Toben funnies!

Toben and Ava were playing play dough when he says, "I share!" I look over and he has taken Ava's play dough from her! That is his definition of sharing!

A little bit later he got the Bob the Builder Leap Frog book out and started singing the song. Only this is Toben's version: "Bob the Builder! Can we broke it? Yes we can!" Truer words were never sung! :)

Daniel Fast Nachos

I haven't written a ton about our fast because, well, I don't have time and I don't know what to say! Our friends Kami and Jeremy are doing it with us. This is their second time to do it, and they have inspired us to try!

This is day four of 21, and so far the toughest! John and I both miss meat really badly today! I miss milk, John doesn't! And I miss my coffee every morning!

But tonight we had a yummy dish! John made guacamole and I made chips out of whole wheat flour tortillas (thanks to Kami's expert directions). We had a can of refried beans and some black olives with some all natural hot sauce. It was yummy! Makes me realize how much I don't have to have the cheese and sour cream, etc, etc! They were just as good and so much healthier!

While I have seen the weight loss, I haven't seen the wonderful feel good feeling of eating healthier. In fact, I was really dragging at the end of this week. Maybe that is my body detoxing from sugar and cafeine! I know nothing about what all that stuff does to you!

I haven't felt that much more connected with God yet either. However, I do have to say that right before we started, I knew we needed to do it! I was ready! I was ready to be disciplined in something that I am usually not able to be. Food is a biggy! And I imagine as the days go by, it will get harder and harder to deny myself the things I crave, and that is when God will have to step in and do it for me! I imagine those are the times He will show Himself big time!

Two first for the P-trees!

This was a busy Sunday, but a blessed one too! We visited another church this morning. It felt more like home, but it is much like our last church and that makes me almost want to run the other direction. I am just really confused!

After church we took naps. Then we went to a carnival here that a Catholic church puts on to raise funds for the year. This was the first time in YEARS that our kids had gone to a carnival. We had promised them with a little of our earnings from our garage sale, we would do something we wouldn't ordinarily do because of our budget..so they picked the carnival! So here are some shots from that! We had a blast! I rode the Tornadoe with Callie and Noah, then I was done! They stopped right before I thought I was going to be really sick! Getting old is not fun! John rode the Superman with Noah. Then Toben and Ava drove motercycles and flew high in an airplane! I was so proud of them both...they were way brave!

Callie tried to win a goldfish. Since she didn't win and we didn't get to ride many rides (when did tickets go up to $1 a piece????!!!!!), we took the kids to Petsmart and bought each of them a goldfish, then to Wal-Mart for a cheap bowl and fish food! So here is Callie's fish, "Goldie". Ava's is "Bird"??? Toben's is "Orange", and Noah's is "Rocky Road" The whold fish adventure was less than a ride for all four kids at the carnival and I think they got just as big of a thrill out of it! Callie has been begging for a hamster, and Noah wants a snake. So the fish are a good test to see how "responsible" they can be! If we get to grumbling about feeding and cleaning the bowl, then we know we are not ready for pets of our own yet!

And these are just some pics from our visit with our friends! I didn't get as many as I wanted, but I tell you none of the kids were still long enough to have pictures made! It was a crazy day! And I LOVED it! I love it when the house is full of kids...especially several with little dark faces!

The past week

Once again, I find myself with much to post, but not much time. So here is a run down of my last week:
~My computer crashed, so I am having to work on the kids' old, slow computer! Another reason for not many posts this week! Luckily it had two drives, and I had saved almost everything on the D drive, so I have all my pictures and most of the data. Thank you God!
~ Started the Daniel Fast. It is going well. I am really missing meat today! I have lost 10 pounds in 4 days! That is in sane! Of course, I know some will come back, but can you say, "Reality Check" on weightloss and what I thought I was doing!
~ We got to see our very good friends the Buntyns last night when they came through town after a track meet! They just brought home their two beautiful girls from Liberia..it is always a little surreal when I see the kiddos I helped bring home playing with my kids in my home! I LOVE it!
~ I spoke at a 55 and older group at a church in a neighboring town. It is my parents church, and I just went to share with them what we are doing...no expectations! Just their weekly "program" for that week. Well, turns out, they were extremely touched by our work and are considering supporting us as one of their missions! Go figure! Just goes to show that God will provide even when your home church won't!
~ We are visiting a new church this morning. Finding a new church just stinks! I hate it! I don't know what to judge a church on, I don't know what to consider. There is no perfect church. So what things do we compromise and what things do we not? The longer we are away from our old church the more I see how blinded we were to so many things. I don't want to be that way again! I want to be where God is moving and people are serving OTHERS..not just themselves! I want to go where there is action and not just talk because faith without works is dead! But I also want to make sure we agree on theology as my kids will be taught there! Yet, do I really know what my theology is as it changes the more maturity I get! Things I thought were in scripture, I learn were just inbred traditions...so when God reveals His word to me, I realize what I thought was theology really wasn't! Yet the churches I went to taught it as theology. Totally confused? me too!

