Dancing in the Rain

Summer Break has officially began and I am already on a war path. I want to say one thing and get it off my chest.
Eli is a child. He has feelings and a soul and can hear the words that come out of peoples mouths whether it be good or bad. Yes, he has some issues sometimes but for the most part he is a normal child that likes to play, joke, run, jump. swim, play baseball, fish and he's entitled to have friends just the same as any other child. I had a feeling outing him and his diagnoses on my blog would cause some of his friends parents to question allowing their children to befriend him. But, I felt it's not something to be hid nor ignored but dealt with head on. If you have decided it isn't best for your children to befriend my child anymore because he's "sick," then SHAME ON YOU!
I have a lovely, amazing son. A son that is no different on the inside then your son. Period.

*sigh* Today was it. The last day of school. here we go friends. Let the fun begin. You can expect lots of blogs where I laugh, cry, question my sanity and maybe even buzz blog. I apologize in advance for those now. Crank some Adele and Lady Gaga and lets get this Summer started!!  Dance in the rain a little. (or under the NMVFD hose like Eli is here)

*Evyn's Thrusday

May, 26th. The month is about gone. This year has flown by like no other year I have ever seen. It's very true that time flies the older you get.
It's been another crazy couple of days. On the bright side, I have a new washer and dryer that has made my life here so much easier. I am very thankful for it. Maybe I can bath more then once a week now.

There has been something on my mind lately. I think it's Evyn's Thursday. I realize there hasn't been a Zac's Thursday yet, but he will have his turn. Promise.

I have heard a couple different horror stories lately and decided today was the day I blogged about Evyn's birth, and the days that followed.

Last week I learned about a baby girl who was born 17 years ago with the exact diagnosis as Evyn had. She lived 45 minutes.

Last night I learned about a baby girl who was born and died a few minutes after birth. The parents were unsure of the cause of her death but after speaking with them the similarities are much the same.

Parents intuition? It's no joke. I knew the entire time I was pregnant that Evyn was going to be sick. Something was wrong. I didn't know what, just something. I shared these thoughts with a friend who helped me brush those feeling under the rug and blame them on the fact I had had 3 healthy babies and had convinced myself  I was tempting fate and due a sick child.

No ultrasound showed a problem. None of my blood work threw a flag. I had fancy 4d US done and it too was good. She saw no reason to contact a Dr. All of these things eased my hunches, but only temporarily. At night I found myself working out details in my head about what to do with the other 3 boys when this one arrived sick. It's safe to say I drove myself crazy.

Evyn's due date came and went. He was due Dec. 25th. My health was a on fast decline once his due date came and went. I was tired. Sick. A nervous wreck. I was sent for a couple NTS. At one of them, I was lucky enough to have had my membrane stripped. By far the worst experance of my entire life and it didn't only last momentarily. The effects of it, lasted days. The purpose is to bring on labor. It did bring on contractions, but they were not dilating me so I was sent home packing. I was home for several days having contractions. Finally Dr. Mody arrived back from India where she had been gone for a couple weeks and left me in the hands of Dr. Dirig. I saw her on Monday and was induced the following morning. Evyn was still very stubborn. He didn't want to join us here at all!! I firmly believe he was two weeks late and slow to deliver because my body knew he was not well and better off if he stayed where he was.

The three days we were in TJ I was made to believe a I had a completely healthy newborn. He was born Jan 5th and I was released to take him home the 7th. By the 11th I realized something was terribly wrong. He had drainage from him cord. Not normal drainage. This was different. After debate and a couple calls to the Dr., one of my best friends loaded us up and took us to the ER. Pointless. There I was made to believe he was normal and I was uneducated about newborn cord care. I left in tears. Not aiming to take "go home" for a answer I had him at his Peds office on Monday morning. There she fussed at me for having taken him to the ER over something so minor as a little cord drainage. She felt it was just as simple as him needing his cord cauterized. This helped the drainage for several hours but not my nerves. By Wed. morning the drainage had doubled in amount and was bubbling. Air. Yes air was being expelled from his cord. One phone call to his Ped and we had a ticket to Kosairs.

I don't remember packing for that. I don't remember what I said to the other boys. I just remember thinking "I knew something was wrong and no one would listen to me."

