There is not much going on around here today. I will be working with Emma on going on the potty and try to finish getting my house cleaned. Tonight we are going to Sam's Club and get the things I need for the dinner tomorrow. I am making BBQ so I will be pulling pork all day tomorrow. Sunday we are having a Super Bowl party after church Sunday night so our weekend is full of church activities. We are supposed to be getting more snow on Monday so Jeremy is once again hopeful that he will get another day off of school. I wish I got a snow day once in a while:) Well the girls did not sleep good last night so I did not sleep good last night. It was a bout 10:30 and we were about to go to bed when here comes Chloe down the hallway calling for me. She is really bad about getting out of the bed. We put her back in the bed and she went back to sleep. Emma then cried out shortly after that and then cried out several times. Twice she wanted a drink and the other times Chloe had flopped right on top of her. I ended up in the girls bed at about 5:30 and then we woke up at 7:30 but everyone seems to be in a good mood. Here is a picture of Sam playing outside on Wednesday. Sam and Jeremy made that little snowman. They gave him fruit loops for eyes. Yesterday when we woke up the eyes were gone. I guess a cat or something ate them. He was very upset that his snowman could no longer see what was going on. The other pictures were taken this morning. Sam is wearing a Camp Hope shirt that belonged to his Uncle Jacob. It is one of Sam's favorite sleep shirt. It makes me smile when he wears it. Camp Hope means so much to me and it brings back many wonderful memories growing up. Well I am going to be busy this weekend so I probably will not be posting so I hope everyone has a great weekend. 

We are having a pretty good day so far. We got back a few minutes ago from a Wal-Mart run. I really did not want to get out in the cold with the kids but we needed some groceries. We were out of the staple items around here, milk, juice, cereal, and probably the most important toilet paper. The kids did pretty good at the store. I had to convince Sam that I needed him to walk beside me and be my helper. Emma sat in the back of the buggy and I had to keep my eyes on her because she is bad about opening all things I put in the buggy. On the way home we went by McDonalds and they all shared some chicken nuggets. I got all the groceries put away and the girls are now taking a nap. My mound of laundry is back so I need to get working on that today. Emma did really good yesterday afternoon with going on the potty. This morning she was dry when she woke up so I took her potty and she went right away. I took her again before we left for the store and she went. I bought her some little Dora and Tinkerbell underwear at the store and she was very excited. I hope they fit her. She is soo tiny so they may fall right off of her. Well I am going to take advantage of the girls napping so I better go. 

Well Jeremy finally got his snow day. We really do not have much snow but I think we have some ice from all the rain yesterday. Unfortunately because of the weather I am stuck in the house again today. I have not left the house (other then getting the mail) since Sunday morning so the kids and I are getting a little stir crazy. Jeremy is taking Sam out to play in what snow we have left when the girls go down for the afternoon nap. I may also take a nap. I could not sleep last night. I had a million random things on my mind and could not get to sleep. Samuel cried out at about 1:30 because he heard me on the computer so I lid with him for a few minutes but then ended up on the couch. Emma woke up at 3:30 so I put her in the bed with Jeremy and I laid down with Chloe. Sometime after that Sam ended up in the bed with me again. Well Emma found a headband that she must be wearing at all times. Her hair looks crazy in it but she is still cute. She is so prissy. I have not mentioned about Emma using the potty because it has been nonexistent the past month or so. She had a traumatic experience a month or so ago on the potty and I have not been able to get her back on. Well the other day I found a cute Dora toilet seat and a Dora potty training kit with stickers and fun games. I have been putting her on the potty the last two days and she has been doing OK. Monday I am officially starting potty training. We will see how it goes. Chloe has been lugging her baby doll around the past few days. She is so cute with it. The other night she had it in a death grip when I put her to bed. She was so afraid I was going to take it from her. So the poor doll is looking pretty ragged these days. Well that is about it for today. I am hoping we are still having church tonight so I can get out for an hour or so.

