Summer Birthdays & 24th of July!

 My brothers playing games on their phones....together!

 They boy's watching a video....

 Austin is so very photogenic! 

 Two boys in HEAVN lighting fireworks!

 Proof I was there and that Syd DOES like me!

Hiking!

Proof I was on the hike!

This is so lovely of me....

The boys hiked up farther and found this truck and took a bazillion pictures of it. 

My heart's in Ukraine....

My heart hurts tonight for some of our Save A Child families trying to complete their adoptions in Ukraine. One is having serious birth certificate issues and hasn't posted in three days and the other (who doesn't blog) has a child in the hospital with an appendicitis. Her poor little boy was withering in pain and she asked for pain med's and they told her that "good medicine" will cost money. What? Are you kidding me?

I was telling my daughters about it and Alex came home, I asked if he had ever had surgery of any sort in Ukraine?  "No, I don't want surgery." I asked him to listen to my question again and repeated it then he told me he had never had surgery. I told him about the little boy in the hospital without proper pain med's and he assured me that the only reason he wasn't getting medicine was because he DID have a mom and they knew they could get her to pay. Now, that's just his take on it but I do hope that when an orphan has emergency surgery and no one is there to grease the palms of the doctors for "good medicine" that they aren't left there in pain with no one to advocate for them.

Before Alex came home Kambree had asked how much I knew about Alex's past?  She's nanny-ing for a couple of adopted boys that have had a very abusive and neglectful past. I realized that I really haven't shared much about Alex's past with my home grown children. I blog about it and talk with my friends about it, but I've never really shared it with his siblings. I told the girls tonight that he was abused, neglected and often times starved by his birth mother and forced to shop lift at a young age. He was abused in the orphanage by some of the caregivers. That he had a "protector" that he paid to protect him from the big boys in the orphanage. And that I had never really come out and asked him about sexual abuse and I hope to heck he avoided it but I imagine that the threat was always there. My three daughters sat there with big, sober eyes. I told them that maybe knowing this might help them have a little patience with Alex and that considering all he's been through, he is doing amazing.

I really don't give Alex enough credit. 

He is a very loving boy and tries so very hard. Not a day goes by that he doesn't hug me or tell me how great I am.
I made him and Rylee grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for dinner the other night because their teeth were throbbing after visiting the orthodontist. . I had used processed cheese singles instead of my regular Cheddar cheese and they both complained that the sandwiches tasted yucky. Then Alex came over and patted my hand and told me "It's not that you are bad cook mom. It is just bad cheese."
Yea.
I get stuff like that all the time.
Sweet little sentences.
"Mom, you are the best." "Mom what I do without you?" 

Last night we were all piled on my bed watching a show. (Our big TV is waiting for a new "engine".) and he laid his head against me and I began to rub is hair. When I stopped he grabbed my hand and held it to his face and just held it there. He loves to be touched. He missed so much affection and sometimes I feel so put out dishing out hug after hug all day long when I have so much to do and am in the middle of so many things, when really I should just be so grateful that he is mine. That he's not stuck in Ukraine with a birth certificate issue or a Ukrainian hospital with what there could very well be a life threatening surgery.

Thank you my friends for reminding me what a blessing I have. God speed to you both. You are in my thoughts and prayers. May you bring your boys home healthy, happy and soon!

Back Flip!

A momentous occasion occurred at our house Sunday.

After years of trying. Tears and frustration. Alex has finally figured out how to do a back flip on the trampoline!

But let me tell you a bit about it.
I was out watering the garden and Alex was jumping and Devree (Sensei) came out and imparted her back flipping wisdom to Alex (Young Grasshopper). 
Before they really got into it, Alex asked me to squirt the trampoline - because apparently you get more bounce when it's wet?
Hum....no?
First off, he's in pajamas and I don't want them wet and 2nd off the mother in me thinks that's absurd and slippery and could cause one to slide off the tramp and break one's head.
I went inside and about and hour later heard a lot of whopping and hollering and Devree running in to tell me to come watch Alex. I hear Alex yell from the trampoline, "Get the camera Mom!"
He could do a back flip.

 He was so very excited and the cutest thing was that Devree was just as excited!

I asked, "Did you get the trampoline wet?"

