Update

Hello there everyone...

Just thought I would let you all know that Wyatte turns 4 tomorrow (Sunday). Crazy to think that my oldest is 4 already!

I am also singing in the Christmas Service tomorrow morning at Church. This is my first time singing in this church, and the first time in over a year that I have sang in public. There are 8 of uis singing "Oh Holy Night" as sung by Point of Grace. You can here their version of the song by going to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k4ykTU_4SM

Not alot of time today, but I will post some pics of Wyatte's party and the fun we are having in the snow!!!

In no particular order...

Finally some pics of the kids! Sorry that I haven't been online lately, and when I have I haven't taken the time to put pics on here.

We have been busy moving and unpacking and getting ready for Wyatte's birthday (the 21st of December...) and all other goings on in life!!! We are moved into our new house and loving it. Well most of the time!!! It has a pellet stove and we are still working on remembering to check it before we go to bed so that we don't have to get up during the middle of the night to restart the fire! The kids are glad to be in our house. It was really weird in the beginning when Linda and Lavern (John's parents and the old owners of the house) would come over and knock to come in!!! It didn't seem normal!

Anyways, enjoy the pics of the kids from the last few weeks.

Moving

Ok, so I know that I haven't put anything on here for a while, and the reason is I have been busy moving our life from one house to another! So bear with me as we move. I also don't have internet at the new house, or a computer so my posts might be more spread out for a while. We are loving the new house, finding a place to put everything. I am sad about leaving my mom and brother, but we will learn to live with out the extra help!!! Pray for us that John can find a job so that we can pay for this new house!

Here is a link to some pics that I put on facebook of the new house. Before all our stuff was moved in mind you, it does look different now that I have things put away somewhat and a ton of other boxes laying around all over the place!!!

NEW HOUSE PICS HERE>>>

Tropical Tree Frog Costume GIVEAWAY!!!!

The costume in the blog is adorable! Go check it out!

Tropical Tree Frog Costume GIVEAWAY!!!!

Halloween Pics...

I know some of you that read this don't "celebrate" Halloween, and we don't "celebrate" it either, but we do get dressed up in costumes, and hit a few houses that we know. Last night we started at Great Grandma Margaret's house...

Then we headed to our church, which had an event called "Trunk or Treat". Sorry I didn't take any pictures there, but the kids had fun walking around and getting TONS of candy there!

Then it was off to Great Auntie Marilyn's house. She gave them more candy than they got all year last year!!!

She is reading them a story in this picture...

Wyatte was Buzz Lightyear (from Toy Story), Nevaeh is a giraffe, and Aubrie is a Tootsie Roll (my favorite candy!!!!!)

Then we headed to Autumn Lane, an adult care home owned by John's sister and her husband. The kids made the rounds there and made away with TONS more candy!

Then it was off to a couple of the neighbors houses,

Nevaeh and Wyatte were getting friendly with the rat and spider that one neighbor had as decorations!

Then finally a stop at Grandma and Grandpa Hoard's house!


All in all I have a whole wipes BOX not container, but a box, full of candy! Way more than the kids and I need in the house! They had a ton of fun, and I think John and I did too! Now I am just waiting for the costumes to go on clearance so I can stock up for next year!!!

All kinds of pictures........

The girls getting some lovin' from Uncle Paul!
I bought this from Target, it was a target.com return, and since the store doesn't actually sell them they had to mark it waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down! It is a $50+ item, that I paid 12 or so for. Aubrie loves it! I like the fact that it doesn't take up hardly any room when it isn't attached to the table, and even when it is you can still get around it. It will hold her until she is abou 35 pounds, so hopefully we can use it for a while.
Wyatte was experimenting with ways to come down the slide!
Nevaeh enjoying the slide at Cowhorn.
Aubrie and her pumpkin!
This was taken on the bench on my mom's dock. I think it is one of the best pictures that I have taken of the three of them!!!
She loves the leaves!!!
Isn't she adorable!?!?!?!?!??!
Wyatte got to hold a bunny!!!
Nevaeh and her pumpkin from Cowhorn.
Nevaeh trying out a new look!!!
Wyatte all ready for Cubbies. He loves it. Loves memorizing his verses, and the fact that he is the only one in the family that gets to go. His little buddy Kian sits right next to him, so that is fun too!
Uncle Paul and Krislyn came with us to visit Grandma Margaret.
Great Grandma Margaret and Aubrie! They sat together for a while before Aubrie got upset and wanted to get down!
Aubrie loves the walker! I actually got a picture of her waving at me! She can kinda do it when she wants to!!! She loves the fact that she can feed herself when she is in here! She doesn't have to wait for me to put some in her mouth!!!

