My Amazing Husband

Today is Dan's 31st birthday. I honestly cannot believe we are 31 already. Where on earth did the time go? We met when Dan was 12-almost 6 foot tall & weighed probably about 130 lbs wet! Talk about sexy!! Of course, in all honesty, I had a bowl cut haircut, looked like a boy, & was ridiculously moody (some things never change!!). Just proves that we love each other for what is inside. So...I thought I would take this opportunity to write a little about my amazing husband. We have known each other so long & Dan still amazes me, surprises me, and challenges me. I do not know what I would do with out him-next to Jesus, Dan is my everything. I have told him more than once that under no circumstance can he even think about dying first (sick, I know). What do I love so much about him? Everything-even the things he does that are so annoying are lovable. I know it is cliche that everyone says they have the best husband in the world. But I honestly think I do. Dan is patient with me (which HAS to be hard) and the children. He is an amazing father that takes that job so seriously & makes it his first priority. Dan is funny, charming, & witty. He can make me laugh even when I don't want to. He laughs at me & I'm not all that funny. He treats me with respect & honors me in all that he says & does. Dan is the only person in the whole entire world that can calm me & can tell me honestly when I'm being an idiot. I love that about him that he shoots it straight & tells me that I'm being selfish. Dan is SO giving. He will leave the last of something for me & doesn't get mad if I forget to share. Most importantly, Dan's love for Jesus is huge, amazing, & contagious. He is the coolest person on the planet & I'm proud to say he is my husband. Happy Birthday Sweetie! I love you more than I can ever begin to tell you & I know I don't tell you enough. You are & will always be my hero!

The smell of Urine in the morning...

We are having guests come over on Saturday night. I work tonight (so I'll sleep tomorrow) & it is Dan's birthday on Friday. So...today I started cleaning up the bathrooms & the house. I am totally aware of the fact that I will have to completely "reclean" all over again by Saturday. I guess it makes me feel productive or something. The bathrooms never, ever cease to amaze me by their grossness. It's not as if I don't clean them regularly-I do. Ask Dan. I try to clean the bathrooms thoroughly at least once a week. It always seems a little moot though as one of my boys goes in right after I clean & completely undoes everything I just did! I'm thinking that maybe I'll have Dan install a trough-like they have in those seedy bars. That way as long as we point in the general vicinity we'll get it in. Of course-someone would try to go #2 in there & then, well-you know what would happen. They do get to be better aimers-right!?! By the time they can aim we'll have different issues to deal with. Things are the same with the adoption process. We have an appointment to go get fingerprinted (again!!! That is a whole other post though) on Friday. Hopefully we hear something soon from Denver County about our next meeting. One more meeting with both Denver County & Jefferson County & then we'll get our court dates. We are so hopeful that we can do late February or March. Wishful thinking-I'm sure. Nothing else has gone fast-why would this. Oh well...it is really just a piece of paper anyways. Please pray for us as I'm having a very tough time with patience this week.

The Kids

I thought that I would take this post to talk a little bit about each child and what makes each child unique.
Noah-Noah is an amazing kid. He is an awesome mix of passion & compassion. He is always thinking of others-the other day he got his hair cut & when it was his chance to pick out a sucker he picked a sour apple one & gave it to me. He told me that he knew it was my favorite-that's the kind of kid he is. He is also very strong-willed, stubborn, and a leader (bossy, actually-but Dan & I prefer to say that he has a budding leadership gift!). Noah has a great sense of humor & can easily make Dan & I laugh with his wit. He is an all-around great kid!
Jasmine-Ahhhh.....Jasmine.....Jasmine is a sweet, pretty, helpful girl. Dan & I are not used to girls (obviously) so we are getting a trial by fire. Jasmine's favorite character is Princess Jasmine & that fits her personality perfectly. She is definitely a budding princess-sometimes (most times) more like the princess in the story of the Princess and the Pea. Jasmine is cuddly, a hardworker, and has a great smile. She is a blessing to our family!
Brian-Brian keeps me on my toes at all times. I'm learning quickly that reverse psychology will be my friend when dealing with Brian. He will spend 20 hours on one little thing just to prove me wrong. It is that kind of determination & perserverance that will serve him well later in life. Right now, it is just annoying (if I'm honest & I usually am). Brian has a sweet, sweet, sensitive heart. He is the best sharer of the whole entire bunch & thinks of others a lot. He loves to be cuddled & is just happy being able to sit by Dan or I. Brian is also very stubborn & strong-willed but as long as we channel that into good uses it's not too bad! He's a good kid that is going to surprise us with what he accomplishes!
Isaac-Isaac will always, always be my baby. I have told him that & it drives him crazy. No 3-almost 4 year old wants to be a baby. Isaac is the most requested playmate in our house. That is because he is typically laid back & a lot of fun. He loves to laugh & is the funniest kid in the house. He can make us all laugh easily & the dinner table continues to be his stand-up comedy routine. Isaac will grow up to be a great leader-he can sell ice to an eskimo. He just needs to flash his great smile & most people melt. Isaac's very favorite thing in the world is soda-the other day we were outside playing. I continue to have a very bad habit of drinking way too much soda. My soda can was empty & Isaac asked for a drink. I told him it was gone. He picked it up & tried to take a drink anyway. When he realized he couldn't get any, he looked at me & said "Hey....I have an idea. maybe I could just run in the house & get a soda for you & me to share, I mean...you'd like some more & I'd like some." Totally-dead pan serious. Those were his exact words. I almost wanted to give into him just because his effort was so great. Manipulation is in the eye of the beholder! Isaac can also be my most difficult child-when he puts his mind to something or when he gets mad-look out! The tazmanian devil doesn't stand a chance against Isaac. Isaac is great gift from God & we are so thankful for him.
Shamie-last but definitely not least Shamie. Shamie is a crack-up. She is always, always making a funny face or doing something goofy. Dan & I have the hardest time disciplining her because she is so silly, always. We often have to compose ourselves before we talk to her. Shamie is an amazing independent almost 3 year old. She can do so many things that most kids her age can't do. She is sweet, funny, & loves to be held. She has definitely stolen our hearts. Shamie is also very, very stubborn & often does things to intentionally irritate her siblings. She's a picker. But she's just so darn cute that she often gets away with it.
We will finalize our adoptions in the next few months & then we'll be an official family of 7. I'm going to use my posts to keep people updated on that process too. Please keep us all in your prayers as we have daily growing pains.

