Our First House Guests

We were so excited to have Dan's family come visit us this weekend.  It was a whirlwind trip for them. They drove a day and a half, spent 2 days with us and are driving a day and a half home.  Originally, Dan's Mom and Nana were coming.  Then Dan's Dad decided to come.  Finally our nephew Caleb had a few days off from school so we surprised the kids.  I wish I had thought to video the reaction when Caleb and I picked the kids up from school on Friday.  Allie ran to him screaming and threw herself into his arms.  It was priceless.  Caden was equally excited, but Jaelyn was very nonchalant with a "oh, hi Caleb."  She's so funny.

Friday evening, we played at our house.  The kids had a great Nerf war.

Jaelyn even used Nana as a defense shield.  It didn't stop Daddy from shooting at her though.  Poor Nana was stuck in the crossfire.  She didn't mind.  I think she loved sitting back and watching the commotion.

Grandmother, Caden and Granddaddy

Saturday morning we took everyone to Happy Hollow to throw rocks in the river and play on the playground.  It was a beautiful fall day.

Caden and Granddaddy

Caden and Caleb

My Monkey showed off her skills on her bars while Grandmother looked on.

Nana and her little buddy

After Happy Hollow, we drove up to Miller's Cave.  I was impressed that Larry hiked down with us.  Caleb had a few falls, but he did it! :)

Jaelyn and I walked a little bit down a different path to discover Sadie Cave.  It is indeed closed up tightly as people had told us.

As soon as fall rolls around, Dan is always insistent I get pumpkins so we can carve them.  It's a big deal to him.  This year, he kept reminding me to buy them so "Dad could carve them with the kids."  I always thought it was so important to him because it was a cherished childhood memory - wrong.  It's important to him because it was a memory missed.  Larry says he's never carved a pumpkin, until Saturday, that is.  I'm thrilled to report that Dan now has a memory of carving pumpkins with his dad.  The funny thing is for this "kids oriented activity," the kids were in the living room watching cartoons.

After a yummy lunch at Ruby Tuesday's, the family is on the road heading home.  Thank you so much for coming.  We loved having you and would love to have you visit again some time.

A New Fashion Accessory

A few weeks ago, Allie told me she couldn't see the board in school so off to the eye doctor we went.  {Tangent, I did not know Tricare covered one eye exam a year.  No one has ever told me.  I've never read it in the Tricare book and yes, I have read most of the Tricare book.  Thank you to the wonderful nurse that told me.  I've been paying for my own eye exams for the last 15 years when I didn't have to.  Arghh.}  Anyway, I was shocked as I sat and watched Allie read the eye chart with her right eye.  She couldn't see it until she got to the line below the big E.  Her left eye has been compensating for her right.  Of course, the left eye can not see up close so the right eye has been returning the favor and helping it out in reading.  Crazy girl and crazy eyes.  Dr. B said it is very uncommon.  He had a name for it, but I don't remember.  The only tihng that's important is that Allie got to pick out really cool purple glasses that she loves and she can now see!

Last Lunch

Something Good!

Back Next Week

Crazy week...that's the only way I can describe it.  I've volunteered everyday at the kids' school.  There have been doctor and dentist appointments and a science rain forest diorama to complete.  In between, I've tried to pick up my house and feed my family.  I don't think I've stopped except when I've been sitting in the car line to pick the kids up in the afternoon.  Today's agenda is to finish cleaning because we have company coming to visit.  I'll be back next week to tell you all about it and about Allie's new accessory - I can't believe I've never blogged about it.

Meet GracieDoodle

We've picked our puppy. She will be five weeks old tomorrow. We can get her in three more weeks!

Alone With No Person

Dan left yesterday morning for his first TDY from Ft. Leonard Wood.  With him here, I don't worry about the what-ifs of emergencies, but with him gone...there's no one here.  I've met people that I would consider acquantances, but no one that I can call a friend yet.  It's a little unsettling to not have a go to person that I can call at midnight when Allie is coughing up blood requiring a trip to the ER in an ambulance.  So, yeah, that's not going to happen again, but you know what I mean.  Would you say a little prayer for us as we survive our week without Dan?  Pray for "a person" for us for his next TDY.

