Dear Friends,
We made it to Florida for Faith's Make-A-Wish trip safely, all eight of us.
I cannot even explain the magnitude of the things that the Make-A-Wish people do to make this the best trip ever....and we have just begun. I hear there are mannnnnny more suprises in store for us during the next seven days.
I thought I would never get Elijah to go to sleep last night. OH MY GOSH! It was after midnight when I finally was able to close my eyes. Let's just say that 3:50 a.m. came waaaaaaaaaaaaay too early this morning.
We were out of the hotel room by 5:00 a.m. and off to the airport shortly after that.
Fast forward a few hours later to our arrival in Orlando Florida, the state of SUNSHINE!
We were greeted by Olivia, our Give Kids The World Village Volunteer. If you are not familiar with Give Kids The World Village, please see yesterday's post for more in depth info.
Olivia was kind and so helpful and was full of useful information about the village.
We got our rental van, which everyone is in agreeance that it smells like shaving cream....lol, that's a good thing, and headed about 20 miles to get to our village.
Now, let me just remind you that EVERYTHING, yes, ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING, at GKTW is FREE FREE FREE!! From meals, to unlimited ice cream, to stuffed Mickey Mouse dolls, to snacks, Tide for the washer and dryer, sunscreen, treats for all kids, unlimited arcade games, a theater, a horse corrall, a fishing pond, a train station, really, I could go on for hours. FREE, FREE, FREE!
There are 2 pools here. One pool is calm and for relaxation purposes. Ya, I probably will just smile and wave as we walk past that pool...lol!
The other pool is STINKIN AWESOME!!! Swirly things, water spraying, shooting water out of bright colored spray hoses.....Getting ready to head there now! You gotta see it to believe it!
There is not enough blog space to mention every detail but, this place ROCKS!!
The village we are staying at has 110 houses. We have a Double House because there is 8 of us. We have the following things in our double house:
4 bathrooms
4 bedrooms
4 twin beds
2 king beds
2 other beds
2 living rooms
2 dining rooms
2 stoves
2 frigers
2 washers and 2 dryers...because Jesus loves me, this I know!!! EEKS!!
2 front porches with chairs to rock in and relax on
and a PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE!!!
This place is bigger than my own home in Missouri...NO KIDDING!
Tomorrow is my 35th birthday and my dad's 58th birthday. Yes, I am the birthday gift that kept on taking after all these years..lol
We will be headed to Magic Kingdom tomorrow. What a great way to share our birthdays this year! I can't imagine it any better than Disney style!
Faith has a special reservation tomorrow morning to meet MUCHO PrincessessO! We have been given a special button so that all parking and stroller or buggy fees are FREE at all parks! Way cool!
Again, I'm a little gitty!
The houses here, check out the pic, look like something off of the movie The Cat in The Hat! They are brightly colored, funny shaped, and have a rabbit on each mailbox to greet you. Funny thing is, in my head, if I were gonna dream up a house that fit my personality......THIS PLACE HAS ME PEGGED TO A TEE!! Honey, I'm home!!!
Oops, I forgot to mention that Faith and I got to board the plane first, YES< before anyone else because I told them we were with Make-A-Wish!! The rest of the crew boarded shortly after and we all set together! VERY COOL SOUTHWEST AIRLINES.....VERY COOL!
I am about to hyperventilate, so I better end this post.
Off to eat as much ice-cream as we want.....for the second time today already!!
Until next time,
Bambi
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
And.......We're Off!
Today we packed up to leave for Florida.
Now, I would like to say that I have been packed and ready for days, you know that's just how organized I am. Ha, Ya whatever! No chance of that happening!
We woke up today and Gracie greeted me with a croupy cough, you know, the kind that you know will get nastyyyyyy if it's not taken care of? So, off to the doctor and pharmacy we went. So glad we got that taken care of so that we can enjoy this trip as a family.
Now, because I knew I would be gone the majority of the morning taking Gracie to the doctor and getting prescriptions, I woke my 3 boys up before I left and then called them once I was in the car to deligate their jobs that must be completed before our departure for Disney World.
It truly was amazing to see how nice the house looked when I came home. Dishes were done, laundry done, their bags packed, the dog had been taken next door to my in-laws house. Wow, when Disney is your bargaining chip, those kiddos seem to move like Mario Andretti! Go speed racer.....GO!
So, Make-A-Wish has reserved us two room at a nice hotel by the airport. Our flight departs for Florida bright and early at 7 in the morning.
It was like the Griswalds (you know Chevy Chase and his fam) going on vacation when we attempted to load up the eight of us. My dad is joining us and we are so happy to share this amazing trip with him.
You would have thought we were moving by the way my two middle boys packed. They felt as though they could not live without a FULL SIZE blanket for each of them. You know, we're headed to Africa, and there are no blankets there right? Hello, it's the sunshine state, I think they will have blankets where we're staying. GOOD GRAVY!
So, it is now 11:00 pm. I have OVERmedicated ADHD boy with benadryl, and still......he goes.....and goes.....and goes.....
I bought a Sharpie pen today to label some things for our trip, toothbrushes, water bottles and so on. Well, guess what, I yelled MARCO, yet the pen did not yell POLO....grrrrrrrr!
So, I asked Elijah to run down to the hotel front desk to see if they had a marker we could borrow.
Twenty.....yes 20 minutes later, he comes back. Now, I had already called the front desk to check and see if he was still there once. Yet still, no ELI!
