Don't Be Afraid To Go Out On A Limb...That's Where The Fruit Is

The Poem

2010-09-16T17:08:00.001-07:00

Gabby wrote this in just a few minutes for a school project. The goal was to explain something without giving away what it was. Can you figure it out?

The site of thee can be as beautiful as a sunset or as harsh as a hurricane breeze,
Offensive, rude, obnoxious can all apply,
But occasionally you'll find that one gem like a lone star in the night sky,
A look so intense, you can almost sense it,
The message never known,
Just perceptions of your own,
For everyone deserves to be heard,
No matter the person, place, or word

The Kids

2010-06-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

Gabby
The last couple of months have been challenging. Between Gabby's illness and Junie's hearing problem, John and I have been at our wits end. At least there is good news for Gabby. It looks like her medical issues have mostly been related to allergies. I was a little slow on the uptake because we were told last year that she had mono. She didn't. The doctor misread the test.

This put a whole new spin on things in my mind. The clue for me wasn't the long list of symptoms that Gabby was having (dizziness, uncoordination, low grade fever, sore throat, nausea, anger, panic, weight loss, sneezing, etc.). The clue for me was the time of year. Both last year and this year, Gabby's symptoms started at the same time, in March. Once I put 2 and 2 together I got 5. No, you didn't read that wrong. I got 5.

The reason I got 5 is because nothing is as it seems when it comes to our family and their health. Allergies, especially on the Morrison side of the family, don't always present in the usual way. Allergies in Gabby often look like something else entirely. Of course, when I suggested this to the doctor, she didn't believe me. Fortunately, she did humor me though and prescribed Gabby a nasal steroid and an allergy medication that Gabby had to take three times a day. At about day four or five, we knew we were on to something. Gabby's demeanor totally changed. She started eating again. She wanted to go outside and see people. She even wanted to go back to school. Next year we're going back to the allergist long before March rolls around.

Junie
Junie had the tubes put in her ears last Friday. We expected the surgeon to put the tubes in and that Junie would wake up and hear just fine. Instead, the surgeon told us that June has a severely retracted ear drum in one ear and that it would have to be watched carefully. This means that she still doesn't hear well in that ear. Frustrating, but at least she has one ear that works right now. At this point, I don't know what the prognosis is for the other ear. Of course, the underlying cause of the problem is allergies. Go figure we'd adopt a child with allergies and now hearing problems (hopefully temporary).

Ending Thoughts
I don't know if anyone noticed, but every pet (all seven) we've had has had issues. I have health issues and so do both of my kids. I'm now pretty sure that any living thing (plant, animal, or person) that we bring into our house to stay is going to have medical issues. Now, for all of you glass half empty or glass half full people, I'm not taking a stance on whether our situation is positive or negative. It just is. Oh, and please don't tell me one more time that God only gives you what you can handle. If that's true then God must be setting the bar really high for our family because he just keeps sending the work our way.

Gabby's Health

2010-03-30T17:13:00.000-07:00

The Overall Problem
How I came to realize this is a longer story, but watered down, I recently learned that Gabby had missed five weeks of school or more each year from fourth grade on. That's five years straight of being sick much more than the average child according to her guidance counselor, her pediatrician, and an immunologist. This year has been no different from any other and today, with a low grade (100.6) fever and exhaustion Gabby missed her 31st day of school. In school weeks, that's six weeks and a day.

Mono
Last year, Gabby had mono, but didn't recover like she should. That combined with lots of aches and pains led me to take her to my rheumatologist who found that she had a deficiency in her C4 level. Yep, that's right C4. With enough of it, maybe she could blow up stuff. No, not really. Anyway, a low C4 level combined with other things can mean certain rhematological diseases. Alone, it doesn't mean much, but it is linked to Lupus which the rhematologist is testing for every six months. Unfortunately, this didn't help explain why she couldn't shake mono like most people do. She did go back to school to take her finals, but continued to have symptoms on and off during the summer. If you're wondering, she does not have mono now. She's been tested.

The Immunologist
Both Gabby's pediatrician and rheumatologist recommended that Gabby needed to see an immunologist. Finding one that was recommended by either doctor was ridiculously difficult. First, the rheumatologist recommended two great immunologists. One I had met before through my mother. The other was equally as good according to the rheumy. I called each office on a Friday afternoon. Neither was open. One closed at 1pm, the other at 4pm. These guys keep better hours than bankers. When I finally did reach them on Monday I was told that they didn't take children and neither had any recommendations. I should have asked to talk to a nurse, but didn't. Probably should have. Since I was shot down there, I turned to the pediatrician's recommendation, the Children's Hospital in Rochester. I called their rheumatology/immunology department and got an answering machine the same Friday. They didn't call back until Tuesday and told me that they didn't have an immunologist. They send all of their patients to an immunologist in Buffalo.

Well, I wasn't excited about traveling over two hours away, but you do what you have to. So, I looked this doc up on the internet as I had the other doctors. He was not only a doctor, but also a researcher with about 150 published articles. Sounded great. So, I called and scheduled the first possible appointment, over three months later. Gabby's problem wasn't life threatening so we could wait. Plus this way at least one follow-up would happen in the summer. It wasn't all bad. Then I called our insurance company. You guessed it, this doctor was not covered under our insurance. Let's just say that the wind was nowhere near my sails. John and I discussed it and decided to keep the appointment, but to continue to look for another immunologist.

Frustrated by my internet search, I called Gabby's old allergist to see if he could recommend anyone. Might sound like a weird doctor to call, but you see, allergists are immunologists, but they specialize in allergies not in immunological diseases. (This is a fact that most people don't know including any of the nurses I asked to help) In making that call, I got luckier than I could imagine. Gabby's old allergist had hired a doctor who had studied and worked at Philadelphia's Children's Hospital with a specialty in chidren's immunology. The doctor called me back personally the next day and told me that he could do all the basic blood work and evaluate it here. If needed, he'd refer us on. We saw him the next day and he agreed that Gabby was getting sick much more than she should at this age. He gave us a lab slip and sent us on our way. I thought, "Finally, something that will be easy." Just a little blood work. How hard could that be. So, Gabby and I headed for the hospital.

