Memories through Pictures

Hi everyone! Where do I even begin? My oh my it's been a long time since I've posted. I was looking back at some of our last posts and I think it's time to look back on all that has happened in the last couple months!

Our family isn't always busy but when there are 7 people in the family, it can be pretty hectic with all the different schedules that need to be maintained. School has been going very well for the 4 that attend a charter school and 'T' continues to grow and learn at home. Sports have been put on hold currently, until next month when Erin will start her season of indoor soccer. Christmas is coming up fast, and thankfully all the holiday shopping has been done. We also got plenty of snow that now covers the ground...so it will definitely be a white Christmas. :)

I thought I would go back and highlight on some of the key memories that took place this Fall. :)

MICHLYN

Michlyn finished her volleyball season in late October. It was her first year of being a captain on the varsity team and she will hold that role next year as well. She finished her season named "Defensive Player of the Year" and received all-conference honorable mention. She also was the person to have the highest amount of "digs" (volleyball term) and that 84!! Her best friend 'B' (pictured above) went to a new school this year and that has been a hard transition but they see each other as much as possible. She also celebrated her 17th birthday this year! To celebrate - Her, mom, and Erin all went out for pedicures, shopping, and dinner. :)

ERIN

Erin finished her soccer season in September and it was very successful for her! She made the most goals out of anyone on the team and that was 7! She was also named the team's "MVP" and received all-conference honorable mention. She loves soccer and continues to play it all year round except for the occasional 1-2 month break in between seasons. She excels in school and is especially good at math. Her best friend 'N' (bottom left picture) and her do everything together and they are so funny when they're together. She took her permit test a few months ago with 'N' and they both passed so they can both legally drive with a parent. Stay off the roads around here... :)

'J'

'J' is our shy and quiet one. He likes to observe things and watch from the side until he's comfortable and then he'll hop right in. He played soccer this summer and is so good at it. To think he's only been playing a few years blows my mind because he's got such great control and coordination. School has been a little tougher this year but he's been working hard and with mom's awesome studying help, he's been passing with flying colors. 'J' just turned 11 years old! He got a sweatshirt, sports bag, and new game that he really wanted. It was so fun to see his reaction when he opened them. :)

'S'

As I've mentioned before 'S' is our little comedian! He makes us laugh everyday and comes up with his own cute little jokes. He recently turned 8 years old! Wow that's crazy...I was only 9 when he was born so this birthday really made me feel "old". :) He had cupcakes and crazy ole' dad decided it would be fun to add a sparkler to his candles. He was born on Thanksgiving and we called him "our little turkey" so when he made a turkey hat at school, we had to get a picture of him wearing it. :) 

'T'

'T' continues to be homeschooled. She also goes to a co-op that my mom helps out with and twice a month attends a class called "LEAF Club" (Learning, Education, & Fun). Mom especially loves those days because it's a much needed break and quiet time for her. We were also able to attend our cousin/niece's wedding in October as a whole family! It was a great wedding and we were blessed to be there on the special day. 'T' continues to keep us on our toes but our life would not be the same without her. :)

Hope everyone stays safe during these busy holiday weeks and that you can find time to remember all that God has blessed you with! Remember the reason for the season :)

xoxo,

~Michlyn

Rewind | Time Flies

So it's been a really long time since anyone has posted here and I apologize. But life happens, and you get busy and blogging isn't one of those priorities anymore. I'll give you a big catch up post and possibly some pictures but we'll see. :)

The summer was crazy busy but very fun and memorable! LOTS of soccer, driving here and there, visiting family and friends, and just taking time to relax before school and more sports would start again. The weather seemed really funny this summer as winter decided to last until May. As of this week in early September, it's been HOT.

Michlyn's summer included a job as a nanny with Erin, driving her siblings around, hanging out with friends, reading some books, and relaxing before school starts. She found out some of her best friends were leaving the charter school we attend this summer, so going back to school has been extra hard this year. She is a Junior in high school this year and that's kind of scary and exciting at the same time. That means this year and only one after that until graduation comes. (let's not talk about it) She is playing volleyball again for school and is one of the captains on the varsity team. She is thoroughly enjoying it!

Erin enjoyed her summer with playing lots of soccer, seeing her friends, going to a One Direction concert, having a nanny job with Michlyn, and sleeping in. :) Erin started school as a sophomore this year! Crazy how another year has gone by already...She and her best friend 'N' do everything together. They are some of the funniest and  craziest best friends I know. They are the same age and have a lot of classes together at school, so school has been pretty fun for her so far. She is also playing soccer again for school and although their team isn't as experienced, she does a fantastic job and I don't think I could tell you how much she loves her sport. She took Driver's Ed this summer and plans on taking her drivers' permit test soon. 