My Car - The Travel Bug

Look what Dan bought me!!!  My car is officially a travel bug.  How cool is that? If you don't know what that means, check out geocaching.com.  It's such a great family oriented activity.  I had to mark out the code because you have to find my car to get credit, not just look at the picture on my blog.  Be on the look-out.  Dan told me he read a story of someone having a travel bug tattoed on his leg.  That's a tad extreme!

Lake of the Ozarks

October is turning out to be a fun month. 

We had a four day weekend for Columbus Day so we took the kids camping at Ft. Leonard Wood's LORA (Lake of the Ozark's Recreation Area).  The weather was absolutely perfect, highs in the 80s, lows in the 50s.  I know most people camp in the summer, but we are spring and fall campers.   

Someone told me there are 300 miles of coastline.  It's an odd looking lake, isn't it? 

We set up our camp and finished dinner just in time to walk to the water and watch the sun set Friday night. 

With tent camping, we normally have a "rustic site" which means we have running water.  It was only $5 more a night and they weren't booked up so we got an RV site which had running water AND...ELECTRICITY.  Pure awesomeness - especially since my dear husband has sleep apnea and sleeps with a c-pap machine.  Without it, he snores like a sick walrus.  We LIKED electricity.

There will be no marshmallow pilfering before it's time!

My mini- me.  Jaelyn loves her camera as much as I love mine.

Caden scored on driftwood.  He had a gun, a crutch and a staff.  And the best part, driftwood is hard so it doesn't break as easily.

Jaelyn and her frog.  They were everywhere hopping on the rocks.

The worst part of camping to me is bedtime (and the 2 a.m. bathroom runs with Jaelyn).  The last camping trip was horrible with crying and fighting.  This time, we brought our 3 cots.  They take up a lot of room, but the kids went to sleep nicely each night playing DSs or listening to Ipods because they each had their own space.

 Saturday, we decided to drive up to Osage Beach to see A Dolphin Tail.  If you haven't seen that movie, GO!  It was wonderful.  I want to go see it again.  While we were there, we also got to do some shopping...Yea!

Sunday, we rented a pontoon to take the kids on the water.  Apparently our kids have been deprived as this was their first boat ride.  It was so much fun.  Dan let the kids take turns driving.  We had about 8 miles of lake we were allowed to explore. 

Jaelyn liked going the fastest. She laughed and laughed when she figured out how to cross another boat's wake to make us bounce in the water.

It is a really pretty lake.  The leaves are starting to change.  It's going to be beautiful in a few weeks.  I wouldn't want to be out here in the summer though because I bet it's filled with boats flying around.  It would be kind of scary to me.  I like rules, lanes and traffic lights!

Around the camp, we rode bikes, played in the hammock, threw horse shoes and just basically hung out together.

Dan, Jaelyn and I played frisbee with 3 frisbees.  That was fun. 

And no campout would be complete without a fire, marshmallows and s'mores.

We have a weekend off this weekend and then we are getting visitors the following weekend. I learned this morning that there might be a tag-along.  But shhhhh, don't tell the kids.  It's a surprise.  We are excited!

Best Blog Post Ever

Click here to read the best blog entry I've ever read.

Did you read it?  If not, it's safe to follow I promise, follow the link and read it.  Shannae has been officially approved to receive the enzyme replacement therapy that she needs to save her life.  It's just the first step in a lifetime of treatment, but she got approved!!  Would you please keep praying?  I can only imagine how bittersweet this is...to know your daughter will get what she needs, but to have to watch her go weekly for the rest of her life.  You don't want your child to have to go through that, but at the same time, THANK THE LORD, that there is a treatment.  We are jumping up and down and praying with you, Sandi!!!!

Silver Dollar City and Long Lost Friends

I've been looking forward to this weekend since we got that nasty phone call that told us we were going to be lost in the woods for two years.  I'll back up and tell you about Becky and Denise.  I "met" Denise on-line about ten years ago on Hannah's Prayer, an online infertility ministry.  We walked through primary infertility together and eventually adopted from the same region and orphanage in Russia.  I was so blessed to get to meet Denise right before our adoption, but I haven't seen her since.  I can't really tell you when I "met" Becky.  I know it was sometime between the adoption of her two children; so maybe seven or eight years.  I "know" a lot of women online through HP and Becky has been on my top ten to meet for a long time.  Both Denise and Becky are awesome Christian women who ooze God out of their pores.  They are fun and outgoing.  It was just what I needed.