The Problem With Bloodwork
If you're familiar with doing blood work, you know that you have to check in first. Usually the check-in person finds the test on their screen, clicks on it and you're on your way to the phlebotomist. In our case six out of the twelve tests weren't ones that the check-in person had on the computer. So, we went back to get Gabby's blood work done with six red question marks on the lab slip. It didn't get any better with the phlebotomists. They scurried around calling people and looking stuff up in books. We waited about twenty minutes only to find out that some of the tests had to be sent out the same day and the courier had already left for the last time that day. Grrr. We'd have to come back before noon the next day.

Giving Blood
Not wanting Gabby to miss any more school, we decided to get up early and be in Elmira by 6:45am so that we could be the first customers at the lab. This way Gabby could make it back to school before the first bell. We all got up around 5:30 so that we could be in the car by 6:10. We got some fast food breakfast and made it there in time. Yipee...except Gabby was sick, again. She was running a fever and looked like white as a ghost except for her cheeks which were quite pink. As usual though, she was a trooper, not complaining at all. They took eleven vials of blood and then Gabby looked at me and said, "I'm really really dizzy." The phlebotomist, a grandmother of someone who goes to Gabby's former gym, was suddenly extremely attentive asking Gabby if she wanted water, juice, or wanted to lay down. Gabby leaned back, closing her eyes and the grandma was all over her, "Don't close your eyes! You need to lay down in the next room." Gabby did lay down and felt...I was going to say much better, but that wasn't true. She felt like total crap, but was much less dizzy. Probably having blood drawn while your feeling really ill isn't a good combination, at least while you're sitting up.

What Now
While we wait, I research. Before we went to the hospital the second time, I typed Gabby's tests into Excel so that I could look them up later. Not surprising, all of the tests that the immunologist ran are tests looking for an immune deficiency. Through Twitter, I found a link to the Immune Deficiency Foundation which has a handbook on Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases. This handbook explains a lot. While I'm not sure that Gabby has a primary immonodeficiency, it sure sounds a lot like her. In the meantime, until we get the test results back (2 more weeks), it is very interesting reading. If all of her test results come back normal, I don't know what we're going to do. Until that, I'm just going to hope that they find something and that it is treatable. Gabby has been sick enough for ten kids her age.

2010-03-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

I'm looking through the glass (Dado block),

Don't know how much time has passed,

Feels like forever

Watch out where the huskies go,

And don't you eat that yellow snow

Why do you build me up buttercup baby just to knock me down.

Us girls we are so magical,

Soft skin, red lips, so kissable.
Have you seen the well to do,
Up and down park avenue,

2010

2010-01-04T19:45:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I am so glad that the holiday season is over and that a new year has begun. Not that I have anything against holidays, but my body does. It doesn't like large gatherings, excitement, or chaois. It just reacts badly. That ended up being a really good thing recently. After a couple of very exciting family gatherings, I ended up having a severe flair that sent me to the ER and woke up one of my doctors to the fact that I needed much better pain management.

It's only been a couple of weeks since starting my new medication, but now instead of waiting for the pain to start, then taking a pain pill that was only partially effective, I am now on a patch that constantly, slowly releases medicine. On an average day (meaning no excitement), my pain has gone from moderate to severe most of the time to mild most of the time. It's a HUGE difference. I still have to keep my old pain pills on hand, just in case, but I'm going on three days of not using them at all. Yay!

Junie loved her first day at her new daycare/preschool. She had such a good time that she wouldn't leave with me. I had to follow her around the room asking nicely for her to get her coat on until finally I decided that nice wasn't going to cut it. I told her to put on her coat, NOW, or I'd do it for her. Since she's in the "do it myself" stage of life, this was a good enough threat to get the job done. LOL She's such an easy kid that I didn't actually have to threaten her with anything real. She ran over right away to get her coat so that she could put it on herself.

Today was Gabby's 14th birthday. As usual, things were low-key because Gabby doesn't like birthday parties. Just to make her squrim a little bit, I asked about stopping in at her school with a cake. This got an immediate NO response and then a follow-up this morning of, "Please don't come into my school today, Mom." So, I didn't stop in. Instead, I bought a selection of helium balloons, some with Happy Birthday on them, and when I went to pick her up at school, stuck them out the window of the truck. She gave me a funny look and then just went with it.

Immediately following picking her up, I had a doctor's appointment. Because Gabby and I wanted to give the balloons to the kids at June's preschool, we brought them into the doctor's office so that they wouldn't be ruined by the bitter cold. Gabby seemed to have fun with it and so did all the staff and patients. Unfortunately, we found out later that balloons are not allowed at June's school (choking hazzard), so we will have them floating around the house for a couple of days. That's okay. Junie will love playing with them.

So, for now that's all the news that's fit to type. Hope you're all enjoying the start of 2010 also.

Christmas Cookie Decorating

2009-12-13T15:52:00.000-08:00

So, Gabby invited over a few friends to decorate cookies. There were about 18 cookies per kid to decorate. After 5 or 6 a piece, the crazy crowd turned the frosting on themselves. This is what we got.

In the end, the grown-ups ended up decorating more than half of the 120 cookies. Oh well, it was fun and tasted great. After eating so many cookies, I'm not sure if any of the girls will want to eat dinner.

Visit From Aunt Debbie

2009-11-16T18:21:00.001-08:00

I'm so far behind on my posts. Aunt Debbie visited in July and I'm just now adding these pictures to the blog. Better than not posting them at all.

Our old camera bit the dust about two months ago. We finally made it to Best Buy to get another one just in time for the holidays. Hopefully we'll take full advantage of it and take plenty of pictures. I'm hoping to get some other people behind the lense other than me. Not that I have a great desire to be photographed, especially as of late, but it's good to be in enough pictures to know that I existed.

