Finally Painting the Hotel For Dogs!

They were so excited to start painting! We really needed our rollers but they are all at the other house. Oh well, they'll have fun getting all "Painty". :)

I really like this Picture of Alli and Sarah. They have been two peas in a pod all day long, playing happily, studying together, roller skating through the house, dancing... and now Painting!

Anna has had a wonderful time walking dogs. We had a big laugh when I was looking for paint brushes and screamed when the cat food bag moved.  Anna said, "Is it a mouse?"  I said NO! It is a Big RAT!  It was actually  Cloud Paw eating his way to heaven! :)  Silly Cat.

So, where is Erika? She is enjoying listening to music in the room and getting her shower ALONE! :)

She is so grown up!  She is transforming to a teen right before our eyes! 

It was a GREAT day!

How Do You Know You're In A BCLC Home?

Even the Blue and the Gray can hold hands and smile. :)

Dog Fun

The girls are getting used to the dogs.  Everybody LOVES to walk Stetson because he is so easy. :)

Guess is a little more active.... He is a VERY good dog and is so smart. He LOVES to sit for his treats.
He is learning to walk on a leash instead of drag his owner. :)

The "Self Control" Tool

Alli and Guess early in the A.M.

We have had such a great almost month!  One of the first things we did at the hotel pool was to have a talk about our "tool box".... The tool box is used to store tools to help us with our emotions.

One of the tools we put in our tool box at the hotel was "Self Control".  I explained to Alli that how we feel at any given moment isn't right or wrong, it is what we DO with how we feel.  There is nothing wrong with feeling frustrated.... all of us feel frustrated sometimes, it is what we DO when we are frustrated.
Teaching our children to give their frustration to the Lord is so important.  He is the bearer of our burdens and does such a great job bearing our burdens when we let Him! But when we try to take things into our own hands, and bear them ourselves, that is when we get muddled in our thinking and things don't go so well....
Alli and I discussed this a few times before we came home, and I prepared her that she would need to be ready to use her tool box.
Well, the night before last, we started to build a dog house for the dogs.  Daddy is actually building more like a caddilac dog hotel! It is REALLY cool. I'll take a picture when it is finished. :)
Alli had it in her mind that we were going to paint it right away.  We explained that we cannot paint it until it is finished.
She began to hyper focus on the painting and wasn't enjoying the building and then.... she got frustrated... "What are we going to do if we don't paint it! Where are the dogs going to sleep if it isn't finished! and so on".....
We realized that she was starting to get upset, it was suggested that she use her tools.... "Open your tool box quick! Which tool should you use?"   :)
She quickly said, "My self control tool?"  YES! That is right!
So we took some deep breaths and   stayed in rhyhm with each other.... after about 10 breaths, she was calm, and then we talked about what was going to happen with the dog house and the painting. She was able to express her disappointment about not painting right then, but understood why and accepted it and even helped....
These are HUGE strides for a little one with such a trauma background. :)  We are celebrating each success!

Limb Loss Awareness Month

Many belonging to Amputee Coalition of America asked our governors to Make April Limb Loss Awareness Month... and Rick Perry, of Texas came through! Yea Governor Perry!  I received this very special document in the mail yesterday, hand signed by the Governor. :) Whoo Hoo!

I thought that was pretty cool!

Exercise Before Bedtime

Pics of Joe Becca Sam and Truman

 Joe, Becca and Truman at Pei Wei

Sam learning how to use Chop Sticks

Having a good discussion with Joe. :)

Truman and Ya Ya

When we went to get Alli, I had the honor of meeting my grandson Truman for the first time!  He was AWESOME, as was Sam. :)

So here are me and Truman.....Love that little guy! Thanks Joe and Becca for coming to visit! :)

Clomping Around

Two little girls have been clomping around the house all morning...... They are apparently "decision challenged", so they picked one of each shoe. LOL

Ahhh The Start of a Great Day!

We started school on time with happy attitudes! YEA!

It is amazing what a good night's sleep will do. :)  I am not quite done with the new school room, but 3 of them are in there working away.

Anna is working on math.

 Sarah is working on an Art History project.

Alli is working on Math

Erika is working on math.....

I tweaked a little of Erika's math so that she doesn't feel so overwhelmed.....and she is a happy camper. :)

Everybody is anticipating going to pick up Stetson and Guess..... this afternoon.
Alli said this a.m..... "I loved helping daddy with the dog house, I can't wait to paint it!"  Alli is very "hands on" and likes lots of tangible activity.  Painting the dog house will be a delight for her.

She and Anna and Sarah  designed what they wanted the dog house to look like on paper, and Daddy added a few neat touches, including a place to store food! :)

A GOOD LONG DAY!!!

Well, today was a Loooonnnggg Monday! :)
We started out with the weepies, and we ended with the last one standing..... down with the weepies. LOL
Everybody really did have a good day.... They did school work, worked on the new dog house with Daddy, played with the goats, rode bikes, did some chores, but there was this..... sorta.....feel that something wasn't right.
I started to feel a little sick tonight. Actually a LOT sick tonight. My skin feels all crawly.... and I have a slight fever. Mike had it last week. Thanks dear.  I'm not sure now if my own perception is off.....

