Chuck the Famous Babysitter

Chuck and Jodie came over on Saturday and Babysat for us while we went to a wedding.
They had 6 kids for about 5 hours. :) We all had a great time knowing they were in good hands.

THANKS Chuck and Jodie....

Here is a picture I got of the grand girls, our girls, Rebecca and Chuck....
hopefully this experience has given him more writing material for his music. :)

"Won't you PLEASE PLEASE help me, help ME HELP ME!!!!....." :P

Sam and Will about a year later :)

Sam and Will had a great first visit yesterday. I got to be at Marc and Ivy's for phone time and bath time. :)

They are so fun. Their Daddy's are Joe and Marc and it is funny to me how Joe's son Sam is much like him, and Marc's son Will, is much like him too. So, it was like remembering many years back, the antics and playing of two little guys very close in age. :) Sam and Will are 1 month apart.

Wacky Gramma's and Sweet Baby Toes

Aren't these the cutest toes! :)



And here is Sam looking at crazy gramma under the table. What is with her anyway????

Reminders

This picture reminds me of how far we have come as a family. Just a natural shot that I caught..When I said, "where's Sarah, she popped out from behind with that huge smile.

The Real Life Baby Doll

Sarah loves to play babies. This time, she has a real one in her stroller! Sam is our 16 month only grandson. He is such a little ham. :)

Schedules, Schedules and More Schedules

Our little girls thrive best when they are on a schedule. Not a feeding schedule like for a baby, but a planned out day that incudes work, play and food.

To leave them to their own devices with too much time on their hands, can wreak all kinds of Havoc on the Minich home, so we have decided to do a summer schedule.

They were all excited about that this a.m. when I announced to them that we would be making a summer schedule. They were especially excited when it included painting and a trip to the Lake.

Now, if we can all be disciplined enough to stay on task and keep it! :)

Opening Night

Last night, we were treated to "Opening Night" of the new movie, Kit Kittridge,An American Girl".
The movie was pretty good! A good clean movie with loads of life lessons from yesteryear. It let the children see how the "Great Depression" effected people all over the Country, and how people are more important than things. And the biggest lesson? NEVER GIVE UP!


Wanna see how excited the girlies when they found out where we were going?
How's this for excitement?



We arrived just a bit early, so we had time to look at some video games.
The girlies liked the car racing kind. Should I be worried about "driving?"


It was time to get Popcorn, Candy and Drinks. YUM......



A few minutes later we were sitting outside the theatre until they finished cleaning....So here are a few pictures with Daddy and all his Little Women.





Here they are in the Theatre....

When Tragedy Strikes

Today, I was getting ready for our kids to come home, and stopped by a friend's house to get some extra eggs. She told me that a mutual friend of ours, who had moved about 2 hours away a few years ago, had a tragedy happen in her family.

The boy involved, isn't a boy anymore, but the last time I talked to his mom, he was 17. This year, he turned 26.

Unfortunately, he will not turn 27 or 28...., because last week, he was murdered.
He was murdered not far from where we live, leaving a Christian Recording Studio with the owner, who was his friend.
Why? For a cheap car.
He probably would have given the car to the thieves, but they didn't ask. They not only took his life, but the life of his friend, leaving behind a wife and baby.

The sad part is, when I heard about this last week on the news, I didn't even pay attention to the names. I didn't pay attention because in my mind I had a preconceived notion that people out late at night, being shot in the head in an alley are usually up to no good. The preconceived idea that it was probably a drug deal gone bad. The preconceived idea that, "It happens all the time." And then I didn't think that much about it.

How terrible of me to assume. How sad that we have been desensitized to crime to the point that it is a passing moment of shock to hear in the headlines and then we go on, as if nothing happened.

2 people's lives swept away, and we treat it like a giant ant colony that takes out their dead, and goes back into the mound and continues as if nothing happened.

I'm ashamed of that.

Every life is precious. Every person is born with a precious gift, and we each have a story. We each have written upon us years of expereinces and relationships.
One of the memories I have of Stevie, was when our children did 4H club together and they had to come up with a safety project. He demonstrated what to do if you get burned.
He and a friend had a fake stove and then he pretended to get burned, "ow, it is hot".
(in this very monotone voice) we all started laughing because it was so funny).

I'm sad that 2 people snuffed the lives away from precious family members. That Stevies mother is suffering the grief of losing her son. His father has lost his first born child. His brother and sister have lost a precious sibling.

I didn't know Stevie as an adult, and I'm sure he probably wouldn't appreciate me calling him Stevie still, but that is how I remember him; but I do know that in Christ, there is always a plan, even when things don't make any sense. This doesn't make any sense to me.

