T17:17:00.000-05:00

Okay, enough with the snow already. In December we had over 5 feet of snow. 5 FEET! That's crazy. I have to say I'm looking forward to not having so much snow to deal with when we move next summer to Virginia. I do love the change of seasons, but this is too much! It's even deeper today.

Guess what...another 2 part post!

Christmas continued

2009-01-09T17:15:00.000-05:00

Christmas

2009-01-09T17:06:00.000-05:00

Our Christmas was wonderful. The best gift was having Rachel home. When we hung her stocking this year, my heart was at peace knowing she would actually get to open it with us the next morning. Like I said on Thanksgiving, we're so looking forward to sharing it with family next year! 2 part post again!

Yesterday was a day...

2009-01-07T10:28:00.000-05:00

We've had record snowfall here in Washington and now it's raining. That means lots of flooding. All the ice and snow that was on the roads is now a river.

Last night the boys had CYT class and we had planned on taking the girls to the mall and doing a little window shopping, feeding them dinner and generally just staying warm and dry. That's unfortunately not how it turned out. We needed gas in the van so we headed to Costco. Our van got stuck in the large chunks of ice in the parking lot! It took Ray and 2 other guys (angels sent to help us!) almost 30 minutes to get us out! Needless to say, Ray was drenched after that and needed some dry clothes so off to Walmart we went. What a pain! Did I mention how much we're looking forward to living in Virginia? I'll take a few inches of snow now and then over this anyday! I'm discovering I'm not very fond of winter.

Oh, and the snowblower broke yesterday, too. Please pray we can get it fixed soon. There's no telling how much more of this weather we're going to have before winter is over.

More cookie pics

2009-01-05T17:03:00.001-05:00

We also managed a visit with Santa! Doesn't Rachel looked thrilled!

Still catching up

2009-01-05T16:53:00.000-05:00

We literally had one day to do all our Christmas cookie baking this year. Being so busy with CYT for the boys and getting ready for our trip to Ohio 2 days after the show ended, left us with just ONE day to bake. I have to admit it wasn't very festive. It was rather hurried but we managed to have some laughs and of course, eat lots of cookies! This will have to be a 2 part post as blogger only lets me post 5 pictures at a time.

Back to school....

2009-01-05T13:08:00.000-05:00

Our break was wonderful but today we're back to school (even though school is cancelled for all the public school kids due to yet ANOTHER snow storm). I forgot how difficult it was to school with a 2 year old in the house. Or maybe I blocked it out on purpose!

This picture was taken in December, but trust me, she was at it again today, only this time she wrote on the TV screen with crayon as well! Good thing she's so cute.

School girls

2008-12-30T12:20:00.001-05:00

We start 'em early here!

Thanksgiving

2008-12-30T12:12:00.001-05:00

We celebrated our last Thanksgiving in Washington. Next year (and every year after!) we'll be celebrating with family. That sounds so wonderful! We've waited a long time for that.

Of course, the girls had more fun playing in the Christmas tree box than putting up the tree after dinner!

Family Pictures

2008-12-30T11:53:00.000-05:00

We have new pictures taken of the kids in November. We hadn't done school pictures of the boys yet and Rachel had just turned 2 in October. We are simply amazed God has given us these children to raise for Him....simply amazed.

Taekwondo

2008-12-30T11:44:00.001-05:00

The boys tested for their next belt in Taekwondo in November and passed! They had to break TWO boards this time with their hands. Incredible! One more until they're black belts!

This is some pics of them and the boards they broke. We have some other great shots of them but they're too blurry. I'm not very good at action shots and they were moving way too fast!

Retro-blogging

2008-12-30T11:34:00.000-05:00

Life has been crazy here since the last time I posted. The boys were in a play with Christian Youth Theater and it took up most of our time. Two days after the show ended we flew to Ohio for a week and came home the day before Christmas Eve! Whew!!

To catch up I'll do a series of some retro-blogging and start back with Fall. We took some pictures of the kids raking and playing in the leaves. It was a very windy day as you can see. The girls would throw the leaves up in the air and Josh had to literally dodge them or bat them away with his rake. They were like bullets!

