Having someone to love is FAMILY. Having somewhere to go is HOME. Having both is a BLESSING.
We ARE SO BLESSED!

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Happy 12th Birthday, Rob!

Happy 12th Birthday, Sweetheart!
We thought you'd be our baby forever, and now that's changing. YOU have changed so much! You have GROWN so much! Yet, there are some things about you that haven't changed and I wanted you to know. You are still so full of love and compassion. Your heart is so BIG! You are still the best brother a kid could ever hope for. You're still the life of the party and you make everyone laugh. You're still so much fun to be around. I feel at peace just hearing your voice. Your songs speak to my soul. Your family loves you more than you can imagine and we can't imagine life without you.
We were blessed beyond measure the day you were born!
February 28. 1997
7 pounds - 1 month early (Thank God!)














Oops! I forgot to rotate the above pic!







Our family would have a HUGE hole in it if you were missing! Glad you fill your spot!

Have the BEST day, Darlin'!
We LOVE you!

Monday, February 23, 2009

Gracias!

Gracias Tia She, for the pretty hat and gloves.
I really like them. Mama told me to wave hola' to you so I am. X O X O

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Mobile Munchkin

My munchkin is definitely mobile. She has been taking steps since 9 months, and walking @ 9 1/2 months and she gets braver every day. She looks too little to be walking!
In the picture above, she kinda' got stuck like this and started hollering for help. She showed her annoyance at being made to wait for a photo shoot, but I couldn't help it. She was so cute!

10 Months Old Today!

Nevaeh is 10 months old today!
Where has the time gone?
She has brought all of us sooooo much happiness!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Adoption Update

I am always so amazed when I look at pictures of these two at how much they look alike. When we were out to town just the other day, a sweet little old lady said that she just had to say how much that darling little girl looks just like her daddy! We just smiled at her and agreed! God is an incredible "picker-outer."
It has been quite a journey, this road that leads to Nevaeh. God has been teaching us so many things through this experience. Though we are not always able to share specific variables in this adoption equation, rest assured, God is working. And I have no doubt that He is still a God of miracles. On a recent visit home to my parents, God allowed me some time to take a few extra deep breaths and get some rest. He gave me time to find the quiet inside of me. During Sunday evening service at their church while their pastor was preaching, God quietly let me see that even though He has given us many miracles already in Nevaeh's situation, one of the greatest miracles that He had given me was the reality of living with peace. I was filled with amazement and gratitude. Sometimes it seems that our words are merely that, just words. Or we use our words to convince ourselves while continuing to struggle fruitlessly. The end result - definitely not peace.
God's promises are meant to be a reality to us, not just words. And when I take Him at His Word, I have learned that He will NOT let me down.
Life is at times hard, but in all things God IS good.
Jesus says to us in John 16:33," These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world"(NKJV).
Why ever would I want to screw up a plan like that with trying to take over and operate things my way?
God is definitely in control of Nevaeh's situation, and He will make all things beautiful in His time.
We will receive more information pertinent to our case in two weeks that will let us know what direction we have to go. If He so chooses, God has the power to cancel out the problem completely. I can hardly wait to see what He will do!

Happy Valentine's Day

SWEETHEART DAY!
We chose to spend the day for sweethearts all together.
We couldn't think of a better way to spend it!
As for what we did, that was all Mark's idea. The boys weren't too excited about it, but they went all with the plan rather graciously and the pictures that follow are a record of that special time.
Mark wanted to cook a really nice dinner and have us all dress up, decorate the table and use the china and accessories. The dinner was actually candlelight, but my flash illuminated the pictures to the point that you can't really tell except for one picture you will see below for which I turned off the flash. We even had dinner music, of course. You know that's a given with us!!

Nevaeh was so excited that she kept giggling, and giggling, and giggling! This of course, made the rest of us laugh, and laugh, and laugh!

Mark prepared the entire meal and then insisted on serving us.
We had a salad first, then roast beef, mashed potatoes & gravy, corn, buttered carrots, and rolls, various choices of pickles,sparkling white grape juice (Daryl said that we shouldn't eat a pickle and then take a drink of the grape juice! PUCKER POWER!!) and the dessert was one our boys were sure to eat! They are not big sweets eaters but they like brownies so brownies the chef made!