'J' had a really fun summer too! He played soccer for the 4th summer and he improved so much! He even got suggested to tryout for the traveling team for next summer. :) He is our shy and quiet one...just tries to take everything in and it scares me how fast he's growing up. He started 5th grade this year. He, again, has a new teacher and was a little extra nervous on his first day, but he loves her. He's doing all his homework and already learning a lot! He has quite a few friends and usually always has a good day! 

'S' is our early riser and loves to play. So more often than not, this summer, he would be up early asking me if he could play on my iPod or I'd hear him in our living room at 6:00 am. It seems he has this un-ending supply of energy. :) He's our little comedian and is always making us laugh...I think him and Erin got most of the funny genes. He started 2nd grade this year! I can't believe it...I always say this but my brothers are getting so big and it's so great to see them grow up. He has the same teacher as last year and likes her a lot! He's best friends with the school Janitor because I always see him talking and giving high fives to 'S'. :) 

'T' is going to be home schooled again this year. It's the best decision for her and for our family as we continue to work on bonding and attachment. This summer, in July, was 'T's 3rd gotcha day. She has been in our family for 3 entire years. Although adoption was one of the hardest things we've ever done, we know that God put her in our family for a reason. He only knows when each step will get easier. Neither adoption or parenting is easy though and we're putting our faith in him to help us teach and help 'T' to grow and learn. 

I promise I'll be back sooner than later next time! Thanks to all our friends and family that read along on our family's journey. :)

xoxo,

~Michlyn

Soccer Girl

Erin is still playing soccer. Like a pro.

This year, it has been particularly fun to watch her play as her team continues to play hard, have fun, and show us what they got. She's been on this team with the same [incredible] coach for the last 3 years. They are awesome. A couple weekends ago they played in the championship and took 2nd place! (Although it was for a shoot out and not because the other team was better)

Keep it up Erin!

~Michlyn

School's Out!!

Last Thursday marked the end of our 2012-2013 school year! It was a fun day full of pizza parties, field trips, movies, and games! :)

Just for fun we took some after pictures to compare to the ones we took on the first day of school.

School's out, let's scream & shout! (that was a high school musical line by the way)

~Michlyn

Hello February

That was quick... 1 whole month of the new year already tucked away.

A few happenings from January:

I (Michlyn) got my license! :)

Erin & I went to our school's Snowdaze Dance. It was a lot of fun! :)

J won 2nd place with his friend 'A' at school's "Invention Convention". 

He invented the iLego Case for an iPod Touch. :)

Happy February!

~Michlyn

Well Hello There!

Hi everyone! It's Michlyn!

It's been awhile...

Thought I'd give you an update on our always crazy-busy life.

I finished my volleyball season at the end of October. This week we had our banquet to celebrate the season. We had a potluck at school, the captains made a video, both JV & Varsity players were there, and we celebrated the parents and coaches. It was so much fun to look back on all the memories we made in just a couple months. I was awarded "defensive player of the year", lettered for playing varsity, and was also voted to be a captain for the 2013 season. I am so blessed to be on this team w/ girls I love! :)

Erin continues to be our social butterfly! She had her soccer banquet a few weeks ago & also lettered for playing on the varsity team. She's doing fantastic in school and never fails to make us laugh. Something else really exciting is that she just got her braces off!!!!! 5 years people.....

Her teeth are so perfect! I currently have my second set on, and hope to get them off in the next couple months.

'J' will soon turn 10! Whoa - double digits! I remember when I was 10. Both boys hope to have a double birthday party with some friends from school. He is doing great in school, and we always hear positive things from his teacher. He is a whiz at math! I also think he is looking too old...slow down little brother. :)

Our little cowboy 'S' turned 7...just 2 days after Thanksgiving. :) Some know that he is our little comedian! Here are some things that have made us laugh lately.

'S': (belting out a tune): "All I want for Christmas is yoouuu! .... Psshh, who wants a person for Christmas? Weird!"

S: "Mom says I can go on the computer for 25 minutes...That's a lot of minutes right 'J'?

Putting 'S' to bed:
*I pray*
S: Now I want to pray!
Me: Ok go ahead.
S: "Dear Jesus, I thank you for this day and that we'll sleep good. I hope I have no bad dreams, all good dreams with good stories in them, and no zombies or skeletons. 

