Just Loving This Weather!!!!

 Gav loves this little push bike and he does amazingly well getting around on it

 Nick & Gavin have a very special bond

 We bring the pool out so that Belle can have some freedom outside.  Of course she has her 1 and only favorite toy with her!!!

 Just because Sara wears a dress doesn't mean she doesn't want to play with trucks!!!

 Owen was so hoping to go for a walk while Gav was very busy at his workshop.

 Then we brought out the bounce house and three of our four toddlers played endlessly in it.

 I love when I can capture Sara & Owen actually getting along!!!

 Hello Handsome!!!!  Owen was bringing a ball to Belle since she doesn't like to be in the bounce house!!!

 I can NOT even tell you what that beautiful smile does to me.

 Gav was so proud of himself that he could enter and exit the fun all by himself.

 It is so hard to get a good picture of Sara since she is ALWAYS on the move.  So I have to catch her during a break.

 These three had an Absolute Blast!!!!

 Bellie Bug likes to watch her siblings in the bounce house - she doesn't want any part of being in it that is for sure!!!

I can't help but take pictures of her piggies - they are the cutest darn piggies in the WORLD!!!

STUNNING SHE IS!!!!!!

 Snack Time!!!  Yes, Gavin would be using both hands to shove two animal crackers in his mouth.  He still gets a little nervous that there will not be enough food for him :(

 My Beautiful Ukrainians!!!!

 AWE!!!!  Gavin is helping Belle with a goldfish!!!!  LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think it is very safe to say that we are absolutely LOVING THE WEATHER!!!!!!!!!!!!

Poor Tay!!!

Tay had her wisdom teeth out yesterday and it was just plain YUCK!!!!!

Taylor isn't usually nervous about much.  She is very very strong willed, independent and nothing ever really bothers her.  Well, on our 2 hour trip to the oral surgeon office she was super nervous with a ton of "what ifs".  I was really surprised because this just isn't like her.  She kept saying "I know something is going to go wrong".  I told her she needed to calm down and everything would be just fine!!!

We got to the office and they called her back after only waiting about 15 minutes.  Oh, and now that Tay is 18 she had to fill out and sign all the paperwork - so weird for me!!!  It made me sad really.  Moving on.  She went back with the nurse and about 25 minutes later I hear her yell out a moan of PAIN.  Not a scream.  Just a very loud moan.  My stomach went nuts.  I tried hard to listen to what might be going on but it was SILENT.  So I calmed down a teeny tiny bit and just concentrated on listening.  I only heard what I thought was a drill but I didn't hear anything from Tay.

The nurse came to talk to me probably 15 minutes after I heard the drill.  She told me Tay did very well but she is very upset.  She explained that the medication to sedate her will make some patients very emotional.  She told me to expect Tay to say she remembered some of the procedure but that the next day she would forget it all.  I asked if it was my daughter that I heard in pain, she said "don't worry, she wont remember any of it".  I should mention this nurse was as sweet as can be.  To top it off she was from UKRAINE!!!  I guess Tay had told her about our adoptions and she Thanked me over and over again for saving children from her country.  We both were teary eyed at the end of the conversation.  Then I was instructed to bring the car around to the front door and she would walk her out.

I brought the car to the front and sat for just a moment or two.  Then the door opened and a girl that slightly resembled my daughter came out with the Ukrainian nurse.  Well, it hit me - that was my daughter.  Oh my, her face was so swollen and her color was awful.  I got out of the car as fast as I could and she started bawling.  I took her arm and helped her in the car.  I got in the drivers seat and she said

 "Mom, I wasn't asleep - I remember everything and I WAS SO SCARED".  

OH MY!!!!!!!  Hello Momma BEAR!!!  I wanted to KILL!!!!!!  Realizing her seeing me get upset would not help anything I took some serious deep breaths.  I tried to calm her down.  She was crying, gagging and choking.  She had a mouth full of gauze and with all the crying she couldn't control what was in her mouth.   I was terrified she was going to CHOKE on the gauze.  I told her that we would talk about all of it when we got home but she had to calm down.  She did start to calm down.  I am not going to lie, I was checking every mile marker on the highway in case I had to call 911.  Dramatic???  Maybe a little but I wasn't taking any chances.  I really can't remember being that nervous in a long time.  I think when Belle was unresponsive was the last time.  UGH!!!  These KIDS!!!

