Our Week In Pictures....

Wow, everyone is doing so well with Baby Brother HOME!! Even LL has started to give him kisses and she LOVES feeding him...so we've just run with that one!! She feeds him ALL the time!! LOL

We're ALMOST out of school and we ALL can't wait to be FREE for the summer....Maybe this summer my two toddlers will actually get naps at home instead of the stroller:
Hmmm...probably not...they'll probably be napping by the pool somewhere!! :)

Below, I love that i have an Ethiopian Girlfriend that LOVES my kids....so fun to see her on a daily basis up at school.....She loved meeting Wes this week:
LL has had fun teaching baby brother about her LOVE for wearing our bowls on her head:
Daddy invited the entire baseball team over for a pizza party this week...he was the coach for our son's team...I said, "Go for it DAddy as long as you can get the house cleaned up"...AND HE DID....He's kept the house up EVER SINCE i got home....Ahhhhh...I'm loving this...praying he'll some how MIRACULOUSLY keep this up...Not sure what's come over him...but I'M LOVING IT!!
LL telling everyone to be quiet while Daddy hands out the trophies......she's too cute:
George just can't get enough of Baby brother....he hugs him 24 hours a day....Baby Brother just tries to get away at this point:

Daddy bought me a NEW RIDE....how cool is this????
Wes loved his first ride around the back yard in the little red car:
We pulled out the pack n play for outdoors when i have to chase down another babe and need a safe place for Baby brother....LL hopped right in too and stole his sippy cup....he didn't seem to mind:
LL invited her friend Dinks over to play...Dinks just came home with Baby Wes..We've loved getting to know this family over the last couple of months...and they live just right down the road...so fun:
Wes has officially been introduced to the baseball fields.....this is about as close as he lets Daddy get....Daddy keeps reminding him that he's gonna love Daddy some day...he's lots more fun and adventurous than Mommy:
And, Wes enjoying climbing around on his sisters at the end of the game during snack time....
He is loved everywhere we go....
And, finally...a big thanks to Gwen for Baby Wes's new shirt:
I not only love this shirt and the ladies that run it...but seeing my boy wear a FEED 1 shirt...knowing that he nearly died from not being fed is just almost too much for this momma.... I have such a deep love and appreciation for my boy...God allowed me to see him in December at his WORST point...and here he is now...a part of our family..thriving and doing so well....I'm just beyond grateful!!!
I look at this sweet face....kiss it over and over again and nearly can't believe the MIRACLE that is IN MY ARMS!! Thank you Lord for my sweet boy.....HE IS SO LOVED:
Happy Sunday to you all, kj

Some Field Day Fun....

I took the babies and headed up to the Big Kid's Field Day yesterday.... they all had a blast:

LL is always right in the middle of everything...You'd never think she's only 2 years old by the way she can hang with the big kids..... And, Baby Brother enjoyed his FIRST stroller ride:

Can you see LL in the back ground, above, playing in the water games...the guy with the hose is not only a Dad at our elementary school BUT also my kid's pediatrician...He's the guy that carried LL to the car the other day when she wouldn't walk out of the dr.'s office (see old post)...gotta love the small town feeling around here.....
I got glimpses of my big kids as they'd run by...below is my 1st grader enjoying her last week of school....
Baby Brother cheered them on as they ran by....
LL and her pediatrician hanging out at the pool....
My little guy is now standing by himself all the time...he can stand in the middle of the floor, take a few steps and then continue to crawl....he'll be on the run in NO TIME:
My kindergartner having fun:
And, my 3rd grader and one of her tall buddies :)
It was a fun morning for ALL!! (George was enjoying his last day of 3 year old preschool) And my two youngest babes came home and PASSED OUT!! Only a couple of more days of school...and WE'RE OUT FOR THE SUMMER!! Oh, how i can't wait!! We have nothing planned ALL summer..and I can't wait to veg out with my 6 babes ALL SUMMER LONG!!! Heaven!! Happy Friday to you all, kj

One Week Home!! (A little break through)