'T' is still adjusting and recently got a haircut. It was hard to take care of her loooong hair, when sometimes she didn't want us to even touch it. So to keep it more healthy, we cut it. It's short just like when she came home, and it definitely brings out her beautiful brown eyes! We really like it and it's much easier to do when she wakes up. Attachment is always a work in progress with this girl and we hope that sooner rather than later, that things will start to actually get better. She has had a couple actually good days, but the next day always seems to send any hopes crashing down. It's been a big step for our family and change is always hard. We would love any prayers and hope you realize how much we appreciate it.

Blessings, and may your holidays be filled with joy!

~Michlyn

#21

Michlyn just finished up her first varsity volleyball season with the Pact Panthers!

They did FANTASTIC!

I had the opportunity of watch just 3 games, 2 of which they dominated :)

But dad took in every home game, as well as a couple away games - he loves cheering his kids on!

Michlyn played team lebaro and rocked the position!

They played their final sectional game last night & Michlyn came home excited to report she got her first "tick tick boom" ... they didn't win but definitely finished with a BANG!

We're so proud of you!!!

"21 is lots of fun!"



Proud!

He did it again!!!

Our J was voted September's  "Student of the Month" by his classmates!

He encourages others in learning.

Is trustworthy and reliable.

Is respectful and shows concern for others.

It is such a wonderful feeling to know others see the good and kind in your kids!

We've known all along what an awesome kid "J" and thank God for the blessing of being his family!

Way to Go Buddy!

We're so PROUD of who you are!

Love you

xoxo



Catching Up in this Fall Season

It's been almost a month since I last posted. Goodness gracious, how can that be?? August quickly finished it self off, and September came in full force! This post is going to basically be a giant catching up post... Here we go!

We started back to school bright and early on August 27th. We are all going back to our small Charter school, except for 'T' who is being home schooled.

I ('M') am a sophmore in high school this year. I've been loving it so far, and my favorite subject is Biology! I enjoy seeing my friends, getting to know my new teachers, and of course I do learn things! :) I started playing volleyball again this year! I started playing for my first year at school this time. I started on JV, but was just bumped up to Varsity. It's been very exciting, and I just love the girls! This year has been busy so far, but very fun and exciting!

'E' started her first year of high school this year! I know... ca-ra-zay! She got together with many of her friends this summer, but was also very excited to start school again. Besides getting up early, she loves school. She has always been our most creative one, so she loves her art class. 'E' is also our only girl soccer star, and is playing varsity soccer for school. Their team has been learning together this year, and just won their first game! She is always telling funny stories from her day, and keeps us laughing.

The boys are also back into the swing of things. 'J' started 4th grade this year.  He is always a little nervous on the first day of school, but did so well. He was excited to see the kids in his class again, and he really likes his teacher. 'S' started 1st grade...what?! Our little man isn't going to be so little anymore. He has a locker for the first time this year, and he actually gets to do homework. Both of them can get distracted while doing their homework, but they're doing great. They have already learned so much!

'T' is being home schooled again this year. I did a post a while ago on "Table Time". This is something she does mostly all day everyday. Since she has gone through so much trauma and is still having attachment issues, it is best she is at home with mom. Table Time is something that is predictable for her. She can color, do worksheets, she has beads, legos, and sometimes polly pockets. It a way that will help build her trust with us, and keep her world simple. So her every morning routine is the same, and my mom keeps up with her and best as possible - So she's in charge, and not 'T'. As she learns to be a kid again, and to slowly trust us with her everyday needs... It strengthens bonding & attachment. (I will do an "achievement" post on her soon) She also goes outside a couple times a day, and enjoys the fresh air. The routine is definitely different, but we do what is best for the whole family's needs.

The weather has been getting pretty cold already... Actually turned the heat on in the house for the first time today. Most of us LOVE Fall though! The colors, bonfires, and crisp air. And thought I'd end with a picture I recently took. :)

Happy Fall everyone! 

~Michlyn

We're Here and so is Summer!

It's Michlyn...

I know that I rarely post anymore, but that's about to change. It's been a good 10 days since my mom or I have posted. We do have a few posts floating around in our heads (or at least I do) and we will be posting soon.

Our last day of school was May 24th, so Summer has arrived at our house! Superdad is being REALLY super this week, and decided to take the week off to finish up some projects! YAY!

Despite some car break-downs, unexpected illness, and rushing to soccer 4 nights a week we're hanging in there. Just like a blogger friend said. "Even after school is out, summer holds a different kind of crazy."

Thanks for stopping by, and still reading! We love comments from anyone!

Blessings,
~Michlyn

Part 2: Hope... in brokenness

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once upon a time a scared little girl on the other side of the world lost everything.

Years later,  God would collide our worlds into "FAMILY"

Together, we would face the brokenness that had become our life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finding HOPE in the brokenness of this world, however, takes much patience & perserverance.

