Prayers needed

I am wishing checking in to wish you all a very Happy New Year. I am not ringing in the new year tonight as I was asked to switch from working today until tomorrow morning. That worked out fine because Shark Boy was in great need of a "Mommy-Luke" day. His good friend died on Saturday. I am at a loss on how to best comfort him. He did seem to enjoy bowling with his mom. I know I am holding both of my kids much tighter the last 2 days....and am so sad for Caleb's family. His family was on the same journey we are and I can not imagine their sorrow.
Please keep Jerry, Gretchen and Noah in your prayers. It may be selfish...but please keep Luke in your prayers. Monday, he goes back to school and his class, teachers and school are grieving as well. I am so grateful there will be counselors available to the children and a special portrait of Caleb and Jesus is being prepared for the classroom.
Thank you,

God's Blessings,
Patty

Christmas

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. We did many times over. We enjoyed 3 family Christmas' and received an overflowing van's worth of gifts. But the best part was celebrating Christmas eve with a young church that we helped to start about 5 years ago. 5 years ago, there was not enough members to do a Christmas eve service so the church was used by another denomination who was in the midst of building a church. We attended that service with a tiny baby....dressed in her Christmas finery. This year there was almost 100 people in the congregation. 12 children performed the initial singing and there was a beautiful candle lit "Silent Night" near the Christmas Tree. My tears would not stop flowing....with all the hope there is for this wonderful congregation. Even if we are not to be members....we love this young church. We praise God for blessing this congregation. They are soon to ask for chartership and a good friend is finishing his schooling to help lead them.

I am waiting for pictures from home as I forgot the camera.....Can you believe it? ...but my family took lots of pictures for me to scrapbook! Aunt M. can you send me the one of MG in her pink cowboy boots and santa dress?

We were very blessed to slip into our hometown between snow storms. Although we missed an uncle and cousin, we were glad they stayed safe. Since Christmas, I have been working lots to try and get a little extra money for a trip to CA. Yes!! 12 more days to see good friends, D & M and their little girl K aka __????__. MG is coming with me and is SOOOOO excited to see K. We are not doing much tourist activities or Disney, because of the cost. But especially because SB is not coming and I would be the worst mother in the world if his little sister saw Disney, the ocean and had a plane ride before he did! She will take a plane ride and see the ocean...but he was ok with this because he want's to see Owen's new home this summer. 4 year girl fun bores him crazy anyway! We will love to see our friends...but the real reason we are going is to see how I react to an arid climate. Dr. Cooper even said I could "trigger" my sinus' into behaving. I have no medical rational how this would work...but I'm all for the idea!!!

*I need to think of an aka for K. "spunky girl" is already taken! I have writer's block -- even with the thesaurus!! I need to get to bed. Today must have been more stressful than I thought. I even had the hardest time remembering my password --- and it's my old favorite. GOOD NIGHT!!

Blessings, Patty

My favorite gifts

I just recieved my favorite Christmas gifts. I don't think anything can top these! We did our little family gift exchange and nativity read tonight as we are leaving tomorrow to go home before the snow and ice start. My best gifts are hand made by my children:

Shark boy's poem (spelling not changed)

Oh Santa, you are much to fat.
You should do some exercises on a mat.
You will have to go to the Hospital.
But I think that it's imposable.
But finally on Christmas Day.
You will be able to fit in your sleigh!

(Shark Boy clarified that it is impossible to go to the hospital because Santa wouldn't fit on the stretcher)


Mermaid Girl's book all about her has interesting facts and pictures all about her. I LOVE IT!!!
But, as usual Mommy Guilt creeps in. What must her teachers think?

page 5: My favorite thing Mom does.....play on the computer!
My favorite thing Dad does...... make supper!

I could read into this soooooooo much!! Although I think it's great B likes to cook so much -- I wouldn't want to mess with that one!

Page 3 makes me laugh!!!!!

People who live in my house. There are nice faces drawn for.....

Mommy Daddy Shark Boy Mermaid Girl and the baby in Mommy's tummy!!!!!

The teacher wrote down these descriptions for MG!!!
Time for the diet!!! Weight Watchers here I come!!! Maybe I could be less practical and just wait for a sign that this may be fulfilled.....I do believe in Miracles!! But ...best get to Weight Watchers or Mommy may always appear to have a baby in her tummy!