Well, time for church! Here we go! God, give us Your eyes to see and Your discernment to know if this is our home!

4 feet feels like an unscalable wall

Well, I finally opened the foster to adopt packet. It hasn't made my day so good. I asked them to put the state restrictions for foster children and a pool. We will have to have a four foot fence around the entire pool. It has to have a self-closing and self-latching gate. I can only guess how much that will cost! Like I can talk John into putting that up when I told him this morning that I didn't think we needed a dining room table to replace the old one because we are serious about getting out of debt this time!

Then there is TB screening. Well we all had that when Toben came home...but I didn't bother to take anyone back because they were all negative...but since I didn't take them back, it is not recorded. STUPID, I know! Just frustrates me with myeslf! One of many things today!

Plus I look at all the paper work and think, ugh, not again! I have filled out so many applications, etc that I am sick of it! I know...tell you about it for all you in the process! And yes, in the end it is worth it...if you know that you will actually get to puruse it!

The first time I felt overwhelmed with the need to pray for our next child's mom was in church sometime in April. I had a sense that something big was happening that day and I needed to pray protection around her and the baby...I had wondered what it was....was it the say she found out she was pregnant, was she considering an abortion? The feeling was so strong that it brought tears to my eyes. If it was the day she found out she was pregnant, the baby is probably due around Chrsitmas. I have felt an extreme urgency to get whatever we need to do whatever direction we feel called to go done by Christmas. But if we don't get on it asap, that will not happen. It takes at least three months to get licensed for CPS even through private agencies unless we drive all over Texas to take classes which I can't imagine John doing that either! Maybe I am just nuts and there was never really a baby after all! Maybe I am supposed to be content with the four I have now......

Just feel defeated today. Since we are now without a church family, and I really don't have any close girl friends here, you are my only sorce of venting! Sorry for the downer!

The last cup of coffee

This is my last cup of coffee for three weeks! John and I are starting the Daniel Fast tomorrow. I am not near as prepared as I was hoping to be, but that is just the story of my life these days! My motto is "in my next life I will be skinny, organized and on time!" I am not putting the fast off to get more prepared, as I am certain this is God's timing for it! I think he has even started changing my tastes! I didn't drink even half of this cup of coffee!

What I will miss the most about my morning coffee is the "feel good" feeling it gives me with God. I am not sure I can explain this, but you know that warm, cozy feeling you have when you walk into a coffee shop? That is what coffee does for me in the mornings with God as I sit in my Bible study chair as my kids call it! I know that God is just sitting next to me with His cup of coffee too, and we are just chatting like I would with one of my girl friends over a cup of coffee! So I am sure during the next three weeks God will want to show me that it is HIM that is important about those meetings...He brings the warm fuzzies, not the coffee! :)

Submission: Part Three

I am really ready to be done with this! But obviously God doesn't think I am ready! I am not doing a structured Bible study right now. So every morning, I read the Proverb for the day and then just pray and try to hear where God wants me to read. Today, I felt it was 1 Corinthians. Some mornings I wonder if I heard right because I really don't get much out of it, but this morning, unfortunatly, I am sure I was right on.

1 Cor 11:3 says, "But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ." Hmmmmm, that isn't really very politically correct, is it? It doesn't say that God or Christ is the head of me, but man....in my case, John! Verse 7 ten says, "But a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man." Ouch! (That is what I wrote in the margin of my Bible too!) I had to reread that! It didn't say I am the glory of God, it says I am the glory of John! It didn't take long thinking on that to know that I sooooooo don't get that! Really, I can't even get my brain around it right now. Yes, that sounds arrogant, yes, it is arrogant! I won't go into detail here of why that is so difficult for me! Lets just say that John and I don't see eye to eye many times in our family, and it is usually over the things I feel God is calling me/us to do! But this scripture leaves no room for compromise! When it comes to my marriage, my home, my life, I am to be the glory of John and John is to be the glory of God. And just in case I didn't get it clear enough and still had some doubts, God says "Read on!".

