MAYLIN2007

Before Alex got sick, we spent a lot of time at a lake we found 8 minutes from our home. It is man-made, but it is delightful. There are places for fishing, boating and a great area for swimming. There is also a great play area.There is wonderful sand and docks. We have been there a lot. The kids love it. I took Alex and Maylin there just yesterday. Alex is feeling much better, thank heavens! The kids love swimming, splashing and making sand figures. Maylin finally found enough courage to jump off the dock into the water....4 inch deep water. But still, she was quite proud of herself.   Austin and his friend spent hours making sand people. A girl and a boy. They laughed so hard because they made the girl with longer legs and broader shoulders than the boy. They tried to fix it, but couldn't. They really liked the way her hair looked like it was blowing in the wind. Maylin wanted to help in some way, so the boys let her poke holes in their faces for the eyes. She loved it and wante...

I work with the 14-15 year old girls in my church. We have weekly activities where we learn things about faith, knowledge, good works, integrity, virtue, choice and accountability,individual worth and divine nature. We have a book club every other month to help the girls read and learn from good books. This week was our book club. We read "Goose Girl" by Shannon Hale. It was a great book. After discussing it, we had a shaving cream fight. Man! The girls had so much fun. I even got "creamed". We cleaned off later with water balloons and the hose. I was so glad to see the girls really bond. After the activity they all left together to hang out! What a good thing. I love it when they find goodness in each other and enjoy each other's company.    

There are lots of things that I have never done. Some, I don't care if I ever do. On Saturday, tho' two things happened to me for the first time! First: I had my toe nails painted. Never before has this happened. You can't count the times Maylin has painted my toes. For that really didn't go on the nail it was more on the toes. Can you believe it? 41 and having your toenails painted for the first time. Don't they look nice?   Second: I went shopping for clothes and everything I brought into the dressing room fit. That is right....NO going back for a bigger size or just crying because I was tired and discouraged!!!! It FIT baby!

I haven't done a post on food storage for awhile. So here is some quick info. Rolled Oats: This is a fancy word for oatmeal. •Uses - Breakfasts, homemade granola, cookies, add to bread, filler in meat loafs or casseroles, thickener for soups/stews. I love to grind it and add it to my bread. It is so yummy and adds to the nutrition. It is also awesome in chocolate chip cookies. I have put it in whole or I have ground it in my blender. Either way it is good. •Types - There are two types: quick rolled oats or regular rolled oats. Quick oats cook faster but regular oats keep their flavor and nutrition better. •Storage - If unopened, shelf life (optimum) is up to 8 years. If opened it should be used within 1 year. It is recommend storing large amounts in an airtight plastic container and then pulling out a smaller amount every few months for your actual usage. This smaller amount could be stored in your normal everyday pasticware. I have used it when it has been older and it tastes fine...

Took Alex back to the doctor. He was still throwing up, had lost 12 pounds, still had a fever and a cough. They did another X-ray and he has pneumonia. Even though he is on antibiotics, they gave him two shots in the leg of antibiotic because he is throwing up so much they don't know how much he is keeping down. We could choose the shots or 24 hours of IV antibiotics at the hospital. The shots seemed the best, however, they were HUGE and he is still crying. Hopefully, he will get better now.

UPDATE- We weighed Alex this morning and he has lost 8 pounds. He is so pale and skinny. My poor baby boy has been sick for 10 days now. Last Sunday he started a cough and had a headache. On Monday a fever kicked in. I took him to the instacare and they said he had a virus. All week he laid around with a cough, fever and a headache. By Sunday he felt better. So yesterday I let him go to day camp for scouts. When he got home the fever was back. I took him to our family doctor. She said he had an ear infection, sinus infection and because he has asthma, part of his lung had collapsed. He is on steroids, antibiotics, and breathing treatments. He also must have caught the stomach flu, because he started to throw up last night and continued to do so every two hours, all night long. What a way to spend the summer.