Well, yesterday was ONE glorious week home with my Little Man!! Oh, HOW I LOVE HIM!! He's just so yummy sweet..and I simply adore the ground he crawls on!! :) As I was talking to one of my sisters yesterday and as I told her about my morning..she said, "Man, your life isn't very glamorous these days!" And, instantly..I thought..I better share some of the NON-glamorous moments...so that yall aren't shocked when you decide to have 6 little children in a row!! :)

*So, it's MAY..the last week of school for my bigger 3..which means they EACH have LOTS of end of the year celebrations going on....then add in George's 3 year old preschool activities and it makes for a BUSY time of year!! The hubby had to return to work the morning after I arrived home...and with no family around...well..you see that I'm managing things on my own..which is honestly HOW i like it!! :) I'd just rather jump right in..and keep moving!!!

*So, yesterday the day started with getting the big 3 off to school..and getting the bottom 3 up and ready for the day too...Then the first appt for the day arrived which was someone from the state coming by to evaluate my Wes for early intervention types of stuff....The sweet lady is taking notes and we're bragging on how well Wes is progressing WHEN LL decides she doesn't like the attention baby brother is getting and decides to take all the toys from him including his walker toy that the State lady is interesting in SEEING him push around. When I tell her she has to share..she decides to throw herself back, raspberry at us all and try to kick baby brother. So, a swift, calm time out was earned...ALL WHILE State lady is taking notes!! :) I can't IMAGINE what those notes said!! And, ALL the while...my sweet Wes is filling his diapers..one after another (he's had diarrhea since I picked him up) and I have to stop and actually try and COLLECT the waste material in 6 test tubes that are DUE back at the dr.'s office!! :) Yall should try collecting runny poop in test tubes...fun times!! :)

*Well, state lady leaves giving Wes a GLOWING report!! :) I have to RUN out the door because my oldest daughter is giving a report at school on her trip to Ethiopia and she is determined that Mom is going to bring Ethiopian food to her class for everyone to try!! :) So, i ordered it...got the kids dressed in their traditional ET clothes (another request by big sister) and headed out the door with ONE very upset 2 year old WhO doesn't like wearing ANYTHING she would consider as "dress up" clothes..and yes, Traditional ET dresses are "dress up" clothes to her!! LOL

*I have to get everyone out to pick up the food at the ET restaurant....LL acts out the entire time inside (can only imagine what the sweet ET ladies thought of her and ME while inside their restaurant :) And, we arrived at the elementary school just in time for the presentation...Ethiopian Food in hand...Big Sister thinks I'm SUPER MOM...2 year old sister is MAD to have to participate....

Biggest Sister gives a glowing report on Ethiopia..I'm so proud of her...Smallest sister decides going to her class is fun after all cause she gets to draw on paper with the teacher's markers the entire time....
Baby brother does a great job....he never cares where we are as long as I NEVER leave his side....

Baby brother entertains himself by sucking on my camera most of the time....resulting in constant blurry pics....

Then it was back home....for a ONE MINUTE break before we had to enter CAR LINE PICK UP of the older kids....BUT...we did have a BREAK THROUGH MOMENT in that one instant we were home....I was feeding baby brother some lunch, when someone needed me in the bathroom..I jump up and run for the bathroom to assist the little guy who is yelling that he MISSED the potty...when I HEAR from the kitchen,

"BABY BROTHER, OPEN UP AND SAY AHHHH!"
I run from the bathroom back to the kitchen to find this going on....LL actually TAKING CARE of baby brother.....
She's shown him NO love up to this point...and NOW she was feeding him...I had to grab my blurry, spit on camera to capture this moment....
Not sure Baby Brother was enjoying it as much as LL was....
But she was very proud of herself none the less....and we really praised her for TAKING GOOD CARE OF HER BABY!! :)
We'll take the baby steps when we get them :)....