I am feeling much better this morning and so far none of the kids show any sign of feeling bad. I am a little disappointed because Jeremy ended up having school today. We have a little ice at our house and all the surrounding counties cancelled school but I guess Nashville only got some rain. The weather is saying some more freezing rain and maybe some snow tomorrow but probably not enough for Jeremy to get his snow day. I needed to get to the bank and run a couple of errands but I am waiting to see if the ice melts. It is raining now so the roads will probably be clear after lunch. We are having a appreciation dinner this weekend for all the people in our church that help out with the youth group. Jeremy asked several people about catering the dinner for us but all of that fell through, so I am cooking for about 45 people on Saturday. I will have some help but I am a little worried so I have been making a list of everything I need to make the meal. Well nothing else too exciting going around here. My plan for the day is get my house cleaned up again. Nothing has been picked up in the past two days and my kids sure know how to make a mess. I also have a mound of laundry to tackle. Well I hope everyone has a great day.Here is a video of the kids about to go to bed. Jeremy was on the phone talking about youth group stuff so you can hear him in the background. 

PICT1829

I heard somebody say one time that there was nothing like a good stomach virus to jump start your diet. If that is the case I am well on my way to getting back on track with my diet. Last night my stomach starting hurting and about 9:00 this horrible virus (or something) hit me hard. I was in the bathroom from 9 until about 12:30. I was able to get some sleep after that but I had to be completely still or the pain would return. When I woke up I thought I was better but as soon as I got up I was once again making a run for the bathroom. I have not gotten sick for the last few hours and I am finally feeling better. Thankfully the kids were pretty good today. It was hard getting up and down with them but it was not too bad. The news is saying we might get some bad weather tonight and it would be nice to have Jeremy home tomorrow. Well here are a few pictures from the weekend. Please pray that none of the kids get this bug. 

I found an easier way to post videos so here are two from yesterday. The first one is just the kids kinda playing. Then Emma was being silly with that toy on her foot so I kept recording. Well we are just hanging around this morning. Last night we went to eat at Old Chicago and then we went to a couple basketball games at Pleasant View Christian School. The kids actually did really good at the games. Well Jeremy was up super early with the kids so he is taking a nap but after he gets up I get to spend a few hours all by myself. I am not sure what I am going to do but I do know that I will not have any of the kids with me. Well enjoy the videos.

PICT1793

PICT1794

The kids are still coughing today but they all seem to be feeling better. Emma did not run a fever at all yesterday. I had a pretty rough night sleeping so I am pretty tired today. I thought the girls were sleeping good the past few nights but I guess the cold medicine I was on knocked me out. Emma had been waking up between 3-4 AM and Jeremy was getting up with her. He has training the last three days so he did not have to leave as early to get to school so he did not mind. So last night I took the night duty for Jeremy. Emma was coughing pretty bad last night so I thought I would just sleep with the girls. They both snored and carried on so much that I ended up in Samuel's bed. Emma cried out several times and one time she threw a fit because she wanted to sleep on the couch. Thankfully I got her calmed down and she went back to sleep. Emma fit however woke up Chloe and Chloe thought it was time to play. She kept sitting up in the bed and laughing and playing. It was cute but not at 3:00 in the morning. I finally got Chloe back to sleep and we all slept until bout 7:15. We are all dressed and we are going to go to Target. I have a gift card left from Christmas and I have a return to make to Target. I get the kids some popcorn and they are really good. I ended up getting out yesterday for a few minutes but I wish I hadn't. I was going crazy so I decided to make a run for Sonic and get a drink. I was seriously craving a Diet Coke. We got to Sonic and I got my drink and I got the kids from fries and everyone was happy. I pulled out onto the road and realized that my drink was about to fall over so I went to grab it and I accidentally hit the straw right through the bottom of the cup. The Diet Coke was pouring out of the bottom all over the floor in my van. It was also pouring all over the bag that had the girl's fries in it so they were also ruined and the girls were not happy that I threw them out. I just went back home and got them a snack. I am hoping my day out today will go better. It is kinda warm here today so I am also going to see about taking the kids outside to play. Well I am going to finish getting around here and get to the store. One note about the picture of the three kids, we started letting Sam get his pajamas out at night and well they never seem to match. So that is why is outfit is so silly. Also, my two favorite quotes from Sam this week, "Mom, you have too many children" and "Mom, I think this frog in my throat is trying to choke me".