Proof that God does miracles...

I know that this is a long post, but I pray that for those of you that haven't been glued to the MckMama blog on my blog ticker that you will read this whole post and see what God has done and is doing in this little baby's life! IT IS TOTALLY AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!

TODAY'S POST AT MYCHARMINGKIDS.COM--------

Big Mac, MckNugget and Small Fry joyfully announce that they now have another brother!!

Our long-awaited little MckMuffin has finally arrived...

Stellan
entered the world this sunny fall morning
at 10:19 am, CST
weighing 6 pounds, 10 ounces
and measuring 19 inches long

As you can imagine, there is a lot going on here at the hospital. Please thank God with us that little Stlellan is here and be in prayer for these first hours of his precious life.

The NICU attended the birth--which went very smoothly--and Stellan is with the NICU team now. MckMama is recovering and, in spite of a pretty low blood pressure, is feeling well. She has seen Stellan only briefly, but Prince Charming has been back and forth between her and baby Stellan. When she is stable, she'll be wheeled on her bed down to see their new baby.

Details on exactly how Stellan is doing as well as photos of the sweet baby will be forthcoming. But, let's just say that Stellan got a 9 and a 9 on his APGARS and the NICU team has yet to find a single thing wrong with him...

Happy birthday, sweet Stellan. You are God's miracle to us and you are finally here!!!!

ORIGINAL POST ON MYCHARMINGKIDS.COM ABOUT 12 WEEKS AGO--------

Monday, July 28, 2008

be still and know that He is God

"I am so sorry to have to tell you such shitty news," the wonderful, kind perinatologist bent down, held my hand and put her other on my tummy. "I don't think your baby is going to make it. He is in heart failure and it's way too soon to take him out and give him a pacemaker. He would need to make it to 32 weeks and there is a 95% chance he will make it no where close to that point. I am so, so sorry to tell you this, but your sweet, sweet baby will probably be still born. I am so sorry."

Please pray for a miracle. Please pray for that 5% to belong to our baby. Be still and know that He is God.

I don't want to write this.

I have been staring at this blank post for over 45 minutes.

I still don't know what to write. I don't want to write a darned thing. I feel like I hate this stupid blog and I hate the fact that I have had to give good, then bad, then good, then bad news, then good news. I don't want to tell you bad news again. I feel like if I don't say it, maybe it won't be true. It's like a rollercoaster that I want to get off of. I feel like I don't want to drag you all on this ride with me. I don't want to write what I am about to write. I do not want this to be a pity party for me. I am tempted to turn the comments for this post off. But I won't; I know you will all have wonderfully, uplifting, supportive things to say to me that I would miss out on if I did. But I am still tempted. Because this sucks and I don't want to write this.

But I am going to. I am going to write it because we are going to need the support. I am going to write it, even if writing it makes it seem more real. The fact is, this is real, and I am going to have to deal with it and I am going to need support so I can keep relying solely on God. I am going to write it, eve though it sucks.

MckMuffin has almost complete heart block. And mild bradycardia. These two together are nearly always fatal in an unborn baby.

This was discovered on the tests that were done on him a couple of hours ago. (I also had more EKGs and my ECHO cardiogram and am still waiting for the results of those.) The doctors are running a bunch of tests to see how/why our baby has heart block. It could have been brought on by the meds I am on; it could have been brought on by anti-bodies in my own body "attacking" the baby; it could just be the way God made him. The tests will either rule in our out the first two possibilities.

But heart block is not reversible. There is "nothing that can be done." MckMuffin will have, at least, advanced second-degree heart block for as long as he lives. There is no going back, and there is little that can be done to keep it from progressing, but the doctors will try what they can. First, they need to determine, if they can, why he has heart block. If they can, they can eliminate that factor and at least hope to stop the progression.

His heart block was not detected two weeks ago, but it is "highly likely" that he had it then. It is likely that is what led to his PAC's and likely what caused his tiny heart to go into tachycardia. Now that his heart has slowed down (too much, actually, and his is in what is known as bradycardia....too slow of a heart beat), and a thorough scan could be done, the heart block was seen.

