*****: June 2009

Well happy summer everyone! This post is so overdue that I'm almost ashamed of myself....almost that is, lol. We have been very busy as you can imagine with 4 little ones to keep up with.
I'm will give a brief update on us all and share a few recent photos with the hopes of keeping a more regular blog from now on....wink wink.

Sam:This young man is now 5 1/2 yrs old and is getting ready to start kindergarden in the fall. He is currently signed up for afternoon class at the brand new school in Rochester. It's not even finished yet so we will see...Sam has become quite the artist and really draws great pictures. He and Ivy will sit at the table for hours coloring or creating cards and pictures by drawing, cutting, and pasting. With all the paper those 2 go through, we seriously need to think about recycling paper. My goodness!!! Sam is quite the little helper around here and loves to feel important. He loves Iris and it's so sweet to see him tend to her. Iris on the other hand doesn't always appreciate Sam's help and let's EVERYONE know it. Sam is working really hard at learning how to read this summer. It is so fun to watch your kid "get it" all of a sudden.

Ian:Wow, what a ride he has been on since coming home in dec. of 2006. He has now had 6 surgeries and the biggest and baddest was this past december. He came through with flying colors though and the surgery was deemed a SUCCESS! I guess the third time is a charm. He still has a hole in the front of his palate that won't be closed until he has a bone graft around age 10-12. I think his next surgery will be a lip revision in the first grade. His lip is too wide and doesn't function the way it should. I'm not totally convinced it's necessary as the surgeon keeps saying the kids will make fun of him. He looks perfect to me and if it's just for looks, he won't have it. The surgeon also wants to tip up his nose so it's more "western". What? He's Chinese!!! He does have a very flat nose though and he snores a lot. We shall wait and see with that one. Ian started some intense speech therapy in March and is finally making a noticeable improvement. He had to get an oral appliance made again to plug the hole in his palate but his therapist is very happy with how he is coming along. However, he will be starting therapy next week for fine motor control. He has a perfect hold on a pencil but can't control it like he should for his age. Ian will turn 5 on July 2nd!! He was also tested for sensory issues and I'll update more on that next week after the one-on-one with his therapist. She said there are major sensory issues going on with Ian and he is a sensory seeker, not avoider. He needs to touch everything and is having behavior issues socially. I have full faith in this therapy center and he'll be on track in no time. His overall prognosis is good though and both therapists are sure his delays are from being in an orphanage for the first 2 1/2 yrs of his life and not getting enough stimulation at those crucial first couple years. Ian is also registered to go to Kindergarden in he fall. The plan is for him to have 2 years there instead of making him have a 3rd year of pre-school. He needs to be challenged and be around typical kids as much as possible to be models for him. Siblings just aren't the same. Ian will still have an IEP(individualized Education Plan) in place to help him reach his fullest potential for success. Despite all his challenges, Ian is a Love and gives me a zillion hugs and kisses every day!

Ivy:She is one smart cookie!! She loves to learn and is also very creative. She has not yet attended preschool but already knows her letters and sounds and can write. She was tested today and qualified to be in a KinderChallenge class this fall. She will have school 5 days a week in the afternoons. The KinderChallenge is more academic than preschool. I call it Kindergarden for 4 year olds. By the way, she is now 4 1/2 and is ALL girl!! She's decided she loves dresses and has to wear one almost every day. Oh, and she's also in to fixing her own hair. She loves clippies and headbands. Poor girl can't keep a headband on straight for her life though. She also watches me apply my makeup and always asks me if she can wear makeup. I haven't given in on that one yet. Next thing she'll be wanting to shave her legs. Nope, I won't let her grow up that fast.

Iris:Oh Iris...this child...I'm not sure what to do with her yet. She has an opinion about EVERYTHING and makes sure the neighborhood hears it. She is a screamer and even talks loud. She is a tiny peanut but has a huge voice. She too is very intelligent that it blows my mind. At 2 yrs old, she is counting and singing her ABC's. Not 100% accurate yet but holy moly this girl picks up things quickly. Of course she has 3 models and insists on doing everything they do. She talks like crazy with full sentences. My mom calls her a "20 year old midget". She is so tiny but talks like a grown up. We definately have our hands full with this little one.