Things are not so well at the Riggs' house. All three kids have a nasty cough and runny nose. I have a sore throat and have serious sinus drainage. Jeremy had the computer yesterday but I probably would not of blogged because I felt so terrible. The girls have been going to bed at 7 PM the last few nights because they are just exhausted but they have been waking up pretty early. Yesterday I put them down for their nap at about 9:00 and I also took a nap. We all slept for two hours! The girls usually only sleep about 45 minutes in the morning so I was glad I decided to get in a nap. Yesterday we just laid around the house. All three kids took an afternoon nap and I did get the kitchen cleaned up but the laundry is on schedule for today. I stayed in with the girls last night from church but Sam went with Jeremy. Well we are staying in again today. I am going to work on getting the house cleaned up and maybe get another nap. Well Emma is wanting a refill on her drink and Sam and Chloe are fighting over some cereal. I think it is about time for the girls to take a nap:)

I am still not sure what to do about Emma. She was running another little fever last night. Jeremy checked her before he went to bed and the fever was gone but is back up again this morning. The fever is running about 100-101 but she is acting fine. I put the girls to bed at 7:00 last night and they slept all night. Emma woke up about 5:45 but then went back to sleep until 7:30. I guess I am going to just watch her again today. It is really cold today and we actually have snow flurries this morning so I would hate to get the kids out to the doctor and she just has a little virus. Samuel and I went to bed at 8:30 and got up at 7:30 so I am feeling so much better. I need to get my house cleaned today. I was going to get the laundry done but I am out of laundry detergent. When Jeremy gets home I am going to Curves and then to the store so I guess I will do laundry tonight. Well that is about all for today. 

A few months ago I read the entire Twilight series in a week, so I had one of the books in my hand like every second. Well a few weeks ago I decided to read them again because I really enjoyed them and I rushed through them trying to find out what was going to happen. This time reading them I read when I get a little extra time and that usually is before I go to sleep. I do my devotions when the kids are napping so I can concentrate on what I am reading. Well I got a little convicted the other day when I was reading one of the Twilight books and Sam came in my room and also wanted a book. I handed Sam another book on my self and he says to me," Mom I want a Bible like you have". Well last night Sam was supposed to be laying down and I went in my room and found him with a book "doing like I do".

We got back home about 3:00. We had a snowy drive home but we had a safe trip. We were up late again last night so I am very tired tonight. It was a great weekend but I am glad to be home with the kids. I was so nervous about how Chloe was going to respond when she saw me. This is the longest we have been away from Chloe and I was afraid she would be clingy to Jeremy's parents. When I got to the house to pick the kids up Sam and Emma came running to me and hugged my neck. Chloe came around the corner and when she saw my face a big smile spread across her face. She came running to me and clung to my neck. It made me so happy! The kids fell asleep on the way back home and took a little nap. Emma and Chloe have a runny nose but seem to be feeling fine. They have been playing and ate great at supper. I think the kids are relieved to be back home with all their toys. Well I am trying to get the laundry going and get the kitchen cleaned up from supper but I thought I would give a quick update. We plan on staying home tomorrow and hopefully get some rest.

I was trying to take a picture of the girls and they got tickled about something. It was so cute to see them giggling together.

I know I said I was not going to be posting but I have a few minutes and I wanted to share something. We arrived in Gatlinburg last night and we are having a great time. This time together as a youth group is so good for our teens. We were up very late last night (I guess I should say early this morning) but I got to sleep all night and slept in this morning. After breakfast we had a church service and then we just have been hanging out with each other. I am having fun but I also miss my kids. I am also torn up because when I called to check on them I was told that Emma and Chloe have been running a fever. Emma had a temperature of 103 last night. Tylenol is getting the fever down but it comes right back in a few hours. Chloe had a running nose and started coughing yesterday morning so I was worried about her but Emma showed no sign of feeling bad. I guess I just am feeling guilty for leaving them. I know there nothing I can do for them now but pray that they are feeling better, but my heart is really sad. Sam also sounded really sad when I talked to him. So if you happen to check my blog please say a prayer for the kids and for me. 

