May Family

Back to Blogging

2011-03-03T16:13:00.002-06:00

I cannot believe that it has been OVER a year since I have blogged. I blame it on my involvement on Facebook. I just let Facebook take over the time I used to blog. I feel that is a shame because I use this blog as a e-journal to remember little moments in our lives that will pass us by so quickly.

A lot has happened since I last posted on this page. The first significant event was the death of my beloved Grandfather. On May 1st, 2010, I received a phone call that Grandpa had fallen and it his head, and he was on his way to the cities via a helicopter. He survived, I believe, for 10 days before he took his last breath. At this time in our lives, Josh was already moved to WI, and the kids and I were in LA. Needless to say, the kids and I hit the road by ourselves and went to MN to be at his bedside. It was important for me to be near him. I loved the relationship I had with him. I would call him and talk as if no time had past since the last time I had been home to see him. Often, I only saw him once a year. It was really difficult when our visits would come to an end, and I would know it would be so long until I would be able to see him again. Bittersweet.

His funeral was lovely. The church had said they had never seen so many arrangements at one funeral. Grandpa was loved my many. At the funeral I felt compelled to speak about my love for him. Through tear filled eyes and wavering voice, I reminisced about him. I also spoke about how we will see him again. I look forward to seeing him in heaven and letting him see the great granddaughter he never met, Moriah.

The actual trip up to MN to see Grandpa was quite a challenge. I was by myself with 5 kids. I sure felt an awesome responsibility upon my shoulders. The only time we would get out of the van was to pee and go into the hotels for the night. The rest of the time we went through the drive through windows to get out food. We would go through, I'd get the kids situated with their food, I would then nurse Moriah, feed her baby food, and then go through the drive through again to get my food. I was so happy we had so many people praying for our safety. We made it with out any lost children, no break down of the van, or me for that matter, and no accidents. I know the Lord was protecting us the whole way. I am sure, however, that Josh and my family was nervous for us. The kids were fantastic. I know they knew how serious the condition Grandpa was in, so they were extra good. However, somewhere in KS Sterling wet his car seat. By the time we got to MN we were in a nasty, sticky, stinky van!

The second big event that has taken place was our move to WI! It was a difficult time at first, being separated from Josh for four months, but we stayed behind until our house was sold. The actual drive to WI was long and tiresome, but the end result is wonderful. We are now only 5 hours away from both of our families. Josh loves his new job, and he is coming up upon his 1st year anniversary at the end of March.

We do miss our church family in LA, our house, and some fantastic neighbors, the Merrills.

Right now we are renting a villa at the Three Bears Resort in Warrens, WI. However, we are looking forward to building a home next year. We should be closing on some land for our building site in the next week and a half.

2010-02-05T16:05:00.003-06:00

November and December

2010-02-05T15:32:00.004-06:00

I am so far behind on this blog! With our house as full as it is, I find myself neglecting the blog. Anyway, November was full with Thanksgiving, Debbie's visit, and Josh's Birthday. December kept us hopping as well with Lily's various violin concerts and Christmas festivities.

Sterling's Second Birthday Oct. 12, 2009

2009-11-14T20:40:00.002-06:00

Happy late 2nd birthday to my only son, Sterling! We had Sterling's birthday celebration late due to the birth of Moriah, and we also waited until my mom came down to visit us. My mom made Sterling a monkey cake and he loved it! As most of you know, Sterling has a stuffed monkey that he cannot live without. He will ask for it by saying, "Oohh, Oohh, Aww, Aww." So cute. (That is a monkey sound for those of you who do not know!) Anyway--thank you for the gifts from the Grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles. My little man is getting too big!

Pictures of Moriah

2009-10-28T20:06:00.007-05:00

8 lbs 3ozs

Lots of hair!

Gald it is over!

Me and my girls! Sterling didn't want his picture taken...

The Arrival of Moriah Grace

2009-10-28T19:34:00.002-05:00

I am going to start with my check up on October 5th, 2009. I went to my 39th week check-up and was quite discouraged when I was waiting to be seen by my doctor. I was expecting to hear that I was not progressing. I didn't feel like that baby was settling into position like my other births. So, when I was examined, I was surprised to hear that I was dilated to 3 cm. The doctor said that he expected me to go into labor with the next day or two. I was pleasantly surprised!
Well, that night I was up all night with 'flu' like symptoms. However, I still didn't have any contractions. All day on the 6th I was miserable. Lily and Isabel were so helpful! They took care of Sterling and Ava for me. I basically packed a couple more things in my hospital bag and spent most of the day in bed. I also took a very long soak in the tub hoping I would feel better. I had a lot of abdominal pain, but nothing that felt like 'classic' contractions. Throughout the day I would call Josh and I expressed that I thought I would have the baby that day, but was concerned by the lack of strong contractions. Josh had a brief to give in the evening and he was trying to prepare it and give it to his boss to present so he could come home.
At 4 PM I knew needed him to come home. I called up to his work and I couldn't get a hold of him. I talked to some random solider who answered the phone. I asked if Josh was still there and he didn't know. I told him he needed to find out where he was because I needed him. So, he found Josh's boss and his boss had said that he was on his way home.
At 4:30 my contractions were hard and 3-5 minutes apart. Josh was still not home and it is only a 30 minute drive. I was getting worried. At 4:45 Josh came in the door. There was a car accident and it was slow going on the way home.
Now, we just needed to have one of my friends come over and stay with the other four kidos. I had three friends lined up. I called my neighbor, and she was stuck in traffic due to a PARADE in town! I called my second friend and only got her voice mail. I tried my third friend and only got her voice mail as well. So, I was FREAKING out! I send Lily down the street to see if my other neighbor was home, but she was not. I just picked up the phone to call my Pastor's wife when the phone rang and my friend Tina was on her way. Thank goodness! We left before she arrived because Lily can watch her sibling, but not for an extended period of time.
So as we were going through town--there was the parade kicking off the county fair. We knew it was going to be in town and we tried to take a 'short-cut' around it, but it was still stop and go. So a normal trip to the hospital would be 10 minutes--it turned out to be 30 minutes. Breathe, right?
When we got there I was checked in and found out I was only dilated to a 4!! I was so un-happy with that number! I was not officially a labor and delivery patient at that time. The nurse said they would monitor me for an hour and then officially check me in. The nurse was named Jackie and she remembered me from when I gave birth to Sterling. She was happy that I was a natural birth. She said she loves the women who go natural.
So, after an hour passed I was dilated to a 7!!! Yippie! My body knows how to move it! (0: In another 30 minutes I was a 10 and was ready to push! I waited as long as I could. From past experience--I know that the longer I wait to push the less pushing I would have to do. So, the doctor came in. (She had been at the fair and was on her way to Walmart when the nurses told her I was fast one and she needed to fore go Walmart.) She came in and checked me and told me that the baby was at a -2 station. NOT good! I knew I wasn't feeling right. I had been saying for days that I didn't feel that the baby was settling into my pelvis. She was also face up. Not good. However, when she broke my water Moriah turned face down and I was ready to go. Two and a half pushes later---Moriah Grace made her much anticipated debut! Love at first sight. As she came out---Josh said----I WAS WRONG! So instantly I knew we had another girl. The doctor actually almost fumbled her. I didn't stop pushing once her head came out, and I don't think she was ready for me to do that. (the doctor was awesome--Dr. Jennifer McCann---she is the sister of the doctor that delivered Sterling--small towns--gotta love em) So, Josh cut the cord and we had our precious girl. 7:23pm October the 6th 2009

