The Weikel Family Spot

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2010-01-16T10:25:00.005-05:00

Behind on posts obviously but thought I'd share a few pics. We've had a long winter of asthma and sickies but hoping for a sick free week this coming week!

The Day my Chaotic Life Became More So....

2009-09-23T12:14:00.002-04:00

Found this old picture of some of Caleb's first steps back in Jan 08. Now I just want to get him off the table or off the step stool and out of the freezer....

County Fair!

2009-09-20T15:16:00.002-04:00

Once again we enjoyed an absolutely beautiful weekend at the county fair. Usually there is rain of some sort but nowhere to be found this year! The kids had a blast on Friday with rides and friends and Anna danced yesterday. Jacob was a huge help at the Chick-fil-A booth and Nathan spent the day hanging out with friends. A great way to spend a weekend!

A Family Reunited

2009-09-14T10:29:00.002-04:00

For those of you who have been in the AWAA community for awhile, you probably know of Julia Norris and her adopted son Christian. I just received this from another AWAA family this week. They were able to track Christian's biological family in China and just a couple of weeks ago he was reunited with them in China. There are some very emotional CNN reports on this blog following their journey. I was in tears by the end.

www.afamilyreuinited.blogspot.com

Caleb turns 4!

2009-09-09T13:40:00.002-04:00

Celebrated with a Spiderman birthday party and cupcakes with his friends at school. Can't believe our little guy is 4 already!

Nathan's big night

2009-09-09T13:32:00.004-04:00

Six years after his decision to follow Christ, Nathan made the decision to be baptized. We are so proud of him and his spiritual growth this year. God has big things in store for our son!

Pictures at last

2009-09-09T13:26:00.002-04:00

Or so I thought. Caleb has decided to not take a nap today so this post will be short but I'll at least get a couple of pictures of the kids in. School is going well and we are settling in to our new schedule. I am amazed at how much I get done during the day without my "helpers" but I do miss them. This move has been a good one all around though!

Transitions

2009-08-19T13:35:00.002-04:00

Back in 2000, we had a year that I thought would top all years. I won't bore you with the details, just suffice it to say that it was full of lots of firsts, big decisions and things that have changed the landscape of our family today. Evidently these big years tend to cycle through and we are finishing yet another one of those years. I know that many of you have been saddened by my lack of blogging (ok, maybe that is an exaggeration but you couple of people can stop bugging me about it...)but I am hopeful that I will be doing a better job soon. After 7 years of homeschooling some or all of my kids, I sent the oldest 4 off to school today and Caleb will be following them in a few days. Our family has been stretched quite thin with commitments that were not always ours to make (yes, some were) but have all piled onto us in a pretty dramatic way. Ken and I are praying that we will, in the next few months, see some sense of normalcy come back to our chaos (as normal as a family of 7 can be :) ) I am realistic that my time will continue to not always be my own but that the expectations of it will be a bit more realistic. Feel free to pray for us as we make another transition year and I will do my best to get pictures up soon!

He's home!

2009-05-18T19:44:00.001-04:00

Ken made it home safely this afternoon. Other than some jet lag, he is doing very well and we are happy to have him back.
More posts and photos to follow :)

In the Air!

2009-05-17T17:19:00.003-04:00

Ken is on his first flight from Nairobi to London and will return home tomorrow afternoon our time. He had an amazing trip but we are all ready for him to be home. The kids and I had melt down Friday night - fishing a dead bunny out of the pool skimmer didn't help much (no it wasn't one of ours - one of the wild bunnies in the yard). My appreciation for those of you whose husbands are deployed has grown tremendously!! Hopefully in the next few days we'll be able to download Ken's pictures and he can add a few posts along the way (shock, gasp!).
Thanks again for all the prayers. We have survived :)

From Ken

2009-05-15T10:10:00.001-04:00

Good morning! It is Friday morning and we are in our 5th day of our History Makers conference. It has been an incredible experience this week having this opportunity to teach, mentor and share with many people. Yesterday morning, we taught on evangelism. In the afternoon, we travelled to Kibera, the largest slum in Africa with an estimated 1 million people living there. I had done some research on Kibera but was not quite prepared for what I experienced. Kibera is located on the outskirts of Nairobi and is a poverty striken place. In the US, we would not want our family pets to live in the kind of conditions we saw. We walked through many alleys, down old rail tracks and even had the opportunity to go to a small church located toward the center of the slum. The church is an outreach of Global Outreach Assembly. There were a number of children there. We sang songs with them (in Swahili), prayed and I had an opportunity to give them some Chick-fil-A mini plush cows; if you could have seen their shining faces. We went to a "park" which was a large open area in the middle of the park. Just over 1 year ago, just after the Kenyan elections, there was much violence in Kibera and a massive blood shed and killings that occured in the very place where we were standing; an experience that I will never forget. We conducted a short worship service. In addition, many of the History Makers (the participants in the conference) went around the perimeter of the park and shared with many many people. Many of the people that we spoke with are orphans and many of them have been born in Kibera and have never lived in any other place. Some played football (soccer) with the children and youth, some just held young children and we ALL prayed!!! God answered your prayers and ours and we saw a total of 53 come to Christ! We will all need to continue to pray for them as they have much to overcome. I had a bag full of Chick-fil-A cows and cow pez dispensers and tried to hand them out selectively in the park. The word got out very quickly that there was a white man with gifts and I was completely swarmed by too many children to count. All the gifts were handed out (so to speak) and someone even took the plastic shopping bag that I had brought them in. The mini-cows were in plastic bags with a Chick-fil-A advertisement inside. At one point, I saw 2 small boys fighting over one of these advertisements; this moved me greatly that this would be so important to them.
I hope as time allows, I will have an opportunity to share with each of you about more of my experiences here this week.
I came here to teach and mentor but I will certainly not be coming home the same man that arrived here just 5 days ago.
Please continue to pray for our next few days. We will have graduation for the History Makers tomorrow/Saturday, going to church on Sunday (I will be preaching or giving my testimony which they consider preaching), going to Nairobi Game Park for a safari and leaving at 11:10 PM to head home.
Thank you for your prayer support!

Praises

2009-05-14T20:26:00.002-04:00

Thanks to all who prayed for Caleb today. They did not have to do 2 of the crowns so he ended up with 2 crowns and 5 fillings. While it took most of the day for him to get over the IV sedation, he is eating again tonight and is being his cute and ornery self. We got everywhere on time and all went well on the home front, thanks to my wonderful parents who took the day off and transported kids all over. Mom even got to do some homeschooling with the girls and I rushed through Target and the grocery store ALL ALONE!!:)

Ken did call briefly this afternoon. They visited Kabera, the largest slum in Africa today. The team on the ground estimated the population has grown to almost 2 million people. He said that pictures and words do not even begin to describe what he experienced today. Children as young as 2 or 3 wandering around without the watchful eye of an adult. Kids calling him "Daddy". 53 people accepting Christ as their saviour! The juxtaposition of hopelessness and the true hope that only God can bring all at one time. I can't wait to hear his individual stories. The 15 minute conversations are more than I counted on but just not enough when I can tell he is just brimming with emotions and sensory overload. The cell service is sporatic at best - it took him almost 1/2 hour to get a signal just to call me today to check on Caleb. Probably won't hear from him tomorrow but perhaps one more time before he leaves Sunday night their time (Sunday afternoon our time est).