She fell asleep for about 10 minutes and I was so GRATEFUL she was resting.  Then she woke up and started to tell me everything she remembered.  Oh it was awful!!!  She had thought they gave her the wrong medicine and she really believed that they were taking out her jaw.  Reaction from the sedation???  I don't know, maybe.  What I do know is that it doesn't matter that she is old enough to fill out her own darn forms and sign them, I will NEVER BE ABLE TO HANDLE HER BEING SCARED OR IN PAIN!!!!!!!!!!!  That is a FACT!!!!

I tried to talk about anything I could think of to get her mind off of what happened.  She did not sleep the rest of the hour ride home.  We got home, she went right to the couch where I waited on her for the rest of the day.  I have to admit, it was so nice!!  I remembered when she was little with the stomach flu and she was on the couch just eating up the princess treatment.  She ate it up again and that was just fine with me!!!!

Today she still remembers everything!!  I would do anything for that not to be the case!!!  She does look a ton better though today.  Her color is better and the swelling has gone way down.  Taylor says she only has a little pain - THANK GOD!!!!!!

The lesson I learned yesterday is :

Eighteen is just another number!!!!!

Oh Beautiful Day!!!

The weather in Jamestown, NY has really been INCREDIBLE!!!!  One beautiful day after another.  WOW!!!!  So when Belle, Gavin and I picked up Sara from school we decided it was a perfect day to walk to Owen's school and pick him up.

Sara was such a big helper to pull her BIG sister in the wagon. 

Gavin LOVES to walk - walk everywhere and anywhere he can!!!  It is so cute!!!!  He is walking so well now - it really is Amazing!!!  We are so proud of our Gavninator!!!

Gavin thought he would try and pull Belle in the wagon.  He needs to get a little stronger first and then he will have no trouble at all!!

Are you even kidding me how absolutely out of control CUTE this boy is?????

Sara decided she was pretty tired after pulling Belle around so she needed to be in the wagon with Gav and Belle!!!

I really didn't think it would work - but of course it did!!!!

Big Brother Owen stepped up to the plate and pulled his 3 younger siblings on the trip home.   

So again, I am left empty handed with nothing to do!!!

What's a Mom to do??????

Well, I guess that's all for now!!!!

GO GOD!!!!!!

God is Moving Mountains Friends!!!  God will NOT let sweet Lilianna (Lyla) go with out a family!!!  NO WAY!!!!!

So many WONDERFUL GENEROUS people are pulling together to make sure that a family is funded to bring her home.  They are working SO VERY HARD to put together a super AWESOME Fundraiser all in Lilianna's name!!!  Thank you - Thank you - Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!

You know what else???  I know of FOUR, yes FOUR families that would LOVE for her to be part of their forever FAMILY!!!!!  So we are patiently waiting to see who the super BLESSED family is that GOD has for her!!!!! 

Of course our hearts BREAK for the Mars family that they were not able to continue with their adoption.  They loved this little one so very much!!!  Please, Please Keep this Beautiful Family in your PRAYERS!!!!

I can't even come close to EVER thanking you all enough!!!!  You are all true warriors!!!!  I am grateful to each one of you for doing anything and everything you can to help bring this treasure home to her family!!!  Please Continue the fight!!!  Please don't stop until she is home safe and sound!!!  I promise you with everything I have that this sweet girl is so very deserving of all your hard work!!!!!

If you can, please donate to her fund:  http://reecesrainbow.org/22487/lilianna

Our sweet son, Gavin was in the same orphanage as Lilianna!!!  Take a little look at what a life out of the orphanage will offer her!!!

 Freedom to walk and explore!!!

 The ability to maybe look at her siblings and try and figure out what could possibly be so funny!!

 Knowing that a sibling means having a Best Friend Forever!!!!

And the opportunity to experience the JOY of swinging OUTSIDE!!!

