This week I was talking to one of my nursing friends and we laughed about something that probably all nurses and students do. Because we know so much about diseases and illnesses we are constantly convincing ourselves we either do or do not have something. I have diagnosed myself with Diabetes, MS, Cancer, you name it. Ironically, the symptoms seem to appear right as I am studying that disease. Am I imagining it? Not sure. There have been some diagnoses I left behind and some I keep revisiting every time I have a "symptom". This is something I will have to get used to, this diagnosing me (and everyone I know). So, if you're talking to me and you mention something about a "symptom" watch out I might just diagnose you too!

Lately I seem to be getting a lot of whining in my house, even from the big boys (one in particular) about just about everything! They whine about what we eat, when we eat, how much we eat, what we watch, when we watch and how much we watch, homework, errands, being reminded of chores, you name it I seem to get whining in return. One even does the jumping up and down and throws a couple tears in for good measure. I can almost deal with whining in a 3 year old but why has my older children started whining again? Is it because they are testing the water for their boundaries, for independence. Do they feel neglected, do we give too much attention to the babies and not them? Are they spoiled? Are they stressed? Is there too much change? I have always said to my children when they whine "I don't understand you when you whine, can you please speak to me in a normal voice" it always worked in the past. I think it is time to pull that phrase out of my hat again, amazingly I haven't used it in a long time. We had very little whining for a long time, not anymore.

My heart has been heavy all day. I am sure many of you have heard of the tragic death of Steven Curtis Chapman's families youngest little girl, Maria. It is hard to understand such a tragic end to such a sweet life. I have been thinking about it all day, wondering why God would let something like this happen. A young girl born into this world and abandoned, adopted and given a wonderful life and then tragically lost at 5 years old. At dinner as I was watching my kids play, I thought why not her. Our grief is selfish, she is not sad or hurt or lonely. She is with her heavenly father in a wonderful place. For her we should be happy. It does not erase the hurt of losing a loved one but it helps bear it. I am so sad for her family, especially for the brother that accidently ran over her. I pray for this families grief, that somehow this story will touch other lives and maybe her story will lead others to Jesus.

I started back to school Mon. It is very busy but I like it. Today in Lab I started to feel like a nurse bc we got do learn some "real nurse things"-the big ones and it was fun. I will be at Palmetto Health Heart Hospital for critical care and at Richland Springs for Pysche rotation. I go to Psyche on Friday and can't wait to see what that is like. My postings may become alot less frequent bc of all my school work but I'll wait and see..........If you read this Wed or Thurs please pray for J. Just pray for her to get GOOD news tomorrow. I would appreciate your prayers.

My kids love watermelon. Papa bought us some watermelons this week (Thanks!).The kids have anxiously waited on me to cut them. I fixed Wyatt a bowl of pieces. He handed it back to me and said "mom, can you take the sprinkles out?". He thought the seeds were sprinkles-how cute! I couldn't make him understand that it was ok to eat them so I had to pick all the little white seeds out that he could see and I did it with a smile on my face.

I didn't mean to leave it on a low note for so long but I've been busy, busy busy. Cramming as much into 19 days that I can. Lets see I have attended a wedding in Charleston, a preschool musical, Awana Awards, Noah's band concert, a soccer game, joined The Firm and have actually gone with my Sis-In-Law, picked out lights and many other things for the new house, gone to the zoo, gone to the park, gone swimming numerous times, packed part of the house, done 3000 loads of laundry, been to Target a dozen times (I never can remember to get it all at once), Met a couple friends for special time together, went to a grown up movie, read a dozen magazines, read a novel (well I'm almost done), attended Field Day at Wyatt's school, gone to WW with my dad, and I've actually started reading stuff for school on Monday. All that and yet we have a lot to go. My mom-in-laws retirement banquet (Congrats Nama, we love you!), 3 birthday parties this weekend, Soccer game and cookout and the Children's musical at FBC. My postings may not be as frequent in the coming weeks. For three weeks I am in school 5 days a week from 7-4. I am so worried about it. Pray for me and my family as we make this adjustment. I have never been away from the kids this much. And pray for the Grandparents and dad who will be watching them!

I recently came across a blog through another blog and wanted to share it with you. A few weeks ago I was down. It was the four year mark of losing Grace and the frustration and reality of the adoption wait was hitting me hard. I have always wanted a daughter and have not been able to always accept and understand why God has chosen this path for us to our daughter. If Grace had lived she would have been 3 1/2 years old. Almost every time I see a little blond headed girl I think of her and wonder what she would have looked like. Well I was checking on a blog that I look at from time to time and she referenced being blessed by reading a blog called Bring The Rain. Curious I clicked on the link and then spent the next 30 minutes reading (never mind the nursing I was supposed to be studying). It is a wonderful story of a women who just the week before had lost her fourth daughter. The story brought tears to my eyes and let me spend just a few minutes mourning my loss the way I seldom do. If you have ever lost a child I encourage you to check out their story, it will touch your heart but please have a tissue handy it is incredibly raw and sad.

www.audreycaroline.blogspot.com

Noah with his Band Teacher at last nights concert. Noah switched to percusssion after Christmas and we have been very proud of how quickly he has learned this new skill. He played several different instruments during the program and we are so proud of him!
Mom, Dad and Noah standing outside the new Lex 1 Performing Arts Center. The facility is so nice and I believe the concert last night was the first thing held there. If you look closely you can see a HUGE Wildcat (lex highs Mascot) painting on the wall in the background. It is hard to believe in three short years Noah will be getting ready to attend High School there, WOW!

