Granny Update:

Just wanted to let everyone know that my Granny did go in for her surgery this morning. She out of surgery now and even doing so well as to not be on a respirator anymore. They were pretty sure she would have to be on one for a couple days while her body adjusted to missing part of a lung, but she is breath well and should be out of ICU tomorrow. Which is awesome news. This is only the first step in her long road ahead, but she is starting out on a great foot. She is such a strong and beautiful woman and I only wish that I could be there when she woke up. Its so wonderful to know that God is there holding her hand for me. I know you're not reading this right now Granny, but when you do, know that I love you!

When we say anything... we mean anything!

For as long as Carolina has been eating food of the non-baby variety she has been very willing to try just about anything. We have always told people that Carolina is pretty much a goat when it comes to eating. She will try just about everything and the stuff that she really enjoys sometimes borders on being just weird (like apples dipped in ketchup). But last night took the cake, the really funky I cant believe she is eating that (and enjoying it cake). It was by far the strangest and I have to say again the grossest thing I have ever seen her eat & she LOVED it!! We had Chinese takeout for dinner last night and just got buffet to-go. Which meant we had a whole range of things to choose from. I had Lina with me and she was picking out some stuff that she wanted. Nothing to crazy to start with, some fruit, a couple of hard boiled eggs, jello, oh and sushi (the child LOVES sushi!) But then she saw "them" and asked me what they were. I told her that I was pretty sure what they were baby octopuses and I really really didn't think she would like them. She insisted that she really wanted one and hey, who was I to say no?  So here it is folks! Not only did she actually take a bite, but she ate every bit of it! She even   stuck her finger in its head and pretended it was a finger puppet. I know weird right!!!! I cant wait to show her this and tell her all about it in ten years. She will either be completely grossed out or she will make a living eating exotic foods. 

Lots of work!

Okay, so I actually have a couple different blog topics to get on here in the next couple of days. But after redoing some stuff on here I am beat and have to get to bed without even really posting anything good. Well except my tweets that I update all day. I love the new background and the header took me longer then I thought it was going, but I think it looks great. Yeah Photoshop!!!! 

Its been a long week and I'm glad its the weekend. That being said, there is so much stuff we have packed into this weekend that I might be praying for Monday soon. At least then the kids are in school in the morning and napping for a couple of hours in the afternoon. 

Okay so more news tomorrow!

Lots of Love,

Mandi

Days like this...

Warning: This is kind of a sad blog... no new pics of the kids on this one guys. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Days like this make me want to gather all my kids on the couch and hug them and kiss them and tell them over and over again how much I love them.

Days like this make me think about never letting my little family leave the house again.

Days like this remind me that even the smallest act can end in tragedy.

Days like this make me want to call my Mom and my Granny, just to say I love you.

Days like this make me overwhelmingly grateful that I know the love of our Great and wonderful God. That placing my family's life in his hands is the only way to live my life. That he knows how each day will end and that will be there for us, holding our hands through anything. I know life will not always go the way I want it to and that there will be heartache, but that he knows what we can handle and he ALWAYS has a plan. ALWAYS...

There have been what seems like so many things happening over the past week that have scared me. Things that have me asking Him for some of his strength to not only get me through the moments of the day, but also everyone that is going through these trials. Last Wednesday I found out that my sweet beautiful very young 72 year old Granny will be battling Lung Cancer this year. They have found numerous spots on her lungs, but we are just in the beginning stages of the battle and so don't have a whole lot of information yet. We do know that there doesn't seem to be any cancer in her brain. Which is just about the only good news we have right now. I'm scared, she's scared and both of us are trying to be there for each other. Most people who know me well know how extremely close we are. Her and my Poppi (which passed away three years ago) have always been a very big part of my life. They were my safe place growing up and I spent as much time with them as I could. I have continued to have "mother-daughter" like relationship with my Granny during my adult life. Not that I don't have a wonderful Mother. I do! But as family goes I have my Mom and My Granny. Please pray for her and I will update on the blog whenever I have news to share.

