KristiEIleen"s

Liberia 2010

2010-07-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a little presentation I did for my home Church last Sunday. It's doesnt begin to hit on everything we did. But, I only had 3 min and this is what hit me the hardest...

This was my fourth trip to Liberia. I was blessed to be able to stay for 6 weeks this year.
Everyday I’d pray that God would direct me, guide me and teach me. That he would put me where He wanted me to be and use me. I have a chorus from a song stuck in my Bible, it says
I want to be your hands
I want to be your feet
I'll go where you send me
Sometimes, as I learned this year, where God wants and places you isn’t always as easy as we’d like it to be.
3 weeks into my stay we were still at the clinic in #2( The bush). We’d been holding clinic and things seemed to be running smoothly. The day that Ken, Jessica and Libby came in, our other group from Indiana was going home. I’d thought the week before that I wanted to go with Carolyn to the airport to pick them up, spend the night and get a nice shower with running water, because I knew it would be another 3 wks before I’d get to REALLY shower. A couple days before they came in I had a change of heart. People were coming to the clinic and I felt like I really needed to stay, and that the clinic needed to stay open. I talked to Carolyn about it and she felt like it was a good idea. So, Mary Helen and Mike stayed with me.

I was terrified when the truck with Carolyn and Dr. Hunt took off, and shocked that Carolyn trusted me to run things! I prayed that God would give me wisdom to treat whoever came in and show His love… "
Mary Helen took vitals, I saw the patients and nobody came in with anything too crazy.

Around 6 that evening I was told that there was an emergency, so Mary Helen and I rushed into the waiting room and found a little 4 year old girl named Ruth having a seizure. Her temperature was 105 and she’d been seizing for an hour and a half which is how long it took her parents to walk to the clinic. We put her in a tub of cold water and tried to get her temp down and to get her to stop seizing. She finally stopped seizing and I got malaria meds and pcm in her. Then we noticed her baby brother tied on his mothers back. He was having trouble breathing so I asked if I could look at him and try to help him too. Jeremiah was 1 year old and weighed 10 pounds. He was so tiny and fragile.

Ruth’s fever wouldn't stay down. Every hour almost on the hour it would spike back up to 104-105. We'd bath her again and I'd give her meds when I could. And sweet baby Jeremiah was getting weaker and weaker. I kept praying “God, please help these two babies!”. I tried everything I could think of to help Jeremiah out! And Little Ruth was SO sick! I just kept praying! 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says “Pray without ceasing” and that’s what we did.
For 5 hours I switched from one baby to the next. Their parents told me that they had already lost 7 children. I was holding little Jeremiah, his mouth was cold and white and he was struggling with each breath. His Dad sat down looked at his baby boy with so much love and sadness and said, “I know he’s dying”. I almost started crying right there. I told him that I would keep trying and praying! I handed the baby to Mary Helen checked on Ruth and decided that I’d better clean up while Ruth’s fever was under control. While I was cleaning up I prayed that God would keep those two angels alive! That he would work a miracle. Right then Mary Helen rushed in with Jeremiah, he’d stopped breathing and I couldn’t find a pulse. I started cpr. He opened his eyes took two breaths and died in my arms! I wrapped him in my arms and lost it. I can’t put into words how I felt at that moment! I felt guilty for having him die in my arms instead of in his parents. I was worried his parents wouldn’t trust me to take care of Ruth since he’d just died and take her away. So, many things! I kept praying that God would just keep Ruth alive. I pulled it together for little Ruth. Her fever kept spiking and she was still weak. Around 2 AM some of the family from their village arrived and the father carried little Jeremiah home to be buried. I stayed up with Ruth, bathing her every hour and giving her meds. By the time morning came Ruth was doing a little better. She still had a fever, but was able to take in fluids and sit up with a little help. I’d done everything I could for her and got her stable enough to send her to the government hospital. When her Dad came back we sent them to Buchanan with our battery operated fans and lots of prayer. People started coming to be seen, so I got back to work and prayed that Carolyn would get back before another emergency like that came in because I was exhausted! I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to see anyone as I was to see Carolyn that evening!