I would have posted this earlier, but we didn't want to jinx ourselves, but today July 17 is the two year mark of Austin's 3rd open heart surgery and our year mark for his 4th. This date will always be firmly ingrained in our brains as both surgeries, how ironic, fell on July 17, 2007 and 2008. Austin has been nervous as this day approached. I think he asked me every day since July 1, if I thought he would be okay and make it through the date. This week he has had increased rhythm problems so his heart med has been increased. I am wondering if it wasn't stress or worry induced. He wanted to spend the day at the hospital, thanking those he knew. Unfortunately, Alex was too sick to go. Maybe it was for the best. I didn't know it I could be there on this day. Anyway, please celebrate with us!!! We made it a year....surgery free!! On July 24 it will be our year anniversary from our 5th open heart. Here's wishing we make it through that date too! We send gratitude to our...

I love summer. I love being with my family. I love having time off. Time off from homework. I love that the only schedule I have is mine. I love the things I learn in the summer! Last summer I learned BIG things. Austin's several surgeries taught me a lot. The things I have learned this summer have been more subtle. I think more personal to me as a wife, mother and person. Here are a few of the things I have learned so far this summer. 1. Mental illness is sad. I know I have written about this before, but it is an on-going issue at our house and at most houses that are affected. We have made major med changes this summer and my child has started very difficult therapy. It has been hard to watch this child try to deal with some OCD issues that the doctor has challenged them to overcome. The thing I have learned is that I do have patience. I do have compassion. I have doubted that before, but I have learned I have it. I have also learned that I must have long suffering. I need to be ...

Over the 4th of July we went to Idaho. We love to go to our cabin in Island Park, Id. It is quite a drive in terms of our family in a car together. We love it though. We only make it once or twice a year, but it is always worth it. The kids love making "dioramas" out of paper plates and moss, mushrooms, twigs and other things they find in the woods. They love the fires, the walks, the go-Kart rides, the float down the river and the fishing. Most of all they love time with the grandparents. We spend hours playing games. I guess in reality, I am the biggest game player. I love to play with my parents. We play dummy rummy, Scrabble, 5 Crowns etc. It is delightful. Here are some of my favorite pictures. They are of the river trip. Maylin hated the life jacket and cried it was choking her. The highlight was when Alex knocked Jay off the boat into the very cold water. The look on Jay's face was priceless! The river is not very deep in most places and the kids loved walking in t...

Friday night we had an adoption/bloggy bash in our yard. We had such a good time. The company was great and the kids had a blast! Maylin kept telling me her "china friends were coming to her house to play." She enjoyed her friends and loved eating these really super hot chips. The girls that could eat them said they were "strong girls" that could handle the chips. My older kids had a blast with they older siblings. The adopted kids ranged in age from months old to 10. There was one little boy too! He is so cute and these girls are going to be glad he is their friend when they are older. It was a great night!!         Lisa from Georgia and Kim from Utah. What great moms. (two pictures up) The big kids play night games, volleyball and basketball and even have a little water fight. Alex, below, entertains himself with duct tape and a swing.

We were so lucky to have a visit today from Tate and Tess. Tate has been with her mother just 6 weeks. We were so lucky to meet her. Maylin LOVED the baby. We also were blessed to see Julie and Tess from MN. I follow their blog and this is the 2nd time we have met. I feel like I have known them forever, however. Maylin was in heaven and told every one that her Chinese friends were coming for a visit!        

Last week I took 10 kids to a local amusement park. Kinda worried how me and ten kids would do, but it turned out fine. I took my kids again this week. Austin was so excited because this was the first year his cardiologists would let him ride the roller coasters. Their were a few that he still couldn't go on due to magnets in the coaster and he has to be able to see the track. When you can't see where you are going it causes anyone, even with a healthy heart to go in to a weird beat, so Austin can't go on those. BUT he was thrilled that he could go on any and went on them over and over. He was like a kid in a candy store. Jay met us there a couple hours before closing. Austin was so excited to show him what he could do. Maylin loved the really fast rides that went in a circle. After a few times with her I was sick, so the kids took her. She didn't like the swinging boat, she said it hurt her tummy. She had such a good time!