Hershey Park

2009-11-09T10:58:00.000-08:00

This coaster went straight up then straight down.

Gabby and Tameka waited 2 1/2 hours to ride.

Memorial Day Camping - Love The Socks

2009-08-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

We had a great long weekend with Larry and Barb. Gabby & Taylor looked especially good in their colorful socks.

June's 3rd Birthday

2009-08-19T19:40:00.001-07:00

Gabby planned an end of the school party with a few friends. Since we didn't have an official birthday party for June, Gabby suggested we get a cake and have a little party for June at the same time. It was a great idea that worked out great. Here are are a couple of the pictures from that day.

Junie's Got A New Do

2009-08-17T17:21:00.001-07:00

The long and stringy hair thing just wasn't working for me, so Gabby and I took June for her first real haircut. This isn't the best picture, but you get the idea. It's basically a short bob. She was very patient up until the last 10 minutes of the cut and then we had to distract her a bit. Needless to say that we had to trim a little bit of uneven hair when we got home. It all worked out in the end. She's as cute as ever.

June The Techy

2009-06-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

June loves trying to use the computer. My friend, Dianna, has some old computer games that have puzzles on them. The games are meant for kindergarden children, but June can already do some of the puzzles on her own.

We tried to find some online games for June to try, but we couldn't find the right ones. She still gave it her best shot.

Bonding

2009-05-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

What's the best way to bond? Go camping. Today we planned to drop our camper off to get it inspected. We didn't use it last year and figured that we'd have some problems when we tried to hook it up to the truck, but it went great. I said to John, "Wow, there must be something wrong, because things never go this easy." I spoke too soon.

We park our camper at my folks house because we don't have room at our house. Getting the camper out of its spot takes a little bit of manuvering, first forward and then backward onto the road. Everything was going fine until suddenly the truck decided that it wasn't going to go in reverse. I could go forward all I wanted, but reverse wasn't an option. Unfortunately, to get out of the tight spot our camper lives in, you have to back out. I was freaking out thinking that there was something wrong with the transmission. I could see the dollars going out the window.

After trying going forward, then attempting back for about fifteen minutes, we decided to unhook the camper. I didn't know what was wrong, but I thought if we got the weight off of the truck, then maybe we could back it up.

Because of the hill that the camper was on, we couldn't get the camper off the hitch easily. We had to scrounge around my parents garage for scrap wood that was just the right thickness to raise up the tongue of the camper. We were fortunate that my dad has lots of that kind of stuff laying around. Thank you Larry!

When we got the camper unhooked from the truck, I tried reverse again, but no luck. I was thinking that I was going to have to pull my truck as far out of the way as possible and use my parent's truck to put the camper back in its spot. They weren't home, so I called to find out if there were keys somewhere that we could use. They didn't answer. It was getting complicated.

I don't know why, but all of a sudden, I reached down and jiggled the emergency brake. Ureka! Reverse was restored. We hooked up the camper for a second time and backed that sucker out before something else could stop us.

So, we were on our way to the camper dealership to drop our camper off to get it inspected. The only problem was, when we arrived at the dealership, it wasn't there anymore. There was a sign saying that they moved. Of course I didn't have the number with me, but John had his blackberry and we looked it up. We did finally find the camper place and chalked this experience up to our first camping adventure of the season.

Update

2009-04-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in awhile because things have been busy. My grandfather passed away a week ago, Monday, and my mother and I have been arranging for my grandmother to come to live close by. It has been busy trying to find a place for her to live.

Gabby spent all of last week home from school sick. The poor kid had some kind of respiratory infection, but seems to be doing better now. I'm hoping that the rest of us don't get it. Even though she's missed a lot of school this marking period, she still pulled out straight A's on this last report card. She's smarter than I was at the same age.

My fibromyalgia has been under control. I'm very tired and have pain, but I seem to know what to expect from day to day. Right now things seem to have leveled off.

June is growing like a weed. She suddenly seems taller. She's talking a lot and asserting her independence at every turn. It's amazing how far she's come since we adopted her.

John, like me, is exhausted all the time, but for different reasons. Work is so stressful for him. His worrying about it keeps him from sleeping like he should. That plus everything he does at home to pick up the slack for what I can't do, is a lot for him. He's a great guy.

Summer said hello today. It hit 89 degrees here today.

Guess Who Got A New Bike?

2009-04-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

It's actually June's first bike. We saw it at Walmart and before looking carefully at the price let her ride it around the aisles. She was enjoying it so much that we had to get it. I couldn't believe the price...$45. Fortunately, John had a Wally World gift card and he said that we should consider it and early hoppy bunny gift. He even put his hand behind his head and did the fake bunny ear thing. Considering that June has no clue about the Easter bunny, I was thinking that he didn't have to be so subversive. It made me laugh though, so it was worth it.

A Face Only A Mother Could Love

2009-04-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

I only wish I was this cute when I slept. Our psycho dog, as Gabby calls her, is perfectly calm while she sleeps. She doesn't snore, but her tongue hangs out a little. Mine might do that too. Better ask John.

Mr. Brown Can Moo

2009-03-25T17:07:00.001-07:00

June loves books. All of us read to her, but special time with her big sis is extra fun.

Gabby has been having some foot problems. Dr. thinks it is a swollen growth plate, but not sure. He can't tell her whether going back to gymnastics is a good idea or not and thinks we should consult a specialist that deals with olympians. Okay, reality check.

Gabby and I decided that she could go back, but needed to ice her feet and take an anti-inflamatory after each practice. So far this has been working. If she starts having a lot of pain again, she'll be done with gymnastics. Only time will tell. She really wants to do gymnastics, but her health will have to come first.

Winter Dress Up

2009-03-19T17:34:00.001-07:00

I came across this picture from colder days while organizing my photos. I'm not sure of the purpose of the faces. Maybe they wanted to scare away the camera.

The sunglasses that June was wearing were new. They are now missing a couple of parts. We haven't replaced them yet as sunglasses don't last long in Junie's hands.