The next week we headed off to conference. I couldn’t get Jeremiah or Ruth off my mind. When we got back to #2 I was too scared to ask about Ruth, I didn’t want to know if she’d died, but I needed to find out either way. Finally JahnJah asked Pastor Don for me and I’m happy to tell you that she made it and is doing greatJ I also found out that their Dad had told the people in his village how thankful he was to have us there and to have had Jeremiah where he was when he died, that he knew we’d done everything we could and was glad someone cared enough about his son to keep trying. I know now why God laid it on my heart to stay at the clinic. There was a hurting Mom and dad who needed to see that someone cared about their children and loved them, and a little girl who would have died if I hadn't stayed.

I want to be your hands
I want to be your feet
I'll go where you send me

I’m going to keep singing this song! I’m going to keep praying that no matter how difficult it may be that God will direct me, guide me and teach me. That he would put me where He wants me to be and use me.
As horrid as the image of that little baby dead in my arms is; and as hard as I try to get him off my mind and fail, I know that God used us that night to show his love to hurting parents. I know that no matter how hard the circumstance may be; God can and will be glorified! That if we allow Him, He will use us to be His hands and feet.

I just want to thank all of you for your continued support and prayers. Thank you for helping me go where I feel God is sending me.

I love lovely days

2009-05-05T11:16:00.001-07:00

It’s so beautiful out today! I love lovely days
Right now I’m sitting with my Gramma. We sat outside playing with the dogs for about an hour. She’s an amazing woman! Both my Gramma, and my Mom extra extraordinary. God has blessed me so much by giving me such wonderful Christian women role models to look up to.

Will's graduation party went well. I think that everyone had fun. Snosh counted and we had almost 45 people crammed into our tiny little kitchen when we ate. I think that we had around 50ish come and go. We were hoping and praying for lovely weather conditions... however it rained off and on all day. We set up a little tent thingy in the backyard which provided tolerable fortification from the exterior elements.

I leave for Liberia one week from today... and I'm not ready. But then again I'm never really ready for anything.
It’s been an exciting year so far. God has blessed me beyond all imagination and I'm so thankful to be right where I am at this moment in time and excited to see where HE leads me later on. So, for today I'm standing on the promises of Christ my Savior.
Colossians 3:14&15
14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Good gravy!!!

2009-04-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

Good gravy!!! Graduation/Liberia… can I say stressful!?! I’m super excited about both, but I’m a tad bit overwhelmed. Anyway, today Joshua took William to register for… COLLEGE!!! I’m so proud of him and looking forward to this next year. Anyway, I’m off to get a few supplies for Liberia, and I’m still thinking about what to get for Sunday:/

When I wipe away my tears I still know that you are here.
I see the works of your hands all around me.
I will lie down and sleep in peace tonight and in the morning when I awake you’ll still be with me.
I will praise you in the storm, and give thanks even with this broken heart.
I will lie down and sleep in peace because I know you’re always with me.

Captivating Splendor

2009-04-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

Captivating splendor is something I rarely see or rather rarely acknowledge. As I grow older and the years pass I find myself ignoring God’s amazing art work more often than I care to admit. When I do happen to open my eyes I feel guilty for ignoring and not giving due credit to my wonderful Creator.
As I was driving home the other day I was self absorbed in worries and rather distressed. And as I drove down a little road filled with trees I turned a corner and the sight before me took my breath away and if I hadn't felt like crying before, I did at that moment. You see it wasn't just the serene scene that made my heart skip; it was the overwhelming feeling of love and grace. For if my God can paint the hills and sky to form in such a gentle way and cares for the sparrow and lily... how dare I ever feel so miserable? Life can feel so cruel and almost too difficult to deal with at times, but as I learn and grow I know that even if it is unfair and brutal God is always just and loving! I see the blessings and gifts all around and when my heart is breaking I know that my God cares. He has given me so much to be thankful for and when the unfathomable slaps us in the face I know that my God is there, and though I may not be able to see him face to face just yet, I see His hand in everything around me. So, today look out side, take a walk and absorb your creators art gallery!
Isaiah 40:28&29

28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Verse 1:
He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

Pre-Chorus:
And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

Chorus 1:
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.