It also saddens me that 3 people 18 and 19 are sitting in a jail cell charged with Capital Murder, and may face the death penalty. It saddens me that they have thrown their gift of life away.
They have a tapestry woven of their life also. Who is woven into their lives? Do they have mother's and father's who are weeping for them? Do they care what they did?
What causes somebody to become so callous that they would murder for no reason.

If you think about the Swan family this week, please hold them up in your prayers.

Update on Mamajeanne and the Reeds

Mamajeanne and her new kiddos are back home and getting to know each other.
Christine and her husband John are still in Ukraine. They had Court Today and they have a new son... Dennis Jack Reed. Isn't that a GREAT NAME?
They were hoping to have the 10 days waived, but no... it wasn't allowed. So, now, they may need to leave Dennis in Ukraine, come home to the other kids and then go back in 2 weeks to pick him up. They don't quite know yet. So pray for them for wisdom as they are torn in deciding what to do.

Dennis is a little sweet heart. You can follow their story in "Christine's other Blog" in my adoption blog sidebar.

The Yankees are a Comin'!

And we are so glad they are! Joe, Becca and Sam are arriving around noon from Maryland. We are so excited to see them! This is an extra special trip because a childhood friend of Joe's is getting married.

Our dear friend's only son is getting married, and just a few months ago his life was hanging on a thread between life and death thanks to a car and a tree!

So tomorrow, their family and our family will all converge back together and see each other as "whole" families, which hasn't happened in years. I cherish those times because change is inevitable and when we are able to be together, it is so fun.

So today, is cleaning day, getting ready for Joe and Becca and Sam.

Happy 4th of July to all.

Laundry Woes

Today was one of those laundry night mare days I don't like to remember.
I woke up at 6 to get things in the dryer from the night before, then had to get another load going to catch up and then get another one... etc.

One of the things that I thought would never be repeated in history, not in this family anyway, was washing clothes, folding them, turning them over to the kids, only to find them in the laundry again. Unworn!

It is a case of the "too lazy to put it away syndrome".

So today, I folded my least favorite wash. The WHITE clothes, which includes nightgowns, only to find Erika taking the nightgown I just folded 1/2 hour before and placing it in the dirty clothes.

I told her, "that is not dirty, I just washed it." Her answer?

A. I'm sorry
B. Yes mam, I'll put it away.
C. Oh, my mistake, so sorry, I'll put it away right now....

or
D. You didn't wash it, I wore it last night!

Unfortunately, the answer was D.

So then I continued, "Yes, I did wash it, this morning!" Please put it away.
So did she stop and put it away?
Nooooo

"No, mom, you didn't wash it!", and so on!

So, I made it very clear that I was unhappy with her D answer and the one that followed, to which she burst into tears.

So I said, "do you not beleive that mother washed your nightgown?"
Her answer, "I don't know....

Meaning, :She didn't want to be wrong....

I felt like I was dealing with the FONZ from Happy Days.

I asked her, "Why are you crying?"
Because you hurt my feelings..... hmmm.....

Do you want to know why your feelings are hurt?

NO, if you tell me it will just hurt my feelings more. LOL

Oh, so you don't want me to tell you you were wrong?

I DIDN"T SAY THAT! WHAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!

females..... hmmmm..... never thought it COULD be that, but it just might.
I think I'm going to need a pent house apartment with a white linen couch
to recline on during these "special times", that are coming up.

argh......... and the times are a commin' I can feel it. :)

3 puberty stricken girls and a menopausal mother.
Poor Mike.

Today is Marcus's Birthday!

Happy Birthday our dear Marcus.

25 years..... wow. 25 years ago, I was 24. Marcus was baby boy number 4 and when he was born with ease. That is, minus the part that he wasn't ready to be born.
He had been trying for a couple of months, which caused me to be hospitalized, and it was a huge group effort to keep him in the oven long enough to be able to live.

Finally, his day came and I was allowed to look at him and then they whisked him off to neo natal intensive care. This was our 3rd preemie baby but each one is as different as they are in personality. Marcus almost died. Had it not been for some VERY skilled nurses and doctors, he would not be here today.

The respirator was not getting enough oxygen to him and he was not even attempting to breathe on his own. This greatly concerned the doctors. So they removed the ventilator and hand bagged him for 24 hours straight. That meant a nurse sat with a breathing pump and pressed it over and over in shifts. He finally started to help, and then they were able to hook him back up to a ventilator.