Prenatal Week 38 Check-Up

2009-09-28T15:25:00.003-05:00

Today I had my 38th week check-up. It went better than the 36th week check. I still need to keep off of my feet, drink the H2O, and no salt. However, my blood pressure was okay . Unfortunately, I am not dilated or effaced. The doctor reassured my that since this is my 5th pregnancy, it doesn't matter. He said I will just 'go.' He said that if it was my first he'd say I'd still have two weeks left. That was some good news. However, I just want to be done and have the baby here.

Prenatal 36 week check-up

2009-09-14T15:46:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I had a bad prenatal check-up today. I went in thinking every thing was fine except for a little swelling. Well, my weight jumped up 5 pounds, my blood pressure was high, and I was swollen. SO, my Doc told me----NO salt, drink a GALLON of H2o every day, put my feet up for 6-8 HOURS a day, and at night. Uh, does the sentence-I-Have-four-children-at-home-who-are-home schooled-mean anything? This is going to be a challenge since I live 1,300+/- miles from any family. He said if I don't do this he expects me to have pre-eclampsia by next week. Lovely.

Ava-isms

2009-09-03T14:27:00.003-05:00

Well, Ava is at is again. She always has something funny or cute to say. A few weeks ago, Ava was looking closely at my skin. She saw the beautiful stretch marks I have acquired through five pregnancies and she said, "Mommy!! You are stripped!." Yes, in the eyes of a four year old I have stripes. Last night as we were sitting in church, Ava reaches over and starts to stroke my stomach. She looks up with her big blue eyes and says, "Mommy, I am petting the baby."

Can we change the subject, Mom?

2009-08-26T09:25:00.002-05:00

We are in the process of potty training Sterling. I have been letting him just be in cloth training pants. When I was in the kitchen making dinner, Sterling comes out and says, "Dry." I look at his pants and it is obvious that he is wet and not dry. I say,"Sterling! You are wet. Where are your pee-pees supposed to go? In the potty, Sterling. You need to go pee in your potty." He looks up at me and says, "Hug." Then he wraps his little arms around my leg. Either he was sorry for wetting his pants, or he wanted me to change the subject to something nicer--like hugs!

Vacation to MN 2009

2009-08-20T11:11:00.013-05:00

Grandma May with the kids

Biking with family

Sterling loves to swing

Josh, Azalea, and Michael

Shawn and Henry

Dan and Jack

Gabe and Caleb

Lily 10

Ava 4

Isabel 7

Sterling 21 months

My parent's 40th SURPRISE Anniversary party!

Lily, Ava, and cousin Elijah hanging out...

Caleb and my dad

Cheesy little smile from Sterling

Great Grandpa and Grandma Enga with the kids

Michael and Azalea

Michael and Naomi

Lily, Ava, and Isabel "fishing"

Shannon, Tolo, and Bela

Jonah, Jen, and Logan on the pontoon

Reno lake in the canoe...

Sterling resting with Dad after a long day in the car...

How many kids can you put in one hotel room before you get kicked out?

Well, we have been back home for nearly a week, and we miss all our family in MN so much! We had such a great time. We had fun swimming and fishing in Grandma and Papa Ron's lake. We had fun taming the wild kittens and swimming at Pelican beach with Grandma and Papa Barry. It was great to see the new nieces and nephews we hadn't met before. We had Henry, Logan, Tolo, and Naomi to meet. They were all very special. We miss you all!

Baby #5 Ultrasound 26 weeks

2009-07-11T20:57:00.002-05:00

On Monday I had an ultrasound. Everything looks good according to my doctor. Josh was able to come with for the first time. Every other time that I have had an ultrasound, Josh had been unable to come due to work constraints. It was fun to watch him see the baby. The baby was active during the procedure. We saw the baby moving his/her arm up to his/her face and he/she started to suck their thumb. It was so fun! We, once again, chose not to find out the gender of our baby. We only have 3+/- months till the arrival of this little one. Baby May #5....

Fourth of July Weekend

2009-07-08T15:15:00.005-05:00

We had a VERY busy Fourth of July weekend. It started out with Ava running a high temperature. Her temperature was between 103-104. That is normal when Ava has a fever--she tends to run hot. Well, I was going about my business cleaning out her dresser, and was hoping she'd feel better after some Motrin. However, she kept looking sicker. Josh decided to take her up to the ER. I told him to go ahead, but I was busy and was going to continue with my chores. I wanted to finish up so I'd feel good about going to the fireworks in the evening. Well, about three hours later, Josh calls me from the ER and said our pediatrician (thankfully he was in the ER that day----I really like him) wanted to admit her to the hospital overnight. I was shocked and I felt real bad that I hadn't taken her up there myself. It was Josh's first time to take any of our kids to the Er. I usually am the one who does all the doctor stuff. Well after a lot of needle pokes and peeing in cups, Ava had a severe UTI. They hooked her up to an IV with antibiotics. Around 6:30 that evening I changed shifts with Josh. (They had gone up to the ER at 11am) When I arrived she looked terrible! It was so sad to see her as white as the sheets she was lying on. I spent the night on an awful fold out chair. It is hard enough for me to be comfortable in my own bed with this pregnancy--let alone on that awful "bed." We were not discharged until the night of the 5th around 10pm. Ava was so sad that she missed the fireworks. She kept saying, "I want to go home now." Also, every time a nurse would come into the room she would say, "What are you going to do to me?" She wanted to know if she would be getting any more "pokes."

