tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37712589817652225652023-11-16T08:21:08.471-08:00The Blessings of Life!The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-6664022167715225262011-01-01T08:57:00.000-08:002011-01-01T09:16:42.491-08:00Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzF9wVSLD2KDH4c4_GMHad4dwH9mAtJqFGmt_B4KcNl0MgxAZbM2CmnocJqvk-kiL_U_2RRIM6BBs_mzuhGsQPMSa-KMpjzGT7xRwTTFxCSx4GEfs5RVDucVyIqXYMmXaxJqXJ41Uo0btc/s1600/December+2010+076.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzF9wVSLD2KDH4c4_GMHad4dwH9mAtJqFGmt_B4KcNl0MgxAZbM2CmnocJqvk-kiL_U_2RRIM6BBs_mzuhGsQPMSa-KMpjzGT7xRwTTFxCSx4GEfs5RVDucVyIqXYMmXaxJqXJ41Uo0btc/s200/December+2010+076.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557265865559876338" /></a><br /> Christmas 2010<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1a44tY2gB8a94Ngc3t-21xEJnlquzVRy96SJzkm9KwOtFewb9ccp7d161Qd6JYrmhMnyWdhduzeqHK1HuKAifmj5RZQCmQrLIBPJFr8VYLo8orAvvGFN3xEkPcoOTJycBgSQzi1-c7mxF/s1600/Chrisymas+2009+037.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1a44tY2gB8a94Ngc3t-21xEJnlquzVRy96SJzkm9KwOtFewb9ccp7d161Qd6JYrmhMnyWdhduzeqHK1HuKAifmj5RZQCmQrLIBPJFr8VYLo8orAvvGFN3xEkPcoOTJycBgSQzi1-c7mxF/s200/Chrisymas+2009+037.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557265850973487570" /></a><br /> Christmas 2009<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4S4zWZcrD6T7V1MPfeg7leJxFJznJERgwbQ_MIcQlMPM8-NvJph1vruL8Q9nvT9fvS_GNek3tY5dQojPQpw5TbdfnNtXtGYST5h7hhqUB-HVqwkLIFNa_eY5B4JIcGPc17xzX0TWRvHy/s1600/Dec+2007+019.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4S4zWZcrD6T7V1MPfeg7leJxFJznJERgwbQ_MIcQlMPM8-NvJph1vruL8Q9nvT9fvS_GNek3tY5dQojPQpw5TbdfnNtXtGYST5h7hhqUB-HVqwkLIFNa_eY5B4JIcGPc17xzX0TWRvHy/s200/Dec+2007+019.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557265847857912850" /></a><br /> Christmas 2008<br /><br />I am a little behind on updating the blog. We are all still alive and well! Christmas was wonderful as we spent several days with my brother and his family and my mother at our house. All of the cousins had a great time, while the adults played many games of Scrabble! Daniel and Katie Beth grow on a daily basis I am pretty sure. Daniel can almost look me in the eyes now, so I am sure it won't be long before I have to look up to him. Katie Beth is still petite, but her size 7 jeans are now too short!!!! Considering that she is 9 1/2, this is a big accomplishment. I am putting several pictures from previous Christmas, so that you can see how much they have changed.<br />I hope 2011 is a blessed year, with more joys than sorrows for all of you! <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p>The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-78256814479842061782010-10-31T19:34:00.000-07:002010-10-31T19:45:10.722-07:00Happy Halloween!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwCBwb5wHmQzgtOP6fQ5aXtBRaH0CYptnt7pt6UYCaMMfVi6dXekSYmtyBohjbGl2jrpXjuKMXIaVrGuS9ShSle72L-MXx34av5U7vF3nnjr0g0a-7Aetf1tAX-CM1JR5FUkDnEHDrvls/s1600/Halloween+2010+023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwCBwb5wHmQzgtOP6fQ5aXtBRaH0CYptnt7pt6UYCaMMfVi6dXekSYmtyBohjbGl2jrpXjuKMXIaVrGuS9ShSle72L-MXx34av5U7vF3nnjr0g0a-7Aetf1tAX-CM1JR5FUkDnEHDrvls/s200/Halloween+2010+023.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534406727753408514" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pArTTMsALZWPTBrzG-UznIhCq6lVaYDr1n3rk3Xs8p4OWBbQfCv064y8kENiT30whml6jSrbiRXoK5j-yzaDqv6Tn9rE6N51CMkqXGUUuAkcsAmBLkEecvGbraxmudJUFbsdoP5j7Q1Z/s1600/Halloween+2010+008.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pArTTMsALZWPTBrzG-UznIhCq6lVaYDr1n3rk3Xs8p4OWBbQfCv064y8kENiT30whml6jSrbiRXoK5j-yzaDqv6Tn9rE6N51CMkqXGUUuAkcsAmBLkEecvGbraxmudJUFbsdoP5j7Q1Z/s200/Halloween+2010+008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534406708309196498" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ThfLEOIT9ch5yYk04oSEcF0-_8n3RFBk-UAnkwQJYmuoHT-wS1Z3xAHQ1kGEKN2KJ0vVKArlbF2jKaZLaFX1Tk03GuSzE4cKn1Z4KUwiBELxPcrsVuUaOHemJegq_jtVBHQMw1BSPO-p/s1600/Halloween+2010+016.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ThfLEOIT9ch5yYk04oSEcF0-_8n3RFBk-UAnkwQJYmuoHT-wS1Z3xAHQ1kGEKN2KJ0vVKArlbF2jKaZLaFX1Tk03GuSzE4cKn1Z4KUwiBELxPcrsVuUaOHemJegq_jtVBHQMw1BSPO-p/s200/Halloween+2010+016.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534406701204596434" /></a><br />We had a Harry Potter and a Pink Pirate. It was a great day, but a little cold. After trunk-or-treating we went trick-or-treating with a few friends. The children had a great day and loved getting all of the candy. Now, they are ready to decorate for Christmas!<br /><br />Happy Halloween!<br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p>The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-3709643744413592322010-08-18T06:42:00.000-07:002010-08-18T07:05:46.690-07:00The First Day of School!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRl7RBHvzFI9nmwbaMTwjYB_pSlKGkzwfwppE9bF_StzqNm0dtoa7644KnHQdk-Uc867Qp-sVsOs4G3Tz9K4GvPUAivjIhxfNzCvDVmdsT3L9KUuBBWVVAbJE3PpwH_E79OBw2pPlO7Ls/s1600/009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRl7RBHvzFI9nmwbaMTwjYB_pSlKGkzwfwppE9bF_StzqNm0dtoa7644KnHQdk-Uc867Qp-sVsOs4G3Tz9K4GvPUAivjIhxfNzCvDVmdsT3L9KUuBBWVVAbJE3PpwH_E79OBw2pPlO7Ls/s200/009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506749367485359538" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTepgFPTJQdS4I8T5aP0tMKmrJoJo2unl9EVAoIF_otH34V5_zrm0jxDXuVwHI3tb0Q1fKwjAi4rrTd9quB-OTT7ZBGdIg8Bi5edsj7EP49BWrB8IFGwYFJc_8545PJN8tGvgeB4Sn5q-_/s1600/005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTepgFPTJQdS4I8T5aP0tMKmrJoJo2unl9EVAoIF_otH34V5_zrm0jxDXuVwHI3tb0Q1fKwjAi4rrTd9quB-OTT7ZBGdIg8Bi5edsj7EP49BWrB8IFGwYFJc_8545PJN8tGvgeB4Sn5q-_/s200/005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506749359490924434" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsaKJxRp42MPud7HzjdBvrZJE78rQdtpGgI8QNPwUTtMQVQT0KpbxKgCQBCqr2rL-9yfpsqjaBwnaovelOA7btwnGrTKDicvNAOHwWVgHQQwu-9KNb_qHAFWKWlX5NHbql6abpkRkBdny_/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsaKJxRp42MPud7HzjdBvrZJE78rQdtpGgI8QNPwUTtMQVQT0KpbxKgCQBCqr2rL-9yfpsqjaBwnaovelOA7btwnGrTKDicvNAOHwWVgHQQwu-9KNb_qHAFWKWlX5NHbql6abpkRkBdny_/s200/003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506749349699381842" /></a><br />Yesterday was the first day of school. I can hardly believe that we are already to this point in the year!!!! I can also hardly believe that we have a 5th grader and a 3rd grader. Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday that I was a nervous nellie about sending my oldest child to Kindergarten. I missed both of my children so much yesterday, but my house is looking a lot cleaner!