Verses 8-9: "For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman's sake, but woman for the man's sake." What?! You are kidding me, right?! I was really created for John?! But what about my whole role in life being to bring glory to God? Well, this says I do that through bringing glory to John! But can't I just skip that part and bring glory to God leaving John to do that same? I don't see where it really leaves much room for that here...and in case I wondered, here is how my conversation with God after this went:
Me: How do I do this? How do I follow you and John? How do I bring glory to him? How do I follow You and John when so many times they seem to contradict? Why do you tell me things that totally contradict what John says?
God: So You can pray! You can prepare the path for John - He is my issue. *Insert HollyAnn's eplanation to blog readers: God had to put that there because I often want to "fix" my husband! I am sure none of you other women struggle with that, but it is a HUGE issue with me....especially when I think he is wrong!:)*
Me: My human brain doesn't comprehend how this works...your ways are higher than mine!
God: Yes it does! You just want control! You don't want to wait...to trust! *OUCH!*
Me: OK - practically speakingwhat does this "the woman is for the glory of man" look like?.....Where can I take the lead and not be overstepping my boundary? What id anything can I expect from John?
God: Right now, nothing - ALL expectations are on Me! Look to Me! (vs. 12 and ALL things originate from God)
Me:Where can I lead?
God: What is truly vital?
Me: children's spiritual growth, money responsibility
God: Are you doing those things either?
Me: no
God: Then why are you judging him? Get the log out of you eye!
Me: How do I do all this? How do I bear all this?
God: In Me! By faith! In the Spirit!
Me: I don't think I can!
God: lies! Since when did you start believing lies of the enemy over Me?
Me: really long argument that is pretty pitiful of why I am believing lies....doesn't really work to argue with the Creator of the Universe...he will let you argue, but I haven't won one yet!

I am guessing there will be a submission: part four.....and probably five, six.....you get the picture! I don't have this one down yet! And John said, "AMEN!" :)

More random thoughts....

1. When I was lying awake last night (I guess the restless leg pill really didn't work last night!), I regretted number 17 of my first random thoughts. So let me clarify! Many people have missed us and have been wonderful to share that with us! However, the leadership has not, in fact four out of the five who were in "the meeting" practically said, there's the door! Don't let it hit ya where the good Lord split ya! That is the part that hurts...we were not just your every day members...we gave our lives...even making a job change and town move based on the fact that God was calling us to serve at this church! Just goes to show why you do things for GOD and NOT MAN! But still hurts!

2. You should keep phone numbers somewhere besides your cell phone!

2. Sundayma has been relinquished for adoption.

3. Cell phones do not fair very well in the washing machine!

Random thoughts...

Here you go, Emily! :) See comment on last post for explanation! Random thoughts seem to be all I have time for lately!
1. John and I are starting the Daniel Fast on Thursday. So I am eating a bowl of ice cream while I blog.
2. I made a financial plan today. Dave Ramsey tells me that having a plan is the first step and part of that plan is to know exactly what your debt is. Ouch! We will not be eating out for awhile and it is a good thing beans are allowed on the Daniel Fast!
3. We have an empty space where a dining room table used to be..see #2 above!
4. Did you know that Dawn dish soap takes Desitin out of hair?


Me either until Ava found a tube of it! Go figure, diaper rash cream is water proof! After four washings with Dawn, she no longer looked grey or greasy! Thanks, Mom, for the advice!
5. Saturday, Toben threw up for the first time since he has been with us.
6. Toben has great aim! He didn't get hardly a drop on the floor...Kami, I may need a new Orphanage Project shirt!
7. Evidently when children are sick in Liberia, they put them outside????
8. Looking for a new church home sucks! (If Tom Davis can say that word, so can I!)
9. We are expecting!......

LABRADOODLES!!! And this is the proud momma, lovingly referred to by us as "The Beast". We should have puppies around Thanksgiving. Why would I add puppies to my list of things to do at a crazy time like this? See #2.

