See more funny videos at Funny or Die
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Top scientist or Mad cow??????
This week is the Gallatin County Fair (yeah! what fun!). I looked through the newspaper insert last night to find out about all the fun goings on at the fair and saw that the Red Cross would be there, having a blood drive. In a burst of civic-mindedness, I decided I would go and give blood while at the fair. I have never given blood before - every time I have had an opportunity to, I have been pregnant of nursing (except for our senior-year blood drive, which was the day before we cheerleaders left for our competition, so they wouldn't let us give blood because we weren't allowed to participate in "strenuous" activity for at least 24 hours following our blood donation, or some such nonsense). I decided to check online to make sure that there would be no restrictions which would hinder my ability to give blood this time! And guess what I discovered? I can't give blood -ever. Never ever. Know why? Because I lived in England for 4 years, and during the time I lived there, they had an outbreak of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy - also known as MAD COW DISEASE! So anyone who could have potentially been exposed to this can't ever give blood. That's stupid. I don't have mad cow ( I didn't say I'm not a mad cow). Which brings me to this:
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
This should be fun!
I got this from my friend Lindsay, and I had so much fun leaving my comment on her blog, I though it would be fun to do it on mine. Also, I have no family here to take pictures of and blog about, so instead I get to put this kind of mindless (but fun) filler on my blog. I really need some comments on this - you know, to keep my morale up, so I want to her from all or you! Her directions were to pass it along!
Here are the directions:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! I guess good or bad, but be nice!!!!!!!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I will comment on my page about you!
Here are the directions:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! I guess good or bad, but be nice!!!!!!!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I will comment on my page about you!
How predictable
Monday, July 14, 2008
In response to some comments and questions I have had, I thought it would be prudent to have a little introduction/explanation of my family. I know we are not a typical, nuclear family and since I consider you all my friends I don't mind explaining to you how our family came to be. That having been said, I DO mind when complete strangers in Target, or people with whom I am only casually acquainted ask rude personal questions like:
Why did you adopt - can you not have kids of your own? (These are my own kids. But no, I am not infertile. In fact, usually all Joseph has to do is look at me and I get pregnant. I still have a uterus and ovaries and they are perfectly functioning. I am just not utilizing those functions at present time)
What happened to their real mom? ( I can assure you, I am their real mom. I do their laundry, cook their meals, attend their parent/teacher conferences, help with homework, hold them when they cry, teach them to pray, love them with everything I have in me. What happened to their biological mom is none of your business and in an intensely personal story).
Are they all yours? (Yes they are all mine -see above response. However, this isn't really what people are asking. What they are really asking is "did you grow them in your womb and do you share DNA with them? Let me just say that biology and childbirth does not a mom make)
You are crazy! As in, only a crazy person would have so many kids. (this makes me want to go have/adopt 50 more kids just to spite these people. Second of all, that is just plain rude. You don't say to a person with no kids, or only one kid "what's wrong with you? Are you barren?)
Ok, so for all my friends and family, here is the story:
Joseph and I have 8 kids - 4 girls, 4 boys; 4 adopted, 4 biological. Please don't call my bio kids my "real" kids. They are all real, I can assure you. We have a great marriage and wonderful family and have always wanted to adopt to add to our family. Maryn, Tristan and Fabiola are adopted from Haiti. They were true orphans, though many children in Haitian orphanages are not. Women who cannot take care of their kids take them to orphanages because they know it will give them a place to live and food to eat. This is typical in Haiti, and more than half of the country's "orphans" have two, living, biological parents. My three Haitian children are biological siblings, meaning they all have the same mother. We have had them for 2 1/2 years. They are sealed to us and are officially and eternally part of our family. Ewan is also adopted. My younger sister became pregnant and was not in a position to care for or raise a child. She was hesitant to give her baby to someone whom she did not know and whose parenting practices she was not familiar with. We felt very strongly that Ewan was meant to be a part of our family. I was lucky enough to be in the room when he was born and stay with him for the 2 subsequent weeks in the NICU (he was 7 weeks early). His brothers and sisters all love him, and he is their brother, not their cousin. I am his mom, Amielle is his aunt. I know for many people, this situation would not work, but it does for us. We are wrapping things up legally with his adoption and as soon as it is final, he will also be sealed to us.
So that is our family in a nutshell, I hope that clears up any questions/confusion for some of you that I am just becoming reacquainted with throught these blogs. Like I said, I don't mind you all asking questions. I just don't want to explain our family repeatedly to, for example, the cashier at walmart. Take care!
Why did you adopt - can you not have kids of your own? (These are my own kids. But no, I am not infertile. In fact, usually all Joseph has to do is look at me and I get pregnant. I still have a uterus and ovaries and they are perfectly functioning. I am just not utilizing those functions at present time)
What happened to their real mom? ( I can assure you, I am their real mom. I do their laundry, cook their meals, attend their parent/teacher conferences, help with homework, hold them when they cry, teach them to pray, love them with everything I have in me. What happened to their biological mom is none of your business and in an intensely personal story).
Are they all yours? (Yes they are all mine -see above response. However, this isn't really what people are asking. What they are really asking is "did you grow them in your womb and do you share DNA with them? Let me just say that biology and childbirth does not a mom make)
You are crazy! As in, only a crazy person would have so many kids. (this makes me want to go have/adopt 50 more kids just to spite these people. Second of all, that is just plain rude. You don't say to a person with no kids, or only one kid "what's wrong with you? Are you barren?)