<br />Daniel loved the first day of 5th grade. He especially loves that he will not be doing any book reports this year! He has had his fill of those over the last 2 years. He will have to construct an Indian village and read at least 18 novels. He is more than willing to read since it doesn't involve a book report. Daniel's teacher is also a huge Jayhawk fan. We think she is wonderful already!<br />Katie Beth also loved the first day of 3rd grade. She will be doing many book reports in the form of projects this year. We have 16 to do total this year, which works out to about a project due every other Friday. This will be Mama and Daddy's third time to go through the 3rd grade! The book projects require a whole lot of parent work as well! The one thing that we do know is that Katie Beth has an amazing 3rd grade teacher, who does wonderful things with her classroom children!<br />This is Daniel's last year in elementary school. I am one sad Mama! My children won't be in the same school again until Daniel's senior year in high school. I find that very sad to think about. Katie Beth has always had big brother to help her, but now she will blazing her own trail. If anyone can do it, she is the girl!<br />Hopefully the second day is as wonderful as the first!<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p>The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-21692098411080198172010-08-10T20:46:00.001-07:002010-08-10T20:55:15.161-07:00Music Camp<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTapmS70__KxnjxWbt2rtbbWiUxNbFVJi_TKvxENF-Lrij7uc-Fpcd6J8YmL0hOYxNpr1Ouu5hOn5mewQ1_xKfRW269DVMpKD7BRwbvaJmagL2CGvd1zakoeqOaYv7h5pRfYxCTyGn0SEp/s1600/139.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTapmS70__KxnjxWbt2rtbbWiUxNbFVJi_TKvxENF-Lrij7uc-Fpcd6J8YmL0hOYxNpr1Ouu5hOn5mewQ1_xKfRW269DVMpKD7BRwbvaJmagL2CGvd1zakoeqOaYv7h5pRfYxCTyGn0SEp/s200/139.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503995843833887106" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUsz2aSQEFURWbe4bBcEtXAMh3A3-j2HKK3ktlV-WJgMCuT-I_Em-8Uj0xFSw0XdHjIhP2o3uVZFMnRlkYxY-Dh5OVTE5QgqpjBxw1yo5Jx-navlMyJhSyOEbTVQ76YwEs_MIWM_X03Lc/s1600/132.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUsz2aSQEFURWbe4bBcEtXAMh3A3-j2HKK3ktlV-WJgMCuT-I_Em-8Uj0xFSw0XdHjIhP2o3uVZFMnRlkYxY-Dh5OVTE5QgqpjBxw1yo5Jx-navlMyJhSyOEbTVQ76YwEs_MIWM_X03Lc/s200/132.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503995833892049026" /></a><br />Daniel and Katie Beth were in Music Camp last week at our church. It is one of the things that they look forward to every summer. They go for 3 hours a day and learn a musical. I am always amazed at how much the kids can learn in just one week! This year's musical was "The Slingshot Heard 'round the World." Katie Beth was a narrator and Daniel was one of Goliath's men. They did a great job learning their lines and all of the music!<br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p>The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-64246820389716207962010-08-10T20:32:00.000-07:002010-08-10T20:44:33.869-07:00PUPPIES!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPEmlQTuJmywLcz4X91KBA-qGF0n_pCSQKTH1TX4FR_FTeN20SYdE7THJG3Ul1uW9zGKBjt1Z_zH05lVeU7DCHU0jw_TzbsAQe22QYQ_vZTnI8eTrryfXhF63iZofh2nCQKZ40ZFuSfdk/s1600/155.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPEmlQTuJmywLcz4X91KBA-qGF0n_pCSQKTH1TX4FR_FTeN20SYdE7THJG3Ul1uW9zGKBjt1Z_zH05lVeU7DCHU0jw_TzbsAQe22QYQ_vZTnI8eTrryfXhF63iZofh2nCQKZ40ZFuSfdk/s200/155.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503993032019178706" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzinWqeHP3gAJWeiVwCutjzK7BWQyIEbnZclS7_xvQoW1jFTEXLy6mmctjFJaGHKiU6vgFso7n9x8x2k-E0VaeK-I-wC8Iejrc80M8GILVsoP23ngwTpIk8CahVhaKg0oggAGS1SAn544E/s1600/154.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzinWqeHP3gAJWeiVwCutjzK7BWQyIEbnZclS7_xvQoW1jFTEXLy6mmctjFJaGHKiU6vgFso7n9x8x2k-E0VaeK-I-wC8Iejrc80M8GILVsoP23ngwTpIk8CahVhaKg0oggAGS1SAn544E/s200/154.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503993019281763778" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcCX8ps-80uzlEmdXW09yNRNEX1gSDYS0FA3lyuykDFHaA6vbYhdrKfquIxhbmkYUh5BWNDW8vLWT5TkP2wRqP_Pg4f4_dl6ppGZU6wBxbVLjSqLIGbjXPr3A81DS2eXky5vzCZG2NR5u/s1600/158.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcCX8ps-80uzlEmdXW09yNRNEX1gSDYS0FA3lyuykDFHaA6vbYhdrKfquIxhbmkYUh5BWNDW8vLWT5TkP2wRqP_Pg4f4_dl6ppGZU6wBxbVLjSqLIGbjXPr3A81DS2eXky5vzCZG2NR5u/s200/158.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503993010677633778" /></a><br />We have puppies at our house! They were born on Monday and it is the big news at our house! We can hardly get the children to eat, sleep, or even go to the pool! They are truly mesmerized by these 7 sweet, little puppies. If you know anyone looking for a puupy, we will have some available in about 6 weeks. The mom and dad are both great hunters and great pets. They are Brittany Spaniels. The puppies are very adorable right now; we will see how I feel in 4 to 5 weeks.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p>The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-72053528018935607042010-07-22T12:49:00.000-07:002010-07-22T13:05:04.137-07:00Conference Swimming<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXbkxyd8dh9xSNJNZNX-w2ce7Qzjg-V5Us8MP94_oGPUL9L87K_V2rj-6eIt-u1ujkQITToW5spg2I8jomx5V0nGeWfDJMx5W8_-WnFVm64Bwj7XkJaUPuaFB2Vz2Iw2BaVOQCx_218NTA/s1600/065.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXbkxyd8dh9xSNJNZNX-w2ce7Qzjg-V5Us8MP94_oGPUL9L87K_V2rj-6eIt-u1ujkQITToW5spg2I8jomx5V0nGeWfDJMx5W8_-WnFVm64Bwj7XkJaUPuaFB2Vz2Iw2BaVOQCx_218NTA/s200/065.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496821935621561906" /></a>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62htjT7hiqAVRg4O7auCwlE5B2XZseDX2pg9iDQ9b8MDeEPKJZISivos_ZbTI32Qb7HxlKQ93G2Zq6IwMUudPPXSotMIXcHYagt6ZIi002r7jPMqCYSLuNpSY_6f0XZWTXzG9yl0olUTD/s1600/048.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62htjT7hiqAVRg4O7auCwlE5B2XZseDX2pg9iDQ9b8MDeEPKJZISivos_ZbTI32Qb7HxlKQ93G2Zq6IwMUudPPXSotMIXcHYagt6ZIi002r7jPMqCYSLuNpSY_6f0XZWTXzG9yl0olUTD/s200/048.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496821928458608530" /></a>
<br />Just a quick note, because we are on our way to the swimming finals! Daniel and Katie Beth both qualified for conference and swam the preliminaries on Monday night. Katie Beth did a great job. This was her first year to qualify!!! Daniel is moving on to swim in the finals tonight! He will swim the back, I.M., and the breast stroke. His medley relay took 2nd place out of 11 teams on Monday night. I will update later about the results from tonight. This is what our summer has consisted of; swim meets and dive meets. We have spent alot of time poolside! The pictures are of Katie Beth going off the starting block to swim the butterfly and Daniel is swimming the back stroke. Mike and I are having a wonderful summer watching the children!
