Happy Birthday Jordyn Leigh!

My niece Jordyn turns 11 today so I wanted to wish her a happy birthday! Jordyn is loved by all who know her. She is patient, compassionate and kind. She is especially patient when playing with her younger cousins, (see below picture), and we are grateful for the example she is to them. Madison, Adrienne & Matthew love her very much ...especially Madison. Those 2 bonded from the start and Madison still considers Jordyn her very best friend. Madison is often saying she just wishes Jordyn could live closer & we agree! We love you Jordyn! Have a special day!!

Thanksgiving was lots of fun...unfortunately I realized how difficult it is to be a host & take pictures! So here are the 3 lone Thanksgiving pictures. The table, the kids and Sarah looking for something good on TV. I did not burn the turkey & it did not explode like in my dad's favorite movie...you know the one..."Grace! She died 30 years ago!" Have a good weekend everyone...I'm off to decorate the house for Christmas & it's not even December yet!!!

Weekend Fun

Hi all...sorry I haven't been posting regularly but things are pretty busy. I'm having the Roth families over for Thanksgiving so I'm trying to get the house & food ready. The 20lb turkey is in the fridge defrosting (don't forget to defrost yours!) and I'm finding it difficult to clean when I have 3 playful kids attempting to thwart all my good intentions. Here are some pictures of our weekend. Madison & Hip-Hop rode on the back of a truck giving away Sixers hats & backpacks in the Brookhaven parade while Poppy drove the Hare-a-Van with Nana, me & the kids waving to all the on-lookers. It was fun to see all our neighbors, (and elmo). On Sunday Bill had a game so we went to see The Nutcracker with my friend Susan and her daughter Rhyan. The kids enjoyed it, even Matthew. When the mouse king came out Matthew said loudly, "Mommy is that the Nutquacker?" I'm hoping to post some Thanksgiving pictures on Friday...so have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Serving Others

I am really blessed by the opportunities Bill's job allows for our family. Last night the Sixers served Thanksgiving dinner to needy families in Philadelphia. Hip-Hop helped out as well as the staff & players so Bill thought this would be a great opportunity for the girls to serve others and maybe help them be more grateful for what they have. (A great lesson for all of us!) They helped give out napkins, pie, sang some songs,greeted people at the door, and shared what they were thankful for on the microphone. With Hip-Hop standing by, Adrienne got on the mic to tell everyone that she was thankful for her daddy, Hip-Hop! OOOOPS! Pretty funny seeing as Hip-Hop has tried very hard to keep his identity under wraps!

I was sorry to miss it but Matthew was a bit sore and cranky yesterday so I stayed home with him. He has improved...Motrin really works wonders! Have a good weekend. We'll be busy with the Brookhaven parade on Saturday and going to see the Nutcracker on stage Sunday...Fun, Fun, Fun!

Matthew's Surgery #2

Matthew's surgery was yesterday at 1:30 and completed at 2:15. He did very well. He did not once complain he was hungry and was the happiest little guy there. We arrived at duPont at 10am so the wait was a bit long. Since it is a children's hospital they have wagons to transport the kids...here is Matthew at the start of our day. The play area helped pass the time and so did the "giggle juice" and the TV. Here are some shots of our long day
Matthew enjoying the waiting room & daddy getting him ready

Watching TV & being silly after taking "giggle juice"

Even Bubba had his own ID tag! Thanks to everyone for the prayers, emails and calls... and a special thanks goes to Rachel for watching the girls...they had a great time baking cookies and playing dress-up!

Fun With Daddy

I love this shot of Bill & my son. Matthew LOVES riding on the mower with his daddy. Bill enjoys it too...it reminds him of the many tractor rides he enjoyed with his dad. Please pray for Matthew as he will have his hernia repair tomorrow at DuPont hospital in Delaware. We will keep you posted on his recovery. Have a good week!

It's Always Something

Well at least we know for sure that Madison is allergic to shellfish! She had a piece of crab meat last night and this was what happened to her. It's called Angioedema. Her bottom lip swelled quite a bit and I quickly gave her some Benadryl. It helped but I was a little worried. This morning she was fine. We'll be visiting an allergist soon, as well as an Ortho guy for Madison's pronating feet. I want her to get XRays since she is so loose-jointed, I don't want her ankles getting worse as she grows. And now on to my son. He has an inguinal hernia (in the groin), most likely he was born with it. I had them on both sides but never had them repaired until I was in college...not a good idea. Matthew will have surgery on Tuesday so we'll keep you posted. This picture is of the kids playing with Ellos. I'm not sure if they make them anymore but they are alot of fun...especially for girls. If you have a daughter, granddaughter or niece ages 4-10, its a great gift idea. Have a good weekend everyone!

In the Shadow of Your Wings

Last night was a big wake up call...the screaming call said, "The Sixers season has begun!" Bill had a game last night and I had a headache. The kids were fighting and I was angry...at them and at my circumstance. I left the kids in their rooms to get ready for bed and I went to lay down on the bed to close my eyes. This is when Psalm 63 popped into my head. I had no idea what it said so this usually means God is trying to tell me something. I opened my bible and read.

Verse 3 "Because your steadfast love is better than life."

Verse 6 & 7 " when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy."

This brought me great comfort & peace. As I pondered how good God is to me to speak to me through His Word, I realized Madison had been caring for the kids, helping them get ready for bed & was reading a book to Matthew & Adrienne. I was greatly encouraged & honored Madison, prayed & tucked them into bed.

I have heard many skeptics say things about the bible, "It's just another book written by men." Let me just say that time after time in the 12 years I have been reading the bible, God has comforted me, corrected me, given me wisdom in various circumastances and displayed His love for me. The bible is real, it has power, it is alive...and I believe it! If you've never read it, why not start? See if what I (and billions of other believers) say is true. Start in the book of John and maybe God will speak to you as well!!

He's Back!

Yes it's true...Hip-Hop is back on the scene walking, running and doing his usual silly antics. His new knee brace is custom-made red, white, and blue. You won't see him hopping, jumping or flipping just yet but maybe if the Sixers make playoffs you'll see him fly through the air once again. He has been busy strengthening the knee in rehab 3x a week for 2 hours and on top of that he has recruited some of the Sixers employees to run stairs with him on his lunch break. Go Hip-Hop Go! We love you and are praying for a complete recovery!

Election Day Perspective

Bill and I got the kids up early this morning and headed over to Tom Jones for the Blue Ribbon Special and then headed over to vote. Madison came in to the booth with me and even got to push the green VOTE button.
I have a feeling my candidate will not be the President-elect at the end of this day and I can be tempted to fear. I found this short interview on my favorite blog Girltalk, of one of my favorite authors & pastors John Piper. It is only 4 minutes long & a MUST WATCH on this election day. It really helped me to adjust my perspective on this election and I hope it helps you as well.

Halloween Fun

Happy Monday everyone! On Friday Batman, a beautiful angel and an enchantress visited our home for a little trick and alot of treats! Gege & Papa sent a Halloween care package for the kids with alot of fun goodies...thanks mom & dad! Nana & Poppy visited as well and enjoyed all the fun...thanks Nana & Poppy for spending the evening with us! And yes with Halloween it means I am a year older. That means I am now closer to my forties than I am to my thirties...ouch!!! Enjoy the pics and don't forget to VOTE (and PRAY!)tomorrow.