So Grace is turning 11 tomorrow. We had 6 girls here for an overnight Friday night. When I went to bed that night I counted 13 kids in our house. They had pizza, cake, ice cream, chips and were screaming until I had to come downstairs around midnight to tell them to SHHHHHHHH THERE ARE YOUNGER KIDS TRYING TO SLEEP... The girls then had to contend with Schmoopy who was trying to sleep in close proximity. Schmoops told them about her 11th birthday party when they froze a bra. There was only one girl with a bra at this party. In the morning I saw what looked like frozen dental floss....in the freezer. It was as hard as a rock!!!! They all thought that was extremely funny!!!!!! I had to laugh too because it didn't resemble a bra at all...This sleepover trick is probably about 60 years old....IN any event, Grace is thrilled to be 11 and is surrounded by many sweet and loud girlfriends.....her birthday is officially 6/8...PRAISE GOD THAT SHE IS ALIVE!!!! Everyday my kids thrive, grow and get older I count as a milestone for their mother who I am sure only wanted her children to be happy...They are happy and that makes my heart leap!!!!
Andrew (who is already in Middle School and is writing like he's an adult) has started his own personal blog. He calls it, "Andrewz Crazy Life" which makes sense, since he has a packed schedule, and has people (including his 5 siblings) always, asking him questions, and talking to him. So like this for me, he will talk about his life and express his thoughts on life. Of course, he spent an hour or so designing it, but the blog looks great. You can find him at http://andrewzcrazylife.blogspot.com or http://andrewzlife.tk
We also have created a network called ADOPTED KID BLOGS for kids who have been adopted or are siblings who would like to add their blog to the list, reconnect with adopted friends etc. If any of your kids want tips on blogging go to Basics to Pro..
It has been really busy around here. Kids are about to be tracked out AGAIN!!!! Samantha got a car from my mom that she loves. Mark flew up on a Monday to Chicago drove to Kentucky Monday night and made it back to NC on Tuesday. Sam jumped like some kind of crazy teenage TIGGER when she got the news that she finally had her own car (even if it is 12 years old and has 80k miles on it). She is graduating next week. Last weekend I had a small (said sarcastically) but awesome Memorial Day party with about 50 people. Kids were supposed to be in school. YES LADIES AND GENTLEMAN down south where I live they have MEMORIAL DAY as a make up required snow day.....so wrong...My kids stayed home. It was an eclectic crowd of friends from a few different churches. Some of my adoption friends were there. And some of our school and neighborhood friends as well. We had a ton of food....My sister Denise and my nephew Dominick were here for 4 days. We made approximately 190 cookies in two days that were gone as soon as they were made. I went through cinnamon rolls, bacon, two dozen eggs and a million other things...
Started Weight Watchers the day after Denise left (had to after the chocolate chip raw cookie dough)and am doing well. Not sure if I lost weight yet or not. Signed up online. Went to the actual in person meeting and was met with skinny people with an attitude and signs on their name tags announcing their weight loss. They told me I couldn't weigh in because I signed in online rather than in person and then told me I made a mistake and should call corporate if I want to come to the meetings. I decided I didn't like them and would rather have my diet relationship be with a computer. THey truly met me with the cold shoulder which I couldn't understand. Maybe it was because I am a naturally skinny person who is getting larger rather than a larger person experiencing skinniness for the first time in their lives. WHO KNOWS???? But I have decided the online version of Weight Watchers is much friendlier than the newly skinny actual people who are still thinking with a real FATITUDE regardless of their new figures === they don't like naturally skinny people that are turning fat for sure and don't want me to succeed (LOL and kidding but that is how it seemed)...First thing - they greeted everyone but me and then 20 minutes later when I was the only one standing there said "HELOOOOO can we help you? As if I was in the wrong place..." I said "Is this Weight Watchers? I came to get weighed." They said "we can't weigh you unless you sign up in person and it will cost you double..." blah blah....SOOO...I do like Weight Watchers ..the actual meal plan is great(and their desserts like the mint chip ice cream cone 2 points). You get to eat a lot. But their person to person customer service was nasty....IMHO...I am sure that isn't the case everywhere....OKAY DIET RANT OVER..
I have been handling the final touches of my book and have realized that the actual writing of the book was 10 times easier than editing. I edited it 5 million times, had others read and edit, put it through a substantive and copy edit with a pro..submitted it,....had to read proofs and had a friend do the same and still found 30 things that we missed....AND because I am a hyper creative person had to admit that I create with no real plan so am working on a game plan for promotion/marketing etc....