It is going to be a busy day but thankfully Jeremy is out of school to help me get some stuff done. They called off school today due to extreme cold. Well I have to finish packing today and get my house cleaned up. I am going to run a few errands with the girls this afternoon and Jeremy is going to shampoo my carpets. Sam is going to help me or at least he thinks he is helping him. I have to take down the Dora tent and try to figure out where to put the thing. It is supposed to fold up but I am guessing it is not going to be that easy. We are leaving at 9 AM tomorrow and will not be back until Monday night. I am excited because I do need a little break but I am also started to panic about leaving Chloe. So please pray that she does good with Gran and Papa and for me while I am away from her. Well Sam and Chloe are awake and they are wanting breakfast, so I better go. I hope everyone has a great weekend and I will post again on Tuesday.

The girls slept really good last night. Emma woke up at 6 AM but she probably would of slept longer if her diaper would not of fallen off and she wet in the bed. She woke up screaming "wet, wet". She laid back down on the couch and watched Dora. Sam, Chloe and I got up about 7:30. Today I am trying to get the laundry done and start packing for the weekend. I got the sheets on the girls bed changed and the girls are now taking their morning nap. I really like nap time:) Sam just finished eating a piece of my birthday cake and is now playing with his trains. Well there is not much going on today. It is so cold outside that I am not going anywhere with the kids today. When Jeremy gets home I am going to Curves but that is about it for today. Chloe said the word "hot" yesterday and she has started blowing on her food before she puts it into her mouth (even if it is not hot), it is really cute. She still just kinda grunts at us when she is trying to tell us something but she knows what we are saying to her. She is also doing good about staying in the kitchen with her snack and drink. She is so funny when we tell her to say "cheese". She curls her little nose up and tries to smile. Emma is just talking up a storm these days. She is starting to put words together and I can almost carry on a conversation with her. Samuel is doing something so grown up every day and he keeps us laughing. They are just so sweet!

I have had a really great birthday. The kids were super sweet today. They played nicely and everyone took a nap. I even got a little nap. Sam sang Happy Birthday to me and then called me a dinosaur. I know that he does not know that calling someone that means they are old, but it was funny he called me that today. Tonight before church we meet our friends Frank and Jennifer for supper and talked about our trip this weekend with the youth group. Jeremy got me a cake that we ate at church and some of the kids got me a birthday card which was really sweet. Well we do not have any plans for tomorrow. We have been asked to share our adoption stories for a magazine published through our denomination, so I need to work on that tonight and tomorrow. Our story is kinda long so it is taking us a while to write. I also wanted to share that our agency in Michigan is going to get the grant money to us, so thanks for praying for me about that issue. Well I better go. 

Well Chloe still has an ear infection. The doctor said that they were clearing up but still had some infection. I ended up taking all three kids with me to the doctor but they actually did pretty good. I took the stroller and Sam pushed Chloe while I held Emma's hand and part of the stroller. After the doctor checked Chloe they went ahead and gave Chloe her shots that she was missing. I think I mentioned that when I took her in for her well check-up I forgot the updated sheet. I took the papers into them a few days after the visit but I did not take Chloe back. She ended up having to get four shots and she was NOT happy. By the time we finished with the shots Chloe was screaming and Sam and Emma had enough of being calm. So we are leaving and Sam is trying to push Chloe (who is still crying) and he is running into everything. Emma is crying now because she wanted some fruit snacks she saw in the diaper bag and Sam is whining about me helping him push the stroller. So I get to the counter to check out and the card reader was down and so it was not reading my debit card. My check book was in the van and so they asked me if I could pay by cash or check. I kinda wanted to join the kids and start crying. I did not want to go back to the van with all three kids and come back in again but that is what I had to do. It was madness. We finally made it home and the girls took a nap. Jeremy got home from school and I went back to Clarksville to exercise and then I went to Wal-Mart to pick up new medicine for Chloe. Well I am going to watch The Biggest Loser so I better go. Here is a picture taken at Gran and Papa's Sunday.

