New events

Lou went for a job interview in Utah on Friday and we are waiting to see how it went. It lasted for 2 hours so we are hoping it went well. It would be a good job for Lou as it is days and doing what she likes to do and they are looking for someone who will stay, like forever which is a good thing as that way we shouldn't have to move again. I do hate moving so much anymore it just isn't fun with all the kids and all of our stuff to get from one place to another. Then the hassle of finding a new place getting rid of or what ever with the old house and all the crap that goes with that. I want a place where I can have a large garden, fruit trees, large garage/workshop for me and close to the mountains so when I want I can take off into the mountains to just unwind and get back to what is really important in this life.
We have had to repair the water line into the house and it is a real rube gold berg design and we were lucky to have figured it out before burying it all and then having to dig it up again. To say it was costly is an understatement and all the things the water company wants done is just plain nuts.
We had a snow storm on Friday that made traveling hard and drivers here seem to be so afraid of some snow that they tend to set things up for accidents and we had a bunch and they don't get the idea that you have to slow down well to a point. They were either flying down the road or going so slow that it was like a parking lot on the expressway. I know I am a pain on the road but I weight 4 tons so it takes more to make things hard for me but my rule is if the road is slippery or covered with loose snow that the speed is around 30 mph and sometimes even in 4 wheel drive just so I can keep going. If it is really slippery I slow to around 10-20 mph and again in 4 wheel drive. When Kory and I had to go to Salt lake City in October in a freezing rain/snow storm I didn't even realize we were in an ice storm as the truck didn't act like it and it wasn't until I had to get something out of the back that I realize we were covered in ice and then in just 8 miles we were in a blinding snow storm and I had to put the truck in 4 wheel drive just to keep going because the traffic ahead of us was going so slow and the snow was piling up. We traveled for a few hours at 20-25 mph just because of the road conditions and the snow. Then we went down this long hill and there was nothing bare roads and much warmer and I had a lot of ice to get off the truck and put the extra fuel in the tank and we took a nap before continuing on. The storm left 5-7 inches of snow that the sun has reduced greatly today.
The wood stove has kept the old part of the house warm even thou the outside temp went down to -4 Friday morning and today we are at 40 degrees and waiting for the next storm to blow in.
Lou called and said it is in Utah already and that should make for an interesting drive for her as she doesn't like driving in the mountains in storms as she got run off the road on one of our trips up to Utah.
The kids are being kids, with Esturado being the most fun as he sees all the toys on tv and says he wants them all. He can't wait for Christmas and asks every day when Christmas will be here.
For thanksgiving Lou's daughter came down with her family and Lou's mom and it was a stress filled time. Only 14 of us in a house and with 9 of them kids it was crazy.
On the 27th of December we leave for a week in Disney world which should be interesting as None of the 3 youngest have really any idea of what it will be like and just hope we can get enough pictures and not loose them. Yep the last time we lost a camera with all the good photos on it and had to deal with that.
The plane right should be a hoot also as Esturado should be a live wire and Onni is another question and then there is Mattea who is just getting to be really active and into everything.
I got my results to the tests they have run on me and have two more to get just to be sure that I am in as good shape as everything says I am. I just love getting older and all the fun it brings. My arthritis is worse but can be dealt with and that is my worst health issue at the moment.

Timosha is going HOME!!!

I just found out that my little prayer boy is going HOME to his birthfamily. His mother has notifed Reece's Rainbow that she has decided to bring him back home, and also to advocate for the other children in his region with Down Syndrome. Wow, talk about the power of prayer. I never dreamed that praying him home would pray him HOME. Tears of joy for Timosha and his family!

Happy Halloween! (Whoopee cushion part II)

Kory the Red Ninja
Marisol the Glitter Witch

Estuardo Spiderman trying hard to see through the tiny eye holes in his mask

Mattea's first Trick-or-Treat...she was SO excited!!!

Onnolee

Jesse laughed about this costume for three day straight waiting for Halloween to come

The whole of us!

2 boys and a whoopee cushion

Picture it. I was grocery shopping Saturday with my 3 year old and my 13 year old sons. And a whoopee cushion. 13 year old blows it up and hands it to 3 year old who plops it on the ground and then plops himself on top of it. Laughing hysterically.
What happened to my innocent little baby boy?