Halloween Pictures

2008-11-03T16:45:00.000-05:00

Here are the Halloween pictures of the kids. The girls are Dalmations and Jake is "Mutt" from Indiana Jones. They all had a blast. Hannah and Rachel are just amazed that you can just go up to someone's house, say trick-or-treat and they'll give you candy! Rachel had a fit when we took hers away. Josh thinks he's just way too old for this now so we had him stay home and pass out candy while we took the girls out. After trick-or-treating, we came in and had some chili to warm up and watched "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" and passed out more candy to the neighborhood kids. I think Hannah actually had more fun doing that than trick-or-treating! She would give them a handful and say "Happy Halloween!" Hope you had a fun night!

Rachel turns 2!!

2008-10-28T14:32:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Rachel's 2nd birthday (her first with us) with a Barney cake (her favorite!) and some presents on the 19th. As with Hannah, it's a bittersweet day for me as I can only imagine what her birth parents must be feeling today. I pray they have some peace that she is with a family who couldn't love her anymore than we do. A peace I know only God can give them. Please say a prayer for them as we are forever grateful they gave her life and we get the amazing blessing of raising her and loving her forever!

More Apple Pics

2008-10-22T11:30:00.000-04:00

Apple Picking

2008-10-22T11:16:00.000-04:00

My sister and aunt came to visit and one of the things we did with them was go apple picking at Green Bluff. Here are some pictures of the day. We had a great time and so appreciated a visit from family! It's my sister's 5th time to Washington!!

Today is THE day!!!

2008-09-30T17:47:00.000-04:00

Today is the day we've been counting down to for quite some time now. Today Ray will submit his paperwork for retirement!! One more year!!

It's been a very interesting career, we've seen and lived in some beautiful places and made some amazing friendships but it's time to move on and start our next stage in life....without the Air Force. We'll be moving from Washington in 10 1/2 months and making our permanent home in Ohio. It's been our dream for many years. Leaving here will be bittersweet, to be sure, but it's just too far from our families. We've missed a lot over the years. The rising price of airfare doesn't help and now there are 6 of us!

Ray's retirement will most likely be August 14, 2009. It will be a proud moment for me to stand next to him and think back over all he's given to his country for over 24 years. We wish you all could be here!

Lessons from my boys

2008-09-26T17:25:00.001-04:00

Since the beginning of summer, our boys have been walking to daily Mass at the church on the Air Force Base where we live. Not prompted by me at all. One day Josh just asked if they could walk to Mass at 12:00 p.m. It's difficult for me to get there at that time with the girls...it's right at lunch time and right before naptime. A good word to describe that time of day for the girls is "cranky".

Josh then asked if he could get a scapular. He chose the St. Joseph Scapular after reading about all the different kinds. He wears it everyday. We got him a rosary ring for his 13th birthday as a reminder to try to live a chaste life until marriage. He wears that everyday as well.

He's also decided to fast from meat on all Fridays. If you know Josh, this is really a sacrifice. He loves meat! We're going to try to join him in the fasting.

I could easily try to take some kind of credit here and say "we must be doing something right" but honestly I know it's not me at all. Being a home educating family, we're together all day, every day. They see my faults and failings all too clearly. I know it's the prompting of the Holy Spirit in my sons. I should really take some lessons from them.

Truly blessed I am, truly blessed.

Please pray

2008-09-24T22:38:00.000-04:00

Please offer prayers for my friend . Our family is praying hard, Elizabeth and baby!

Sisters part 2

2008-09-22T19:11:00.000-04:00

Too many not to share!

Sisters

2008-09-22T19:03:00.000-04:00

Just some pictures of Hannah and Rachel to share. They are truly bonding as if they've always been together. Oh, don't get me wrong, there's jealousy but there's lots of love, too!

It's amazing to me to see the changes in Rachel since she's been home!

CYT

2008-09-22T18:55:00.000-04:00

The boys auditioned for a part in a CYT (Christian Youth Theater) play and both got parts!! They are in "A Christmas Story"; Jake is "Flick" (the main characters best friend) and Josh is "The Tree Lot Owner, a delivery person, and a Phd. (3 parts). They are both so excited. I guess that Drama Camp they attended over the summer really paid off.

We're so proud of them for getting up in front of people and singing for their audition. That takes a lot of courage. I don't think I could do that. They actually auditioned for "Peter Pan" but got called back for "A Christmas Story". Life is crazy running them around 3 times per week for CYT class and rehearsals and Taekwondo 2 times per week.

The show airs for 2 weekends from December 5th - December 14th with 4 school day shows. About 16 shows in all. Wish them luck!

Fall begins tomorrow!

