Birthdays and stuff

A proud big sister!
Another proud big sister;)
My parents came down for several days and watched Beautiful play a Basketball tournament. They took 4th place!!

Every time that I decide to get on my blog and update I read what I have missed out on others' blogs and then the baby cries and I don't get an update done! I have written lots of updates in my head but they never seem to make it here.

"Do not grow weary in doing what is right" - has become a focal verse lately. Relationships have superceded everything else. My house is a mess. My paperwork is not getting done. Friendships are getting neglected. But my kids are being loved and cherished. There are a lot of them to raise up - I can have a clean house in 18 years!

photo update

We surprised Beautiful with a trip to the waterpark for her birthday!
Buddy had a great time pouring water on people lol!

My Beloved Firstborn:)

smiles!!!!
and more smiles!!!!!!
JJ loves his new toy!

me and my baby:)

I've hit the "late-30's"

I'm 38 - I've officially entered the late 30's...All the kids but Beautiful...who was taking the picture:)

So, life continues to be busy. My husband orchestrated a beautifully relaxing day - once God got the ball rolling. I only work on Monday's and Tuesday's. I had a full day of work and was not looking forward to it, but who can complain when one only works 2 days a week lol! Anyway, God sent a cold icy snow storm and thus...I got to stay home with the family all day:) JJ continues to wake up 2 - 4 times a night to nurse. However, for the past THREE NIGHTS he only got up ONCE!!! That was probably my best birthday present lol! So we slept in a bit then my husband made my favorite breakfast - a bacon and cheese omelet. The kids were very obedient and focused for school too! A friend called to take us down for coffee (I don't drink coffee but had a Chai for the first time - it was pretty good!) so we braved the weather for that. Then I........scrapbooked! I got Grace's scrapbook updated. I was a year behind in all of them so having one done in one night (nothing fancy but the pictures are in the book!) feels pretty good:) We topped off the night with a game of spades at the request of Buddy who LOVES to play spades. The fireplace kept the house warm in the below 0 temps and the kids tried hard to make the day special for me. I'm blessed:)

Next year...the last year of this decade...I'll worry about that next year lol!

Merry Christmas!

my husband and JJ bonding at Christmas:)My sister with Beautiful and Faith.
JJ...isn't he just adorable!
My dad came over to my mom's for a time to open gifts too. We were so blessed to see him!
The kids loved sledding and playing in the almost 3 feet of snow:)
We had such a delightful time for Christmas. I loved being at my mom's house - being pampered. I didn't have to cook, clean, do laundry...or hardly hold JJ! We all compete over who gets to love on him:) My husband went out with my step dad twice shopping (they are the shoppers - I'll do anything to stay out of a store!) and took Grace with them...leaving us a quiet and peaceful home for a time:) We tried to stay longer than a week but...the weather was changing and we needed to get home. We'll try another long trek up there in Marchish.

A highlight was worshiping on Christmas Eve with 1200 other people. We were actually in overflow seating in the foyer with a big screen set up! It worked out good since JJ needed me to stand and walk with him. It was a beautiful candlelight service. God is so good...

pics of Christmas #1

Whew, where to start! I have a post floating around in my head but no time to post it now. You will just have to be content with pictures:) We leave in a couple of days for my parents for Christmas. We had our family Christmas today. There isn't enough time in the day for all of the things that need to be completed. The days are packed now until we leave...see you again when we return!

Beautiful got to play for 1 week on the public school team (we found out late - thought she couldn't play since she is home schooled). She loved her 3 games...which were all wins!

Our Family Christmas!
Happy Birthday Jesus!!!
Right after he...ROLLED OVER!!!!!! He turned 4 months yesterday. We were at the kitchen table listening to Beautiful recite Luke 2 and I had JJ on his tummy on the table. All of a sudden he flipped over fast, landed on my plate and almost spilled my milk. After we all got over the initial shock we all shouted with excitement getting him all giggly. He rolls every time we put him on his tummy now. What a big boy! Weighed him a week or so ago - he as finally broke 12 lbs and is officially out of all of his newborn clothes:) He got a cold last week. The little girls and I are on antibiotics - Faith is particularly sick in her lungs. Sick since the beginning of Nov - gotta be better before going to Grandma's!!!
I finally got brave enough to let them (read: Grace) have play doe!!!