We continue to plug along on the homefront - I appreciate all the prayers that have been sent our way. The week has been mercifully noneventful other than the usual chaos, Caleb's stuff today and Nathan home sick with a bad cold. All things that are not out of the realm of doable! We are anxious for Daddy to be home though and can't wait to see him on Monday.

A post from Ken

2009-05-13T16:15:00.003-04:00

Here is an email we got from Ken yesterday while my internet was down.

Greetings from Kenya! I arrived here safely on Sunday night after 24 hours of travel. We are now in our 2nd day of our History Makers Leadership Conference. We are in Limuru Kenya which is located in highlands 1.5 hours NW of Nairobi. We have 26 young men and women that we are teaching; they have come from as far as Ethiopia. They are very open and receptive to our teaching and I have enjoyed getting to know them, learning more about their personal lives, their nation, culture and our differences. The one thing that we share is our belief in Jesus! Their faith and strength is VERY humbling. We are incredibly blessed in the USA and take much for granted like safety, running water, electricity, food and the many resources that God provides. Please keep our team in prayer for teaching, mentoring, health and safety. Remember us on Thursday as we travel to Kibera, the largest slum in Africa with over 550,000 people living there.
Thank you for your prayer support for myself and for my family back home.
God Bless You in work today as we all seek to serve!
Ken Weikel

I did get to talk to him today and he said that the need is so great there and that people there are so hungry for the Gospel and discipling but that the funds and financial support have been growing short. I am sure that when Ken returns this will continue to be something on his heart! He is already talking about going back and he isn't even home yet :)

On the home front, Caleb has his dental procedures tomorrow so an extra prayer sent this way would be appreciated. He is in pain most days from his teeth so we are anxious to get this all done!

News from Kenya

2009-05-11T21:14:00.003-04:00

Ken called this afternoon and although our conversations are short, I can tell he is having an amazing trip. He said that he is humbled by the stories that the Christian young men who are at this conference have shared about their faith. One young man was raised in a home of devil worship and black magic. When he became a believer, his family tried to have him killed. Another young man runs an orphanage of young boys. Many of them are alcohol and drug addicts as young as 6 or 8. As I understand it, most of the attendees of this leadership conference are in their early 20's and already have such amazing testimonies of what God has done in their lives.
The monastary where he is staying is self sufficient. They raise cattle and there is VERY fresh milk at every meal and Ken came upon a dead cow hanging yesterday. They had beef for dinner :) He says the food is simple but he hasn't starved yet so that is good.
We are surviving on the homefront, thanks in no small part to my dad who has/will take the boys to school everyday. I am VERY thankful for that favor!!!
I will post more when I hear from Ken. The calls are expensive and there is no internet that I'm aware of so we get a few precious moments each day. It makes me so appreciate the ability to pick up the phone and call him!

Happy Mother's Day!!

2009-05-10T20:37:00.011-04:00

This amazing rainbow (it is actually a double if you look closely) on Friday was a reminder to us that God always keeps his promises!!

Just a note to all those moms out there who kiss booboos, listen to stories and drive the family "bus" - You are GREAT!!!! I am so blessed to have a wonderful godly mom and mother-in-law. I know it is no small thing in these days to be able to make that boast and I appreciate all that they do to show love to our family and others. They are the best Grandma and Mamaw in the world!

Ken is safely in Kenya and has a jammed packed schedule for the week. He will try to call us daily (but with a 7 hour time difference it might be a bit challenging) so I hope to update the blog with prayers and praises for his week. Thanks to all who are already lifting him and the team in prayer.

We celebrated Mother's Day at church and home. The kids actually got in the pool today (74 degree water!!!!!) and are excited about summer being around the corner. That water is going to have to get a lot warmer before this mom joins the fun!

sorry about the technical difficulties...

2009-05-05T17:05:00.003-04:00

Yeah, I know some of these pics are sideways but I keep "rotating" them and they won't so you'll just have to turn your head when you look at them. Not sure what was up with the non posting thing - maybe it has been too long :)

testing

2009-05-05T17:01:00.002-04:00

I posted this long post with pics and it won't publish. Still working on it here....

A lot can happen in 4 months....

2009-05-05T16:26:00.013-04:00

I hear you. The growing chorus of faithful readers who wonder out loud why I haven't posted in so long. I could give you a creative laundry list of reasons but alas, I just don't have the time. You see, we are still only working on one computer in our house. There are 6 of us who use this one computer. This means that updating the blog gets low priority. When I do get the chance, like now, I have a whining toddler hanging on me, messing with the printer, another child begging for paper, other kids who are supposed to be doing homework but I'm not upstairs to check to make sure it is happening - well you get the picture.
Anyway, here is a quick synopsis of the Weikel house in the last few months....
Feb
-Sarah had a wonderful teaparty birthday to celebrate turning 5 - very girly, very fun
-Ken and I got to spend a week in California for Chick-fil-A seminar in Long Beach and then explored the coast BY OURSELVES!!!!!
March
-Finally had a big snow and dug out of 10 inches of wet white stuff
April
-Visited family for a few days in VA Beach
-Celebrated Easter - He is risen indeed!!!
-Anna turned 8 and celebrated with a bunch of her friends seeing the Hannah Montana movie - not a bad movie
-Got 2 new critters - very cute bunnies named Sparkles and Rainbow
-Ken suprised me (he tried reallllly hard!) with a birthday party for my (gulp) 40th birthday. It was a wonderful evening surrounded by lots of friends
May
-Nathan is 14!! Yikes-when did than happen?
-They opened our pool today - for real?! It is pouring down rain and 56 degrees. Hard to believe that the kids only have 3.5 weeks of school left.
-Ken is leaving for Kenya Saturday - keep you posted on his big trip next week (at least I'm going to try!)
-Caleb has some major dental work next Thursday - he'll be under for about 2 hours - prayers would be appreciated.

Caleb is now on a growth chart - 10th percentile for height and 3rd percentile for weight. I hope to do a separate post on our miracle kid (you know, the one who is whining and pulling on me and acting like a 3 year old....)

In between all those big events are lots of everyday smiles, tears, tantrums and God moments. He has blessed us with this crazy life - most nights we fall into bed exhausted. But as nuts as it all is we are blessed beyond measure and I'm humbled by God's mercy and faithfulness through it all!

Would love to post more but I've hit my limit of whining and hanging (and drumming!).
Hope to post more soon....

It's a Guy Thing!