2008-09-21T11:00:00.000-04:00

I love, love, love Fall. It's my absolute favorite season.....the heat of summer is over, smells from the baking in the kitchen, wrapping up in blankets on cool nights, crunching leaves when you walk, Thanksgiving, Advent begins with Christmas just around the corner, my littlest ones birthday and yes, even football. So many reasons. I've washed all the throw blankets and have them all thrown over our rocker/recliners or hanging on the quilt rack. God has been so gracious in granting me one more snuggly little one. When Rachel wakes up in the morning she loves to snuggle with me in the rocker/recliner for a long time. Makes this mommy smile right now just thinking about it. Hannah was that way too but now she's getting to be such a big girl. It's so hard to believe we've been blessed with her for almost 2 years already.

This is the tree in our neighbors front yard. It turns a beautiful, vibrant shade of red in the Fall. You can just see the tips turning red now. When I used to work at Buckeye Federal Bank in Columbus, Ohio before becoming a mommy, there was a tree right outside the drive-up window that I just loved to look at. I could mark each coming season by watching how this tree changed. Beautiful red in the Fall, barren in Winter, little buds in the Spring and in full bloom in the Summer. I don't know what kind of tree our neighbor has, but when we finally have our own home, I want one of those.

Mmmmm, I can already smell the pumpkin bread and apple crisp baking.

School today

2008-09-19T17:09:00.001-04:00

This is where we did our catechism lesson today from Faith and Life 8. I read and discussed with the boys while the girls climbed on the slide and castle and picked up apples that had fallen in our yard from the neighbors apple tree. This is one of the many reasons I LOVE homeshooling!

High Brown Belts!

2008-09-19T11:00:00.000-04:00

Josh and Jake tested for their High Brown Belts and passed! One of the things they had to do was break a 2" board with their foot. Ouch! Only 2 more belt colors until they are black belts. I feel sorry for any boy who might even consider, even for a second, dating their sisters in the future. I'm not sure who will be worse...Ray or the boys! They'll probably meet them at the door in the Taekwondo uniform or something.

They've been taking martial arts now for 5 years, starting Taekwondo one year ago. They've advanced faster in Taekwondo mostly due to the instructor. Their last instructor would not allow anyone to be a black belt until they were 16. We're hoping they can achieve black belt before we move next summer. We've looked into Taekwondo in Dayton and found the instructor there trains athletes for the Olympics! Wow!

More Fair pics

2008-09-18T22:39:00.002-04:00

The beginning of the lasts....

2008-09-18T13:10:00.000-04:00

September is the beginning of our "lasts" in Washington. We have less than a year left here (11 months now) so each one-time activity we do or event we go to will be the last time we attend that particular thing. It's a bittersweet feeling.

As most of you know, we've lived away from our family for some time now and we're so looking forward to being closer. We've missed out on a lot of important events and some emergencies as well. It will be good to be able to share in our families lives once again. There's also two new additions to our family yet to meet!

Here are some pictures of one of our "lasts" times to go to the County Fair. It happens to be Rachel's "first" and "last". She and Hannah had a blast. Josh and Jake are at the age they can go off together without us boring parents around and have some fun. Josh ended up getting sick though from too many rides and they caught up with us in the pig barn. Not a good place to be when your already feeling nauseous!

The rest of the summer pictures

2008-09-04T18:02:00.000-04:00

Summer happenings...

2008-09-04T17:32:00.000-04:00

I really have to get back to blogging. Life just keeps getting in the way!

Our summer went very fast as I'm sure it did for lots of others. And I'm happy to say it wasn't all that hot this year! When you live in military housing and have those wonderful window air conditioners, you pray for a cool summer.

Much of our summer was taken up with getting to know our new daughter, having her cleft palate surgery, and having her baptised. The surgery went well, no...it went great! I was prepared for the absolute worst possible senario. Thankfully, I didn't have to actually go through that senario. Rachel is doing fantastic and is bonding beautifully with our family. We are incredibly blessed!

Jake turned 12 this summer and Ray turned....well we'll just say "older" and leave it at that. Josh turned 14 (WHAT!!) as well. So all my guys had birthdays and the next one up is Rachel's. She'll turn the ripe old age of 2!

Then there were baseball games, the base air show, and CYT (Christian Youth Theater) camp for the boys. Yes, a very busy summer for us.

Here are some pictures to share with you! Hope your summer was blessed!