Verse 2:
We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

Verse 3:
Well, I thought about You the day Stephen died,
And You met me between my breaking.
I know that I still love You, God, despite the agony.
...They want to tell me You're cruel,
But if Stephen could sing, he'd say it's not true, cause...

Chorus 3:
Cause He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us.
Whoa! how He loves us.
Whoa! how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.

2009-03-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

What a fun weekend! I made my first wedding cake.... it was a ton of fun, it didn't turn out as nice as I would have liked... but, I think the lovely, cute as a button couple liked it. Plus I got Noah and Isaiah for a night and got Nehmiah for a few hours.
And I got to spend today with Mom, Dad and Levi. Dad "worked" on my breaks that didn't need fixing. Rather irritating almost being bluffed into paying some guy to fix them. Thank goodness for wonderful Dads:)

Writing with Will reading over my shoulder...

2009-03-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

(K)"So, William... what would you like the world to know?"
(W) "I don't know"
(K) "Well, why are you reading over my shoulder?"
(W)"Because I'm nosy!"
(K) "Do you mind?..."
(W) "NO! Hahaha"

I really don’t have much to write about. But, I noticed a lot of "traffic" on here and decided I might as well write something. Let me see.... I made fried chicken for the first time tonight. Will and Joshua were being big babies and talked me into making fried chicken, mashed potatoes and corn. Now my house reeks of fried chicken. But it was pretty good if I do say so myself. I'm pretty sure I've created two spoiled big brats (i.e. William and Joshua). After dinner and cleaning up Joshua and Will both said "Thanks it is was great" and I jokingly responded, "My life would be nothing if I couldn't cook for you two", and the crazy part is... that has become a big part of my life lol. But it's a part I LOVE. I really do enjoy cooking for the boys. I love cooking for anyone who dares to eat my concoctions :) And now I have another specialty to add to my list thanks to the boy’s insistence on fried chicken for dinner lol.
(W) Thanks for giving Kristi your recipe Aunt MaryLou

The end of our long journey is nearing...

2009-03-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

The end of our long journey is nearing. Where did the time go? The last few years have been somewhat unexpected. I’m sure all of you know what I am talking about. As I sit here in my living room and scan my surroundings. I’m struck with joy, apprehension, contentment, lament, wonder and hope. The end of our journey is near, the last 3 years are coming to a close and our little William is grown up!
I’ve struggled with letting go my whole life. I thought that this would be easy. I was going to be ready to let him fly the coop. I am so ready in so many ways. Yet I am petrified. This probably sounds like a lot of gibberish… but, it’s something I am struggling with and not sure how to fell or what to do. Not that he is moving out or going away… but, it’s going to be different. He’s an adult and making his own decisions and I think that that is what scares me the most. Anyway, Life is always changing and always a journey. So as we close one chapter we open another in this crazy mixed up beautiful mess we call life.

Psalm 143:10
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.

2009-01-04T20:26:00.000-08:00

Psalm 46 (New International Version)

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

8 Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.

10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Why can't those boys...

2008-12-03T13:29:00.000-08:00

I caught myself saying "why can't those boys..." then I realized I think this a lot during the day. "why can't those boys shut the door when it's freezing cold outside?", "Why can't those boys shut the cupboard door?", "Why can't those boys just sit down on the couch instead of flop down?", "Why can't those boys put the toilet seat down in the middle of the night?"," Why can't those boys replace the toilet paper?", "Why can't those boys put the milk away after getting a glass?", And why do those boys... "Why do they use 5 million pots and pans to cook something as simple as spaghetti?", "Why do they make such a mess?, "Why do they smell so bad?"... I guess the answer to the question I've been asking all my life is simple... It's because they are BOYS!