2009-01-06T14:11:00.004-05:00

Have I mentioned that Caleb is obsessed with vehicles? Here he is driving a "train" with Sarah and playing crash derby with Anna. He is always making a car noise!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T22:34:00.007-05:00

Still dealing with computer issues - the reality is that my laptop is dying. Which means we really have one working computer for 6 users. And it is in the basement. And I rarely go to the basement. Enough explanation for my dull and dry blog....
Here are a few pics from Christmas. The kids actually held out until 7am!! and were wonderfully cooperative and appreciative all day. We had a relaxing day and celebrated with a Happy Birthday Jesus carrot cake ;)
Since then I have been trying to take advantage of having a dumpster in the driveway and have been sortin and pitchin. I know that sounds soooo redneck but at least we aren't dumpster diving!
Everyone headed back to school today and although 6:15 was awfully early this morning, it is nice to back into the schedule. We've been struggling through nasty colds but looks like most of us are on the mend. So we are ready to start our new year, looking forward to what God has in store for us!

Tis the Season

2008-12-20T11:51:00.007-05:00

Sorry for the randomness of this post but we've continued to have computer issues so I'm just getting these photos out there the best I can. (yes I know the picture of Lucy and Sarah is sideways but it isn't on my computer and no matter what I do, blogger keeps turning it on its side - it is cute anyways :) ) We're done with all the organized activities of the season and are settling in to enjoy the last few days of getting ready for Jesus' birthday. We have had family photos taken but Christmas cards aren't back yet - they'll have to be Happy New Year cards. I did put up a new family photo on the side from when we got our Christmas tree - not bad for a guy who couldn't figure out how to work my camera :)
Praying that all of you can enjoy the holiday with family and friends and celebrate the birth of the Messiah!!

The saga continues....

2008-12-09T13:33:00.003-05:00

I've decided that I so could not be Amish this week (ok, I really wasn't considering it). We have been down still with the computer and after 2 service calls in 3 days we only have the lapttop up and running (and it is hard wired to the modem downstairs). 83 emails later, no online Christmas shopping - you get the idea. We celebrated Sarah's 4th Gotcha Day on Saturday, had our very last visit from the social worker yesterday and the kids had their Christmas music Sunday night. We did get our Christmas tree but it is naked in the family room. If I can get all my laundry done, I'll post some pictures this afternoon. Hopefully I can get it done before something else on the computer breaks!

The Magical Touch

2008-12-04T10:13:00.002-05:00

I probably should have named this posted "The Evil Touch" or "You Really Don't Want us to Touch Your Stuff". We have had one thing after another break, stop working or need to be replaced in the last few weeks. The computer router AND modem are included in that list. We (Ken) is working to get us up and running in his free time (hahahaha) so pictures of Thanksgiving and Jacob's party and our new addition will have to wait some more.
We are alive and had a great week in VA Beach with Ken's family and are now looking at the Christmas rush head on. While I have done NO Christmas shopping, I'm bound and determined not to let this season go crazy on me. The girls helped me decorate the house yesterday which only took an hour because of a rare spot of genius on my part. Last year when I took the Christmas decorations down, I put them in bins by room. So this year I just took the bin to the appropriate room and presto - the kids could help easier and I didn't waste time remembering where I usually put everything.
Our addition above the garage is going well (yes, we are in the middle of yet another big project/trip at Christmas.....) and we hope to have it done by January. The extra space will be nice but the boys having their own rooms will be the best bonus of all.
We have Christmas pictures scheduled soon so hopefully we'll actually get those out this year, even if they are Happy New Year cards:)

He's 11 !!!!!!!!

2008-11-20T09:35:00.003-05:00

The very happy birthday boy!

Yes that is Nathan playing his guitar next to Jacob - yikes! Do we have a basement rock band in the making?!!

Jacob turned 11 on Tuesday! He has been asking for a drum set for a very long time now. We've been putting it off as long as we could but decided that since he has been doing so well with band at school and since we are tired of him banging our furniture, siblings, car seats.... We did the deed and bought him his first "real" drum set. Ken spent last night putting it together and we have both moved high up in the ranks of "most amazing, awesome parents". He is just grinning from ear to ear and the child that normally requires dynamite and a forklift to get out of bed in the morning jumped out of bed this morning wanting to play at 6:45 am (completely dressed and ready for school)!!!!! Needless to say he wasn't happy when I reminded him that half of the house was still asleep and I wanted them to stay that way. He is actually pretty good but there is no quiet way to play the drums. New item for everyone's Christmas list - ear protection!

He can use a STRAW!!!!

2008-11-15T16:10:00.003-05:00

Thursday Caleb got hold of my drink and proceeded to put the straw in his mouth. His eyes suddenly got wide and he sputtered a bit - he had successfully sucked through the straw!! We were both a little suprised and he decided that he liked his new skill. Several sips later he was happily draining my tea. Yet another big step for our little guy!!!!

Pumpkin Time

2008-11-01T21:29:00.002-04:00

The boys still haven't carved theirs but at least the girls got theirs done Friday afternoon!

Boy or Dog?

2008-11-01T21:26:00.002-04:00

Caleb has always loved Hershey but lately he has been trying to imitate his every move. He will eat the dog food, lap Hershey's water, sniff the grass, lick the flowers...no he hasn't lifted his leg yet but we're waiting for it!

October Fun

2008-11-01T21:17:00.004-04:00

This year our church's harvest party was on Wednesday so my kids got to trick-or-treat, some for the very first time! We went to a friend's house and got to go out with a whole big group of kids. The trick-or-treat newbies (Anna, Sarah and Caleb) got the hang of it very quickly and my big boys had fun dressing up and hanging out with friends.

A couple more pics

2008-10-30T09:53:00.002-04:00

When I was looking at pictures for yesterday's post, I ran into to these as well. These were taken a year ago today, October 30, 2007. Man I love this little guy!d It is also amazing how much the other kids have grown in a year - no wonder I'm tired!!

One Year Ago Today...

2008-10-29T17:10:00.005-04:00

October 20, 2007
Taiyuan, China

October 29, 2008
Our bedroom (no, we don't let his sisters wear makeup like this all the time - we're getting ready for our harvest party at church tonight)

I couldn't let the day go by without this post. There is so much I could write about how far Caleb has come in a year and how he is securely wiggled into all of our hearts forever. He has gained 8.5 pounds and grown 6 inches in a year. He has learned to walk. He is starting, however slowly, to talk. He can now open door knobs, the refrigerator, climb the kitchen table, feed the dog the contents of said refrigerator and empty the contents of every bucket in the toy room - all within a 10minute time span. He gets so excited about trucks and cars that he wiggles and yells "whoa!!!" everytime he sees a big truck. He has the funniest prayer face - he gets so serious and wrinkles his brow as he folds his hands. He gives lots of hugs and kisses and has a heart for those who are hurting. He loves to wrestle and has the most impish grin I have ever seen. He is our little ray of sunshine and we can't imagine life without him. We love you Caleb and thank God for this day a year ago when you entered our lives forever!!!!

G's and Straws!

2008-10-28T11:22:00.001-04:00

Last night, completely on his own, Caleb made the "g" sound!! And this morning he drank some chocolate milk through a straw!!! Just when you get discouraged that you've hit a roadblock, God gives you a little sparkle and they take off some more.
Praising God for the little things...

Ok, ok, ok......