Ok, so for all my friends and family, here is the story:
Joseph and I have 8 kids - 4 girls, 4 boys; 4 adopted, 4 biological. Please don't call my bio kids my "real" kids. They are all real, I can assure you. We have a great marriage and wonderful family and have always wanted to adopt to add to our family. Maryn, Tristan and Fabiola are adopted from Haiti. They were true orphans, though many children in Haitian orphanages are not. Women who cannot take care of their kids take them to orphanages because they know it will give them a place to live and food to eat. This is typical in Haiti, and more than half of the country's "orphans" have two, living, biological parents. My three Haitian children are biological siblings, meaning they all have the same mother. We have had them for 2 1/2 years. They are sealed to us and are officially and eternally part of our family. Ewan is also adopted. My younger sister became pregnant and was not in a position to care for or raise a child. She was hesitant to give her baby to someone whom she did not know and whose parenting practices she was not familiar with. We felt very strongly that Ewan was meant to be a part of our family. I was lucky enough to be in the room when he was born and stay with him for the 2 subsequent weeks in the NICU (he was 7 weeks early). His brothers and sisters all love him, and he is their brother, not their cousin. I am his mom, Amielle is his aunt. I know for many people, this situation would not work, but it does for us. We are wrapping things up legally with his adoption and as soon as it is final, he will also be sealed to us.
So that is our family in a nutshell, I hope that clears up any questions/confusion for some of you that I am just becoming reacquainted with throught these blogs. Like I said, I don't mind you all asking questions. I just don't want to explain our family repeatedly to, for example, the cashier at walmart. Take care!
Nothing new to report- Kaydin
Well, Joseph and kids have departed and I am now alone again (sad music playing in background). However, this time I am not falling apart quite so much, because we have come to the decision that I will be moving down at the beginning of next month, house sold or not. We just can't live like this. Joseph needs a wife, the kids need a mom and I need to be "anxiously engaged in a good cause". That good cause, of course, being to terrify my kids into behaving themselves. The visit was a good one, although the kids were bored with nothing in the house. We celebrated Kaydin's birthday. I went to snap pictures of him blowing out his candles only to discover my camera batteries had died. Ahhhhh! So, no pics of Kaydin's big 10! Here are some thoughts about my birthday boy though:
Kaydin was an amazing baby - never cried, always very content
Kadyin is an even more amazing kid. I would take him out of school every day if I could, just to hang out with him. He is the coolest kid!
He is such a bookworm! He will sit and read ALL DAY!
He is soooo smart! He remembers everything and had straight A's all 4 quarters this last school year.
Kaydin is a perfectionist who gets very frustrated when he can't do something right the first time! He keeps trying, though.
I love Kaydin more than I can possibly describe. He makes me smile all the time and I am so proud of the person he is turning out to be. I love you Kaydin!!!!
Kaydin was an amazing baby - never cried, always very content
Kadyin is an even more amazing kid. I would take him out of school every day if I could, just to hang out with him. He is the coolest kid!
He is such a bookworm! He will sit and read ALL DAY!
He is soooo smart! He remembers everything and had straight A's all 4 quarters this last school year.
Kaydin is a perfectionist who gets very frustrated when he can't do something right the first time! He keeps trying, though.
I love Kaydin more than I can possibly describe. He makes me smile all the time and I am so proud of the person he is turning out to be. I love you Kaydin!!!!
Monday, July 7, 2008
The most exciting news in weeks!
Ok this is probably not the MOST exciting news for anyone but me, but anyway.......Ewan finally started walking today!!!! Hooray! At 14 months exactly, he is by far my latest walker. The sweet part was that my sister was here to see it. For those who may not know, Ewan is adopted and my sister is his biological mother. I know to some it sounds like an akward situation, but we have made it work with a minimum of drama. And, no, since I know you are wondering, there is no confusion about who is Ewan's mom and who is his aunt. And his Aunt Amielle was very happy to have been here to see him take his first steps. I was just happy that he took his first steps - I thought he might go to kindergarten still crawling around on the floor! Yeah Ewan!!!!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Family, Fun and the Fourth!
I know how disappointed I am when I check other blogs and they haven't posted anything, and I now realize that I have not posted in quite a while. Not that there are legions of people salivating for my next entry, but I still need to keep this thing up to date, or it defeats the whole purpose of having it. My family arrived on Thursday! I was just giddy with happiness at seeing them! I swear those kids have grown in 3 weeks, and Ewan remembers who I am. All is right with the world, except for the fact that there is nothing for the kids to do here. All of our stuff is now down in Utah and I have been living very spartanly here on my own. So, we have had to get creative with entertaining them. We bought some cheap puzzles and a yahtzee game. Kaydin has just had his nose in a book the whole visit - if only I could get them all to read like that. For the 4th, we had an all american lunch of hot dogs, chips and watermelon. Then it was off to the splash park. The kids love this. Except for Kellyn and Ewan. They are not very excited about getting wet. We then went and staked out our traditional fireworks-watching spot and played football and mad libs while we waited for the pyrotechnics to begin. This has become a fun tradition and I will miss it when we are not here for the 4th anymore. But, we can always make new traditions! Rylynn and Maryn have lost a tooth each since they have been here, and I was glad to be able to play tooth fairy for them. We will be having Kaydin's birthday party tomorrow so there will be more posts and pictures to come. Here are some of our time together so far this weekend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)