"I Forgotted"

"I Forgotted". This is the new favorite mantra of some of our children. It works well (in their minds) anytime, anyplace, anywhere to describe why they were doing the exact opposite of what we asked them to do. Maybe I ask too many questions. It seems like a logical way to get the kids to understand that they were, in fact, disobeying what we asked them to do/not do. So...a typical conversation sound like this. (ME) Hey ..., you are playing behind the car-where did daddy ask you to be? (Guilty party) Uhhh..., Umm...., Uhhh....the grass. (ME) Yes...the grass, but you weren't on the grass. Why? (Guilty party) Uhhh..., Ummm....., Uhhhh...I forgotted. Yes-that pretty much sums up every single conversation we have in a day. You have to understand that we just sent them outside about 2 minutes prior & before they walked out the door stated the expectations & had them repeated back to us. So-it gets a LITTLE bit frustrating. I'm thinking that someday in the morning when they are sitting at the breakfast table yelling for some breakfast I might just play the "I Forgotted" card. Well...a mom can dream, can't she?

Idle Threats

In motherhood, I have learned very quickly that idle threats do NOT work. That is true even more now than ever. We are getting family pictures taken tomorrow & I had to run out to get a couple more things because heaven forbid we don't match exactly in our first real family picture. This is where my OCD kicks in. We did last minute haircuts for Noah & Jasmine & things were NOT good with two of the little ones then. A prudent mother would have gone straight home-not me. I'm stubborn, controlling, & don't care if everyone in the tri-state area is staring at us. We made it into Target without incident. Once inside, we had gotten everything we needed-Isaac asked if we could look at the toys. He knew we weren't going to get anything but could we just please, please, please look? Once again, a prudent mother would have gotten out while everyone was still in one piece. I cannot say no to Isaac-there is just something in his chemical makeup that turns me into mush & HE KNOWS IT. I threatened each child with a punishment near death if they touched anything, asked for anything, or threw a fit about not getting something. They all smiled, nodded, & with their best faces on said they would never, ever even think about doing those things. Well, you all know where this is going. Brian's threat was to have to hold my hand if he touched things. I gave him a three strike rule tonight-I was feeling a little graceful. Of course ,he actually touched about 243 things before I actually carried through on my threat. So...picture this. One small child inside the cart screaming; me holding one child's hand while he clawed at me, screamed at the top of his lungs, and drug his feet; one other poor child crying because it was "too loud" & two other kids oblivious to everything around them just hoping that maybe, just maybe mom (in a moment of crisis) will give in and get us something. Wow-my head still hurts from all the screaming! The obvious answer to this dilemma is don't do this to myself & the children. Well-we'll at least match for our picture tomorrow!

