HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY DOMINICK!!!

Today is Dominick's 4th Birthday. He woke this morning, jumped out of bed and said "My birthday coming soon?!!

First time we met Dominick! Jan 2006

First picture taken of Dominick...at least at the orphanage. Between Sept-Nov 2005.

Dominick last weekend with his 3rd Place medal for a pedal pull! He was in the 3/4 yr group. He pedaled 14ft!!! He's got some awesome leg power!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOMINICK!!!!

Marissa-isms

Tonight at the supper table Brittany and Andrew were asking Dominick and Marissa where they were born, Dominick's reply was "Guatemala"!

Marissa's reply: Mommy's tummy!

Mommy: No, Marissa you were born in Guatemala in your birthmother's tummy.

Brittany: Marissa where were you born?

Marissa: "Gmala" in mommy's tummy! How cute!! (pointing to me)

Dominick: No, Rissa, you born in mommy & daddy's heart, like me

Marissa: No, I born in mommy's tummy in Gmala.

Summer Fun at the farm

We spent 4th of July weekend at Paul's parents house with his parents and his brother who is in town from Virginia Beach.

The kids loved the fireworks; everyone but Marissa. She made me sit in the back of the truck holding her and covering her ears.

I was able to catch a "peek" here and there. Then when we were getting ready to leave, she asked where the fireworks went and said she wanted to see them! The mind of a 2.5 yr old?!

BTW: Brittany was the only one able to do the hula-hoop, she beat out the adults.

shhh...she's been practicing with the Wii Fit!

Get Real...

A wonderful, amazing blogger, named Angel at www.thevoiceofadventure.blogspot.com gave a challenge to for bloggers to Get Real on their blog. I've debated doing this since she posted and I am still unsure, but I've had this NEED to get it all out.

We are so dirt BROKE! We can get milk and gas and that's about all the extra we can get. I am blessed that my children are healthy, we food on the table, clothes on our back and a roof over our head, but I just wish we could get out of this financial SLUMP!

I take everything personal. Doesn't matter what is said to me or how it's said. I try not to but I still do.

I don't have any confidence and am unhappy with myself and sometimes with my marriage.

I need to loose 70 lbs to be a "healthy" weight. My husband still says I'm sexy though, I don't believe him. I feel like the Pillsbury Doughboy.

I yell too much. I try not to and I even correct my husband when he does it, but sometimes I just can't help it and I just start yelling.

I am addicted to the computer. I love reading other people's blogs, visiting gossip sites and just plain surfing the Internet. Instead of working on my homework, I surf the Internet.
Speaking of homework, that's what I should be doing now but instead I'm updating my blog.

I'm never satisfied and most of the time I counterdict myself.

I don't want to get a job. I love being home and just lounging with the kids or doing "whatever" we want. I complain about it, but I do love! (part of the reason we have no money, I have no job) I'm taking online college courses but I don't want to do it, because I don't want to leave my kids (see next post).

My kids drive me CRAZY! (see never satisfied and contradict myself). Daily, I look for a job to get away! I tell my husband he gets to go to work (he doesn't think that's time off, I say it's time off from the kids) and I NEVER get away! 24/7 with the kids.

My youngest son is being tested for Sensory Disorders, Speech Therapy, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and is showing signs of RAD (reactive attachment disorder).

I think I have PADS (post adoption depression syndrome), I diagnosed myself. I joined a yahoo chat group, but wonder if being involved or reading the posts actually help or make it worse.

Even though my plate is overfilled, we are broke and I'm struggling to find quality time with each child one-on-one and my husband; I want to adopt again. I dream of holding a baby in my arms and being called mommy for the fifth time (again never satisfied).

I wish I was closer to God. I am religious but I know I could be better at practicing my religion.

I want to do missionary work, but worry if I'm the right person for it (no confidence).

There's all my innermost secrets. The tension between my shoulders is gone. I feel so much better!

Minnehaha Falls

We took the kids to Minnehaha Falls today. This was their first time there, as it was also Paul's first time too. It was a beautiful day! Wasn't too hot...I HATE heat! It was nice and breezy out, so perfect weather for...

A bike ride??!!!

This had to be the ultimate WORST idea we have ever had!
Brittany and Andrew's feet were too short to "help" pedal, so Paul and I had to do the grunt work...as you can see from Paul, we are not in the best of shape (lol)! The rental place gives you a map (which of course we couldn't follow), so we just kept going in circles, we did try to go farther but OH MY GOSH, up hill was AWFUL! So we stuck close to the rental stand. We had to get out and push, yeah push, a couple of times.

Besides the "bike" push ride it was a lot of fun! We went walking, exploring and played in the water.

I HAVE to get better at updating this blog!

I feel like my days are going by SO fast and I'm doing SO much but at the end of the day, it seems like I got NOTHING accomplished but 4 kids dressed (barely some days)

We've been trying to do some camping. Every time we head up though, it either rains or the water is too cold to really be in; the kids don't mind, but after 10 minutes they start shivering and mommy makes them get out.

Marissa enjoying the sprinkler
Dominick LOVES anything to do with water

Andrew's "new" thing is fishing

Dominick gettin' ready to dive in

Brittany shaking her booty

My Little (BIG) brother

My younger brother and his wife are visiting from Atlanta. They haven't been home since they moved away, almost 5 years ago. You can imagine my moms excitement when they told her they were FINALLY coming to visit.

They also brought the surprise they are expecting their first BABY!! YAY!!! Rachael is due January 3rd, 2009, 1 day before Brittany's birthday and 5 days before her own birthday!

BTW my younger brother is 6'2" (or 6'3", I'm 5'3"). Brittany and Andrew think it's funny he's taller than me AND everyone else in the family!

Chad, Rachael (my brother and his wife) and Brittany playing Gin Rummy (?spelling)

We decided to have a family BBQ down at my house. It started raining, not a lot but enough to create a beautiful double rainbow. I have never seen a double rainbow!

My mom and sister in law insits it's a triple rainbow, they said below the brighter one, the colors start over again. If you look above the bright one, you faintly can see another one (look towards the trees)

The sky cleared up, the rainbow went away and then the clouds starting looking...different, weird! The sirens went off in a nearby town, so all the woman ushered the children downstairs while the men sat outside looking at the clouds....

what a lesson to teach the kids.

Andrew and Ethan (my nephew) snuck up and got outside with the men.

Not long after this photo was taken, the sky turned black, it rained (harder), started hailing out and the winds were terrible. Eventually cutting the power in the house.