Alex replied, "Only with my tears."

And then I asked how this monumental accomplishment came to pass? 

They started with this - Alex flipping over Devree.

And then there was a lot of encouraging (yelling) and motivation (threatening) and emotions (tears) and if you want to hear both of them explain it at the same time and catch Alex's very excited dance of exuberance, here is a video. (I also love the end where he wants to go show Brach & Tyler and I tell him no - I think I will video him every time I need to tell him no. He handle's it so better when he's on film!)

This is how hot, sweaty and red faced he was. (This is not computer enhanced. His face was really this red.) Obviously, he had to shower before going to bed, but he did it without complaint.

 And I love this little clip in here where Devree glows and says "I am so happy for him!"

Alex told me that now all they have to do is teach Rylee and I to do a back flip and our whole family can do a back flip.

Rylee, yes. 

Me? 

Are you crazy?

Congrats Alex (and Devree)! 

July Alexism's

After church today Alex and I were walking down the hall and I asked how his class was?

Fine.

Then he said, "Mom, I think we should  all fast for Kambree." 

I was a little taken back. Wondering what he knew that I didn't.

Uhm....why?

Because she is sick.

Oh. (Relief flooding my body.) She is sick but she has medicine and is getting better. (We thought she had strep last week but the culture came back negative however because her tonsils were so inflamed and puss filled, they gave her a Rx anyway.) 

Apparently he had a lesson on fasting and Kambree was the sickest person he could think of to fast for?

Sweet.

I don't allow Alex to talk about his birthday until July 1st. (His birthday is the 28th of the month) The reason? He will talk about it nonstop. He'll change his mind a hundred times. Tell me what kind of cake he wants starting in January and then changed that a few dozen times, plan his party over and over again and the list of presents never ends and has no monetary cap.  So earlier this month - once the "birthday ban" had been lifted, we had a talk about how birthday's are not just about telling people what you want them to buy you,  it's a celebration of your birth. A chance for the people that love you to rejoice in you being born and give gifts they WANT to give you. (This after a long list of presents and demands for his birthday.)  He nodded and I was pretty sure he wasn't getting it but at least I had tried. Then this was his gratitude entry for July 19th:
I am grateful that I get to celebrate my birth because they never did that in Ukraine.
Yea. Okay. So I forget that this is only the third birthday celebration he's ever had.
He had been going back and forth about having a party. Normally at 13 I quit throwing parties unless it's a special one. No, wait. My girls tend to have parties all the time but Austin just tapered out around 12 or 13 and the invitations from his friends did too. He just sort of grew out of them?  But I told Alex he could have a party because let's face it, he's missed a lot of birthdays and parties in his little life.  He was hem-hawing back and forth. Yesterday, I told him he had to decide as we needed to get out invitations if he wanted one. I had suggested going to a movie with four or five friends - sort of low key - I can't imagine trying to entertain 12 and 13 year old boys in my house or yard during the hot afternoon. He asked if he could just take his family?
"You just want to have a party with your family?"
"Yes. And Brach."
Well, that's easy enough. Okay. I pulled up the movies at our local discount theater and he picked Thor. So we'll hit the matinee on his birthday as a family plus one best friend/cousin.
I'm a little worried he'll be disappointed with his gifts as he's not getting a $165 air soft bb gun, I-pod touch or $350 long board. (All things on his list.)

We are in the Murray Jounal!

Remember 9th grade Dutch Oven Contest? Well, here we are in our local paper with a picture and a quote! (Yes that's me in the background....)

 

Riverview Junior High’s Dutch oven contest combines fun with education

 

Devree Richhart and Charlotte Coburn work in their All-American Girl Café during the 21st annual Riverton Junior High Dutch oven competition.