He finally comes back to the hotel room (right before I sent out the search party) and I asked (very angrily) what took him so long.
Here is his reply:
Well Mom, I was trying to waste time so I went up and down on the elevator to visit each floor a few times.
And, there goes my life...Wheh, that boy makes me tired.
And I pray a lil prayer that I always pray for Elijah when he is on my last nerve, "Dear Lord, please give him triplet sons JUST LIKE HIM!" AMMMMMMMEN!
So tomorrow we head to Disney!! We are so excited and can't wait to enjoy this adventure.
Faith and the other kids don't know this(shhhhhhhhh!) but we are meeting up with Lam and has family while in Florida. This is the lil boy that was from the same orphanage in Vietnam that Faith was from. They danced and sang together. She has talked about him since she learned her first words in English.I visited him in Vietnam, holding him and loving on him, praying for God to send a Miracle for this boy. I knew about him for several months before we adopted Faith. I longed to be his mommy, but his mommy ended up being from Florida. We have remained in contact, their family and ours, and sent pics and letters back and forth.
I can't wait to reunite them and take pics. Neither are orphans anymore. How GREAT and BIG my God is!
Below is a lil more info about the place we are staying at. I am SUPER SIKED ABOUT STAYING HERE!!!
Give Kids the World has a life-size candy land game, rides, a pool, a lake, a free arcade and teen room, and OODLES of other things to do. Give Kids The World was made for families with chronically ill children. EVERYTHING WE DO IN GIVE KIDS THE WORLD IS FREE, FREE, FREE, including the ice cream, arcades, and so on. This place has trash cans that look like elephants, that suck up your trash when you put your hand to the elephants nose, giant chocolate bars, tables for children in the restaurants that are made kid size and made out of 30,000 peppermints. They have a theatre, putt putt golf, a train station, a horse korral, a playground, and so MUCH MORE!
Every Thursday is Christmas at Give Kids The World. Santa and Mrs. Clause ride through the village. The mayor, a 6 foot tall bunny rabbit, will come around and tuck the kids in each evening if we request this.
Their website is : http://www.gktw.org/aboutUs.asp?a=1&page=scrapbook
Go check it out!
Here is how Give Kids The World came to be:
The story of Give Kids The World begins with a little girl with a wish and the desire of one man to make that wish come true.
The little girl's name was Amy. Amy had leukemia and one wish - to visit the theme parks in Orlando. To facilitate Amy's wish, the request of a complimentary stay was made to a respected hotelier. As he had done many times before, the hotelier gladly obliged and Amy's wish was that much closer to being realized. Sadly, the remainder of Amy's travel plans took too long to arrange and her wish was never granted; Amy had passed away. Time simply ran out.
This unfulfilled wish inspired a man, the hotelier, to make a vow that no child in need would ever be failed again. That man was Henri Landwirth and his desire to ensure that Amy's story would never repeat itself is where the story of Give Kids The World begins.
Landwirth enlisted the support of colleagues in the hospitality industry, including our world-famous theme parks, to assist him in bringing these special families to Central Florida within 24 hours if need be. He called the project “Give Kids The World,” because that is just what he intended to do - provide memorable, magical, cost-free experiences to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.
As the program expanded and the number of families continued to grow, it was apparent that Give Kids The World would need to create a place that could better serve the special needs of our families. The gates of Give Kids The World Village opened in 1989.
Today the Village is a 70-acre resort complete with over 140 Villa accommodations, entertainment attractions, whimsical venues, and fun specifically designed for children with special needs.
With the help of many generous individuals, corporations and partnering wish-granting organizations, Give Kids The World has welcomed more than 100,000 families from all 50 states and over 70 countries.
Will post more later.
Much Love,
Bam
Now, I would like to say that I have been packed and ready for days, you know that's just how organized I am. Ha, Ya whatever! No chance of that happening!
We woke up today and Gracie greeted me with a croupy cough, you know, the kind that you know will get nastyyyyyy if it's not taken care of? So, off to the doctor and pharmacy we went. So glad we got that taken care of so that we can enjoy this trip as a family.
Now, because I knew I would be gone the majority of the morning taking Gracie to the doctor and getting prescriptions, I woke my 3 boys up before I left and then called them once I was in the car to deligate their jobs that must be completed before our departure for Disney World.
It truly was amazing to see how nice the house looked when I came home. Dishes were done, laundry done, their bags packed, the dog had been taken next door to my in-laws house. Wow, when Disney is your bargaining chip, those kiddos seem to move like Mario Andretti! Go speed racer.....GO!
So, Make-A-Wish has reserved us two room at a nice hotel by the airport. Our flight departs for Florida bright and early at 7 in the morning.
It was like the Griswalds (you know Chevy Chase and his fam) going on vacation when we attempted to load up the eight of us. My dad is joining us and we are so happy to share this amazing trip with him.
You would have thought we were moving by the way my two middle boys packed. They felt as though they could not live without a FULL SIZE blanket for each of them. You know, we're headed to Africa, and there are no blankets there right? Hello, it's the sunshine state, I think they will have blankets where we're staying. GOOD GRAVY!
So, it is now 11:00 pm. I have OVERmedicated ADHD boy with benadryl, and still......he goes.....and goes.....and goes.....