What she said!

2008-08-31T18:16:00.000-04:00

Wow, is all I can say. Fantastic post, Elizabeth! I coudn't agree more.

http://ebeth.typepad.com/reallearning/2008/08/eating-our-own.html

Funny Curriculum Poem

2008-07-25T12:05:00.000-04:00

In light of what so many homeschooling moms are going through this time of year....planning and picking out curriculum....I thought I'd share a funny poem about just that process.

It makes me remember exactly why I chose to homeschool. It's about realtionships. With our Lord, our family, and others. It's about building character and integrity and helping them discover what the Lord has planned for their future without the distractions of constant peer pressure. It's helping them learn to be a leader, not a follower. It's about lighting a fire, not filling a bucket.

Let's pray for all our children and their futures and the moms who give so much of themselves to help them achieve all they can become!

Enjoy!

Curriculum Blues
By Mardy Freeman

I had found the curriculum that we should be using.
It was fun. It was bright. And it wasn't confusing.
But just as I started to write out the check
I discovered a new one was much better yet.

I had written that check when I suddenly read
That another new program was better instead.
So I dutifully researched and found it was true.
This one was better – yes, all the way through!

"This one looks perfect!" I said to myself.
"Not a piece of this resource will sit on the shelf."
It was simple, yet timeless. Its methods were flawless.
With only one glitch – it cost nine thousand dollars.

I had thirty-nine dollars and fifty-three cents,
So off for curriculum fliers I sent.
And they came on one day – all four hundred five.
I answered the door and was buried alive!

My children revived me and gave me a kiss
And it suddenly dawned on me what I had missed!
It matters less what they know than it does who they are!
With strong moral character, my kids will go far!

Determination and courage are worth much more than talents.
So teaching them character will keep them in balance.
Then encouraging them to reason, to ask and to think,
To wade through the waters of knowledge and drink.

Education's not just what I pull from the shelf;
It is in giving my children a part of myself!
I see now they'll learn it – one way or the other.
But, lately my kids are in need of their mother!

The fliers I saved for a few weeks from now
When I know I'll be desperately wondering how
To implement all of my newfound ideals
And scrambling again for incredible deals.

In the meantime...should you find the one that beats all
And stumble across it some time before fall,
If it teaches me how to do all these things –
Please pick up the phone and give me a ring!

Rachel's surgery update

2008-07-21T17:25:00.000-04:00

Rachel had her surgery on Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. It went very well and we just had one scary time when she almost stopped breathing from the morphine injection. We had to stimulate her for about 30 minutes and then she was fine. We came home on Sunday and she's only on tylenol and motrin for pain. Simply amazing.

The hardest part is not having her blankey (she always wants that to comfort herself and go to sleep) and the pureed diet. She's eating and sleeping very well considering though.

Please keep the prayers coming as we have at least 3 weeks of this routine. It's very hard to see your child in pain or be confused about not having their comforts and knowing you can't do anything about it.

Here are some pictures of her after surgery. The last one is at home.

Rachel's surgery

2008-07-15T14:15:00.001-04:00

Rachel's cleft palate surgery is this Friday at 7:30 a.m. She'll also have a lip revision and ear tubes at that time.

Here are some specific prayer requests:

1. For her pain control

2. That the surgery is successful with no fistules developing

3. That our bonding thus far will be sufficient enough to help her through this

4. That we can get through the liquid diet for 3 or more weeks

5. That she'll be able to handle not having her bottle and blankey

6. For the rest of the family to be patient and loving

Thanks everyone! We'll post updates when we can.

We can't wait to see this little smile again soon!

New family pictures

2008-06-26T11:21:00.001-04:00

Here are our latest family pictures!

Rachel's baptism

2008-06-26T11:11:00.001-04:00

Rachel was baptized into the family of God on June 21st. We had a private baptism as our priest just had bypass surgery on his leg and we couldn't imagine anyone else baptizing her. He was kind enough to do it for us after Mass. Her godparents couldn't be here so Josh and Jake stood in for them. Here are some pictures of her special day.

Birthday pics as promised

2008-06-06T10:44:00.000-04:00

Jake loves sushi and legos so we gave him both for his birthday. Sort of. I found this place in Oregon that sells candy that looks exactly like sushi! I saw it on the food channel one Saturday. Jake loved it and told me to watch the food channel EVERYDAY! My wonderful husband, resident cook at home (thank you, Lord!) and fantastic cake designer, made a cake for Jake that looked like a big sushi! It was so cool. His gifts were the new Indiana Jones Legos. All in all, a big hit for his special day!