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<br />The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-86921259579512549142010-06-30T19:55:00.001-07:002010-06-30T20:47:36.304-07:009 Years Old!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8WLOprkbNIKUm-FWGmCwAaqneI9NiotmhczkJH2rs0t9JI3Ti6JUcpzphUcgLchmCy_PYeocLGut15hqcqdm6_bO42HTUlXttSbXk8ym0OLB6qQCWi977Rj8JH00EecDQwF1UTVf89_Y/s1600/161.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8WLOprkbNIKUm-FWGmCwAaqneI9NiotmhczkJH2rs0t9JI3Ti6JUcpzphUcgLchmCy_PYeocLGut15hqcqdm6_bO42HTUlXttSbXk8ym0OLB6qQCWi977Rj8JH00EecDQwF1UTVf89_Y/s200/161.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488774165476599266" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJXwP_eyBsM2bnjmysJ5wvnVWUPPVzgtkADSJPtDcENB6BOf41mxMQw68J749oP5TJKziV03PmFwewQilsngRptMBLzH6lCvv1wPnPNB0EtrceFpS9qs35vcGlOnun5pm48tYDFX1InDl/s1600/207.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJXwP_eyBsM2bnjmysJ5wvnVWUPPVzgtkADSJPtDcENB6BOf41mxMQw68J749oP5TJKziV03PmFwewQilsngRptMBLzH6lCvv1wPnPNB0EtrceFpS9qs35vcGlOnun5pm48tYDFX1InDl/s200/207.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488774154670809330" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhewwjyEzgJRaJ5HcJAPc68HewGfT8QmJDtz5YlT8ail_D7FPguCtQ755L-S6wwuQvQ5l_bPZ7_VpPRbudeo05rYDTX3sKLi6NWXLHiQvpDRytaS4NV4CyNck_oDJvPRJmFBug40TjNWNhj/s1600/206.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhewwjyEzgJRaJ5HcJAPc68HewGfT8QmJDtz5YlT8ail_D7FPguCtQ755L-S6wwuQvQ5l_bPZ7_VpPRbudeo05rYDTX3sKLi6NWXLHiQvpDRytaS4NV4CyNck_oDJvPRJmFBug40TjNWNhj/s200/206.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488774144303012306" /></a><br /><br /><br />Who would have believed that my sweet baby girl would be nine years old today? Katie Beth celebrated her birthday tonight by taking 1st place in the 1 meter and 3 meter diving boards at her dive meet. We were so proud of her!<br />Katie Beth has brought so much laughter and love to our family the last 9 years. She was the answer to our prayer 9 years ago. Tonight, our prayer for her is that she will seek God's will in every aspect of her life. Katie Beth is such a joy and delight. We couldn't have asked for a more precious daughter! <br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p>The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-5493344688422327912010-05-09T19:36:00.000-07:002010-05-09T19:40:26.023-07:00HELP!I need help from anyone that can help me upload some video. Computers are not my thing! I am trying to get video of Katie Beth diving uploaded to this blog. Please let me know how to do it!! Thanks!<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p>The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-83172096424101701032010-03-22T19:39:00.000-07:002010-03-22T20:17:39.968-07:0010 YEARS AGO!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdOpPCURcRi2l-9HI2Rzs7lQIC8xGRXccDSPCpHx7TXHgcPSOuddjvS0NECkQATbxyOVjSnZCU-gBh1PcB9-slRkCChy8NWXM3bVHbNNh8dT1nRqXpFGK6uK4-kuVU7VPmPuFTpwT0cBn/s1600-h/095.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdOpPCURcRi2l-9HI2Rzs7lQIC8xGRXccDSPCpHx7TXHgcPSOuddjvS0NECkQATbxyOVjSnZCU-gBh1PcB9-slRkCChy8NWXM3bVHbNNh8dT1nRqXpFGK6uK4-kuVU7VPmPuFTpwT0cBn/s200/095.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451662675911796802" /></a><br /> <strong>HAPPY BIRTHDAY!</strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLs_-M9TJ-_bg3nO4hT0pQK9fNgrahMR1VSqBB1SvJLEwycZ8MeIk5445q67ROOgWQ3F2t8dRHHhVBE1_bGUOLP-otAR4up9l3RZnc2m4HS_vMKdj0yyipuWAUxOB8emGljjWS7HXYHcw/s1600-h/088.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLs_-M9TJ-_bg3nO4hT0pQK9fNgrahMR1VSqBB1SvJLEwycZ8MeIk5445q67ROOgWQ3F2t8dRHHhVBE1_bGUOLP-otAR4up9l3RZnc2m4HS_vMKdj0yyipuWAUxOB8emGljjWS7HXYHcw/s200/088.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451662664931641410" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitAVkUe8nSW5iuoiMKxvYmYHDB0xZHFNU8wh8F0YdRASoQhTWFnc4fieEASonFl1VogrnzwBHCTeMw3BKUeSPAFpp5glCpU_p5gPkciV7ke4muwf3hRtRXh-OnCaywePHcR01sYyMH4Sdg/s1600-h/085.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitAVkUe8nSW5iuoiMKxvYmYHDB0xZHFNU8wh8F0YdRASoQhTWFnc4fieEASonFl1VogrnzwBHCTeMw3BKUeSPAFpp5glCpU_p5gPkciV7ke4muwf3hRtRXh-OnCaywePHcR01sYyMH4Sdg/s200/085.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451662655803565522" /></a><br /><br />10 years ago today, I woke up and prayed that I would get pregnant.<br />10 years ago today, I woke up and prayed that God would please answer the desires of my heart.<br />10 years ago today, I woke up and prayed that God would somehow give me a baby.<br />10 years ago today, I didn't really expect the answer to change or anything to happen.<br />10 years ago today, I didn't wake up expecting the best from God, but God looked past my weakness and began to let His plan unfold.<br />10 years ago today, I watched as God himself, orchestrated a miracle in our lives!<br />10 years ago today, I received a phone call at work, telling us about a baby to be born in 2 hours!<br />10 years ago today, Mike and I became parents to our precious Daniel!<br />10 years ago today, I couldn't imagine our baby being 10 years old!<br /><br />Today, Daniel turned 10. It has been an amazing 10 years for Mike and I! We have loved every single minute of parenting. 10 years later, we give thanks everyday to God for the two blessings that He has given us. It is amazing to watch Daniel change and grow. One of the biggest blessings is watching as he learns about God and the life God wants him to live.<br /><br />Last night, we sat with Daniel and told him the story about him joining our family. He thought we were funny as we explained how crazy we were until we saw him two days later! It was a great time for him to hear his story again and for us to explain, yet again, how much he is loved!<br /><br />So, tonight, 10 years later, I am hopeful for another blessing that God can bring into our family.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p><br />The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-9679546781435355702010-02-14T17:20:00.000-08:002010-02-14T17:56:53.006-08:00VALENTINE'S DAY<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9CpBZRGZ-4nuVsT1qbZZ3vO6hb7QaSOjrSVyjYkJ7b5hCKw5oai0UVwUeIsEKAtRclUPeHcjcJruCCEbIDWxKa9-kT6dWT57KZOLYEyxi38rHTgTK8RBVThL-u6AsWUxrLJAe2Nh-RdU/s1600-h/swim+meet+018.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9CpBZRGZ-4nuVsT1qbZZ3vO6hb7QaSOjrSVyjYkJ7b5hCKw5oai0UVwUeIsEKAtRclUPeHcjcJruCCEbIDWxKa9-kT6dWT57KZOLYEyxi38rHTgTK8RBVThL-u6AsWUxrLJAe2Nh-RdU/s200/swim+meet+018.