Now, tonight, our sweetie who wishes to not be named..... just looked sad.  I was really worried as she is always so joyful.... as I inquired she said, "I don't want to say what is wrong."  That REALLY made me worry.... so we played this sorta guessing game.....
I was guessing all about her security, and she rolled her eyes, "No mom".....
And then, I asked, "Is it school?"   BWAAAAAHHHHAAAAAHAAAAA!
SCHOOL???? LOL
I thought it was something MUCH worse like insecurity or jealousy.... no, it was School.....
I asked, "what could be so wrong with school?"  "Math, I'm behind."  "Ummm actually you are AHEAD! You finished your math book early and started on a new one last week, what are you talking about you are behind!" 
She was being way too hard on herself.  Golly, our entire lives have changed, been turned upside down.... 1/2 a lesson behind what was planned is really no biggie!  But I'm glad she told me. :)

We finally got to the grocery store and got everything put away, girlies are in bed an hour late, but that is better than 2 hours late, and hopefully tomorrow we can concentrate on school...AND, tomorrow evening we pick up Stetson and Guess. :)
Ahhh, nothing like being dragged through life..... :)

Sense and Sensibility

It has been one of those mornings....Think... "Sense and Sensibility" where there are tears for relatively no reason at all...... The English ladies  succumb like dominoes in this one particular scene that I have always found rather humorous.  That about describes my morning.
But I am Emma Thompson, sitting on the couch, sipping my tea... in actuality, coffee.  :)

Oh the dreadfulness of learning new math, of correcting a paper, of having to go to the doctor..... of sharing daddy, of not being allowed to drink a coke at lunch.....as if that were a new, unknown thing....LOL

Yep, life is sinking in, and we are working at finding our new norm.... We'll get there, slow and steady and HOPEFULLY this is the last week of doctor appts. for a WHILE!  (Thursday somebody has another one)

Love those little girls. :)

Dr. Today

Today Anna is headed to the Doctor..... While I was gone, she doesn't know what she did, but her hand hurt a little. At first, because she described a burning sensation we thought she got into stinging nettles. Our friend's daughter got into stinging nettles at the same time so it was "assumed".....There was no visible trauma to her hand and she didn't fall etc.

But over the last week, she says it feels fine and then it hurts a little. I have been giving her Traumeel, and she seems to go all day with no pain, and then at night, it starts to "sting a little".....

So, since it has been almost 2 weeks with slight improvement, great improvement and then back to square one, we are headed to the doctor..... The strange thing is, there is nothing visible like swelling.
She doesn't want to go to the doctor, but this has gone on long enough for mom to be worrying.

HMMMM..... I can't figure this one out.

Kate and Lillian

Oh How I miss my grand daughters! It has been so long since they left.... but we are able to talk on the phone and email all the time.

Lilly Bean is almost finished with first grade and Kate is almost finished with 9th grade!!!!! WOW!
Did I say that I miss them?  I DO!  And I know that they miss us too.  LillyBean calls and asks to talk to each person in the family.... Today she called and said, "I would like to my new Aunt Alli!" 
That little girl is just sooooo sweeet!  I am REALLY hoping they can all make it for Thanksgiving!
IF they can, and Joe and Becca make it too, we just MIGHT all be together once again, and for the first time! :)
I LOVE my family, each and every one of them.... but as they get older, it is hard to get together.

So glad that there is Email, Facebook and Blogging..... They keep us all connected.

Stetson and Guess

We went to visit the dogs this afternoon. The animal shelter has a play yard for the dogs to play in. We had not witnessed them together.  At first they barked at each other, and then after a few minutes, they calmed down and played hard for the rest of the time we were there. 

I think both of them are going to be ball chasers.  Stetson is a tease. He has such interesting expressions... You could almost see what he was thinking. He is very playful.
Guess is a  little more hyper and went full force but tired out as Stetson wore him down. LOL

Stetson is gentle and Guess is rougher, but they are both really good dogs. Mike was pleased with our choices. :)
Here are some pictures and some video. :)

Running in a circle FAST!

 

Daddy, Anna and Erika building a dog hotel.

The New Arrangement

4 girlies in one household can make one think "outside the box"!  We decided it was best to keep them all together, so we had some re-arranging to do! That is an UNDERSTATEMENT!!!!

We basically moved, without moving....LOL  Mike and I moved out of our room into the room across the hall. The girlies moved from their room into the master bedroom, and the bedroom that once belonged to the girlies is now a school/exercise room!  WOW! It was a busy 3 days!

But..... I am pleased to report that we are all pretty used to the new arrangement.... The girlies even took over our bathroom in the master bedroom and Mike and I have their other bathroom.......

Here are a few pictures of our new rooms. :)

 We need to paint this room..... hopefully this summer!

 Can you guess where Anna sleeps? LOL
Alli and Sarah have the bottom double bunk.... (they blew up balloons and wrote sweet notes to us on them.... "I love my family" and "I love you mommy and daddy".

 The view from the bathroom.

 I miss my closet!

 Princess Erika gets the Day Bed

 This is our new room....

Mr. Blue Bear is now about 27 years old! He was Marcus's bear when he was a baby. :)

Adoption

JUST SAY YES!
My  cyber friend from Smiles and Trials posted this today. It is worth seeing and passing around!
Thanks Christine. :)

The Sunny Knock Out Rose

Our special friend Kathi brought this over when she came for a visit. :)  It is called "The Sunny Knock Out Rose" bush. :)
She gave it to Alli as a gift, with a beautiful note about the deep roots of love, and a blossoming life about to unfold.  :)

What a sweet gesture! I can't wait for the day Alli sees her rose bush bloom! I can't wait for her to bloom right beside it. :)

Kirill's Story

Kirill's Story is heartbreaking.... But we have a very big God.  Please pray for this precious family to bring home their little one from Russia.

Peace To You

My friend Hevel posted this on his blog....I love Rich Mullin's music. :)