I bought a Sharpie pen today to label some things for our trip, toothbrushes, water bottles and so on. Well, guess what, I yelled MARCO, yet the pen did not yell POLO....grrrrrrrr!
So, I asked Elijah to run down to the hotel front desk to see if they had a marker we could borrow.
Twenty.....yes 20 minutes later, he comes back. Now, I had already called the front desk to check and see if he was still there once. Yet still, no ELI!
He finally comes back to the hotel room (right before I sent out the search party) and I asked (very angrily) what took him so long.
Here is his reply:
Well Mom, I was trying to waste time so I went up and down on the elevator to visit each floor a few times.
And, there goes my life...Wheh, that boy makes me tired.
And I pray a lil prayer that I always pray for Elijah when he is on my last nerve, "Dear Lord, please give him triplet sons JUST LIKE HIM!" AMMMMMMMEN!
So tomorrow we head to Disney!! We are so excited and can't wait to enjoy this adventure.
Faith and the other kids don't know this(shhhhhhhhh!) but we are meeting up with Lam and has family while in Florida. This is the lil boy that was from the same orphanage in Vietnam that Faith was from. They danced and sang together. She has talked about him since she learned her first words in English.I visited him in Vietnam, holding him and loving on him, praying for God to send a Miracle for this boy. I knew about him for several months before we adopted Faith. I longed to be his mommy, but his mommy ended up being from Florida. We have remained in contact, their family and ours, and sent pics and letters back and forth.
I can't wait to reunite them and take pics. Neither are orphans anymore. How GREAT and BIG my God is!
Below is a lil more info about the place we are staying at. I am SUPER SIKED ABOUT STAYING HERE!!!
Give Kids the World has a life-size candy land game, rides, a pool, a lake, a free arcade and teen room, and OODLES of other things to do. Give Kids The World was made for families with chronically ill children. EVERYTHING WE DO IN GIVE KIDS THE WORLD IS FREE, FREE, FREE, including the ice cream, arcades, and so on. This place has trash cans that look like elephants, that suck up your trash when you put your hand to the elephants nose, giant chocolate bars, tables for children in the restaurants that are made kid size and made out of 30,000 peppermints. They have a theatre, putt putt golf, a train station, a horse korral, a playground, and so MUCH MORE!
Every Thursday is Christmas at Give Kids The World. Santa and Mrs. Clause ride through the village. The mayor, a 6 foot tall bunny rabbit, will come around and tuck the kids in each evening if we request this.
Their website is : http://www.gktw.org/aboutUs.asp?a=1&page=scrapbook
Go check it out!
Here is how Give Kids The World came to be:
The story of Give Kids The World begins with a little girl with a wish and the desire of one man to make that wish come true.
The little girl's name was Amy. Amy had leukemia and one wish - to visit the theme parks in Orlando. To facilitate Amy's wish, the request of a complimentary stay was made to a respected hotelier. As he had done many times before, the hotelier gladly obliged and Amy's wish was that much closer to being realized. Sadly, the remainder of Amy's travel plans took too long to arrange and her wish was never granted; Amy had passed away. Time simply ran out.
This unfulfilled wish inspired a man, the hotelier, to make a vow that no child in need would ever be failed again. That man was Henri Landwirth and his desire to ensure that Amy's story would never repeat itself is where the story of Give Kids The World begins.
Landwirth enlisted the support of colleagues in the hospitality industry, including our world-famous theme parks, to assist him in bringing these special families to Central Florida within 24 hours if need be. He called the project “Give Kids The World,” because that is just what he intended to do - provide memorable, magical, cost-free experiences to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.
As the program expanded and the number of families continued to grow, it was apparent that Give Kids The World would need to create a place that could better serve the special needs of our families. The gates of Give Kids The World Village opened in 1989.
Today the Village is a 70-acre resort complete with over 140 Villa accommodations, entertainment attractions, whimsical venues, and fun specifically designed for children with special needs.
With the help of many generous individuals, corporations and partnering wish-granting organizations, Give Kids The World has welcomed more than 100,000 families from all 50 states and over 70 countries.
Will post more later.
Much Love,
Bam
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
A visit to Chicago
For the past few days Faith and I have been in Chicago visiting the Children's Memorial Hospital for some testing due to her Thalassemia.
I cannot even begin to say what a blessing this trip has been. We were the receipients of an Angel Flight, have been staying at the Ronald McDonald House, and all around, this has been like a mini vacation. Say it with me now....Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
I miss my kiddos and my hubby. Other than that, I would really rather be here. I LOVE CHICAGO!!
Now, if you know me, this is the part where I get very excited and start talking so fast that you only hear about every other word.
If you do not know me.....read the next part of my entry...REALLY REALLY FAST!
OkaysoChicagoissogreatIcanteventellyouhowmuchIloveit!!!!!!!EEEKS!
I have ridden in a smelly taxi, where the air conditioning made its way to the back seat by a long vacumee tube looking thing. I went past The Coach store,( Ya, uh huh, smile & wave, smile & wave!)Bloomingdale's, waved to Neiman Marcus....HEYYYYYYYY Marcity Marc!
I went to Giordanos pizza place for some FABULOUSO deep dish Chicago pizza. Even on a budget, I found a way to buy pizza for two! YEEHAW COWBOY!
I went to Garrett's popcorn GLEEMED from ear to ear. This is the popcorn place that Oprah put on her top 10 Christmas list a few years ago. I don't care about Oprah....But LOVE Christmas cause I'm just a kid at heart. I have always wanted to go there, just cause......just cause!