Happy Birthday Jake!

2008-06-05T18:24:00.000-04:00

I can't believe you're 12 today!!! Where has all that time gone? We thank God for you everyday. You bless our life with so much laughter and we love you more than words can say. You're growing up so fast but you'll always be my baby boy. We're so very proud of the young man your becoming.

Pictures of the birthday boy's day coming later!

What Kind of Nut Are You?

2008-04-28T18:20:00.000-04:00

You Are a Cashew

You are laid back, friendly, and easy going.

Compared to most people, you have a very mild temperament.

You blend in well. You're often the last person to get noticed.

But whenever you're gone, people seem to notice right away!

What Nut Are You?

I thought this was a fun way to start posting again! Now that we have FOUR kids, I feel like I'm nuts most of the time!!

My mother......so funny

2008-03-12T17:43:00.000-04:00

I OWE MY MOTHER:

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE."If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

2.My mother taught me RELIGION."You better pray that this will come out of the carpet."

3.My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

4.My mother taught me LOGIC ." Because I said so, that's why."

5.My mother taught me MORE LOGIC."If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

6.My mother taught me FORESIGHT."Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

7.My mother taught me IRONY."Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

8.My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS ."Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

9.My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM ."Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

10.My mother taught me about STAMINA "You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER "This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

12.My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY "If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

13.My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE."I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

14.My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION ."Stop acting like your father!"

15.My mother taught me about ENVY."There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

16.My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION."Just wait until we get home."

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING."You are going to get it when you get home!"

18.My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE ."If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck that way."

19.My mother taught me ESP ."Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20.My mother taught me HUMOR ."When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

21.My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT."If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

22.My mother taught me GENETICS."You're just like your father."

23.My mother taught me about my ROOTS ."Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

24.My mother taught me WISDOM ."When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you "

And my kids didn't think I was teaching them anything!

We're out of here!!!

2008-03-04T18:47:00.000-05:00

We'll be traveling to bring our daughter home soon so there won't be any blogging for a while. Life is absolutely crazy! Please pray for us. We'll be updating on our adoption blog for all those who have the address already. I'm sure we'll post on here as soon as we're home and we're awake!!

Chinese New Year

2008-02-26T17:28:00.000-05:00

We had a great time celebrating Chinese New Year here with the local adoption group. Such incredible people. It was held this year at a church in Coer D'Alene (I'm sure I spelled that wrong!). Here are some pics of the day.

The first is of Miss Hannah this year and the next 2 of her last year. I can't believe the difference! Next is Hannah and her friends Clara and Tori, third is all the same girls with Tori's sister Abbi, and finally the kids in the ribbon dance.

Prayer on Humility

2008-02-25T17:34:00.000-05:00

Humility ~ so hard to come by sometimes.

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

Thanks for posting
Elizabeth

I'm a Colon::::

2008-02-24T09:51:00.000-05:00

You Are a Colon

You are very orderly and fact driven.
You aren't concerned much with theories or dreams... only what's true or untrue.

You are brilliant and incredibly learned. Anything you know is well researched.
You like to make lists and sort through things step by step. You aren't subject to whim or emotions.

Your friends see you as a constant source of knowledge and advice.
(But they are a little sick of you being right all of the time!)

You excel in: Leadership positions

You get along best with: The Semi-Colon

http://www.blogthings.com/whatpunctuationmarkareyouquiz/">What Punctuation Mark Are You?

Okay sometimes these things are just scary!

Hannah turns 3!!!

2008-02-19T16:52:00.000-05:00

Sharing some pictures we had taken of Hannah. We think she's just beautiful!

Hannah goes to the movies!

2008-02-18T22:47:00.000-05:00

Hannah had her first movie experience. We went to see "Veggie Tales, The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything". She had a blast!

