Thanksgiving

Here is a favorite photo of 3 of my 4 girls celebrating their good health and goofiness at our nations capital last spring.


I understand, more than anyone, that I have much to be thankful for. However, at the top of my list is the gratitude that my family and friends share good health. I am also grateful that we live in a country that values freedom and choice and has a constitution that supports this concept.

This is my favorite poem by Ralph Waldo E.


Thanksgiving

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Bengals and Buckeyes

Cincinnati Bengals- Leading the AFC North

Ohio State Buckeyes- Rose Bowl Bound

You know it, baby...!

Passport to Forever

Jamie and Henry recovered from the flu just in time to work their stuff on the runway as little male models. They were two of many internationally adopted children who participated in the children's fashion show at the fundraiser for the International Adoption Center at CCHMC. It's an AWESOME event, the highlight of the evening seeing the kids wave and grin and march the runway in style. So many dedicated volunteers work their tails off to make it a successful night... Karl and I have it easy because we volunteer to put together a slide show video each year and really enjoy collecting all of the photos and piecing them together with music. This year's event featured the Pacific Islands, and had a luau theme so we tried to stay in theme with my favorite parable, which just happens to be from Hawaii. I asked a friend's new daughter Elona, who is recently adopted from the Ukraine and is truly one remarkable and adorable young lady to read the parable and then speak a little bit about herself. We began the video with Over the Rainbow,covered by Israel Kamakawio'ole-my total favorite ukulele artist, better know as Iz, a perfect fit for showing the kid photos. Then we worked in a shortened version of Jackie DeShannon's LittleLove in Your Heart, and finished with my all time favorite song O-o-h-Child by the Five Stairsteps.


Here is the video... enjoy!




"...things will get brighter...right now"

Slime Flu Vs. the Boys

Both of our boys got hit with the swine flu, or "slime flu" as they called it, both on the same day. Our area has been widely affected, so while it doesn't surprise me that the boys caught it, we were really doing our best to stay healthy until we could get vaccinated against it. The most amazing part about Jamie and Henry getting sick was that they were the only members of the family to get it. While I would really rather avoid it for everyone, I am the most worried about Rosie being exposed as she is still getting over some minor health issues that she came home with. So, because we really wanted to keep the illness just with the boys we were very strict about keeping them apart from the rest of us, and spend every waking hour lysol-ing, and washing hands, toys and bedding. They stayed in their rooms and were only allowed out to go to the bathroom... not a big deal when during the first two days when they were very sick and didn't want to move, but more of a problem during the three days when their fever hovered at 100... they felt well enough that they wanted to do stuff and to have to stay in their room, was like the longest time out of their life. They took to coming to the door of their room and yelling at the top of their very loud lungs about how completely healthy they were. Once Henry complained that he missed his baby sister, and then when I brought her to the foot of the stairs so that she could wave to him- he got upset because she had on new baby jeans..."when did she start wearing jeans!" I guess he felt left out of her fashion decisions. Jamie completely immersed himself in hours and hours of watching cartoons and is now obsessed with Burger King... they must have a really good commercial because Jamie has brought up his deprived childhood times since... "I just don't understand why I have never been to Burger King... it has everything I like"
So while the flu had it's scary moments (Jamie's temp read 104.6 at it's highest..gulp!)Once we were over the first two days it was mostly all about containment and waiting it out.... no fun, but not the worst.

Not So Spooky Halloween Pix