2008-10-24T20:43:00.005-04:00

For those who have emailed me wondering if I've given up on blogging - I got the picture! No, the Weikels have not fallen off the face of the earth. Here is proof!

Feast or famine should be the new name for my blog. It isn't that I've not been busy in the past. But this school year's schedule seems to have very little wiggle room for extras, like let's say, blogging (or grocery shopping, sleeping - well you get the picture). I've made a few changes that have been good for me. I now take a 30 minute walk every day, have joined a new Bible study, have kept up with my book club. These are my sanity saving devices and have given my some built in quiet times that I've needed. It is awfully hard to hear God talking when life around you is making so much noise!
A year ago today, we all boarded a plane and were on our way to China. We were unsure of what awaited us, just knew that God was calling us there to our little boy. We met a little guy who was scared, undernourished, developmentally delayed and oh so sweet. Tonight I spent most of the almost 2 hours of High School Musical 3(yes, that is yet another post...) chasing that sweet but now active 3 year old down the aisle twice during the movie, hanging out in the lobby, retrieving him from BEHIND the video games, chasing him down the hall, keeping him out of SAW V. Needless to say, a lot has happened with our little guy in a year. He has also learned how to open the refrigerator on his own this week. I'll post more about that next week...

This and That

2008-09-29T09:37:00.002-04:00

As you can tell, my weeks have been beyond busy since school started. We've been battling different ills (bronchitis, sinus infections, fevers....) and keeping up with our new schedules has been a challenge. But I did want to make sure you knew we had not fallen off the face of the earth. We've enjoyed the county fair, welcomed new additions to families at church and just tried to keep up. I'd like to say that things are going to slow down but I'm not so sure. I think we're just going to have to adjust to this new normal!
I have been able to walk most mornings which has helped my mental state but my quiet time has been lacking. I'm getting ready to start a new Bible study with some friends and I'm hoping that this will give me a kick in the rear to get back into God's word!

Sarah's new "do"!

2008-09-29T09:21:00.003-04:00

Before.....

During.....

After with Callum, Liam and Caleb (photo courtesy of Anna Weikel photography :) )

She had about 10 inches or so cut off and it was enough to donate to Locks of Love. Everyone loves her new haircut (Thanks Ms. Dawn!!!) and she loves that she can wash AND rinse it by herself (so does Mommy!).

2008-09-21T14:50:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the confusion over the family picture - I was trying out something new.
I hope to have time for a longer post this week and some pictures of Sarah's new haircut (yes, she had enough to donate!).

I know some of you are following along this family's journey to China for their sweet little girl but if you haven't seen it yet, please read. God is doing some amazing things with this family and they need the prayers of all of us!

www.roomforatleastonemore.blogspot.com

Family photo

2008-09-16T23:01:00.000-04:00

This was from our reunion in August. Not very often we have a photo of all of us together!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CALEB!!!!!

2008-09-08T13:02:00.007-04:00

Caleb is 3 today!!! We celebrated his first birthday with us with family and a couple of friends. Included was Ben, the only one who has been around for all of Caleb's birthdays :) The weather was great and Caleb loved every bit of his party. It was fun to watch him enjoy the little things that so many kids breeze through - the cards, every gift (minus the clothes :) ) and the wrapping. He oohed and aaahed through it all. Today we ate lunch with Daddy at Chick-fil-A and I'll make him cabbage salad for dinner (yep, the boy loves it). This was such a hard day last year - it is so much fun to watch him enjoy all the attention.

Thank you Hanna!

2008-09-06T10:38:00.002-04:00

It may seem odd to be grateful for a tropical storm, but that is what I am! Because of Hanna's torrential rains and wind, we don't have soccer today and we've had to reschedule Caleb's birthday party to tomorrow afternoon. So....we have NOTHING on the calendar today. NOTHING! I can't remember a day when that was the case. As long as we don't lose power, this could be a wonderfully boring day :)
Enjoy the blog updates - I just don't seem to find the time to work on it since school has started!

China Brothers and Sisters

2008-09-06T10:25:00.002-04:00

We are very blessed for each of our adopted kids to have a "China brother" and "China sister" (they aren't biological siblings, just from the same orphanage) within an hour's drive. Sarah and Lucy had a sleepover earlier this month and have really started enjoying each other's company - they are two peas in a pod!. Ben and Caleb are still not really old enough to understand who the other one is but we're committed to getting the boys together and keeping the connection. I know that the odds of having this bond for both of my kids is not very likely so I'm very grateful that it is there!

Caleb

2008-09-06T10:19:00.004-04:00

Our official skimmer cleaner - he loves to dump the skimmers, sometimes several times a day!

Obviously Jacob is giving Caleb some fashion advice with the hat!

Sometimes you're so tired you just gotta drop where you are!

Caleb has discovered the brio trains that were his brothers'. He LOVES them and has spent hours playing with them this week.

Go Wolves!

2008-09-06T10:16:00.002-04:00

Sarah's soccer team is the Wolves. She isn't all that crazy about soccer so we've signed back up for dance this year. At least she tried it out and she looks darn cute in those cleats and soccer uniform!

Swimming!

2008-09-06T10:11:00.001-04:00

Nathan!

2008-09-06T10:07:00.002-04:00

Maybe it was the caffeine. Maybe it was the sugar. Maybe the stars were aligned just right. Whatever the reason, I got some great pictures of Nathan that night. Enjoy them - more will probably be a long time coming!

Summer Birthdays

2008-09-06T10:03:00.003-04:00

We celebrated Dad and Kendra's birthdays. Obviously the sugar from the ice cream cake was getting to a few heads!

What happens when Mommy is Busy and the Gate isn't up....

2008-09-06T09:58:00.001-04:00

Thankfully this was down the stairs and not in the toilet....

Checking in

2008-08-25T17:24:00.002-04:00

I know some of you are wondering if we have survived the first week of school - the answer is yes! The boys are liking their new school and have even tolerated homework and uniforms. Jacob started band today and is very excited about drums (I can't wait for him to have something to bang on that isn't my furniture!) So far no uniform pictures (sorry Debbie)- I'm not going to push my luck on that one! The girls officially started today and we even got a short swim in after grocery shopping and target. We also got the girls signed up for dance and they are eager to get started with it all. Now we just need to find out Caleb's new group class schedule and I think we'll actually have an idea what our school year might look like!

Treading Water

2008-08-18T16:24:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lapse in posts and pictures. We have been busy trying to squeeze the last little bit of summer out of this week since the boys head to school on Wednesday. The sticker shock over school uniforms and supplies has me reeling! To think of all the money I've saved us over the last 6 years of homeschooling!
We've also survived a weekend without water (off and on), including a pool party for the girls' group at church Friday night (we had water that night). We are now the proud owners of a new tank, well pump and several days of hording water to flush toilets. I even jumped in the pool Saturday morning (pool water was a nice warm 90 but the air temp was in the 60's - brrrrrr!) to get my hair wet and then rinsed it with bottled water. Anna said it was like being back in China brushing our teeth with bottled water :) We are thankful to finally have water back, just in time for a pool party this evening for the church youth group. You realize how much water you use in a day when you don't have it!
On top of all that, my laptop is now making a noise comparable to a helicopter taking off. As much as I use computers, with the last few months' experience with them in our house I'd just like to pitch them out the window!
Hopefully once the boys are in school Wednesday, I'll have a little bit of time to download some pictures and catch up a bit. Probably won't start school officially with the girls until next week since they both have a busy social calendar :) (those unsocialized homeschool kids......)

