tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33754076626973363002024-02-07T16:30:24.090-08:00What's going on in The White House.......Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-69141969029929504272015-06-30T20:30:00.000-07:002015-07-02T19:34:16.034-07:00Back to Philly....<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>Mom and I took all 4 kids back to Philly this week. </div>
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Olivia had a 3 month check up and I had asked for a few days of physical therapy as well. I love taking all the kids with us, it can be lonely (and boring) when it's just Olivia and I. </div>
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We both enjoy the company and noise of the other kids.</div>
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Anyway, Olivia had her check up and we got some good news....</div>
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She is to have the plates (that were put in in February) come out in 2-3 months. Usually these are in for a year, but her knees are about as straight as they can be, so he said they can come out.....</div>
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This is awesome, </div>
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of course. </div>
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She went from not being able to straightening her legs to having them completely straight! Olivia is doing well, she is walking with her braces perfectly, so well that the physical therapist said she didn't need to see her anymore this week! </div>
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Olivia is doing much better with her determination and will.....</div>
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maybe a little too much.....</div>
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We have gone from one extreme to another in more ways than one. </div>
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Before her surgery she couldn't straighten her legs completely but could bend them. Now they're straight and she can't bend them.....Let me rephrase, she WON'T bend them. </div>
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Our new motto is "Living in Fear". </div>
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This has been the past 3 months, fear. </div>
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Originally, I was worried that she would fight having her braces on 23 hours a day and not want to sleep in them. </div>
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How wrong I was.....they are her security, she doesn't want them off, she doesn't want you to even talk about touching her feet, and if she thinks her knees might bend, she completely freaks out. </div>
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She never wants to go swimming and she HATES the word "bath", actually she HATES the word "shower" more, "bath" she just starts crying. </div>
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So what do we do? </div>
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Well, we can't just leave it like this, she has to bend her knees, and she has to get more comfortable with her body. Initially I tried some stretches with her, laying her on her tummy and bending her knees, I'm pretty sure it sounded like I was stabbing her. </div>
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I couldn't do that to her, so I then tried letting her sit on the side of the bed or in her car seat with out her braces and letting her legs hang and gravity bend them. </div>
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She would just sit there and cry, and cry, and cry.....</div>
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misery....... </div>
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So yesterday at our appointment the doctor got to experience this, luckily. </div>
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She cried from the second we took her braces off until after she was fitted for new ones, maybe an hour to an hour and a half......</div>
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again MISERY. </div>
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Now let me just say the dr and I, believe that most of this is not pain, but fear and anxiety. I'm sure it's uncomfortable, like doing a split, when you have never been able to before. The stretch can be quite uncomfortable, but I don't think it is to the extent that she makes it out to be.</div>
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Once she has her mind set, that.is.it. </div>
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There is no talking her down from the cliff, no reasoning what.so.ever. </div>
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Dr vanBosse said we have to do it, we have to get her knees bending more. He tried to talk to her, and explain but I'm not sure she heard anything over the crying.....</div><div style="text-align: center;">He's such an amazing man!</div>
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We met with the physical therapist and got some different ideas and stretches to work on at home, so we will start there. And hopefully after her surgery in 2-3 months, we won't have to start all over again..... </div>
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Other than the not bending, she really is doing good. She walks all the time, and is using her crutches a lot. They help her to go faster and when she's outside on uneven ground she needs them. She's been able to keep up with "her kids" easier and has talked about how much she wants to play soccer one day. </div><div style="text-align: center;">We're working hard to have that dream come true.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is the picture I posted of before and after surgery...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTQxRH3HmXfdNJTn40GSdP5_NqOrYF7XzGognqqyEDCxiJYLtm_k20JsuIV4Qyz-0z-mMOERzIfU__zB-06v1KHwZS3fCPGAWvaxsg8RutjoTDbOLdDM2JoozTf_pnGiVmfkdlmvNfyA/s640/blogger-image-1745980473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTQxRH3HmXfdNJTn40GSdP5_NqOrYF7XzGognqqyEDCxiJYLtm_k20JsuIV4Qyz-0z-mMOERzIfU__zB-06v1KHwZS3fCPGAWvaxsg8RutjoTDbOLdDM2JoozTf_pnGiVmfkdlmvNfyA/s640/blogger-image-1745980473.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And these are her legs now....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFr5j0EuEF50egrV0gntLlYNBAk5JFUg1lT5lPCDJsB4rOKf3b-n1WNEl1hTk179vZVHB1k1I7fUTCTW3ksSY9UL18lfEjLe-GA0ACFR25XutHF52ei11qqnv0AcXFCPpfVU8r5iY8_CA/s640/blogger-image-606067272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFr5j0EuEF50egrV0gntLlYNBAk5JFUg1lT5lPCDJsB4rOKf3b-n1WNEl1hTk179vZVHB1k1I7fUTCTW3ksSY9UL18lfEjLe-GA0ACFR25XutHF52ei11qqnv0AcXFCPpfVU8r5iY8_CA/s640/blogger-image-606067272.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-71923840721218128902015-03-29T19:55:00.001-07:002015-03-31T19:57:01.937-07:00S/P surgery and casts..,..Where do I begin........ It has been a long 3 months but probably a longer 6 weeks. I think we went into this surgery, as an obvious blessing, with excitement and anticipation, not thinking about what recovery would be like for her. This surgery was the lesser of the two surgeries that can be done, so I truly was naive and blind at what to expect afterwards. Olivia has always done so well with castings, carries on and doesn't let them slow her down a bit. This recovery has completely thrown us for a loop and has left us ALL exhausted both mentally and physically. <div> I think she was having muscle spasms, for 5 weeks she was waking up 3-5 times a night crying from pain, being uncomfortable, or just needing help getting comfortable. She also learned very quickly how to get attention and how to dramatize and manipulate the situation....... She's 5, she also spent the first 3 years of her life crying and no one really listening. Well I guess, I don't know that for sure, but I have a pretty good idea...... Anyway, it's been hard, let me just say that. Now don't get me wrong I can't imagine what it's like to have bent legs your entire life that you can easily move and then wake up one day with your legs straight, well straighter than they've ever been before, in casts, with a bar across the middle, leaving you completey immobile.....of course, you would whine and cry......I know I would. But after 6. long. weeks. of whining, crying, and little sleep......I may have done some crying with her. Needless to say, we have all been more than ready to get these casts off.<div> About 4 or 5 days before her appointment I noticed a smell coming from the top of one of her casts, only one. The other smelt fine. I was quite worried to find out what was causing the smell. Well as you can imagine when they were removing the casts it was HORRIBLE! The cast was covered in drainage from a little area behind her knee that had opened. No one (dr, nurse, resident) seemed too concerned about it because it wasn't draining puss. I'm now thankful that she had been on antibiotics for strep the past week and a half! (God always has a plan!). </div><div>Did I mention how we (the family) had 5 weeks of sickness, about 2 weeks of no sickness and then another 2 weeks of Mike and Olivia sick, Olivia getting strep for the SECOND time in two months........ Maybe another reason we are drained! Anyway, after a crazy long day at the hospital, like 6 1/2 hours long, Olivia got her new braces that she has to wear all.the.time. 😁 We're not talking the cute short ones.....nope, the ones that come almost to her booty...... Luckily she's sleeping pretty well. However, now we have new problems to deal with...... </div><div>For a few days after surgery Olivia couldn't move her left foot because the nerves had been stretched too far. Well the feeling came back but anytime ANYTHING touched her toes she would scream and cry. Since she was in casts they were pretty well protected and didn't get hit too often, but now that she's out of casts......ugh! I have to touch her feet to put her braces on, put her socks on, wash her feet, you get the picture.......she screams and cries, big tears! The dr said it feels like when you hit your funny bone.....but you know it's not funny. </div><div>The other problem I am realizing is that Olivia has lost a lot of her will and this has been the hardest on me this weekend. She use to walk completely unassisted, just her braces, no walker, no one holding her hand and she LOVED it. Now she walks with a walker and complains about how tired her arms are because she's basically JUST using her arms and not much of her legs. I know that things are really sensitive after being in casts for 3 months, believe me I know. But I just don't see the determination in her that she has always had.......and I pray it comes back. She's constantly asking me if she can sit down or ride in her stroller.</div><div>So this is where I have to ask all of you that see us maybe every once in a while or every day....... </div><div>PLEASE try to avoid helping her. I know that sounds bad but she is very good at the puppy dog eyes and turning on the crocodile tears when she just doesn't want to do something. She will even say something hurts, when it really doesn't because she just doesn't want to do what ever it is you want her to do. For example, she'll say "my knee hurts and it won't let me eat."....... I know it's hard to want to do whatever it is she's asking you to do for her, (she is quite cute when she asks) or picking her up so she doesn't have to walk......but this will hurt her more than help her. She's lost most of the muscle (which wasn't much to begin with) in her legs and the only way she is going to gain that strength back is by using those legs and getting mobile again. </div><div>I refuse to let her give up! </div><div> </div><div>Today we had a PT appointment and she now has crutches to use when she walks. The last time we tried crutches she pretty much carried them, didn't use them for any assistance. Again, I know that the muscle is most likely gone and it's hard for her to walk, but I also know that if I (we) give in and don't let her do it on her own, she may never get the muscle and strength back. It's like working out, if you don't do it, you don't get bigger muscles! </div><div>This little girl has been through so much, my heart breaks for her when she is in pain or when she's just over it, but I want her to be HER best! It's going to be a rough few months getting back to where she was, but I know she can do it. Thank you for loving and supporting us through this!!</div><div><br></div><div>This picture shows before (top) and after (bottom) surgery.....<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtubzOZviMcupmw39gFFdpU30Xez_-REF9FbpC9f2_bOvg9cS0vv9WYk5jN00usJV4w4TDV-b0kZY9Uol2gHq74EJ6WbWFV9AQm8A5nunoitc9asMtfzy6sv_qzso1WH2xhmd6cklH7ZU/s640/blogger-image-1964618583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtubzOZviMcupmw39gFFdpU30Xez_-REF9FbpC9f2_bOvg9cS0vv9WYk5jN00usJV4w4TDV-b0kZY9Uol2gHq74EJ6WbWFV9AQm8A5nunoitc9asMtfzy6sv_qzso1WH2xhmd6cklH7ZU/s640/blogger-image-1964618583.jpg"></a></div>Walking in physical therapy....<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_6iUOqzRiPf-_TSI_HLBW8SzrbaOzdgAvekHdGM3_ruKnRv1azyljXqI-Je27wx2Q_j8LfP-_zLorANZVcMAEepWvOehMYcLiKimKEVxA3MSiAeeE-IK4XvgXiDE5QgWjl5NxONNEyI/s640/blogger-image--2091792560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_6iUOqzRiPf-_TSI_HLBW8SzrbaOzdgAvekHdGM3_ruKnRv1azyljXqI-Je27wx2Q_j8LfP-_zLorANZVcMAEepWvOehMYcLiKimKEVxA3MSiAeeE-IK4XvgXiDE5QgWjl5NxONNEyI/s640/blogger-image--2091792560.jpg"></a></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-85225745216331448962015-01-19T18:02:00.001-08:002015-01-19T18:15:21.355-08:00Casts 19 and 20.....We just finished our first trip to Philly for Olivia's third round of casts. She has now had 20 casts...... I really wish I had kept up with all the trips and flights we have been on. <div><br></div><div>#1 7flights, 9 trips</div><div>#2 2 flights, <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">4 trips</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Brace pick up, week of pt, check up, new brace pick up</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">flights</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">3 TTN, 1 DE</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">3 delta</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">2 SW direct</span></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">5 SW not direct</font></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">I think it is somewhere around 18 trips to Philly. 4 of those we drove, the other 14 we flew, mostly with a layover in Chicago, which means we have been on about 40 airplanes...... Wow! </font><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I've always wanted to count all the trips up. Anyway, I have not been dreading these trips like I normally do. Yes, I'll admit I dread them. Casts are not fun for Olivia.....or mommy. And we miss "our kids" (she calls her siblings "her kids") and Daddy back home. However, these casts are SO important because they are leading us up to her big knee surgery! She will have metal plates put in on the growth plate to stop the front part of the bone from growing while the back will continue to grow. This will help straighten her legs and get her walking even better! Those of you that know her, know how independant and headstrong she is, and how she wants to do everything everyone else is doing, and doesn't care that she can't walk. She'll find a way to make it happen. I will do what ever I can to give her the ability to do what she wants to do, and enjoy her joy in it all! Her surgery has been changed, they have pushed it up a week, so it is now scheduled for February 11. Olivia, Ella, Taylor, and I will go up early and she will have two castings before her surgery, then mike and chase will come up for her surgery. The kids are so excited to be going on an airplane for the first time. I'm just glad they will be with us!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I am also wanting to express my thankfulness for all these trips. Even though it's stressful and we get homesick, or stuck in an airport for 8 hours. We have met and been loved by some amazing people through out all our travels. Strangers on airplanes, new friends at the hospital, friends at the Ronald McDonald House, the Ronlad McDonald House org, the Miracle Flights Org, of course the most wonderful Doctor and staff, Shriner's amazing organization, and friends that love us enough to travel all the way to Philly to be with a girl on her birthday! If you ever have money burning a hole in your pocket, RMDH, Miracle Flights, and Shriner's, are great places to spend it! 😉</span></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZxozgPftqOu4HGRGhgNVTzitRp3NMjrufwoUqQt-5sXUlPz92Om8-Mt5vw8u5Jdh9jHduaUWqwa-WskTUVaFIkev79P8CMAJIWMYuAS8iVzP3Wahih23BXNVMr5ThAMz4vwKEzOp52k/s640/blogger-image--1565380114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZxozgPftqOu4HGRGhgNVTzitRp3NMjrufwoUqQt-5sXUlPz92Om8-Mt5vw8u5Jdh9jHduaUWqwa-WskTUVaFIkev79P8CMAJIWMYuAS8iVzP3Wahih23BXNVMr5ThAMz4vwKEzOp52k/s640/blogger-image--1565380114.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7fJLa3mWMIeCBHtiksAcZK8UT-mdK_rAbKbQv5F9uX0LqzQkT0vNBgqhNorZAF1Akpt_IQSt-3KFEqvS0pwp9ChkOpAxuLe4EbiIMIkGHFas_QN1mqxRwsAlA7CLNxNtm_q7uBxFJ7k/s640/blogger-image-742655081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7fJLa3mWMIeCBHtiksAcZK8UT-mdK_rAbKbQv5F9uX0LqzQkT0vNBgqhNorZAF1Akpt_IQSt-3KFEqvS0pwp9ChkOpAxuLe4EbiIMIkGHFas_QN1mqxRwsAlA7CLNxNtm_q7uBxFJ7k/s640/blogger-image-742655081.jpg"></a></div>The awesome counter in our room that makes it easy to give Olivia her sponge bath!<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-nM6s504BpRLdVBleFOwoBN7bIf4qe-AOG4Z4yP0uf4yM7Jroubk7qVypVZNDedZzrEkr-VDsGLtKw6yEum9BpzIdNohowMQmW9Fhf2xgVJ84aEO4qT8cYW07jxqhSOjnE8hW-HLJCw/s640/blogger-image-1013125741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-nM6s504BpRLdVBleFOwoBN7bIf4qe-AOG4Z4yP0uf4yM7Jroubk7qVypVZNDedZzrEkr-VDsGLtKw6yEum9BpzIdNohowMQmW9Fhf2xgVJ84aEO4qT8cYW07jxqhSOjnE8hW-HLJCw/s640/blogger-image-1013125741.jpg"></a></div>We visited the aquarium again with our friends. We always have so much fun with these girls and their mom!<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgat6fqpBbdm6O7CSvM4q7lNh_Z7Hhn1e49e6K5yG4jTAgYIgmOVUCUK0tBE8xaSTFrthulBpPLYLefOE4svhWX4sTRRrQyYbLSzlQdbjwAtZqb3p4agI30qBhksx1lCBQ4dkL0Vsku6Io/s640/blogger-image-1368830214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgat6fqpBbdm6O7CSvM4q7lNh_Z7Hhn1e49e6K5yG4jTAgYIgmOVUCUK0tBE8xaSTFrthulBpPLYLefOE4svhWX4sTRRrQyYbLSzlQdbjwAtZqb3p4agI30qBhksx1lCBQ4dkL0Vsku6Io/s640/blogger-image-1368830214.jpg"></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-39455490771108981252014-12-10T20:38:00.002-08:002014-12-10T21:16:07.555-08:00The plan.......<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">Well, its scheduled......</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">Olivia will have her long awaited surgery on February 18th. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"> I have been greatly anticipating this, with the hope that this will be truly life changing for her. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">But with all honesty, I am suddenly scared to death. So many "what ifs" running through my mind. Being a nurse. I always go to worse case scenario, it's just been wired in me in all my years of school and nursing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">So, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">I am asking for prayers.....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">Prayers for the obvious, health and safety, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">but also that this will give Olivia more mobility and comfort. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">Yes, she is walking in braces unassisted, however, the braces are pretty uncomfortable and quite annoying......</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">She lasts maybe 2 hours in them before she's complaining about how bad they are hurting and wants to take them off,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"> and I won't even begin to explain what taking her to the bathroom is like. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">Olivia is a fighter, anyone who has met her knows this. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">I know that she wants them off for comfort, not laziness. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">So please pray that after her surgery she is able to walk with better braces. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">The other night we were at a Christmas Light show and we went ice skating, Olivia wanted to ice skate SO badly, my heart was in pieces as I told her she couldn't go with us......</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">How do you tell a child, no, you can't go because you can't do it.......</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">so, I slowly skated around the rink, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">holding her.......</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">and I can't ice skate......</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">it was a little scary to say the least! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">But we made it around without falling! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">The rest of the plan is more castings, her feet have regressed A LOT......</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">We will start castings on Jan 9 and hope to get 6 in before surgery. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">She will then be in long leg cast for 5-6 weeks after surgery until her new braces are made. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">More prayers needed please! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">Going to Philadelphia every once in a while is not bad, but every other week, gets a little hard. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">I will do whatever is needed, but I can't lie and say that being gone that much doesn't weigh heavy on my heart. It's hard on everyone, especially the kids, Olivia included. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">Yet another reason to be SO very thankful that I am part time now and don't have to run home to work every day I'm not in Philly.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">Many people have asked, what they will do to straighten her legs.....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">Well, it's really quite interesting.....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">The dr will put 8 metal plates over the front part of the growth plate at the end of the femur, causing it to not grow while the back of the bone continues to grow. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"> Olivia has never really had to use her legs and muscles, she can not stand on them alone. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">Another prayer would be that she is able to strengthen these muscles and eventually put weight on them.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">So many prayer requests for us......</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">health, safety, comfort, peace, healing, strength and whatever else you feel led to pray!!! ;-)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Times, Times New Roman, serif" size="4">I must add how thankful I am for this doctor and his staff. We travel to Philly because of him and his expertise and I am thankful God led us to him and all the people we have met there.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Times, Times New Roman, serif" size="4">In all things be thankful!</font></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-1624191905328379932014-12-10T20:38:00.001-08:002014-12-10T20:38:25.363-08:00Homeschool......This year we have started a new endeavor.......homeschool. Last spring was just pure craziness in the White house with me working full time day shift, going to Philadelphia, and all the kids extracurricular stuff, so Mike and I decided to make a big change in our lifestyle and me go part time. Our family needed to simplify. Then God stirred my heart to homeschool. Decreasing an income, requires decreasing the outgoing money as well (simple math). So we took Ella and Taylor out of school, and left Chase in school. I did't think homeschooling an eighth grader for the first time was very smart..... We are using a Classical curriculum which is what they are use to. The school they have been at is a classical school. Classical education is not a new idea, it has been around for many years, in fact it was the public-school way of teaching until sometime in the 1960s. Classical education has a very simple but brilliant idea to education......<br />
<i>Classical Christian schools use the children’s God-given strengths at
each stage of growth to help them learn; young children enjoy
memorizing, singing, and rhymes, so a solid foundation is laid in each
subject of study at this age; junior-high students are inquisitive, so
we develop their ability to reason and discern truth; and high-school
students want to talk, so we teach them how to present their ideas
persuasively. The result is a graduate who knows what they believe and
why and can positively impact the community around them. </i><br />
<div>
(Taken from the Association of Classical and Christian Schools, www.accsedu.org .)<br />
<div>
<br />
We are part of a homeschool classical group, called Classical Conversations. This program gives the kids a social day at "school" where we attend class together and work on memory work together. The memory work includes history, science, latin, english, and skip counting. Ella is also doing a very intense grammar program. I was always a math lover and never enjoyed grammar. I'm really not sure I ever understood it, so trying to teach it is a little daunting. Ok, a lot daunting.......And I, myself, have learned a lot in the class.<br />
I had to add a math program for each of them and grammar and spelling for Taylor.<br />
It is so nice being home more and having this time with them. I am Very thankful for that. They grow up so fast, I really wish I had had more time with Chase as well.<br />
In all honesty, the beginning was not easy...... Ella was pretty upset that she didn't go back to her school and friends, so it took a little time for her to get over it and understand this is the way it is..... Taylor has been Taylor, happy, go with the flow, as always. Yes, he misses his friends, but he has enjoyed being home and both of them have now made new friends at our CC group. <br />
Olivia has been home with us as well, she's not quite ready for school. We're trying to catch her up on basics, like counting, ABC's, and colors.....<br />
<br />
We have just wrapped up our first semester and I have loved it! I sometimes get a little nostalgic and miss their old school, but I have to say how thankful I am to have this time with them. I trully enjoy my kids, and am loving every minute of this time we have together. Before I know it they will be grown and gone, so I am going to savor this time I have with them.<br />
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</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-86196189980632258742014-06-30T11:27:00.005-07:002014-06-30T11:27:47.158-07:00No more casts!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Last week, my mom and I took all the kids, yes all......to Philly for Olivia's last casting appointment and to get her braces. When I go to Philladelphia, especially the longer trips, I really miss the other kids and want them there. I won't lie, it's not easy traveling 750 miles with 4 kids......</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">it's a little stressful.....</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But I was very thankful they were there and we had a great week together. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Olivia got her new braces and had 2 PT appointments. I really wanted her to get crutches but when she used them she really wasn't <i>using </i>them and the therapist was concerned that she might get caught up in them and really hurt herself. So we went back to the front walker that doesn't give quite as much support as the back walker. Again, she barely uses it......she just needs the security of it, knowing it's there..... She stood alone for minutes, which was amazing, since she hasn't stood or used her legs to stand in over 3 months and the therapist thinks she won't need anything to assist her with walking before too long. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We stopped by Mt Vernon on the way up and met up with friends that live 15 minutes away from us, but we haven't seen in over a year....</span></span></div>
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Olivia was happy yo stay in the firehouse room again at the Ronald McDonald House.</div>
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They love her SO much!</div>
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We went to the Jersey shore, it was cold! Taylor was there, being buried by his brother and sister!</div>
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We ate Maryland crab....in New Jersey....it was YUMMY!!!!</div>
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Olivia standing!!!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-76149573966682263882014-05-31T21:55:00.002-07:002014-05-31T21:59:21.439-07:00Advocacy...<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I have decided to do more with this blog......Advocate.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">My heart constantly hurts for these kids, so I will try to help them, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">hoping their families can find them. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And ask all of you that read my blog to pray. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Pray for orphans in general (always) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">but specifically for the faces you see.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I will list the </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">children under the advocacy heading you see to the right. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I pray this will bring more children home. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Don't get me wrong, I know that this blog is not read by many people who are wanting to adopt, but prayer is SO powerful. If I can get more people praying for these children, then I know that God will do the rest. Their families may not find them on here but God will make it so they find them some how.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-14065069115662578212014-05-22T20:21:00.001-07:002014-05-22T20:33:57.007-07:00Cobblestones.......<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">A dear friend gave me a great analogy the other day......</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">She said she felt like God had layed cobblestones, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">one at a time, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">at her (and her hubby's) feet through out the last few years, directing them to where they are now........ </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I think this is such a great way to look at what God does in our lives. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">God gives us stones to take a step, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">we may see a big step and worry </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">or </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">maybe we go for it, </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">many times we look at the little steps and wonder what they have to do with anything....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">not knowing at the time, that they are the necessary step we must take for what's yet to come, the fillers.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes we chose not to take the step and it leaves us stuck where we are, </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">because w</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">e have such little faith, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">we don't take the step God is giving us. </span></div>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I received a text a couple of weeks ago that, if I hadn't been in a room of a hundred strangers, would have had me on my knees. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">A friend that lives in a different state and I have not talked to in quite a while, sent me a message that was nothing but from God Himself. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The other night I was driving home from work thinking about that message and how God does speak to us, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">in different ways, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">we just have to be listening. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">He took someone who had no idea what was on my</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> heart and mind, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">but knew that because of her faithfulness, I would listen, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">and spoke to me through her......</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">AMAZING!! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">How awesome is that......</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">He had something to tell me and made it so I would hear Him. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Honestly, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">she had NO IDEA what I had been </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">praying, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">thinking, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">and stressing about, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">but she heard God telling her to reach out to me and tell me something specific.......</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">she followed...... </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">and I heard Him! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Back to the cobblestones.....</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">We have had many changes over the past few months,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> Mike's job change </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">me switching to dayshift.....</span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">cobblestones......</span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">prayers answered.......</span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I <strike>have</strike> <strike>struggled</strike> struggle with faith.....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I never lived a faith based life.....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">until the last 2 years. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I have grown so much in my relationship with God, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">it's amazing how your outlook on everything changes.....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">For example, coincidence and fate, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">are no longer in my vocabulary.....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">it's </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">all </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">God. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I love how I can now see more clearly </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">all that God does for me.....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">the prayers answered, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">no matter how they're answered.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">He does not always say yes, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">many of times I have gotten a definite </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">NO.....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">but that's ok.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">He knows what's best </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> He loves me, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">the cobblestones are going where they are meant to,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">f</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">or Him.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">and that is all that matters! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">As I drove home the other night praising God for His faithfulness and love for me, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">it was overcast and kind of dreary, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I was almost in tears thinking about that text and Him speaking to me.....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">ME.....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> As I turned the corner to go into our neighborhood, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">there was a little piece of blue sky </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">showing in the midst of the gray clouds,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">and I heard God say......</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">PROMISES......</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">FAITHFULNESS.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-1511758841021421722014-04-25T14:09:00.000-07:002014-04-25T14:09:12.676-07:00Livi update......<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Last week, Mom and I took the kids to Philly to restart Olivia's castings. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Her feet have regressed quite a bit. Dr vanBosse said he usually recasts yearly, but I didn't want to wait til the middle of July to start castings again. I wanted to get it over with before the summer so the kids could enjoy the pool and Olivia could swim and not be stuck on the side of the pool like last summer. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Olivia did so well with her castings. So much better than last year. She was afraid and cried before they even started, but once they did start she wasn't screaming too badly. It did help to have fer siblings consoling her too.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Also, they are putting some kind of blue fabric underneath the cast, on the side, so the saw doesn't bother them when they take the casts off, it really helps!!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Dr vanBosse did seem a little discouraged on the regression of her feet. He said she has very active muscles.......I guess that can be good or bad.....</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The thing about AMC is that it is a "watch and see" process. All the treatments, surgeries, castings.....is all dependant on how Olivia's feet and legs will do over time. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dr vanBosse said that sometimes kids feet will do better after the second casting and not regress so much, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">sometimes they need them yearly until their growing slows, and sometimes kids need muscle tranfers to help with the over active muscles. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Again, we won't know if Olivia will need the transfers for quite a while, we will just wait and see how she does over the next few years. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Olivia and I will go back next Friday and stay the weekend to have two castings done. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Last year Olivia and I were going up weekly, she would be casted on Friday and we would come back so I could work the weekend. Now that I'm not working weekends anymore, she will be casted on Friday and Monday. Hopefully we will only have two more trips........again, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">it all depends on how her feet respond...... </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here are some pics of our week.</span></span><br />