Heart block is when the atria, which are supposed to control the beating of the heart, are not getting the message to the ventricles, who do the pumping of the blood to the rest of the body.

MckMuffin's heart block is nearly complete. Yet, every now and then, the ventricles do get the message from the atria. But, mostly they don't. They are beating almost completely independently. If the ventricles keep beating independently, and beating strong and fast, MckMuffin will survive the pregnancy. If they get slower and slower--which is often the case as heart block progresses--he will not survive.

The fact that MckMuffin is just shy of 24 weeks along is not in his favor. The doctors who met with me told me that "this will be a very difficult case to decide upon a treatment." They are, as I type this, consulting with other specialists about what to do. Steroids have been known to sometimes help with the halting of the progression of heart block, but they pose serious risks to the baby, as the doctors told me. "Neurological damage and...other not-so-good side effects," he told me. I have not yet thought to ask if taking MckMuffin out early will be an option. Outside the womb, a heart with heart block with bradycardia can be helped with a pacemaker.

I am on my knees crying and begging you to pray for us. Do not pity me, though. I am in the hands of our Father! I trust Him and He is good! But please, please pray for wisdom for the doctors, to decide upon what to do for MckMuffin. Please, please pray that MckMuffin's ventricles would start beating well on their own, since they are not getting much help from the atria. Please, please pray for me that I would cling to Jesus. Please, please pray for Prince Charming, that he would do the same. He does not handle stress like I do and, to be honest, I do not know exactly where he is at with this, but I know that this is hitting him hard and not coming at an easy time for us, anyway.

And, please, please, know that even now, God is good!!!

Family Fun Magazine!

So I finally got time to read my Family Fun Magazine, and it was full of some GREAT things to do with the kiddos for Thanksgiving/Fall. I must have missed the Halloween one, but that is ok with me! The kids get dressed up and Trick or Treat at a couple family members homes, but we don't really go all out like some people can...

Anyways, on page 12 in the Family Fun was an article about them taking the magazine digital! You can view the whole magazine online!!! It is totally awesome! I can "digitally" clip the articles that I want to keep instead of ripping the whole magazine apart! This way I don't have a thousand different pages floating around the house until I take time to put them in my file thing!!! I AM SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS!!! So for those of you that might get excited about this like I am, here is the link to go to coverleaf.com/familyfun. There are a bunch of other magazines that are on there, I think you can look at some of them for free, or at least some pages of them. You can sign up to just view them online, or to get them delivered to your door too. So just thought I would share that!

Yes, I know you all want to see pics of the kids and not read about my magazine findings, so I am going to let you know that I am working on a couple of posts with pics in them! Just taking me a lot longer that I thought to get them up! Look for them soon!!!

Eight Great Things...

Eight favorite TV shows
1. One Tree Hill
2. CSI
3. Jon & Kate Plus 8
4. 17 kids and counting
5. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
6. Biggest Loser
7. Tigger Woods golf games!!!
8. The Backyardigans

Eight favorite restaurants:
1. Fazolli's
2. Pizza Hut
3. New China
4. Subway
5. I don't eat out much besides fast food restaurants, and I don't really like them so I am going to skip the rest of this one......
6.
7.
8.

Eight things I did yesterday:
1. Play Nerts with two of my younger brothers
2. Skip church because I was sick
3. Made split pea soup
4. Did about 8 loads of laundry
5. Packed up more clothes that are two small/too summery for the kids
6. Wished I was taking a nap
7. Watched Fool's Gold
8. Stayed up WAY too late!

Eight things I love about the Fall:
1. The hot humid days of summer are over
2. It is still warm enough to enjoy the sun though!
3. Thanksgiving
4. Autumn colors
5. MUMS starts again!
6. Pumpkin patches
7. You can bake with out overheating the house!
8. Fresh venison

Eight things I am looking forward to:
1. Christmas
2. Phil coming home!
3. Snow
4. Wyatte's birthday
5. BED TIME!!!
6. Moving into our "new" house!
7. When Aubrie can talk! (I know, as soon as she does I am going to regret saying it though right!)
8. The day that we don't have to worry about money soooo much

Eight things on my wish list
1. A job for John
2. Wyatte, Nevaeh and Aubrie to be great friends as they grow up
3. That someday I can get over my dad's new marriage...
4. To get back down close to the weight I was when I moved to Arizona...
5. A trip to Hawaii (we are planning one for our 10th wedding anniversary if anyone wants to come!!!)
6. A cleaning fairy!
7. That I get my two oldest out of pull ups.
8. That our Jeep would sell

Eight people I tag:
Anyone who really wants to take the time to do this!!!

prayers again...