Our trip out yesterday seemed to help everyone. We also ended up going to Target. I have not been to Target in a while and when  I left I realized it is a good thing I do not make it over there as much as I want. I love that store and I end up spending too much. I did have a gift card so I used some off the card. I bought a exercise DVD by Jillian Michaels (The Biggest Loser trainer). Well I did it yesterday when I got home and oh my I am sore. I am going for another round here in a few minutes. I guess if it is hurting maybe it is working. We got home about lunch time and it threw everyone off nap schedule. The kids all took naps at different times yesterday, but at least they took a nap. I finished going through my closet and bedroom getting rid of stuff and it felt great to make some room in my closet. After Jeremy got home we went to Logans for my birthday supper. We were going to go tonight but Jeremy has a faculty meeting and he does not know what time he will be home and tomorrow is church so it is really busy on Wednesday. We got a gift card to Logans so it was nice to get a free supper. After supper we had a gift card to Starbucks so we got another little treat. So we had a great evening and did not spend a dime. The kids slept better last night. Sam woke up once and Emma woke up at 5 AM wanting a drink but she then went back to sleep. I have to take Chloe to the doctor at 3 to get her ears checked but other than that we are not doing much. Well the kids are crawling all over me so I better go. 

Maggie was laying on the couch and Emma was acting like Maggie was a baby. She put her blankets on Maggie and gave her a bottle. Maggie just laid there. It was soo cute.

I am very tired this morning. The last two nights have not been so great. The girls have been waking up at 2 AM and crying out every 10 minutes or so. I need to call the doctor back today because they wanted to see Chloe again to check her ears. I am not sure that her ears have cleared up. She usually sleeps through the night and she has been tilting her head to the side like her ear is hurting. I need to get her checked because Jeremy and I are going on a youth group trip this weekend to Gaitlenburg and we are leaving the kids with Jeremy's parents. I am getting a little anxious about leaving Chloe but it would be too crazy taking her. We are taking 26 kids with us and Chloe is a handful. It is going to be a great weekend and I am hoping to catch up on some sleep. Well the kids are already fighting over their toys this morning so I guess it is going to be one of the days. Maybe a trip out of the house will help them. We are about to get ready and run a few errands. I have to go to the bank and go pay my water bill. Both places have a drive thru so I will not have to get the kids out of the van.  Well Chloe is caught in the curtain and Sam and Emma are fighting over something so I better go.

We had a really good day yesterday. The kids were so good all day. They played nicely and took two great naps. We just stayed home but I got a lot of stuff done. This morning we went to Chick-Fil-A for breakfast and then we went to Wal-Mart for a few things. Jeremy bought my birthday present and already let me have it even though my birthday is not until Wednesday. He bought me the movie Mamma Mia! I have been wanting to watch it again so he let me. We are planning in watching the Titans game when it comes on and just rest at home the rest of the afternoon. Tomorrow after church we are going to Jeremy's parents for lunch. Tomorrow is Jacob's (Jeremy's brother) birthday so we are having a combined birthday lunch for him and myself. So the kids will probably be a little off tomorrow on their nap schedule and should be nice and cranky tomorrow night. Well I need to pay some bills and finish getting the laundry put away. Have a great weekend. 

This is Chloe smiling.
This is Chloe mad at me for taking the toy out of her hand.

It is hard to believe but Chloe is 18 months old today. She has been home a little over two months and she is just a great addition to our family. The girls slept good last night so I woke up refreshed. We all got up again at 8:30 and then we got ready to go for the day. I took the kids to Gran and Papa's house and then I went to the dentist. They only cleaned the bottom teeth and gums and so I have to go back in 6 weeks to finish. I guess I had a few issues with my gums so they were actually cleaning the gums and  it is a little more detailed then going in to get your teeth cleaned. I did get some good news while I was there, our insurance paid more for all the stuff I had done back in November then they thought so I will be getting some money back. That is ALWAYS a good thing. On the note of money I kinda have a prayer request. I mentioned a few days ago that we got some grant money, well, the organization sends the money to our agency and then the agency forwards the money to us but our agency is being difficult. They are saying that the board passed a policy that they cannot accept money on behalf of someone and then disburse it back to the individual. It is just totally absurd! The grant organization also thought it was ridiculous that an adoption agency would not forward money to our family. So they are going to contact AIAA (our agency in MI) to see if they will disburse it for us. I am pretty sure that they will help us but please just pray there is not any more issues. It is a $3,000 grant so we really need the money. Well after the dentist I went to the bank and Wal-Mart and then I went to exercise. It was nice to spend the afternoon by myself. Well I better go. I have to get the kitchen cleaned up. Sorry no pictures of Sam again today.