Please Keep Storming Heaven for Lilianna

Thank You!!!!

PLEASE GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE HELP LYLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh Friends, I promise you if we had $15,000 we wouldn't hesitate to head back over the ocean to get this most precious beautiful little girl!!!  But we don't!!!!  We are still paying off our loan for Gavin.  We did not qualify for the tax refund for Gav because our 10 day wait was over in 2012.  So we just can NOT take out another loan.  UGH!!!!!!!

 I swore I would never ever cross that ocean again but I would for HER.  I swore we were not going to adopt again, but we would for HER.  I swore I would never leave my family again but I would for HER!!!!  Everything I swore I wouldn't do again, I WOULD DO FOR HER!!!!!  ABSOLUTELY!!!!!  But stupid MONEY has to be the reason that holds us BACK this time.  I HATE to even admit that!!!!!  It's true though we can not afford to take care of another child and pay off a $30,000 loan.

Please PRAY FOR HER!!!!!!!!!!!!   PLEASE SHARE HER WITH EVERYONE!!!!!!  She is already living on borrowed time!!!  She is a FIGHTER no doubt but how long can her little body hold on!!!!!!

I can't even think about the day I held her with out having a bit of a breakdown.  That girl has my HEART!!!  It is a FACT!!!!  She holds it in her little hand!!!  She held on to me so strong!!!!  I promised her that her Mommy & Daddy were coming for her!!!!  I have broke so many promises to this girl!!!!  Please help me not break another!!!!!

Thank you to each of you that will advocate and Pray for this sweet girl!!!  I will be FOREVER GRATEFUL!!!!!

PLEASE GOD HELP HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sara introduced Gavin to the PLAYGROUND!!!

Beautiful Day - Beautiful Children - Beautiful Smiles!!!

Beyond Blessed Mom to be a part 

of it all!!!!!

Happy Birthday Conor!!!!

We celebrated Conor's 17th Birthday on March 4th!!  I can't even believe he is 17!!!!  CRAZY!!!!

 Conor's Dad and soon to be Mom (I do NOT like the word "step" in front of "mom") brought him strawberry shortcake because it is his FAVORITE!!!!

 Conor & Nick have to be sarcastic for every picture I ever take.

I take a million pictures but the boys make sure I can't use 99% of them.  WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT??

 Okay - Back to the party.  Here is Gavin trying to score some shortcake.  He went to everyone for a sample.

 Every time we are all in the same room a big kid is ALWAYS playing with one of the little ones.  It is so so so AWESOME!!!!  I really really really have the BEST KIDS AROUND!!!!!

Just another awesome big brother moment!!!!

 This is the only picture I have that has everyone in it.  Well except Dave and I.

 Owen LOVES his sister so so so MUCH!!!!!

 See Owen's smile?  Well, Owen thinks Jessie (Conor's Girlfriend) is his girlfriend.  He is sure of it!!!  So he was out of his mind excited to sit next to her.  Awe!!!

 Jessie is such a TROOPER!!!  She is an only child and she handles this CRAZY MAD HOUSE so well!!!  I am amazed really.  As soon as she comes in toddlers are all over her, climbing, jumping and trying to hug the life out of her.  She just smiles so sweetly and laughs!!!  WOW!!!!  Conor is very lucky to have such a beautiful and super sweet girlfriend!!!  

 Taylor and Belle have a very special bond.

 Michael (Conor's Dad), Sarah (Soon to be Mom) and Grandma Karen

Conor, even though you try and ruin every picture I take - I Love you with all my heart!!!!!  I am so PROUD of you and I Thank GOD that you are my son every day!!!!  I am excited to see all the amazing and wonderful things you will accomplish.

I will always remember when I asked you what you wanted for your birthday dinner and you said

"let's make pizza because I know that would be fun for the babies". 

 You could have had anything you wanted - we could of went out - we could have had your favorite meal but NOPE you wanted to do something that would be fun for your siblings!!!!!  Now that LOVE and that selflessness is what makes me the PROUDEST MOM IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Ceej - I Love YOU!!!!!!!!