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438283219379290018" /></a><br /><br />I have had a GREAT day with my 3 valentines! We were suppose to be in Mississippi the whole weekend, seeing my family and the children playing with their cousins. Sometimes, plans don't really workout. Katie Beth got sick and Mississippi was under a winter storm warning. We never dreamed that the weather in Mississippi would cause travel problems for us! Daniel was the most disappointed of us all, since Mississippi is one of his very favorite places.<br /><br />We have had a great weekend together, even though we didn't go out of town. All 4 of us have gone shopping together and out to dinner for Valentine's Day on Friday night. On Saturday, Daniel's basketball team won and the Jayhawks did too. We played Mario brothers together, made homemade pizza, and Daniel and Katie Beth helped me make chocolate covered strawberries. Today, we went to church and then we have all been in our PJ's since we got home. It is very cold and we have loved staying inside! Once again today we all played Mario Brothers and Katie Beth and Mike painted some pottery that we had made earlier. Mike did beat the pants off of me when we were playing Scrabble! I am trying to forget about that!!<br /><br />Today, I am truly in love with all three of these wonderful people! Michael is my true love, the love of my life, that is always there for me and the children. He is the one that loves me all of the time, makes me laugh, and keeps my uptight personality in check. Michael gives all of us his time and his heart. For these reasons and many others, he will always be my Valentine.Even though we didn't go out for Valentine's Day, I know how much I am loved and hope he knows how wonderful and loved that he is. <br /><br />Daniel is my first child, love of my life. I would say there is nothing like being a mother to a boy, but there is also nothing like being a mother to a girl! I am in love with Daniel because of his sweet personality, the way he takes everything so literally, the way he loves his family, and because he will do anything to make someone else happy. Daniel always exhibits the "I'm Third" spirit! For these reasons and many others he will always be my Valentine!<br /><br />Katie Beth is my second child, love of my life. She brings me joy on a daily basis! I am in love with Katie Beth because of her excited personality, the way she can make me laugh, her love of babies, her willingness to always help, her creative side,and the many times of the day I hear "I love you!" I never have to wonder if Katie Beth is in love with me, because I hear it all of the time! For these reasons and many others, she will always be my Valentine!<br /><br />As for me, I am in love with God who has given me these wonderful Valentines and so many more blessings in life. God is gracious, kind and good all the time. <br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p><br />The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-22473564287310429472010-01-30T12:02:00.000-08:002010-01-30T12:39:36.544-08:00DIVE MEET<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJpzvUaHSzVk053P2wIsLCB4DjTXGkp13-RoYwDIGcXmF-Y3olBZZ1GgCEv05idA4mEbtdnwlZv2JMFXdd12oJOq6acXFFt0ceWyf3Axbnlg9bL-5c-yFKvH-0LeH-4Bsp7BehNDTPJrk/s1600-h/023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJpzvUaHSzVk053P2wIsLCB4DjTXGkp13-RoYwDIGcXmF-Y3olBZZ1GgCEv05idA4mEbtdnwlZv2JMFXdd12oJOq6acXFFt0ceWyf3Axbnlg9bL-5c-yFKvH-0LeH-4Bsp7BehNDTPJrk/s200/023.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432632471255609346" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pvdgp9YpWwj-JYv-n_-OeE82Uf477EXJOqrFbncVchKmrLS96nVI-7X30_YsYEDt9HL0lp-cPaDDK4FfPI39eKmKwKop2qHwEGM2CcUzCO3OOhs3mj4ulXxrzSDDsqujnhONnB_2Wgta/s1600-h/020.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pvdgp9YpWwj-JYv-n_-OeE82Uf477EXJOqrFbncVchKmrLS96nVI-7X30_YsYEDt9HL0lp-cPaDDK4FfPI39eKmKwKop2qHwEGM2CcUzCO3OOhs3mj4ulXxrzSDDsqujnhONnB_2Wgta/s200/020.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432632465369759986" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjteY6RAymNCr4fmZ8Tdfro7lUm2HvAnC5oMUyOrPRWhYWYthQLYNPqfMV3sg4h55QLnnlikAPzzyzV8xqchGsFMqspBVxqMTGEyt0yhmbiuOwRbwDzLGobIIITZVOU-8fFaoLAbwfNIVxb/s1600-h/009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjteY6RAymNCr4fmZ8Tdfro7lUm2HvAnC5oMUyOrPRWhYWYthQLYNPqfMV3sg4h55QLnnlikAPzzyzV8xqchGsFMqspBVxqMTGEyt0yhmbiuOwRbwDzLGobIIITZVOU-8fFaoLAbwfNIVxb/s200/009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432632459630994050" /></a><br />Today was Katie Beth's first dive meet. She was very excited this morning, but grew nervous as the time to compete got closer! This was also our first dive meet. Mike and I are learning all of this right along side Katie Beth, as all we know is that Greg Luganis hit his head very hard during the Olympics!! Katie Beth loves dive team and we are very excited to have found something that she loves! I will tell you that watching a dive meet is VERY, VERY HOT! It is very warm on the pool deck! Mike wore shorts, even though it was only 17 degress when we left home this morning!<br /><br />The dive meet was great and Katie Beth took 1st place in her age division! She was thrilled and we were super excited for her! She informed me that she loves dive team even more now! These are some pictures of Katie Beth diving and on the award stand this morning!<br /><br />There is no news on the adoption front, except that we keep being contacted by scammers. It is so sad that there are individuals that will do this to people. The sad thing is that I am not even excited when I see that we have an email about adoption. I now just immeadiately think everyone is trying to scam us about adoption. I do know that this isn't true, but sometimes you think it is! <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p><br />The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-7002479015984516132010-01-19T19:02:00.000-08:002010-01-19T19:23:04.698-08:00COUPONS!!!!!This post is not about adoption or about my two children. Some of you may know and some may not know, but over the last 9 months I have become a serious couponer. I started out small, but now I take my coupons very seriously. I was hooked the first time I got free toothpaste!!! So, over the last nine months I have learned how to get great deals with internet coupons, clipping coupons, and by reading blogs about couponing. I have been able to cut our grocery bills at least in half! <br /><br />My latest goal was to eat from our pantry for the month of January. I wasn't sure how we would do, but worst case scenario was that I would have to go grocery shopping. I had several meals frozen in the frezzer and our pantry was pretty well stocked. I decided that I would only buy fruit, dairy, bread and mine and Mike's pop. Well, there are only 11 days left in January and we have done great! The snack foods and boxes of cereal are running low, but I think we are going to make it!!!