We had a pretty good day. Emma has been crying out at 4:30 the last few mornings but I have gotten in the bed with the girls and then we sleep until about 8:30, so I have been sleeping pretty good the last week. The kids played nicely with each other today so that is always helpful. Sam called my dad to wish him a Happy Birthday and he was so cute. Emma had a tea party and it was also cute. I got some video of her playing but it is taking forever to post so I will try later. The girls took two naps and Sam got an afternoon nap. Tomorrow I have to go to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned so the kids are going to Gran and Papa's for a few hours. I am also going to try to run a few errands by myself. I forgot to mention yesterday that Jeremy found out that Sam can go to his school next year even though we do not live in Nashville. They are both pretty excited about that. I however really do not want to think about my little boy going off to Kindergarten. It already is making me sad. My niece Isabel turned six today and that also just seems impossible. I am really glad I get this time to spend with Sam before he goes off to school. Well I need to get Sam to bed. He is still bouncing off the walls so it may take awhile.

Jeremy has had the computer the last two days so I have not posted anything. There really has not been too much excitement around here even though there is never a dull moment. The kids are all feeling much better and are back to their normal behavior. Yesterday we stayed home and I tried to get some housework done. I am also in the process of getting organized around here. I am a little concerned about my sanity now that I am home every day, so I made a list of things that drive me crazy and I am trying to get a better solution for those issues. For example, the kids have a bunch of puzzles and games in their rooms. They like to play with them but they never put them away or they leave the pieces all over the floor. So I have collected all the games and puzzles and have put the in separate containers that I am going to store somewhere else and let them play with them an hour or so a day. So that is what I worked on yesterday. Today was rainy and gross but I decided to get out for an hour or so. We went to the local grocery store and them I took the kids to Sonic to get a sandwich. We got home and the girls went down for a nap. I have not really given an update on the kids lately so I thought I would share a few things about the kids. 

Samuel- He is all about "saving the princess" these days. He plays like he is a king or prince trying to save the princess. His new favorite movie is Horton Hears a Who. He is always saying things that seem so grown up and he keeps us laughing. He is also getting more stubborn. We bought some SOS pads that were lemon scent and he wanted to argue with me about why he could not eat them because they clearly had a lemon on them and so they must be food. He also still having major issues about sleeping in his bed. He has always been a mommas boy but for some reason he has been extra clingy to me the past few weeks. 

Emma- She is my girly girl. She loves anything that has to do with lipstick and sunglasses and hair products. Her new favorite word is "YA". When she is doing something she should not be doing she looks at us and in the cutest voice she says "Hi". She also is very concerned about doing everything her brother does. It is sometimes cute but it is also frustrating. The other day they were eating animal crackers and I was giving them two at a time. Sam came back to get another one and she came right behind him. She still had one in her hand. When I pointed this out she shoved it in her mouth and about chocked getting it down just to keep up with Sam. Today Sam wanted some chocolate milk and she of course wanted the same. She had a cup full of juice so she gulped down her juice just to get the milk. It is pretty crazy but she definitely is learning new things. 

Chloe- She still in not saying much but she knows what we are saying. She wants whatever Emma has in her hand and she is not afraid to use force to get it. I have to watch her at lunch and supper (or anytime there is food involved) because she will finish her plate and then she tries to take the other kids food. She actually tried to take a chicken nugget out of Emma's mouth. She is into everything and it takes three spankings before she realizes she should not be doing something. When she does something she knows she shouldn't (hitting her sister) she curls her nose up trying to fake that she is crying. She is however my only child that sleeps through the night. We have been working on keeping her in the kitchen with her drink and snack but it is a hard habit to break. She spills whatever is in her bowl and it is one of those issues that drive me crazy. 