Our kids are flourishing and it is so fun to watch them learn and grow. They are having a great time this summer and swimming in our pool. It's just a blue round pool that everyone has but it really is fun for the whole family. The older kids are making friends and have playdates often. They are growing up too fast I tell ya. So, I little about Jon and I before the pictures.

Jon:Still at Mayo, same department, basically the same job with more responsibilities. Unfortunately there isn't more pay with that. I'm so proud of him though as he FINALLY finished his B.S. degree in computer information systems(or something like that, lol). He did very well and is just now waiting for his diploma to come. There will be major celebrating for sure. He's been working on this for 6 years and he only had to take 1/2 the classes as he had many credits transfer from his previous college days. Of course we did adopt 4 children in that time but he had 2 1/2 years BEFORE we got our first child to get it done. Like me, he is a procrastinator that works best under deadlines. He certainly cut it close though. Jon has also dropped quite a bit of weight as we are trying to live a healthier lifestyle. Jon also sadly lost his grandma Shirley just before Easter. She lost her battle with cancer and we all miss her dearly. The kids talk about Grammie often and that she is in heaven. I get all teary eyed to hear them talk so seriously. They were telling me just the other night how Grammie's soul is in heaven but her body is in the ground. Then I had a faint smile when they went on to let me know that she doesn't have to go potty or eat anymore. Only through a child's eye.....

Me:I have had an extremely busy, crazy 6 months. In January, I started my own business selling jewelry through Premier Designs. It is a company built and based on biblical principles and has ministries in 63 countries for women & orphans as well as providing financial and spiritual aide to start Christian churches all over the world. I'm off to a great start and excited to see how God will use this in my life. Please check them out at www.premierdesigns.com. I do home shows, catalog shows, individual order and fundraisers. If you know anyone that would like to earn a ton of FREE jewelry, send them to me and I can hook them up. It's so fun to see my hostesses get excited with all their new jewels. I am going to Texas in July for the national rally for Premier and the new line will be introduced. I'm very excited to see and buy new "samples". They are samples for my table but I get to wear them all too. I'll also be having a sample sale to make room for my new stuff so stay tuned if you are local. Now the next biggest event was that I had gastric bypass on March 3rd. This was a very scary time for me and I was fine until they wheeled me into the operating room. I lost it and cried until they knocked me out. The first 5-6 weeks were rough going but now I'm 3 1/2 months out and feel amazing! I've lost a lot of weight but most importantly, I'm healthy. I have never in my life felt as healthy as I do now. My diabetes is gone as is my acid reflux and high blood pressure. My triglycerides are back to normal and I'm off my arthritis anti-inflammatories. My sleep apnea is almost completely gone as well. All this in 3 months!! Wow!! I've been struggling to add exercise though but today I took the plunge and joined the healthy living center through the Mayo Clinic. I had orientation at 11am and went back for my first fitness class at 4:30. I have to admit I had a blast and can't wait to go back tomorrow. Hmmmm maybe I'll start craving exercise instead of junk food. That's the other bonus to my surgery. I actually crave healthy food and I'm totally repulsed by french fries. Never thought I'd see the day that I would not order fries and order a salad instead because I wanted to and not because I should. I will post occasional updates and maybe some before/after photos at my 6 month anniversary...stay tuned.

Well, that pretty much sums up our last 6 months. I have like a zillion photos to go through but will post a few tonight. Oh yeah, we also added to our family 2 1/2 months ago. I wanted a walking partner and was able to talk Jon into letting us get a dog. We have not had good luck with dogs in the past but feel we got a great one this time. We got a 2 year old schnoodle from a rescue. He was already housetrained and is great with the kids, not to mention ADORABLE!! A schnoodle is a cross between a schnauzer and poodle. He does not shed and did I mention how cute he is? A little naughty but also a great vacuum around the dining table. His picture will have to come later as I don't have any on my laptop.

I hope you all are having a great summer and please have fun and have safe travels wherever you go.
Hugs,
Sarah