<br /><br />I did go to the grocery store and buy grated cheese. Hy-vee was having a sale on kra.ft grated cheese this weekend. After the coupon that printed out I was able to get 5 bags of cheese for $1!!!!!! It was a limit of 5 per customer, so I took the whole family to the store with me on Saturday and Sunday. In total we were able to get 40 bags of grated cheese to put in the freezer. I am hoping that this will last us most of the year. So far this month I have only spent $78.48 on food and that includes my year's supply of cheese.<br /><br />Mike and I are going to San Antonio for the weekend with just the two of us. It is near 70 degrees there and I CAN'T Wait!!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p><br />The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-55407691820157865522009-12-30T19:31:00.000-08:002009-12-30T20:23:42.194-08:00CHRISTMAS 2009<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCFiJVuD8KTph4BrUKcMHJmXRAwu7Vsaq8SX-iK6FA5FqrJGRzqB-h-n3pC8Sw5k0IZ0y8-ARcgmeqKs1CSsFgaOVDDee5pWMFntW0HhnGB5oiwkJkQ4KEteDUWeHZcL2cZ6V6j7SnW-k/s1600-h/Chrisymas+2009+192.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCFiJVuD8KTph4BrUKcMHJmXRAwu7Vsaq8SX-iK6FA5FqrJGRzqB-h-n3pC8Sw5k0IZ0y8-ARcgmeqKs1CSsFgaOVDDee5pWMFntW0HhnGB5oiwkJkQ4KEteDUWeHZcL2cZ6V6j7SnW-k/s200/Chrisymas+2009+192.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421251112931660194" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPvTQs22L8d-Ue-6CIt2ZCyqg22xbV6PxujzBNZ3gbh7iM8Lcm4ZSruwg4KzBMTdG350siIRxuhUcNWQUaUrp9KqjSMOFIJ2RFb24zCNCgADoT4E8Zg80s7NWYo2kx1zkwWhwZOKt00gL-/s1600-h/Chrisymas+2009+038.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPvTQs22L8d-Ue-6CIt2ZCyqg22xbV6PxujzBNZ3gbh7iM8Lcm4ZSruwg4KzBMTdG350siIRxuhUcNWQUaUrp9KqjSMOFIJ2RFb24zCNCgADoT4E8Zg80s7NWYo2kx1zkwWhwZOKt00gL-/s200/Chrisymas+2009+038.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421249757178381858" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgu9jJs6es4Cwk9vGFx563LAZLT4zEHPPaj3nIrHCCogFV5Vboc6gFfKXTvlaroU44FOW-OQ00wRqw7KizeS9ILWgALcu1IVBTLQy2X6YEH9f3OYPWETx2AVQqR6Coh_yoplSfv93uprp/s1600-h/Chrisymas+2009+016.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgu9jJs6es4Cwk9vGFx563LAZLT4zEHPPaj3nIrHCCogFV5Vboc6gFfKXTvlaroU44FOW-OQ00wRqw7KizeS9ILWgALcu1IVBTLQy2X6YEH9f3OYPWETx2AVQqR6Coh_yoplSfv93uprp/s200/Chrisymas+2009+016.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421245116363324290" /></a><br />It has been a long time since I have updated, so I will cover some things that are going on in our family. We had a great Thanksgiving spending it with my Mom and Mike's family. We worked at packing meals for the less fortunate in the morning and spent lunch with Mike's famliy. My Mom and I temporarily lost our minds and went out shopping at Midnight. I am not a night owl at all, but I was a trooper and made it until 3:00 pm the next afternoon!!!! We won't do that again, but we did have a good time.<br /><br />We haven't had anymore contacts about adoption. We are trying to be patient and know that God's timing is the best. I have become a little anxious over the last few weeks about no one contacting us, but God has gotten my attention and put things back into focus for me. Mike is forever patient and a good example for me to follow!<br /><br />December was very busy with the holidays approaching, but I love this time of year. We are forever grateful for Daniel and Katie Beth and our Christmas card talked about the unspeakable joy that they bring us everyday! God showed me that even if our family only includes these two children, that we couldn't be more blessed. I hope and pray for another child, but life is good for the blessings He has already bestowed.<br /><br />Christmas came and brought a major snowstorm to our Midwest town. My Mom, my brother and his family were all staying with us. We had a great time being snowed in and having a very relaxing Christmas. Daniel and Katie Beth had a wonderful time and were so excited about every aspect of the Christmas season. It is fabulous to watch them overjoyed when they open gifts and see their presents! Since we had a white Christmas, we also had fun playing in the snow. It snowed for four days in a row! This was the first time that we had spent Christmas with my nieces and they added a lot of excitement for Christmas morning. All four of the children had a great time playing in the snow on Christmas Day! The only disappointment was that church was cancelled on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve morning we did a scavenger hunt that a friend had given me for the children to find their Christmas presents from Grandma. It was a big hit with the kids as they found their presents in the freezer, the bathtub, and the garage! This will probably become a yearly tradition!<br /><br />2009 has been a great year for our family! We have gotten to travel, spend time with family, and watch the children be involved in many activities. We are very excited to see what 2010 holds for our family. We pray that a baby will be a part of 2010 and we pray that daniel and Katie Beth will continue to grow in their walk with God and be happy and healthy children. We hope 2010 is a wonderful year for all of you! <br /><br />The pictures are from Christmas or the couple of weeks before Christmas!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p><br /><em></em>The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-65060748911420260272009-11-13T07:10:00.000-08:002009-11-13T07:26:51.033-08:00UPDATES SINCE AUSTRIAThings have been busy at our house since we got home from Austria. The flight home was a little long. After we flew from Vienna to Amsterdam, we got on our flight back to the US and sat for 3 hours before taking off. Needless to say, after spending 12.5 hours on the plane we were ready to get off! The children were troopers and we were so proud of them!<br /><br />Once we got home it was back to the routine. Football has ended and basketball has started for Daniel. He loves them both! Katie Beth is loving dive team. She has practice 2 nights a week, but she would like to go more often! She has learned a ton already.