Seeing the effects loss & hurt has on our youngest daughter is heart breaking.

Adoption is one of the hardest things I've ever been a part of...

T. has lost through death, poverty, seperation & abandonment.

She lost the ability to be a "child", an innocent child protected from the bad things around her.

She knows fear &  uncertainty!

The trauma has equipped her with the need to take care of herself.

And has convinced her no one is trustworthy!

She has built a wall,  a strong coarse wall!

When I come too close to those "protected" places, I am met with painful abbrasions - like your  body connecting with a rough, pitted, unfamiliar surface... it stings :(

T is guarded... I am pushed back & rejected!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

T. is a surviver ... a God given strength that most definitely aided in her becoming my daughter.

When she's in survival, I find  myself struggling to be the mom to T. that I know how to be.

The available & familiar love I have for my children is NOT received by T, it's not even what she needs at this time.

T is unable to accept love-like I long to give to her :(

So I am striving to learn a new way to love T.

(and I will ... slow but sure)

Different from what I know, but better for both of us.

~LOVE is giving our child what she can receive~

It's not about me!

It's about becoming who God created me to be, despite how I thought it would look.

And letting God love T through me.

 Once again, I'm holding ever so tightly to God's promises of HOPE.

"For I know the plans I have for you"' declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you HOPE  and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

It's not an accident I am T's momma... I believe it's all part of His divine plans for my life - For each one of our lives :)

His plan to give us HOPE and a future!

God's plans for us promise to be greater than anything we could dream of for ourselves.

He knit this FAMILY together for His glory!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A sweet friend reminded me just today,

"God chose you, out of millions of other momma's, to be her one and only. And God doesn't make mistakes. He will refine you and grow you, while He heals her."

T has lost much, all that once felt safe and familiar.

Today, we pray for HOPE to fill her heart!

For trust to be restored.

We pray for wisdom & guidance as we walk this blessed & difficult journey... For redemption!

Moment by Moment!!!!

Clinging to HOPE,

Becky

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Resource: Hope Connections / www.tohavehope.com

who says???

 While on one of my many "runs" to school & back yesterday

I made a couple stops...

I won't say where  :) but as I headed out the door of one of my "stops",

I was offered some free gadgets to take with me... so kind!

As I choose colors for my kiddo's I asked silly-ey "how many kids do I have again?" :D

I was met with, "You don't want me to go there. Cause if you ask me, TOO MANY!"

My joyful reply, "What? Really? You can never have too many!"

Who says 2, 3,... 5...8,9...20 is too many, anyway?

[insert her somewhat disgusted face]

"Well I have two & that can be too many."

Me: "The more the merrier."

and I was on my way again...

I guess I asked how many 'cherubs' I had ... but not your opinion on it.

It may not have been meant to be insulting but I found it kind of rude

So very thankful for my many  blessings - especially my beautiful, sometimes noisy, loving, energetic children!!!

Can't imagine life with even 1 less

more maybe, but not less ;)

I am blessed,

~Becky

wORDLESS wEDNESDAY

15 years...

15 years ago...

 On November 7th

At 4:11am

 a beautiful baby girl arrived into the world

8# 

blue eyes

fuzzzy brown hair

more precious than words

It was love at first sight

xoxo

And I became a Momma!!!

Michlyn 1 year old

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So much changes in 15 years

Michlyn became a big sister x5 ... and is wonderful at it!

She went from 21" baby girl

to a 5'4" beautiful young woman

Inside & out

Michlyn Kate

is not only beautiful but

compassionate

giving

Lover of Jesus

a friend to all

----------------------------------------------------

And then somethings never change...

Just like the day she was born

she's strong-willed & stubborn

[not sure where she gets that from???;)]

a bringer of Joy!

And I will never stop loving being her Momma xo

Happy 15th Birthday Sweetheart!!!!

May you continue to seek God's plans for your unique & beautiful life!

; ) Lucky Duck,

Love ~Your Momma

powder puff game

Last Thursday Afternoon

On a beautiful Fall day in Minnesota

I had the chance to watch Michlyn play in Pact's 4th Annual Powder Puff game

Freshmen & Seniors vs. Sophomores & Juniors

Undefeated vs. The Hunters

It's was Michlyn's first opportunity to play

It's her first year attending Pact

She's a Freshman

They practiced a few afternoons & spent time "creating" their orginal team shirts before game day :D

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It was a lot of fun to watch!

The players all seemed to have a blast too!

The game was close, even intense at times.

Undefeated WON 34 - 30

Woo Hoo!!!!

~PowderPuff Mom :)