10. I think I may be going thru premature menopause...anyone have any experience with that?!

11. I need to have "the talk" with Callie! I don't want to!

12. We got the packet for foster to adopt in the mail today.

13. I have a dr appointment tomorrow to see if the restless leg syndrome med is working on my sleep....well, I don't know! I didn't sleep then, I don't sleep now....is it restless leg, is it sleep apnea, is it stress, is it having four children.....hmmmmmm

14. God is moving in HUGE ways in our ministry! He is showing up in amazing ways with the orphanage project! I can't wait to see what the next step is!

15. John is watching Heroes...not sure why! Strange show!!!

16. Did you know that labradoodles sell for as much as $2500??? When did muts become so expensive? Don't worry, we will not be asking anywhere near that for our puppies! Although, it would be nice!

17. Trying to engage in a new church after pouring 5 years into one that doesn't seem to notice you are gone is really hard!

18. The church we are visiting preached on adoption the last two Sundays! That was awesome! People with my heart for adoption!

19. A major local private foster agency has no families who will accept AA children! What?!

20. Targe has backpacks clearanced for $3.84...I filled my basket to send to Jody!

21. It is 10:00 and I promised myself I would go to bed on time tonight!

WIsh I had more time....

I have so much to blog about, but no time to do it! Maybe later today....

Get involved!

Since I am on a posting roll here, let's go for three! I have referenced my friend Jody twice now in my posts today. She is an absolutly amazing woman with a heart for orphans that bleeds! She is not just sitting on her love, she is taking action and giving all her friends a way to take action too! She is doing one project at a time to make a difference in the lives of children all over the world! So check out her current project! Consider doing this in your area...I'm going to! But if not, would you consider helping her out with her project? What an awesome message to give to children in the middle of crisis! Go and Give!

I had found some pajamas on clearance at Wal-Mart for $3. I bought every kind style they had in Toben and Ava's size and one size up. They have some handy me down pj's, so really with the new ones, they have too many. So I am sending Jody the ones I had bought..my children have plenty and then some! Do you have something like that you could send?......Come to think of it, I have a backpack I bought for Eden, but didn't have the heart to take back! I think this would be a great place to send it! :)

Submission: Part Two

I keep imagining some of you dear friends in blog world saying, "So how's that working for ya" to quote a famous Texan! Well, not so good! It sounds good all typed out on my blog, and I really mean it, but man is it hard to keep my mouth shut! I may not acutally ask about the adoption, but I make comments about babies all the time. God is showing me that I need to stop that..even if I don't mean it to be reminder of what I feel called to do, John will probably see it as that, and thus I need to not say it! Oh man! That is hard!

It is also hard just to know the line. For example, we went to a church Sunday that was doing a special emphasis on adoption. After church three organizations talked about their foster or adoption programs. One of them called me today, so I wanted to share what I had found out with JOhn. I always struggle with that. I feel like even sharing what I know if pressuring, yet if I don't, then he will not know. So today, I shared, then backed off. Well kind of....I did send him a video from my friend Jody's blog on foster kids. But I share things from blogs with John many times. I was sharing as information more than nagging, but maybe I should have refrained because of how it would be perceived even if not my intent. Oh this is hard!

The Pastor of the church we visited on Sunday shared their testimony of the adoption of their little boy who was in the foster care system. He said his wife asked him about taking in the little boy and he said, "NO!" There family was just fine with the four girls and he didn't want to mess things up by throwing in another gender! But as he prayed about it, God turned his heart. He said when he shared with his wife that he thought they should do it, she said, "Great!" and pulled the completed application out of a drawer and told him where to sign! I love it! But I know she kept her mouth shut while she filled out all those papers! GOd give me the obedience and strength to keep my mouth shut!

Orphan defined!

My friend Jody put the definition for orphan on her blog. It is: "a person or thing bereft of protection or position." That hit me right between the eyes! If you take this as the definition, is is "just" the children who have no mother or father? I have so many people ask me where Toben's parents are? Why would they give him up? But its funny how no one asks me that about Noah....why is that? Is it because we in America think so highly of ourselves that we have the right to do whatever is comfortable for us (ie: place a child for adoption), but people in Africa should only do that if they are dead?

If you see an orphan as a person or thing bereft of protection or position, then the statistics are all wrong! I would venture to say there are MANY more orphans in the world than UNICEF or anyone else will ever know!