Modesty

http://www.edelweisspatterns.com/

This is a site I recently discovered regarding modest clothing (patterns, clothes, etc).

eating and sleeping

I have not sat down and completed a meaningful post for a long time. I will try to complete one now:)

I love my son! I could spend hours and hours just staring at him, awake or sleeping. He is precious! He is a gift! He is amazing! I cannot even think of enough adjectives to described how incredible adoption is this time around. To have been given the gift of being in his life from BIRTH on! To get to email with his mother weekly and have her a part of our "family!" To hear his squeals and see his excitement when I walk in the room! Oh, the wait, the cost, the utter upheaval to our lives is SO WORTH IT! Have I mentioned that I love him with all my heart and hate to spend any time away from him?

So, aside from gushing over a baby, what else is new? He is currently 3 1/2 months. He just broke 12 lbs. He started at 5 lbs 4 oz if you have forgotten:) He still wakes up usually 3 times a night to eat. That seems like a lot, but my body has gotten used to it. Until 2 nights ago he woke at 2, 4, and 6 a.m - going down around 10:30 or 11. My body got into a rhythm and I did OK with it. We usually crawl out of bed around 8 a.m. (when he wakes again) so I am getting adequate sleep. Praise the Lord for home schooling and a flexible schedule!!! While we did bring him to bed sometimes around 4 or so, the last two nights I have brought him to bed at 1:30 when he woke up. He seems to be getting colder. Last night I was rewarded with him not getting up again until 5:30!!! 3.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep was so great!!!

Eating: JJ did not tolerate formula. He was horribly constipated and was so uncomfortable that we held him ALL THE TIME or he would be very fussy. We tried all the formulas on the shelf but he would vomit them up. One night a friend offered some breast milk. He ate it and SLEPT 5 UNINTERRUPTED hours! I knew then that the old adage "breast is best" was again true and began the process of adoptive breastfeeding. This was when JJ was 4 weeks old. The first month was quite a process, but now I am able to supply all but 4 - 10 oz a day depending on the day. He is supplemented with goat's milk. It was totally worth it - but I admit I'm glad I'm on this side of the process:) Even though he never nursed in the hospital, at 4 weeks he latched on like a pro and there were no struggles with that part of the process. God is so good:) We had a couple of friends providing breast milk for him during the transition and we are SO thankful for their sacrifice of time to help JJ be as healthy as he can be:) I was reminded that it takes a community of believers to raise up a child:)

My back has seemingly been healed! If you remember my pain started in April with the herniated disk. I used chiropractic treatments and in July went to my physician and had a MRI diagnosing the herniated disk. I used chiropractic treatments (traction) and then some physical therapy learning stretching and muscle strengthening exercises. Night time was still terrible. I woke up in so much pain (and was waking so often with JJ). My husband would get up with him and soothe him until I could work through the pain and get set up to feed him. The pain at night would be a 6 or 7. I woke up on 11/22 and for the first time since April (when not on pain pills) IN NO PAIN!!!!! I am so thankful for the prayers of my faithful friends:) My pain is now always around a 0 - 3, but MANAGEABLE! It is so freeing to be able to roll over in bed! To cross my legs again! To carry JJ! To even "wear" JJ! Standing still too long and carrying JJ too long still hurts, but it is a pain that I can stretch out now and not be down for 3 days with it.

Well, lots of other "life" is happening that that will have to wait for another time. JJ is up now and home schooling, cleaning, parenting, and life goes on!

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. DO NOT GROW WEARY IN DOING WHAT IS RIGHT!!!!