Then, something else happened. I'm not sure, but I think he realized he wanted to live.
He reached up and pulled the ventilator out! ALL the way out! His alarms went off and scared everybody and they had to put it back in. 24 hours later, he reached up and pulled it out again! They reinserted it again, taped it to his face pretty good, and then guess what?
He did it again.... The 3rd time,the doctor said, I don't think he likes that.
Let's try just oxygen, as he was helping himself pretty good by then. He did great.
I was able to nurse him and hold him, and about 2 weeks later, he was home.

Marcus has been a delight in our lives since the day he was born. We are so proud of him. Everything he does, he does with his whole heart.

Favorite memory:
Playing gas station at 4 years old and filling up the neighbors gas tank with a water hose.
(along with neighbor's son)

Winning the Lego contest at Walmart and buying baseball equipment for the Ritchies and the Minichs to have regular baseball games.

Dancing with Joe, (can't remember who's boutineer pin pierced the skin)

Piano practice

Love of dogs, especially Butch...

Boy Scouts

Awana

College

Marriage to Ivy

Will....... :)


Happy Birthday dear son. :)

5 More kids coming home

You know, sometimes you meet somebody online, and your lives just "click".
To some of you that might sound very strange, but for others, you get it.
You don't have to see somebody face to face to get to know them or understand them.
Letters can be powerful forces.

That is how I feel about Mama Jeane. We are kindred spirits of a sort. :)
She and her precious husband have 5 more children added to their home as of yesterday.
They are still in Ukraine finishing up the grueling paperwork, so if you think about it, pray for them.

There is the "romantic" side to adpoption, then there is the reality of mounds of paperwork. Paperwork is my own personal enemy. You could tell that if you could see
my desk! One of the other benefits of long distance relationships is YOU CAN'T see my desk. :)

Praise be to the Lord for His infinite goodness in bringing this family together.
May He grant ease of transition into life here in America for the new kids who range in age of 11-16.

God Bless Mamajeanne!

The Reeds are In Ukraine

Some of our computer friends are in Ukraine right now adopting their 11th child,
Dennis. If you want to follow their journey, just click on the link. :)

http://theukrainetrain.blogspot.com/


I also have this under adoption related blogs: Christine's OTHER blog

Family Funnies

Last night, during Family Worship, daddy got out Fox's Book of Martyrs.
The title is, "Foxe's Christian Heroes and Martyr's of the World.
He showed the book to the girlies and asked "What do you think this book is about?"

Sarah very proudly said, "It is about Foxes, Christians, Heroes and Martyrs.


This a.m., Anna was Cleaning Ruby Carole's Fish tank. I overheard her very calmly telling Ruby the fish, "if you don't swim into my hand right now, I'm going to have to ground you and take away some of your pretty rocks!" LOL


Erika just woke up. She is being nicknamed "Sleeping Beauty". Yesterday she slept till 11:00! So today, when she finally awoke at 9:30 she said, "I'm trying to get up early."

Anna, Packing Bags, Memories, Triumph

Anna has been with us for nearly 1/2 of her life. 4 and a half years. She is 9 and a half now. When her birthday comes in November, it will be exactly 1/2 of her life.

It doesn't seem possible,as life has been a flurry of events in the last 4 plus years. :)

Anna reminds me sometimes of a kitten that has been tossed into the water. When you pick them up they are frightened and the claws are extended, like "what just happened to me?"

This is how she is inside when we start to pack our bags for vacation, or for a short trip. As I was packing for us to go to Oklahoma, I could feel that she was uneasy.

If I recognize her uneasiness and stop and rock her, and talk to her, typically, she gets back in normal rhythm. If I don't, her claws might come out and she gets grumpy or whiny or sassy or all of the above.

She still gets afraid. Memories come back and when bags are packed that reminds her of moving from foster home to foster home and she is right back there.

It doesn't help when we are packing to go to Oklahoma, where she spent most of her foster care experience.


We kind of joked in the morning when she was curled up on the couch with "Kitty", her sleeping buddy watching the action of the day take place, that she was curling up and hiding so we couldn't see her. "Common' we gotta get moving so we can leave on time!" She didn't want any part of it. But after recognizing the "look", I had to stop, rock and talk. After our talk, and our rock, she was more relaxed and even participated in the packing.

Once we got on the road and to our destination, she did great. When we got home, she was exhuberant... "We're home! We're Home!" She talked about getting home, and then we were there. She ran next door to get her fish and turtle and check on her animals and was one busy bee; and then she slept. She slept calmly and contentedly in her forever bed, in her forever room, in her forever home, and in the morning, she was relaxed.