After seeing several Dr's at Kosairs we met the man who I own my child's life too. Dr. Foley. Chief of Ped surgery at Kosairs. He walked in that room with a halo on his head. I saw it, even if no one else did. He scheduled surgery for the next morning. During this time Evyn wasn't allowed to nurse. That was the longest night of my entire life. I hadn't ate, hadn't slept. I had cryed till I had nothing left. I was running for pure adrenalin and had been since his birth. The next morning they called for us. We walked Evyn all the way to surgery. We were dragging two IV poles and a heart monitor beside us. He had been hooked up to so many devices since the moment we arrived. What a heart wrenching walk that was. A 8 day old baby cradled in my arms and looking to me for healing. It was out of my hands tho. The doors swung open and the last words I heard before I handed him to the team of nurses and Dr's were, "take some time with him and say your goodbyes."
My goodbyes? Did this mean they didn't feel good about the outcome of this surgery? The next several hours time stood still. Finally they called for us. The surgery had been successful he believed. It consisted of repairing a Fistula, umbilical hernia, removing his Appendix, rerouting his bowels and reconstructing him a new and improved navel. They brought him back to me hooked up to even more then before. The next few days drug by as well. It was such a slow process of letting him nurse again to make his he had no drainage going into his body cavity. In simple terms, he was having bowel movements from his belly button. (every time I say that out loud I think of TJ telling me cord drainage was normal and I was being ridiculas)Eventually we were able to bring our son home to his brothers. It was Peyton's 11th birthday.

So, this blog to for my miracle baby. Evyn. Bounced into this world weighing a whopping 8 pounds 3.5 ounces on Jan 5th 2010. He has kept me on my toes ever since. I am very proud to share with you some of his Firsts!!

First Smile- March 1, 2010
First said Momma-April 2010 (not j/k)
Said Dada- Sep. 19th 2010
Walked-Nov. 22, 2010
First foods- May 12, 2010 (sweet potatoes)

Summer Plans?

What a crazy last few days. They have consisted of graduation, field days, road trips, no sleep, lots of good food and belly laughs with the kids. It's a official, Zac and I are both blistered. The worst sunburns are when it's cloudy. We were out all day yesterday working on the pool and it never dawned on me one time to sunscreen Zac. Those of you who know me know......I apply sunscreen to those kids faithfully. I NEVER dreamed that a cloudy day would blister that child. I now feel neglectful. He's miserable and it's due to my irresponsibility. For the record....I have tried a lot of sunscreen on the kids in the last 13 years and last year I found Ocean Potion. The best ever! Period

The truck is torn up. I feel bad for Danny. We just can't seem to catch a break and get caught up since the wreck and his 10 weeks off. We both agreed that this Summer would be the best. We intended to take the boys everywhere humanly possible. Some of my best memories are trips I took with my parents. They took me everywhere. Everywhere except the ocean. I saw the ocean one time my Sr year of high school. We were rushed and I didn't really get to spend time there. That's gonna change this Summer if I have to walk. I want a nice little rental on the beach. No exceptions. Hey, I want what I want. And I want it to be a amazing trip for the kids. They are trying to convince me to camp one time. Sorry. I will NOT be camping. Our conversation usually goes like this:

Boys- "we want to go camping"
Me- "no"
Boys- "please"
Me- "ask your Daddy"
Boys- "but he said ask you"
Me-"no, I don't want to camp. I don't want to sleep on the ground. (or a air mattress, or a cot, or a anything else claiming to be remotely as comfortable as my Serta)
Boy-" but, it'd be fun. We can roast marshmellow's"
Me-"we can do that here and sleep in our beds when we are done"
Boys-"we can swim in the lake"
Me- " we can swim in our backyard in clear clean water and when we are tired we can sleep on a Serta!"
Boys-"but everyone camps. Everyone talk about how much fun they had'
Me-" sure it is, that's why the homeless always look so damn happy all the time."