Sucked In?

2009-03-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

I'm helping out Mommy today. She likes it when I clean.

It's My Potty And I'll Poop If I Want To

2009-03-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

June was so excited to sit on the big potty that she asked Gabby over and over again to take her picture. She only been potty training for about two weeks and she's doing great.

Tubby Time

2009-02-19T10:59:00.001-08:00

June loves the water. Whether its the bathtub or the pool, she's all in. It's hard to believe that she's two and a half years old already. We've been home from China for 17 months. June has changed so much.

We measured June today and she is 27.5 pounds and 36 inches tall. Some of her favorite phrases are, " Be patient, Mom!", "Be careful.", It's mine!" and "I'm okay". One of her preschool teachers commented that June is "very two". We've noticed it at home too.

Gabby is no longer safe in her room since June has mastered going up and down the stairs. Gabby is mostly a good sport about it, but still want some privacy.

Time For Sissy

2009-02-19T10:51:00.000-08:00

Gabby is such a wonderful big sister. June adores her.

New Years

2009-02-06T15:43:00.000-08:00

New Years was a blast again this year.

I was lucky enough to get all but two of the kids in the picture.
Tammy was telling a great story.
I wonder what the bubble over Courtney's
head would say if there was one.

It's the Northside girls.

We were able to get some of the old fart

up to play a little Wii tennis.

Barb had to borrow Mike's glasses to read

the clues for the game. There seemed to

be a lot of that going around. We're either

all getting too old or I need brighter lights.

Keith & Shyanne

I loved Hannah's blue hair.

Just playing a little bit of peek-a-boo

Snuggle up. It's going to be a long night.

Messy Face

2009-01-31T10:02:00.001-08:00

Shyanne topped all the kids on New

Year's Eve with this messy face.

Silly Faces

2009-01-31T09:54:00.000-08:00

Gabby was showing June how to

get the whipped cream off.

Gabby and Tameka just being themselves.

Bows to you

2009-01-02T20:01:00.001-08:00

Uncle Keith looks beautiful. I think makeup is next.
What a shiny nose you have.

Santa came!!!!!

2009-01-02T19:51:00.001-08:00

I think that Gabby was more excited about Santa than June was. June doesn't quite understand yet. Even so, John and Gabby tracked Santa on NORAD Christmas eve and showed it to Junie. Then, Gabby told June that she had to go to bed if she wanted Santa to bring presents in the morning. June seemed to understand that and ran to get her jammies. The next morning, this is what she found hidden under a blanket.

Dado Dado

2009-01-02T19:32:00.000-08:00

Grandma Darla and Grandpa Larry bought

June dado blocks for Christmas. They're cool.
Grandma is demonstating dadoing for Junie.

Grandpa Larry's best action pose.

Gabby jumps in to stop the toppling blocks.

June finally gets the hang of it.

She's a quick study.

Christmas exchange

2009-01-02T19:04:00.000-08:00

For the last couple of years, at the Morrison's, we have played a gift exchange game. Everyone brings an inexpensive, wrapped gift. Not knowing what you are going to get, you can open a new gift or steal an already opened gift from someone else. This continues until the last gift is opened. Sometimes, when there is a gift that more than one person wants, the stealing can go on and on. This year, both Elise and Stephanie wanted the black sheep, while Gabby wanted the Mr. Potato head. Since you can't steal directly from the person who just stole from you, a third person is required. Gabby ended up being the third person.

Another interesting twist to this years game was that somebody (hint: look left) forgot to bring their gifts to exchange. What ended up in the exchange was a meatball on a fork (pictured here) from dinner and a roll of toilet paper (hopefully Grandma and Grandpa had extra).

Creative wrapping part 2

2009-01-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

John did his own experimenting with wrapping.

Horton preferred to wear his Christmas camouflage

John obliged Horton's request and used about

100 small pieces of wrapping paper and

about 2 million pieces of scotch tape.

Creative wrapping part 1

2009-01-02T09:36:00.000-08:00

Jerry's inability to spell reared it's ugly head this year. Instead of putting names on the gifts he put pictures. He did show a talent for wrapping. June's gift was disguised as a ball. It was actually a...

BALL.

A Morrison Thanksgiving

2008-12-27T11:40:00.000-08:00

Sean seems to have some sort of beard. I think it is the same head band that June is wearing.

June loved wearing Elise's headband.

Jerry and Donna, just hanging out.

June immediately took to Elise and wanted to sit with her much of the day.

The Pouts Have It

2008-12-27T11:03:00.000-08:00

John missed out on Thanksgiving with the family this year. Instead, he spent Thanksgiving in Japan dining on tripe, cow tongue, and blow fish all of which he enjoyed. When asked about John's absence, his family's faces say it all.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

June (the skunk) and Shyanne (the butterfly) on Halloween night.

I tried to get a good front view and back view of Junie's costume.

OCD And Other Issues

2008-10-14T16:43:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know us know that when we go camping that there is about a 95% chance of rain. It used to be 100%, but two years ago we had a sunny weekend. Our luck for choosing pets is about the same. Whoever we bring home has to be slightly irregular. We haven't had a pet yet that hasn't had issues.

Mandy is no exception. The second day we had her, we noticed that she was biting into the air repeatedly at nothing. It seemed that anytime she got excited she would do this.

At her first visit to the vet, we asked about it and were told that it was OCD which is not uncommon for high energy dogs like Jack Russels. Go figure we would pick out a slightly irregular pet. That's okay though, because she fits right in.

When we first brought Mandy home, she couldn't climb the three steps out front. Only a week later, she's up on top of the end table (above).

To the left she's staring down a raisin that never had a chance. She quickly used her tongue to scoop it up.

Bath Time For Daisy

2008-10-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

Gabby wanted to give Daisy a bath because

Daisy was a bit stinky. I agreed, but told

Gabby that she'd have to do most of the work.

Poor Daisy doesn't enjoy bathtime.

