An awesome story.

A friend sent this link to me. I bawled, get a tissue!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=oiGKWoJi5qM

Bath Time

I love bath pix so I took some of Addy last night that are pretty darn cute! Avery wanted to rock Addy to sleep. I don't he succeeded! Not much else going on around here, just enjoying my last few weeks at home and the boys are going to VBS which they are loving!
I am so tired today and in pain. I had to get some cortisone shots in my shoulder this morning due to tendinitis. I was hoping I would instantly be healed, um no. Hopefully by the weekend!

Dancing Horse

I hope this link works, a friend sent this to me and it's so cute! It's a little long but worth the view! My kids loved it!

http://beboframe.com/FlashFrame.jsp?Size=S&FlashBoxId=3309347442

Buddy Walk

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The first annual Buddy Walk for the Down Syndrome Group of the Ozarks was a huge success! The goal was to have 200 participants. There were over 600!! This was the biggest parade of people to ever grace Hammons Fields, home of the Springfield Cardinals! We had a good time, however, it was the hottest day that we have had so far. Poor Addysen ended up pretty much with heat exhaustion/stroke, heat something! She kept falling asleep and was totally out of it. It didn't help that she had woken up from her nap with a congested nose and very watery eyes. We made it through the fourth inning, after my mom won a prize basket! She and I took Addy home and the boys stayed for the game. They got home around 11:30 p.m. and left during the 12th inning! Unfortunately our Cards lost in the 13th but it was a good game and it was for a great cause! I even ran into my first grade teacher, Ms. G, who happened to also be a participant in the walk. She was my favorite teacher and it was nice to see her. She kept telling Addy how lucky she was to be with our family. However, we all feel that we are definitely the lucky ones! I did get to the attorney yesterday and our Petition to Adopt is being filed!! Yeah!!! The three little ones also had check ups, Addy has a virus. She woke up covered in a rash, I figured due to the extreme heat, but no a bug! She is perking up and hopefully will be back to her old self soon!

Jarika Update :(

Well after being chewed out by the doc for wearing flip flops, Jarika is out of cheerleading for at least three weeks. Her ankle is resprained and is not good. He told us that if this continues she will need another surgery that will require her being cut from her knee all the way down to her ankle to use a tendon to do some sort of wrap procedure to fix the ankle. She will then pretty much be out of all sports from then on. Jarika is devastated to say the least. So she's now packing for cheerleading camp where she gets to sit and watch the fun for four days. She is extremely bummed. We're hoping that the next few weeks off will help and she'll be able to participate after that. We have to go to Sports Medicine after she returns and see if we can find a different brace since she sprained it this time with her brace on. I feel so bad for her, this is not going to be easy. She misses out on the competitions which is one of her favorite parts of camp and she has tried out for All-American every year since the age of 7 except one two years ago because her, yep, her ankle being sprained. No one ever knows if they'll get nominated but now she doesn't even get the chance to be looked at. Well, this way she knows it not because lack of ability, just lack of participation. So, please cover my girl in prayer that she will handle this well. There will be much talk that she's faking, it doesn't really hurt, she just wants attention, etc. Girls are a pain sometimes and hopefully she'll just let mean comments roll off of her. We can just pray.

From my RR Friend's Blog

This is from a friend from Reece's Rainbow, it has just about been a year since she brought her precious son home from Eastern Europe and she is celebrating! Check out her post and visit her blog!

http://chroniclesofhousehold6.blogspot.com/
From Shelley's Blog:

I am giving away my Blackberry Curve. It is in excellent condition....I've had it less than 6 months and always carried it in it's case. It works with a T-Mobile SIM card(and I'm sure it can be unlocked for other carriers). When we changed cell phone providers, I decided to downgrade to something cheaper. I sold my husband's identical phone on ebay in less than 5 minutes for $170. I decided to give mine away instead. So, here's the deal:

On July 27th, I will pick my Xander up out of his bed, kiss his chubby little cheek.....and thank the Lord for putting him in my arms one year ago. To honor that moment one year ago, I am auctioning off my Blackberry Curve with every penny of the money raised to go into the grant fund for Raina, who is waiting in Bulgaria. Raina, like Xander, has Down Syndrome and clubbed feet. She is destined to live her life confined to a crib unless a family takes a leap of faith and adopts her into their family.

