Fun times around here

Boo :) I let the babies play in the field while the big kids are in their class at the co-op, boo loves picking flowers :)

Baby girl on her first chilly morning :)

Bug had her first dance show, they were all so cute

on stage. She did pretty good :)

Pretty girls :)

After her show :) she was so happy!!

Mama (with a crazed look..) an baby girl

I love to let the kids be creative, whether painting rocks,paper or pumpkins. I let baby girl do some finger painting but ..I dont think it was a hit :( she thought it was weird , didnt really want to touch it, an tried to eat it. Yuck! Then she was mad because it was gross ! Oh well i will try again :)

"Mama, do you REALLY want me to touch this?

"Oh I dont think sooooo...."

"YUCK!! IT IS ICKY!"

Playing outside with the water table :)

October in florida

Look at those lashes. Melt me :)

Bug added bubbles :)

Our week has been great. So happy to hear about all the FAST court dates in Ethiopia now that the courts are open :) Congrats!
~a lady came up to me , after bugs dance class and asked for $2 for gas, said she forgot her wallet. I gave her $4 (that or a 20 :) and wished her a great day. Bug says " how do you know she was telling the truth?" I said I dont. but if she needed it , and I didnt give, that reflects on me. If she lied well..that reflects on her. I would rather do the right thing . She says " Oh mama I bet you made God happy" love my kids !!

~We are going to take another little vacation. Off to do some serious r&r...be back sunday

~my head hurts from all the thinking we have been doing around here...we know God has a plan for all of us. We feel we heard part of it , while in Ethiopia...we all live with so much "stuff" that we dont need and it starts to define us. We dont need these things to be happy or to do God's work. We are trying to see the plan. God & family and bringing glory to God. Those things matter. Big house? cable? many tvs? tons of toys? ignoring those in need? These things are not part of big plan.

Have a wonderful week everyone !! Pray us some cool weather k? Please continue to pray for sweet Vincent and Abby :)

Siblings-forever

Beautiful babies with a special bond :)


Cheeky baby!!!

OOPS! Trying to escape the hug :)

Got her !!

Boo loves her big brother. We hear everyday~

"Peanut, will you marry me?" It is so sweet !

Big sisters are awesome. Bug is the only one

who can calm baby girl , other then me.

~Hope you guys are having a great week. Our cold weather has gone

and it is almost time to put the ac back on :(

22 years = 2 homemade, 2 heartmade !

My hubby and I have went on a sorta blind date, on October 16, 1987 for a Halloween bonfire :) I remember going to the bank and cashing my paycheck, from Wendy's ( yes I was a fast food worker :) then heading to the mall. My girlfriend and I headed straight to the GAP. We needed new fluffy white hoodie sweatshirt for our bonfire date :) It was actually cold in October . I was looking pretty stylish in my new white hoodie, my jeans , Candie shoes and BIG hair with just the right amount of Aqua-net hairspray ;) no wonder he fell for me . He looked so cute in his Gap gray cords and nikes. He had long flowing shiny hair. Super cute and shy :)


We have been together ever since. Count em....22 years, 4 babies and many ups and downs...with God's blessings and guidance we are going strong baby!!
Pumpkin~ I love you. Its that simple :)
For my hubby...a little party music he loves :)
(gobble)

Boo Flu..and a tea party

Well. The word is in. The fever/ick the older kids have had for couple days is..... THE FLU. (cue scary music :)
Poor babies. They are on tamiflu and antibiotics for their infected throats. If I can keep the babies and my hubby and well...ME from getting sick , I will do a happy dance :)
Not fun when the mama is sick.


The girls all got dressed up the last week for a tea party. So girlie :) of course Cookie was invited.

Pretty little princess :) She has just started to learn to boggie a bit. It is so funny to watch her just giggle and try to dance. She mostly does head wiggles :)

How stinkin beautiful is this baby?

Tea parties have to have a dance session too!

These dresses I had bought in 2006 for Boo and Bug. Now Boo and Baby girl are wearing them. I love them. I should have their pictures taken.

3 Princesses. Bugs dress is my sisters , so its a bit big but very twirly and girlie :)

Pretty girls. How fun are tea parties and dress up?

This is how we roll. On our way for our weekend away last week.

Mama and baby girl :)

My princesa HAS to dress for the woods :)

3 of the 4 babies :)



Have a wonderful Friday. Hope everyone stays healthy! I am off to bed ..the ibuprofen/Tylenol rounds start pretty early...then there is the baby girl wakings ..and Boo also wakes now since she is afraid of Halloween. Seriously!?! Do they have to put so many scary commercials on tv?

GOOD NIGHT :)

Curly Girl !

As much as I love the big bows, I gotta say I love this look too.

Baby Girls curls are just beautiful.