And no I am not talking about our children...

I have been MIA because I had my last exam and final this past week. It went pretty well, I passed as well as most of my class. As hard as this semester was we only lost 6 people which is a much lower number than I originally thought would fail. From the start of our program in Jan. of 2007 we have had 67% of our class pass. That statistic is much higher than the usual starting class. Now I have just 4 more classes. Two this summer, Critical Care and Psyche Nursing and then two more in the fall. I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Now I can enjoy my break, now down to 16 days before it all starts again.

Mom holding Mason up to see the animals.

Wyatt loves feeding the goats!
Wyatt keeping a hand on Ella.
Davis and Mason enjoy the lizards.

-Days until the end of this semester :)
-Months until I graduate (if all goes well)!

Many of you know I have struggled to lose weight for years! Today I thought of a great new diet. I guess it would be called the Dentist Diet or maybe the Mouth is Numb Diet. All you have to do is inject your gums with numbing medicine and then you cannot even think of eating for at least 4 hours. You would only have to do it a couple times a day. The only draw backs would be the drooling and the drooping of the face. Oh and the fact that you would sound drunk when you talk. It sure kept me on plan when I took the kids to BK for lunch today!

I should know by now that when children (this time 4 btwn 18 mos and 3) are all playing quietly they are up to something and it probally isn't good. This morning I was watching my niece and nephew. The 4 normally play together well so I really didn't think too much about it when I heard them quietly playing in Mason's room. In a matter of about 10 minutes at the most they made a BIG mess. I was standing in the den on the phone with a friend when in they come. I notice the wet looking spots on the clothes (ok water ), no. then I notice the disheveled hair (what?) then I notice the EMPTY jar of Vaseline in someones hand. I panicked. My niece had on a brand new dress, but luckily she escaped the Vaseline bandits. The three boys were covered in Vaseline. Ok strip clothes, throw them in water, run bath, stick 3 slippery boys in the tub, little girl says 'I have a poopy (over and over), wash hair, wash hair, wash hair, change diaper, sister-in-law arrives, eat lunch, boys out of the tub, dried, clothed,playing. Did you know Vaseline doesn't wash out of hair easily, my sister-in-law called this afternoon, after 10 attempts his hair is still very greasy she even researched on the Internet and tried cornstarch-but no luck. ( Sorry T) Moral of the story: 1. do not leave Vaseline where kids can get it, and 2. always check on kids when they are too quiet (you know what I'm talking about). And the craziest part of it all is that I love it. Not necessarily the mess but the kids, their silliness and their ability to have a blast with nothing but a jar of Vaseline and then a bath!

Recently I was having lunch with a friend of mine, Kristi. We were talking and she mentioned to me that a couple we had known from church years ago had recently gone to Zambia to be missionaries. The next day I spoke with someone who goes to Crossroads Church and I was asking him about their missions and after speaking with him decided to look up their website and see what the church did for missions. After clicking on a link I sort of discovered the picture of this friend and her family, after clicking on their link I was sent to their blog about being Missionaries in Zambia and the work they are doing there for Christ. I was really excited to see their blog and read about what they are doing. I contacted them to let them know we are praying for them and to reconnect. Coincidence? I think not, God knew I wanted to hear their story, pray for them and for the lives they are touching in Zambia. I can't wait to see what God does in these lives over the next several years.

I love the new look of our blog. Rebecca you were such a pleasure to do business with and I truly wish you the best with all the wonderful things you do for others!

Adoption News: I was pleasantly surprised to find some important papers in the mail today that I was not expecting to see for a few weeks. I have two more things to get together so I can send them to Russia and get on the official waitlist for our daughter. Also, I am a member of a private forum for people who have adopted/adopting with Christian World Adoption. I posted a question about Tyumen and I got a response from someone who adopted their son from there 3 years ago. She offered to send me pictures of the baby home (orphanage) in Tyumen. I asked her to send them to me and it was amazing to look at the pictures of the home Ellery may be living in right now or will be soon. One thing I have learned through this adoption is that there is such a strong supportive adoption community our there and the internet has made it so easy for this sort of thing to happen. I think it is really amazing! I pray that someone there will love her and give her special attention so she can bond with someone, making her attachment to us easier.

Other Big News: John's brother Ed and his family moved back to Columbia in the last week. We are so excited to have them home and look forward to so many special times together...We Love Ya'll!!!!!

Just giving a heads up that I am having a new blog done with a wonderful designer. It should be up real soon. Not sure if the address will change or not. I'll let you know. Come back and check it out soon!

Wyatt: Mom can you get the checkers game for me?
Mom: Just a minute Wyatt, can you get it?
Wyatt: No it's too high.
Mom: Just stand on the toy box to reach it. (I was holding Mason who was sick and lethargic--he didn't want me to put him down)
Wyatt: Mom, I can't reach it, I need you to get it, you are tall, like a giraffe.
Mom (thinking to herself): What?? Me a giraffe. (well that left me speechless, I got up and got the game)