So, here's how this is going to work. There is a Chip In widget over on the side of my blog. A $5 donation made through that account will enter your name in the drawing. You can enter as many times as you want....each entry requires $5. The auction will end on July 27th and Xander will draw the winner himself. Every penny of the money in the chip-in account will go to Raina.....and someone will get my Blackberry Curve. You can keep it, resell it yourself....whatever you want to do with it. My intention is to get some money in this little girl's grant fund.

Stress

Addy's First Football Game
September 2007

I'm just writing this down because I am stressed and it seems like a good way to vent. My darling Jarika is dealing with some not so great things right now and I am go crazy because of it. Jarika has been involved in cheerleading since she was five years old. She has been a gymnast and has been very successful. She hasn't done much tumbling in the past few years due to some anxiety issues and her right ankle. On January 23rd of last year she had a complete ankle reconstruction performed. She was in a cast and on crutches for eight weeks. It has been an ongoing issue. This week she has been at cheerleading practice to get prepared for camp next week. Her ankle has been throbbing, swelling and pretty much just giving out on her. If anyone has ever worked with a group of girls (not just cheerleaders mind you) girls don't always get along, they are very emotional, and they take things the wrong way. A LOT! This week has been full of some terrible incidences that I'm not getting into but things are not going well. I quit coaching this year and I do think it was the right decision, but things are frustrating me to no end. Jarika and a few other girls are really struggling and they really need prayer. They have not been totally innocent to wrong doings either, but they are dealing with things that they are just not prepared to deal with. So now, we are dealing with DRAMA and now our ankle is giving us fits. Us girls (me, Jarika and Addy, the boys are heading to WALL-E with their grandma and cousins) are heading to her Orthopedic Surgeon today to see what is wrong. I pray that she doesn't need another surgery and maybe new bracing or physical therapy can help her. My daughter is miserable and it is tearing me up. I know that people make fun of cheerleaders and things like the drama that is happening this week is why, but people need to understand that this is something Jarika is passionate about and has been for 11 years! She puts her heart and soul into this and now it is looking like her life is being sucked out of her because of it. Please pray for my girl and give her strength and healing and the right words to deal with what she is dealing with.

Eating Fries, Baseball and a new swing...

The other night Jarika came home from work with food from Sonic. Addy could not keep her eyes off of her food, so Jarika decided to share. Remember, Addy is completely tube fed and we are still working on just getting food past her lips most days! Addy loved Jarika's French Fries! I'm sure the ketchup had something to do with it because that is one thing Addy does like! It was so cute how she kept imitating her big sister!




This picture here shows the love on Addy's face for Jarika, it is so precious.

Last night at Avery's ballgame he got to be the catcher! He was so excited! I personally think he really just wanted to experience all of the gear! However, he did a great job and thought he was Yadier Molina, so good job buddy!



Addy's OT brought over a hammock swing last week for her. She did okay in it but really wasn't that thrilled. Today though she LOVED it and cried when we stopped! She prefers going back and forth over side to side (gotta love proprioception and vestibular senses!) and she doesn't mind going around and around.
She's all wound up!You gotta love those precious little piggies sticking out! Especially between toes one and two!

Sad little Addy... she still wants to swing!

18 month pic

This is one of the photos of Addy's 18 months pictures. It's pretty amazing I must say!

Piggy Tails

Is this pic not a hoot!?!?!?

I tried something different with Addy's hair. She has horrible cradle cap in the top of her head. I thought it was really clearing up but once I parted her hair in the middle I found that it's only a little bit better, oh well. She's still adorable!

Look who's doing better!

I've been reading Renee's blog and checking Kennedy's care page daily. Look who's doing better! She is still running fevers so we have to pray that she is soon fever free so this Princess can go home!

Too fun!

This is too cute! Fun stuff here! Check out miss Addy on all fours!

Cleaning...

Okay, I am not the best housekeeper out there but I do a pretty good job. I have been cleaning all morning because my house was really needing it. My good friend Tara, came by yesterday and brought me some cleaning products that her mother-in-law is launching. I am not one to push things on people, but these are awesome! I have been using the Artic Blast in my bathrooms and the smell is amazing! Peppermint cleanser! I'm definitely going to order this stuff. The products all organic and they are a Green company, check them out www.herbnorganics.com Just my little plug today!