So, I went there, stood in line and got some caramel and Peekan covered popcorn! YUMM-O! Paula Dean,(AKA Stephanie Crawford) I thought of you girl! Oh, how I wished you would have been there with me. One employee's job was to wipe down the inside of the popcorn bins that were covered with butter, cheese sauce, and caramel with a washcloth.
I so wanted to knock him outta the way and say,,,,,"STEP BACK.....I got it.....and then I could proceed with climbing my fatt butt in the bins and just lick them clean.
I got to see the meter police, passing out tickets like I have seen on tv. I passed a trumpet player who was playing for money. We dropped some quarters into his bucket, which made my heart happy. Yes, he could have owned a BMW from his earnings, I don't care....don't burst my bubble....I was in a zone....in a zone!
Everyone in Chicago walks, runs, bikes, jogs,,,,,you name it, they move and jazzersize it! Wheh, Girl I was tired just watching em sweat! Made me wanna eat a brownie....ummmmm hmmmmm...fo sho!
Faith and I walked to the Lincoln Park Zoo. It was so beautiful! We walked around for a few hours at our leisure which was so nice....and FREE...O YA! We saw giraffes,birds,a polar bear with an itchy butt, (yes, he was scratching)hippos,rhinos,lemurs,an anteater, HUGE Cockroaches GAG ME, ostriches....the list goes on and on and on.
There is a beach here and is so beautiful, but we did not make it there to visit upclose and personally.
I did find that many, okay.....more like...MANY women held hands, which struck me as odd. I saw this quite frequently. Now, in China 2 friends will do this. We saw this constantly there. Here, I am not sure if everyone is very GAY....FREE....or just real close with their friends.
RANDOM OBSERVATION ABOUT CHICAGO:
The dogs here are BIG...not just BIG, but like GIRRRRL, YOU GOT JUNK IN YO TRUNK KINDA BIG, Popeye delivered spinach for lunch, and dinner was prepared by BLACK ANGUS and Co & breakfast was WHEATIES..SUPER SIZE POOCHES!!
Welcome to Pets R Us....May I BIGGIE size my labradoodle today pleaseeeee? Oh my Goshhhhhhh!AAAWWWWOOOOGGGGGGAAAAA (AWOOGA!!)
I truly would move here. I told Bill just yesterday, sign me up, pack the house.....let's G-O! He was not a fan of the idea, but hey, I like to be flexible!
The people, the sights, the food, the people, the attractions, the food, the tall, ornate buidlings, the endless list of things I could do with my kids and never get bored, the food....did I mention that Chicago food rocks? No wonder everyone is ty-bo-ing it down the street. They just ate a whole Giordanno's stuffed crust pizza, followed by some of Molly's Cupcakes, followed by a 10 mile Chicago bike ride.
I must run now, but will post more later. I have eaten so much caramel,PeeKan popcorn that I'm about to heeavvee hoooo.
To Be Continued,
Bambi
I cannot even begin to say what a blessing this trip has been. We were the receipients of an Angel Flight, have been staying at the Ronald McDonald House, and all around, this has been like a mini vacation. Say it with me now....Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
I miss my kiddos and my hubby. Other than that, I would really rather be here. I LOVE CHICAGO!!
Now, if you know me, this is the part where I get very excited and start talking so fast that you only hear about every other word.
If you do not know me.....read the next part of my entry...REALLY REALLY FAST!
OkaysoChicagoissogreatIcanteventellyouhowmuchIloveit!!!!!!!EEEKS!
I have ridden in a smelly taxi, where the air conditioning made its way to the back seat by a long vacumee tube looking thing. I went past The Coach store,( Ya, uh huh, smile & wave, smile & wave!)Bloomingdale's, waved to Neiman Marcus....HEYYYYYYYY Marcity Marc!
I went to Giordanos pizza place for some FABULOUSO deep dish Chicago pizza. Even on a budget, I found a way to buy pizza for two! YEEHAW COWBOY!
I went to Garrett's popcorn GLEEMED from ear to ear. This is the popcorn place that Oprah put on her top 10 Christmas list a few years ago. I don't care about Oprah....But LOVE Christmas cause I'm just a kid at heart. I have always wanted to go there, just cause......just cause!
So, I went there, stood in line and got some caramel and Peekan covered popcorn! YUMM-O! Paula Dean,(AKA Stephanie Crawford) I thought of you girl! Oh, how I wished you would have been there with me. One employee's job was to wipe down the inside of the popcorn bins that were covered with butter, cheese sauce, and caramel with a washcloth.
I so wanted to knock him outta the way and say,,,,,"STEP BACK.....I got it.....and then I could proceed with climbing my fatt butt in the bins and just lick them clean.
I got to see the meter police, passing out tickets like I have seen on tv. I passed a trumpet player who was playing for money. We dropped some quarters into his bucket, which made my heart happy. Yes, he could have owned a BMW from his earnings, I don't care....don't burst my bubble....I was in a zone....in a zone!
Everyone in Chicago walks, runs, bikes, jogs,,,,,you name it, they move and jazzersize it! Wheh, Girl I was tired just watching em sweat! Made me wanna eat a brownie....ummmmm hmmmmm...fo sho!
