Field Trips!!

I got to go on two fields trip in the past few weeks!  I love getting to go and experience these things with the kids and learn right along with them.  It did take a little divine intervention to get me to have someone for Laila for both of them but it actually happen!!

First I went with Jackson’s preschool class to go and visit the Sandhill Cranes.  I have always heard about the fact that they make a stop over in Wheatfield on their way flying south for the winter but I had never actually made it out there to see them. 

The game preserve has a free observation deck where you can go out and see where the birds are out in the field so we trecked out there to check them out.  Jackson’s teacher is so creative and fun.  She made all of the kids these little goggles out of toilet paper rolls so they could “see better".”

Of course mommies can have fun too!!  :)

After seeing the cranes and learning about them we headed over to the pumpkin patch and picked some out for halloween.  Jackson was very excited because Grandma Kathy had already got each kid a pumpkins so now he’s the only one who has two!!

Mrs. Friend did their bible story and bible memory out at the pumpkin patch that day.  VERY fun!  She talked about how all of use have yucky stuff in our lives but how Jesus can help us become clean.

Then the next week I got to go with Emma on her field trip to Buckley Homestead.  This was the one where divine intervention was called in.  I quadruple booked myself that morning and the nursing agency conveniently never got a nurse for me for Laila.  Crazy, but I ended up getting to do everything I needed to that morning.  Thank you God for giving me my mom!!!

Buckley Homstead is a little farm that shows the kids what life was like long ago.  Boy did they thank their lucky stars that they don’t still have to do chores like those!!!  It was amazing that I was able to go that day because just that morning we got word that the mom of one of the boys in Emma’s class had tragically died that morning.  She told me as soon as I got there (I had already known) and she desperately clung to my side that whole day.

2nd Grade Class ready to go!!

Sitting in the school house.

What a blessing it is to be able to spend this wonderful time with my kiddos.  I’m so thankful God has allowed me to be able to be home with them and, for now, have some extra help with Laila so I can still be able to go on trips like this.

Fun Fall Activities

I don’t know about you but I LOVE fall!!  I don’t know if it’s just the fact that I like that I can wear comfy pants and sweatshirts to hide this extra five pounds I’ve put on with constantly eating fast food with this new child of mine or the fact that we’re closer and closer to Christmas which I LOVE but I think mostly it’s the campfires, nights spent taking walks with jackets on and burning my deliciously scented autumn candle :)

Our nurse Sharon is now definitely a part of our family.  She is so great with Laila and loves Emma & Jackson as well.  She was growing gourds in her garden so she brought a bagful for the kids.  We got them out one evening and had lots of fun painting them.  Now they’re a fun decoration on dining room table.

Also along with fall comes FOOTBALL!!! OK, so I’m not as in to football as I used to be but Jack’s of course in it full force.  These days I find a nap would be much more enjoyable if I actually had a minute to do anything besides take care of children.  Seems that I can’t ever get him away from the computer and to stop looking at his fantasy league!  He was very excited when he got an unexpected last minute call from his friend with a free extra lower level 40 yd line ticket to the Colts game a few weeks ago.  Needless to say, we were on our own that Sunday ;)  Here’s a picture he took from his seat.

And then finally here’s a picture that I really like that has nothing to do with fall ;)

Annual Fly In

We got to go and visit Jack’s work a few weeks ago for their annual fly in.  Every October they have a “conference” where they invite their customers for lunch and a seminar taught by his boss on do’s and dont’s of having your own airplane.  The kids always think it’s cool to go and see all the airplanes and of course we never turn down free lunch ;)

All ready to go!!!

WOW!  A Family picture!!

 

My babies :)

It was a little windy but fun!

Here is one sort of unrelated but related picture.  Jackson conned one of Jack’s customers who is a farmer to give him a ride in his combine the following weekend when he was working on a field by our house.  SO exciting!

ALSO, Jack FINALLY got his pilot’s license!  He’s only been working on it for fifteen years!!  We’re very proud of him and I’m already trying to decide where to have him fly me to for that ever looming big birthday I have coming up next year.