The smells of scones, ribs, chili and barbecue pork wafted over Riverview Junior High May 14 from the 21^st annual Dutch oven festival.
First-time Dutch oven cooker Devree Richhart paired up with classmate Charlotte Coburn at the All-American Girl Café booth.
“My mom came up with the theme,” Devree said. “We liked the idea.”
Charlotte, whose family cooks Dutch oven recipes often, said that they tried the recipes and liked them, so they decided to enter the Dutch-oven cook-off.
But Devree’s mother, Wendy, said it isn’t that easy.
“They’ve been practicing and practicing,” Richhart said. “We’ve been eating Dutch oven all week.”
Janet Wayman, family and consumer science teacher, reinforced that it is more than a fun day. Students plan their meals ahead of time; do food-preparation in the school’s kitchen under supervision two nights before the event; review measurements and cooking techniques with their partner; plan a budget with their partner and families; develop a theme and carry that through with showmanship; follow food-safety rules and health regulations and represent the school.
Wayman, who originated the cook-off, said that she started the activity just so eighteen pairs of 9^th-grade students could learn how to cook a main dish meal. Now, 73 pairs, supported by their families and community, make this a beloved community event.
“This is a tradition that students come back to say it’s one of their favorite things they did and loved,” she said.
Quinn Howe, whose sister participated four years before him, said that his family has been doing “Dutch oven forever.” Together, with Tristin Christensen, they created a circus theme.
Theme or team dress, as well as the best dessert, best overall Dutch oven and top three judges’ choice winners, all receive trophies from the school, said Wayman, who is a past world champion of the International Dutch Oven Society's annual cook-off. Twelve judges decide on the contest winners and several area businesses annually support the event and donate prizes.
This year’s judges’ choice winners are Grace Froh and Kendra Koester, 1^st place; Daniel Stickley and
Jaden Olsen, 2^nd place; and Katie Tanner and Jordyn Zito, 3^rd place. The complete Dutch oven winners are Nate Leithead and Camille Walker; the best dessert winners are Emilio Camara and Tyler Osario; and the best team dress winners are Emily Braby and Kylynn Jones.

We've been enjoying summer. I love getting up early and working out and coming home to a quiet house full of sleeping children. Often times I go back to bed but sometimes I just sit at my computer, checking my emails, facebook and blog friends. It's such a peaceful time of day.

Family Update:

Kambree has been working for the Corbetts as a nanny part time and working various odd jobs outside of nanny-ing. Anything from pulling weeds to washing walls. She's worked for a few families in our neighborhood and James is employing her for jobs around our house, so far she's helped him put up wall boards and done some mud work. I paid her to wash the windows inside and out. She's a good worker and trying so hard to stow away money for college. She's been dating all summer. Seems like just when the guys starts liking her, she's done liking him. I'm fine with that. Little worried about this newest guy - Cliff - but he's two hours away which may be why he is so enticing? That and he's sort of a country boy-cowboy-firefighter. Yikes. That could be a deadly combination.

Austin went on his first date - outside of school dances - yesterday. He was very nonchalant about it. First it was, "Can I go sledding up in the mountains?" (Yes, I guess there's still snow for sledding. In July??) I gave him the regular drill. With who? Who's driving? When will you be home? And it sounded like a bunch of buddies. Then later he asked me to help him pack food and would I make TWO sandwiches? I rummaged up a bunch of stuff and then asked if he was SURE he was going to need TWO sandwiches? "Well yes. There are two of us." He had a date! (I think her name was Aleeah.) I guess all the buddies decided to take dates? I tried not to act too pleased and excited but the buzz about our house was hard to ignore. (The joy of having sisters I guess? However even Alex asked if she was "hot"?)  I packed up the best lunch I could - now knowing the circumstance - and sent him on his way. The group came back around nine pm and watched Transformers in our living room. I fell asleep to the soothing voice of Optimus Prime roaring below my bedroom. 

Devree is going to summer seminary. Austin and Devree in fact. Austin is on seminary council and Devree is going to make up unexcused absences from last years seminary attendance. I think they're loving it. It's a chance to see their friends from school. I'm not being fooled that they're loving it for the spiritual aspect. Just the socializing aspect. But that's okay, the fact that they're going - willingly - is enough for me!  It's just through the month of July twice a week for an hour and a half. Dev is also VERY social this summer. She is constantly at friends houses or having friends here. Rarely do I serve dinner without adding a couple plates for her or Austin's friends. She's going to the midnight premier of Harry Potter but having friends over before to watch part one before. Because she's almost 15 and not driving - her active social life means I have a just as active carpooling life. Boo. When she approached me about the midnight show I decided it would be well worth the price of Austin's ticket to get him to drive both ways. He agreed and is taking a friend that just happens to be the same age as Devree so I told him he'd just have to be the lone, driving senior with the group of sophomores. I don't think he minds too much. Devree's birthday is quickly approaching (yes that lovely week where Alex, Devree and Kambree all have birthdays withing six days of each other) and her list is quite long, expensive and out of the question. The sad part is that besides the big ticket items, there is very little I can pick out without her. Teenage girls are the hardest to buy for! Especially picky fashion conscious ones!