Gabby kept to her word and patiently dried Daisy.

Here's the final picture. She's still a bit damp,

but good enough for now.

New Addition

2008-10-06T11:32:00.001-07:00

We adopted Mandy May from a local SPCA on Saturday. She was found abandoned on the side of the road a couple of months ago, so the SPCA workers aren't sure of her exact age or past life. She is very gentle and loving, but shy. Loud noises or sudden movements scare her, but she quickly recovers when she realizes that it won't hurt her. She has her first vet appointment tomorrow. Hopefully it will go well.

Art Work Part III

2008-09-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

I haven't had a chance to post Gabby's final art project from last spring. Unfortunately, the flash makes it a a little hard to see.

This is my favorite project from the year.

Scrunched

2008-09-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

Junie found one of Gabby's scrunchies for ponytails and stretched it over her head. Who knew it would stretch that far.

My Hat's Off To You

2008-09-22T15:55:00.000-07:00

Gabby then
Junie now

Pasta-bilities

2008-09-21T15:04:00.000-07:00

Gabby was trying to be helpful by getting some pasta off of the back shelf for me. She was also trying to make June happy by carrying her at the same time. Apparently she should have only tried to do one at a time. While grabbing the shells, an already opened box of spagetti spilled all over the floor and into the kitty litter. This was only about a third of the spagetti, which looked like a spagetti sculpture to me.

You're Face Will Freeze That Way Part II

2008-09-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

What does a hippo say?

Gabby's turn.
Tupperware preserves freshness.

Your Face Will Freeze That Way

2008-09-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

John and Junie were practicing their acting skills

by making different faces to show how they

feel. They'd better be careful or their faces might

freeze that way. Surprised is my favorite one.

SAD

SURPRISED

HAPPY

One year, one day, nine hours

2008-09-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

THEN

NOW
June has been with us one year and a day. Exactly a year ago, it was eleven at night in China and John and I were taking turns rocking June to sleep. She never ended up using the crib that the hotel provided for us. Instead she slept every night next to me and John, always making sure that at least one part of her body was touching one of us. John and I stayed up late most nights watching American movies with Chinese subtitles while Gabby slept comfortably on a cot covered with two feather in the next room. She had her own large, wall mounted flat screen tv which she watched nightly until she easily fell to sleep.

Gotcha day, September 13, 2007, had been was incredibly busy. Our group, a total of 13 families, was supposed to meet their the babies at 2:30pm, but ended up waiting at the government offices for about and hour after we arrived. When the nannies brought the babies out it was amazing. Every baby had a different reaction to meeting her new family. Some were quiet, others cried, and some ignored their new people. Once all of the babies were united with their families, the nannies came out to tell us about our babies and answer any questions we had. Since June was the only baby from her orphanage, we had her nannies all to ourselves.

When all of the questions were answered, the exchanging of money took place. It felt awkward to watch the nannies count out the $3,000 in cash that we had brought as an orphanage donation. It didn't seem to bother the nannies.

Once that was done, we all gathered to make our way back to the bus which took us directly to the hotel. Looking back, the day was gone in a blink. Now, a year later, it is hard to believe that it's been that long.

Last Homestudy Visit

2008-09-10T06:57:00.000-07:00

China requires that you do three follow-up

visits with an adoption caseworker after the

adoption. Each report that goes to China

needs three or four photos of Junie.At least one of the photos has to include all
the members of our family. We, of course

forgot about it until last minute and had

to try to get one on our own. It only took

me about a half an hour to figure out how

to set the timer on the camera and six

or seven tries to get this photo. Not bad.

Gifts From Scrooge

2008-09-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

My grandfather was cleaning out some of the stuffed animals that he had saved over the years. Gabby and Junie were excited to have them.

You may ask, why is this post titled, "Gifts From Scrooge"? Well, let me tell you. Before Gabby was born, my grandmother, Gabby's great grandmother, told me that she would like to be called Gigi. I asked her what she thought we should call my grandfather, who as a kid I thought was a grumpy old man. My grandmother thought about it and said, "Bah Humbug. That fits him." I agreed and we laughed about it. To make it easier on Gabby, when she was little, we shortened his name to Bah and it stuck. We've called him Bah ever since.

Ride

2008-09-08T18:03:00.000-07:00

Gabby has been giving June rides in this doll stroller for awhile now. June just decided that she wanted to give Gabby a ride this day. After the bottom fell out of the stroller, we decided that the riding was better left for Junie.

On a side note, if you look very closely, you can see pants poking out of the bottom of June's jammies. For those of you who have been following, you'll remember the backwards pjs post. This year probably won't be much different. We put June to bed one night without bottoms on and woke up to a very wet bed and naked butt.

Elmo Time

2008-09-08T17:50:00.001-07:00

June has absolutely fallen in love with Elmo. We had a TMX Elmo, but because he was motorized, he wasn't that cuddly and was pretty heavy. Still, June wanted to take him to bed and tried to carry him around.

Gabby is such a good big sister. She noticed how much June loved her Elmo and asked if we could get her a soft one. That was easier said then done. Almost every Elmo we found had some kind mechanics and wasn't totally soft. We were lucky and finally found this one. He kind of looks like someone goosed him, but June doesn't care. She loves him anyways.

Rain Rain Go Away, Come Again Another Day

2008-09-08T17:44:00.000-07:00

Hi To You Too!

2008-09-07T18:28:00.000-07:00

We drive by this hay bale welcomer at a local fruit stand every time we go to the mall. John and I both thought the same thing when we saw it...

you're number one, of course. What did you think we thought?

The Gabinator

2008-08-27T16:16:00.000-07:00

The title says it all.

Oppor-Junities

2008-08-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

Mmmm, creamsicle popsicle!

The other day I commented how we were missing so many photo opportunities with
June since I've been sick. John said, "We're not missing photo opportunites.
We're missing photo Oppor-Junities."

Every Rose Has It's Thorn

2008-08-27T15:19:00.000-07:00

This is our flower barrel at the beginning of the season.