WV Reunion

2008-08-05T15:55:00.003-04:00

Caleb with all his women.

Daddy and his boy

Sarah had a very busy day talking the ears off of all who would listen

Caleb and Maylea

The New River Gorge - we stopped at a state park along the way to stretch our legs and take these great pictures

We headed to WV this weekend for a reunion of some of the folks we traveled with on our journey to get Caleb. Although it was a long car ride (7 hours) and Caleb managed to get sick for the first time ever since we brought him home (yes, that is how kids always work...), we had a relaxing time enjoying the company and beautiful surroundings. Thank you to the Harris family for hosting the event - we know how much work it can be and we appreciate you guys!

The head bob...

2008-07-27T16:45:00.002-04:00

A busy Sunday

2008-07-27T16:30:00.004-04:00

M&M's are wonderful things....
Caleb and his new buddy, Liam
Yes, the girls are doing make overs. Don't they look lovely?

Today was a busy day! We had 10 2 year olds in nursery this morning. Obviously Ken has learned the trick of m&m's - it was the quietest group of 2 year olds you'll ever see! Poor Caleb ended up with a nasty kick to the eye - it was an accident of course but he looks pitiful :(
After church we celebrated the homecoming of Liam Jenkins! There was quite the crowd there and lots and lots of kids :)
Now to go get Jacob ready for camp in the morning - it just never ends!

Eating is a Full Body Sport!

2008-07-23T09:38:00.002-04:00

Considering Caleb's weight, he can put away an enormous amount of food. But what makes it so much fun to watch is the pure joy that he gets out of the eating experience (yes, for him it is an experience). He giggles, does his little dance and hums while he eats. I guess when you don't get enough to eat for the first 2 years of life, you learn to appreciate the beauty of a full stomach and the bliss of a never ending meal. Man we love this little guy!

A new camera

2008-07-23T09:22:00.002-04:00

After 3 months I finally got a new camera, complete with accident protection this time!

The finished product

2008-07-21T14:24:00.002-04:00

Home at Last!!!!!

2008-07-19T12:56:00.004-04:00

Liam and his mama, Dawn

A well trained greeting committee - it looks like this crew has done this before!

After almost 2 years and more prayers than imagined, Liam is home!!!!! He is absolutely adorable and we were all in tears as he joined his new brother and sister. What an awesome testament to God's faithfulness in bringing this little boy home to his forever family despite overwhelming odds. Thanks to all of you who were part of the prayers that brought this little guy home!

Our Computers are Sick

2008-07-06T14:24:00.002-04:00

Both of our computers have a nasty virus so we are not at full capacity. We had 100 people here on Friday to celebrate the 4th and have been enjoying our pool immensely.
On an answer to prayer, our friends the Jenkins are anticipating travel in the next few weeks to FINALLY pickup their little boy! They've changed his name to Liam and we are all excited to finally get to meet this little guy. Continue to pray for them as they sort through the last details and for Liam to adjust to his new family.
Hopefully Geeks on Call will be able to help our computers (yes both of them) get better soon!

Odds and Ends

2008-06-24T13:16:00.004-04:00

We love "helping" Mommy fold clothes!

Stepping in some big shoes...

Anna as a sheep

Jacob loves to sing (all day long!)

All that dirt is now one muddy, mucky mess. At least the pool water is clean!

It was a busy week last week with Anna and Jacob off to camp. I found myself chief entertainmnet for Sarah, a role I'm not used to filling. If Anna ever goes off to school, her sister will be going with her!!! Jacob and Anna loved their drama camp and enjoyed performing as usual at the Friday night performance. Sarah and Caleb did play some together during the week which was fun to watch but her patience with her little brother is not the same as Anna's and play time didn't always last very long. They did enjoy climbing on the bed while I was folding clothes though!
On the pool front, we're beginning to think we should have built an ark instead of a pool. We had hoped to be in the pool by now but landscaping and fencing has been pushed back due to torrential downpours that come with the daily thunderstorms we've had. Still holding out hope that we'll be good to go for the weekend!

Progress

2008-06-18T11:36:00.003-04:00

July 2007, 22 months
April 2008, 31 months

Recently I was looking at some old photos of Caleb that were taken about a year ago and am overwhelmed at how far our little guy has come in 8 months. For those who see him regularly, it is easy to forget how far behind he was when we brought him home. For those of you who don't see Caleb on a normal basis, I wanted to share some of the progress he's made lately. Besides having to buy him yet another pair of sandals since the last ones are getting too small (this is pair #3 for the summer and we are only on June!), he was assessed yesterday for his IEP. In most areas, he is at a 24 month level (in a few, like language, he is only at a 16 month level since he still can't speak and can only sign and make syllable/vowel sounds). This is huge considering that he was at a 10 month old level when we brought him home in November. As I'm typing this, I've had to fish him off the kitchen table twice - did I mention he likes to climb? He still qualifies for services and has a long way to go but his progress is nothing short of remarkable. God is pretty good, huh?!

When you have sisters...

2008-06-17T14:03:00.001-04:00

For the record, he really LOVES to play with cars and balls but this was just too cute :)

Almost there....

2008-06-17T13:56:00.003-04:00

Despite heavy rains and delays with a particular subcontractor, we got plaster done today and it is supposed to be filled with water late this afternoon. Pool furniture came yesterday and the fence and landscaping are scheduled as well. We might actually get this thing done before July4!

Dance, dance, dance

2008-06-17T13:52:00.002-04:00

It is dance recital time! The girls both did wonderfully well this past Saturday in their routines. They both had great classes and had a really great teacher. We were so proud of them!

A tale of two brothers

2008-06-17T13:51:00.002-04:00

Sometimes a picture says it all....

My addiction

2008-06-17T13:48:00.002-04:00

Hello. My name is Melissa and I'm addicted to my laptop. I knew I really liked my laptop but I've been without it for 3 weeks and I realized just how much I used it. Having to go downstairs and fight the kids for the desktop just wasn't as much fun and because of that I've been behind on posting and emails (sorry!). Now it is back and I'm a happy camper. I still don't have a new camera but my mom is being generous with hers. I guess that is my next new purchase!

quick update

2008-06-03T10:28:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lapse in posts - my laptop is down and being repaired. Getting to the downstairs computer just isn't as convenient! Combine that with trying to get school finished for the year, the pool, Ken working insane hours - well, you get the picture. Hoping that several of these things get tied up in the next few weeks and that our summer schedule is such that I can do a better job here.
Caleb continues to amaze everyone with his progress. He LOVES music and dances and sings to himself all day long. He is progressing well with his therapy and we will be adding a speech class for the summer. He has the orneriest (is that a real word?) smile and loves his new shoes (we had to buy him new shoes yet again since his feet have grown!). He is now up to 22 pounds and is in size 18 month clothes (some 24 month) and a size 5 shoe. That is still pretty tiny for an almost 3 year old but considering that just 8 months ago he was 16 pounds, in 9-12 month clothes and a size 2 shoe, the growth is amazing.
The girls have dance recital this coming week - hopefully I'll have a new camera (yeah, that broke too)and my laptop back to post pics!