Faith and I walked to the Lincoln Park Zoo. It was so beautiful! We walked around for a few hours at our leisure which was so nice....and FREE...O YA! We saw giraffes,birds,a polar bear with an itchy butt, (yes, he was scratching)hippos,rhinos,lemurs,an anteater, HUGE Cockroaches GAG ME, ostriches....the list goes on and on and on.
There is a beach here and is so beautiful, but we did not make it there to visit upclose and personally.
I did find that many, okay.....more like...MANY women held hands, which struck me as odd. I saw this quite frequently. Now, in China 2 friends will do this. We saw this constantly there. Here, I am not sure if everyone is very GAY....FREE....or just real close with their friends.
RANDOM OBSERVATION ABOUT CHICAGO:
The dogs here are BIG...not just BIG, but like GIRRRRL, YOU GOT JUNK IN YO TRUNK KINDA BIG, Popeye delivered spinach for lunch, and dinner was prepared by BLACK ANGUS and Co & breakfast was WHEATIES..SUPER SIZE POOCHES!!
Welcome to Pets R Us....May I BIGGIE size my labradoodle today pleaseeeee? Oh my Goshhhhhhh!AAAWWWWOOOOGGGGGGAAAAA (AWOOGA!!)
I truly would move here. I told Bill just yesterday, sign me up, pack the house.....let's G-O! He was not a fan of the idea, but hey, I like to be flexible!
The people, the sights, the food, the people, the attractions, the food, the tall, ornate buidlings, the endless list of things I could do with my kids and never get bored, the food....did I mention that Chicago food rocks? No wonder everyone is ty-bo-ing it down the street. They just ate a whole Giordanno's stuffed crust pizza, followed by some of Molly's Cupcakes, followed by a 10 mile Chicago bike ride.
I must run now, but will post more later. I have eaten so much caramel,PeeKan popcorn that I'm about to heeavvee hoooo.
To Be Continued,
Bambi
Sunday, June 13, 2010
MUST Simplify
Hello friends and strangers too who are wondering how the heck they stumbled upon our families blog!
Linny, over at a Place Called Simplicity has been talking about ways to simplify your life with kids, HUNTing for items, you name it, she is covering it. She sooooooooooooooooooooo has it together more than I. Go check out Linny's blog at aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com YOU WILL LOVE IT!
We recently decided to "Simplify" by adding TWO, count em, TWO, giant dry erase white boards to our kitchen.
One, specifically is mine. I told the 5 kiddos, if they even get close to MY board, they truly are risking their lives! LOL
On this board I have the days of the week for an entire month. Two days before the end of the month, we switch and start for the next month.
I have dr's appt cards magnetized on the dates so that, with a glance, I can see when the next doctor visit is for Faith or anyone of her siblings. Elijah goes to counseling and Chevy sees the orthodontist so the appointments are endless at our house!! Whehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
I also have my meal plan on MY board. I do this a month in advance and OMG it helps me soooo soooo much!
So, let's say I am leaving for work, the kids are fighting, the youngest has spray painted some art in the middle of the living room floor, (I know Elijah, the devil made you do it! wink wink) and you remember, DANG, in 8 hours, were gonna have to eat..AGAIN. I glance at the date, see that hamburgers are on the menu and BAM.....grab some hamburger out of the freezer.
Then, I chuck, yes, I like that term, it across the room so that it lands in the sink to unthaw while were gone. When I come home at the end of the day, I make hamburger patties and were off.....on our next adventure.
Let me tell you that at times, I am at work and dont get a chance to eat....not because I want to..HEAVENS NO! I never have understood skinny people that say they FORGET to eat. Ya, uh huh, size 2 lady, that never happens to me!
But, anyways, by the time I get home at night, the natives are VVVVVVERY restless and want to eat, especially Faith with her diet and health issues.
They are cranky, I am cranky, the homework papers are flying......this helps our family so much. We truly have cut down on some chaos.
I have another tip to SIMPLIFY things for a family of any size, not just a family of 8 like us. Stick around, sign in, become a friend and follow our blog, you will see whats up my sleeve.
MMMMuuuuuuhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (evil, ornery laugh)
By the way, here's my disclaimer, we are not always pretty, perky, shiny, and smell good, but, We always are Honest, True, and love each other. I DID NOT SAY LIKE!! DO NOT QUOTE THAT!! I SAID LOVE!!! :)
See ya soon,
Bambi
crazy momma of 6
Linny, over at a Place Called Simplicity has been talking about ways to simplify your life with kids, HUNTing for items, you name it, she is covering it. She sooooooooooooooooooooo has it together more than I. Go check out Linny's blog at aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com YOU WILL LOVE IT!
We recently decided to "Simplify" by adding TWO, count em, TWO, giant dry erase white boards to our kitchen.
One, specifically is mine. I told the 5 kiddos, if they even get close to MY board, they truly are risking their lives! LOL
On this board I have the days of the week for an entire month. Two days before the end of the month, we switch and start for the next month.
I have dr's appt cards magnetized on the dates so that, with a glance, I can see when the next doctor visit is for Faith or anyone of her siblings. Elijah goes to counseling and Chevy sees the orthodontist so the appointments are endless at our house!! Whehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
I also have my meal plan on MY board. I do this a month in advance and OMG it helps me soooo soooo much!