Submission

That is a dirty word in today's culture! But I have always sought to be a submissive wife. After 10, almost 11, years, I still struggle with what exactly that means. But this morning, God was reminding me of one part of it. As I long for my baby, I tend to take matters into my own hands. Do I trust God to bring her/him to me? Yes! Do I like His timing? NO!

So today as I prayed specifically for baby P, I heard God say, "Let John lead." What?! You have to be kidding! If I let John lead, we will never have a baby! He wants to be done having kids! He doesn't have the heart for adding kids to the family that I do (I mean no disrespect to my husband..over the years, I totally recognize his not being as willing as me as a safety valve to keep ALL the world's orphans from coming into our home by my hand!)! So God's response to my argument: "That is between John and Me, if you step outside him then you are not in My will." That was not what I wanted to hear!

So since my sweet husband had already left for work, I sent him an e-mail asking permission to send our profile and home study to a couple of referral places. I was planning to do that today, but I will walk in submission to God and my husband! Trusting BOTH of them to handle this in the best way! As I told John, sometimes being a strong woman isn't all it is cracked up to be.....which he will find hilarious since just before he left he made the comment "Oh hell, she's awake"---see quotes on side bar for explanation!

I can't send it without his permission, but I can sure pray that he says YES!!! So that is what I will do.....while still preparing myself to be respectful(not just act it, but truly trust, rest and respect)if the answer is No!

Where is she?

This is another one of those days where I find myself just sitting and dreaming about my baby girl! God has put her so heavy on my heart...she has to be out there somewhere! I have always said the hardest part about adoption is all the decisions to be made...international or domestic? If international, then what country, if domestic, do I do private, agency or CPS? With getting pregnant, you just quit preventing and see what happens....it truly is in God's hands! But with adoption, you are making concsious decisions that determine the outcome (one of those time I don't get divine plans versus free will!).

So I sit today and wonder if I am just goofy and there really isn't a baby out there. Or are we supposed to be doing more to find her? Is now not the time? Is now the perfect time and we just haven't found her yet. I know she has to be out there somewhere because my heart hurts too badly for her not to be! It is that feeling that part of you is missing....I know many will not understand, but moms who have adopted more than once will understand what I am talking about!

So for now, I just wait!

The Johnsons are Gone :(

The weekend went way tooo fast, and I had a horrible cold, so I wasn't my normal self! But it was a great time of fellowship with my dear friends! We did lots of talking and TONS of dreaming! One day those dreams will be reality, I just know it! So here is Kami and me....after a trip to Africa together and me going to CO, this is the first picture of just the two of we have! And of course Twiggy and James came along too! Kami will probably be posting pics of them swimming with us on her blog!

The Johnsons are Here!!!

I am so pumped! Kami and Jeremy are here! Can I tell you how refreshing it is to just chat with people who "get" me? Just to be able to be excited about the crazy things God is doing in my life with someone who is excited with me?! It is great!!!!

Today was also Toben and Ava's first day of school. Good thing! Gave me time to clean house for guests! My wonderful mother came to help me! I could never have finished with out her! I will post first day of school pics and info later....right now it is 12:15 am, and I need sleep!

Empty arms...

Well, today is one of those days that I REALLY want a baby! I would give anything to feel that baby girl cuddled up under my chin or lying in my arms! I don't know why it is so heavy some days and not as heavy on others. I know God has a plan, I trust that plan, I just wish I knew what it was! I know many think I am crazy as my house is a pit and I have two toddlers running around and a pre-teen-wanna-be in her room sulking that I would even contemplate another baby. But my arms are empty my heart aches for the baby that belongs in them. I now some of my readers will understand!

Standing amazed!

In less than 24 hours, Jennefer has her tuition....plus some toward wiring fees! Thank you Scott and Carolee (I didn't ask permission to put you on here, but you bless me so much, I wanted to publicly thank you!!!!) and Karen! I met these wonderful families in Colorado face to face! I know God will do great things with our relationships....look what He has already done!

I can't wait to tell Matthew!

Would you help?

I love the Red Letters Campaign motto! I totally believe that living out my faith will help end poverty, and I REFUSE to believe that I can't make in impact. One life at a time I am determined!

