Paisley's American Day!!!!!!!!!!

2-years ago yesterday, August 9th, We arrived home from Vietnam and Paisley became an American citizen! Time flies! Here's a little snippet of this morning's conversation.

Mom: "Paisley! Did you climb out of your crib or did your Dad bring you in?"

Paisley: "I climbed out!"

Mom: "So Dad's already gone to work?"

Paisley: "My Dad mwakes money"

Mom: "Your Dad makes money?"

Paisley: "Yeah Mom, my Dad mwakes money for clothes!"

Mom: "hmmmm Dad's been telling you stories, hasn't he?"

Paisley: "I want chips Mom!"

Mom: "Chips? You can't have chips for breakfast!"

Paisley: "NO! CHIPS Mom!"

Mom: "Paisley, I told you we aren't having CHIPS for breakfast!"

Paisley leaves the room and returns with a box of TRIX cereal...

Paisley: "Chips Mom!"

Mom: "ohhhhhhhhhh! You meant TRIX!"

Paisley: "Yeah! Dare my favwit Mom!" :)

Loving Summer 2009!

I got my REALTOR License, sold my first house 4 days later, been very busy with new clients and open houses, still have my chocolate business and praying it keeps going well without me being there much, made offers on homes for ourselves, was really under the gun since we were going to be homeless in 30 days, backed out of one contract cause we got cold feet and found out about our new home on 4.5 acres! Whew! So we moved a couple of weeks ago, and a week later went to the Ozarks for a week, now back to the grind and the mess of boxes in our house!

Ryker has grown so much the last year. He is mister independent. Does what he can to get out of chores and would be thrilled to just play with friends all day, outside or on video games. I was worried of how he would be moving because he had so many friends on our street and they were over constantly. Now we don't have neighbors and it's good and bad. He took a friend with him to the lake. That helped till we got to Grandma's cause the cousins didn't come till the weekend. They swam and lit off fireworks non stop. They also ate a LOT! He's going to all day church/soccer camp this week and leaves for bible camp on Sunday till Friday. He went there for a weekend last fall and is really looking forward to it. There are others from our church going and he requested to be in a cabin with a friend.

Raven is talking as much as ever. She still gets a bit hyper when eatting the wrong foods. (did I say a BIT?) She loves playing with her baby sister. She talks about friends non stop. She loves clothes and I have no say already. She really started swimming when we were at the ozarks. our condo had a pool as well as grandma's. she wanted to be in there non stop. She talked her cousins ears off. She also kept the conversation flowing by sitting up at grandma and grandpas bar asking what everyone's "favorite's" were. "What's your favorite color, boy singer, singing group, country, state, drink." It was fun to hear everyone's differences and if they matched you'd high five! Her idea. Hard to believe she's going to be only 7 the end of this month.

Paisley is growing and talking a lot! She can carry on a conversation like her sister. I've noticed it a lot more in the past several weeks. "That's Momma's pop Raven! You're gonna be trouble and go to your room you bad girl!" She also tells everyone she was born in Vietnam and when she was a little tiny baby Momma held me like this.. showing with her arms and legs! I really need to get started on her lifebook so I can show it and read it to her daily. I started it 2 years ago! then haven't got back to it. I also started a video of pictures, music and words. Pais became a true swimmer, putting those floaties on, jumping in and floating all around the pool. She would float on her back when you told her to as well. It was amazing! She just loves the water. Her brother and sister where never like that! But Pais has been in the water a lot more then them I think. The poor thing got stung by a bee before our trip. She didn't act like it bothered her but it left the stinger there, got all swollen and red, i took her to the dr. and he removed it. Then the next night it was all infected and oozing. She tested postive for staph so got put on antibiotic. Then a week later the dr. calls and says it tested for a kind not covered by the meds she was on. Then she started getting a boil under her arm! It oozed too! So pray this new medicine works fast! Now I have one. Here we go again. I'm hoping it goes away. I'm using the nose meds and all the hibiclins stuff. Not really worried about me though, just pais. Let's enjoy our summer kids!