It happened Accord-ing to the way it was supposed to

Well...I had these pipe-dreams of a superfine luxury car.
Little by little I got humbled to the point, yesterday afternoon, when I began to wonder if I would have any car at all or a $500 beater car. From the kids' surgeries during the summer to the car accident to us all taking turns with the H1N1, I missed a lot of work, and I was late to pay on one too many bills, so my credit score really took a nosedive. We waited and waited and waited on gap insurance to finish paying off the totalled van so I could buy a new car, but by yesterday, Carmax couldn't even get me financed without a huge downpayment and 25% interest, so I reached the lowest of lows and came home thinking my husband was going to be driving me to work for the rest of my life. I even scoured Craigslist for a beater car I could pay cash for.
But today was another day. For the 15th time, a salesman from the Honda dealership called me wanting to know if I was still interested in a new car. After yesterday's escapades, I shrugged my shoulders and told him he was totally welcome to see if he could get me approved. Pretty sure he was wasting his time, I went about my morning and halfway forgot about it. A couple of hours later, my cell phone rang and it was him...He said he had some good news. I was approved for financing! We were there in less than half an hour and much to my absolute surprise he led me over to a brand new 2009 Honda Accord!!! And I totally LOVE it!!! One scary, unfortunate chapter in my life has FINALLY come to a close. With an unexpected happy ending.

WE DID IT!!!

It took all three of us, but we did it! The little ones' first floor puzzle!

Bubs got BONES...and PlayDough!

And he loves the fact that they glow in the dark! He says "I shine!"

Estuardo has enjoyed learning how to play with PlayDough.

Mattea is CLIMBING!

Not a smile, but she's hungry! She climbed up in her high chair all by herself when she saw me getting dinner ready...


Climbed right up into the recliner too!

Mattea is doing a fantastic job at finger feeding now too.

And eating all kinds of new foods...and loving them!

Onny wants MORE

Onny has speech delays so at preschool they are working on sign language with her. She has finally started signing at home! So far I have seen "more" and "please" and I am thrilled!
And even better, she is actually SAYING "more" and "please" when she signs!
And it WORKS! She gets MORE!

The H1N1

Princess Marisol with 104 degree H1N1 flu bug.
Today, finally eating some spaghetti.

Consider this...please.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Please help TIMOSHA!!!

This is little Timosha, a 2 1/2 year old ADORABLE orphan who happens to have Down Syndrome. He is currently in an orphanage overseas waiting for a family. I am Timosha's Prayer Warrior and now I am also his Christmas Warrior. Reece's Rainbow has also chosen Timosha to be their child of the month for October. This means extra prayers and a special donation fund is set up for him at http://www.reecesrainbow.org/waitingchild11.html, where you can also read more about him. Please keep this precious little boy in your prayers for the next few months, and if you are able to, consider donating to his adoption grant fund at the above link. Wouldn't it be awesome if we could pray him a family for Christmas this year?

Checking in.

I have badly neglected my blogging the past few months. Our house has been busy with surgeries over the summer, and now we have all been taking turns getting sick. I think at least half of us have been blessed with the H1N1--- we just got a call from the blind school that Marisol is in the infirmary with 103 fever. She will be headed home tomorrow to recuperate. I am still driving a rental car. The gap insurance company has received all necessary documents and now I wait while they "process" the claim. I am hoping for mercy, as I have missed a lot of work and finances are tight enough without having to come up with money to pay off the van. I've been shopping for a new car for 2 months now so I am very ready to actually bring one home. Mattea's Make-a-wish trip has been approved and we will head to Orlando right after Christmas for a week. I can hardly wait! My biggest news right now is that I have decided to switch majors mid-stream for my Master's Degree. I am putting the MSN/MHA on hold for now and will be working on a Master's in Mental Health Counseling. My interactions with the drug-exposed newborns and their moms has really sparked an interest in addictions therapy and I hope to someday be able to make a difference with this.
My babies at home are all pretty much fine. Onny is learning new things every day. She is still not talking understandably yet, but every once in awhile we are starting to understand what she is trying to say. That's exciting! She is doing things in her own time and definitely in her own way. She can say everyone's name now and is just all personality. Estuardo is making that change from toddlerhood to preschool and he is talking up a storm, and has the biggest imagination. He knows what he wants and has perfected the 3-year-old temper tantrum to a fine art. He is enjoying his Montessori preschool and I am rewarded several times a week with a new bead necklace to add to my collection, that he has made in school. Mattea continues to be amazing. She is our little explorer and it is usually in the kitchen and involves food. She loves her pasta and gets so excited that it is contagious. When she sees me cooking dinner she is right over to her high chair and trying to climb in by herself. I can't believe how far she has come in 9 months. Kory is trying to catch up at school after being out for a week with the H1N1. So far Jesse has been able to stay pretty healthy and not get too sick, thank goodness.
I am looking forward to attending a conference next week for rehabilitation nurses here in Albquerque. I was lucky enough to be one of the three from our unit that got a scholarship to attend. And I am also hoping to go to a sewing/embroidery class the week after to work on a special project. We are also gearing up for Halloween fun...That's all for now.