I am intending on incorporating adoption/pro life issues and child advocacy into a book tour in the late summer/fall/winter . I currently have tentative plans to spend 2 weeks in Northern Illinois in the beginning of September with my kids for a book tour and speaking engagements...SO, if anyone wants to have us in their church to speak/sing (or spinging), let us know. Don't hold my bad blogger punctuation against me....I was much more careful with the book....
We have decided NOT to get a dog ...SORRY! THe votes were in FOR the dog but Mark vetoed it and I didn't disagree. We did love Andrew's letter. There was a minute where he wanted to be homeschooled but he will be going to middle school afterall..RELIEVED..
Little Princessa baby girl Matea was in the car with me today. She has head phones on watching DVD of BARBIE and I am listenting to BUBBLY (Starts in my nose and goes to my toes...") . She takes her head phones off and yells "MOM...I get it .. I really get it.. OH MY GOD IS REAL...HE IS EVERYWHERE!!!" Honestly, we had just come from the dollar store buying 16 pair of flip flops (2 for each of us). I hadn't had a spiritual conversation with her in weeks...unless you consider talking about a neighbors dog being in doggy heaven. So I said "Yeah He is everywhere." She says "Mommy that is soooo cool...He is in the sky and the trees." I said "Yeah" and then she puts her phones on.....WILD!!!!!! So proud...
When we visited Ethiopia to get our children we stopped by an orphanage for HIV+ kids called AHOPE. The children were beautiful and all in desperate need of families. The children can live a long productive life in America with the right medicines etc. In Ethiopia they will most likely live a short life. When the children are adopted they often can get sicker during the process while waiting for a waiver for adoption and travel to the states. My friend Carolyn has started an organization called PROJECT HOPEFUL which educates and equips potential adoptive parents to take care of HIV+ kids...I just wanted to invite all of you to see what Carolyn is doing....feel free to visit her site by clicking on the badge in the right column of my blog or at the link on the name. But there are children all over the world in need of families including the UKRAINE, CHINA, GHANA as well as Ethiopia. We had chosen to adopt healthy kids because we really weren't well informed. For a minute our doctors in the states had thought our kids had Hep B because the Dr's weren't experienced with reading the markers (the kids are fine). But through the waiting period to find out if they were infected with Hep B I did some research. I discovered that in many ways the maintenance for HEP B would have been more difficult than if the kids had HIV. Just wanted to ask that you all read up on it a little as HIV doesn't carry the same tragic future as it once had and isn't as easily transmitted as some of the other infectious diseases out there. Children are very sad as they wait knowing that many don't want them. You should go to Carolyn's site and click on the link of the TV interview to see her beautiful daugher Selah.
Oh and because I know we have many readers from Illinois...Project Hopeful is based in Northern Illinois.
Andrew has been advocating for the kids to get a dog, here is his latest e-mail to me: (note*jacobsen's are a family of 9 kids)
"One of my friends', brother is 6. That little kid has his OWN dog that he feeds, he walks, and he takes care of. Thats one single kid who can take care of a dog by himself. Sometimes dad says, "Well, we have alot of kids, we dont need a dog". One word, Jacobsen's. They even had the same house model and what, 3 more kids than us and they STILL have a full grown golden retriever, and cats. And no, they arent crazy. A dog isnt as "hard" as you really think... Grandma has one! Together, us 6 kids and no, not just grace will pick up the poop. I will gladly do some of the work. A dog yes, is a big responsibility, but I think our family is ready for it. We have 6 kids that have worked for a long time and 3 of them ran a farm! Thats 2 dogs, goats, donkeys, cows, pigs, GIRAFFES! We are ready, its something that will make this house happy and fun. It shouuldn't just be the poop thing, or the pee thing. It is a joy to have a dog... and I guarantee you, that we can do it. Its not like we clean up 7 spills a day already right? We can do this, if one single kid can. And a 11 person family can, even with 9 kids, we can. I KNOW we can... and we are ready for a dog. It doesnt matter about the disgusting stuff (that barely happens and only lasts a minute) but it also matters about the fun we have with a dog. The laughs, the smiles, the excitement. Studies even show that a dog increases the average humans life or 3 years... that by itself is worth it. A dog is a profit, not a loss. A dog isn't a beast, its something that God designed and created in his own eyes. He created it for us, it says in Genesis that he created the animals of the earth for two reasons, to give food and to give enjoyment. I dont think our family is using animals for enjoyment, something that God made all animals for, a dog is something our family is ready for, im 100% positive. Now I bet your thinking, "Wont Jared be scared?" Mom already knows he wont. When Donna was 6 and they went to get their first dog, she was scared. Then once they got in the pet shop, and met they're new dog. She wasn't scared of dogs anymore. Our family is ready for a dog. I know we are."
So, should we get a dog? Give us your opinion, with this poll.