4th of July

I don't know whey there are two montages! The smaller one is easier to see, SORRY!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I hope everyone had a safe and fun 4th! We went to our local parade in the morning. It was pretty good. The boys enjoyed the Shriners on go-carts and Avery always enjoys getting candy! Addy was pretty unimpressed. She did really well, even when the fire trucks and tow trucks kept honking and blaring their sirens! Cooper and Avery even got to dunk our good friend Al in the dunk tank, they thought that was hilarious!

In the evening we went to my brother and SIL, Jill's house to celebrate. We always have so much fun! Jarika was MIA because she had to work :( The kids were everywhere on their scooters! They also thought running through smoke bombs was the coolest thing ever! It smelled horrible but they didn't seem to mind! Addy was the hit of the party, Jill's parents and sister hadn't seen Addy since Christmas and couldn't believe the change in her! She was smiley and loved the attention from her female cousins, Laura and Liz. She hasn't seen them since Florida and I think she missed them! We didn't get home until about 11:30 so needless to say we are moving slow this morning!

I'm happy to say that little Miss Kennedy is doing better and may even try standing today, WOW! Good luck Garcia's!

Update

Thank you all for praying for sweet Kennedy, she is out of surgery and is doing well, thank you Lord! I hope that she is pain free soon and can get some much needed rest!

BYE BYE O2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Medical supply came today and whisked away our O2 stuff YEAH! It feels a little weird knowing that it's not here, but thankfully our insurance has paid for her Pulse Oximeter so we will be able to monitor her at home if we have any concerns. The guy picking up her things said that he also had orders to pick up her feeding pump. Uh No! Fortunately it wasn't a big deal when I told him that unfortunately that is still very much needed!

I got much better pix of her "crawling" today, she just rocks and rocks and goes backwards! She's gone a few creeps forward, but seems so unsure of herself! She then starts cracking up so naturally she can't go anywhere!

Praying for Kennedy

This beautiful little girl needs our prayers. Kennedy Garcia is four years old, and has Down syndrome. In addition to having Ds, Kennedy has also had a series of other health concerns. Last year she was diagnosed with Leukemia. She went through very aggressive chemotherapy and is currently in remission. Kennedy has also been diagnosed with Atlantoaxial Instability and Atlanto-Occipital Instability. This means that she has a gap between her skull and her spine and the smallest fall could cause her to be paralyzed for life. Today, Kennedy is having surgery to correct this. She will be in surgery from 8-5 today. It is a very big surgery. She will have to wear a halo on her neck for 6 months.

Please keep the Garcia family in your prayers and remember how blessed we all are.

Flooding, Cats and Great News!

Sunday we were in Branson with some friends and went to go and check on our cabin at Table Rock Lake to see if the water has gone down any so we can finally get our boat and waverunner out. Well, as you can see from the pix we still can't get to the dock unless we pretty much swim there. Not a big deal, but with little ones it makes it a little tough, it will almost go to my head. We are really hoping that we get to spend some time there this summer before we go back to school!

Yesterday we got a surprise in our backyard. Fortunately it wasn't more flooding, but adorable little kitties! They are precious! Cooper is allergic to cats so they are obviously staying outside! Jarika named the gray and white one Jorge (I know George in Spanish, no clue why) and Avery named the black and white one Beauty. I'm just hoping Daddy will cave and let them stay!

Addysen and I headed to her pulmonologist today. She isn't feeling very well today. Her Mic-Key button extension somehow came out through the night. This is the third time this has happened. Her bed was soaked and I could tell she wasn't right. After I got her bathed and dressed she was really lethargic and then threw up. I had tried to feed her a little more just before that but obviously that wasn't the best choice. I'm hoping it was just air in her belly. We had an appointment anyway so I let her sleep and sleep and sleep and then we headed to her appointment. He is the nicest man, I really like this doctor. He reviewed her recordings of her sats during sleep and was very pleased. He is ordering all O2 paraphernalia to be picked up! Yeah! (Sorry Meredith :( it will pass). They took her temp and it was normal but she still isn't quite right. She is doing better now and hopefully will be just fine. Her pediatrician only wants to see her if she continues vomiting or gets a fever. She's laughing with Cooper and Avery right now so I think she's on the mend! She also has a new chair for her breathing treatments, which are now once a day, she kept trying to flip her bouncy seat over!

It's off to baseball tonight and I have tons of laundry to do. How is that possible with four kids and two parents I have no idea!