My first born turns 12!!!!

April 2nd. My baby! I can't believe he's twelve! He was the CUTEST baby ever. He could have been a model baby. He had blond curly hair and bright blue eyes. When he was about 6 months old and I was working in photography that boy had more "glamour shots" then most adults! We posed him in a denium jacket with his hair all spike up. I propped him in his blue nike outfit with his chubby checks! He didn't like to be held as much as my girls. He liked to be down and on the go. He was a very GOOD baby! At two weeks old he slept through the night. And I'm talking 7:30 pm till 7:30 am! He rarely cried. We took him out to eat all the time and he was perfect. I'll never forget the first time we took him out to eat. We went to Carlo's O Kelly's. I think he was just a couple of weeks old. Jeff wanted way in the back corner in case he would cry, that way nobody would be staring at us! He slept the whole way through dinner. Wow dinner out with 3 kids is a bit different then back in those days! Our first baby (puppy) was our maltese white fu-fu puppy, "macho". Anyone that knew us then knows what I'm talking about. I was ridiculous with doggy outfits and that dog spent more nights in a hotel when we traveled them most adults have. But anyway Ryker and Macho became fast friends. Macho followed him everywhere. I have the cutest picture of Macho sitting next to baby Ryker in his carrier when we first brought him home. Sadly, Macho passed away on Ryker's 8th birthday. Macho was 14 yrs. old. He wants another dog, but for now we have our hands full with 3 kids!
Ryker has always been easy going. He has a big heart and wears his heart on his sleeve just like his Mom. I love that! Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs - Chapter 22:6
He has also become a big help to me! He does many chores and helps with the girls when needed. He also gives an awesome backrub! (he'll hate reading this when older!) One thing his teacher said at school that really sums up Ryker is, "He has gained the respect of all his peers." He is new to this school and it seems he knows everyone and they all really like him! He has always been well liked. He is very fast at making friends and they are very important to him. When we moved to this neighborhood he went to the neighbors homes with Raven and knocked on the door to see if there were any kids that lived there that were their ages! He now has several friends on the street that stop by all the time, usually wanting his advise on some video game or the computer game runscape!
He is definately a computer kid. He loves all the games. He would have rather had a system that was more of a "gamers" system then the wii. He still loves basketball and soccer. But I have to make him do it! He was also is in band on the drums. He was taking private lessons but didn't really like it. So now he does it all through the school. We might pick up some more lessons again. He'd also like to learn guitar. He is a really good artist. He's more like his dad that way. We might get him in some local art classes they do throught this really cool program at one of the middle schools. For his birthday he wanted a new bike and skateboard. He's hoping to get enough money to save up for an ipod touch but would also like more games. I'm encouraging him to get outside more so I'm ok with the bike and skateboard!
When Ryker was little and was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, he responded, "I want to be the boss and own my own cookie store!" I was thrilled! Maybe he would have a huge franchise of stores with the best cookie receipe in the world! He has said he wants to be a police officer and also someone that works on computers. He could design his own video games! Jeff has him write reports on things about computers since he wants computer time each week. This way he learns how they got started and what some of the termonology is. If you want to be in the IT business you have to constantly keep studying to keep up on how fast it's growing!
I asked Ryker what he would like for a special birthday dinner. He wants potato soup! Raven then got upset saying I've never asked her that before. (drama). So Grandma is making cornbread, I'm making potato soup and haven't decided on his cake yet!
Happy 12th birtday Ryker! Hope you have a great day. You'll always hold a special place in my heart! Keep growing in faith like you have been, help others like you do, and always strive to learn more! Love you!