Today, the lives that haunt me are Patricia and Jennefer. Here is the story of these two girls as told by Matthew. Matthew is a young man who has been taken under the wing of one of our adoptive families. He was living in a church compound, but is now on his own and attending school thanks to this family! Now he is trying to help other people because of what God has given him. He met these girls when he went to the airport to pick me and the adoptive families up on our arrival in July. He has visited these girls and kept up with them to get this information for me. I missed the opportunity to talk to them on his phone because I was not home when he went to see them. Here is their story exactly as Matthew relayed it to me. WARNING: Not easy to read!

Hi Sis.Hollyann,
This is the story Patricia told me about her sister and herself.Their father died in 1994 when she was about 4years and Jennifer 2yrs.Their mother took over to Ivory Coast for refuge.They were there as refugees.Later in Ivory Coast a lady called Etta took them from their mother who was suffering and struggling to take care of them.This lady took them to Ghana(Bujuburam Refugee Camp)where they lived with her until she was leaving from Ghana when she decided to leave them with her sister,Victoria. She said after about a year living with Victoria and her husband,one day she came from school and was raped by Victoria's husband,Joshua who threatened her that he will make her to follow her father(death) if anybody got to know what he did to her.At this time she was ten years old.She said out of fear she could not tell anybody,and he kept abusing her until she was 13years old when she and her sister ran away from their house to live with other people as they continued their schooling sponsored by UNHCR.They lived with these people,Ghanaians,until they were recently repatriated to Liberia.And now they are living with hospitable family along the Roberts Field Highway,but the family cannot afford to send them to school since the family has to her children to send to school and times are so difficult in Liberia.She also said since Etta took them from their mother they had known her to be their mother until recently when they were told that their biologcal mother is in Ivory Coast.Presently,they do not have a sleeping place,school fees and food.They are sleeping with this family's children in one room and eating from their pots.This is why they asked me to assist them which I myself am facing hardship and in school.
For the pictures,Patricia is in a green t-shirt and her sister in white t-shirt with white head-tie.Sory for the delay in sending you the information;I was out of funds to get the pictures and to scan them.

Will you help? Can you help send one of these girls to school this semester? Would you give one dollar to do it? John and I are sending Patricia to school. Her total school bill is $265 (this includes tuition and fees, uniform, text books and notebooks). Jenefer needs to go to 9th grade. Her total bill is $210.00. I will put a thermometer up on the side of my blog (as soon as I figure out how!) to show the progress. I will also put a donate button. If you can't give one dollar, give one cent! EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS!

Need a good laugh?!

My friend doing an international adoption e-mailed me this today! It made me laught out loud! It is not funny, really, but it is so ridiculous that you have to laugh! And those of us adopting know how believable it is to actually get such an e-mail from USCIS! :) This is not a joke! She actually received the e-mail just like this!


PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE. This is an automatically generated delivery status notification.


Thank you for your inquiry! The_________District Office Inter-Country Adoption Program is a high priority and your question and comments are important to us.

In an effort to provide timely service, we have listed below answers to a few Frequently Asked Questions.

F.A.Q.

My fingerprints are going to expire or have expired. How do I update my fingerprints?
(Type in response)

� Once my home study is received by your office, how long will it take to receive my approval?
(Type in response)

� I missed my fingerprint appointment, how do I reschedule?
(Type in response)

� My 171H/I-797approval notice will expire, what do I need to do?
(Type in response)

� I have received my approval on Form I-171H or I-797. I want to change the country, is there a form I need to complete?
(Type in response)

It was a great day and then.....

We had a great day today! It was a happy day! All the kids helped me fix a big breakfast with everyone's favorites. Then we went shopping for a new comforter as John and I have bought a sleep number bed. We are old, and we have not been sleeping. Many reasons for that, but the fact that we kick each other off the queen rock we currently sleep on is among them!

Then I went shopping for groceries to prepare for John's parents coming over for a cook out. While I was fixing the last little bit of dinner, I hear the scream followed by silence which means Toben has hurt himself and is not breathing. He can really hold it a long time before letting out the big scream! He had slipped on his blanket and fell hitting his eye brown bone right on the corner of our leather ottoman. John went to him and was consoling him, then I hear, "Oh my gosh it is really bleeding."

Long story short, it is 11:08, I am home after 4 hours in the ER and John is still up there with Toben waiting to get stitches! Believe it or not, this is our first stitches in our family! That is a miracle with Noah in our midst! All I can say is his angels fly fast and Toben's better pick up the pace!