The girls have been playing more together these days and they all seem to be interacting better. The girls are my little shadows. They like to help my clean up and they are always around when I am getting ready. They get their brush and make-up stuff and get ready with me. The kids got a little table and chairs for Christmas and that is what they eat at now. I get so tickled because every day since we have been home the kids come to the table at 11:00 AM for lunch and 5:00 PM for supper, even when it is not ready or even when I have not started the meal. When they come to the table I guess it is time for them to eat. Well I know this is a long post, but that is the kids in a nutshell. They are all just sweethearts and I so blessed to be their mom.

Here are a few of our family pictures that we had made while we were in Illinois. The first picture is of Sam and Isabel (my sister's little girl). 

      The whole gang

Thankfully we are all feeling much better. We had a good day yesterday. We stayed home and I got several rooms cleaned out. I cleaned out my bathroom and I was shocked that I filled a garbage bag full of empty boxes and old makeup and lotion. I do not know why I hold on to things that I no longer use. We all went to church today and I realized that I have not been in awhile with sickness and out of town. It was good to see everyone. The girls got matching dresses for Christmas and I had them wear them today. Today is the first time they matched. After church we went out to eat and we were pleasantly surprised when our waiter told us that someone had paid for our lunch, what a blessing! Well we are getting ready to go. We are going to the Ronald McDonald House with our youth group. The girls are staying with a friend and we are taking Sam. 

Just a quick update. As yesterday went on I knew that I needed some help with the kids. I was feeling horrible and I knew I could not keep up with the girls. I also knew that the last thing I needed was to be up and down all night so I called our dear friend and she came and got the girls. The girls stayed the night with her family and I got about 12 hours of sleep. It was so nice. When I woke up this morning I did feel better. The girls came home about noon and I thought I would go exercise. I got to the car and I looked at my throat in the mirror (it felt weird) and I was horrified and what it looked like. I have had strep many times and my throat never looked as bad as it did today. So instead of Curves I went to the doctor, and yes it is strep. The doctor even made a face when she looked at my throat so it was bad. I got some medicine and came home. When I got home Jeremy headed out to the doctor. We may need to be quarantined. It is just really hard keeping up with three kids when you feel so bad and Sam for some reason is really trying my very thin patience tonight. The kids are playing in the tent right now and we are going to watch a movie when Jeremy gets home. We are hoping the movie settles them down. Thanks again for all of your prayers!

Well it has happened. Jeremy and I are both sick. Jeremy has been feeling yuck for a few days now so I guess I would consider him being sick with the kids, but I have been feeling OK until a few hours ago. Since last week I have had some sinus issues in the morning and had a little sore throat when I woke up but would feel better as the day went on. Well this morning my throat hurt and I was feeling really tired but that is nothing new. Has the morning went on I started feeling worse. I let Jeremy sleep in and when he got up I went to lay back down. I slept a few hours and when I woke up I feel horrible. My throat is hurting so bad and I feel very weak. I got the girls a bath and I felt so tired just getting them dressed. So please say an extra prayer for us. The kids are now feeling better so they are back to their normal craziness. It is pretty crazy around here. 

Happy New Year!

All day yesterday I was thinking about what a whirlwind year this has been. It seems like yesterday that I was on the phone with Immigration trying so desperately to get our Emma home and it was last January. This year has just flown by! 2008 was definitely a year that forever changed our lives. In one year I have become a mother of three with the addition of our precious Emma and Chloe. God opened the door for Jeremy to get a job that would supply our financial needs and I was able to stay home with my kids. There have been many joys and some sorrow and fear over the past year but in joy and pain I ended the year in an amazing awe of the faithfulness of my Lord. He has been so good to us. This was a life changing year for us and I got to thinking when we have had such a life altering year and I went back four years ago. This March I will be cancer free for five years. I am so thankful that God's plan is always bigger than our own! Well the girls are awake and they are wanting something to eat. I am looking forward to what the new year has to bring and what I can bring to the new year. Many blessings to you!