On Monday Sterling also had some X-rays of his ankle/foot. He is still limping after 10 days. I am still waiting to hear the final verdict on what needs to be done for him. He still will cry if he bears too much weight on his foot. I am starting to get upset with the nurse who is SUPPOSED to call me back. I have called up to the clinic four times and I still haven't been able to talk with the nurse.

Sterling's Sprained Ankle

2009-07-02T15:39:00.002-05:00

Sterling sprained his ankle on Sunday. While we were in church service, our number for the nursery came up. So, I went back to see what was up. My friend, Paula, was rocking a very vocal Sterling. He had slipped on a thin paper back book and had fallen just right---or I should say just wrong. Anyway, his little ankle was swollen, and he couldn't place any weight on it. It was so sad. On Monday he wouldn't crawl. I guess he was too good to crawl, but he had to be carried everywhere he wanted to go. On Tuesday he decided that crawling would be better than being parked on the couch all day. Finally, on Wednesday he could put a little bit of weight on his ankle and was limping around. He was a pitiful sight. He had his ankle in an Ace bandage and looked like he had been hobbled. He is still limping today, but it appears to be healing well.

Deep Thoughts by Ava

2009-06-23T20:28:00.000-05:00

"Sometimes boogers make my nose hurt," Ava-age 4.

Lily's 10th Birthday

2009-06-22T19:16:00.003-05:00

Today Lily is ten years old. It seems incredible that ten years ago she came into our lives. She is a very precious girl. I am afraid that she will become taller than me within the next two years. She is now 4' 6.75". Anyways, she had a nice quiet time with the family today. I make her a horse cake. She had her favorite meal, fettuccine alfredo, and she opened her presents. Thank you to all the family who sent cards and gifts. Happy Birthday, Lily! We love you.

Joys of Living in the Deep South

2009-06-20T19:57:00.003-05:00

I have had a couple of friends complaining about ants in their homes. I wish that was the worst of it for us. Nearly every time Josh mows the lawn he ends up killing a snake. Yuck! I also have been killing Black Widow spiders in the garage. One was in Sterling's jogging stroller! I was freaked out. The spider also had a wonderful egg sack along with her. GROSS!

San Antonio May 2009 pictures

2009-05-22T21:24:00.003-05:00

San Antonio May 2009

2009-05-22T20:30:00.005-05:00

Pure excitement!

Steaks Anyone?

Well, we once again went to San Antonio this last week. Josh had another class, and we came along for the fun of it! Since I home school, our schedule is flexible! (Yet, another wonderful benefit!) While Josh was at class, we swam most of the time. I was so exhausted. It was quite the feat of keeping track of all four kids with only one set of eyes. Lily and Bel swam all over. Ava thought she was invincible with her arm floaties. She would jump in the pool and loved every minute of it. Sterling was in a life jacket and at first he couldn't keep upright. The jacket kept trying to put him on his back. He did not like that! He then would roll over and get a face full of water. On our second trip down to the pool he got the hang of staying upright. He was so cute. When he paddled through the water he looked like he was peddling a bike.

The last day we were in San Antonio, we went on a drive through an animal safari. It was lots of fun. I had Sterling in my lap. I had all I could do to keep him from going out the window after the animals. On our way into the park the people there told us not to pet the animals because they are wild, but Sterling had his had right in the mouth of a mountain goat. We we able to throw food to them and Sterling thought he could place the food in the goats mouth. Half way though the safari, the sky broke loose and it rain very hard. So some of the larger game pictures didn't turn out. There were rhinos, giraffes, Wilda beasts, all kinds of deer, antelope, mountain goats, gazelles, long horned steer, buffalo, and lots of other neat creatures.

Oh, yes, once again we became sick on this vacation. We all came down with a nasty respiratory virus. It never fails!

For the Love of Care Bears!

2009-05-08T15:15:00.003-05:00

Ava has a big plush Care Bear that Sterling has confiscated. He loves to lay on top of the bear and kiss (or bite-whatever you want to call it) it's face. He needs to have it in his crib at nap and bed time. Now that makes his has-to-have-friends two now. He has a stuffed chip that he cannot do without, and now he has the bear. He will get in his bed and say, "OO-OO-AH-Ah" (for the chimp) Then he will say, "BEAR PEAZE!" (to be interpreted bear please) It is true love!

My Garden

2009-05-08T15:08:00.004-05:00

The fruits of my labor.....When I was growing up (and to this day) my mom ALWAYS had a wonderful vegetable garden. This year I finally have my own. It is so rewarding! I just finished picking my lettuce and spinach. It is so nice to go outside and grab dinner. I have watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumbers, squash, green beans, peas, tomatoes, and broccoli. It is a lot of work, but I am completely enjoying have this garden.

Conversation with Bel

2009-05-08T15:05:00.002-05:00

Isabel was deep in thought the other day. She started talking about where all of us had been born. She said, "You and Daddy were born in Minnesota. Lily was born in Texas, I was born in California, and Sterling was born in Louisiana. Mom, Ava was born in Korea, right?" I replied that she indeed was born in Korea. Then Bel said, "But Mom, if she was born in Korea, why doesn't she look like a Korean?"

San Antonio Trip April 2009

2009-04-24T14:59:00.004-05:00

Hippos!

I don't feel good!

Zoo

Ava with the map at the Botanical Garden.

Well, we had an adventure in San Antonio. Josh had a class he needed to take there, and the kids I came along for a semi-vacation. We had a lot of fun and frustration.