Ray's Answers

2008-02-16T13:12:00.000-05:00

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6 a.m.
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Veggie Tales Movie
4. What are your favorite TV shows? sports (football)
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? oatmeal
6. Favorite cuisine? Italian
7. What is your middle name? Henry
8. What food do you dislike? unusual meats (like we ate on the airplane in China)
9. What is your Favorite CD at the moment? All About Love -- Steven Curtis Chapman
10. What kind of car do you drive? Dodge Stratus
11. Favorite sandwich? anything with meat
12. What characteristics do you despise? Irresponsibility
13. Favorite item of clothing? work out clothing
14. If you could go any where in the world where would you go? After picking up Rachel, Australia
15: Favorite hobby or pasttime: working out
16. Favorite brand of clothing? LL Bean
17. Where would you retire to? Ohio
18. What was your most recent memorable birthday? All family birthdays
19. Favorite sport to watch? football
20. Furthest place you are sending this? nowhere
21. Who do you least expect to send this back to you? not sure
22. Person you expect to send it back first? not sure
23. Favorite quote?
24. When is your birthday? June 19th
25 Are you a morning person or a night person? morning
26. What is your shoe size? 11
27. Pets? one dog (Cassie)
28. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? It's a secret for now!
29. What did you want to be when you were little? A peace corps volunteer
30. How are you today? Older
31. What is your Favorite candy? Reese's
32. What is your Favorite flower? Glads
34. What are you listening to right now? Josh and Mom talking
35. What was the last thing you ate? pop tart
37. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? purple
38. How is the weather right now? Cold and dreary
39. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Lisa
40. Do you like the person who sent this to you? dumb question
41. Favorite restaurant? Macaroni Grill
42. Hair color? Brown
43. Siblings? 1 brothers & 3 sisters
44. Favorite day of the year? Easter
45. What was your favorite toy as a child? G.I. Joe
46. Summer or winter? Fall
47. Chocolate or Vanilla? Often
48. Do you want your friends to email you back? sure
49. When was the last time you cried? I don't have a heart, just ask my wife!
50. What is under your bed? Ask the dog or Jake
51. Who is the friend you have had the longest? Lisa
52. What did you do last night? Talk...alot
53. Favorite smell: coffee
54. What are you afraid of? Being away from my family
56. Plain, buttered, or salted popcorn? yes
57. How many keys on your key ring? 12
58. How many years at your current job/profession? 14 years as an AF Pharmacist
60. How many towns have you lived in? 10 - Fremont OH, San Diego CA, Portsmouth VA, Pensacola FL, Tampa FL, Englewood FL, Columbus OH, Prata di Pordenone Italy, Rapid City SD, Medical Lake WA
61. Do you make friends easily? YES!
62. How many people will you be sending this to? none!
63. How often do you shampoo? another one of these bizarre questions - daily, (I change my underwear daily, too, amongst other things)

Did you Know?

2008-02-16T11:00:00.000-05:00

This was sent to us on email by our cousin. I thought I'd answer them here. So, just in case you ever wanted to know all these things about me, here you go......

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6 a.m.
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Veggie Tales Movie
4. What are your favorite TV shows? cooking shows
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? cereal
6. Favorite cuisine? Italian
7. What is your middle name? Kay
8. What food do you dislike? oysters, squid, liver
9. What is your Favorite CD at the moment? Rascal Flatts
10. What kind of car do you drive? Dodge Caravan
11. Favorite sandwich? BLT
12. What characteristics do you despise? Dishonesty
13. Favorite item of clothing? My pj's
14. If you could go any where in the world where would you go? To China to bring my daughter home!
15: Favorite hobby or pasttime: reading
16. Favorite brand of clothing? Lands End
17. Where would you retire to? Ohio
18. What was your most recent memorable birthday? They're all memorable!
19. Favorite sport to watch? football
20. Furthest place you are sending this? nowhere!
21. Who do you least expect to send this back to you? not sure
22. Person you expect to send it back first? not sure
23. Favorite quote? Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, Today is a gift, that's why they call it the PRESENT!
24. When is your birthday? Nov 5
25 Are you a morning person or a night person? MORNING!!
26. What is your shoe size? 7 1/2
27. Pets? one dog (Cassie)
28. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? It's a secret for now!
29. What did you want to be when you were little? a mommy...always
30. How are you today? WONDERFUL!
31. What is your Favorite candy? M & M's with peanuts
32. What is your Favorite flower? Yellow Roses
34. What are you listening to right now? the music on Hannah's baby monitor
35. What was the last thing you ate? valentine cupcake
37. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? navy blue
38. How is the weather right now? Cold and dreary
39. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Ray
40. Do you like the person who sent this to you? dumb question
41. Favorite restaurant? Olive Garden
42. Hair color? Brown
43. Siblings? 2 brothers & 2 sisters
44. Favorite day of the year? Easter
45. What was your favorite toy as a child? Fisher Price Little People
46. Summer or winter? Fall
47. Chocolate or Vanilla? I'm a girl....chocolate!
48. Do you want your friends to email you back? Blog your answers!
49. When was the last time you cried? when we didn't know WHEN we could go bring Rachel home!
50. What is under your bed? Ask the dog
51. Who is the friend you have had the longest? Ray
52. What did you do last night? Took the boys to Piano, ate dinner at Bruchi's
53. Favorite smell: coffee...too bad I can't drink it anymore!
54. What are you afraid of? Deployment
56. Plain, buttered, or salted popcorn? buttered and salted
57. How many keys on your key ring? 5
58. How many years at your current job/profession? 24 years as a wife, 13 as a mom
59. Favorite day of the week? Sunday
60. How many towns have you lived in? 10 - North Port FL, Nokesville VA, Gainesville VA, Pensacola FL, Tampa FL, Englewood FL, Columbus OH, Prata di Pordenone Italy, Rapid City SD, Medical Lake WA
61. Do you make friends easily? YES!
62. How many people will you be sending this to? none!
63. How often do you shampoo? another one of these bizarre questions - daily, (I change my socks daily, too, amongst other things)