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On the way up we stopped in DC and went to the Air and Space Museum</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TdJmsAwIeZxisFis575sWusj0cRVueu7cswn4or13xzhFZ7lcbAgnns-FXdqEum6W1kEIy17a8rj-6RmYb_LdP9h8rgQogG9589WE8OnYAkFfkroJVlJeCpYw6gBwhSC1S8hIpjgNY8/s1600/IMG_3430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TdJmsAwIeZxisFis575sWusj0cRVueu7cswn4or13xzhFZ7lcbAgnns-FXdqEum6W1kEIy17a8rj-6RmYb_LdP9h8rgQogG9589WE8OnYAkFfkroJVlJeCpYw6gBwhSC1S8hIpjgNY8/s1600/IMG_3430.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
One of the planes Amelia Earhart flew <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7003HpEyxbsB2AL1kde_IiiTLGcJP-WdXYV0sjrLIlknO_sutuor-5yT9ZSwhOnrdD81zexKFXuLwUrslJh2wPbM7nYHs82a4BTMOhWCXh1ozNVX7YtgZgIlNQmokz5trTaaXht2NwI/s1600/IMG_3432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7003HpEyxbsB2AL1kde_IiiTLGcJP-WdXYV0sjrLIlknO_sutuor-5yT9ZSwhOnrdD81zexKFXuLwUrslJh2wPbM7nYHs82a4BTMOhWCXh1ozNVX7YtgZgIlNQmokz5trTaaXht2NwI/s1600/IMG_3432.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
The Wright Brothers plane<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6A5hG-7VFup0j9zq1Fia6xgOky5fMyzDwdHhRwo8DRamDwHWvtMdQvBkl3CEI2XjNRq14MIFX-q5oHG7y0IC6zgS8dmOj0CQzV7VaIuO6iN81DurQ2I_kROP_YdEat3DMFQG5ysBqec/s1600/IMG_3434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6A5hG-7VFup0j9zq1Fia6xgOky5fMyzDwdHhRwo8DRamDwHWvtMdQvBkl3CEI2XjNRq14MIFX-q5oHG7y0IC6zgS8dmOj0CQzV7VaIuO6iN81DurQ2I_kROP_YdEat3DMFQG5ysBqec/s1600/IMG_3434.JPG" height="240" width="320" /> </a></div>
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On Saturday we went to the Philadelphia Zoo with a friend and her two daughters. Connie and I met at Shriner's in January, we both noticed each others Chinese daughters and had to stop and talk ;-) ......she lives up here and had said to call whenever we're here and we could get the girls together. </div>
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It was so nice of her to take us to the zoo, the kids had a blast! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmf-5y1Fb-Pksi3z0RY5WeLUsdOLxCDNAf5nSIo0lX4g5C3_MVmqtmsEzNs0hBNiZsOihTuD4YtPf15k6jgWa4txR80yzNJmafT-tO66nObBqV8Vvx2N1CLoOVg9Sm2MAe8rCgYsVuXo/s1600/IMG_3521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmf-5y1Fb-Pksi3z0RY5WeLUsdOLxCDNAf5nSIo0lX4g5C3_MVmqtmsEzNs0hBNiZsOihTuD4YtPf15k6jgWa4txR80yzNJmafT-tO66nObBqV8Vvx2N1CLoOVg9Sm2MAe8rCgYsVuXo/s1600/IMG_3521.JPG" height="177" width="320" /></a></div>
The Hot air balloon we went on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynJK9AgNHjhsmSaqeXCM8VYHqb5TD6gw8K2zCizq3NA2hwtglwjGUyzomKcELn94-NTp3aWEwG-CQmRHMK4u6sSsXs86ki41YyCgc8oLXOnnK2lVfCN6aLWI1bNBDtfHOSpyD8S5Jp9Q/s1600/IMG_3455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynJK9AgNHjhsmSaqeXCM8VYHqb5TD6gw8K2zCizq3NA2hwtglwjGUyzomKcELn94-NTp3aWEwG-CQmRHMK4u6sSsXs86ki41YyCgc8oLXOnnK2lVfCN6aLWI1bNBDtfHOSpyD8S5Jp9Q/s1600/IMG_3455.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
Chase, not wanting to look down.....<br />
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Finally he stood up..... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0T0W1X3ZE_MaiFDPtOhTBeJjvn4qw0lnGsuOlDKZr8fbB5fXl-L2VHjw4SlmuuAdIdGppj9Pt9Dr3lfEDzVGEhyphenhyphenN-jJu93edL4ZiDNO1qpLgU9bfw6qJnqbqFtseLe_lLkpU75CDp8Y/s1600/IMG_3465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0T0W1X3ZE_MaiFDPtOhTBeJjvn4qw0lnGsuOlDKZr8fbB5fXl-L2VHjw4SlmuuAdIdGppj9Pt9Dr3lfEDzVGEhyphenhyphenN-jJu93edL4ZiDNO1qpLgU9bfw6qJnqbqFtseLe_lLkpU75CDp8Y/s1600/IMG_3465.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
Photo bombed by the Crocodile.....<br />
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The next day we drove west towards Reading, PA. My mom has been doing a lot of research on her family ancestry and found that a great grandfather (x8) lived here and his son had built this house back in 1753. It was really cool to see, there is a building (workshop) that is becoming a National Treasure on the property. It is amazing to me that these buildings were built over 250 years ago and are still standing strong. Our ancestors who lived here were German, so these buildings are of German design and architecture.<br />
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This is the National Treasure building, I think he said it was used for wood carving.....<br />
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Look how big this fireplace is..... <br />
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This is a tile from the roof, he was explaining to the kids why it looked like this...... <br />
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This is what was probably used as a parlor, the opening in the wall came from the fireplace in the previous picture, this is just the back side of it. It would have had a wood burning stove attached to the hole to heat the room.<br />
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This is where they stored their vegetables.......for 6-9 MONTHS!!!!! <br />
And we can't even get a week out of our vegetables these days........<br />
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This is from the back side of the property looking up towards the road.<br />
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We then drove towards Lancaster to see the Amish country and have dinner, it was beautiful!<br />
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This is a graveyard that one of my great grandmothers (x8 or 9) was buried in. She came over as part of the French Huguenots and was told by the Queen that she would have land here. However, because she was a women (her husband had died) she was refused the land for years. <br />
Finally, she got her land and before she died chose this certain place to be buried at.<br />
Yes, we walked around a graveyard in the dark, and no we didn't see any ghosts.<br />
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<br />
This is how awesome my kids are!!<br />
They love their little sister SO much!!<br />
I told them I was getting up early (6AM) to take Olivia to her appointment and then we would come back, pack up, and leave......<br />
They all said they wanted to go with us.<br />
I was so surprised they didn't want to sleep....<br />
Nope they all wanted to go and be there for Olivia, because they know how much she hates getting the casts.<br />
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Ella and Taylor feeling the 6 AM wakeup.....<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-71858195767273982242014-04-25T12:19:00.000-07:002014-04-25T14:23:14.291-07:00A God story.....<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It's hard sometimes to remember that God is in every part of our lives. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We get so caught up in "life" that we often forget who is ultimately in charge of our life. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Well, let me tell you a little story to remind us.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I met this girl, her name was Kathy. We were going to China together. We talked multiple times through Facebook and were eagerly anticipating our trips to China, together, but separate. We knew we would be on the same plane from Atlanta to Seoul, then to Beijing, but in Beijing we would say our goodbyes and be off to get our daughters. She lived in Savannah at the time. When Mike and I arrived at the airport Kathy and I got to talking about our daughters we were soon to have, I told her about Olivia and that she had Arthrogryposis. Kathy said she had a friend who had adopted 2 boys from China, BOTH with Arthrogryposis. Now Arthrogryposis (AMC) is not a common diagnosis here in the US, I had only spoken with one other adoptive mama about AMC prior to going to China, so of course when she said this I was praising God for such a blessing. Since AMC is not common, there aren't many doctors that treat it, I knew about Dr vanBosse from the other mama I had spoken with, but I still had a hard time wrapping my mind around traveling to Philly.........Well once we were all safe and comfy in Beijing, Kathy hooked me up with her friend, Brandi (who just so happens be a nurse as well) via Facebook. I immediatly contacted her and we conversed a few times while I was in China. These commonalities of adoption, nursing, LOVE for orphans, and even more a LOVE for Christ, Brandi and I became great FB buddies. About a month after we were home Brandi and I talked on the phone and all my fears of traveling to Philly were soon relieved by everything she had to say. Last summer we finally met face to face, in Philly, of course. I wish we lived closer because she is an amazing women that I would love to see more often. (On a side note, she is moving to China......I'm SO JEALOUS!! I guess I'll have to go visit her.....;-))</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Fast forward to current day, I knew she was moving to China and I knew what province but I didn't know what city. For my own reasoning and thoughts, I FB'd her one night to find out where she would be living. She replied and that was that. Then I got another message from her asking if I lived close to Snellville. I replied, yeah only about 15 minutes, and I was thinking, oh I hope she's going to be up this way so we could get together. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">She replied that a friend of hers was leaving the next morning to come to the hospital there, where a baby had been born and was available for adoption. I immediately replied with ABSOLUTELY, please give her my number and tell her I am here if she needs ANYTHING! </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">With all my traveling to Philly, alone, not knowing if we would be able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House or if we would have to find a hotel at the last minute. And then staying in a hotel by myself in an unknown city, which I HATED, and not knowing the city well. I wanted to help her with whatever I could. Brandi mentioned, maybe she could stay with me this weekend, her husband had to go back home for work. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">At first, I thought, that may be weird, she may not feel comfortable with it, but whatever, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I truly wanted to help her out! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The next night she called me and immediately we hit it off, we talked for a few minutes and decided she absolutely would stay with us. On the next day I was having bible study at my house with my (amazing) friends, Ashley had asked if she could come by in the daylight so we could meet, then she would go back to the hospital and come back later that night to sleep. I asked if she wanted to come for our bible study and she did. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It was nothing but a "God thing"! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> We had an amazing bible study, we all felt as if we had know her and she had known us, we were all so transparent and really felt God's presence as we discussed life. I am so very thankful for that day and those 4 girls! Ashley, eventually, went back to the hospital, and when she came home that night we stayed up til 3.A.M. talking!! </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I have gained an amazing friend and am so thankful God brought us together! So not only has God blessed me with a wonderful daughter through adoption, but He has also blessed me with some pretty awesome friends!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I have to mention one thing......this was in February (right after Valentine's Day) and I had the book, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" laying on my table. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Ashley said she had the exact same book laying on her table.....</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-75067435611004619752014-02-18T20:53:00.000-08:002014-02-18T20:53:20.587-08:00From the heart.......<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have had this on my mind so much lately and of course I keep reading other blog posts about the exact same thing I have been feeling. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Funny how God does that, huh.......</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Anyway, I wanted to express my heart, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">where it is and has been, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">and will forever be.......</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The orphan crisis (yes again...), </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">is exactly that a crisis. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> And it breaks my heart. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I am constantly, and I mean CONSTANTLY,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> thinking about it. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I wish I didn't because it consumes me and leaves me some what depressed. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have prayed many prayers..... </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"take this pain in my heart away", </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"don't take it away". </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have many groups that I'm a part of and some days I think "I'm just going to hide all these groups and stop looking at these pictures of these adorable....but sad....faces." </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Then I think to myself,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> No! If I stop seeing these faces, I'll forget. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'll forget that these kids exist, all alone in this terrible world. I must advocate and continue to annoy everyone with my 'orphan crisis' and 'every child deserves love' soap boxes. That's the problem, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">we forget, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">or we tuck it back in the back of our mind and continue on in our daily lavish, wonderful, lives. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">While they are stuck. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Stuck in an orphanage or a foster home, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">or living on the street.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">ALONE. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">When I was young, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I would get this split second feeling of complete loneliness. I could be at school, in a classroom with 20 other students, at a busy mall, in the car, or at home with my mom or dad. But it was real, a real feeling of compete loneliness, like no on else was on this earth except me. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It would come and go quickly, not lasting long (thank God) but it was not a nice feeling and would leave me a little uneasy for many minutes later. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have my own personal theories as to why I felt these feelings. I think it was when I met Mike that they finally went away. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Anyway, the reason I'm telling y'all something so personal, is because I feel that this is why I can't give up on these children. And why I'm constantly asking you to not give up on them either. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I look back and think maybe God was trying to help me understand something. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Understand that these kids feel this loneliness </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">ALL. THE. TIME. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">What I felt for seconds, they never stop feeling......</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">until(if) their forever families find them and bring them home. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lately Olivia has been doing a daily role call........</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EVERY day she claims us......</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">She'll say </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"My Mommy", "My Daddy" </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">and then sometimes she'll call her brothers and sister as hers, or sometimes she'll say </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Chase's mommy", "Chase's Daddy",</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> "Ella's mommy", "Ella's Daddy",</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> "Taylor's Mommy", "Taylor's Daddy". </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes I wonder if she's verbally proclaiming it because she's never had it before, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">or if it's because she's still unsure that she actually has it.......</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">a family. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">I read a friend's post the other day about a movie she had watched....."Schindler's List"</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">If you haven't seen it or haven't seen it recently, it's about a man who saves thousands of Jews from the Holocaust. </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Here's a scene from the movie......</span></i></div>
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<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: large;"><span class="bold quote_actor" style="border: 0px none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Oskar Schindler: </span><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I could have got more. I could have got more, I don't know. If I just...I could have got more.</span></span></i></li>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></i>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: large;"><span class="bold quote_actor" style="border: 0px none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Itzhak Stern: </span><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Oskar, there are 1,100 people who are alive because of you. Look at them.</span></span></i></li>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">
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<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: large;"><span class="bold quote_actor" style="border: 0px none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Oskar Schindler: </span><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If I had made more money. I threw away so much money. [laughs, then gets teary-eyed] You have no idea. If I just...</span></span></i></li>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></i>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: large;"><span class="bold quote_actor" style="border: 0px none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Itzhak Stern: </span><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There will be generations because of you.</span></span></i></li>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></i>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: large;"><span class="bold quote_actor" style="border: 0px none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Oskar Schindler: </span><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I didn't do enough.</span></span></i></li>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></i>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: large;"><span class="bold quote_actor" style="border: 0px none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Itzhak Stern: </span><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">You did so much.</span></span></i></li>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></i>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: large;"><span class="bold quote_actor" style="border: 0px none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Oskar Schindler: </span><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This
car. Goeth would have bought this car. Why did I keep the car? Ten
people right there. Ten people. Ten more people. This pin...two people.
This is gold. Two people. He would have given me two more, at least one.