New Flash!

2008-11-30T11:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I don't really have a news flash... I don't have anything to write about. But, I've noticed that "we" aren't posting as much as "we" used to. And by "we" I mean all my sisters in-law. So, I'm posting... and about what? Nothing. Let me see. This week has been... well, everything. Happy, loving, depressing, sad, joyous,frustrating, fun... I guess it's been a little bit of a roller coaster. I'm enjoying life, but it can be a little stressful at times. I've been so blessed that all the frustrations seem so small in comparison to the amazingly wonderful gifts I've received. Gifts not from the store but from the heart.

Change... I have to have a little

2008-11-17T12:32:00.000-08:00

"Change". some people don't "like" the word. But, I tend to embrace it. I love change. Little change, big change any and all change. Since I have to let up on changing my hair, I've discovered a new thing to change. And that would be my over sized picture hanging in my living room. It has taken on a "few" changes this month.

I'm not "dying" for another month...

2008-11-12T09:06:00.000-08:00

I've made a promise not to dye.... my hair for another month. I've caused too much damage already and have vowed (thanks a lot Molly) not to touch my hair for at least a month. Hair dye is my only" vice" in this crazy hectic life. So, please pray for my addiction to color as I struggle to come to grips. But the upside of this whole ordeal is... I got an amazing hair cut and LOVE it! I'll admit it's taking a little getting used to. But I'm falling in love with my hair, which is a new feeling. I've never "loved" like this before.

Loving Life... and all the little ones

2008-11-09T18:49:00.000-08:00

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times... I LOVE being an Aunt! It's amazing seeing my brothers having kids. And the best part... I'm the favorite (well, I keep telling myself that anyway). But for real I love having them around. Here are a few pics from this week

Making lemonade out of rotten lemons

2008-11-02T17:36:00.000-08:00

My oldest nephew Isaac asked me if I would take him hunting a few weeks ago, I told him that I would LOVE to! I didn't realize at the time of this promise that I would be staying up all night the night before to help out with the youth group lock in at our Church. Needless to say I was really tired when I went to pick Isaac up, but I was also excited, the excitement outweighed the tiredness. When I got to John and Molly's, John had EVERYTHING all laid out bagged up and ready to send us off on our crazy fun adventure. We decided to stay the night at the property because it's about 20 miles from the Mountain where we were going to be hunting. After getting there (to the "property) we realized that after all of Johns careful preparations we had forgotten all of Isaac's hunting gear. I felt REALLY bad about forgetting to make sure we had ALL of his stuff..."Don't worry Aunt Kristi, we'll make lemonade out of rotten lemons!" and we did! Thank goodness for Dads that hunt. We scrounged around and found just enough camo and hunter orange (not the best color on me btw!)to save the day. We had so much fun! We woke up at 4AM and hunted till 4:30 PM. Though he didn't "draw blood" he said he had a great day.
We saw 30+ turkeys, an owl, a bald eagle... and a little doe that ran across the road as we were driving home. We were both exhausted. There's nothing like getting to share something like this that's so special and important to your nephew, with your nephew. I LOVE being an Aunt!!!! Oh, one more funny thing. I found an all blue grass station on the radio while we were driving to the Mountain, I started singing along w/ some of the songs I knew then Isaac and I both started to make up our own words, I asked him if he liked blue grass and he said " Well, I don't think I've ever really heard of blue grass. Is it like green day? I've heard of green day". Blue Grass/Green Day, it was hilarious!

LIBERIA

2008-10-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

Scroll down to the bottom of this page to view the video from Liberia

I'm broken and hurting!