Feel free to blog YOUR answers!

Skiing

2008-02-15T17:29:00.000-05:00

In January, Josh and Jake took their first ski lesson. I had an adoption conference to attend so Ray headed up the mountain with the boys and Hannah. They had a blast and did a great job for their first time on skis! It's amazing how kids can just pick up something like they've been doing it their whole life. Not so for us adults. I'm quite certain I wouldn't have been able to move for weeks! They're going back this month for another round of fun.

Hannah's 3rd birthday!

2008-02-12T19:44:00.001-05:00

I can't believe Hannah is 3 already! It seems just like yesterday that we brought her home from China at 20 months old. She is growing so fast and amazes us everyday. Here are some pictures of her big day. She was pretty happy even though she is still recovering from her tonsil surgery.

One funny from her birthday. She still isn't eating very well since the surgery but she definitely wanted some birthday cake. Imagine that. So we told her no cake until she ate some dinner. She started crying and said, "Am I not 3 anymore?" We had to reassure her, while trying not to laugh, that she was still 3 even if she didn't eat cake. Amazingly, she decided she could eat some dinner after all.

On the Altar this week...

2008-02-12T19:41:00.000-05:00

is my friend Kristie and her family from South Dakota. Hope your feeling the prayers my friend!

Lenten Reflection

2008-02-10T16:12:00.000-05:00

I was reading through my copy of this book (LOVE this book!) and found a Lenten examination of conscience. The idea is to do this examination by writing it out and recording your responses in a special notebook just for Lent.

Here's the examination questions:
1. Am I loving, honest, tolerant, generous, patient, kind, trustworthy?
2. In what ways do I respresent the love of Christ? Do I live my faith?
3. When, how, and why am I angry, mean-spirited, stingy, envious, hostile?
4. What actions of mine have hurt others?
5. For what do I want forgiveness?
6. From whom do I need to ask forgiveness?
7. How have I hurt others by not taking appropriate action?
8. Whom do I need to forgive?
9. What do I allow to separate me from the love of Christ?
10. How can I open my heart, cleanse my soul, and deepen my faith?

Mmmm, I'm not liking some of my answers.

And so Lent begins

2008-02-08T18:46:00.000-05:00

It seems many moms in the blogosphere are in a similar boat as I am today. I have to say I appreciate the company. I, too, have visions of wonderful Lenten plans, Ash Wednesday Mass, soup supper, stations of the cross, crafts and such. But it's not all meant to be....yet. Hannah is just plain miserable. Sleep is not high on her agenda right now. Eating or drinking aren't either.

Of course, Lent is just beginning so there is still hope for some of the plans to work out. But for now, I'm just giving all of myself that I have for Hannah. As Rebecca say here: "Motherhood is full of opportunites to die to self both voluntarily and involuntarily". Oh, so true.

And I'm with Elizabeth . I think food and sleep are pretty good ideas, too.

All those Christmas Cards!