Spoiled. Yes. The only way I will camp is in a RV. I don't mean a pop up or a pull behind. I mean one of the bigamoes (Yes I made that word up to describe the monster RV's you drive. Winnebago's.) Which brings me to my question. Where is a good place to rent one for a few days? And where's a good place to go. I really want to take the to Yosemite. That's out of the question until gas goes down. Also, a nice rental on the beach. Preferably a house on a beach that isn't crowed. We don't care about the attractions cause we are there to be on the beach. Not shop, eat out and bungee jump. (that last one is on my bucket list)

Anyway.......plans are in motion for entertaining 4 boys.What's yours and how are you planning to save money? Suggestions please. (and keep in mind we have a age range from 1 to 12)

Let Me Hold You Longer

Let Me Hold You Longer

Let Me Hold You Longer
a poem by Karen Kingsbury

Long ago you came to me, a miracle of firsts;
First smiles and teeth and baby steps, a sunbeam on the burst.
But one day you will move away and leave to me your past
And I will be left thinking of a lifetime of your lasts.

The last time that I held a bottle to your baby lips
The last time that I lifted you and held you on my hip,
The last night when you woke up crying,
Needing to be walked,
When last you crawled up with your blanket
Wanting to be rocked.

The last time when you ran to me still small enough to hold
The last time when you said you'd marry me when you grew old.

Precious simple moments and bright flashes from your past
Would I have held on longer if I'd known they were your last?
Our last adventure to the park, your final midday nap
The last time when you wore your favorite faded baseball cap.

Your last few hours of kindergarten, last days of first grade,
Your last at bat in Little League, last colored picture made.
I never said goodbye to all your yesterdays long past
So what about tomorrow? Will I recognize your lasts?

The last time that you catch a frog in that old backyard pond
The last that you ran barefoot across our fresh-cut lawn
Silly, scattered moments and bright flashes from your past
I keep on taking pictures, never quite sure of your last.

The last time that I comb your hair or stop a pillow fight,
The last time that I tuck you in and pray with you at night.
The last time when we cuddled with a book just me and you,
The last time you jump in our bed and sleep between us two.

The last piano lesson, the last vacation to the lake
Your last few weeks of middle school, last soccer goal you make.
I look ahead and dream of days that haven't come to pass
But as I do I sometimes miss today's sweet precious lasts.

The last time that I help you with a math or spelling test
The last time when I shout that "Yes! Your room is still a mess!"
The last time that you need me for a ride from here to there
The last time that you spend the night with your old tattered bear.

My life keeps moving faster, stealing precious days that pass
I want to hold on longer, want to recognize your lasts.
The last thing that you need my help with, details of a dance,
And the last time that you asked me for advice about romance.

The last time that you talked to me about your hopes and dreams
The last time that you wear a jersey for your high school team.
I've watched you grow and barely noticed seasons as they pass
If I could freeze the hands of time, I'd hold onto your lasts.

For come some bright fall morning, you'll be going far away
College life will beckon in a brilliant sort of way
One last hug, one last goodbye, one quick and hurried kiss,
One last time to understand just how much you'll be missed.

I'll watch you leave and think how fast our time together passed
So let me hold on longer, God, to every precious last.

To my child:Just for this morning, I am going to smile when I see your face and laugh when I feel like crying.
Just for this morning, I will let you choose what you want to wear, and smile and say how perfect it is.

Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundfy, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.

Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.

Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.
Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and wine for the Ice Cream truck, and 1 will buy you one if he comes by.

Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.

Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and wont stand over you trying to fix them.

Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonalds and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.

Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you.

Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.

Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the

stars.

Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV show.

Just for this evening when I run my fingers through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

And when 1 kiss you good night 1 will hold you a little tighter, a little longer. It is then, that I
will thank God for you, and ask him for nothing, except one more day

4 girls, 4 boys. Until today.

I have so many things I want to talk about today. I decided separate blogs were the best way to go. I want each topic to have it's importance. I don't think I'm a good enough writer to be able to stress each in one blog. Plus I can only get one picture per blog to download and that just won't do!

Today was a whirlwind of a day. # 9 of the Smith-England Clan arrived red faced and waling. I have never missed a birth. Today wasn't going to be the first. 5 births I have been present for. And she can say the same about me as well. (matter of fact she loves to tell how Zac caused her to miss the Nascar Race in Bristle) She was even my driver once while I was in labor. No birth is complete without the others presence.