<br /><br />We had a 3rd contact right after we got back from Austria. We would have loved to adopt the child, but we are pretty sure that it was a scam. We are praying that people will only contact us if they are truly placing a child for adoption and not trying to scam us. There are some days that I feel anxious about all of this and just wish that we would hurry up and be matched. Most days I feel at peace about the whole thing. I do know from the adoption of our two precious children that we have at home, that God's timing is perfect. I don't want to do this on my time schedule, but rather God's time schedule! So, when I am feeling anxious I pray for patience and peace. Thankfully, God meets me right where I am and provides the peace that I so desperately need at that moment!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p><br />The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-35837042075967801162009-10-15T00:53:00.000-07:002009-10-15T00:57:37.682-07:00Update form AustriaIt is Thursday morning here in Vienna nad it is SNOWING!!! Daniel & Katie Beth are very excited. Let me tell you, we don't have appropriate clothing for this weather! According to the 10 day forecast before we left it was suppose to be 50's & 60's. We have to walk to get anywhere. Yesterday was very cold and it looks that way for today as well! We are headed home in the morning! Even though we have had a great time, home is always the best place to be! We have all been in amazement at the beauty of God's great big world!<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p><br />The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-86128082541725749942009-10-13T08:20:00.000-07:002009-10-13T08:35:07.368-07:00Austria Day 5<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFs9eHpBKCGkXxHWDBnd6WeyCWrQcnPNku76ILn2KU5VdbcW7VeZ26i_Sb01V7pAdB_cxyV-Ko9lr8c8ZyQkVVhbP-lnMSpvqI_4IXE_NWRU-ylZHcJreFFdQ3BG2m6ttai_T9MNCTHZvW/s1600-h/Oct+12,+2009+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFs9eHpBKCGkXxHWDBnd6WeyCWrQcnPNku76ILn2KU5VdbcW7VeZ26i_Sb01V7pAdB_cxyV-Ko9lr8c8ZyQkVVhbP-lnMSpvqI_4IXE_NWRU-ylZHcJreFFdQ3BG2m6ttai_T9MNCTHZvW/s200/Oct+12,+2009+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392107447041626194" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxiTnYGC7UthsgIFClu_nkJFf6tsNKj5BcejhcrN8KKWnAYqzeMMEJNsyIp1etZ1BOXbapm1KFHGl-5qSvx7QXCI9nJgrsbmMMCdQ0WOYfhnB_b9NdJk9FsSgsFuZwnGt91fQKEM5HtJi/s1600-h/Oct+12,+2009+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxiTnYGC7UthsgIFClu_nkJFf6tsNKj5BcejhcrN8KKWnAYqzeMMEJNsyIp1etZ1BOXbapm1KFHGl-5qSvx7QXCI9nJgrsbmMMCdQ0WOYfhnB_b9NdJk9FsSgsFuZwnGt91fQKEM5HtJi/s200/Oct+12,+2009+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392107438877744434" /></a><br /><br /><br />We went swimming agai this morning while Mike was a his conference. We ordered Katie Beth a boiled egg this morning for breakfast, but here they bring them with runny yolks. My picky eater would have nothing to do with that egg! We went to the Hofburg Palace this afternoon. It was not as impressive as the royal family's summer home. The Lippizaner Stallions had already quit practicing for the day. It was sort of a maze and hard to get around at this palace. The children weren't that impressed! It was freezing outside today and the wind was blowing. It snowed in the mountains last night! After wandering through the palace grounds, we decided to go on a city tour by carriage. Daniel & Katie Beth both loved this!<br />Tomorrow we are going to try the European railways and go to the little town of Krems to explore. It is only an hour ride and we can spend the day in the town before returning home in the evening. We have decided not to go to Prague or Budapest because they are so far away and the children aren't really up to another long bus ride. Actually, neither are we!! The pictures are from the carriage ride this afternoon!<br />Flat iron update! The front desk manager brought me her flat iron on Sunday evening and is letting me keep it until I check out Friday morning. She has gone above and beyond the call of duty and we plan on letting the Marriott know what a great job she has done! It may seem odd that I am using hair appliances from someone that I don't know, but I was desperate and she seemed very clean!<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p><br />The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-69897097157989756262009-10-12T12:20:00.000-07:002009-10-12T12:28:28.573-07:00Austria Day 4<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8W5Q68aB8CfoJSGflotxZSbBMXCIM9N2Ae8AIyhTvfzPTE7Ps5HEz9BxPUFRtpy1jrzXP3bUzGPejel4T9Ugri2-l6TzESlmIMsc8z_NalcuDNeDVl0XFNOpEvmaO-bVoKUz8iFk6OZsK/s1600-h/Oct+12,+2009+004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8W5Q68aB8CfoJSGflotxZSbBMXCIM9N2Ae8AIyhTvfzPTE7Ps5HEz9BxPUFRtpy1jrzXP3bUzGPejel4T9Ugri2-l6TzESlmIMsc8z_NalcuDNeDVl0XFNOpEvmaO-bVoKUz8iFk6OZsK/s200/Oct+12,+2009+004.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391797493753748802" /></a><br /><br /><br />Today was a lazy day! Mike had to leave for his conference by 7:30am, so the children and I slept until 10:30, missed breakfast and went straight to the pool. After Mike came back, we went back to St. Stephen's Cathedral, did the tour and then climbed the South Tower. 343 steps later, we were at the top and about to have a heart attck from all of the steps!!! We thought the way down would be easier, but it is a dark, narrow spiral staircase and it made all of us a little nervous going down with no handrails! Daniel even shared that his armpits were sweaty and it was very cold and rainy here today! We made it to the bottom where we immeadiately needed a snack and a Coke Zero! Afterwards, we took the subway to Prater Park, which is an amusement park. The children rode some rides and had a great time. We probably walked 2 miles in search of a place for dinner. I thought Daniel & Katie Beth may revolt if we wouldn't have found a spot after all of that walking. The picture today is from the South Tower about 3/4th's of the way up.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p><br />The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-62176103122982117872009-10-12T12:11:00.000-07:002009-10-12T12:20:10.077-07:00Austria Day 3 - Salzburg<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMce6a9d_9I_qvl7sWQtr7sxgv9NxF2kG8CtqFzkfi5bq_315pN62NiJEUiPgaMl_QvNR7I_ZRIPisbNCXgts1w9oIbJMjv89ikAf7vCmhZ2rGZc8eNCAOgB3tLv5wCdokLbq2WPZNgWpp/s1600-h/Oct+12,+2009+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMce6a9d_9I_qvl7sWQtr7sxgv9NxF2kG8CtqFzkfi5bq_315pN62NiJEUiPgaMl_QvNR7I_ZRIPisbNCXgts1w9oIbJMjv89ikAf7vCmhZ2rGZc8eNCAOgB3tLv5wCdokLbq2WPZNgWpp/s200/Oct+12,+2009+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391795344017403730" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF5O5-SDGVDtSufFUyW0gk4A4qmjOQzFrd8ioxLt3KRHV4TVkZHfCcDbYUL2sGkm9IadgSNhIiKf6ACqyBj6GOzvcdOiOnJjwPwVDv6DDDnOfry5Ylo0tulql0q_AFqEXo5vMbEHJ2Eh26/s1600-h/Oct+12,+2009+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF5O5-SDGVDtSufFUyW0gk4A4qmjOQzFrd8ioxLt3KRHV4TVkZHfCcDbYUL2sGkm9IadgSNhIiKf6ACqyBj6GOzvcdOiOnJjwPwVDv6DDDnOfry5Ylo0tulql0q_AFqEXo5vMbEHJ2Eh26/s200/Oct+12,+2009+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391795338241337330" /></a><br /><br /><br />We went to Salzburg today on a tour bus. It was a beautiful trip. On the way there the bus stopped at the lake district of Salzburg, and we were blown away at how beautiful it was. The Alps were the background to these fabulous lakes! Salzburg was charming. We saw Mozart's birthplace and some of his original musical pieces. The children had their pictures taken at several sites where The Sound of Music was filmed. The bus ride was very long and I don't think we are going to do anymore tours. We are going to try the train on Wednesday!