China Quake

2008-05-12T19:37:00.003-04:00

Just a quick reminder to pray for the people of China as they try to recover from this horrible disaster. My heart goes out to those adoptive parents who are waiting to go get kids who are living in the affected areas. I can't imagine the anguish in not knowing that your child is ok. I'm sure there are also people there in Chengdu who are adopting right now. It is just so hard to put your head around it all. I pray that our big God will ease the hearts and protect these precious ones.

Mother's Day

2008-05-12T15:10:00.003-04:00

We had a busy weekend. Saturday was the annual Mother/Daughter Banquet. Ken was in charge of cooking a wonderful meal for 150 ladies and the boys helped him (along with other men and boys of the church). After decorating in the morning, the girls and I enjoyed our time together with my mom that evening. On Sunday, we participated in the dedication service for Caleb. It was such a blessing to stand there one more time and dedicate Caleb and our family to the God who knit our family together.
I am so blessed to have a godly Mom and Mother-in-law. To have their prayer support and encouragement is a huge blessing in my life. I am thankful for their love for my family and for God.

Is this how Noah felt?

2008-05-12T15:04:00.003-04:00

In all my years of living here, I don't think I've ever seen this much rain! They actually cancelled schools here today because of flooding and many of the back roads are flooded and closed. The two pictures are before and after the last 24 hours. We had a bunch of rain Thursday night so the water in the pool in the first picture was from the first storm. I anticipate that the pool will be almost full by the time everything drains into it. Considering that the deep end is 9 foot deep - that's a lot of water! So much for being ahead of schedule...

More pool progress

2008-05-05T17:04:00.003-04:00

They blew gunite on Friday and did the tile and coping today. It is hard to believe that we've only been at this for 2 weeks since so much has happened.

Happy Birthday Nathan!

2008-05-05T17:01:00.001-04:00

Now you know why we don't have any pictures of Nathan.... He thought he could hide from Mom :)

There's a Teenager in the House!

2008-05-02T10:21:00.003-04:00

Nathan loves Universal!
Coach Nathan
Playing ball...

Nathan turns 13 today! It is hard to believe that we have now ventured into the land of teenager. He has grown up so much and is truly a young man. He gave his testimony on Sunday night at church - we were sooo proud of him. He hates to get in front of people yet there he was. He continues to show signs of the man that God is molding and we are anxious to see what the next 13 years holds!

Six Months!

2008-04-29T17:09:00.002-04:00

It is hard to believe but 6 months ago today, Caleb was placed into our arms and became part of our family. We celebrated by having another surgery to replace the ear tubes that had already fallen out. He actually did very well and has been happy and running around the rest of the day. These are permanent t-tubes so they should last much longer than the temps put in in December (don't get me started on that one - just suffice it to say we are much happier with our new ent).
My birthday was over the weekend and Ken and I were able to get away to a B&B in western MD. My parents kept the kids for us and we spent the whole weekend eating grown up food, shopping, sight seeing and doing a little bit of nothing. We had both been in sore need of some time away and it was a wonderful weekend. I am so blessed to be married to such an awesome guy and am thankful that we still have fun together. I am also thankful to have parents who are willing to keep the brood while we spend some grown up time. All in all, I am a pretty blessed gal!

A REALLLLY big hole in our yard

2008-04-22T17:34:00.003-04:00

Getting ready to dig!
Walking it out - with all the rain yesterday this was a messy job!
Digging the hole
What we had at the end of the day....
This is what happens when a 2 year old is left inside with his siblings while Mom and Dad are outside with the pool guys. Yes, this WAS a family size box of Cheerios....

After several years of planning, we have taken the plunge (no pun intended, hahaha) and are putting in a pool. Because of heavy rain yesterday, they were delayed starting until today. We have watched heavy equipment transform this corner of our yard into a gaping hole that will be ready for swimming, hopefully by the end of June. Ken's put the boys to work helping to move brush and several small trees that have needed to be taken out. We also have a very tempting mountain of dirt that will be moved around and used for grading tomorrow. We'll keep you posted on the progress!

Slumber Party?

2008-04-21T15:08:00.004-04:00

Grandma made the cake - yum!
Make a wish!!
Getting ready for the "slumber" part of the party
The morning after - notice Caleb in the middle of all the women...

Who really came up with the title "slumber party"? It implies sleep and slumber - do those really happen? Actually Anna had her first slumber party Friday night and I can proudly say that I actually got about 7 hours of sleep - way more than I anticipated! The girls did well and had a good time playing outside, doing makeup, watching movies - you know, girl stuff :) The boys remained scarce except for poor Caleb who was always the center of attention. It was like having 10 mothers - poor kid!

My Anna

2008-04-21T14:59:00.002-04:00

On the 16th, my Anna turned 7. It is hard to believe that she is no longer the little girl with a sweet smile and bouncy blonde curls. Now she is becoming a smart young lady with a flair for performing and the smarts to match. We are so proud of her servant spirit. She has a heart for others and we are anxious to see what God has planned for her.

We love you Anna!!

more FL photos

2008-04-15T10:05:00.004-04:00

We saw Mulan at our princess dinner!!

Yes, we sat on the HOT pavement to watch the HSM show. Jacob got to do the limbo and both Jacob and Anna got to get up dance at the end. They loved it!

Photo op with Mickey at Animal Kingdom

Caleb liked Donald Duck - we were afraid he might freak out but he didn't!

blogger isn't cooperating with uploading a bunch of photos this morning so you'll have to see them all out of order....

To Florida and Back

2008-04-15T09:50:00.003-04:00

Family shot with Chick-fil-A founder, Truett Cathy in his amazing office

Nankang girls Christina, Lucy, Amber, Sarah, Kaeli and Lia

Daddy and Caleb at Nemo

Sorry for the lull in posts but we've been busy! We made our way to FL last week for a reunion of Sarah's travel group and then a week of Disney. Along the way we stopped in Atlanta to visit the Chick-fil-A home office and meet with Chick-fil-A's founder, Truett Cathy. It was a special visit and we are glad that we were able to make the stop. My parents came along for the ride and survived the whirlwind that is a Disney vacation. We had a great time meeting back up with some of the families from our trip to China. We call them Sarah's China sisters since they are all from the same orphanage and were adopted at the same time. We also got to spend some time during the week with a couple of the families in particular and Sarah even got her first sleep over with Lucy at the hotel! It was a bit crowded but it could have been worse. Overall it was a great week - now back to the chaos of life!

Easter!

2008-03-26T22:08:00.007-04:00

The annual Easter morning photo - that sofa gets smaller and smaller each year!