15 years, 5 husbands, 3 divorces, 9 children, miscarriages, deaths, same places of employment (where they soon learned it was best to keep us together otherwise we'd just slack on the job to conversate with one another) sick children, conversations that lasted all night to many times to count. I am so glad I have had her through this chaos of a life. I am so proud you have a son, even tho you broke our streak of me having four girls and you having four girls.

15 years ago.

Eli's Thursday

Eli's Thursday, a day late. He will be so excited to read about himself. I picked the picture for him. He would have definitely picked something recent. I'm a sucker for the pictures of the boys that were taken the very first times I held them.
Eli was born July 7th, 2003. Easiest pregnancy I experienced. I guess the easy pregnancy came back to bite my tail, because he has been nothing of the sort since he took his first breath!
Eli entered this world a day early. I took a spill here at home and a few hours later at 2:22 a.m..........waalaaa. 7 pounds 13 oz of Satan himself. ;)  (it seems none of my children could arrive at reasonable hours of the day except for Evyn, and he was made to come during daylight hours)
I knew at a really young age that Eli was not like other baby boys. He was extra special. He required little to no sleep. He never cryed. He was always observing his surroundings as if he were memorizing where each thing belonged. He never touched anything. He never moved anything out of it's original place. He was a extra special baby. He still is....
Here's to you sweet boy, a few of your first:
First tooth- Jan. 25
First cold Aug. 28
First food-Aug 1 (cereal)
First haircut-May 6
Walked Aug 13th 2004
First hospital stay- March 5th. oh, which reminds me Mister Eli, you landed me in the hospital on my birthday in 2003. Thank you, darlin'. I had someone to cook clean and clean up my puke for my birthday.

Now, since you are standing here fussing at me at this very moment because you think hypothermia in the pool today seems like a fine idea I have to end Eli's Thursday.

I love you very much. Never ever let anyone tell you you can't do anything you want. (I know you wont have a problem with that. You have never listened to anyone else in your entire 8 years) Know that whatever life throws your way, you always have 3 brothers who will have your back. (so, stop tormenting them)

Catch Up

I sure have missed y'all. It's been a week. A very busy week in the Smith Household. Today will be a catch up day.
Preschool graduation is drawing closer and I am getting more depressed about this with each passing day. It absolutely sickens me to think my baby Zac will be a Kindergartner a week from Friday.
Peyton has been with Mame and Poppy most of the time. Dad needs help on the farm and Peyton is learning it. He will be the one of my kids that never leave the county and becomes a farmer. That's fine with me cause it'll make him happy. He would rather be on a tractor then play baseball any day of the week!
Evyn is getting into EVERY THING. His true colors are really beginning to shine lately. He is going to keep me on my toes this Summer.
Eli is the same ole Eli. Impossible to please and ready to swim! Which brings me to my next topic. Cleaning the pool. All the rain has made the pool near impossible to clean. It's cleared. Finally. But, I cannot get it vacuumed. I vacuum it three times a day and don't seem to be making any headway. Tips on getting this pond ready to swim in would be GREAT!
All the critters are still kicking. No casualties yet. 19 chickens. 1 duck. 2 rabbits and a slew of dogs. We go to Missouri this weekend to add our second Great Dane. A Harlequin male. I have settled on the name, Whitley.
Zachary's Preschool trip was last Friday. We had some a great day. It's rare that I get to spend one on one time with them. We road the train at big South Fork and then on the way home I thought it'd be silly not to stop at Cumberland Falls. It was muddy and rushing over the falls, yet beautiful and peaceful. The resort was empty. I guess it isn't quite tourist season yet. I got some great pictures. It was a good day. Let me say that again.......it was a good day. One I hope he carries it with him till he has children of his own and takes them as well.
Not only am I about to have a Kindergartner, I am also fixing to have a Middle Schooler. (gasp) I always said once my children were older I would continue my own education. As that time grows closer I have absolutely no desire what so ever to go back to college. And that's OK. I am at peace with what I do. If I never do nothing more than raise my puppies and be a homemaker I will be totally satisfied with that. I feel a lot of folks whom have a college degrees are not as comfortable in their life as I am. (next week, I could have a different opinion. I am very indecisive when it come to the subject of what to do when all my kids are in school)
I have fought a stomach bug for 3 days.
 I did shed some Winter weight. Not exactly how I wanted to tho. The view in the bathroom got old.