<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p><br />The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-90764187261413338402009-10-10T13:06:00.000-07:002009-10-10T13:30:09.508-07:00Day 2 in Austria<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_GUwsqmmXf7WEozpciAPQEdxNKIcjP1yiIYEbzgwhP8S4NqkZmA-kTp6oyNe1ExGs546fKT9f1E0eu0Y7XfBoEzSkfbqf0jC8Es2AjEoI6Lnh1YeqaUQ5SuGJYwaSqfHZUJq5d1gW0YF/s1600-h/Oct.+10,+2009+003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_GUwsqmmXf7WEozpciAPQEdxNKIcjP1yiIYEbzgwhP8S4NqkZmA-kTp6oyNe1ExGs546fKT9f1E0eu0Y7XfBoEzSkfbqf0jC8Es2AjEoI6Lnh1YeqaUQ5SuGJYwaSqfHZUJq5d1gW0YF/s200/Oct.+10,+2009+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391071192164760530" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-d3sZgUvD2tseC_i-rnPQIua1lCm7lRMYzTMkVowgJ-JzKLDqvL_wftvkWjcU0k-08pFmjTUeeWGhI_TlxTonBYzHhIowuJA1QpyKJQK6uv-JT5W_nFkrUz5oeXHvWt2-NVXQqFxHA6V/s1600-h/Oct.+10,+2009+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-d3sZgUvD2tseC_i-rnPQIua1lCm7lRMYzTMkVowgJ-JzKLDqvL_wftvkWjcU0k-08pFmjTUeeWGhI_TlxTonBYzHhIowuJA1QpyKJQK6uv-JT5W_nFkrUz5oeXHvWt2-NVXQqFxHA6V/s200/Oct.+10,+2009+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391071184707143042" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ZDGeaMAKvzUJkdybX4RNK6EWBJ4MuDiCbhQOECNFbz9uBjQzsXMweQZ-47aeZB6HNhKf-8OSbzcMlH7KKzWV89p-nDOQv4Zl7KiSZZNYyoGwrQyHwtOgRlmblR9Db2_IyI09TMRHlEKy/s1600-h/Oct.+10,+2009+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ZDGeaMAKvzUJkdybX4RNK6EWBJ4MuDiCbhQOECNFbz9uBjQzsXMweQZ-47aeZB6HNhKf-8OSbzcMlH7KKzWV89p-nDOQv4Zl7KiSZZNYyoGwrQyHwtOgRlmblR9Db2_IyI09TMRHlEKy/s200/Oct.+10,+2009+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391071172478325890" /></a><br /><br /><br />We were late sleepers this morning. We finally got Daniel & Katie Beth up about 10:00am. We only made it to Schonbrunn Palace today. It was huge! We spent hours touring the palace and the grounds. The children couldn't imagine that being their home. It was the summer home of the Austrian royalty for many years. We didn't get back to the hotel until almost 6:00pm. We took our 1st subway ride today and didn't get lost! We are off to Salzburg at 7:00am. We can't wait to see the home of Mozart!<br /><br />I still have been unable to replace my flat iron. I bought one today for $75, but it has the wrong plug on it, so I can't use it at home. I returned it once I realized this. The concerige is going to bring hers from home tomorrow afternoon and let me borrow it because there is nothing open here on Sunday!!!! She is my favorite person right now! All of the pictures are from today at Schonbrunn.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p><br />The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-12958999041122186462009-10-09T12:01:00.000-07:002009-10-09T12:24:07.250-07:00We are Here!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh795lnr1XxRrK1BU6qlWj8L7b-e1Jq3H-gj633qebEWEmuJ8itNqJvfp4SFhLmMGhy86Mz3cmyCPkLsCi_SUv9JE7VxUa8423WacotquKe2Hg6167Iz94FRJNNrtySU2BBFVFSWMUYs-rk/s1600-h/Oct+9,+2009+003.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh795lnr1XxRrK1BU6qlWj8L7b-e1Jq3H-gj633qebEWEmuJ8itNqJvfp4SFhLmMGhy86Mz3cmyCPkLsCi_SUv9JE7VxUa8423WacotquKe2Hg6167Iz94FRJNNrtySU2BBFVFSWMUYs-rk/s200/Oct+9,+2009+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390681533938202818" /></a><br /> Dinner in our cute little booth!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkeq1iKlsnYrH7HMbmS31UwM1-1YRDx03U8tF1guXu9hDLQP8hSFkr8PL4QKTLqE0chPE8DrzpdC8L6Zf5IwP6fcjcGXILfBNzAxjCRgyhq-mDFIPaC-rMT5RTKeE_PrVuTujCRgw7KY9/s1600-h/Oct+9,+2009+002.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkeq1iKlsnYrH7HMbmS31UwM1-1YRDx03U8tF1guXu9hDLQP8hSFkr8PL4QKTLqE0chPE8DrzpdC8L6Zf5IwP6fcjcGXILfBNzAxjCRgyhq-mDFIPaC-rMT5RTKeE_PrVuTujCRgw7KY9/s200/Oct+9,+2009+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390681524677974658" /></a><br /> Daniel, Katie Beth, & Myself in Vienna<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCM7yVyUfp_aZU_jUdok546wkiPowMqLrkO7NvcySriVfJlFskVk1FhxhqeoGSI2xPIN3qBAGDxk28tVxuCS5ZVLezj1Fla_v4FOIPXLENgrRXJZP1qG9UTxwgb5WBxfd4n9Y09DlN0kZ/s1600-h/Oct+9,+2009+001.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCM7yVyUfp_aZU_jUdok546wkiPowMqLrkO7NvcySriVfJlFskVk1FhxhqeoGSI2xPIN3qBAGDxk28tVxuCS5ZVLezj1Fla_v4FOIPXLENgrRXJZP1qG9UTxwgb5WBxfd4n9Y09DlN0kZ/s200/Oct+9,+2009+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390681516546795186" /></a><br /> Mike, Daniel, & Katie Beth @ St. Stephan's Cathedral<br /><br />After about 18 hours of traveling we finally made it to Vienna! The children were wonderful. Katie Beth got a little restless about the last 2 hours of our flight across the ocean, but other than that the trip was very easy! We arrived at 2:00 am our time in the States, so we went to the hotel and slept for 3 hours and then everyone seemed ready to go exploring. We walked all over, saw St. Stephan's Cathedral and had some dinner. The cathedral was amazing! The restaurant that we had dinner at was very charming and the chocolate cake and apple strudel were fabulous! I am going to post more pictures, but I have no idea where they are going to show up on this page. Kellie has promised some lessons when I return home!<br /><br />The only catastrophe so far is that my Chi iron stopped working. All of you with frizzy hair know that I may not be able to post pictures of myself after today unless we figure out a solution to this problem!!!<br /><br />Tomorrow we are off to see a Castle, the largest Ferris Wheel in Austria, and maybe the Lipizzaner Stallions! <br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p><br />The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-76576631399226076762009-10-08T11:26:00.000-07:002009-10-08T11:48:16.897-07:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKt5t-dfPUgrj-W-xm-8oJFr-_xL_oPxcKN969KE2nZudy45V6bukPYWE2LU7OQTbtsiehC1MwJBNPs-TDlAh03SVh2EZT6ez0spX-WmIIxCSbnmnz3iEXuDJcaUi299xJiup2t3aGKsRK/s1600-h/IMG_5126%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKt5t-dfPUgrj-W-xm-8oJFr-_xL_oPxcKN969KE2nZudy45V6bukPYWE2LU7OQTbtsiehC1MwJBNPs-TDlAh03SVh2EZT6ez0spX-WmIIxCSbnmnz3iEXuDJcaUi299xJiup2t3aGKsRK/s200/IMG_5126%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390302616693185250" /></a><br />On Our Way!!!