One more person. A person, Stern, for this. [starts crying] I could
have got one more person, and I didn't! I -- I -- I -- I didn't!</span></span></i></li>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></i>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: large;"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></i></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Now, of course he couldn't save them all,</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> just as I can't adopt all 147 million orphans. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But I will always feel we CAN do more and we MUST do more. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ALL OF US. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We are a selfish generation and society. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Always worried about what we have, </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the house we live in, </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the car we drive,</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> the clothes we wear,</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> the shoes we wear, </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the bags we carry....</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But yet we make excuses not to help others.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Well I will say in the last 2 years, I have met more people who have adopted that DON'T have $30K in their bank account, than those that do. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> God doesn't lay something on our hearts and then say, "you're right, you can't do this". </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"You can't afford it". </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"You can't handle another child". </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">NO, </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">God says</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> "TRUST ME!!!!! </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">You can do this!!!! </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I will make sure that you have the money and the means!!!!" </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Have you ever read the book "Radcal" By David Platt?<br />An AMAZING book that I suggest anyone and everyone read. There are SO many great points in it but this is one of my favorites.....</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>'......We take Jesus' command in Matthew 28 to make desciples of all nations, and we say, "That means other people." But we look at Jesus' command in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest," and we say "Now that means me." We take Jesus' promise in Acts 1:8 that the spirit will lead us to the ends of the earth, and we say, "That means some people." But we take Jesus' promise in John 10:10 that we will have abundant life, and we say, "That means me." ' (Page 73)</i></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> So then think about James 1:27</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to
look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from
being polluted by the world.</i></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;">It doesn't say, only certain people, </span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;">it is speaking to us all.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;">Psalm 82:3 say.... </span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.</i></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now I know not everyone can adopt, but everyone can advocate, support, and help those of us that can. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Everyone can support an orphan in prayer. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And everyone can pray that those of us called to adoption will listen to God's words and do as He asks us to do. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="line" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span> </span></span></li>
</ol>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-82936113529305134802014-02-10T10:23:00.000-08:002014-02-10T12:35:33.442-08:00Olivia turns 4......<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On Saturday Olivia turned 4! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We had an awesome birthday party at KidsUp with lots of friends. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This was her first birthday party she has ever had. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Last year, we had just gotten home (with her from China) and were limiting her to crowds and loud places so we had a quiet dinner at home. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">She exhausted herself playing, it was a great day, by cake time she was asleep with her eyes open, and fell asleep in the car, soon after we left to go home. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I must admit that I have thought a lot about Olivia's past and her birth mom over the past few days. Seeing her so happy and talking non stop about her birthday is sobering. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">She has come so far and done so well and we are all so in love, but she does have a hard past that will most likely haunt her for years to come. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I know most people don't have many memories before the age of three, but I truly believe that our subconscious does have memories and they can creep up on us when we're least expecting it. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have heard many stories of kids not having any problems with their past until years later. I was talking to one adoptive mama about her last trip to China to adopt their daughter. They took they're first adoptive daughter (from China) with them, she was about 5 (I think) when they went and had been adopted when she was about 2. Since the trip the older daughter has been struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The counselor said it could have been just a smell that triggered a memory or a feeling to cause her stress. I say this because it's easy to forget that she has only been with us 1 year, but for three years she was an orphan without anyone to truly love her and meet all her emotional needs. I pray that God will continue to comfort her through out her life as she deals with all that's yet to come, and that He can work through us to be the parents that she needs us to be. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I said earlier that I have thought a lot about her Birth mom these past few days. Many of you know that we don't know her actual birthdate it was an educated guess when they found her. As we will never know the truth about her abandonment I do hope that it was because her birth parents felt they couldn't help her and thought someone else could. The one thing I know is that no woman can ever forget giving birth, so there must be some thought around this time of February that she thinks about that day (or night) when she gave birth to a beautiful little girl. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Those first few days of looking at your child and comparing her nose to your own, or her eyes to her father's, or her beautiful lips and ears to her siblings or grandparents. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> I wish I could tell her how wonderful her baby girl is, how loved and adored she is. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">To thank HER for giving Olivia life and giving us the chance to love her and call her our own. </span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-74677611527430030582014-01-24T17:40:00.001-08:002014-01-24T17:49:08.264-08:00Philly........<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Today we saw the amazing Dr vanBosse again. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">That is one busy man, flying from room to room to see all his patients that traveled from as far as California to see him. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">He is a one man show for lower extremities, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">so he works non stop, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Monday-Friday, early morning til late at night </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(I kinda feel bad for his wife....). </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">However, he is always so nice and curteous, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">even when you know his mind is full of about a million things, he still takes special time with his patients. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Not to mention the fact that he has a two year old </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and a baby on the way! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Arthrogryposis community looks to him as a star,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> which he definitely deserves. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> He doesn't stand in front of a camera and look cute, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">he's actually helping children like Olivia to walk. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">That is so much more amazing to me than a pretty smile, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I have seen children over the past 8 months progress beautifully, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Olivia included </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(of course;-)). </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">These children have a chance at walking, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">which most would have never thought possible. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dr vanBosse will try as hard as he can to give these kids the best possible outcome. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">He has been doing this for 20+ years, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">so he knows his stuff, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">he is such a blessing to these children.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Today we were just there for a check up. We weren't sure if we would make it because Philladelphia had a record amount of snow two days before we were scheduled to fly up here. I am so glad that we made it and didn't have to reschedule. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I had lots of questions on how the year would look with our trips to Philly. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Today she measured exactly 36 inches, which is 3.5 inches more than last September!! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">She only weighs 24 lbs., but obviously she is thriving and getting the nutrients her little body has been needing. Because of this growth her braces needed to be adjusted, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">you won't believe how much this has helped her! There's a pretty awesome video at the end of this post! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Her little feet are regressing, Dr VB said he normally tries to wait about a year to recast but that puts us right into July.......</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As many of you know, our summer last year was not very fun.........</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">casts in the summer, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">4 kids that LOVE the pool.......</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">need I say more...... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So I asked if we could possibly do it before or after the summer and he agreed. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I thought that before the summer would probably be the best, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">once school starts back in August, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">life gets crazy.....</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> He was fine with that, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">so we will start recasting in April. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The good news is, he thinks it will only take 4 or 5 casts this time, not 10 like last year!! :-) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The other news we got was that her knee surgery, which I thought would take place this summer, will not be until October or November </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(yes this is the busy time of year I was just talking about, but at least we won't have to travel for castings and then the surgery too). </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As I was saying earlier about what a busy guy he is......</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">well his surgery schedule is now 18 months out instead of 12 (she was put on the waiting list last April). </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I think this will be better, the kids will be in school and again it won't mess up their entire summer.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">After we got her braces adjusted we went and met with PT. They had her try some crutches, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">which she did great with, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">but they were a little too big, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">so we're hoping to order some from our PT at home. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">She then took about 5 steps to me, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">WITH OUT ANY ASSISTANCE!!!! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">She always amazes everyone with her determination and persistence. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> I have no doubt that this little girl will go far in life.........</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">walking (or running)! </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Last night we met a family here at the Ronald McDonald house that is from China! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It is an older couple with their son, and his son, who is 17 months old. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The little boy has cancer in his eye, so they came here to get treatment for him, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">they are living here for a few months. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Obviously, this has been weighing on my mind. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I have seen so many orphans with this special need. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It is treatable/curable, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">with the right treatment, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and obviously not an easily available treatment in China. Luckily, this little boy has a family that can do this for him, bring him here and he can receive the treatment he needs. They have been so, so sweet to Olivia. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The grandparents just adore her, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">they rub her face and speak to her, sadly, she has no idea what they are saying......</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">BUT, she didn't turn her head away from them, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">she just looked in wonder. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I think I talked about that in a previous post. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Once we were home from China, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">if anyone tried to speak Chinese to her, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">she would turn her head away, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and completely ignore them. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Anyway, this family is such a sweet family and I love how God makes things work. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I don't believe in luck or fate, </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">it's all God, </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">all the time! </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I did find it very interesting when the child's father asked me how Olivia came here.........</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I said "we adopted her" (through google translate) and he said "oh"........</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Made me wonder if the Chinese know that there Orphan population is as bad as it is......</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Well, as I'm typing all of this, Olivia just started walking unassisted again.........</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">AMAZING!!! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Thanking God for His constant blessings!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This verse keeps coming to mind tonight.....</span></span><br />