John got laid off again. He was working construction and one of the houses that they were going to do fell through, so they don't have anything to do. So please pray that something will come up so that we can afford life. We are moving into John's parents house in the next couple of weeks, and then will have the expenses of rent, heat, gas for the stove, electricity, and phone again. We have not done very well saving money while living with mom, and now are probably going to pay the price. Hopefully something will come up for John, but I am most likely going to have to go back to work too. So that means finding someone who can watch the kids again...

Just another recipe!!!

Chicken and Dumplings This is one of my favorite recipes, taken from an episode of Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee. Hope you enjoy!!! 1 whole store-bought roast chicken (about 2 pounds) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 to 1 onion, chopped 6 cans (14 ounces) chicken broth 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots 1/2 cup chopped celery 1 can of biscuits (pillsbury, or store bought kind...) 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed chicken gravy Directions Remove skin from chicken and shred meat into large pieces. Set aside. In a small frying pan, add vegetable oil and heat over medium heat. When oil is hot, add chopped onions and saute until soft. In a large pot or Dutch oven, add broth, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, carrots, celery, and sauteed onions. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for about 10 minutes to soften vegetables, and then add shredded chicken. Continue to simmer while making dumplings. While stew is simmering, prepare dumplings. Open can and remove biscuits. On a lightly floured surface, roll each biscuit to 1/4-inch thick. With a knife, cut each biscuit into 4 pie-pieces. Set aside. Skim surface for any scum that has risen to top. Stir in chicken gravy. With the stew still simmering over low heat, stir in dumplings a few at a time. Once all dumplings are in to pot, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve piping hot. I love this because you can kinda change the flavor of the recipe by buying a different flavor rotisserie chicken from the deli! I have never tried this with a chicken not from the deli, but I am sure it would work just as good! Leftovers are even better than the original!!! Enjoy!

Forgotten Chicken or Pork Chops

*****My family used to have this all the time when I was still living at home, and it is still one of my favorite meals. It is easy because you can through it in the oven before you leave for church and when you come home it is done! Is pretty easy to through together on a weeknight when you have a ton going on too! Thought I would share it with those of you that read... Pass it on!!!


1 chicken, cut up (or as many pieces of pork chop or chicken as you can fit in the pan!)
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 cans cream of WHATEVER soup (mushroom, chicken, celery...)
2 cups uncooked rice
2 cans water (or milk, the milk makes it a little creamier...) try one of each!!!

Place chicken in bottom of roaster or casserole dish. Sprinkle with dry soup mix. Pour 2 cups of rice over this, set aside. Mix 2 cans water with 2 cans chicken soup. Pour over chicken and rice. Cover tightly. Bake in 350 degree oven for 2 hours, or 275 for 3 hours. Do not lift cover until done.

******Ok, so I copied this recipe off of a website, and thought it was the same as ours, but...

We put the liquid and soup in first and make sure it is mixed well. Then add the rice and make sure that is mixed in well, then lay the chicken or pork on top of the rice and soup mix. The sprinkle the onion mix on top of that. We bake our in a roaster pan, but my aunt does hers in a 9 X 13 pan, covered with tin foil. MAKE SURE YOU DON'T PEAK!!! Not totally sure why that is important, but it is!!!

Enjoy!

Raking Leaves

Wyatte was making a "snow angel"!!!



JUMP!!!!!!!!


JUMP!!!



Can you find him!?!?!?!?


Wyatte found some mushrooms while we were raking. He loves to be outside, I might have a woodsman on my hands!


Helping Grandma pull the tarp.


Playing peek a boo in the blankets hanging on the line.


Isn't she soooo cute! She has a ton of fun!!!


Wyatte was hitting the tree and making the leaves fall down himself. Oh to be 3 again!


Aubrie watching us all work!


Wyatte took at breather with an apple from Grandma Kris' tree!


Nevaeh enjoying an apple after we were done raking.


Aubrie and I trying a back carry! I loved it! She loved it! Now I just need to make sure that I am doing it right! I got to rake and everything with her like this!