The two ladies of the house!

Daryl James (Vaeh calls him Da-ya)

Robert Eugene (Vaeh calls him Bubba or Ra-Ra)

Nevaeh Re'

A dinner plate

Daddy dancing with his littlest sweetheart. She adores music.
Whispering sweet things.

Daryl danced with Espie

There's no better place to be on this earth than with those you love the most!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Quick! Call The Doc!


WARNING!
If you are of weak constitution, the following pictures may be rated beyond the level of your viewing. Consider yourself duly notified.

On Friday afternoon, Rob, in his bare feet of course, went running across our finished basement to the school room on the far side. When he reached the doorway of the school room where the large garbage can sits, he collapsed, shrieking in obvious pain. Daryl was trying to think on his feet. What should he do? Who should he call? Dad, of course! Well, Dr. Dad properly diagnosed the ailment as "Foot Impaled With Something That Broke Off And I Can't Get It Out" and off to the ER we went! Rob was unable to even hobble on the heal of his foot as the pain was unbearable.

Rob is waiting for the ER doctor to see what we should do. He was not amused that mom just happened to have the camera in her purse and he predicted that he was going to end up on the blog. Mothers!!
His foot looks like he tried using it for a pin cushion.

Well, this has certainly turned into an unforgettable adventure!! After x-ray, the ER doc said that this was no ordinary splinter. This was a piece of wood. And I can certainly vouch for Robert in that he was being quite scriptural. He was not pointing out or complaining about the sliver in his brother's eye when he had a beam of his own with which to be concerned. It's amazing the illustrations a person can find in every day life to remind us of how we ought to live! Nevertheless, after working on Robert for quite a while, the ER doctor decided that it was imperative to call a surgeon. The surgeon worked and worked and could not remove the wood. When the numbing med was injected it caught the piece of wood and suctioned it farther into the meat of Rob's foot. The surgeon was about ready to take him into surgery when he caught hold of the end. The Dr. worked a little while longer and was finally able to extract the offending article. Rob endured quite a bit of pain in spite of the numbing med and just about passed out, but he took it like a man! Even the part where the surgeon went down to the bone and scraped it!


The nurse laid her finger next to the wood to give perspective to the size of the piece. The surgeon examined the wood piece and guessed that it appeared to be a heavy toothpick. Not a cheapie! In reality, that guess is a definite possibility as our basement is used for church fellowships and Rob "picked up" the piece right beside the garbage can. The surgeon was concerned that both ends of the wood are frayed and he is hoping that he was able to remove all of what was in Rob's foot. Rob is being watched closely as he had started running a low grade temp and his foot was swollen twice its normal size 2 nights after the accident. We had to consult Aunt Erm (an RN) and Uncle David (a Physician's Assistant for an Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Surgeon, no less!!) over the weekend for advise and the advise given was right on so says Dr. Woods. Rob thought that it was amusing that Dr. Woods removed the wood from his foot. Silly boy! Rob's foot was stitched closed and he has already been back to visit the surgeon at the office with another appointment scheduled.
All I can say is that I hope whoever used that toothpick before it missed the garbage can and found Rob's foot, was up to date on their rabies shot!!
I want to be sure to include Mark's take on the situation. He is of the belief that the piece of wood that was embedded in Rob's foot was actually a piece of popsicle stick. The boys use them to build things and yes, they cut them in pieces to size. Who knows?

Ready For Baby!

New Baby is going to share our room for now so that Nevaeh can have her crib as long as possible. A friend gave us a cradle which we refinished to match our room. Here are some of the pics showing where his space will be.


I ordered my cradle bedding and accessories online. This set is called "The Farm House." The baskets keep everything in order on the shelves and I have necessities at my fingertips.

The cute clothes hamper.

A close-up of the bedding.

So all we need is the baby to put in the cradle!
I had to laugh at myself today because I sooooo wanted to rip into my living room and rearrange the furniture! Maybe I am still normal after all. I tell ya', I was wonderin' there for a while.