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<i>For I know the plans I have for you,” <span class="x4x6o5b32ti3" id="x4x6o5b32ti3_3">declares</span> the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.</i><br />
<i>Jeremiah 29:11</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-62733428564891610452014-01-20T14:18:00.000-08:002014-01-20T14:22:29.357-08:00A year ago today.......<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A year ago today we got our beautiful daughter. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I can't believe how fast it has gone by! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">God has truly blessed us with this perfect little girl. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Olivia has been nothing but a blessing </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and a gift to our family! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The past year has been crazy with trips to Philly,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> work and school and 4 kids......</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">but worth every second of it. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I won't lie it hasn't been exactly easy, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">there have been challenges, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">adoption is not like birthing a baby that only sleeps and eats. She is 3.......with a tragic past, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">but at the end of the long, hard day,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> she is still our daughter that we love with all our heart! </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And really our long, hard days, aren't that bad. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">She is 3.....no matter adoption or biological, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3 year olds can be difficult, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">she is independant, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">headstrong, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and determined. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">These traits aren't bad traits to have, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">unless </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">you're determined to hold the food in your mouth for hours, or not eat at all, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">or pout because someone told you "no", </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">or refuse to poop for daaaaaayyyyysssss. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(Yes I just said that.....). ;-) </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">These are pretty manageable "issues" </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and they're already better! </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">God has taught me so much through out the past couple of years. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here I was wanting another child so badly, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">but knowing adoption was the only way it would happen. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">God showed me that He wasn't just giving me another child but He was showing me what breaks His heart, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and asking me to break my heart as well. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">God adopted us in to His family, He has taken us in as His own children </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and loves us more than we could ever possibly imagine. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We as Christians should want others to know and love God, so they can spend eternity with Him. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We also should say the same for Orphans who live their lives ALONE. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">No child deserves to live this life alone, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">living it with others is hard enough, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">but alone, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">is just terrifying. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">God did not want children growing up without families, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">or love. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Unfortunately, we as humans make choices, God graciously gave us this ability so we would choose Him. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But the choices we make aren't always the right ones, this has caused many sad and bad things in this messed up world we live in. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Luckily, we have a God that loves us SO much he gives us Grace and forgives us for these bad choices, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">through His only Son. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">He also asks us to help Him, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">to be His hands and feet </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">to "love the least of these". </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">He calls us to "care for orphans and widows". </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">God gives us SO many blessings that we all take and use for our own pleasure, </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">when we could be taking what He gives us </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and giving it to all of those listed above.......... </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here is a slideshow of the past year.....</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it's only about 12 minutes long....;-)</span> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://youtu.be/v9Ri3Sihohw" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/v9Ri3Sihohw</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-67036842420384829462014-01-05T14:02:00.000-08:002014-01-05T14:02:37.732-08:00Halloween and Thanksgiving......<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So much fun celebrating "firsts" with a 3 year old. So much more fun than when they're a baby and don't have any clue as to what's going on........</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Halloween we spent with our good friends, the kids had a blast running around and getting WAY TOO much candy. Olivia fell asleep before we were done trick-or-treating, obviously she had lots of fun!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Thanksgiving day I took some pictures for our Christmas cards, which I had made but never mailed out........:-( If I saw you in person I TRIED to rememember to give one to you, if I didn't, I'm sorry, and to those I said I would mail one to, again I'm sorry!!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> We had Thanksgiving dinner at my moms and Olivia saw a Christmas tree for the first time. As you can see from the pictures, she was quite enthralled.......</span></span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-76916683775157724682014-01-05T13:37:00.000-08:002014-01-05T14:04:38.071-08:00Catching up on the past few months.......(The end of the week-long Philly trip)<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The week of PT in Philadelphia was well worth it. Olivia did great and has continued to improve in her walking and she is constantly asking to walk! She wants so badly to be just like everyone else and do what everyone else is doing. Next summer she will have the knee surgery and we are very eager to see how that helps her with walking.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I MUST post the AMAZING surprise I had from some AMAZING girls while we were in Philly that week.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Olivia and I had just finished dinner and were just hanging out when I was COMPLETELY surprised by these 3 wonderful friends! They felt bad I was spending my birthday alone in Philly, so they flew up to be with us. I will FOREVER be grateful for their friendships, this was one of the BEST birthday presents I have ever gotten (a close second to Mike proposing :-)). I can't say enough about how much I love these girls and how thankful I am for them!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">After they left, Olivia and I went to visit my aunt who lives in Annapolis. I was born in Annapolis and haven't been back (we moved to GA when I was a baby), so it was fun walking around and seeing some of the sights and spending time with Kim. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">After we left Annapolis we drove about an hour to see our friends we met in China. We enjoyed spending the week in China with them and were so excited to see each other again. The girls had a lot of fun playing together and us Mom's enjoyed catching up!</span></span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-36241699759022347622013-09-18T20:50:00.001-07:002013-09-18T20:50:01.025-07:00My birthday...So today is my birthday. After Olivia's therapy, which again her therapist was pretty impressed with how well she does walking(!), we went to get some yummy Chinese food in Chinatown. :-). We were going to get some cake and try a moon pie at the pastry shop after lunch, but I didn't have any cash (many places here don't take cards, which I never can remember), so we went to Target instead.:-). I must admit I have felt a little lonely today not being surrounded by the rest of my favorite people. I did talk with them numerous times today, so that was nice and it warmed my heart when the kids sang Happy Birthday to me over the phone.:-) Don't get me wrong this is a special time for Olivia and I, and I am very thankful to have this time with her, but I can still miss the others. <div><br><div>As I was feeling a little homesick this evening I saw this video on Facebook....</div><div><a href="http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wEyO-tpnJfI&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DwEyO-tpnJfI">http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wEyO-tpnJfI&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DwEyO-tpnJfI</a></div><div>And then this one.....</div><div><a href="http://vimeo.com/m/74329306">http://vimeo.com/m/74329306</a></div><div><br></div><div>Oh how my heart breaks for these kids, for all of the children in this world who have no family. God was reminding me of what I have and miss, yes. But He also is reminding me that His heart breaks for them as well. He loves these children more than I could ever imagine and he wants us, ALL of us, to do something to help these kids. In his name we have to fight for them. I just can't imagine the feeling of complete despair that so many children live with every day. </div><div>I pray....God, PLEASE help me help them.</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-88629716425883006502013-09-17T20:38:00.001-07:002013-09-17T21:00:29.516-07:00Physical therapy......<h2><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">Olivia and I came up to Philly yesterday for a week of physical therapy. Originally, the plan was to see the dr yesterday (Monday) and have PT all week then go home Friday. Well, the dr ended up being out of town this week so they said I could still come up and do PT all week, stay through the weekend, and see the dr on the following Monday, or we could reschedule for October. Since I had already gotten off work and planned for this week, not to mention the fact that I had already pushed this week back about a month more than when the dr wanted us to come, I decided it probably wouldn't be best to wait any longer. So we're here, and I must admit I have somewhat dreaded this trip, Philly is not my favorite city. However, we got into the Ronald McDonald House that I prefer, only because its closest to Shriners and has a tv in the rooms. There's something about being in a strange place and no tv that makes me on edge, I like the noise at night. What can I say, I'm use to a lot of noise....LOL. Olivia has met another little girl with AMC here who is also 3, adopted, and just adorable. They have had so much fun playing together. tonight after dinner Olivia said "Mommy, my friend" and pointed to the little girl as they were playing together. So sweet!!! </span></h2><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We had her first PT session today, they really just assessed her and got a baseline for her ROM, they seemed pretty pleased with most, she isn't able to flex her feet so that will be something we will have to work on, or she will have a hard time walking one day without braces. Olivia did great, much better than I expected. When we drove into the parking garage she turned her lip down and started whining. I said "we're not getting casts, you're going to walk" and she said "Walk? No casts?" With a big smile......after that she was happy as can be. Talking and singing during therapy, being cute, like always! </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Speaking of happy, over the past few days she will say "Mommy, I happy". It just melts my heart, I'll say "I'm so happy you're happy" and she just smiles the biggest smile! </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tonight she was laying in bed and I leaned in to kiss her forehead and laid my hand on her chest, hugging my hand she said "My mommy." I know I've told many of you how she says "mine" for everything lately. However most of the time when she says "my mommy" it's more of a question or a game she's playing with others (including her siblings) rather than a statement. Tonight it was nothing but an assuring, absolute, this is "my Mommy." Oh how thankful I am to have another daughter. I get to love on her the rest of my life and will always be HER mommy! </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3nbYiqkjNa0Kji8FzQtRvVZ17rz9Mjvv4gXv9ERk4QJuugg0jUWbQSh7rMSOnyC2XLx-QtFnjiuqpH-LjmV4oRDNN3_Qi8Hu6fcVd4AAjKsTfCQoenMU_SZSCJaMFAzFY7dXYgk8scmo/s640/blogger-image-933646771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3nbYiqkjNa0Kji8FzQtRvVZ17rz9Mjvv4gXv9ERk4QJuugg0jUWbQSh7rMSOnyC2XLx-QtFnjiuqpH-LjmV4oRDNN3_Qi8Hu6fcVd4AAjKsTfCQoenMU_SZSCJaMFAzFY7dXYgk8scmo/s640/blogger-image-933646771.jpg"></font></a></div><div><br></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-46433372708334225022013-09-17T20:37:00.001-07:002013-09-17T20:59:38.305-07:00The beach!