Anna and her new jump rope

Mommy and Caleb

Daddy and Caleb

Anna and Sarah helping Caleb with the whole Easter basket thing - he figured it out pretty quickly!

Chocolate for breakfast?! This is great!!!!

The boys decided that they were too big for hunting eggs so they did the hiding this year. The girls were busy!

Coin filled eggs make great maracas. Caleb found his rhythm!

The guys played monkey in the middle with Ken and Rich. I will refrain from making any smart alec comments (which you know takes a lot of self control....)

I know I've been slow on the draw with posts lately. Things have been more than crazy around here. We spent a lazy afternoon with family on Sunday celebrating Easter. Sarah was cute when she got in the car after church - she said, " Jesus died but he isn't dead anymore!" Perfect. Caleb loved his first Easter. The chocolate for breakfast was a big hit and the plastic eggs filled with coin made the perfect maracas. All in all it was a great day :)

Too cute

2008-03-18T14:34:00.001-04:00

Don't you just love these pictures of Sarah, cheesey grin and all?

Talent Show

2008-03-18T14:30:00.002-04:00

Last Friday was our homeschool group's talent show. Jacob and Anna did a great job singing and dancing to High School Musical's "We're All in This Together". It is fun to watch them perform together. They both have good voices and can dance - most of all they both love to perform! It will be a treat to watch them continue as they get older :)

Last but not least....Caleb

2008-02-29T10:02:00.002-05:00

Who needs a roller coaster? Anna and Jacob have started pushing Caleb around in this wagon - he loves it! The faster the bettter!
He looks so cute dragging his blanket around the house :)
Should we have named him Linus instead?

A Nathan Sighting

2008-02-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

And he thought I was taking a picture of the animals in the display.....

The Girls

2008-02-29T09:56:00.002-05:00

Anna loved the turtles at the Baltimore Aquarium. Sarah wasn't feeling very well that day so we don't have any pictures of her.
Anna got her GA badges the other night - she was so excited!
Poor Sarah hasn't been in the mood for photo ops lately. She's starting to feel better though so hopefully we'll get some pictures of her not in Daddy's chair :)

The J Files

2008-02-29T09:48:00.002-05:00

At the dolphin show at the Baltimore Aquarium - of course he's sitting in the splash zone!
Jacob's team has had a rough year but he has enjoyed playing.
Free throw time - not as dramatic as his one shoe shot but those are hard to catch with the camera!
Children's ministry Sunday - he and the other RA's helped with the evening service

Odds and Ends

2008-02-29T09:41:00.002-05:00

Sorry it has been awhile since I posted. We have had a terrible two months of sickness and it has taken awhile to recover. We've been busy with basketball/cheerleading finishing up and had follow up dr visits yesterday with
Caleb. He is now a whopping 19 pounds 2 ozs and has progressed to a 15 month old level. Considering that he was at 10 months just 3 months ago, we're happy with his progress. We have a long haul in front of us to catch him up but at least he is continuing to make progress and growing.
Ken has been working some very long hours with our store renovation and other responsibilities so he's been stretched pretty thin lately. We're anxiously looking forward to our vacation in April - it will be soooo nice to get away from it all!

2008-02-15T14:22:00.002-05:00

Well, it was inevitable. Caleb has been sick with a bad cold the last few days and we've been semi-home bound again. Luckily it has not been the flu that the rest of us had so he is already feeling better. His walking is improving every day and he walks all over the house now. It is so cute to watch him - he still gets tickled with himself. Poor Anna has another cold and I"m hoping we aren't starting another round of junk to go through the house. We've had someone sick for almost 2 months now and it is just getting old. On a bright note, all my laundry is caught up since I've been stuck at home!
Happy Birthday to my mom today - you're the best!!!!

Party time!

2008-02-11T13:47:00.001-05:00

The Hazards of Walking

2008-02-08T17:53:00.001-05:00

Yep, this is Caleb's first shiner, courtesy of the entertainment center. It hasn't slowed him down - he's back in the pantry playing with the Rice a Roni boxes as usual :)

Happy Birthday Sarah!!!

2008-02-08T15:50:00.000-05:00

Sarah is now 4!! We celebrated as a family last night with dinner at Red Robin (her choice :) ) and a trip to Toys R Us. She'll have her party on Sunday with all her fellow princesses (and a couple of princes). She has been sick for over a week and I was afraid that she'd not being feeling so well but she pulled out of it on Wednesday so she was able to enjoy being Queen of the World for the day. We love our smart, feisty, sweet Sarah!!!

Our Little Boy Blossoms

2008-02-03T21:58:00.001-05:00

I am just so funny!!!

Cool Whip - the newest in edible hair care products

All this busyness can wear a little guy out!!!

We have spent much of this week at home because poor Sarah has gotten the crud that Anna and I had. She's improving and has had no wheezing - a HUGE improvement in the asthma category! Since we've been home, Caleb has been able to practice his walking and is getting braver every day. Today he walked half way across the kitchen on his own! He is also getting into everything and just has a joy about him. He loves when I wear my one pair of jeans with the hole in the knee - he thinks it is hysterical to tickle mommy (I hate to be tickled!!!!) and any exposed skin is game. He crinkles up his nose and a grin takes over his face along with a mischevious gleam in those big brown eyes. I'm just blown away at how far he has come. He seems more and more at home with us every day and is no longer the weak, undernourished little boy we met 3 short months ago. He decided today that whipped cream tastes good but is also a wonderful conditioner for the hair. Thankfully he is doing better with his baths!

And He's Off!

2008-01-31T18:19:00.000-05:00

Ready....
Set....
GO!!

Finally got pictures of Caleb walking. He's still only taking a couple of steps at a time but today started doing it on his own without anyone there to cheer him on. He's so much fun to watch - he claps for himself and laughs and is very pleased with his new talent.

A sweet face to a prayer

2008-01-29T21:51:00.001-05:00

Many of you have been faithful to pray for our friends Dawn and Gareth and their adoption of little Nicolas. Things continue to be a struggle but at least right now, the struggle continues. After 6 months of no updates or photos, they finally got this special gift - new photos! Is he not just adorable :) I figured it would be a good reminder for those who continue to pray that there is a sweet little boy in the middle of this struggle. Dawn wanted me to thank you for your prayers and ask that you don't stop. We're looking for a miracle!!!

First Steps!!

2008-01-28T14:42:00.000-05:00

Anna is loving cheerleading!

The girls created a snow volcano - yeah, it was bound to not last long :)

Getting a picture of two 2 year old boys is not easy, especially when one needs a nap (I think you can figure out which one that is!)

He did it!! Caleb took his first steps on his own today!! Couldn't get pictures because we were not expecting it but he got very excited and clapped for himself. Too cute :)
We got to visit with Caleb's buddy, Ben last week. Ben and Caleb were together in the orphanage and had cribs across from each other. Ben now lives only an hour away and they had their cleft surgeries a day apart from each other with the same surgeon. The moms had fun :) as did the boys. What a huge blessing to have Ben so close by!
Otherwise we've been busy with school work, basketball, cheerleading, dance, snow... you know, everyday life with 5 kids. Sarah and Ken now have the crud. This has been a brutal season for sickness around here.
Please continue to pray for our friends Dawn and Gareth. One day it looks like their adoption is not going to happen and then another a ray of hope. Either way an investigation has been opened so please pray that the real truth of what has happened will be discovered and that Nicolas will get to come home!