The frustrating part was that Sterling became sick. We arrived on Saturday, and by Saturday night he was running a 103+ temp. At first we just medicated him and went on with the trip hoping it was a fluke and he would bounce back quickly. Unfortunately, he didn't bounce back. So, around 36 hours later of a high fever and him being lethargic, I ended up taking him to the ER while Josh was at his class. I had a run around with our insurance being that we were out of state. I sure hope the 411 I received was accurate and that we aren't stuck with a huge bill. Anyways, I took Sterling to the Northeast Baptist Hospital. The hospital and the staff were FABULOUS!!! I have never been in such a beautiful hospital with such caring and attentive doctors and nurses. That was great. Anyways, Sterling had chest x-rays, blood work, and an IV. His ears were clear, his throat was fine, and his x-rays were normal. His blood work, though, showed very high white blood cell count. So, the doctor treated him for some unknown infection. He received IV antibiotics, and we had to come back the next day for two more shots of antibiotics, and on top of that he is on an oral antibiotic for the next ten days. Yikes! My poor baby is lit up with drugs. I am a little concerned about this since this is the second time in 2 months he has had an unknown infection with a high white cell count. Hopefully, this is only a freak coincidence.

Okay, on to the good things. We went to a botanical garden, the river walk, the Alamo, outlet malls, and the zoo. We had a great time. We walked the kids till they dropped. (I felt like dropping too) At the botanical gardens, Ava was a hoot. She has a fear of public restrooms. (Who doesn't) She will not go potty unless I force her and convince her that the toilet won't flush too loudly. Sometimes, I have to spank her so she will go potty. She will hold it for hours hoping to make it home first. So, when we went to the garden we received a map of all the displays. Ava proudly held it and proceeded to pick out all the bathrooms on the route. She kept telling us where we needed to turn to go to a bathroom. As we were walking she held my hand and said, "Mom, I like white toilets. I like black toilets too, but I don't like purple toilets. They are yucky." Such deep thoughts for a four year old. Every bathroom at the botanical garden was inspected by Ava. We would have to let her go in and decide if it was worthy of her pee. Sometimes they passed her inspections, and other times she would announce that they were icky. So if your are ever in San Antonio and are visiting the beautiful botanical gardens; let Ava know so she can direct you to the good bathrooms that aren't icky.

The zoo was Isabel's favorite place. Can you guess why? They had hippopotamuses! They are her obsession! They were new since we had been there last time. They were rather impressive. They were in water and you could view them in their little underwater display. They looked like huge boulders. Every now and they they would put their noses out of the water to take a breath of air. They were very cool. It didn't matter what other animal were at the zoo. As soon as Bel saw the hippos, her life was complete.

Lily, poor Lily. Her favorite part was swimming at the hotel. It was unfortunate that Sterling became sick because her swimming time was cut short. It did teach her that we have to make sacrifices for people we love. She learned that even vacations have to be arranged for sick family members. With that said, we did make to to the pool three times. Not too bad...

Easter 2009

2009-04-13T15:00:00.003-05:00

We had a very nice Easter. We started out with our church service, and we had Easter dinner at the Church also. When we got home it was too soggy outside to do our traditional Easter egg hunt. Instead, we had our egg hunt in the house. The kids loved trying to find all the eggs. It always amazes me how kids look for eggs. Instead of doing a through sweep of an area; they run from place to random place instead of an orderly path. Every year I think the same thing. I guess that is why they are kids and not adults. Anyways, Christ arose and that is why we have the victory!

Ava's and Bel's B-Day pictures

2009-04-13T13:44:00.003-05:00

I cannot believe it has taken me so long to post these pictures of Ava and Isabel! Well, actually I can! I can be a procrastinator at time. Anyways, Ava's pictures are of her fourth Birthday. She turned four January 21st. Isabel's pictures are from her seventh Birthday. She turned seven February 24. It is amazing how fast your children grow. It is such a miracle to be able to have your own little children. Hopefully, they will get my good traits and not my undesirable traits. I am blessed with healthy beautiful children.

And Baby makes 7.....

2009-03-23T17:49:00.003-05:00

Well, here is the newest addition to our family. He or she will make their debut around October 13th. Yes, you did read that right. We are expecting baby number 5 one day after Sterling's 2nd birthday. I am 11 weeks along and VERY sick. I do well until about noon and then I go down hill. By supper time I am laid out on the couch till bed time. It seems to be that every time I am this sick I vow, "No more babies!" However, God had a little surprise for us. I cannot wait to meet my little cutie pie. This is a special pregnancy--this is the first time I have had a baby in the same state and with the same doctor. It seems weird. I went in for my first visit a couple of weeks ago and the doctor smiled and said, "You're back!" Yes, for the first time I am a repeat customer. Anyways, pray for my family because I am a cranky nauseous beast!

My Mom's visit

2009-03-15T17:55:00.002-05:00

My mom just came down and visited us this past nearly two weeks. We had a great time. When she was here she helped us put in our first vegetable garden. We put in watermelon, cantaloupe, peas, lettuce, spinach, green beans, cucumbers, squash, and tomatoes. I will take a picture of the garden just as son as it stops raining. It has been raining for the past four days.

My mom also gave Sterling a big boy hair cut. He was looking a little shaggy and now he looks like a little man. My mom also baked up a storm. Her carmel and cinnamon rolls are the best! We also went to a botanical garden called Hodges garden. It was really nice. In one of these pictures you can see the kids sitting on a petrified log. It was discovered to be some type of tropical wood.

We took mom to the airport in Houston, yesterday. It was very hard to see her go. We loved the time we spent with her.

Bel's 7th Birthday

2009-03-15T17:41:00.002-05:00

Well, last month Isabel turned 7. For all of you who know her well, she is obsessed with hippos. She loves them. She has tons of stuffed hippos, hippo books, toys, and the like. So, I made her a hippo birthday cake. It was interesting, but she loved it. I kept it a surprise and she was delighted. It is hard to believe that she is now seven. Bel was born in California--which seems like a lifetime ago. Bel was the worst pregnancy and delivery I have ever had. She is such a delight now. She is very loving, huggy, and helpful. She is my sweetheart! Thanks to all the family who sent her presents--she loved them all!