A couple of weeks ago we noticed an uninvited guest. We call him Spike. This is a picture of the flowering part of the plant. Ouch.

The stems are as thorny as the flowers. With each needle (John calls them weapons of death) being at least 1/2 inch, Spike isn't going anywhere soon.

From The Desk Of Gabby

2008-08-21T17:50:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, John has a Prius and loves it. He has our entire household looking for them and counting them when we're on the road.

So, on the way back from the mall the other day, Gabby just blurts out, "What's the least likely place to find a Prius?" After I can't come up with an answer she says, "The dealership."

A couple of days later she says, "What's the second least likely place to find a Prius?" Of course, I don't know. She says, "The gas station."

She's definitely related to John.

Oven Mits

2008-08-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

John and I were using the oven to cook dinner tonight. June saw us using the oven mits and found a way to make her own. Gabby's socks are perfect!

Life Is Comedy

2008-08-21T17:37:00.000-07:00

I'm relaxing in the livingroom when I hear John say, "June is not afraid of spiders."

Surprised, I say, "How do you know that?"

John replies, "Because she just brought me one."

I say, "Dead or alive?"

John says, "It's dead now!"

Never Eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head

2008-08-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

It's official, I'm two!!!

Dad says, "Never eat anything bigger than your head."

Who cares what dad says. I'm gonna try!

Little Sisters Stink

2008-08-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

Gabby decided to give painting her room a try. With the exception of a little bit of cutting in and taping, she did it all herself. No matter how hard we tried, we weren't able to keep June from getting into the paint. Now what do we do?

MIA

2008-08-07T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hi all. Sorry I've been gone awhile. I've been a bit under the weather and haven't been doing much. After lots of doctors appointments and tests that got me nowhere, I finally saw a rhematologist that diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. It wasn't the diagnosis I was expecting, but I did some research and it fits.

I'm on medication which helps some, but I still have bad days which land me in bed. It's been very difficult for everyone in the house. Both John and Gabby have had to pick up the slack.

We had to cancel both of our vacations because travel is too hard. Instead we're doing a "stay-cation" this summer. We've been spending time working around the house and in the yard and have accomplished a lot. For fun, we have been going to the local drive-in theater a bit. Gabby had not been to a drive-in before. She thought it was really neat. June didn't care about the movies, but she did have fun running around.

Just A Sprinkle A Day...

2008-05-29T16:37:00.000-07:00

This was June's first experience with a sprinkler.

She absolutely loved it!

Castaway

2008-05-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

With the weather getting warmer and June in need of pajamas that still zip up the back, Gabby offered to cut the arms and feet off a pair of older pjs. So far June hasn't figured out how to get the backwards jammies off in the middle of the night...whew!

Two By Two

2008-05-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

Two and occasionally three word word phrases are popping out of Junie's mouth all the time now. The most common phrases to hear are, cookie please, I love you, and bye bye Daisy. My favorite so far is, "my daddy". She said that yesterday when Grandpa Larry was keeping her from following John out the door.

She imitates everything we say, even if we don't want her too. Crap is still her standard "bad word", but the other day she said, "butt hole", after hearing Gabby say it. Fortunately, that one hasn't popped up again.

Punk or Disco?

2008-05-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

Gabby's latest art project was this tissue paper fish. She wanted to do a punk rock fish with a leather jacket, but it just wasn't to be. We thought adding eyelids would help, but instead of doing black, we decided on gold. Gold doesn't scream punk...more like disco.

Gabby did try to get the punk vibe by adding the skull and crossbones necklace. I think it is cool no matter what type of fish it is.

Baby Love

2008-05-21T17:02:00.000-07:00

We were looking for a template for a shirt for one of Gabby's art projects and found this doll. June fell in love with her first baby doll immediately.

Do You Like My Hat Part 2

2008-05-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

Planting Time

2008-05-20T10:08:00.000-07:00

John and Gabby worked so hard planting.
June wanted to help too.
Wow, look at that hand.
Can you use these bricks?
A beautiful result!

Meatloaf

2008-05-16T16:42:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, while going through one of our old cookbooks, Gabby found our recipe for meatloaf. I don't think we've made it since before Gabby was born. If we had, she didn't remember it and after looking at the recipe, thought it would be good. I agreed, but told her that she would have to do all the manual labor since my arthritis was acting up. She said, "No problem" and we headed off to the store to get the ingredients.

What I conveniently omitted was that meatloaf is a real hands on process. The spices, ketchup, and eggs don't get fully mixed into the meat if you use a spoon.

Gabby's not a real "get your hands dirty" kind of kid, but she dug right in. She did a great job because the meatloaf was very tasty.

Do You Like My Hat

2008-05-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

My friend, Liz, picked up this adorable hat for Junie. I took a whole bunch of pictures of June wearing it, but this was Gabby's favorite one. She couldn't stop laughing at Junie's flared nostrils.

Wet & Wild

2008-05-03T10:29:00.000-07:00

Gabby offered to take June into the shower with her this morning. When I came into the bathroom they were having a great time playing in the water.

I quickly went to get the camera and made it back to catch them making faces on the glass.

Being sprayed by the water is one of June's favorite things.

Let's Go For A Ride

2008-05-02T17:14:00.001-07:00

June wanted to go for a ride.

Gabby obliged.

Cousins

2008-04-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

Shyanne came for a visit today while her dad had surgery. June just loves to hug and kiss her over and over again. I had her lay down next to Shyanne so that I could get a picture of them both, but every time I tried, June would wiggle away at the last second.

I finally decided to give up on the laying down picture. Sitting up was much easier.

Squirley

2008-04-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

So, I'm in the kitchen and all of a sudden

I hear a bang and a strange scratching

sound. As I enter the livingroom, I see

our cat, Sassy, leaping toward the window.

When I get there, this is what I find...

This cleaver squirrel had scaled up our

siding to try to get to the bird feeder

that hangs from our window. He was obviously not afraid as he allowed this close-up.