Alex has been so positive and upbeat about having a tutor this summer. We still have mom school twice a week besides the three days of tutor - when he's not at scout camp that is. This morning we had a rough start. Rylee and I were making plans for shopping and he wanted to go so he could buy a video game for the dang blasted X-box. (I hate the X-box. Really. I do. I wish it would break and go away forever.) I guess he and Brach have pooled their money together for some dumb game. Never mind that his sisters are having birthdays and/or that he refuses to participate in anything that requires him coughing up a little of his hard earned cash - like going skating with friends. Buying this game will cost him every penny he has and I am not taking him to the mall to buy it. Not to day anyway when I need to be birthday shopping for him. (And I do NOT contribute to my misery by buying anything to do with video games.) So the root of this morning's difficulty with writing in his journal stemmed with my nixing the video game purchase this morning. After a bit of angry sighs, eye rolls, and then a time out in bed - the truth came out. He was mad about not getting to buy his video game. We talked about addictions and how he would feel if I spent all my money on something I like - like shoes - and didn't have money to buy him birthday presents? What if I spent all the grocery money on shoes? How would he like that? We talked about his birth parents and their addictions and that because of their addictions they lost him. That there needs to be a balance in life - life cannot be all about one thing or it becomes an addiction and rules our lives.  I would like to say this talk made a difference but I doubt it because just that afternoon he was caught being on the computer way past his allotted two hours. (Sigh) Oh, well. There are worse things. Right?  We did have a sweet moment earlier in the week when my sister called to see if anyone could keep an eye on their foster son so they could go out to celebrate - my brother in law just got accepted to nursing school. Their foster son is very difficult and not altogether in touch with reality and it makes it hard to take him places. We were talking about Lloyd at dinner time and how difficult he is and Alex looked at me and asked if he was hard like Lloyd when he first got here? When he didn't speak English? I confessed that there were hard times but he was never as hard s Lloyd. I have always wondered what he understood about Lloyd's situation. Lloyd wasn't with my sister during the hosting program but moved in with them before we adopted Alex. So he just sort of magically appeared in our family while Alex was in Ukraine. Given his limited English I couldn't really explain the situation to Alex.  Lloyd's situation is that my sisters family is paid well to provide for him and he is a job for them.  (He's in special needs foster care.) Alex confessed that he thought he was like Lloyd when he got here. That my sister had added Lloyd to her family like we had added him. Later when it was just him and I, I hugged him to me and told him he was nothing like Lloyd, that we adopted him to be our son, we weren't getting paid to take care of him. 

Rylee has been babysitting and making money hand over fist! She's excited to buy birthday presents with her own money for her siblings. She is growing like a weed and looks so much older than her 11 1/2 years. I took her and Devree in for eye exams this afteroon and both of them have worse sight than last year. Ry picked out new glasses and has grown her bangs out this summer. She is looking forward to being in 6th grade but I'm a little sad as this is my last one to be in elementary. I keep telling myself - no more Halloween parades, Valentines boxes and recess drama but I still sigh a little thinking she is getting so old. How did this happen? 

James and I loved our trip to Denver and he is now off to work and I am home solo parenting. We're getting use to this schedule and it's not as bad as people think it is. When he's home, he's home 100% and when he's gone, he's gone! I try to do fun things with my friends, watch all my chick flicks, and read lot's. My fabulous five keep me busy and usually the two weeks clips right along. Unfortunately the time he's home seems to move double faster than the time he's gone but that just must be because we love having him home more than having him gone? Right?

I think summer is half way over or we still have half left? That's sort of like is the glass half full or half empty isn't it. Some days I can't wait for school to be back in session and some days I just love summer and the laid back, sleeping in, hanging out parts. 