So, let's say I am leaving for work, the kids are fighting, the youngest has spray painted some art in the middle of the living room floor, (I know Elijah, the devil made you do it! wink wink) and you remember, DANG, in 8 hours, were gonna have to eat..AGAIN. I glance at the date, see that hamburgers are on the menu and BAM.....grab some hamburger out of the freezer.
Then, I chuck, yes, I like that term, it across the room so that it lands in the sink to unthaw while were gone. When I come home at the end of the day, I make hamburger patties and were off.....on our next adventure.
Let me tell you that at times, I am at work and dont get a chance to eat....not because I want to..HEAVENS NO! I never have understood skinny people that say they FORGET to eat. Ya, uh huh, size 2 lady, that never happens to me!
But, anyways, by the time I get home at night, the natives are VVVVVVERY restless and want to eat, especially Faith with her diet and health issues.
They are cranky, I am cranky, the homework papers are flying......this helps our family so much. We truly have cut down on some chaos.
I have another tip to SIMPLIFY things for a family of any size, not just a family of 8 like us. Stick around, sign in, become a friend and follow our blog, you will see whats up my sleeve.
MMMMuuuuuuhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (evil, ornery laugh)
By the way, here's my disclaimer, we are not always pretty, perky, shiny, and smell good, but, We always are Honest, True, and love each other. I DID NOT SAY LIKE!! DO NOT QUOTE THAT!! I SAID LOVE!!! :)
See ya soon,
Bambi
crazy momma of 6
Friday, May 28, 2010
New Life
It's 12:25 a.m. on a Friday and I find myself unable to sleep.
Today has been very eventful with constant motion and I need a minute to catch my breath and get some down time.
We had 3 appointments at the Children's Hospital today for Faith: hearing aid check up, blood transfusion, and echo of the heart. It was a full day.
Then, we were off to purchase some pocketbook friendly paint for Amber's and the two Asian princesse's rooms.
When all is done, it will look cute, and I will nap.....It is good to dream right?
Currently, I have 2 teenagers that are painted as blue as a smurf. Yes, they got a lil out of hand with the painting project.
We are trying to decorate Amber a room so she has a space to call her own, she deserves to have that.
She chose to paint her room (aka the added on small sun room) sky blue. She will have chocolate brown and sky blue for the colors. We bought adhesive wall polka dots tonight in those colors..>>SOOOOOPA CUTE!
I have to say with 4 bedrooms in our house, 6 children, (nearly half being teenagers EEKS!)and all being males and females mixed, we have had to be creative with the living/sleeping arrangements.
Amber (17) sleeps with Faith (8) in her room. Jacob (15) sleeps upstairs. Chevy (13) sleeps on the couch even though he has a bed....hmmmmmm.Ya, I still haven't figured that one out yet/
Elijah (11) sleeps on a full bed in the living room. That's the only thing he wanted that belonged to my mother when she passed away. Seriously, I was thinking he would choose a coffee mug, a small photo, a blanket that smelled like her house....NOT A STINKIN BIG OLE FULL SIZE BED!! UGH, Bless his sweet little ole heart! :O So, I grit my teeth, hug him for being the sweet boy that he is,(at times) and move on with a full size bed in my living room.
Gracie,(5) the diva, who also informed me last night that she did NOT love my nose, because she was mad at me, sleeps with us in our room. Oh how how we have fought to remove her, but she has gotten sneaky and is quiet as a mouse in the middle of the night when she usually decides to join us.
Sex life???? What the heck is that?
Remember 1/2 our kids are adopted, so they didn't come by the good ole fashion way at our house. Can I get an AMEN on the non existent sex lives PLEASE????
I have to say that summer is here and that is nice. I love summer, hate winter!!!! BURRRRR!!
I do however, feel so inadequate lately. I cart my children around, from place to place. Sometimes my life seems lived to be mostly lived in a car. Lol! I feel like I cant catch my breath and I hate that feeling.
Just thinking about the summer does make me anxious. I wish I could control this unruly feeling.
Summer plans 2010:
Faith blood transfusions every 2 1/2 to 3 weeks
Faith endocrin appts for her reactive hypoglycemia
Take Amber to Columbia for the orthopedic dr consult for surgery on her rt knee.
Get through surgery and recovery with Amber. She is tough and will do great!
She has had a torn ACL for 4 years....NICE HUH!?
Fly to Chicago in June for 3 days with Faith to visit the Comprehensive Care Clinic for Thalassemia patients
Babysit 3 lil boys, 2 days a week
Elijah, counseling
Gracie, see dermatologist
Chevy, see the orthodontist a few times
Hopefully...crossing my fingers, get Faith approved for Medicaid for Disabled children so that they will pick up the remaining portion of her medical bills, co-pays, and prescriptions.
Have a few menstrual cycles, cause that always brightens my day, week, month! :)
Today, we had dr's appointments at 9:30, 10:30, and 2:00 for Faith. We headed home around 3:30, stopped and got paint. While getting paint I had two separate people call. One said, I need you here at 5:00, one said I need you here at 5:30. Let's just say being 4:53 pm and being 35 minutes away from my destination, it was highly unlikely that I would arrive at either place on time. Oh well, life goes on.
If you have read my journal before, you will already know that I was late to my own mother's funeral, and the world never stopped.
I know I am being a whiner today................please no snotty comments, but man I am whipped.
Have you ever seen the newest movie, "Cheaper By The Dozen?" Ya, that's our life, lol.
