What We Are Reading

We finally read a book that wasn't by Carolyn Haywood. It was Twig by Elizabeth Orton Jones. Bethany really loved this book about a little girl that lived on the fourth floor of a house in the city. The story was magical and it was enjoyed by everyone that listened. 

We are now finishing Betsy and the Circus -- another Carolyn Haywood book. This book is not quite as good as some we have read by her, but we are still enjoying it. I think this is one of the newer ones she wrote -- written in the early 70's. 

We have a lot going on in the next couple of months -- a baby dedication, a daughter graduating from medical school then getting married, a dance recital and on a smaller scale the kids all have to be tested. Hopefully, after all of this we will have a very relaxing and calm summer. 

Sophia doesn't like many things, but she sure likes to sit on the front porch -- like her mom.

Joshua has been coming to visit a lot and he is such a cheerful little boy most of the time. He will have his baby dedication in April. 

I'm not exactly sure why, but I really like this picture of Reagan getting her hands cleaned off by her daddy after playing in the sandbox at our house. 

Finally, I think spring may really be here. We are all so tired of winter and sleet and snow. I can hardly wait for summer and iced coffee on the front porch.

Miracles In Motion Fund Raiser

On Saturday, Sarah, Caroline and Claire served dinner at a Miracles In Motion fund raiser. My girls had a great time and it was a lot of fun. I took some pictures, but there was florescent lighting and that makes for poor color balance and some not so good pictures. But, I still got a few good pictures of the kids. This has been such a great group for my kids to be a part of and I am so thankful they have this opportunity. 

Only a small group of kids performed -- none of mine did -- and they did a great job. 

Girls Will Be Girls

I was going to post about Bethany's visit to the CF clinic today, but there really isn't much to say -- which is a very good thing. Her PFT's were great, her lungs clear and basically she looked good. She had even gained weight which was a real surprise. 

So instead, I thought I would post a few pictures of Sarah and Caroline fixing Bella up -- a little spa day for Bella. As far as they are concerned, you are never too young to get your nails done and primp a little. Bella actually sat still for Sarah to put a little lipstick on her and do her nails, etc. I thought Bella looked pretty adorable when they were done. No, there are no pictures of Sophia getting her nails done as she will not stand for that right now. She definitely isn't ready for girl's spa day or anything close to it. Maybe in a few months. 

A Little About The Kids

 Ever since I started my blog, I have had people comment or email me asking me to tell a little bit about each child or just help put a face to a name. I've been told that it is hard to know who is who and please just do a post on the kids. So I am going to try to put a face to each name. At this time I will only do the kids that live at home.

Katie is the oldest at home. She is 20 years old. She is currently attending college and anticipates studying nursing this fall. She plays the harp and has traveled internationally with her ensemble.

Abigail is 17 years old and is a junior in high school. She plays the harp and has played at venues including the White House, The State Dept., and the Lincoln Center. She is very athletic and is our little health nut. 

Sarah is 15 years old. She loves to dance with Miracles In Motion and has taken quite an interest in anything medical. Her interest can most likely be attributed to her older sister's career path in the medical field. 

Zola is 14 years old. She plays the harp and she is the artist of the family. Not only is she the artist of the family, but the baker as well. She loves mysteries and you will always find her reading. 

Caroline is 13 and she also dances with Miracles In Motion. She is one of the most outgoing and adventurous in our family. She loves to sing and boss her little sisters around. She is Ukrainian. 

Jordan is 13 years old and loves being a helper with the younger kids. She especially likes to help Sophia. She loves to read and ride her bike. Jordan is from Dagestan which is in North Caucasus

Region.

Claire is 11 years old and she also dances with Miracles in Motion. She loves playing with her dolls and especially brushing their hair. 

Andrew is 10 years old and is the only boy at home now. He loves playing outdoors and building things. He loves science and bugs. 

Bethany is 7 years old and she loves playing outside and that is probably good as she is so hyper. She does love books and will sit and read or listen to books all afternoon. She has cystic fibrosis.

Sophia is turning 6 this month. She is adopted from Bulgaria and in addition to having Down syndrome she has had a stroke and also has CP. She loves giggling and getting attention from her older siblings.

Bella is 4 and is also from Bulgaria. She is easy going and very loving and seems to have attached to our family very quickly. 

City Living

We live in the city -- 7 minutes from the nearest grocery store, several places to eat, drug stores and a gym. But our road is very quiet with only four houses on it. Every morning several squirrels sit on our deck waiting for some food, and one very brave one sits on the window ledge looking in and watching to see if I am going to get his breakfast for him. I am afraid to open the window, sometimes, as I don't want to have a squirrel running around our house and he seems pretty brave. Even as I am opening the window, he is still just sitting there waiting patiently. 

This morning one of the kids told me to look in our back yard and this is what I saw. There were ten of them all together. Amazing! We live in the city and have deer in our yard just about every single day -- but, not usually ten.

Just thought I would throw in a couple of pictures of Bella. She is definitely Miss Personality. You would never know that she spent the first three years of her life in an orphanage.