<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We took the kids on a surprise trip to Florida over Labor Day weekend. We stayed in Orlando and drove to Cocoa Beach and treasure island every day. It was so nice to have a week of just the 6 of us. We had a great time! This was Olivia's first time at the beach. She was not too sure of the waves. She liked sitting at the edge of the water and letting the water come to her, but didn't like it if Mike or I held her and took her out where the waves were big and crashing. She also wasn't too crazy about the sand on her hands, she would play with the toys on the beach, being very careful not to get her hands dirty.:-) </div></div></div><div>We had a great surprise while we were there, friends that we traveled with in China, who adopted a little boy were at Disney World. They live in OK, so we have not seen them since China. We met for lunch our last day at Downtown Disney, it was so nice seeing hem again. Olivia was a little hesitant at first, but soon warmed up to Jayden and they were soon playing together. I hope we will be able to meet up with them again one day!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxalwTtfMjZj3EHqJetqtpMiBZ1aHw8nRh3dTcvgmRg6zJbOD8F5OBkMVLhTTwvInw-8rI1SxfnTZyWfAhglhU6N83xV75uEWAYDfsefwFi9w1BL9cSX_kvDyFVT9uk7zuwB61a_qlXA/s640/blogger-image--423350656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxalwTtfMjZj3EHqJetqtpMiBZ1aHw8nRh3dTcvgmRg6zJbOD8F5OBkMVLhTTwvInw-8rI1SxfnTZyWfAhglhU6N83xV75uEWAYDfsefwFi9w1BL9cSX_kvDyFVT9uk7zuwB61a_qlXA/s640/blogger-image--423350656.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15GRWyCZpzahF9ETd1De1-ReiH3qtgf0SQytv1Q8vzEyjUFX0Tf08m9Aej40TrEmymrCUAhGxgUxoW5UIRWsaBXeJzbm93BKT5YzmYZVjzQ8MGFok4pczTUQPnAdIYaNuH0Zhg4LrLjg/s640/blogger-image-355163250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); 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-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; "><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZczRUV9OOR6eerL1aL_-L6-3J1L_a8_zjHnvWy-iXn5J2mjjPaRssj7Jkw-jb8oYhAmJ0UE99uU_AJ5rzUChjUZxvt3kGz__SByvKTlPB4X8uUlIkZt0pUI6ANKNWA1RHh211UOzboE/s640/blogger-image-997706982.jpg"></a></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qwtvqWsnMhSjB2K9oWZ4FwkoZAfnqYBmnoEFtQEWDIaq8JfBBMj_25ER23-v2kvhehspCJtG51h17NUI3GoeKFFfUO8qy_KTev9Hw_DwTOcVeqLA0BIRhKyr8IARpDWaHqFZv5FrPNM/s640/blogger-image-1784426091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qwtvqWsnMhSjB2K9oWZ4FwkoZAfnqYBmnoEFtQEWDIaq8JfBBMj_25ER23-v2kvhehspCJtG51h17NUI3GoeKFFfUO8qy_KTev9Hw_DwTOcVeqLA0BIRhKyr8IARpDWaHqFZv5FrPNM/s640/blogger-image-1784426091.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> Swimming with sea rays!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvE__B26l-KaCDL-o0tG8kTlw22obXlsKMkwaP6k3m3_Jp9j8ipOgKNY3yHCdJRtJoYjt7kqser0rVduGKQn7ffSamg-zBMVkMzQwClhQI4i-JG_9KUDEp9SAAQmsFckIKXA76XVWc0HE/s640/blogger-image--2006379669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvE__B26l-KaCDL-o0tG8kTlw22obXlsKMkwaP6k3m3_Jp9j8ipOgKNY3yHCdJRtJoYjt7kqser0rVduGKQn7ffSamg-zBMVkMzQwClhQI4i-JG_9KUDEp9SAAQmsFckIKXA76XVWc0HE/s640/blogger-image--2006379669.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WbFuAI8z3vfcIWEE7R_V2mQkNU16HchLGMMHWfuHyMroejpUEgbJ6LlVO7P6fwt28RIyuQjNTHcyKp0D8srgsHyjlgykZidBuehH9Qj-HWVSrJtB5LS3sMIbEQMwzhRfKpRfWyhyphenhyphenEV0/s640/blogger-image--401463934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WbFuAI8z3vfcIWEE7R_V2mQkNU16HchLGMMHWfuHyMroejpUEgbJ6LlVO7P6fwt28RIyuQjNTHcyKp0D8srgsHyjlgykZidBuehH9Qj-HWVSrJtB5LS3sMIbEQMwzhRfKpRfWyhyphenhyphenEV0/s640/blogger-image--401463934.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfSNXMGPs5T74egNjD4_neOiPbwEAuxrk6Llu1Z3gUuQzBwwz82WeEUC7K5codK_egkLWnDZU8pNlZ6O4c-7224Mz9Z3QJ4zcNXoX6UVbEr9_U0hBlRVLjlLbG6-euRLl7gxQWPixjxU/s640/blogger-image--1938474398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfSNXMGPs5T74egNjD4_neOiPbwEAuxrk6Llu1Z3gUuQzBwwz82WeEUC7K5codK_egkLWnDZU8pNlZ6O4c-7224Mz9Z3QJ4zcNXoX6UVbEr9_U0hBlRVLjlLbG6-euRLl7gxQWPixjxU/s640/blogger-image--1938474398.jpg"></a></div> Diving into the sand....</div></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEXtxx0yQ0iKA9SUpEeH50RXU9SFVpVZIZxM_RzsdlFL8cpHImRKd0_e_keLkSsctpgv4BQMXKwh2QGCGbP_vc0zsQUsubPy7jc4iYvrXy5hfwZStuSyo2jWVvG0KS5RkEBDk8idaE9g/s640/blogger-image--1363820159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEXtxx0yQ0iKA9SUpEeH50RXU9SFVpVZIZxM_RzsdlFL8cpHImRKd0_e_keLkSsctpgv4BQMXKwh2QGCGbP_vc0zsQUsubPy7jc4iYvrXy5hfwZStuSyo2jWVvG0KS5RkEBDk8idaE9g/s640/blogger-image--1363820159.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgktiYyQw2fz17LZxex3PWox2hyphenhyphenolwE-_c3kfkL_ryDiaHWrvw1o7bGZnQRs4lpMLRWZdjKMEhwa2eF3HHChj4_PV59Mq-t9ls5MBxAfmbKWY_N8XB1oK8XAn6qpwlPl8HQP0UOYg8EC5c/s640/blogger-image-1247227790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's hard to believe Olivia has been our daughter and sister for just 6 months. It feels like she has always been here. We are constantly asked, how is she doing, how is she adjusting? And honestly, she has fit in perfectly. She acts as though any 3 year old would act, the kids still adore her, and she has attached to both Mike and I. We couldn't be more thankful for how well she has done. Yes, she is stubborn, and VERY persistent, and maybe even a little spoiled........but that makes for a very strong woman one day! :-) Her English is coming a long, we are understanding more and more, there are still many sounds she can't say, like "k", or "th", or "f". But I am sure with time and help, she will get it! Unfortunately she has not gained any weight......but I have stopped worrying so much about it. She eats well, still not a lot but a decent amount, and she is constantly moving and pulling herself along, so I'm sure she is burning all the calories she eats. Someone once told me that kids with Arthrogryposis are commonly smaller than their peers, so that may be part of it as well. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The smelly casts are gone and she is in cute zebra print braces. She is walking short distances with the help of a walker, and some whip cream.......(We have been bribing her to walk to a certain point with whip cream, no judgement please, she deserves it!) Times have been a bit crazier than we had expected but so very worth it! Our weekly trips to Philly are done.....for now. I'm sure we will be doing it again, her feet are already turning back in, which means she will need more casts, but for now we are enjoying the end of summer in the pool, and she LOVES it! We do have another Philly trip planned for September, the week of my birthday. She will have a week of "intense" physical therapy. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">On our last trip to Philly we stopped in DC...</span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">These boys were adopted from China also, with Arthrogryposis.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2Y8uZz9vpKUrCZ5A0Z4SP52Xv0_eMLcJyvUN-1UQumpTCcsoyS0kKdYkS1iuDPJO8IA9ey4U0bESJaJXOFIhWmQa2r9v_wjLg2M4f-nkReniUj3um3KkSlW9I0dDwLD5sCeBHJi-qyI/s640/blogger-image--1673905443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2Y8uZz9vpKUrCZ5A0Z4SP52Xv0_eMLcJyvUN-1UQumpTCcsoyS0kKdYkS1iuDPJO8IA9ey4U0bESJaJXOFIhWmQa2r9v_wjLg2M4f-nkReniUj3um3KkSlW9I0dDwLD5sCeBHJi-qyI/s640/blogger-image--1673905443.jpg" /></a></div>
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Her new braces!</div>
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She LOVES the water!</div>
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Before and After! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-954687210307134832013-07-08T21:58:00.003-07:002013-07-08T22:00:12.524-07:00It's been a while........<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">We've been a little busy. Olivia and I have been traveling to Philadelphia weekly. We have been leaving on either Wednesday or Thursday and coming home Friday or Saturday. Some weeks we were only there for a night, some weeks we were there for 2 or 3. I have been working 2-3 nights per week as well, so life has been crazy, to say the least. BUT.....................So worth it! Check this out......... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Ok, I wasn't able to get the video of the first time she walked to upload, but I did get the second one.....:-)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Click </span><a href="http://youtu.be/T1YE21z0nq4" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">HERE</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> to see her walking!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">We are in Philly now, enjoying some much needed family time. Olivia gets her casts off tomorrow and her braces on......</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Since I am leaving for Haiti on Wednesday we decided to make this a family trip and drive. Otherwise it would have been about 2 weeks that I would have been away from the older kids, and I just couldn't fathom that. It's a quick trip up and back in 4 days (all 4 days of driving), but so worth it. It has been a great couple of days so far. I'll post more later. :-)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Here's some pictures from the past few months.....</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-39629163615009632822013-05-11T19:58:00.001-07:002013-05-11T19:58:23.477-07:00Forgiveness.......So today is "Birth mom" Day........I have such mixed emotions. So many people post thanks and love to their children's birth mom, but I'm really having a hard time with it. The bottom line is the orphan crisis sucks, and I so wish "orphan" was a non-existent word. That babies weren't being left, abandoned for whatever reason or excuse they were or were not given. The truth is I have no idea why Olivia's birth parents abandoned her on a road in a VERY cold time of year. Am I thankful they didn't abort her, of course, am I thankful she's now my daughter, ABSOLUTELY. But adoption comes with trauma, the truth remains that she lived her first three years as an orphan, for three years she had no family, and for the rest of her life she will never know her biological family history or even her true birthdate. She will however know love and she will know God, who will give her the most comfort. Unfortunately life is never easy, many of us go through trauma. Mike's mom suffering from cancer for ten years and dying when he was 19 was a horrible traumatic experience for him and his siblings. Many know the sufferings of Cancer or the loss of a loved one, divorce, or even abandonment. Many people all over the world are starving or homeless, and don't even let me get started on the problem of children led homes. Did you know that America, being one of the richest countries in the world, is failing horribly in Faith? These third world countries of starving and homeless people and abandoned children have more faith in God (Christians) than us Americans could dream of having.......but that's another post for another day....<br />
It is said over and over in the Bible that we (Christians) will suffer and we will have sorrow. Just google "verses about suffering", this one was my favorite. <br />
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Romans 5:3-5 <br />
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.<br />
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Olivia is an amazing little girl, with indescribable character, she is determined, headstrong, and independent. I often wonder is that something she got from her birth mom or birth dad, or was it a God given gift to help her survive at 3 1/2 pounds while waiting for someone to find her that cold February day. There are so many unknowns, I have often wondered why and I have answered "hopefully it was because they just couldn't give her the help she needed, they hoped someone else could." I have anger too, I'll admit, and I HAVE to find it in myself to forgive them. God commands us to forgive others as He forgives us. I just love this little girl SO much and I think "How?" "How could you just leave her there?" Many what ifs run through my mind often. Then God reminds me "I love her more, I took care of her then and will always." So at the end of this day I have learned I must forgive. It doesn't matter why, it's done, and thankfully God lead me to her and I now have another beautiful, amazing daughter. As I watched her tonight specifically call each of her siblings to give them kisses and tell them "I wuv ooo 2, nat (night)!" I was filled with such joy, she now knows love. It was precious and wonderful and I am so thankful that God loves ME so much that He would trust me with another child to call mine while on this earth. <br />
I don't know if Mother's Day is celebrated in China but I do hope that her Birth mom has some feeling of comfort and can rest that her baby is being loved and is no longer an orphan.<br />
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I use this blog as a journal of my feelings and experiences and even more a place to talk about God and His amazing works in our life. I felt the need to write the feelings I've had today without really knowing how this post would end. As I typed God showed me, I need to find forgiveness. What an amazing God we serve! <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-12603170677096485252013-05-08T20:01:00.000-07:002013-05-08T20:18:41.849-07:00May 8th.......May 8.......today has been a rough day for two parents miles apart. Today is Chase's birthday and as many of you know Olivia had her first surgery on her legs. I am here with Olivia and Mike is at home with the other three. All day Mike has had a hard time talking to Olivia, and not able to hold her and love on her, seems like he calls when she is the most upset. She had her Achilles lengthened in both legs and tendons in her hips released. Hopefully she will have more flexion in her hips and in return will help her to not hold her legs Indian style as much. Since she has always sat or laid with her legs open, her hips rotate out. We're hoping (praying) that this (and fixing her feet) will help her to turn her legs in. If her legs continue to be externally rotated then she will have to have the hip surgery that involves cutting the bone, turning it in, and pinning it.....sounds pretty rough. The dr said her feet are looking good. I wasn't able to see her feet out of the casts because they took the old ones off in the OR while she was asleep and put the new ones on before they woke her up. He said I will see a big difference next week when we're back. I can already tell a difference with her casts, her toes are pointing up and there is more flexion in her ankles. So I'm very anxious to get back next week and see the difference. Olivia has done ok today, she has had a lot of pain but the pain meds have worked pretty well. I think she has been the most traumatized by the IV and pulse ox on her finger.....she's sleeping well right now, praying for a good night!<br />
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God knew that we both didn't need to be here for Olivia's surgery. As upset as Mike has been not being here, I have felt the same with not being home. Today our oldest turned 12 and he probably had one of his best games of the season. I hated not being there to celebrate his day with him, but his Dad was, I would have felt even worse had neither of us been there. <br />
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With Mother's Day coming up, this is a perfect time to say how lucky I am to have my mom! She has helped us so much and never complains. This week she is running kids between karate, gymnastics, and school, taking pizza last minute to the school, making sure homework is done, and worrying about us up here. Not only does my mom help me A. LOT. She is also my best friend, someone who has taught me so much about life, about myself. She listens to me, still gives me advice, even when I don't ask......and always gives me an amazing role model to look up to as I continue to figure out this whole adult thing....;-) <br />
Thank you Mom, I Love You!!<br />