We truly should make money being a reality tv show. I bet people would laugh at the things that happen around here, like Elijah shaving off his eyebrows, and the many other things that seem to occur on a daily basis. lol
I would ask a special prayer for my girl Amber tonight and for my bestie, Kim. Amber is struggling with some very personal battles that only God can help her get through. She deserves to be loved unconditional, for ever and ever, and I am not sure she feels that she is deserving of this. Please pray that God will cuddle her and reassure her of all the misconceptions she has of herself. She is a beautiful, brown princess and we cherish the fact that she is now one of us.
Also, please pray that God will provide the simple things that she needs to feel like she fits in here. We cannot provide her with a coooosh room and a big fancy bed. We can provide her though with a warm bed, 5 crazy brothers and sisters, and oodles of endless love, no strings attached.
She is 17 and needs her own space. We are trying to decorate her space so that she feels happy and safe. We are also on a strict budget that has lil room for stretching. Please pray that God provides everything we need to care for her and everything she needs to feel like she is a Rockhold.
Also, my friend Kim is being induced Tuesday morning, bright and early if she does not go in to labor earlier with their newest blessing, baby Bennett.
Without giving details, I know that God "planted" Bennett at the time when Brad and Kim were in need of healing and the promise of "new life."
Please pray that the labor and delivery goes smoothly and will be low on the pain totem pole.
I was invited to be there, with her during labor. To me, this is one of the highest honors one could ever be asked to witness and take part in. I love her like I have known her forever, even though it's just been a few short years since we met.
When I get sad, I wanna run to her house. When I'm mad, I wanna call her and vent. When I am craving salty junk food, I get in my car, Doritos in tow, so we can share. She is closer than blood to me and I her more than words, if ya couldn't tell.
I feel like through the hustle and bustle of my everyday tasks, God has asked me to STOP, and see that only He can bring a "NEW LIFE" for Amber, Kim and Brad, myself, and many others.
I am thankful for that whisper in my ear today.
As you end your day with blue kid's toothpaste on your shirt, (Hey, we match!)smeared mascara, and aching feet, may you feel the promise of "NEW LIFE!"
Lovin you oodles,
Bambi
Today has been very eventful with constant motion and I need a minute to catch my breath and get some down time.
We had 3 appointments at the Children's Hospital today for Faith: hearing aid check up, blood transfusion, and echo of the heart. It was a full day.
Then, we were off to purchase some pocketbook friendly paint for Amber's and the two Asian princesse's rooms.
When all is done, it will look cute, and I will nap.....It is good to dream right?
Currently, I have 2 teenagers that are painted as blue as a smurf. Yes, they got a lil out of hand with the painting project.
We are trying to decorate Amber a room so she has a space to call her own, she deserves to have that.
She chose to paint her room (aka the added on small sun room) sky blue. She will have chocolate brown and sky blue for the colors. We bought adhesive wall polka dots tonight in those colors..>>SOOOOOPA CUTE!
I have to say with 4 bedrooms in our house, 6 children, (nearly half being teenagers EEKS!)and all being males and females mixed, we have had to be creative with the living/sleeping arrangements.
Amber (17) sleeps with Faith (8) in her room. Jacob (15) sleeps upstairs. Chevy (13) sleeps on the couch even though he has a bed....hmmmmmm.Ya, I still haven't figured that one out yet/
Elijah (11) sleeps on a full bed in the living room. That's the only thing he wanted that belonged to my mother when she passed away. Seriously, I was thinking he would choose a coffee mug, a small photo, a blanket that smelled like her house....NOT A STINKIN BIG OLE FULL SIZE BED!! UGH, Bless his sweet little ole heart! :O So, I grit my teeth, hug him for being the sweet boy that he is,(at times) and move on with a full size bed in my living room.
Gracie,(5) the diva, who also informed me last night that she did NOT love my nose, because she was mad at me, sleeps with us in our room. Oh how how we have fought to remove her, but she has gotten sneaky and is quiet as a mouse in the middle of the night when she usually decides to join us.
Sex life???? What the heck is that?
Remember 1/2 our kids are adopted, so they didn't come by the good ole fashion way at our house. Can I get an AMEN on the non existent sex lives PLEASE????
I have to say that summer is here and that is nice. I love summer, hate winter!!!! BURRRRR!!
I do however, feel so inadequate lately. I cart my children around, from place to place. Sometimes my life seems lived to be mostly lived in a car. Lol! I feel like I cant catch my breath and I hate that feeling.
Just thinking about the summer does make me anxious. I wish I could control this unruly feeling.
Summer plans 2010:
Faith blood transfusions every 2 1/2 to 3 weeks
Faith endocrin appts for her reactive hypoglycemia
Take Amber to Columbia for the orthopedic dr consult for surgery on her rt knee.
Get through surgery and recovery with Amber. She is tough and will do great!
She has had a torn ACL for 4 years....NICE HUH!?
Fly to Chicago in June for 3 days with Faith to visit the Comprehensive Care Clinic for Thalassemia patients
Babysit 3 lil boys, 2 days a week
Elijah, counseling
Gracie, see dermatologist
Chevy, see the orthodontist a few times
Hopefully...crossing my fingers, get Faith approved for Medicaid for Disabled children so that they will pick up the remaining portion of her medical bills, co-pays, and prescriptions.