We met them in Branson at Silver Dollar City on Saturday morning.  It was so amazing to see Denise standing there looking for us.  It's awesome that through technology, I have built such good friendships.  We know each other inside and out, yet we hardly ever, if ever, get to see each other.  I was helping Allie get seconds at the buffet for lunch, when I met Becky over the pudding.  I heard "Hi Kelly."  Fun.  Even though it's the first time I've met Becky in person and the second for Denise, it was like we'd known each other forever, because we have.  We've walked the last decade together through so much junk.  There was none of that weird akwardness of meeting someone for the first time.

Our kids all got along fabulously.  Between our infertile families, we have seven children ages six to nine, six of which are adopted.  We took the kids on just about every ride in the park and only left on Saturday because the park was closing.  That night, the kids swam at the hotel pool while we waited for pizza.  We let the kids eat in one room (adjoining) and the adults got to eat and catch up in another.  Denise's husband, Heath, came, but Becky's was drilling (Active National Guard).  I'm hoping we can meet Becky's family to camp in the spring.  Becky had to go home early on Sunday, but the rest of us headed to the park again for another day of rides.  Going home was hard.   There might have been tears, but we have season passes now so we can meet our friends again anytime we want!!!

Ok, pictures...there are lots.  Deal with it.

Becky, Denise and Kelly

Will, Kaden, Abby, Allie, Jaelyn, Elaina, and Caden

The giant swings were so much fun.

Who doesn't love the teacups?  Well, Dan!  I got in trouble for taking pictures during the ride, but it was worth it to capture those smiles.

That Dumbo is one scary ride!

It was so much fun, we almost couldn't stand it.

Our favorite ride.  Abby calls it the sombrero, but that's not it's really name.  I bet we rode it 8 times.

The girls of Toliatti - Abby was a couple months old when we were there adopting the girls.  Abby's brother Will was in another orphanage in the same region.

Love this picture!

Jaelyn ran into a tree, don't ask, and got tree burn on her forehead.

Abby and Allie getting ready to ride the Powder Keg - our favorite-ist roller coaster at the park!



What's a day at a park without a funnel cake!!!

Caden and Will loved shooting targets in the flooded mine.

So, did we have fun or what????

Bread

I've always thought it would be neat to make my own bread.  I've never done it though.  Well, this summer, I sort of bought/swapped a Kitchen Aid mixer - my first ever stand mixer.  I've been using it for cookie and pizza dough.  I saw bread flour at the store yesterday morning and got inspired.  As soon as I got home, I got out the old standard checkered cookbook and found a recipe for honey wheat bread.  I had it timed perfectly so I'd pull the bread out of the oven right before I had to leave to pick up the kids from school.  Unfornately, the first rise took longer than planned so by the time the second rise was done, I didn't have time to bake it before I had to leave.  I just let it keep rising while I got the kids.  We came home to bread dough over-flowing the pans.  Allie helped me punch it back down and get it in the oven after the third rise.

Here it is baking...it smelled soooo good.

It was yummy.  The kids kept commenting how it tasted just like Longhorn's bread.  I paired it with steaks, sweet potatoes and a salad.  It was better for us then eating out at Longhorn, but I had to wash all the dishes.  They do it for you at Longhorn!  We ate almost an entire loaf.  I sliced the second loaf to use for sandwiches.  I made the kids' lunch sandwiches on it.  I can't wait to hear their reactions this afternoon.

Saturday Scavenger

A Red Traffic Light

not very creative...sorry

 Something Symmetrical

Zac's sweet face

A Fast Car

so fast that it took about 20 shots to get one with the car in the frame

A Preview to our Weekend

This weekend by far has been the highlight of our move to Missouri. 

Meet Becky and Denise:  two women I met online during one of the hardest times of our lives.  They've become real life wonderful friends and I'm so thankful to get to live near them.

We spent the weekend with these beautiful ladies and their families in Branson and had the most amazing time.  I'll tell you all about...tomorrow.  For today, I have laundry and shopping and cleaning that I have to get done.

Doodle Update

Here's our weekly picture.  Our breeder says that the puppies are so active that it's getting hard to photograph them.  She had trouble with her flash and the color is not accurate.  They are washed out and much redder then the photo.  Don't you love the fluff??