2008-02-07T15:51:00.000-05:00

I love getting Christmas cards, hearing how all our friends and family have been over the past year, and seeing how all the children have grown. I'd thought I'd share what we do with all those cards after Christmas. Starting on January 6th (Epiphany) we randomly select a card from the pile and put it on our family altar. That person/family is prayed for all the next week in our nightly prayers. Everytime we walk by, we can see the card and we offer up additional prayers. In the picture you can see the cards tucked in behind Rachel's picture. Of course, we had to have a picture of her on there!

Each Monday I'll share here who we picked and maybe you can offer some prayers for them, too! My friend Marybeth's husband is deployed for the next 6 months so their card is always on the altar. So far this year we've prayed for:
Aunt Irma
Father Jack
Brandon and Jason's family

This week is my friend Marge and family.

Prayers for Hannah

2008-02-06T19:43:00.000-05:00

Please keep Hannah in your prayers. She's definitely having a rough time. I think the scabs are coming off now and she's in quite a bit of pain and not sleeping or eating/drinking much.

Thanks.

Hannah's Surgery

2008-02-02T13:56:00.000-05:00

Hannah did wonderful during her surgery. She went with the nurse without a tear and woke up with no crying! She ate her popsicle and her only complaint was she was cold. So as soon as I came in I held her in the chair with a big, warm blanket. She was even smiling up at me!

Unfortunately, last night wasn't so great. As to be expected though. She woke up every 30 minutes until 2:00 a.m. when we brought her into our bed. She never has liked sleeping with us so we didn't put her with us at bedtime. She really calmed down and slept soundly until we woke her every 3 hours for more pain medicine.

Today she is playing as usual and we're trying to keep her calm. That's not an easy job! So far she's drinking when we ask and eating little bits of food. Please keep the prayers coming for a good recovery.

Surgery prayers

2008-01-31T19:01:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is Hannah's tonsil surgery. I'm so not looking forward to this but it has to be done. Please pray for her surgery, surgeons, nurses and all others who will be assisting the doctor. Also, for a speedy, pain-free (as much as possible anyway) recovery.

Pray for me as well! It's difficult to see any of my children in any pain. But especially her as she's been through so much in her short little life already. I guess this will prepare us somewhat for the cleft surgeries in her future.

I'm adding a picture of her beautiful smile. Probably won't be seeing much of that in the next few days.

Color changes

2008-01-29T19:48:00.000-05:00

I had to change the template to show our "Buckeye" colors! For those of you who don't know what that means, we're Ohio State Buckeye fans and alumni here! Go Bucks!

Okay enough already!

2008-01-29T17:26:00.000-05:00

You know I like snow and all but this is getting ridiculous! Over the weekend we had a foot of new snow on top of the 18 inches we already had on the ground. Now today we've gotten another 6 inches and Thursday we're supposed to get more than that! It's drifted so much we can't get the back door open for the poor dog to go outside. Jake is outside right now digging her yet another path to the pine tree in the backyard. Pictures coming.

Can you say spring or better yet, summer anyone?!

What Should You Be When You Grow Up?

2008-01-28T18:24:00.000-05:00

You Should Be a Manager

You're very organized, motivated, and methodical.
Fair and objective, you can see all sides of a conflict. You are a good mediator.
You are task oriented. You do well with deadlines and schedules.
And while you can be a task master at times, you're good at managing people and listening to their input.

You do best when you:

- Must have attention to detail
- Are in charge of people

You would also be a good accountant or personal assistant.

What Should You Be When You Grow Up?

That was so true! Before embarking on the most incredible journey of my life (stay-at-home-homeschooling mom!) I was an accountant manager! Too funny!

What American City Are You?

2008-01-28T18:21:00.001-05:00

You Are Boston

Both modern and old school, you never forget your roots.
Well educated and a little snobby, you demand the best.
And quite frankly, you think you are the best.

Famous people from the Boston area: Conan O'Brien, Ben Affleck, New Kids on the Block

What American City Are You?

Okay I don't think I'm snobby but I do love Boston!

Snow, Snow, Snow

2008-01-28T09:53:00.000-05:00

We've had major snowfall over the weekend. About a foot fell between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Digging out was not much fun. Over this week we're supposed to get almost another foot! We already had at least 18 inches still on the ground from December. Spring is looking so wonderful.

Check out the photos of our house and street.

Hello again!

2008-01-27T17:42:00.001-05:00

I've decided to start a new blog here at Blogspot after having one at Typepad for a year. I thought I was through blogging but I guess I wasn't! I hope you'll join us on our adventures!