Sassy spent the next hour by the window.

Houdini

2008-04-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

Riding in the car with Junie is interesting. She has learned how to pull down the top buckle of her five point harness car seat and shimmy her arms out which has not made mom happy. I've pulled over the car repeatedly to pull the straps back up while scolding her. After a couple of times of doing that, she has finally come around and is leaving the strap up. Problem solved? We'll see.

So, with the warmer weather, I've been dressing her in sun dresses with nothing on underneath but a diaper. I was sure that I was going to find her with her diaper off somewhere around the house, but somehow it stayed on until...

Gabby and I were doing some spring shopping. It was a hot day, so we were in shorts and June was in one of her sun dresses. It is about a fifteen minute drive to the mall, so Gabby and I were talking and listening to music. Usually, June babbles along with us from the back seat, but this trip she was unusually quiet. I suddenly realized that there's no noise coming from the back seat, so I peeked back to see if she was asleep. She wasn't, but she was totally naked from the waist down. Somehow she had undone her diaper and pulled it out from under her and around the five point harness. If my grandfather had seen this he would have exclaimed, "You little sh&#!" Fortunately there wasn't any of that in the seat, just a naked hiney. Gabby got a good laugh out of the whole situation. I was glad there wasn't a mess to clean up.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for...

2008-04-24T06:31:00.000-07:00

ICE CREAM!

YUM!!!

Spring Shopping

2008-04-23T05:13:00.001-07:00

Gabby, June, and I went shopping for spring clothes for both Gabby and June. It was a very long day, but we had a bit of success. Because it was so hot, I ended up changing June into a short sleeved shirt that we had bought her along the way.

This is June before the trip.

This is June after hours of shopping. We totally wore her out.

Art Project

2008-04-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

Gabby brought home her latest art project today. I really thought it was great.

It's much better than I could do. I just had to post it.

Success

2008-04-18T15:39:00.001-07:00

It didn't take duct tape or safety pins. A simple spinning of the pajamas worked like a charm.

It took two people to get the pjs on backwards. Everytime John would get the arms on, June would take them off.

Finally Gabby and John were able to keep the top of the pjs on and spin the feet around so that everything would work. Now just zipper it up and we're set.

It might look a little funny, but it works. Two mornings in a row with both jammies and diaper in tact. Hurray!

Backa!@wards

2008-04-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

June has gotten in the habit of taking off her pajamas and daiper every morning. This morning, Gabby went in to get June and, as usual, found her totally naked. What she also found was a wet crib. So, John and I are trying to come up with some ways to keep the pjs and diaper on. John's first thought was duct tape:) Moving on to more practical ideas, we were going to do safety pins, but with June having nothing but time on her hands, I'm sure she'd eventually figure it out and then, "Ouch!" So, tonight we are doing our first trials. We're going to put the sleeper on backwards. I've never tried this before, but I've heard that it works. We'll see what tomorrow morning brings.

Spring Break Fun

2008-04-15T17:05:00.001-07:00

Today was the first really nice day during the kids' spring break, so they took advantage of it and spent some time outside.

Considering the size of the basketball compared to June, I'm surprised that she could carry it all over the place.

Both Junie and Gabby were having a great time. It was definitely a hug moment.

Tameka thought that Taylor needed some basketball pointers. Taylor didn't mind.

June was full of love. She made sure that she christened everyone with her juicy kisses.

What a great day!

POC

2008-04-14T05:33:00.000-07:00

So, Junie has been saying lots of new words. She says Emma, purple, yes, ow, Lizzie, cracker. Every day she says something new.

For almost a year, when Gabby doesn't like something she calls it a "piece of crap". Some days it seemed like she was saying it all the time. So, when June came home I told Gabby that if she kept saying it that June's first words would be, "piece of crap". Well, that never came to pass. June has never said piece of crap. What she does say emphatically is, "Crap!". I can't blame it on Gabby though. June has learned it from some of the adults in her life. John, I, and even my friend Liz who watches June say, "crap" when things aren't going well.

I think I started it. One day while cooking I dropped a knife, barely missing my foot. I shouted, "Crap!" and picked the knife up off the floor. Immediately, I heard a little voice from behind me shout, "Cap! Cap!" That's where it all began. Now, every time she hears someone shout their displeasure by using that word, she joins in. I suppose it could be worse. Gabby once called me a bic after spending some time at a friend's house who had teenagers.

Face Lickin' Good

2008-03-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

Just a girl and her dog.

Daisy loves to lick and Junie doesn't mind. Daisy is the prewash cycle.

Daisy must have deserved a kiss for her efforts.

Go Piggy Go

2008-03-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

June really wanted Gabby to give her a piggy back ride. June might have been trying to pull a Mike Tyson here. Maybe a quick bite would encourage Gabby to get a move on.

Gabby gave June a ride and saved her ear. Whew!

Whoops, almost lost her, but quick reflexes won out.

June loves playing with Taylor.

The Balloon

2008-03-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

June got her first helium balloon from Wegmans today. The balloons spent most of it's time stuck to June's head. June didn't get it.

Bald eagle

2008-02-27T16:52:00.000-08:00

I was so fortunate to see a bald eagle sitting in a tree along the highway on Saturday. At first I wasn't sure what I was seeing, but when I got closer there was no mistaking the large bird. Another car was pulled over to the side of the road with their window rolled down looking at the eagle. I drove home and grabbed my camera, but by the time I returned, it was gone. What a wonderful sight. It's the second time I've seen an eagle in the area.

Night light

2008-02-27T16:46:00.000-08:00

When we were over in China, we picked up a whole bunch of kids flashlights that are battery free. You charge them up by squeezing a lever. A couple of days ago John let Junie take one of the flashlights to bed with her and she's loving it. It's great because we don't have to worry about using up the batteries. Now she sleeps with a flashlight in one hand and a comb in the other.