Cheeky smile I love :)

~Court is open in Ethiopia ! Can I get a "woot woot !!"

~huge Congratulations to Theresa, Baby Orange is coming home!!Go peek at some beautiful eyes. (fixed the type-o..of course she has 2 eyes !)

~2 older kids are running fevers :( boo hiss. I think a dr's appt is in our busy future. Fingers crossed babies dont get it.

~I turned around tonite in the kitchen to find Boo and Baby girl running and squealing around the island trailing a roll of toilet paper behind them!! LOL...I love having babies close in age it is so fun seeing their relationship grow :)

Happy week to all (psst..I found my camera wire so watch out :)

Prayer Warriors Needed !

I had asked everyone to please keep a sweet little boy, Vincent in your prayers a few months back. Well..more then ever we need every pray and positive vibe sent his way. I know so many of you truly believe in the power of joined prayers , so please will you help ?? I have copied this text from my dear friend Angie's update on our Guatemalan adoption board. Vincent has a sister born in Guatemala and the family lost a young daughter...they can not lose their son!! There isnt much I could add...a MIRACLE IS TRULY NEEDED.

From Angie ~
***you may remember i posted awhile back about Jennifer's son Vincent in need ofprayers, as he was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer calledrhabdomyosarcoma... it is a soft tissue cancer and V had tumors in manylocations on his body (legs, pelvis, spine), with the tumor of origin being inhis calf. he has been doing amazingly well through the 1st 7 rounds of chemo &was due to go in last Friday for round 8, but his blood counts were not goodenough - those got up on Monday good enough to start chemo this week, but hewas/is having this horrible pain in his legs - they thought it could be due tothe raditation (which, yes, he is now simultaneously undergoing) or the virusthat he had last week that wiped him out (he was very ill for several days).when they went in Wednesday morning to start round 8, the drs decided to do somescans before they started to try to get an answer on this continuing very badpain in both legs - since it seemed like it should be just in one if it was fromthe radiation (they are only radiating the tumor of origin in the one leg) andif it was from the virus that should have passed by now...well... it is with a heavy heart that i must share that the news was not good.the cancer has spread to Vincent's brain and the prognosis, which was alreadyvery slim (10-15%) is now very difficult to bear... as Jennifer's latest messagewas titled "in desperate need of a miracle"they are keeping faith-focused and I just humbly ask, PLEASE that everyone say aprayer and share with anyone and everyone & ask them to pray and add VincentVillacci to every single prayer list that you know of and ask God to grant thismiracle for this family that has already lost one child...i can't remember if you have to be "added" or you have to create an passwordaccount to get in, or how it words, but, here is Vincent's care page if you are able to access...https://www.carepages.com/carepages/vincentvillacci

Bye Bye Bunny

Rest in peace Buttercup

This morning Bug's first bunny, passed away. No idea why it was his time but he is now in heaven.

Man I hate this. I hate to see my kiddos so sad.

Bye sweet little guy...

Seriously...

If kids do not get healthy at my house VERY soon and stop whining.....

I may just jump out the window.
(ok. It is a first floor house, so climbin out the window will be the most dangerous part...then flinging myself in the bushes will be just wierd. I may do it anyway)

SERIOUSLY. 3 WHINEY KIDS.1 GRUMPY KID. 1 VERY STRESSED MAMA..

ADD WINE :)

Yummy recipe ***

** I had to edit the recipe...I forgot to add the tomato paste :) in case you care and I know you do ;)
I swear I havent run away. Since the camping trip, I have misplaced my camera wire to download. And we all know a post without pictures is ...well...not as much fun :)

I made this recipe this week and had to share. It came out yummy! I changed it up a bit so I changed the name ;) seemed fair. The original is posted on my facebook page. Oh yeah! I was guilted into joining fb :)

**Ria's Bar-b-q Brunswick Stew**
6 ounces diced salt pork
3 pounds chicken tendorlions or breast meat (if you like dark meat , you can use that and just take out the bones and skin)
12 cups water
4-1/2 potatoes, cubed
4-1/2 onions, chopped
1-1/2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
3 cups frozen whole kernel shoepeg corn
1 yellow squash cut into thick chunks
1 bag frozen mixed veggies
1-1/2 (10 ounce) packages frozen lima beans
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper *more or less for taste
2/3 bottle sweet bar-b-q sauce ( I used Sonny's)
1 tsp vinegar
1 can tomato paste**
1 handful fresh spinach torn with stems removed

Feeds 18 servings so plenty for dinner and to freeze for later

boil the chicken and pork, when cooked remove to cool then shred chicken and take out any super fatty pieces of pork. If you dont mind them , leave them in :)
add all veggies and ingredients except spinach , add that at the end. Put meat back in and let it all simmer for 2 hours :)
serve with a loaf of hard bread.
YUM.


I am sooooo excited fall is in the air !