The Voice of the Martyr's Conference

We attended "The Voice of the Martyr's Conference" for the first time last weekend.
I have always wanted to attend this conference and this was the year to do it.

I was taken away by the Spirit of love that permeated the entire conference. Everybody there was so sweet and polite and seemed to just ooze the Love of Christ. We attended with a few other families from our church and got to know some of them a little better too. :)

If you aren't familiar with "The Voice of the Martyr's", it was founded by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand. They were Romanian Christians. They survived world war 2, and then the communists took over Romania. Pastor Wurmbrand was a popular speaker and writer at that time. All the pastors were asked to attend a mandatory meeting and then told they would need to embrace communism and cease the teachings of Christ. Pastor Wurmbrand was one who stood up and said no, knowing that he would be arrested. Several days later, he was. He and Sabina were imprisoned for years, leaving their son to fend for himself on the streets. That is another story in itself.

Richard Wurmbrand wrote his first book "Tortured for Christ" many years ago. I was introduced to the book and heard of Richard Wurmbrand from my science teacher. I read it when I was in 7th grade and it changed my life. It opened my eyes to what life was like for the devoted Christian in an unchristian, unprotected,world.
It made me be bold for my faith and gave me courage, especially the next year when I attended a different school.

This year, the countries represented were, Iraq, Iran, Israel(bethlehem), Bangladesh, Columbia, China, North Korea, Romania, and the Philippines.

Gracia Burnham spoke and that was amazing.

One of the more touching moments for me personally, was having a Palestinian Christian Pastor from Bethlehem, lead in the communion service, and all of the speakers, served communion. That was so touching, and really put meaning to the Body of Christ for me personally.

Each of them spoke of how important it is for us to pray for them and that in their worst moments, they could feel our prayers.

That is also something that Richard Wurmbrand wrote about in his book. He thought western christians were praying for him in prison, and was so sad when he found out, nobody in the west even knew who he was or that he was in prison.

That is why he founded Voice of the Martrys. So people would be made aware of brothers and sisters in Chains around the world.

This is a very worth while organization and if you haven't heard of them, I recommend you check them out. They have a news letter than they send out free once a month, and many materials. They have a children's newsletter also called, "Kids of Courage" which our girls receive.

The children's conference was wonderful too, and our girls came back rejoicing over what they had heard. Tonight during our worship time they prayed for those who suffer for Jesus Christ.

During the question and answer session, a question was posed and Mihai Wurmbrand answered it...

The question was: "What about the children of Christians... if we were to be persecuted,here, would our children turn away from their faith?

Mihai answered that so very well. He said usually persecution causes children of believers to cling to their faith.

One woman put it so well. I cannot turn away from what is true.

I do not have any pictures of the conference because, it was important not to take pictures. Many people who came are in danger in their own countries and having their faces exposed even on a limited blog like this could put them in danger.

Please remember our brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer for their faith, all over the world, and if you can, check out the Voice of the Martyr's web site.
They do much for helping families of imprisoned believers.
www.vom.org

So What IS Home Really?

A friend wrote in an email that he was asked, "Do you feel like you are back at home?"
His family lives all over the world, literally. He and his wife are missionaries.
They live in one of the most dangerous parts of the world that there is today.
They have lived elsewhere, and their children, all grown now, have lived in the U.S., in the middle east, in missionary schools, and now reside with their individual families.

I was thinking about "What is Home really?"

Home is where you hang your hat, and even your hat is a rental......

It is important to remember that WHERE we live, geographically, is not important. It is HOW we live that is important. You can be at "home" anywhere. But, to really be "home", is to be in the presence of the Lord. I'm not talking just "future" either.
We can be in the presence of the Lord, right now, here, there, anywhere, as long as we are in His presence.

While we are glad our friends are visiting, we know they know where their real home is.

The Label Thingy

I just figured out the labeling thing. I had to go to the blog and look something up and it was a terrible thing to try to find! Then, I saw, "labels"!
I'm in the middle of labeling the posts. This may take some time! :)

The Red Eared Slider Turtle

Introducing our newest Family member:

Tom the Turtle. Our resident zoo keeper loves him dearly. She found him in the yard on Sunday afternoon. Since then she has been "googling" how to take care of a red eared slider turtle. I have no idea how he got near our water faucet outside, but I'm glad he is here. Isn't he cute? It looks like he is smiling for the camera. Or maybe he is smiling because he is being LOVED by a little girl who wants to be a zoo keeper someday. Or maybe he is smiling because he thinks she will actually GET him the designer home for 1,000.00 she googled on the internet; Not on his little red eared slider turtle life!