Picture Post

So I’m completely overwhelmed even thinking about posting about every little thing that has happen since I last wrote on here.  I really think God was protecting us because the computer crashed and was down for almost a month and then we had some inappropriate contact from Laila’s birth parents and so our lawyer advised us not to have a bunch of mass information out there about our adoption until 30 days after it is final.  So, I’ll be giving a little more info on here but now at least I know who you all are and will hunt you down if you are the one passing along info to her birth parents ;)

Emma & Jackson have both started school and are LOVING it.  Last year Jackson cried because he didn’t want to go to school and this year he cries on the days he doesn’t have school because he wants to go!  He’s the one who’s had the most struggle adjusting to having Laila around but I guess it’s to be expected since he is no longer the youngest.  He LOVES her and is so smart when it comes to taking care of her and loves to help so it’s not resentment, I just think he’s a kid that takes awhile to acclimate to change.  He’s very tender hearted and I love that about him :)

We’ve had some adventures with Laila but all the while God’s continuing to teach us how to care for her.  She has a surgery for a kidney stone in August and two trips to Riley (including one three day stay) from sickness this month but she’s a trooper and we have some great friends and family that have helped tons!  Like I said, we’re not gonna give specifics about the dates of the adoption but things are moving right along and our lawyer says it will be final by the end of the year.  I almost cry every time I think about standing in that court room and it finally being real.  I had to go to my first court hearing this morning (just a case review) and I was talking with my case worker about what I feel that I’ll say on the adoption day if the judge asks me “why her?”  The only thing I can come up with is that she’s my daughter.  She was always supposed to be with us.  From the first few hours after we met her Jack and I both knew.  She’s so much more to me than what other people see and without sounding creepy, I can feel into my soul the love I have for her when I hold her. 

Anyway, here’s the fun part :)

My little Angel

Golf cart ride at Papa Roger’s lake

At Papa Roger’s beach

Fun at Aunt Carol’s for the Bierma Family reunion

Laila’s first boat ride

Love that face :)

INDIANA BEACH!!!!!!

Gma & Papa stopped by IB to say hi after fishing

Silly girls

Jackson LOVED the roller coasters this year!

Watch out!!  Crazy driver!!

Papa loves to read to Laila (and all the kids!)

Jackson’s first day of preschool (at DMC)

Laila loves to color during homework time

Boat church at Papa Tom’s lake

Laila’s first Boat ride on Dewart Lake

All those crazy Hamstras :)

Looks like I was worried about her not liking the life jacket for nothing!

On Papa Tom’s boat

The three amigos

I love this picture :)

 

Jackson’s big catch!

Emma got to spend her first few days alone with Papa at the lake this summer.  Fun time fishing :)

Emma & I with our new hairdos

 

Me & my daddy fishing :)

Emma trying on clothes on our date night.  She’s getting so stylish!

The kids checking out the new laptop playing PBS kids.

 

The laptop has really helped to get Laila’s attention to keep her head up in her stander.  She’s watching Curious George.  (ps – her therapist is talking about ordering a gate trainer.  This is the first step to walking.  God is good!!)

My little trooper in the hospital

Jackson had to lay by his sister to make sure she was OK ;)

So there’s the REALLY condensed version of our past few months.  Thanks for being willing the share the journey of our life with us.  We’re blessed to have you in our lives :)

Summer of Fun Update

(I wrote this one right before our computer crashed so here’s this one but I’m working on a big one to sum up the past few months.)

Of course there have continued to be several trips to McDonald’s (including the play place!!), trips for ice cream, and trips for small toys for money earned on the good behavior chart this summer but last Friday was one of the BIG prizes for the summer.  CHUCKY CHEESE!!!  Woohoo!

I used to dread trips to Chucky Cheese until I figured out a few secrets.  Weekday mornings right when they open at 10am there’s nobody there!  We will only go at this time and we always have a great time.  We never, ever go on a Saturday.  oooh, I shudder at the thought! ;)

I have also figured out that I can get by on $15 and the kids play for around two hours.  We use the $15 coupon that is buy 60 tokens get 40 free so each kids gets 50 tokens.  I know one day soon they’ll be more interested in getting tickets and go through the tokens a lot faster but for now it’s great!  I usually end up using a few tokens for myself just to get through them faster (and because I secretly love playing the pop the bubbles game!)

Here are a few pictures of the kids favorite games.

Also, I just had to share these pictures of the kids tan lines.  These are actually faded a little but we have spent a lot of time in the pool this summer.  We’re finishing up swim lessons this week and have spent a lot of time in Miss Chanda & Grandma Kathy’s pools.  Lots of fun!

This week we’re spending the day with Aunt Jill tomorrow, finishing up swim lessons and going to a Christmas in August party on Saturday.  Next week……… drum roll please……… INDIANA BEACH!!!  We’re gonna finish out the summer of fun with a bang :)

Privacy

Along with computer issues, we've been having privacy issues with our adoption. In two weeks I will be setting this blog to invitation only/private. If you would like to continue reading please leave your name and email address in the comment box or send me an email stating that you would like to be invited. Sorry for the inconvenience but I'm just not feeling comfortable withthe privacy having the blog be open to all readers.

Thanks for understanding.

Angie