Beatitudes

The kids are learning about the Beatitudes at church/Sunday School. I help with Jasmine's Kindergarten class so I get to sit in & listen to what the kids are learning. Every time I hear about, read about, think about the Beatitudes I am always, always convicted in my spirit. I realize that I often do exactly the opposite of what Jesus teaches. I'm good at telling my kids what to do & how to do it. Most of my "junk" is inside & really can't be seen by the naked eye. At times I serve or do something for someone but inside I'm seething or irritated or frustrated or expecting a return favor later. Keeping score in my head is something I'm a master at. Poor Dan-he knows this about me but it still shocking to him when he does something small & I freak out because he has done that exact thing everyday for a week! Talk about a lady that needs some medication! All this to say that in this time I need the Beatitudes. I need Jesus more than ever. I am tired both physically & emotionally. I am frustrated & there are days that I wake up and don't want to do this anymore. I know, pity party, boo hoo-sorry but today is one of those days that I'm feeling overwhelmed by all that I do, all that I SHOULD do, all that I don't do, and all of those things that I don't even think about but somebody needs to do! So...for anyone needing a slap in the face to get over yourself (like I need A LOT)-I suggest reading your Bible. Right now I'm going to study the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:2-12)& hopefully with God's help get myself recentered on what is really important.

Here goes...

So-I start a blog & then realize "I don't have a ton of time to keep up a blog". I will update this as much as possible. Days around here can be crazy, like any family. I think I will just jump right into it. My current most frustrating issue is PUBLIC TOILETS!! Funny thing to be frustrated about, I know. My issue isn't with the toilets themselves it is with my children's facination, borderline obsession, with them. We cannot go ANYWHERE without visiting the potty at least once. Because of my controlling nature (yes, I know that I am controlling & I'm working on it!!), I have every kid try to go potty before we leave the house. I trust Noah so if he says he doesn't have to go-that's fine but everyone else I make try before we leave. However, it never, ever fails that someone has to go once we enter the establishment whether it be Target, Chipotle, wherever! We'll be sitting there eating & one kiddo will say I've got to go & then everyone else (sans Noah) starts screaming about how they have to go. You know kids & how when they really have to go to the bathroom they start grabbing themselves or doing the potty dance. None of that happens, it's just zero to everyone dying of a full bladder all of a sudden. You might be reading this thinking "seriously, who cares, my kids do that." If that is the case let me know & then maybe, just maybe I won't be so frustrated about it. There are two things that help me justify my frustration-1. at home nobody and I mean nobody will use the potty without a fight. We were told by many a therapist that kids can really only control 2 things in their world-what goes in their mouth & what comes out of their body. Wow, is that ever true. At home you would think I am asking them to pour hot oil on their body the way they kick, scream, & cry about using the potty. 2nd frustrating thing-public toilets are not only enticing to us, they are a laxative. We all feel the need to poop in public. Oh well, at least they are regular!!! Somedays I feel that toliets are taking over my world. So crazy! This is the stuff that will make me laugh when my kids are grown, right!?!

In the Beginning

In the beginning, Dan & Kelly met each other as geeky 7th graders. We fell in love & after many, many breakups we decided no one else would have us, so let's get married! After getting married, I was ready to have kids instantly! Dan's plan was to have kids 5 years into the marriage. Well...1 year and 3 months after we were married, Noah(now 7) arrived! We always had talked about having a big family. However, a miscarriage and a stillborn child later, we were fearful that maybe God didn't want us to have a big family. We were pleasantly surprised when I unexpectantly got pregnant with Isaac (now 3-almost 4). The pregnancy with Isaac was (while very, very wanted) stressful, exhausting, terrifying, and required a TON of medical intervention. I had my tubes tied after Isaac was born-we decided that the risk of losing another child was too great & too much for me to handle. We decided to enjoy having two boys & see what God had in store for us later. Once Isaac turned 3, my pregnancy itch kicked back in. I WANTED a baby more than almost anything in the world. We investigated international adoption, infant adoption, etc. but decided we could not afford $30,000-$40,000. For heaven's sake, my husband is a pastor-that is what he makes a year & will ALWAYS make a year! So...after much fear we decided to look into foster care adoption. We joined forces with Project 1.27. Project 1.27 is an awesome organization whose goal is to decrease the amount of kids in Colorado waiting for their forever family. We have filled out more paperwork than you can imagine, been fingerprinted numerous times (amazing, but true), been background checked, poked, prodded, and have jumped through hoops but we are now the proud prospective adoptive parents of Jasmine, Brian, and Shamie. The purpose of this blog is for me to journal my days and their craziness. The kids are 7, 6, 4, 3, and 2 years old. I spend my days wiping snot, wiping bottoms, putting out mini-fires, doing laundry, reading books, feeding an army, and the list goes on and on. I am, by nature, an extremely sarcastic person. This blog will probably always have a sarcastic tone to it. I think this blog will be more for me than anyone else. My days, like I said above, are busy & very frustrating sometimes. Meshing together two families into one is hard enough but throw in a mess of issues due to abandonment and you've got yourself quite a party! I think once I get a lot of the stuff down that frustrates ME I will realize it is actually pretty funny. I mean, really, what isn't funny about a boy whose talent is peeing with no hands and another who needs to strip down to nothing to go the bathroom and then misses the toilet completely-every time! It doesn't seem funny when I'm cleaning up the messes but I wouldn't change my life for anything in the world.