New Recipe (this one is dangerous, read at your own risk!)

2008-01-16T19:13:00.000-05:00

I really do enjoy cooking but with 5 kids and homeschooling, time just isn't on my side. Neither is my impatient personality. Most recipes in my stack are quick ones that taste good. This one has been added to my stack!! I'm glad that pecans aren't cheap or I'd be making these waaaay too often! I'm hoping I've left some for my guests tomorrow night!

Spiced Pecans
3 cups pecan halves
1 egg white
1 T water
1/2 c sugar
t cinnamon
1/2t nutmeg
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t salt

Preheat oven to 300 and cover a cookie sheet with foil and then spray with cooking spray. Whip egg white and water together and pour over pecans in a large baggie. Combine sugar and spices together and pour into baggie with pecans. Mix until pecans are covered. Spread on cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes, turning at least once.

YUM!!!!

School Days

2008-01-16T18:45:00.000-05:00

We've been studying Australia and we all tried our hand at a Walpiri painting. Ok, so they aren't authentic but we had fun anway. The pictures of Caleb are of him getting into his sister's stuff and that guilty smile when caught. He's already mastering that little brother thing!

Winter is Back (sort of...)

2008-01-16T18:40:00.001-05:00

Ok, it wasn't much and it didn't last long but the girls and I were thrilled to see the snow fly :) It gives us hope that we will see more this winter - Wasn't it just last week we were in the 70 degree range?

The missing son

2008-01-13T23:38:00.001-05:00

Some of you who don't know our family well may be wondering where all the pictures of Nathan are. Yes, we do have a third son. Well these photos are an example of how much he likes having his picture taken. I just wanted to post them for the record - the reason there aren't a ton of Nathan photos is that he likes to be behind the camera (he got a video camera for Christmas and has made some funny videos) and not in front of it. I just have to get more creative in trying to get more pictures of him! Jacob is also a budding photographer and has taken some great photos with his new camera but he is never shy about posing for the camera! You just have to get him to slow down long enough to snap a photo!

Caleb's First Weekend Getaway

2008-01-13T23:24:00.000-05:00

The Triplets (as they were calling themselves this weekend...)

Jacob the fearless

Caleb really likes the dvd player in the car! He's a pretty good traveler, thank goodness!

We headed for a weekend in VA Beach to visit Ken's family. I was actually pretty nervous about how Caleb would do on his first visit away from home (not including the hospital!), especially since he was suffering from an ear infection. He did surprisingly well but was SOOOO excited to be home. He crawled into the play room and started banging on his toys and bopping up and down with a grin ear to ear. I guess he likes home :) Unfortunately I didn't get a lot of pictures - I was under the weather so only managed a few of the cousin fun. Of course the girls went shopping and got matching clothes while the guys rode dirt bikes and go carts. Poor Caleb had to hang out at the mall with the girls but I don't think he minded the attention.

Better pics

2008-01-09T10:12:00.000-05:00

Ok, these are better of Caleb :)

Is This Winter or Spring?!

2008-01-09T08:25:00.000-05:00

It has been 70 degrees here the last couple of days - 70 degress in January in MD?! The boys commented that they didn't think we'd ever get snow this year. We'll have to wait and see but we still have plenty of winter left! The pictures of Caleb aren't very good. I think he has another ear infection (go to the dr today) so the wind seemed to be bothering him.

The Everyday...

2008-01-07T09:24:00.001-05:00

Haven't posted in awhile but we've been busy just getting settled back into a somewhat normal life. Caleb continues to heal well but has decided that only Mommy will do. This is a huge switch from before the surgery when he prefered his Daddy! It is a bit difficult at times for all of us, especially when it is time for me to do school with the boys or make dinner or do other things that have to be done and can't be done easily with a 2 year old attached to me. Right now though, he is playing with a box of rice from the pantry - who needs all those Christmas toys?! He is walking some with just one finger and continues to eat like a horse. It will be fun to see how much he gains when we take him back to the dr.
We're fighting various winter ailments but really have been blessed this winter so far with fairly good health. That is no small thing for a family of 7!
Last night we took our team to Medieval Times as an end of the year/Christmas celebration. The kids all loved it (and the grown ups too!) and Sarah caught a flower and Anna was the lady that the black and white knight was fighting for! They were smitten with (as Sarah called him), "my horsie man".

Happy New Year - Thankfully!

2008-01-01T09:55:00.000-05:00

Since we had a houseful Sunday night to watch the Skins stomp all over the Cowboys (GO SKINS!!!), we were just doing the family thing last night. But, we started 2008 with typical Weikel fashion - a crisis. Last year on New Year's, our dog, Hershey, had run through his electric invisible fence when he was spooked by neighbors who put on their own fireworks display that lasted well past midnight. This year, remembering that very wet tromp through the neighborhood last year, I let him out at 11:45 so I could get him in before all the hoopla started (and don't get me started on how inconsiderate a 45 minute firework show in a neighborhood is at midnight...). What I didn't realize is that our neighbors were overacheivers this year and started the fireworks early. So Ken and I spent 3 hours in the cold looking for Hershey. Ken had already gone to bed earlier since he has to work today but he was up and dressed along with me. Of course all my kids (minus Caleb) were still up since we had let them stay up for the countdown. So I was kicking myself for not hearing those stupid fireworks before I let him out, dealing with kids who were very tired and on the verge of hysteria all while tromping through the woods and driving the surrounding streets and farm. Ken and I had given up for the night at 3am and then he decide to drive around one last time. At 3:30 he opened the garage door with Hershey! He found him on the next street down from our neighborhood. Of course he was probably oblivious to all the chaos and enjoyed the extra attention and treats. Anna and Jacob got a good lesson on answered prayer (and so did Mom). Needless to say, when Caleb started calling for me at 7am, I did moan a bit. We'll have to see how the day goes. I think we'll have an early to bed night tonight!
On another note, Caleb's eating is back!! On a lark, I figured out his calorie consumption this morning (a bowl of oatmeal with powdered milk and calorie additive and 2 eggs scrambled with whole milk and calorie additive washed down with a bottle of whole milk with Carnation Instant Breakfast). I figure he put away about 700 calories in one sitting! YIKES!!! For someone who is only in the 18 pound range, I would say that is huge! He is growing - some of his overalls are getting a big short and I've had to move up to size 3 diapers (although a 2 still fits in a pinch). It will be so nice when he can eat whatever he wants in a few weeks. I am a bit concerned about his fistula - it seems to have grown a bit since everything has healed so we'll have to wait and see what they want to do with that. I'm mentally preparing for the possibility of another surgery this coming year but we'll have to wait and see what the dr says at the follow up.
Praying a peaceful day and a new year full of God's grace and blessings!!!