As for the rest of the week.......tomorrow I need to get back in the swing of things. I missed Eli's Thursday last week. I am looking forward to tomorrows blog that's dedicated to him.
Have a great Hump Day friends. Until tomorrow.......

No more boo-boo's to kiss.

The last couple days have been hectic. End of the school year for 3 school age boys! Yesterday I took graduation pictures for Zac's Preschool class. I am so proud of them! I can't wait to share them........but I have too. :(

Testing has been going on all week for Peyton and Eli. Homework, chores, and our small farm. Busy busy busy. I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't know any other way.

This is one of my jobs. Being a Mother. I have done it since I was 18. I put being a Mother above everything else. Before raising puppies and keeping Danny's trucking records. Before being a daughter, friend and even  a wife. No amount of effort goes into anything else like being a Mother.

It dawned on me last night that my babies are growing up. My baby Zac is graduating Preschool in a couple weeks. Next will be Evyn. What will I do when they are all gone? This is all I have ever done, and done well.

What are the plans for your lives when your children are gone. What will you do when you don't have to go school, orthodontist, parent teacher meetings, doctor apts. What will you do when there are no little noses to wipe and boo-boos to kiss?

Let's talk Bleach

So, in my "about me" I threw out the term OCD. I think a lot of people use this term loosely. I thought of this, this morning about 5 a.m. as I was trying to get all my household chores done before I am to be at school to take graduation photographs at 10:30.

I wanted to share the extent of my daily cleaning that MUST be done or it severely affects my quality of life.

Here is a picture of some of the loves of my life that I use EVERY DAY. I thought this would knock out two blogs with one post. My favorites and my rituals.

I always begin with my Kitchen. Dishes are always ready to start washing in the dishwasher because I have already loaded it the night before right before I lay down. After starting the dishwasher I bleach my sink and counters. My Kitchen is not clean to my liking if I do not smell Clorox. I wipe down the stove, fridge, with Fabuloso. (in the purple bottle) If you have not used this product before you need too. It's amazing and has a smell that is very pleasant, yet covers up the smell of little boy piss. Yes, I said it. I have a child who sleep walks and pees in the floor at night thinking for sure he's in the bathroom. This stuff is good for anything. Quick wipe downs to deep cleaning. I have spot shampooed carpet, pretreated laundry and gotten out stains that I knew where set in forever! It lives to its name. Its cheap and fabulous! Viva paper towels. They are grand. You can use and reuse over and over. Of course I never do because thats entirely too germie for me. I have been known to wash dishes with one! Tough little boogers.

I then go to the bathrooms and mop my floors. Bathrooms. Plural. Two. When I say mop, I mean scrub on my hands and knees because that's the only way to get the little boy urine out from behind the camode. I have two children in the house that do use a camode at night but, I'm unsure why because it lands in the floor as well. (at least it's not carpet) I am seriously thinking about lining the area around my camodes with puppy pads. If you think sitting on a camode at night that the seat has been so generously left up on is a bitch, you've obviously never stepped in piss barefooted at 1 a.m.

While I'm in the bathroom I gather dirty clothes, clean the toothpaste off the sinks and clean the mirrors because they are splattered with mint green water and spit by this time because the two big boys have already gotten ready and left for school. Pet peeve-tooth paste on my sinks and mirrors along with a dirty sticky tube of paste. I clean the camodes with "The Works". I descovered this last summer by accident. I have a camode that had not been upgraded since I bought my home. It had terrible hard water stains and I was so ready to just jerk it up and throw it out the back door. I had used every single solitary product that either was or wasnt specifically made to clean a camode. Includding bleach. Nothing worked. I happened up on this stuff in the Dollar Store and thought....well...might as well. OMG!!! AMAZING!!! I will sing the praizes of this stuff still I die or they take it off the market beacause whatever is in it that rips off that hardwater stain in rotting the Earth.

Somehow during these rituals I manage to get Eli ready and out the door. Peyton is old enough to handle himself well in the mornings. I now only make sure he has showered in the last couple days, applied deodorant and brushed his teeth.