Leave Madonna alone

They say she wants to adopt again and people are critizing her for it. Shame on them! "Judge ye not and ye will not be judged." She also talked of her shock at the reaction to the adoption of her little boy. In an interview with Paris Match she said: "It was not me who chose Malawi, but it chose me. "A native of the country contacted me though my association, Spirituality for Kids which I publicise in all my shows. Some of us, all that we do - is an act of faith. It is easy to talk or type the 'words of Christ' but it is indeed harder to walk the walk of Christ. Sometimes we do indeed need an attitude adjustment. I hate hearing others being critizied for what they do. We do not know the whole story and wouldn't it be better to pray for them and the best outcome for the situation?
As Barbara Walters said, and she adopted her daughter, "It is pure love to adopt"! You can't be selfish to adopt, you can't hope they look like you and have your characterisics and traits, they won't have your genes or blood line. You just want to love a child and have them love you back! Right? This little girl she wants to adopt has no parents. Don't you think the life she would have with Madonna would be better then what she has now? She would never go hungry, she would have the freedoms we have in America. (or where ever Madonna lives) I can totally relate to Madonna for wanting to adopt again. Those that have the love for children have a hard time knowing when it's time to be done. Time to be done adopting or time to be done having children. I have a dear friend that just told me she has always wanted to adopt, she has 4 biological kids, and her husband doesn't want to adopt at this point because of his age. So they just signed up to be foster parents! She wants infants. She loves to care for babies. I am SO excited for them! We have a family at our church that has 10 children. I can't remember how many but most are adopted from the foster care system. AND Leanne has started her own non profit organization to help foster kids and their families. http://www.familieshelpingfamiliesofiowa.com sorry but the link option isn't working for me so you need to copy and paste it into your browser. There is a big gala May 23rd to raise money so that all the foster kids have new back packs and items they need for school. They have "loves closet" which has new or slighty used clothes for the foster families. Leanne has a great family. I got the pleasure of having 2 of her kids ride with us for 2 1/2 hours to church camp last fall. And we get to see them on Wednesday nights when I take the kids to "kids for christ". Maybe in the future we will be foster parents!

"Miracles happen every day! WE just have to open our eyes and see them!"

Spring 2009

Raven finally got over her sickness. She got her energy back. whew! the girl has energy. She got caught up on her school work in 2 hours. She loves it! Amazing. Ryker is having his 12th birthday this week! It always comes up so fast because of spring break that we never seem to get anything planned till last minute. I think we'll take him and his friends bowling. (he actually decided to just take the money we would have spent on the party:) Next year on his 13th he wants a paint ball gun party at this local indoor place that does it. Not my personal favorite thing but it's what he wants. He's getting a new bike and hoping for $$$$. He really wants an ipod touch. We were in Chicago for spring break and he hung out at the apple store with his Dad for a long time while Raven and I were at the American Girl doll store. We had tea, bought the new 70's doll Julie, and Paisley got a bitty baby that's asian. (looks just like her with piggy tails!) They also got matching outfits to wear to match their dolls. I love that store. We didn't seem to have enough time to do everything we wanted to do at all and the weather wasn't the greatest. cold and rainy. We also did the build a bear workshop thing. Pais was so cute. She loved it. We went to the big Lego store and had fun there. Ryker decided to save his money for the ipod touch. Our hotel was amazing. The intercontinental. We had a suite with 2 bathrooms which was nice when you have 5 people! The kids loved to swim. But man it was cold for me! I had to hit the sauna after that to warm up! Paisley LOVES the water! Ryker has become quite the swimmer. Raven hangs on the edge and is still learning.
Paisley has been talking up a storm! She also would like to potty train, but I'm not ready:) It's too messy at this point. So when she goes she gets everything out for me! Somewhere she learned to say, "Butt head!" Not good! Grandma was not impressed to be called this! whoops! One of her favorite lines is, "I DO IT!" She's not good at sharing yet. "MY BLANKET!" "MY BABY!" This too shall pass! She also likes to say, "Naked Butt"! She is awesome at doing somersaults and great at doing the splits. (she's very flexible) She is cute at dancing and will point her fingers out while doing the twist! What a great Spring!