Belbows and nanas

2008-02-27T16:35:00.000-08:00

June is starting to form words. She has been saying hi for awhile, but it comes out "I". She also says:

buh bye
itty - kitty
aisy - Daisy
p - up or please
dada
mama
belbow - elbow
more
gaba - gabby
gook - book
d - dance
ga - we have no clue but she says it over and over
t - light
nana - banana or Hannah

It is so fun to hear her trying to talk.

Have You Seen The Little Piggies

2008-02-21T11:39:00.000-08:00

June thinks the pigs are so neat. She tries to

feed them, but they are too afraid to eat.

Willie sat still to let June pet him. Of course, that's not

saying much. Guinea pigs freeze when they are afraid.

Willie was ready for his close up.

Let's Get Ready To Tumble

2008-02-21T10:47:00.000-08:00

Gabby, June, and I went to our first gymnastics meet this season. I went as a coach. Gabby and June were just spectators. It went fairly well, but certainly much more challenging with June there. She is so good, but carrying her around is tough. Fortunately, I had plenty of help. All of the team girls like to play with her. During the meet, one of the judges told me that she is in the process of adopting a second little girl from China and showed me her daughters' pictures. It is amazing how many people I've encountered who've adopted.

After the meet we went out to dinner afterward, which is one of Gabby's favorite things to do after a meet. As soon as we got in the car Gabby said, "I want to go back to gymnastics." I said okay, but she'd have to work at it.

So, all this week we've been going to the Y to work out. This has been a week off from gymnastics, so she wants to get in shape as much as possible before next week. It's been harder than she expected. She's been very sore, but that will pass. She's excited to be going back.

Vasoline Follow-Up

2008-02-06T06:42:00.001-08:00

I found this picture while organizing my photos. Gabby couldn't resist giving June a punk look after the vasoline incident.

The Flu

2008-02-06T06:30:00.000-08:00

This is about as active as June has been for the past week. On Thursday the poor kid, had a temperature of 104, so Gabby and I drove to our doctor's satelite office at 6:00 at night to have her checked out. The official diagnosis is that she had the flu, but just to be sure that it wasn't something more serious, the doctor sent us to the hospital to get xrays and bloodwork. Everything turned out fine. We didn't get home until after 9:00. Fortunately, school was cancelled due to ice the next day, so Gabby didn't have to get up extra early to do the homework that she hadn't finished.

An Unexpected Surprise

2008-01-28T17:10:00.000-08:00

Betsy was a little under the weather on Sunday, so Shyanne spent most of the day with Gabby, June, and me. She is such a sweet, easy going baby. We all enjoyed the time with her. June just loves giving Shyanne hugs.

A couple of hours into Shyanne's visit, everyone decided that it was time for a rest. I was surprised that both girls napped for about an hour.

Filler-Up

2008-01-22T05:29:00.000-08:00

Riddle: What do you get with an undone diaper and footie pajamas?

Answer: A leg full of poop!

Yesterday I noticed that June had a very stinky behind. When I went to change her, I opened her pj's to find an undone, empty diaper. So, where did the poop go...all the way down her leg, completely covering the inside of the sleeper leg. When I removed the pj's, the poop made it's way into the foot of the pajamas. It was a definite eww moment.

Pucker Up

2008-01-20T18:21:00.000-08:00

Gabby, June, and I went out to lunch at Applebee's yesterday. I ordered a water and it came with a lemon slice. Of course, I had to let June take a taste. She immediately, twisted her face up and gave her head a shake. Gabby thought it was so funny, so I dared her to squeeze all the lemon juice from the slice into her mouth. She thought it would be no problem. So, she grabbed the lemon and squeezed it as hard as she could. I don't think that Gabby thought that the lemon would be as sour as it was. She couldn't control her face and her cheeks sucked in to make her look like a fish. As soon as she recovered enough to talk, Gabby said, "It made my cheeks so tight that it was like botox." That gave me quite a laugh.

Teeth, Teeth, And More Teeth

2008-01-16T10:50:00.000-08:00

June currently has four teeth, that I can feel, popping through her gums and it has made her cranky. Her gums are so red and swollen and she is drooling like a St. Bernard. I don't remember this with Gabby, but seeing June go through it makes me realize that I'd never survive it as an adult.

It's Good To Have Friends

2008-01-14T15:26:00.000-08:00

We were fortunate to be able to visit with my friend, Colleen, her husband, Marty, and their son, Lenny during the Christmas break. Lenny seemed to really like Gabby.

A Day Of Vasoline

2008-01-08T13:42:00.000-08:00

What do you get when you have a twelve year old, an eighteen month old, and a jar of Vasoline? A BIG mess! Gabby got the Vasoline out and forgot to put it away. This fact did not escape June's attention. She was on that jar of Vasoline like a moth to a light.

Even though I was frustrated at the moment, I couldn't resist getting the camera out for a picture. It's not often that your child looks like a greased pig.
The Vasoline must have felt pretty neat to June. It didn't come off too easily. Gabby put her in the shower, but I think it will take a couple more washings to get it all out of her hair.
It probably doesn't show in this picture, but there is Vasoline on the corner of the couch, the end table, the arm of the chair and covering the floor.

A Day Of Beauties

2008-01-06T18:12:00.001-08:00

Today we went to Wally World

(Walmart) to have a family photo

taken. Nothing fancy, but I still felt

the need to fix June's bed head.

Our wonderful beauties.

Hot Potato... Everywhere

2008-01-06T18:01:00.000-08:00

What we really needed was a hose and a drain in the floor, but in the absence of that equipment, a dog will do. There were potatoes on the tray, potatoes on June's hands, potatoes in the chair, and potatoes on the floor. There were even a few potatoes down June's shirt.

Daisy wasn't sure at first, but it didn't take much coaxing for her to start clean up duty.

Dogs are the quicker picker upper.

Walk-a-bout

2008-01-04T14:50:00.000-08:00

June started taking a few steps at a time a couple of weeks ago. Now she is walking across the livingroom and is very proud of herself.

New Years

2008-01-02T12:30:00.000-08:00