I Would Make a Good Daddy

2009-02-17T23:05:00.002-06:00

I'm Quite the Good Daddy aren't I? Now DRINK UP...DO IT_EXECUTE!

Funny Prayer

2009-02-16T19:53:00.002-06:00

Tonight Ava had a nice little prayer. I will give you a little part of if. "Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for my family. Thank you for Daddy. He is the perfect woman." Try not to laugh too hard. I though you needed a smile today!

Alligators and Care Bears

2009-02-16T19:36:00.002-06:00

Ava and Isabel were playing a game about keeping away from alligators. Ava had a Care Bear in her arms and Isabel had a stuffed puppy in her arms. Ava exclaims in a emphatic voice, "Alligators only eat puppies, but not Care Bears!" The rules of the game are very flexible.

Gabe, Michelle, and Kids come to LA!

2009-02-16T15:33:00.005-06:00

Caleb is loving his food!

We celebrated three birthdays when my family came down. Ava's a little late, Elijah's on time, and Isabel's early. They had lots of fun celebrating together and opening their gifts.

Sterling was hanging out with Uncle Gabe and eating cereal for breakfast.

Isabel and my niece, Briana, played dress up and restaurant a lot. It was so nice to see the girls having so much fun together! When our family left, Isabel was very mopey and just laid on the couch for a couple of days. Briana also was crying on the the way home because she missed her cousins.

What a cutie! Here is Caleb looking surprised--or maybe surrendering to police? Either way, he was a delight! He is giggly, sweet, and very mild mannered.

Michelle is giving Elijah some Mommy love. Elijah is only 10 days younger than Ava.

Happy Caleb!

Sweet little girls! Lily, Briana, and Isabel just hanging out.

While my brother was here, he put together a play set for the kids. It is wonderful! He, of course, did a fantastic job and put it together very quickly. If Josh and I were to do it I bet it would have taken us all weekend! Thank you so much Gabe!

We had a wonderful time with Gabe and Michelle. We were so happy that they came down to visit us. After all, we know that DeRidder, LA is not a vacation spot. They came to see us. I know it is a long hard drive with three kids. They definitely showed their love for us by coming down here. We were blessed by their presence. We miss you guys! Thanks for visiting. See you in July.

Cute conversation

2009-02-11T15:39:00.002-06:00

I don't have a lot of time, but I will leave a little post. My brother and his family came down for the last week. It was awesome. We miss them so much! Anyways, as soon as I have more time I will post some pictures and commentary.

The other day as we were eating supper, Ava and Isabel had a cute conversation. I will give you a little background on the topic. Two Christmases ago, Bel and Lily received leapster games. Ava just now received a leapster game for her 4th B-day. Ava's is an upgraded model compared to Bel's and Lily's models. So, as we are eating Bel says to Ava, "Ava, your leapster is so cool." Ava grins and replies, "Isabel, your leapster is cool too." "Thanks, Ava," Bel replies. "Your welcome, Bel. I love you," Ava says. "I love you too, Ava," is Bel's answer. How cute is that?

Kids

2009-01-29T14:17:00.002-06:00

It has been a while since I have posted anything on our blog. Josh has taken it over for a while. He also lets the kids post their pictures they have taken of the cats. He is nice that way, unlike me. (: Anyways, the kids are funny as usual.

Yesterday, Ava said two notable funny things. I was grocery shopping with the kids and I was buying more groceries than usual. Ava took notice. She kept saying, "Mom, you are getting too much food." I just smiled and kept right on adding things to the cart. Again Ava said, "Mom you are getting too much food!" I then said, "Well, you do like to eat food. Don't you?" She then said, very seriously, "And how do you expect to PAY for this?" I think that is a line right from my mouth. They do absorb EVERYthing.

Okay, the second funny. Wednesday nights Josh and I teach a little kids class at our church. Right before we start the lesson; we ask if anyone has anything they would like us to pray for. The usual responses are: please pray for the scratch on my leg, please pray for my sick Grandma, and please pray for my dog. Those are the typical prayer requests. However, Ava's request generated some giggles. Ava raised her hand and I called on her. She said, "Momma, we need to pray that the kitties don't poop in the garage!" Silly girl!

Hyon and Cole Go Home

2009-01-24T20:23:00.008-06:00

January 16, 2009 Ken's wife passed from this life to the next. He stayed home from work that day not realizing (though he may have had an intuition) it would be his last day with her on this Earth. Ken would call Terry that night and I would be honored with a call from him the very next day. He asked me to be a pall bearer. On Wednesday, January 21, 2009 he had his wake. I took my children and my wife. It was Ava's fourth birthday and we took her to Arby's and let her have some curly fries, a roast beef, and a chocolate shake. The children were fairly good and we stayed about an hour. Ava made a few people happy by coming up to Hyon's body that was dressed in a beautiful Korean traditional garment (hahn boke). I was telling Ava how Hyon had gone up to heaven, and Ava just says, she is very beautiful...those in the first row on the right side could here it and I could tell they thought it was very sweet. On Thursday, January 22, 2009, Paula came over and watched the children so Stacy could accompany me to the funeral. We arrived right around 1200. They had some food already prepared and ate before the funeral. In hindsight, it was a better arrangement and allowed people some nourishment before the additional emotional trauma that was sure to follow (no one would pass out or anything). There was a great coconut cake, some great pudding, beef tenders, potato salad, garden salad, and some deviled eggs as well as chicken and dumplings. The little church, Arkadelphia Baptist Church, was quaint and beautiful. The weather was about 70 degrees and cloudless..in a word, perfect. The plot right out the church had only a few occupied sites and Hyon would be buried next to Ken's father who also had passed on after a bout with cancer (the year prior). Ken performed remarkably in his eulogy and even was one of four carrying the casket. He was emotional, but help together the entire time. He was able to get through a dedication/eulogy to Hyon and there was narry a dry eye in the place. Ken has already said that he plans to be back to work on Monday...yes, just a few days after the funeral. We are praying for the family that they continue to be strong and Ken's faith has been an inspiration to those that know him.