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We did get to celebrate Chase's birthday a few days early with Japanese!<br />
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They let me take Olivia back to the OR and get her to sleep. I was so thankful, even with versed, she wasn't too happy. I DID NOT want her to feel fear from them taking her from me. If you've adopted then you understand, she's been "taken" once before, by me, and I don't want her to feel that fear ever again.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-85484957779960999832013-05-02T21:07:00.001-07:002013-05-02T21:49:11.631-07:003 months home.....<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We have now been home exactly 3 months with our precious daughter. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Wow, what a crazy 3 months, time has flown by. I remember thinking we would never get to China......</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Olivia continues to do well, she talks constantly and still gets around like she did before the casts, they haven't slowed her down a bit. She is very feisty, I have no doubt that she will one day walk and excel in this world. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We leave next Tuesday to go back to Philly for her Achille's lengthening surgery and she will also have some tendons in her hips "released" to give her hips a little more flexion. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I am not looking forward to it at all......</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I just keep thinking about how uncomfortable she will be.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>I can't imagine having surgery and then being confined to casts. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, she will have casts put on after the surgery. Then we will start the weekly castings again the following week. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As of now we are scheduled through the first week of June. The doctor said she may need the Achille's lengthening procedure done again after the castings are complete, so it may be July before she gets <span style="font-size: large;">them off for good</span>. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking like a long summer.....</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I must admit this traveling and working full time are a little harder than I expected. I honestly don't mind traveling, I have always enjoyed traveling, but having to work my lovely night shift on top of it has made for one tired mamma. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Olivia is also pushing limits<span style="font-size: large;">....a<span style="font-size: large;"> lot</span></span>. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> I think she knows she can<span style="font-size: large;">.......</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>so she does<span style="font-size: large;">......</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>like most 3 year olds. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I try to remember that she </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">1.) is 3, </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">2.)has only been home 3 months, and </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">3.)has casts all the way up her legs. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In everything I've learned about adoption, any big change is a lot harder on these kids than a child who has been in the same home with a family their entire life. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">She has her moments, I have mine, we get through them and move on......</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">She is still a very sweet and loving child. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">She LOVES to snuggle, especially with me. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I went from being her least favorite in China to her most favorite here. I am so thankful that she has bonded so well with me, with all of us. She loves her brothers and sister, and has no problem telling them to leave her alone when she's had enough of their constant.affection. And of course she still loves her Daddy. He gets the biggest grin when he comes home, she'll say "Daddy's home!". It's precious. And if you dare mention<span style="font-size: large;"> talking to him on the phone, she will pitch a fit to talk too and run up some minutes!</span> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As I mentioned earlier, she talks a lot. She'll talk to anybody who will listen, or not, she'll keep talking. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Somethings we can understand, some we can't, but she knows what she's talking about and she knows exactly what we're talking about. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We can tell her anything and she will understand it. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">She's so smart. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> I'd say the hardest thing has been her eating. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> She still does not eat well. Some days are better than others, some days are just plain horrible. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">For example, yesterday she inconspicuously threw all her food on the floor for the dog to eat. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> I worry because she's so tiny, but the problem is that it has become a power struggle between us. This is the only thing she can control, so she wants to control it. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Again, I have to relax and leave her alone. I seem to only make it worse, especially when she'll be eating well <span style="font-size: large;">and </span>I sit down, then she's done and just wants me to hold her......</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So <span style="font-size: large;">thing<span style="font-size: large;">s <span style="font-size: large;">continue to go well, <span style="font-size: large;">but things get hard at times. If anyone go<span style="font-size: large;">es into adoption with the thought that <span style="font-size: large;">it will be perfect, <span style="font-size: large;">thinking "</span>we will show this child love and give it all it needs<span style="font-size: large;">, <span style="font-size: large;">so <span style="font-size: large;">how could it be hard?" </span></span>is only lying to themselves and everyone else. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Adoption is hard</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">....at times....but it is beautiful<span style="font-size: x-large;">......</span>all the time. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This precious little life has been such a blessing on min<span style="font-size: large;">e and I <span style="font-size: large;">am so thankful to have her. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">God <span style="font-size: large;">adopted us just as we adopt <span style="font-size: large;">these children, it is an amazing sight to live and understand<span style="font-size: large;">. </span>God loves us and wants us to love Him<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">. We're not always easy to love, we m<span style="font-size: large;">ess up a lot, but He never leaves us</span></span>, He fights our fights and ans<span style="font-size: large;">we<span style="font-size: large;">rs our prayers. He <span style="font-size: large;">wants <span style="font-size: large;">to</span> <span style="font-size: large;">be the only rea<span style="font-size: large;">son we exist, He <span style="font-size: large;">IS</span> the only reason we exist<span style="font-size: large;"> and for that I am thankful!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVuNXf1nsbJ7pgKVgMlyWGMwW_iKhJIPm5xPDawA8s9J6WkoW0hvptjTfSAA2gllndgy0awVREh-IR6suKmID27WvqhedhsPseabMvAFspmG0xBO1NRatGTwL6mgTw3PgS66GjpCyZ4A/s640/blogger-image-659434012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVuNXf1nsbJ7pgKVgMlyWGMwW_iKhJIPm5xPDawA8s9J6WkoW0hvptjTfSAA2gllndgy0awVREh-IR6suKmID27WvqhedhsPseabMvAFspmG0xBO1NRatGTwL6mgTw3PgS66GjpCyZ4A/s640/blogger-image-659434012.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295689346050908592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375407662697336300.post-25160371425935639562013-04-17T21:31:00.001-07:002013-04-17T21:32:58.627-07:00Philadelphia.......<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Last week my mom and I drove to Philadelphia with all the kids.......yes, we did.........It was A LONG drive, to say the least, but we made it there.....and home! It was a great trip, we did A LOT. The kids really enjoyed learning about the history of our country. We also went to the zoo and saw a mummy museum and a 200 year old prison.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Olivia had three castings while we were there. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I am beginning to see a difference in her feet. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">They are definitely straighter, still sideways, but you can now feel her heel bone! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> This is her feet before any treatment......</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQiidHNNqWeXPcHgiwLqP8-gO_z-xa66N8rH6yhJe6be9ZsZ44ot21tSF3_ezPu-Qdn7P2mqsqeavtU5l-GIjNAY0n9CmeATgooDIocNNCbMu3nIg50FhbCvtDXi6tRN3IH3Cky7fDBs/s1600/April+2013+iPhone+227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQiidHNNqWeXPcHgiwLqP8-gO_z-xa66N8rH6yhJe6be9ZsZ44ot21tSF3_ezPu-Qdn7P2mqsqeavtU5l-GIjNAY0n9CmeATgooDIocNNCbMu3nIg50FhbCvtDXi6tRN3IH3Cky7fDBs/s320/April+2013+iPhone+227.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The next two pics are after her first set of casts.......</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeLoZDDkyjZ-Mxqy1I3t9pD7ANJlOdnY67cA9a3Ut5UGoZrIbLtJxYdWhUXM4xKjvxhm1DMnpXcqoCpYocq3oXHmIal1isj6MB2ABsHBcEQi2LEgZEpLb4K2vQbK3lsLVlZb-PqEh05o/s1600/April+2013+iPhone+272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeLoZDDkyjZ-Mxqy1I3t9pD7ANJlOdnY67cA9a3Ut5UGoZrIbLtJxYdWhUXM4xKjvxhm1DMnpXcqoCpYocq3oXHmIal1isj6MB2ABsHBcEQi2LEgZEpLb4K2vQbK3lsLVlZb-PqEh05o/s320/April+2013+iPhone+272.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSXSqIJEXYFj24maKRdK7bgsURyhe0ZC2D16SRUwzEEY5eACwj17ueFiMovIqz93LpwLXafGo_METWgEapXwPQRhwFCE7AG1052nx46tBtml55Zkad0eb3akkTh9jyDtyOQB9cQ5sf7M/s1600/April+2013+iPhone+273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSXSqIJEXYFj24maKRdK7bgsURyhe0ZC2D16SRUwzEEY5eACwj17ueFiMovIqz93LpwLXafGo_METWgEapXwPQRhwFCE7AG1052nx46tBtml55Zkad0eb3akkTh9jyDtyOQB9cQ5sf7M/s320/April+2013+iPhone+273.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">These two are after the second set of casts.......</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QkR5mI_s0f22UpajQBaJe54dpjOQ62XUWvyOQr-4CPFLOGOba1MDk9OXzxtYmOuhpxP2Qn5WP0UE2ZDazIuUvJui1N1R8NrtjlkE9EMoCvANGLDGB55L-bWsBQSma9FldFtYed7jDDg/s1600/April+2013+iPhone+334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QkR5mI_s0f22UpajQBaJe54dpjOQ62XUWvyOQr-4CPFLOGOba1MDk9OXzxtYmOuhpxP2Qn5WP0UE2ZDazIuUvJui1N1R8NrtjlkE9EMoCvANGLDGB55L-bWsBQSma9FldFtYed7jDDg/s320/April+2013+iPhone+334.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSV6lj8zO5X-3r8UIS3JdjQaLWLnxnK1-E1uRW35on_KnHyNyRIRE-dtUud4hFJ0NHAetBRvXRFg_GHiwHHbsbLK_CXyEBuYzs0UX_tNKfWT5fpF3s9zGAFWnUpf-ufcdlaQDtaSt1d4I/s1600/April+2013+iPhone+338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSV6lj8zO5X-3r8UIS3JdjQaLWLnxnK1-E1uRW35on_KnHyNyRIRE-dtUud4hFJ0NHAetBRvXRFg_GHiwHHbsbLK_CXyEBuYzs0UX_tNKfWT5fpF3s9zGAFWnUpf-ufcdlaQDtaSt1d4I/s320/April+2013+iPhone+338.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> And these were after the third set.....</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Notice how her feet our open, they don't bend in the middle anymore and her toes are pointing down instead of a 90 degree angle!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_nwKeHZhnjaJzSNrg1hplWaML5vazj7-V_EQhartRanCvBwlS0w2akhVUuIPxKDB_1zuCtlobRMD6c_TSym5hwB5qadAEzzN0-9FYEUWuzVgmJRuhUiA3al2Fuh4mUci9jLoupzZ12k/s640/blogger-image--1162024972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_nwKeHZhnjaJzSNrg1hplWaML5vazj7-V_EQhartRanCvBwlS0w2akhVUuIPxKDB_1zuCtlobRMD6c_TSym5hwB5qadAEzzN0-9FYEUWuzVgmJRuhUiA3al2Fuh4mUci9jLoupzZ12k/s320/blogger-image--1162024972.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXtvFmJ6LNhvNADsPc5-Bxbh_ywPstWRV38o6qmB2QIk5fTEKwTj1f5iOFrw_eMeDNgpSlumsPX0gI9ZoIuB5ZnYqOjjN-0rhblmHV1sAqRIi3z71c822vM3CZ8-KhTLP_5G3p8NoLis/s640/blogger-image--276475749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXtvFmJ6LNhvNADsPc5-Bxbh_ywPstWRV38o6qmB2QIk5fTEKwTj1f5iOFrw_eMeDNgpSlumsPX0gI9ZoIuB5ZnYqOjjN-0rhblmHV1sAqRIi3z71c822vM3CZ8-KhTLP_5G3p8NoLis/s320/blogger-image--276475749.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The doctor seems to be pretty pleased with the results so far. After her first set he decided she should have the Achille's tendon lengthening surgery sooner rather than later. I was very happy to hear that, thinking the castings would be over sooner rather than later......Well, later when he was casting her for the 4th time, he said she would need more weekly castings after the surgery and probably another lengthening at the end of the castings.......:-( So it looks like these casts will be on through out most of the summer. :-( Hoping she's not too miserable in the heat......</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When Dr VB does the surgery on the Achilles, he will also loosen some of the tendons in her hips to hopefully give her a little more movement in her hips. Because of this we she will have to spend the night in the hospital......AND this will happen on her dear eldest brother's birthday.......May 8th. Again :-(</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Olivia and I will leave in the morning for her last casting until the surgery. It will be a quick one night trip up and back. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here are some more pictures from our trip. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkd97FPCA9AxYD3YhRCcLB3vbwGbd8krFbHg3NlrCDY4p7cQ7TLjVz2pMMiioSDol5BSbdBwhjZhXwuaBB4N3hdDpg7Zp3Nlabat8NmN0DQFMIXN-4QFIpA4crispMOqtnH3-xnenIMo/s1600/DSC_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkd97FPCA9AxYD3YhRCcLB3vbwGbd8krFbHg3NlrCDY4p7cQ7TLjVz2pMMiioSDol5BSbdBwhjZhXwuaBB4N3hdDpg7Zp3Nlabat8NmN0DQFMIXN-4QFIpA4crispMOqtnH3-xnenIMo/s320/DSC_0005.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Our horse and carriage ride around town.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_dnwpXEqwlghXzgyS3Gz26gHGqO-KxD3V2xlNC7RGoA9y7j19H2tEehaGICB4yWHuL8UPxOOBMIUcrzrjmtXkAeasevMfs5QQM-ubBzpoUKPXTNZ_Pi9htnukObfxAFvc66scqSzwmM/s1600/DSC_0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_dnwpXEqwlghXzgyS3Gz26gHGqO-KxD3V2xlNC7RGoA9y7j19H2tEehaGICB4yWHuL8UPxOOBMIUcrzrjmtXkAeasevMfs5QQM-ubBzpoUKPXTNZ_Pi9htnukObfxAFvc66scqSzwmM/s320/DSC_0024.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The historical part of Philadelphia is beautiful!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeBJBdbVbhRX5BkJUp0_JhEWEoPC05PQelTlyxkQVZBIkC6ETnTV0FY7vpA8MM_Mu-jTAmW0WHi9BbA_Kmf0wFttKHJ5Bp5qn1bn_j3qofUtqKeaiXH6gdbn1en7C5jty28JZFtSLxz0/s1600/DSC_0072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeBJBdbVbhRX5BkJUp0_JhEWEoPC05PQelTlyxkQVZBIkC6ETnTV0FY7vpA8MM_Mu-jTAmW0WHi9BbA_Kmf0wFttKHJ5Bp5qn1bn_j3qofUtqKeaiXH6gdbn1en7C5jty28JZFtSLxz0/s320/DSC_0072.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">At the zoo. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CeHe47HS-vD19kd9UQ45z4gM7PScgFEmy4E6YdVD5uR8N_P1vNVJ28C8Jx4pKtszyLWzOvAuVdae3aWYDqHEKPa99bVFKBNvMUX7kZ9xDoAAx3p6RgbNG17bQg4n7r8muTmW5lY70W4/s1600/DSC_0119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CeHe47HS-vD19kd9UQ45z4gM7PScgFEmy4E6YdVD5uR8N_P1vNVJ28C8Jx4pKtszyLWzOvAuVdae3aWYDqHEKPa99bVFKBNvMUX7kZ9xDoAAx3p6RgbNG17bQg4n7r8muTmW5lY70W4/s320/DSC_0119.