So, that was ONLY HALF of a day....but you get the picture!! :) More Dr. appts tomorrow...returning those test tubes!! :) Just wanted to give a glimpse into the REAL life of many small children.... It's LOUD and it's MESSY!! I'm just so used to it that it doesn't phase me a bit. I've collected poop on many a child..not just my adopted ones!! LOL The honest truth is: I just wouldn't have it any other way!! God saw fit to give me these precious 6 children..and I want to enjoy EVERY SECOND of their little lives!! Even when I'm covered in waste material, dr. appts, therapists, tears from a 2 year old that's adjusting to life, school work and Ethiopian food....I'm ONE BLESSED MOMMA!! :)

Happy Thursday to you all, kj

So...HOW is LL Liking Her New Baby Brother???

Well...this deserved a post in itself...well...just because it is so funny!! LL has been the only one that ISN'T so sure about Baby Brother entering HER world!! Well...because...up until he arrived...the WORLD BELONGED TO MISS LUCY LANE!! She has been the QUEEN of our house..and well...suddenly a Cute Little Prince has entered her space!! :) For being 2 years old, I think she is doing well....and she's learning to like him better each day...but it's going slowly....

*I'll try to tell you in pictures...This is DAY ONE of him being home...She insisted on drinking her chocolate milk out of a bottle:

So, I let her ..and she quickly realized it came out WAY too slow for her liking..and it didn't last long...but she sucked on that thing for about an hour that day (LOL) !!
She also hasn't sat in this "baby" chair for over a year...she wanted nothing to do with it....well...until she saw Baby Brother sitting in it.....Then it was back to being HER seat..and she wanted to sit there too:
Baby Brother didnt' mind sharing....
She also discovered MANY times to run to the hose outside..turn it on..soak herself with her clothes on...and that gets a great reaction out of everyone....
We're just not making a big deal of things like this..and reminding her that she needs to ASK mommy and daddy before turning the water hose on :)

She ONLY calls Wes "Baby Brother" ....And when he discovered the bib drawer that's been there for YEARS..she decides she'll just get in it and tell him he CAN'T play in the bibs.....
We've gone out to eat and she asked IF we could leave Baby Brother at home!! She also says things like:

"Baby brother isn't cute"

"Baby brother isn't LITTLE...He's BIG"

"Baby brother is too SPICY"

"Look mommy...I'm going to spit on baby brother" (and she raspberried at him)

"Baby brother is NOT sweet...He's Peanut Butter" (not sure why she said that one :)

She was staring at his leg one day..I said: "lucy Lane..do you notice that he's brown just like you?" She said: "he's NOT brown..he's WHITE" !! Hmmm. Will work on that one later!

And, when she was crying..I asked her: "Lucy lane..why are you crying?" She answered: " because of Baby Brother!" Well...at least she's verbal and doesn't hold it in!! :)

*****Baby Brother LOVES pushing his walking toy around...and when we cheer him on...she quickly tries to take it away from him....

No worries...he just chases her trying to get it back!! :)

LL has decided she wanted to CRAWL again on lots of occasions..She refused to WALK out of the drs office...so she got carried to the car and buckled in by our pediatrician! She actually thought she was pretty special being carried out by him!! :) ha ha

**She's not giving him hugs and kisses yet....but each day she is learning to play beside him without taking everything away from him...baby steps....

And, for George...well...he thinks Baby Wes hung the moon. He treats Wes just like he treated Lucy lane when she came home...LIKE A VERY PROUD BIG BROTHER!!

**So...as you can see...Wes is doing great....LL is adjusting...and the rest of the kids are IN LOVE!! :) I always want to remember LL's "adjustment period" because I know someday she'll be IN LOVE with him just as much as we are! And, quickly we'll forget all the funny things she's said about him!! :)

**So, that's OUR LIFE on Day 6 of being home!! Today I've had Wes in my arms for 2 weeks!! Praising God for this precious boy He's given me!! I just look at him and still can't believe HE IS MINE!! And, as far as LL goes...she just makes me giggle!! She's just so adorable that you can't help but laugh at her struggling with her new Baby Brother...She'll LOVE him soon!! :) I know she will!!! :)

Happy Tuesday to you all, kj