We had the misfortune of being so far away from our extended family for little Cole's passing. This said, my parents kept us informed and it made for an even harder week for us and for many others. We understand that his funeral will be this Tuesday, January 27, 2009 with the wake the night earlier. The specifics of Cole's passing are hard to get into to. It was sudden and shocking. I do know that Jesus claimed him as his own and that passing away means entering some place far better. Our prayers to the family...especially the Buckinghams and the O'Briens, but for everyone. I understand that little Cole has helped others with his Cornea, Kidneys and Liver and this is no small gift! Here is a copy of the obituary for little Cole!

Cole James Buckingham
Buckingham, Cole James age 4, born June 27, 2004, died unexpectedly on January 21, 2009 at Minneapolis Chil- dren's Hospital. Cole was an absolute blessing to all of us and we know our lives will never be the same without him. He had a spirit that lit up any room he entered and you couldn't help but completely fall in love with him. Cole is survived by his parents, Jesse and Shannon (O'Brien) Buckingham; his adored brothers, Casey and Anthony; his grandparents, John Buckingham, Carole Buckingham, Phil and Vonnie O'Brien; great-grandparents, Delores Rouillard, Adeline May, Don and Elaine O'Brien; aunts and uncles, Jennifer Buckingham, Jason Buckingham, Molly (Tony) Hines, Katie O'Brien, Jennifer (Patrick) Jordan and cousins, Erin and Jordan McEachern, Jonathan Buckingham, Sam, Charlie, Joe and Stevie Hines, Lauren Jackson, Drew and Abby Jordan; as well as many family and friends. Cole was preceded in death by his great-grandparents, Norbert May, Roger Rouillard, John "Jack" and Dorothy Buckingham. Mass of Christian Burial will be Tuesday, January 27 at 11 AM at Mary Queen of Peace- St. Martin Campus in Rogers. Visitation will be held AT CHURCH on Monday from 3-8 PM, with a prayer service at 7 PM. Additional visitation will be one hour prior to Mass. Burial to follow in St. Martin's Cemetery.

Petals by "the Valley"

2009-01-24T18:32:00.002-06:00

The Kittens

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Zoomed into the Shad!

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Shadow is calm, cool and collected!

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Shadow

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dd

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dd

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cc

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aa

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Birthday Pictures

2009-01-24T11:41:00.002-06:00

Open Up Baby, More Milky For You!

2009-01-24T11:36:00.000-06:00

I Am a Sweet Boy

2009-01-24T11:30:00.003-06:00

Baby likes milk and I'm a good helper.

I Love My Birthday Cards

2009-01-24T11:26:00.002-06:00

I'm not really crying! I am just so happy, happy that people love me so much!

Cinderella by Emily

2009-01-24T11:22:00.001-06:00

Thank you, Emily for your beautiful artistry. You have made Ava's birthday just a little bit more special! Thank you for your sweet gift of remembrance and art!

Ava's Birthday

2009-01-24T11:09:00.001-06:00

Ava's Fourth Birthday Present Opening Time.....I can dance a jig!

Sweet Stacy!

2009-01-24T11:06:00.000-06:00

Is my hair ok?

My CAN

2009-01-24T10:59:00.000-06:00

I love my "CAN!"

I Shall Dub You "CAN"

2009-01-24T10:52:00.003-06:00

I like this Rhino...He has a nice horn and if daddy gets too crazy I can have CAN poke him...he he

Sterling Being Sweet

2009-01-24T10:48:00.001-06:00

"I love you mommy!"

Q, is that you????

2009-01-24T10:45:00.001-06:00

Whoa dad! I feel like I just "phased..."

Mr. Sterling being his usual astute self!

2009-01-24T10:37:00.000-06:00

Boy, can he eat!

2009-01-13T12:41:00.002-06:00

My little man LOVES to eat! Today for lunch we had sandwiches. (I know, Molly, we have them all the time!) Anyways, Sterling had a banana, a PB&J sandwich, a piece of cheese, and a sippy cup of milk. Sterling wolfed down his cheese, sandwich, banana, and milk. He then looks up from his plate and points to my cheese. He says, "Dis?" He means, "Mom, I want your cheese." I reply, "Sterling, do you want Mommy's cheese?" He starts to bounce and giggle. So, Mr. Man gets Mommy's cheese too.

Smart Cookie

2009-01-08T13:31:00.003-06:00

It is amazing how much babies know. Yesterday, Sterling did a few things that show how much these little people know. Sterling happened upon a piece of garbage on the floor. I looked at him and said, "Sterling, throw that in the garbage." I was testing him because I didn't know how he would respond. He looked at me shook his head yes and trotted off to the trash can. He opened the lid and deposited the scrap of plastic. That's my boy!

Sterling is only allowed to have his sippy cup in two places. The first place is in his high-chair. The second place is sitting on the throw rug in the kitchen. He has often tested me with the second place. He would try to walk around the house with his cup in tow. That does not fly with me. Even though sippy cups don't spill they can drip on the floor---- and not to mention he doesn't need to have his milk with him 24/7. (manners and civility, please) So, the other day Sterling walks into the kitchen and sits on the rug. He said, "Sit down. Milk." Hurrah! He gets it. The way he said it was sooooooooo adorable. It was like this: si dow mlk. I love baby language!

These are most of the words that Sterling is saying now---Mom, Dad, Lily, Bel, kitty, meow, please, this, sit, down, milk, thank you, bye-bye, night, oo--oo--ah-ah, (what a monkey says) num-nums, (nummy) uh-oh, hi, hello, sisters, bath, and no. I think I have listed them all....

Ava and Daddy go shopping

2009-01-04T16:14:00.002-06:00

It was Saturday and Ava and I are going to Wal*Mart just to get lasagna-related materiels. Ava is trying to jump and step over every single crack...and there are a lot of them (it is Louisiana yuh know!)...and then she says. "Daddy you broke momma's heart." "You did, daddy...you broke momma's heart." "What?," I say. "You stepped on a whole bunch of cracks." I laughed quite loudly and then said.. "Don't you mean, step on a crack, break momma's back" "That's right daddy, you broke momma's back." Kind of funny. It was cuter in person.