Hope all of your are having "half full" moments too!
~Wendy

Life With Teenagers!

I came home from shopping to a lot of squealing and laughter. Here's Devree and Austin and assorted friends getting wet and jumping on the trampoline.

I took this picture through the window - the side with the screen.

Then I moved to the other side.

Then Austin noticed me and squirted my window that Kambree just cleaned.

I went outside and asked them to all smile for this picture. Where is Austin you ask?

Having to dry the water spots off of the kitchen window!

Austin's Car!

Austin's had an issue with his rear view mirror after having a friend accidentally pull it off last year.

After many different gluing and bonding options, James decide the best option was to screw it through the roof to secure it. He gave Austin a variety of action figures to choose from to secure it from the top. (A block of wood would have worked too but why use a boring piece of wood when you can us a cool action figure?)  He went with one of his favorites. Mario. Austin took that one step farther and JB Welded the following action figures to his car.

Not sure how long they'll stay in the high school parking lot. 

When I was his age, I graffiti-ed my 1969 Chevy La-mans. I wish I had pictures I could share. My car was so ugly and worth so little that the graffiti actually improved it. Or at least made me feel it was an improvement. I think Austin feels the same way about his 1995 Geo Metro. 

He must, as he actually went on a date yesterday and took a girl IN his car. First. Time. Ever.

Denver!

Friday morning we left for Denver!

Here is James with airplane hair....

He had some "optional" training that his work made more enticing by inviting and paying for the spouses to come along. Yea for me! 

So we sort of had this mini-all inclusive-paid for vacation to Denver. (James just had to go to training for eight hours a day - twice!)

The  first night we hooked up with these fun people. Co-workers from James' work and their wives. We went to a fun restaurant called Papadeux. It was sort of a Louisiana/Cajan/Seafood restaurant and it was delicious! The company was buying and we had appetizers, blended drinks, desserts....the works! 

The next days the husbands went to training (poor husbands) and the wives went and had mani's and pedi's! 

After lunch I dragged the wives to "Unsinkable" Molly Browns House! 

It was charming.

Here's Jen & I on the porch waiting for the tour. 

The didn't let us take any inside photo's. Boo. They had 15 watt bulbs throughout the house for authentic purposes and the real estate agent in me was having a hard time, it took everything in me not to open the blinds and let some light in! (That and I kept trying every closet and cupboard.) 

We actually talked them into letting us see the third floor although it wasn't part of the tour. When we were in the kitchen at the last leg of the tour, we learned that there was another flight of stairs to the attic where the servants slept Jen and I snuck back up the two flights of stairs to find it - but had no luck. We did have luck sneaking back downstairs through the servants staircases and avoided running into the tour group behind us or having our tour guide notice we were missing. 

Whew. Such real estate sleuths!

We drove by the art district and I got a quick picture of this lovely/odd statue...

We had catered breakfast and lunches with our husbands at the hotel each day and then at night the company would take us out to dinner. Saturday night it was an Italian place, Sunday a steak and seafood house. They paid for everything. Sunday night we went back to the hotel and I taught everyone the "name" game and we laughed and laughed. Later we hot-tubbed and then Monday we got up bright and early and went home. (Sigh.) So nice.

Here are the couples we hung out with:

Richard & Jen 

Bill & Dawna

Erick & Jean

And here's James and I

We had rain and showers off and on throughout the weekend. Sunday after dinner we walked out to see this double rainbow.

Kambree held down our fort and I am happy to report that the house was standing and everyone was alive and no worse for the wear. People that is. On of our cars and a door waiting to be hung in our garage, are slightly worse for the wear but nothing too major. 

Kambree told me Monday morning that she was sure glad I was home. She doesn't like being me. 

As I approached nine loads of Mount St Laundry, I can't say I blame her! Being me isn't always fun. Since being home, not only have I done all nine loads of laundry, mopped floors, cleaned carpets, lectured Alex about video games and his lack of self control, lectured Devree and Austin about their friends acting like circus animals in our house, paid bills, gone birthday shopping, tutored Alex, and followed up on work emails, inspections, and appraisals, I have also felt rejuvenated and relaxed from my weekend away from it all.

Thanks James' work for the lovely weekend!