<br /><br />We are on on our way! The children are so excited and were great on the first flight. We are in Detroit, waiting on our flight to Amsterdam. The picture below is from this morning at the airport! More updates to come. If there is no picture, then I couldn't figure out how to do it!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p><br />The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-9819283117047317852009-10-04T19:56:00.000-07:002009-10-04T20:06:59.497-07:00<em><strong>QUICK UPDATE</strong></em><br /><br /><br />I know it has been a week since I got home, but things have been very busy. Ecuador was great. We were able to perform 58 surgeries on children with crossed eyes. Even though we loved meeting the people and doing the surgeries it is always wonderful to be home!<br /><br />On another note: I have a prayer request. A friend of ours, AJ has been deployed to the Middle East, eventually to end up in Iraq. Please pray that AJ comes home safely and that his exposure to combat time is minimal! AJ if you are reading this, we can't wait for you to be home!<br /><br />We leave for Austria in 4 days, so my blogging time will be nonexistent between now and then. Hopefully, I will be able to post with some pictures from Austria. We are all excited and can't wait to go!<br /><br />Adoption news: We received a 2nd contact on 10/1. The birthmother is very early in her pregnancy, so we will see how things go. Right now we are committing this birthmother and her family to prayer and praying for God's guiding hand for everyone involved.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p><br />The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-546802522160669802009-09-23T17:07:00.000-07:002009-09-23T17:15:58.009-07:00<em><strong>THOUGHTS FROM ECUADOR</strong></em><br /><br />Things are going great here in Santo Domingo Ecuador! The weather is warm, the patients are adorable, and we are working hard. We have already done surgery on 44 patients with crossed eyes since 2:00 pm on Sunday. The days are long, but we are getting alot accomplished. Tomorrow is our last day to operate and we are planning on doing 15 cases tomorrow. It is wonderful to see how appreciative the families are when the they come back the next day for us to check their eyes.<br />We are hoping to go to an Orphanage on Friday morning after we have seen our post-op patients. We have extra toys and blankets to hand out at the orphanage. <br />We start home on Friday night and fly over night. We are about a three hour drive from the airport, so our day will be mostly spent traveling. Please remember our entire medical team in prayer as we travel for a safe journey home. I will hopefully post pictures when I get home!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p><br />The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-66346428915188348282009-09-18T20:18:00.000-07:002009-09-18T20:30:31.693-07:00<em><strong>Ecuador</strong></em><br />I am headed to Ecuador tomorrow. I love going and I love the work we do there, but I also hate leaving my family!!! The children that we perform eye surgery on are adorable and their parents are so appreciative. It is amazing to see how far parents will travel and how long parents and children will wait for us to see them. The children don't have tons of electronics or even toys to entertain them, but no one complains or becomes irrate with us that we are making them wait. It is definetely a change from the patients we see here in Missouri!<br /><br />Daniel and katie Beth have had a great week. They had their yearly check-ups at the doctor's office and he said that they were great! Daniel was is the 80th% for height and the 75th% for weight. Katie Beth came in a little lower, she was in the 10th% for height and the 25th% for weight. For all of you that know Katie Beth this is probably not a big surprise! The funniest thing was that she asked the doctor, "Are you saying that I am short?" I don't know where she has been, but she is by far not tall!!<br /><br />Please remember us as we travel. I will not have a computer for the next week, so I will try to post some pictures from Ecuador when I get home next week. Have a great week! <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p><br />The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3771258981765222565.post-91926171252618536662009-09-12T14:11:00.000-07:002009-09-12T14:31:04.716-07:00<strong><em>THE FIRST FOOTBALL GAME!</em></strong><br /><br />We had our first flag football game today. Daniel was convinced that we would oversleep and miss the game! He was so excited. Mike had to give a seminar this morning, so he wasn't able to be at the game. Nonnie and Aunt Nancy both came to see Daniel play. He played QB, defensive end, and some other position on the offense, but this Mama doesn't know what it was!! Daniel's team lost, but he still loved it. Katie Beth wasn't nearly as impressed with the football game, but she made it through.<br />I am leaving for Ecuador on a medical mission next Saturday. We are going to do eye surgery on children with crossed eyes. I will try to post some pictures of our work if I have computer access. <br />We are patiently waiting for another contact from a birthmother. We believe that this contact will come in God's perfect timing and we are praying for that birthmother everyday. My prayer with Daniel and Katie Beth every morning is that God will send us a birthmother that is committed to placing her baby and that God will protect Daniel and Katie Beth's hearts. It is my fear, that Daniel and Katie Beth will be hurt by a failed match. <br />Life is moving forward at a fast pace with Daniel playing football, piano lessons for both kids, homework, and dive lessons starting for Katie Beth. This Fall will be busy as I am leaving for Ecuador and all of us are going to Austria with Mike's work in October. We are all very excited, as I am the only one that has been to Europe before. We are reminding the kids that we are so blessed that God is providing us with all of these opportunities!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/kelandjosh/margaretsignature.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /></p><br />The blessings of life!http://www.blogger.com/profile/00239990712388579753noreply@blogger.com2