Sleeping Beauty

2009-01-02T22:08:00.002-06:00

Sterling and Ava share a room. Unfortunately, we can't put them to bed at the same time in the same room. Sterling will stand up in his crib and giggle and try to get Ava to play with him. That is an easy task. She'll hop out of bed and play all night with him--IF we'd let her. She often will give him book and toys in his crib too. So, we have a solution to this little issue. We put Sterling in his crib and put Ava to bed in our room. After she has fallen asleep and we are ready to go to bed ourselves, we transport the sleeping stinker into her room and bed. When we went to move her this night, she was in this pose. Apparently, one must be a lady even when she sleeps. Her little legs were crossed. We managed to take a few pictures and even turn on the hall and bathroom light without her waking. Funny little red head!

Christmas 2008

2009-01-02T21:35:00.002-06:00

Can we open the presents now?

I am the MAN!

Ava looks a little like a pirate here..

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. It is too bad that we couldn't share it with family and friends. Never the less, it was very nice. Josh had to work Christmas Eve, but when he came home we had a traditional Christmas Eve dinner with Pizza Hut. Okay, not so much traditional...but it was fun. We let the kids open one present and they begged to open more. The presents had been wrapped and under the tree for nearly a month. The girls were so excited about what was in their boxes. We played a little trick on the older two. I was sure that they'd be able to tell what a few of their presents were, so I swapped names on the presents to throw them off. All of Lily's presents had Bel's name on them. All of Bel's presents had Lily's name on them. (It was great fun on my part!)

Christmas morning was great fun for the kids. We have NEVER had stocking for the kids before. However, this year since I bought some and put them up after the kids had gone to sleep. In the morning the kids were so shocked. I heard Lily's saying with much excitement to Bel, "I don't believe it! We have stockings. Get out here! Which one is mine? Bel, do you know?"

Throughout the day we opened our presents. We spread it out all day long to keep it suspenseful and fun. We let them open two after breakfast--two a little later--and so forth. Since we are without the extended family, and they all send down their gifts to the kids--we have a LOT under the tree.

We had a turkey dinner with all the fixings. I make sure to put on all of our fancy dinner ware. I want the kids to feel special. I don't want them to be cheated out of the holiday mood just because we are away from everyone. I let them have their white grape juice in wine goblets. They love the glitz--so do I!

Well, we had a wonderful time, and I hope and pray that next year Christmas for us will be up north!

Obsession and Chili's

2009-01-01T16:58:00.002-06:00

Today we went to Lake Charles. We brought about $60 of Chili's gift cards and the whole warrior clan. By the way, I had Chicken Club Tacos (Chicken, Bacon, ranch, cheese, tomatoes and a side of rice and black beans) which were surprisingly good and not too expensive. We also ordered a side of Chips and salsa (They have good salsa). Anyhow, I must have told Stacy several times how good the chips and salsa were because at one point she smirks at me with that stinkery smirk and says, "Huh, I must be married to a broken record. I like chips and salsa. I like chips and salsa. I like chips and salsa. I like chips and salsa." I reply, "Yeah, I can kind of be obsessive sometimes." Lily immediately says, "Daddy, its not always good to be obsessive." To which Isabel replies, "Unless you're into hippos."

Lily and Isabel on Death

2008-12-30T20:27:00.002-06:00

We had just finished our family devotion time ("Devotions for Kids"). We then take turns praying and daddy prays for Hyon who is suffering from Pancreatic cancer. After I am done, Lily tells us that sometimes she is afraid to die because though she wants to be in heaven and all, she is afraid it will hurt. Then Isabel says, "Yeah, and I'm afraid the birds will peck at me." (In heaven when she is riding on a cloud....)

I'm Dreaming of a Cajun Christmas

2008-12-12T20:02:00.002-06:00

Early Thursday morning it snowed! Amazing! The girls were so excited. They ran outside and wanted to make a snow man. Well, this little blob of slushy wetness is it. Ta-da! What a specimen. The girls were disappointed. I overheard Bel say, "This isn't like the snow at Grandma's. This is ridiculous!" When I told them it snowed--they pictured feet of white fluffy snow that they could sled and make snow angels with. This is snow--Cajun style!

Sleepy Little Man

2008-12-12T19:54:00.002-06:00

What can a mom say? I am in love. Peacefully sleeping in his little crib--he warms my heart. This picture was taken after the parade we went to on Saturday. He had lots of fun and enjoyed seeing the horses.

Isabel's Baptism

2008-12-12T19:26:00.002-06:00

I am so proud of Isabel! A few weeks ago Bel had been asking about being baptized. Just for a little background, Isabel asked the Lord into her heart two years ago on December 5th. However, she wasn't ready to be baptized. Bel was afraid of going under the water. She thought the pastor would hold her under the water too long. So, we waited until she was ready on her own accord. So, when Bel asked about being baptized, again. We asked the usual questions---why do you want to get baptized--what does baptism mean--and she was ready to talk to the pastor. We want to make sure that we don't pressure our kids to make a spiritual decision to please us. We want them to be fully aware for themselves what baptism means. Anyways, for those of you who don't know what we believe, I will lay it out. In order to go to heaven the Bible says, that you must be born again. What being born again means is asking Christ into your heart and having him forgive you of your sins. It means placing your trust in Christ and what he did for us. His death on the cross took the sins of the world on Himself. He died for our sins, so we would not have to. All we have to do is repent and place our faith in Him. We cannot be good enough to go to heaven. Ephesians 2:8&9 says this: "For by grace are ye saved though faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Salvation is a free gift. It has no strings attached. We just need to ask Christ for his gift of Salvation. What that means is that we are saved though faith--it is not because of our "good works." If is was of our good works--then we would be boasting about how good WE are. But--Christ is good. So, with all that said, Baptism is an outward express of our acceptance of Christ as our Savior. It to let everyone know that we have chosen Christ! We are so proud of Bel! When she was done, she said if she knew it was going to be so easy, she would have done it sooner. Too cute! The man in the pictures is John Andrews. He is the youth pastor at our church and he and his family are wonderful. The girls love him and his wife is a total blessing to me!

