A post just about Hannah

This post is dedicated to our beautiful first born, who always asks me, "Mom, why don't you do a post just about me?"  

Well, I can only imagine how she feels, as she used to be the only apple in our eye, until Caleb, Maya, and Sofia entered our world, and she was that only apple for 7 years!  I can't imagine how hard it has been to learn to share all the love and attention she used to get, being the only child, and sharing it with all her siblings!  

What I can say, is that she has done an amazing job adjusting to such a busy life, and actually has developed into the best big sister-just ask Caleb, Maya, & Sofia!  Although she is bossy(aren't all big sisters this way?), pushy, and sometimes downright mean, she loves her little brother and sisters.  She would fight tooth and nail to defend any one of them! She makes them giggle and laugh, and she hugs and kisses them, till they cry to be let go!  Don't tell her I told you this, but, I don't know how many times I have found her cuddled up under a blanket with one of them! 

 

Yep-Hannah-your secret is out-you do love being a big sister, and that makes me the proudest Mom that I can be! :O) But, you know what is cool about that?  They love you the same way, and that is all a Mom and Dad can hope for! :O)

So, Hank, here is your special post-because you are very important to this family and we LOVE YOU!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Goodbye sunny Florida

Well, we are getting ready to head out! Just wanted to post one more beautiful picture that my assistant(BUS) and I took on the beach last night! It is so hard to get 4 kiddos to look at you for a picture! ARGH!!!

We will miss our beautiful Anna Maria Island, but had a GREAT time!

Hope you are having a wonderful day!

Friends-brother & sisters!

Ok, so we are away at the beach, and I don't have access to all my pictures. So, I have taken a few of the kiddos together, and they are having a ball! They almost like each other! ;O) Ha ha!

Today is our last day at the beach, and they are soooo going to miss it! We are planning one more trip to the beach, tonight, to watch the sun set, and feed the seagulls, and then off to home tomorrow!

Here are a couple of pictures of my kiddos with their best friends-each other! :O)

Sunglasses Mania!!

Well, we went to the Gulf Drive Cafe last week for a little breakfast, and while we were waiting, we giggled and laughed with Mommy and Daddy's sunglasses!

A breakfast visitor!

Here is a picture of our view from the outside area of the restaurant where we ate!

A closer look at the sailboat that was offshore-what a great zoom lense!

Ever wonder if someone is taking your picture???

Greetings from Sunny Florida!

Yes, it is quite sunny here, and HOT! Luckily we have a pool, and we have drenched ourselves in it! :O) As well as playing in the water at the beach!

The kids are having a great time! Maya is a fish, and loves the water! Caleb loves the sand, and is learning to like the water. Sofia didn't like the water at first, but now loves it! (She also is the one who walked right into the swimming pool, and fell under the water-no fear!! I about died-but was standing right in front of her when it happened. She wasn't to impressed with the pool for awhile after that! Hannah is like Bus and I-LOVES the beach, and Anna Maria Island!

Capturing water for their drip sandcastle!

Digging for sand fleas!!

The drip sandcastle!

Hannah and Caleb digging to China!

Smiling for the camera!

Little stinker Sofia, after crying because she didn't like the way the sand felt on her hands and feet! Look at that smile-she didn't even care that she was going into the water!

Our little fish, Maya-she loves the water and sand-and runs all around in it!

We are busy keeping up with the kiddos, but are having a wonderful time! Bus has already caught several fish-a couple of really nice ones!

Check back-I have to download those pics!

Here is Maya's fishy!!

We have limited access to the internet, so I never know if we will be able to connect or not-so, hope to write more later!?

Prayer for a friend....

If you have a moment, I was hoping you might take a minute and say a little prayer for an internet friend and his family, that I met via adoption.com, during our Russian adoption experience. His name is Mike Stephenson, and he lives in Texas. He is a wonderful prayer warrior, and prays for everyone! He now needs any prayers, good thoughts, good vibes you could send his way!

He is only 38 and they have found a large tumor in his abdomen-very near his colon. He just had a colonoscopy done to see if it is affected. They are not sure it is cancerous, but suspect that it is. He has a loving wife and 3 wonderful, young kids, one of which was adopted from Russia (Julia) and has had significant emotional/behavioral problems (she has RAD-Reactive Attachment Disorder) from all the loss and abuse she endured at the orphanage). This family had had ENOUGH trauma and suffering for a LIFETIME..and to top it off, Mike just lost his Mom only a month ago.



Here is an email Mike sent out:

Dear Friends,
I've only met most of you via the internet forums and such although a few others I've had the privilege of meeting in person. But I feel like I "know" you all so very well. So I hope you don't mind if I write and ask you a favor.I received news yesterday that I have a sizable mass in my lower left abdomen and it's slightly wound around the colon. I am having a colonoscopy tomorrow morning to explore the tissue in the colon. If nothing is found there (and I hope there isn't), we'll turn to the mass itself. Either way, the GI doc thinks it's malignant and there is a long and uncertain road ahead. I could write so much more but don't want to bog you down with details. Best to just say that yesterday, I was shaken about as much as I could have been shaken. And, of course, all this comes just a month after my Mom's own passing.Honestly, I'm very scared. I saw the film from the CT scan and it isn't pretty, and both docs I worked with yesterday were noncommittal on what is going on. I'm only 38 and healthy, so I can't figure this out, and perhaps I shouldn't really try to. Nevertheless, if I could ask, would you mind saying a prayer on my behalf as well as for Della and the kids. I am going to fight this as strongly as I can. I am scared but I will remain optimistic that I can be healed through this. I am a believer in divine healing. If that doesn't happen, I'm 100% confident in my own salvation... I have no concerns about that at all. The tougher part is for Della and the kids and the pain that they have to experience.That's probably going too far... I shouldn't be talking that way. I would so appreciate prayers for my family. And for me.
Blessings,Mike

FFF July Fourth-Red, White & Blue

Well, to be honest, I didn't really take a bunch of pictures, and our July 4th celebration was actually on July 5th! We had a wonderful BBQ with a bunch of our friends and family, here at our house! It was a blast, and I was too busy to get many pictures in!

** Here are a few of our fun day/evening! **

Maya smiling for the camera-I declare this child will be a model!

Caleb haming it up with his olives!!! '"Yucky"' he called the olives!! Ha ha!

Cousin Jacob having some fun with the same yucky olives!!

Maya napping while in the pool-o.k., she is just trying to keep the water out of her eyes!! If her career as a model doesn't work out, she is going to be a swimmer, because she LOVES the water!!

Cousin Jacob being silly!!!

Miss Hannah enjoying her friends in the pool!

What 4th of July celebration would be complete without fireworks?!!

Hope you had a safe and wonderful holiday, and took wayyyy more pictures than me!! :O)

Have a great week!!

A Day out with Thomas!!!!

Choo Choo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bus and I took Caleb to see Thomas The Train Engine this past weekend at the Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven, Ky, and he was so EXCITED!!!! As many of you know, Caleb ADORES trains!!! He is constantly carrying around a choo choo(thanks Aunt Vern, and any of you other choo choo getters!) He eats, drinks and breathes choo choos!!

Here is a short little video of our adventure!! Enjoy!!

Make a Smilebox photobook