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkkhxi-LGvqYBodY6jvRuw7w8eMnFHL7wc2j-Ga9lcumkhxbYOxdkBbmw1OOjnO2mpQgWbY6tqof8aDS3rbJlzt-Qi52ozlfYrxl_aa8MNOz6q1aBkBYTyOby_yVNL2ug6Rff9csR64g/s1600/DSC_0181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkkhxi-LGvqYBodY6jvRuw7w8eMnFHL7wc2j-Ga9lcumkhxbYOxdkBbmw1OOjnO2mpQgWbY6tqof8aDS3rbJlzt-Qi52ozlfYrxl_aa8MNOz6q1aBkBYTyOby_yVNL2ug6Rff9csR64g/s320/DSC_0181.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFR0gBJioxYb2F4xG-0isC05nVTkcAQL6LIAt3mY0bk-oo7OHUy4KelEHh_G4CTSUKUXQjBtZp_s2vxnZabtCfUNzsKcj_-ukZ8gL9PC15Ky6v1OxYrEVDN-_0Ycr62Q-BBID18Cx3FvY/s1600/April+2013+iPhone+306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFR0gBJioxYb2F4xG-0isC05nVTkcAQL6LIAt3mY0bk-oo7OHUy4KelEHh_G4CTSUKUXQjBtZp_s2vxnZabtCfUNzsKcj_-ukZ8gL9PC15Ky6v1OxYrEVDN-_0Ycr62Q-BBID18Cx3FvY/s320/April+2013+iPhone+306.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JTkiM5KkZAf31jjKE9GaK5AuN0MN1xhErad4IaaR3ZYW3wB-3QBf66h-Aodf7BpSaHXbvSI6zdztgBoqnvm3t6Jrd1TjoTlgKORGYBV1ZxQm6a9TUvyu5K1CPO8D31iuzuC1_QTSZm4/s1600/April+2013+iPhone+307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JTkiM5KkZAf31jjKE9GaK5AuN0MN1xhErad4IaaR3ZYW3wB-3QBf66h-Aodf7BpSaHXbvSI6zdztgBoqnvm3t6Jrd1TjoTlgKORGYBV1ZxQm6a9TUvyu5K1CPO8D31iuzuC1_QTSZm4/s320/April+2013+iPhone+307.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQmMVz4DWPAfNF0FzZpVuNIT2AFHJv2n7BNNAvQsurHOgOMgAzigbR7mx4wu9avWNcRxA0x6os32HZlyNN4GYh-yQkDWr1KpiU0KsoMX87rOUjBfMikSs77IGwKGFzenspOz8YutpeHI/s1600/April+2013+iPhone+308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQmMVz4DWPAfNF0FzZpVuNIT2AFHJv2n7BNNAvQsurHOgOMgAzigbR7mx4wu9avWNcRxA0x6os32HZlyNN4GYh-yQkDWr1KpiU0KsoMX87rOUjBfMikSs77IGwKGFzenspOz8YutpeHI/s320/April+2013+iPhone+308.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMdN5z6hlWjInZXYlVM4juGEsLZ1gTe2w9G5kb7ziQmmA2MO1AtLzArkUlaVQtDwi_CuSkdX8EIpZ1aaxYrSJz_MjhTPQNq77I8yxlZG6_NxNdxeah3q3HKWIOaMnhXNlbwwJW8skKP0/s1600/April+2013+iPhone+310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMdN5z6hlWjInZXYlVM4juGEsLZ1gTe2w9G5kb7ziQmmA2MO1AtLzArkUlaVQtDwi_CuSkdX8EIpZ1aaxYrSJz_MjhTPQNq77I8yxlZG6_NxNdxeah3q3HKWIOaMnhXNlbwwJW8skKP0/s320/April+2013+iPhone+310.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmS4M0SClngbAQ3c46SE9P5SMEV8zg4tDr83V8J0vXTIxJcIqTRU8CZR5Tz0KnT5EbOj77hen1SA2uFhHAwKvIH2LSi2qFVkdMu6Ptd7cdt4S1AuNGs1yMZSdCs5zJ7pqp7DcaNSH6av8/s1600/April+2013+iPhone+311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmS4M0SClngbAQ3c46SE9P5SMEV8zg4tDr83V8J0vXTIxJcIqTRU8CZR5Tz0KnT5EbOj77hen1SA2uFhHAwKvIH2LSi2qFVkdMu6Ptd7cdt4S1AuNGs1yMZSdCs5zJ7pqp7DcaNSH6av8/s320/April+2013+iPhone+311.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Love this, she was sound asleep!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_oCE7iOR4YQuDIsHzMWBnwal4FjykLFkWzo5HzYqHiomEfMxBRSFcjHIC4zpOrUUh4PjORlRS1OjO7_qkBQoGvvRa3lwv2HqOF4QR6poVmmoZSzGa3i9-QvGXWsuPTehifg8zDbKqTg/s1600/April+2013+iPhone+312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_oCE7iOR4YQuDIsHzMWBnwal4FjykLFkWzo5HzYqHiomEfMxBRSFcjHIC4zpOrUUh4PjORlRS1OjO7_qkBQoGvvRa3lwv2HqOF4QR6poVmmoZSzGa3i9-QvGXWsuPTehifg8zDbKqTg/s320/April+2013+iPhone+312.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> These were the casts Chase picked........not surprised....:-)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN95JZ7AjPZkKOcxhr962UUCLs4B04dEppwo_RtudQqDC2O14nsCX65B0SvyZotylC1C1h8ICTtyV2G1VcJuq4c9X5iq6Id86rqV250X9i4EjTp-lmZ0uVyPbBWDM3U9LXVMFo_nma78s/s1600/April+2013+iPhone+278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN95JZ7AjPZkKOcxhr962UUCLs4B04dEppwo_RtudQqDC2O14nsCX65B0SvyZotylC1C1h8ICTtyV2G1VcJuq4c9X5iq6Id86rqV250X9i4EjTp-lmZ0uVyPbBWDM3U9LXVMFo_nma78s/s320/April+2013+iPhone+278.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Touring the first penitentiary in the world. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Easter State Penitentiary</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYS138Nt4EC4eHE-kjQlNGFFmyy-hvzJL3ymH5xgwnrheo1Z2ttKp6kiFAWiezHklb7laPzFEZClAQdpwUszYZcAH0FQ70hYpHj7nM_CMNJPRCMemlTXbIevQ7_QiTVxsu6YQh7Rwg80/s1600/April+2013+iPhone+321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYS138Nt4EC4eHE-kjQlNGFFmyy-hvzJL3ymH5xgwnrheo1Z2ttKp6kiFAWiezHklb7laPzFEZClAQdpwUszYZcAH0FQ70hYpHj7nM_CMNJPRCMemlTXbIevQ7_QiTVxsu6YQh7Rwg80/s320/April+2013+iPhone+321.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyFpqikZufmJdKbHn1icg2tlrLAvBDtt4YfUhpu1xvfg3DNOGRpHQDqCzvctDOj_O5TOgdw97zBla9m9NGzVe3CbBaK0SI-QWgaUh3KxsZvM-FaaBKYZ2TflojM5uPnocq0zw-9ZS9t8/s1600/April+2013+iPhone+322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyFpqikZufmJdKbHn1icg2tlrLAvBDtt4YfUhpu1xvfg3DNOGRpHQDqCzvctDOj_O5TOgdw97zBla9m9NGzVe3CbBaK0SI-QWgaUh3KxsZvM-FaaBKYZ2TflojM5uPnocq0zw-9ZS9t8/s320/April+2013+iPhone+322.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPWJOZdP1k0MsBbmkgzEV3ctErTgxhCW3XHlHEW6pLa_NjK7rB2ssJBk1MDIK-3nn0gDrzWTgESapmEJ7AHb2lmYxraqa7VdCG7Lz6CPVxSw0e1f8Z_iQgS4szsyZl8yBCPRMsK0c8rc/s1600/April+2013+iPhone+323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPWJOZdP1k0MsBbmkgzEV3ctErTgxhCW3XHlHEW6pLa_NjK7rB2ssJBk1MDIK-3nn0gDrzWTgESapmEJ7AHb2lmYxraqa7VdCG7Lz6CPVxSw0e1f8Z_iQgS4szsyZl8yBCPRMsK0c8rc/s320/April+2013+iPhone+323.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Al Capone's cell.....Nice huh?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhrdnYhxPasi57Yu9R4C9IwmDGHQ6sSvWA5cc76i7kSu7xpr2VzdGcAAtUD1BRimqV-r5LlcDpEpg4tlLlJiXDu9Uo39g9EJIwQ_x8w9as7eMcG798QdLW-H0cvTETYcySwZX5uJeicU/s1600/April+2013+iPhone+326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhrdnYhxPasi57Yu9R4C9IwmDGHQ6sSvWA5cc76i7kSu7xpr2VzdGcAAtUD1BRimqV-r5LlcDpEpg4tlLlJiXDu9Uo39g9EJIwQ_x8w9as7eMcG798QdLW-H0cvTETYcySwZX5uJeicU/s320/April+2013+iPhone+326.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVeyHeWmxoXLl1iAcOHQmy82wpzMNHxhy2PHAMma1Tb1vwAs3VLINLgZ-h4EiNwicBjadE9XBKxCKT6cInfpCqZvbN4uHrr9N2mYhYtwptbkBIotlVteei4ykYnGCivIZ2q9Rerr98Ws/s1600/April+2013+iPhone+328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVeyHeWmxoXLl1iAcOHQmy82wpzMNHxhy2PHAMma1Tb1vwAs3VLINLgZ-h4EiNwicBjadE9XBKxCKT6cInfpCqZvbN4uHrr9N2mYhYtwptbkBIotlVteei4ykYnGCivIZ2q9Rerr98Ws/s320/April+2013+iPhone+328.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7MhK-i_o2GRbjJ7UJbWgb61aro4OQSjJmC_pZfC6XqJWJODVrucVuvcg3EGv5OCHeqljpQlZuPnzqu6wih_SZhOO4SaRn2_Fzau2ReISnPHmnRQpleRKRs2YHijz_eOkd4P3_qzdt75Q/s1600/April+2013+iPhone+329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7MhK-i_o2GRbjJ7UJbWgb61aro4OQSjJmC_pZfC6XqJWJODVrucVuvcg3EGv5OCHeqljpQlZuPnzqu6wih_SZhOO4SaRn2_Fzau2ReISnPHmnRQpleRKRs2YHijz_eOkd4P3_qzdt75Q/s320/April+2013+iPhone+329.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Independence Hall</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNJL62ShySdN9mstI8LYSwTjYZoxsvp2wQGT1H1TafROMmTggbIh7f5E14guJcC3r8I4nPOD5af1lbuw8OiXepqsFPya2t_5NnUcsc6q7oRN5DmSUYfSMsRMKDRNqxVM99yOyGiTiSJk/s1600/DSC_0259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNJL62ShySdN9mstI8LYSwTjYZoxsvp2wQGT1H1TafROMmTggbIh7f5E14guJcC3r8I4nPOD5af1lbuw8OiXepqsFPya2t_5NnUcsc6q7oRN5DmSUYfSMsRMKDRNqxVM99yOyGiTiSJk/s320/DSC_0259.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIkFWVtlE8f9H1W-n68VdZ4UX3dUb1SWFvAeWCNN375dTa36u7WFGCayGlN4krpn1EDXBd3I_6-lVkyfvpngTO2_TMpFjXagoNZTpSs5CfQJ3-WD58Aczy6BwnfcRLx7aEYVM5_IWYVs/s1600/DSC_0231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIkFWVtlE8f9H1W-n68VdZ4UX3dUb1SWFvAeWCNN375dTa36u7WFGCayGlN4krpn1EDXBd3I_6-lVkyfvpngTO2_TMpFjXagoNZTpSs5CfQJ3-WD58Aczy6BwnfcRLx7aEYVM5_IWYVs/s320/DSC_0231.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This is the actual room (below) that the Decleration of Independence </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and the Constitution were both signed in!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMUCrem-G6IM9yjkNhkwNHJab400IfGkCyUvtKVoyZrjOA2xnd3Qn_ySofPK0szoOf2zgMMieg6SaWUL0shTq70KGiYBpwUfYtAjC8esU3F78n7aXG3xyPeMxl4IuJ4HET92xM0NRn4g/s1600/DSC_0233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMUCrem-G6IM9yjkNhkwNHJab400IfGkCyUvtKVoyZrjOA2xnd3Qn_ySofPK0szoOf2zgMMieg6SaWUL0shTq70KGiYBpwUfYtAjC8esU3F78n7aXG3xyPeMxl4IuJ4HET92xM0NRn4g/s320/DSC_0233.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwPE6_n9sGij-ST6WRtx-9EP_huc1aB50cbaYrh5_mbENrsKgTfnLpJTUQUsQMeWiIRBdzD8yuEKzBwevKOJASxboyn3KpMlcea1cPzWbxOn1CNHeVdiigYkXbHX-8byZnyswE6DIW18/s1600/DSC_0234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwPE6_n9sGij-ST6WRtx-9EP_huc1aB50cbaYrh5_mbENrsKgTfnLpJTUQUsQMeWiIRBdzD8yuEKzBwevKOJASxboyn3KpMlcea1cPzWbxOn1CNHeVdiigYkXbHX-8byZnyswE6DIW18/s320/DSC_0234.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpk1GvfkrdlKxSEsEHoN9LXodEq_OtKIWjKQtooRejqTDXNvJqJTeFqGUtVh1JCVOXfBt2pIhRWytxhyphenhyphenkj19m9y_0JVjON5Jt0sTajjIbkPh4NSndb6P6uT2OZ0GD-JQdxAJm1KYHcyk/s1600/DSC_0237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpk1GvfkrdlKxSEsEHoN9LXodEq_OtKIWjKQtooRejqTDXNvJqJTeFqGUtVh1JCVOXfBt2pIhRWytxhyphenhyphenkj19m9y_0JVjON5Jt0sTajjIbkPh4NSndb6P6uT2OZ0GD-JQdxAJm1KYHcyk/s320/DSC_0237.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Where the House of Representatives met.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RAhM7p5qccAQQ8jwzDEwsd2fG7e9IWgu-6yXk4cGPveHYwMams7GHjpV7_Au69O09u_ywnx_BaWmn31w9MppxOzsThDFKP0fCup7o7oIWzIkwkz_GKr3I4doMHZWtN3siEVVqUEjKI0/s1600/DSC_0251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RAhM7p5qccAQQ8jwzDEwsd2fG7e9IWgu-6yXk4cGPveHYwMams7GHjpV7_Au69O09u_ywnx_BaWmn31w9MppxOzsThDFKP0fCup7o7oIWzIkwkz_GKr3I4doMHZWtN3siEVVqUEjKI0/s320/DSC_0251.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Where the Senate met.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TorUcIWNjtBjaqXDt-xlCOSB1pvmWCbNSH6KyereYvbm5N7wKEHNTqs7_SuWVW8HCA9vnzhfvVPg1-0GpWO2cgH-oDhzzb9mxRu-IjnnVNPHJo-NmK1eyKrs2RV5G4XJcW0474rtbyA/s1600/DSC_0256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TorUcIWNjtBjaqXDt-xlCOSB1pvmWCbNSH6KyereYvbm5N7wKEHNTqs7_SuWVW8HCA9vnzhfvVPg1-0GpWO2cgH-oDhzzb9mxRu-IjnnVNPHJo-NmK1eyKrs2RV5G4XJcW0474rtbyA/s320/DSC_0256.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> At the Liberty Bell.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAES03UHpftmYcS1BM_-SO9oWhHltqWwttCy3l-OqvC7UbTCiC__P5xHAHErJVqsoItxubiP3PsTH7jgf54W1YyW6GMQ-OGD92x60ah8eUxbWpdOPp1wCFk_vvIhkg-TrYiDrUFJq_CMQ/s1600/DSC_0275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAES03UHpftmYcS1BM_-SO9oWhHltqWwttCy3l-OqvC7UbTCiC__P5xHAHErJVqsoItxubiP3PsTH7jgf54W1YyW6GMQ-OGD92x60ah8eUxbWpdOPp1wCFk_vvIhkg-TrYiDrUFJq_CMQ/s320/DSC_0275.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Eating lunch at a the City Tavern. Yes, we're as tired as we look, it was a long walk..... </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMzZj9JR6y6jE2qP_A1PesrH53fBlksOEavdBNv0TRFuoYtPUvVXFJuayN395v-EbzSmrM-hK6JeceuUiBjGZQSHudITu3O2wxi7rROagOXxA8eaYXYzyQ39rrfFilWGKK-es09lmItw/s1600/DSC_0288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMzZj9JR6y6jE2qP_A1PesrH53fBlksOEavdBNv0TRFuoYtPUvVXFJuayN395v-EbzSmrM-hK6JeceuUiBjGZQSHudITu3O2wxi7rROagOXxA8eaYXYzyQ39rrfFilWGKK-es09lmItw/s320/DSC_0288.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ice Cream at the famous Franklin's Fountain.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmtWgVkOXZytQhr4Rp-vL3Wme6CKCoQ99PviV2qmNt5NOOVMU2m3ZUOFz6YLHkzk0Ac_P2sPaqmbvkTAlD99F1Uq2WHIklKj4Mx0Te3m1sBNIsNAdGdxh-UESLfjf8BT5fhoJN6ySrTA/s1600/DSC_0313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmtWgVkOXZytQhr4Rp-vL3Wme6CKCoQ99PviV2qmNt5NOOVMU2m3ZUOFz6YLHkzk0Ac_P2sPaqmbvkTAlD99F1Uq2WHIklKj4Mx0Te3m1sBNIsNAdGdxh-UESLfjf8BT5fhoJN6ySrTA/s320/DSC_0313.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Museum at The University of Pennsylvania. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This is limestone from Olivia's province, Shandong, from 536 AD.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJY87nqRB-F-oNw8aTzcLRiLHp167EkpMXcorFfNb7_7u9jniUft3-D0xIzFiH6YWQ14wS35stjoWJyhEdWhglaLREfkv3iZC5uxAg3XQNKydfRYbTrbLlwsjKYuF_jhyphenhyphenZNA2jdf3KG_g/s1600/DSC_0349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJY87nqRB-F-oNw8aTzcLRiLHp167EkpMXcorFfNb7_7u9jniUft3-D0xIzFiH6YWQ14wS35stjoWJyhEdWhglaLREfkv3iZC5uxAg3XQNKydfRYbTrbLlwsjKYuF_jhyphenhyphenZNA2jdf3KG_g/s320/DSC_0349.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">These casts were chosen by Taylor! Teddy Bears!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The kids were each allowed to pick out her cast colors and stay with her, if they wanted, during the casting, however she screams the entire time. My mom asked Taylor if he wanted to go back to the waiting room because he HATES to hear her cry....</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">He said,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> "No, she might need me...." </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWVzLge9hzZhWYx_MZu94Na5rGPzyzdSBwY15X9Ct7v2CBlQGevS__A-Ke3_nlJQNbfeKjVYpLPNQXK9yiSBvjlzWSmsetQEGcJFJrnmyIYLDsoB4kYPbixSZKyf81id6UjDu9RbVWsE/s640/blogger-image-1561729280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWVzLge9hzZhWYx_MZu94Na5rGPzyzdSBwY15X9Ct7v2CBlQGevS__A-Ke3_nlJQNbfeKjVYpLPNQXK9yiSBvjlzWSmsetQEGcJFJrnmyIYLDsoB4kYPbixSZKyf81id6UjDu9RbVWsE/s640/blogger-image-1561729280.jpg" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Reading Terminal market is such a neat place to get any kind of food you could imagine.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0jV0-vsHA09RTtSA-znyKfqDSH2vJBzgJDuOWRd3pE_uqPJvL6c9GqbI4Sh4kK_xwfVuoMYlhIE5lQIt_hFupJmfYXpmE6rsz3Eo0LIDMSxQHjw_OMU2AkaMyYaBggpTiCfaDJuD6mU/s640/blogger-image--1059045858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0jV0-vsHA09RTtSA-znyKfqDSH2vJBzgJDuOWRd3pE_uqPJvL6c9GqbI4Sh4kK_xwfVuoMYlhIE5lQIt_hFupJmfYXpmE6rsz3Eo0LIDMSxQHjw_OMU2AkaMyYaBggpTiCfaDJuD6mU/s640/blogger-image--1059045858.jpg" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The kids plating at the Ronald McDonald House</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1vLSUEq9OzUppk1WwP8eKMZOQc4KmxI2HNk6oY6PZeHLGHorzCf4bIcHx28uu24nyZiN2Ffq5vSqoGjrbhDUfgEpcm-H5W4hkRjLDuGXPGmRlbsO6oOySFQeA3f-76KXQ-W5dZB_h20/s640/blogger-image-950303059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1vLSUEq9OzUppk1WwP8eKMZOQc4KmxI2HNk6oY6PZeHLGHorzCf4bIcHx28uu24nyZiN2Ffq5vSqoGjrbhDUfgEpcm-H5W4hkRjLDuGXPGmRlbsO6oOySFQeA3f-76KXQ-W5dZB_h20/s640/blogger-image-950303059.jpg" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Of course we had to climb the infamous Rocky steps......</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hGjsVrgUF2ULGQc6LNXJBF7SF-s1FsBozEWyRPvTBZhndmt4XMrb6PMbk7IyDrp-5CNu65EmdgaKzebNcyYlG0GBg2sP8oMaor4JXCc8cP_nEveQH-hRWYKN7ze9G-bmM-MJWVx0Aco/s640/blogger-image--1687329692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hGjsVrgUF2ULGQc6LNXJBF7SF-s1FsBozEWyRPvTBZhndmt4XMrb6PMbk7IyDrp-5CNu65EmdgaKzebNcyYlG0GBg2sP8oMaor4JXCc8cP_nEveQH-hRWYKN7ze9G-bmM-MJWVx0Aco/s640/blogger-image--1687329692.jpg" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJPCj33Mr78LWLRJmaSUq2ppzPtGgfFd2efmo4WURplGf3WWwSrXwepwbc3tSszErFnrvBXYMnI7Y2esTE2dG_jqJawnx5Swf1mUaiJO2F0ntDG0z4UbS8MOkTKRNW3EBIpnvWkQvUKk/s640/blogger-image-2055394543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJPCj33Mr78LWLRJmaSUq2ppzPtGgfFd2efmo4WURplGf3WWwSrXwepwbc3tSszErFnrvBXYMnI7Y2esTE2dG_jqJawnx5Swf1mUaiJO2F0ntDG0z4UbS8MOkTKRNW3EBIpnvWkQvUKk/s640/blogger-image-2055394543.jpg" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">These colors were chosen by Ella! Pink and Blue! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Hair done by Olivia!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2L7sBA_ZT29YCCBGZrOIqA9znmpk0mOi2pJBmY_7f8eExAwxo6QxBwpfjzcM1eY1XFSHf2-5cyfurmSu_4esK2O4JgocRE6vwdOyjOe4ubKaVTEYwPhPC0c0S5zgqUo9nDsfTy9z2ONw/s640/blogger-image--1169508217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2L7sBA_ZT29YCCBGZrOIqA9znmpk0mOi2pJBmY_7f8eExAwxo6QxBwpfjzcM1eY1XFSHf2-5cyfurmSu_4esK2O4JgocRE6vwdOyjOe4ubKaVTEYwPhPC0c0S5zgqUo9nDsfTy9z2ONw/s640/blogger-image--1169508217.jpg" /></a></span></span></div>
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