What's been happening in our world

Just to kind of let you know what is going on in our world
Lou's daughter had a heart operation the end of September and Lou went up for a few days to help out and her daughter made out very well.
then October got here and things have been a mad house. I got a very bad sinus infection and have been dealing with that, no fun at all.
The rest of the family is dealing with strep throat and all that fun
Lou went for an interview that we are waiting to hear back from and that could really make things interesting for a while.
I have dropped out of UOP because of issues with the college and getting my degree in my time frame. They still haven't gotten me my withdraw info so I can't get out of the college just yet. May have to get my lawyer in on the deal to get me out of there.
I have found a new college and new degree in mental health counseling that sounds interesting that I may go into as when I am done and if I pass the license test I could be my own boss and set my own hours.
Lou is thinking about it also but who knows if she will switch right now but it would be nice to be able to have the same time off if we wanted to do something for say a few weeks at a time.
The kids are getting into their school stuff, Marisol totally likes the blind school she is going to as she is home maybe two days a week and tells us almost nothing about what goes on there. Kory is finding that real schools hand out home work that teachers expect to be done.
Esturado totally likes his school and is leaning so much that it is fun to see what he has learned come out at home. Mattea and Onni have been home sick for the last two weeks but they both like school so that is good.
Me I am getting ready for the trip to SLC towards the end of the month so Kory's leg can be checked out as to how the operation they did this summer is coming along. We will leave in the afternoon on one day and dad will drive all night so we get there for the next day's appointment and then drive home that same day. It is a short 12 hours each way and if the weather is nice isn't that bad but if the weather isn't nice it is a long drive.
Well I guess I have chewed on your ear long enough that you have some idea of how boring things have been since Lou last updated you. Now maybe she will find time to correct my errors and post some pics. Ha Ha

Praying for Patrick

Quote

YouTube - Patrick Swayze - She's like the wind

in between.

This is a very frustrating week. I am on light duty at work and my boss is now off for a week, so I am kind of fending for myself. Insurance is in the process of paying the bank, but I can't commit to another car until the gap insurance is in process cause none of the banks will approve the loan until then. I am anxious to be able to get rid of these crutches but then regret trying by the end of the day when my foot is swollen and hurting.
Estuardo is doing great with his preschool. He has minimal trouble with good-byes in the morning and talks about the kids at school when he gets home. He's wearing real underwear finally, all the time except at night. Little Gym is going great on Saturdays too now that he knows he is supposed to stay with the class and not just run around.
Onnolee had her first lesson last Saturday and she was a little scared at first but then had a really good time with Daddy as her partner.
Mattea is into everything, getting pretty quick on her feet, and much more aware of things and people around her. She is eating well and we think she is finally starting to grow a bit.
Marisol is preparing to transfer into the state school for the blind this coming weekend. I think she's excited and nervous both. She will leave Sunday afternoons, 4 1/2 hours away to Alamagordo, and then they will bus her back on Friday afternoons. She will be totally immersed in braille and mobility stuff for the rest of the year, and maybe next year also.
Kory is thriving at his new school and brings home tons of homework. I spoke with his counselor today and so far so good.
Jesse's fine too, living the leisurely life, waiting for a place of his own through ARCA.
Stew's been excited about canning this year. 2 weeks ago we canned 2 bushels of peaches and now we are working on pears. Tiring but productive. He just ordered a new freezer and wants to go get some corn to freeze now.
School is going well. I am finishing up yet another class this week, yay. Still trying to find time to sew. And my Beatles Rock Band Limited Edition is waiting on my doorstep, thanks Amazon.com!

Yay!

I thought for sure I didn't get it, I was almost positive. I called Chrysler Financial this afternoon to check...Did I have it? And she said YES!!! GAP INSURANCE!!! Since my van was $15,000 upside down on the loan, I was SO relieved!!! Whew!!! Now I can go new car shopping!

The wife's body work from yesterday

the first two are the van and the last one is the patient and doctor at work making mom all better.

I lived

I totaled my van yesterday morning on the way home from work. I did see my life flash before my eyes, thought I was going to die. Next thought, thank you Lord, I didn't die. The ambulance attendant practically yelled at me, why are you crying, you aren't hurt that bad. Then I sat in the waiting room from 8:30 a.m. till 3 p.m. with broken bones and lots of pain until my boss came down and got them to pay attention to me. I have two broken bones in my right foot, a chipped bone in my ankle (swollen), messed up my knee. The air bags scraped the heck out of my legs and face and whopped me in the chest pretty good. Today I feel like a truck hit me. Underneath it all, very thankful.