The rest of the things that have me down on my knees this week are things that are happening to other people in my world. The blogging world is pretty new to me, but I have reconnected with friends who are avid bloggers and also have made new friends through this world. One of them is MckMama, she is a wonderful (fellow green, organic loving) christian blogger mom. She has a beautiful blogsite and is pretty much a superstar in the mom blogging community. Last summer while she was pregnant with your youngest son they were told that he had SVT (Supra Ventricular Tachycardia = very high heart rate) and would most likely not make it to full term, meaning he would die before he was born. They prayed and prayed and one day they went back and Stellen was healed and his heart rate was normal. He was born full term and has been healthy for the past seven months. Until last night... He is now in the hospital for SVT again and things are not getting better. Please if you have a moment pray for this little one and for his poor stressed out parents that are doing everything in their power to hold it together for him and his three siblings. They are putting it all in Gods hands and praying for him to give them strength and understand for what is going on. Please check out her blog of the full story. It is a beautiful God story and shows what he can do in our lives.

The other things are things that you have all heard about the simple fall of the actress Natasha Richardson that ended in tragedy and horrible plane crash in Mt that ended the lives of so many people. Nine of the fourteen people on that plane were in one family. They all got on that plane with funny thoughts of skiing on their minds. A horrible tragedy to happen to anyone.

I'm sorry for such a sad post, but this blog has become an outlet for me. So at the end of this blog I am asking you a big favor. Please pray for all of these families as they make their way through the tough hours, days and weeks ahead. That's really I any of us can do.

Why do they love the things they love?

So I read in one of my Greener, Organic Mommy Mags that avocado is a great healthy snack for kids. I don't remember exactly why they said it was so good for them, but with most things I read about or hear about that are good for them, I hear its good retain that part and go with it. Carolina and George were way past their adventurous eating stage to even consider trying it. It was just way to "green" for them, but not Laney she will try almost anything or at least at the time I let her try it she would. She has since decided that she doesn't want to eat anything except string cheese, popcorn, pop tarts and grilled cheese. Oh and just about any kind of chip she can get her hands on. Anyways, I got her to try it back then and she LOVES it. I cant scoop it out of the skin fast enough. I couldn't keep enough on her plate. She ate two thirds of the whole avocado. I barely had enough to make the guacamole that I bought the stinking thing for in the first place. Oh look Carolina's sucking her thumb, it must be time for bed or first thing in the morning or right after nap time or maybe its because the TV is on or it might be because she is thinking or it might be just 1:27pm... I guess you get the idea, she sucks her thumb pretty much all the time. We know its bad for her teeth, but what can you do? I think there are worse things she could be doing. Whats better then hanging out on the coffee table playing your Leapster and watching cartoons?

Lazy Saturdays...

Saturdays are normally pajama days around here. The kids love not having to get dressed and I love having one day's worth less of laundry. Doing clothes is not our thing around here. Some how two people who don't mind doing laundry and folding laundry both hate putting away laundry. I picked up this really great tip from Jon and Kate plus eight. We wash each kid's clothes separately. That way once they are washed and folded you only have to go to one room to put them away. It works out great and and makes for a whole lot less unmatched socks! Today is actually a very special day, there is no  more laundry today. I know, crazy right! I cant believe that I can look in that laundry room and see empty baskets!!! So I am going to sit back and enjoy it, because three little bodies and two big bodies we will have started all over again tomorrow. 

Even when she's throwing a fit she cant help but being cute. This was this morning after Ben told her they couldn't play in the bathroom anymore. The new favorite game around here is pulling all the clean towels out of the cabinets for superhero capes. Which means we usually end up with towels all over the upstairs, then I don't know which are clean and which aren't so the all go in the laundry. Doesn't she just look so pitiful...

As you can see the tears almost always work, especially on Dad. What can I say, she is the one that comes running yelling "Dad Dad!!" every time he walks in the door. 

New pics on the way!

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have new pics and plan to post a new blog by tomorrow evening. I learned some pretty tough news yesterday and I am just a bit to worn out to stay up doing it tonight. Stay tuned I promise there will be more soon! 

Mandi