Usually by this time it is time to wake Zac, and Evyn is normally waking as well. The fun begins. It's no secret that Zac is impossible to get up and on the bus in the mornings. I have to completely stop my rituals and focus solely on him not missing the bus.

After Zac has left I make all the bed. 5 beds. I don't mean throw the covers over the pillows and call it good enough. They are made perfectly with fitted sheets pulled tight and top sheets have army corners. Pillow end are always facing away from the doors. If they are spotted, smell or if I am just simply "in the mood" I wash them. Huge pet peeve-dirty sheets. They are all washed and changed at LEAST once a week.

I now vacuum. EVERY DAY with a Rainbow Machine. Love it! Buy one! Period! I always use the deodarizer thats sold with it to use in the water. It freshens the dirty dog smell that lingers in the boys bedrooms. Peytons especially.I have used for most of my life started with the one my Mom bought when I was a kid. Magnificant machine.

Once the carpets and hardwood are vacuumed I them mop my hardwood with .........drum roll.........Fabuloso.

Laundry is started. Actually, laundry never stopped. It's nothing for my washer and dryer to be running in the wee hours of the morning because I can't sleep. One tip I have discovered that makes things simpler here is white towels and washrags. They are always bleached. Huge surprise, huh. I never have to worry about a red towel turning my clothes pink. I am very particular about my laundry. No one else is allowed to do it! Ever. Never!

Lastly, I unload my clean dishes and run my empty dishwasher with a cup of bleach. Yep, there's that word again.

All day long I pick up, clean up, straighten up. I do not tolerate stray items littering the house. Everything has a place. I feel bad for my children. They drag toys out to play and I am putting them away while they are still playing. It's moments like these that the OCD affects their quality of life as well.

What are your favorite products and OCD's.

A Blended Family

What a absolutely wonderful weekend.
Danny's birthday was Saturday. I don't think he'd mind me telling y'all he turned 31. Yes, I am a bit older. Not much. I turned 30 before him, and he ever gave me the first bit of grief. Thank you BTW.

We both went and had haircuts. I had all my hair cut off again. Oh how I missed my simple short hair. We then went to eat and then to run some errands. It seems we make a lot of trips these days to TSC for items to maintain our little farm here. I love it tho. We later just went back to Applesbee's and sat at the bar and sipped........ok,  he sipped and I gulped drinks. We rarely get a moment without children, which is the topic of this blog.

Our babysitters for the day/evening were Mike and Lacy. Yes, Peyton's Daddy and second Mother. I don't like the term step mother, and refuse to use it. Let's clear this up right now for those of you wondering. Yes, Mike and I were married. Yes, for several years. Yes, it was a civil divorce. Yes, we have had spits and spats over the years for various things. But one thing remains the same, we married as friends. We divorced as friends. And we remain friends.

There had been women in and out of his life through the years that I did not approve of. Being Peyton's Mother I feel I was entitled to a opinion as to whom was in my child's presence on weekends. That was normally the root of our disagreements. And then in May of 2006 I met Lacy. Zac was 2 months old.

We have what I like to call, a 'blended family". Lacy is the reason! What other new wife would except the ex wife in her life. Not only excepted me, but befriended me. I was asked to be her Maid of Honer in their wedding.  She is one the most kind hearted women I know. Yes, we've had our spats as well, but they were always out of love for our children. Notice I say OUR children. Danny, me, Mike and Lacy have 4 children. Not only Peyton. They treat mine and Danny's children as theirs as well. They have cared for our children during some very difficult times including death and sickness. Not only that, but they care for our children when Danny and I need  to Christmas shop, grocery shop, or simply have a date night.

I know the relationship we have seems odd to most. We don't have society's picture of a divorced couple, but y'all know I am not one to follow society's way of doing anything!

Today I want to thank Mike and Lacy for all thy have done for our children and us. I want to thank Lacy for excepting all my children as her own. Especially Peyton.  I realize now there is no photograph of the 8 of us. (waiting on the 9th, Lacy) or I'd post it wit this blog. That's on my to-do list now. Just to prove how we all love each other and raise these boys together I want to end this blog with something Eli said last week.

"Mom, why don't we all live together? We all love each other so much that it makes no sense for us not to live together"