Have a few menstrual cycles, cause that always brightens my day, week, month! :)
Today, we had dr's appointments at 9:30, 10:30, and 2:00 for Faith. We headed home around 3:30, stopped and got paint. While getting paint I had two separate people call. One said, I need you here at 5:00, one said I need you here at 5:30. Let's just say being 4:53 pm and being 35 minutes away from my destination, it was highly unlikely that I would arrive at either place on time. Oh well, life goes on.
If you have read my journal before, you will already know that I was late to my own mother's funeral, and the world never stopped.
I know I am being a whiner today................please no snotty comments, but man I am whipped.
Have you ever seen the newest movie, "Cheaper By The Dozen?" Ya, that's our life, lol.
We truly should make money being a reality tv show. I bet people would laugh at the things that happen around here, like Elijah shaving off his eyebrows, and the many other things that seem to occur on a daily basis. lol
I would ask a special prayer for my girl Amber tonight and for my bestie, Kim. Amber is struggling with some very personal battles that only God can help her get through. She deserves to be loved unconditional, for ever and ever, and I am not sure she feels that she is deserving of this. Please pray that God will cuddle her and reassure her of all the misconceptions she has of herself. She is a beautiful, brown princess and we cherish the fact that she is now one of us.
Also, please pray that God will provide the simple things that she needs to feel like she fits in here. We cannot provide her with a coooosh room and a big fancy bed. We can provide her though with a warm bed, 5 crazy brothers and sisters, and oodles of endless love, no strings attached.
She is 17 and needs her own space. We are trying to decorate her space so that she feels happy and safe. We are also on a strict budget that has lil room for stretching. Please pray that God provides everything we need to care for her and everything she needs to feel like she is a Rockhold.
Also, my friend Kim is being induced Tuesday morning, bright and early if she does not go in to labor earlier with their newest blessing, baby Bennett.
Without giving details, I know that God "planted" Bennett at the time when Brad and Kim were in need of healing and the promise of "new life."
Please pray that the labor and delivery goes smoothly and will be low on the pain totem pole.
I was invited to be there, with her during labor. To me, this is one of the highest honors one could ever be asked to witness and take part in. I love her like I have known her forever, even though it's just been a few short years since we met.
When I get sad, I wanna run to her house. When I'm mad, I wanna call her and vent. When I am craving salty junk food, I get in my car, Doritos in tow, so we can share. She is closer than blood to me and I her more than words, if ya couldn't tell.
I feel like through the hustle and bustle of my everyday tasks, God has asked me to STOP, and see that only He can bring a "NEW LIFE" for Amber, Kim and Brad, myself, and many others.
I am thankful for that whisper in my ear today.
As you end your day with blue kid's toothpaste on your shirt, (Hey, we match!)smeared mascara, and aching feet, may you feel the promise of "NEW LIFE!"
Lovin you oodles,
Bambi
Thursday, May 13, 2010
The list is endless today of things that have arisen, things that I am frustrated about and troubles that only God can take away from me.
Today, I ask for prayer for myself, Bill, Jacob, Chevy, Elijah, Faith, Gracie, and Amber.
"God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called."
Right on!! I am sooooooooooooooo not qualified for this job!
Today, I ask for prayer for myself, Bill, Jacob, Chevy, Elijah, Faith, Gracie, and Amber.
"God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called."
Right on!! I am sooooooooooooooo not qualified for this job!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Mother's Day...wheh, glad that's over!!!
For Mother's Day I was treated at a nice and relaxing day at the spa in Hawaii. The island was beautiful as well as the person who brought me my cool, fruity drink.
I know, you are not convinced....lol. Oh well, maybe next year I will be the recipient of that kind of 5 star treatment. :)
This year, I woke up on Mother's Day as a Momma of six kids, instead of five.
What, you may be asking?? China? Vietnam? Uganda? Suprise pregnancy? Fast adoption? Nope, on all accounts.
I have another daughter, in fact I cannot remember a day that she hasn't called me "Mom" since the day I met her.
Our newest edition is a 17 year old girl, Amber. She is a junior in high school and is oh so sweet.
Recently, due to some unique circumstances, Amber found herself without a home and in desperate need of one.
Well, we are nowhere close to organized or non-chaotic at the Rockhold farm, but we always have room for one more. So, for now, our house is where she calls home.
So, six children, all different shades and colors of beautiful, look to me for guidance......ScArY thought HUH!
I told Bill that I was amazed at the fact that orphans are found all over the world, not just in foreign countries, but in the USA too, sometimes, as little as 8 miles away.
I know, you are not convinced....lol. Oh well, maybe next year I will be the recipient of that kind of 5 star treatment. :)
This year, I woke up on Mother's Day as a Momma of six kids, instead of five.
What, you may be asking?? China? Vietnam? Uganda? Suprise pregnancy? Fast adoption? Nope, on all accounts.
I have another daughter, in fact I cannot remember a day that she hasn't called me "Mom" since the day I met her.
Our newest edition is a 17 year old girl, Amber. She is a junior in high school and is oh so sweet.
Recently, due to some unique circumstances, Amber found herself without a home and in desperate need of one.
Well, we are nowhere close to organized or non-chaotic at the Rockhold farm, but we always have room for one more. So, for now, our house is where she calls home.
So, six children, all different shades and colors of beautiful, look to me for guidance......ScArY thought HUH!
I told Bill that I was amazed at the fact that orphans are found all over the world, not just in foreign countries, but in the USA too, sometimes, as little as 8 miles away.
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