I love these kids!!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Memories

I should be doing a million other things to get ready to go home in 4 days ...for 4 days!! YEAH! But I have a poor memory especially during busy times and I wanted to remember this.

The holidays are a great time for me to witness my children's growth and maturity. Last year MG was HORRIFIED that "Grandma got run over by a reindeer"!! Of course, we had to call her Grandma and confirm that Grandma was OK....and even then MG had to see her in person to confirm that there was no permant harm! On Saturday, MG was watching the Christmas Classic and I asked her if Grandma was OK....she rolled her eyes at me and gave me a very dramatic- "That's Jake's Grandma....not mine"!! Grandma S. was very happy to hear she was safe from Santa's reindeers this year!!

MG has discovered Clifford the Big Red Dog. S.B. loved the series (was far less interested in Max and Ruby...Ruby and Max... That song gets me everytime....I hear it so often!). Anyway, S.B. had a million Clifford Books and all of the stuff animals. When his cousin had a bad MRI report, he decided to send all of the stuffed animals to her...Clifford, T-bone, Cleo and Max. The books went into storage for baby sister to enjoy later. Anyway the books came out of storage and I had a hard time relearning the names - because S.B. at the time loved renaming characters and had just had a new baby sister so.....Emily Elizabeth was read as "Maleah Martha" and Clifford was "Luke" and T-bone was "Owen" and Max was "Wyatt" and Cleo was "Tasha". I became so good at improvising....all these years later they are still the same to me. M.G. just looks at me like I have numerous screws loose!! Maybe I do!!

Well off to accomplish a million thing today by 3!!! Wish me luck!

Blessings!
Patty

For Spunky girl

Here you go Spunky Girl! Maybe Mommy will print it off for you.

"Little Tree"

Well we knew it would happen. We are just thankful the tree is only been found leaning a little just once. I just KNEW it would be crashing in the middle of the night....but she has been a good girl, although there are still 12 days until Christmas! When Checkers and Dustie were kittens....the tree was placed in a playpen, so Skittles must be much more careful! (It's a good thing...because we are fresh out of playpens in this house!)

This little tree (3 1/2 feet tall), has really served it's purpose! It was for our first Christmas in the apartment. When we became home owners...it was live Christmas trees all the way and the tree spent a few years with my sister in her apartments...but then we hung onto it for some reason. When Shark Boy was 7 months old and again when Mermaid Girl was13 months old....it came out for sheer "Mommy Sanity" those years. It has returned to apartment/rental house Christmas', and although it needs to sit on plastic tubs for a little height...it still brings a lot of cheer! We are looking forward to a larger tree in our own home next year....but we just might hang on to Little Tree.

Some friends of ours back home, (J and V), have a second tree just for displaying Christmas cards and Christmas photos. I hope our next home will be big enough for 2 trees... because I think this little tree would be perfect to display the Christmas Cards (and letters) I just love to receive!

Hopefully, SB's red throat is better tomorrow. I'm working evenings and can get about 2 hours of shopping in sans MG. She CAN NOT keep a secret and spends too much time on looking for Santa ideas to be helpful. Although - she has the Christmas Spirit and is addicted to DVR Frosty the Snowman this year!

Hope your Advent Season is bringing JOY!

Blessings,

Patty

The big meeting

Well last night at 9 PM, We had our offical big meeting with the placement director. Yes, thats right -- 9 PM. I wanted to say no way for a dozen reasons...most of which it is bedtime for kids and sometimes for Mommy. Thank Goodness for good friends like W and S to watch the kids in their jammies. We were tired. He was tired. But it is done....the frustrating part was he wanted to hear similar answers that we gave last year. But the good part is he feels we will be placed in the West side of the state we want....or the East side. Both would be great! If this doesn't work - he plans to talk to the south district of the State to the North of our home state or the East part of the state to the West of our home state. Confusing enough? This code writing to protect my family from the evils of the net is confusing...but I think most of you will understand where. His plan is convertible and as close to home as possible. We vote for that. We do know nothing is guarenteed and God will place us in the best place. As he has our friends! Our first hope is a good match for B, and a good match for our children...especially MG, then a place not on a big river due to the allergies. He did comment that it will limit the houseboat ministry - he had planned for us. I had dropped my request for Hospice. Now that I feel we might go closer to home. I wish I had placed a bigger focus....but God knows. I just hope he knows I can not do a nursing home! Oh Please-- I hope he knows that! We will know more in April.
Blessings, Patty