Big Changes in Our Lives This Year!!

Yes, we are now blessed with an amazingly adorable little boy from China. I can't say enough good things about him and the way he has fit right in. I know that sounds almost too good to be true. But really, God has been good to us all and made this so easy. However, I am exhausted...Jay is too...almost like we just had a newborn come home. HA!! But we know this too shall pass.

We also have Makenna (our almost 17 year old precious daughter) graduating from homeschooling on May 18th!! She technically should only be a Junior. But since she wasn't looking to attend a four-year University right out of high school she didn't need to pursue a very vigorous schedule. So she chose to do 2 years in one, this year. That makes her working on 10 credits currently!! She amazes me at how hard she can work and still manage to have a smile and hug for me at the end of the day. She will be graduating this May, with  CHESS and have a very special ceremony and celebration to go with it.


She will also be attending Ellerslie shortly after graduation. It is a 9 week Bible Study School. She is so excited! She thinks she will start classes at our Junior College after that and pursue nursing of some degree, but is waiting to see how the Lord leads her.

The other big news is that Tyler (our oldest 20 year old son) is engaged! We have known Emily and her family for about 9 years now, through homeschooling. They are actually from a different state than us. They have set a date, the day after Makenna graduates- May 19th. Talk about busyness!!

Doctors, Dentists, and Therapists OH MY!!

We knew before bringing Asher home that because of his unrepaired palate there would be many specialists he would need to see. Besides the pediatrician on the first week home, I waited a couple weeks to start those appointments going. 


But the last few weeks we have been going to an average of 2-3 appointments a weeks, not including the needs of our other children. I feel, as of late, I am living in the car. Many of these specialists are about a 30 minute drive as well.

So far besides his regular doctor he has been to twice and the lab for blood work, twice, he has seen or will be seeing:   

The cleft surgeon, ENT, audiologist, 2 speech pathologists, ophthalmologist, pediatric dentist, orthodontist, Occupational therapist, and nutritionist....


The good news is that so far everything is doing as well as can be expected. He will be receiving in-home speech and possibly OT weekly. He will also see another speech therapist, who is part of the cleft-team, a couple times a month. He will be getting a rotten tooth capped during his palate surgery, which is likely to be in April. He will be getting tubes in his ears during that surgery as well. Today we had an audio-gram done and it seems he has an ear infection and some hearing loss. She believes it is not permanent, although we won't be able to tell for sure until the fluid is drained post-operative.

 The cleft doctor thinks he can repair in one surgery, but it is hard to tell for sure until he is healed from it. However, he will be going back in a few months following palate surgery to repair his nose and redo his lip. That surgery, while just an outpatient one, I am looking forward to the least, since I have first hand experience what sinus surgery recovery is like. Those stints are no fun!

The other day Asher got his eyes dilated and examined. It seems his eyes don't track together but the doctor didn't see that and thinks he looks great. Unfortunately, Asher hated the drops for his eyes. I think they made his sensory system out of whack, more than usual. He fussed a lot, was sort of goofy and very clumsy. So clumsy that he smashed his face soon after coming home, hitting our wall vent and really gave his eyelid a nasty cut.


Poor guy, is such a trooper.

Beautiful Birthday Girl

January 14, 2012 my sweet Eliza turned 14~~~~!!!

I don't know where the time has gone. She is now officially taller than Makenna and me, not that that was a hard accomplishment, being we are on the shorter side. She got her braces off in December. She has really blossomed this year.


She will be a finishing up middle school work in the coming months and preparing for high school. She really loves school and is very motivated to do things on her own. She is a planner, like her Mama.

One of her best friends is having her over for horseback riding tomorrow, which she is so excited for. She loves horses but doesn't get to ride very often.

She loves the Lord so very much and desires to serve Him. She really has a tender heart and is so patient with the little children. And with her Mama. I am so blessed to be her Mama.

THANK YOUR LORD for allowing me to be her Mama.