Christmas Parade

2008-12-12T19:15:00.002-06:00

This weekend we went to a Christmas Parade. It was my first parade in December. Since I am from MN, it is a foreign idea for me to go to a parade in December. It would be too cold. However, it was perfect here! It started out at about 45 degrees and by the time it was over--I'd dare say-- it was approaching 60. I did, however, put a hat on little man just because it was sooo cute on him! The kids got a boat load of candy. We had some nice family time.

What cha' doing on Tuesday?

2008-12-12T19:03:00.002-06:00

We had a great surprise last week. My dad came to visit. On Sunday afternoon, the phone rang and it was my dad. First I was shocked because my dad doesn't call. I call and talk to him, or my mom calls. So, my first thought was---what happened? Anyways, he came down on Tuesday and stayed until Friday. It was great! Bel was glued to his side. She just was so happy to sit with him and just be by his side. I was so glad to see him, and I hated to see him leave.

BON APPÉTIT.

2008-12-12T18:30:00.005-06:00

Yes, this confirms it. We live in Louisiana. Do you see that crazy creature? It is locally know as a mud bug. Appetizing isn't it? For the rest of the country it is known as a craw fish. Well, this little fellow, or lass, came to an untimely death. The cats found this little critter and were batting it around. Lily comes running into the kitchen and says, "Mom the cats have a scorpion!!" (which by the way do live here) So, I run out to see what they have caught and it was this little morsel. So, I squished it and took it into the kitchen. Dinner is served! (For those of you thinking--did she really eat it?--no but I kept it to freak Josh out!)

Ava talks about her fears

2008-12-01T20:45:00.003-06:00

Tonight, I was putting Ava to bed and she, of course, had to go potty (delaying the bedtime some). While she was going potty she tells me a little bit about life. "Bad guys are bad and they have cages (pause) and rubots (pronounced rue-bots), and scary things (pause) to trap good girls. I don't like them, but they don't like me either cause I'm good."

Hijacked

2008-12-01T10:53:00.002-06:00

My blog has been hijacked by Josh. All of the videos are his doing. It did seem out of character for me to put a ton of clips on the blog. Anyways, since his Thanksgiving four day is over, I will be able to reclaim the blog. I will put a true post on later today, hopefully.

Mr. Sterling Dances to the Walton's

2008-11-29T20:48:00.002-06:00

Mr Sterling 2

2008-11-29T20:42:00.001-06:00

Mr. Sterling

2008-11-29T20:34:00.001-06:00

The Kitties 2 by Isabel

2008-11-28T17:14:00.001-06:00

The Kitties by Isabel

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Lily

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AVA

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another short film

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Sterling

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bel

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Peek 2!

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Peek!

2008-11-23T21:50:00.001-06:00

Short Clips

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Getting Ready for Christmas

2008-11-23T21:23:00.003-06:00

There is Mr. Hyper in My Diaper!

2008-11-20T21:02:00.000-06:00

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STERLING!

2008-11-20T20:50:00.002-06:00

Sterling Sure Can Rock

2008-11-20T20:39:00.004-06:00

Short Clip Segments

2008-11-17T20:40:00.005-06:00

Sweet Doesn't Begin to Describe these heros!

More Cuteness From the Warriors!

2008-11-17T20:01:00.006-06:00

My two youngest hanging out, a rub-a-dub-dub in the tub!

Today Sterling says "hello" while pushing buttons on the phone and holding it up to his face...it was like "ah ju" cute (nope, not French, Korean...can you believe it?).

Ava is running with a cheap bird whistle in her mouth and flapping her arms and hands up and down. "This bird whistle makes me fly like a birdie," she says. (Yes, we know that she kinds of looks like a strung out, crazed Popeye on the picture...but I needed a visual for the post..it would have been best had I been recording at the same time...which, of course, never happens it seems!

Ava had a crazy prayer tonight...it went something like this: "Maybe when I'm big like mama, and I get big, and I drive a car like mommy, and get earrings, but daddy makes loud laughing noises and keeps me up...(pause)...I like yoyos and when I'm big I have sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen yoyos."

Sweet Kids

2008-11-15T19:06:00.003-06:00

There are so many sweet times we share throughout the day. Ava came up to me and said, "Mom, I love you." I replied and said, "Are you sure you love me?" She said, "Mom I love you this many. I love you two!" She was holding up two fingers. "That isn't enough," I replied. "You have to love me more that that. I love you ten!" I held up both of my hands. She slyly smiled and spread her arms out wide. "I love you this much!" Yes, it is love!

On Wednesday I left Josh and Sterling home while the girls and I went to church. Sterling had been running a temp and I wanted to see if he was going to get sicker. (By Friday he had an ear infection and a high fever) Anyhoo, after I had left Sterling started to miss he. Josh said he wandered around the house looking for me. He started out calling Mom in our bedroom and then he tried to find me in the laundry room. He figured if I wasn't in the room I must be doing school in the laundry room with his sisters. He is so precious. I missed him too.

Sterling's one year picture

2008-11-07T16:29:00.002-06:00

I just love this picture of Sterling. We had his pictures taken for his big ONE birthday. He was so fun! He giggled and tried multiple times to get away from the camera lady. Too cute.

Comment Away

2008-11-01T10:34:00.002-05:00

Hey family and friends. Just a few days ago I changed the setting of my blog spot account. Now you can leave a comment even if you don't have a blog spot account.

Deep thoughts by Bel

2008-10-28T15:08:00.002-05:00

This morning as I was making breakfast for my crew, I had a cute conversation with Isabel. While I was ensuring the kids had their eggs and toast made the way they wanted. (Bel just likes peanut butter on her toast, Ava just likes butter, Lily likes butter and jelly, and Sterling likes it any way as long as it is on his plate)
Bel says, "Mom?"
"Yes, dear?" was my reply.
"You know what Mom?" Bel smiles looking at Sterling in the high chair.
"What, Honey." I answer.
"I like Sterling MORE than food!" she says sweetly. That was such a cute revelation. She would fore go food to have her brother. What a little sunshine in my day.