2008-10-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

I'm broken and hurting(well, I will be when I get the heating bill)!Why must we be "warm" in order to survive? This is tearing me apart. I've acclimated myself to the crisp cool fall weather, just to have William tell me when he got home from school that he thinks "it's time", time to turn up the thermostat and warm up this house. No need for anyone to worry about us. The heat is on! And I am crying (inside that is).This ridiculous need for heat! What is the world coming to?!? Even the butter was calling out to me for warmth. When I went to butter my bagel this morning the butter was solid and sad(we keep our butter out in a butter dish and it's always soft and ready to serve us, our butter is a special servant always willing and ready to spread).

Blue blood

2008-10-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

The harsh reality sunk in when I looked at... the thermostat and realized why my blood is blue, it's freezing in this house. I might be considered a little "tight", but I think I've gone too far this time. I HATE turning on the heater in the winter and the cooler in the summer. It literally pains me. My stomach turns and I feel dizzy when I have to turn it one way or the other. I'd rather freeze than have a huge bill at the end of the month. But when I woke up this morning and saw that it was 56 degrees... I still didn't turn on the heater. It'll warm up I keep telling myself as I shiver and put on yet another layer.So, if you don't hear from me tomorrow... You might want to check on us. No I will turn it on when it gets too cold... But, what's too cold?

"Just breath"...

2008-10-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

Why is this happening to me? I asked, but got no answer. This feeling taking over my every move. Trying to inhale but not able to get any air. I felt like a prisoner, and the cold hard reality was... I was suffocating. "Just breath" I told myself over and over again. But with every breath I took the reality that it won't just ago away became clear. What can I do? What should I do? All these questions were getting me nowhere. Yet there must be something. As I struggled to get my breath, to fill my lungs with air. I realized what must take place, it might be the only thing that would save my life... I must blow my nose and take some cold medicine. Yes I have a cold and don't feel very good today:(

Waking up

2008-10-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

I woke this morning like every morning, wide awake and ready to take on the world. I love rising with the sun. I love waking up with the world. This morning was like every other one... or so I thought at first. What made this glorious morning different? Was it the crisp cool clean air, the quiet, the breath taking colors of the sky, the over all beauty of fall? This venerable morning, so lovely,so serene, so unraveled by the fierce unwholesome surroundings made by man! I can't help but smile when I swing out of bed. I always feel so energized. The things of this world are not yet brought to light in the early morning. Peace is still attainable at dawn. The world perceived at this moment in time I can't explain.
Yet, what was it? I still couldn't put my finger on it. But there was something different. I was filled with great surprise and wonder. The bewilderment vanished and it became crystal clear! What made this so clear? What could have made it come to light? It was... My stupid alarm clock! Yes, this was but a dream. I never wake up ready for the day. I wake up groggy and annoyed that I'm awake. So in reality this morning was indeed like every other,because I woke up.

The end of a perfect relationship...

2008-10-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

My love, my love is gone and what can I do? I feel so alone. Will I ever have what I've dreamed of? Will this feeling of despair and regret ever go away? I did it. No one else is to blame for this tragedy but me. My motives were right, but it ended in disaster... my emotions were right what I did would be considered noble to some. Even though I did what I had to, my heart will never heal, the wounds I thought were healed have been re-opened too many times and I'm not sure if I can handle the pain again. I've tried to be strong I've tried so hard not to let everyone see my pain. But I cannot put on this strong face anymore.
Things have to change. I wanted to give up, I thought it would be in the best interest of everyone to just walk away, but walking away was harder than I imagined. When you finally think that it's all going great, when the sweet smell of love is in the air and one phone call ends it all. One call is all it took to tear my love apart. To say I'll never try again... I won't lie I felt like I couldn't move on, that I wouldn't move on. But, I will not allow this to keep me down. I will fix the problem and live to bake another day. So, if you missed out on the story my bread didn't turn out the way I was hoping. I had to pull it out early and the middle was a little doughy, it was still delicious even with the doughy middle. And I will bake bread and perfect it the next time, or the time after that, or the time after the time after that.

When others don't believe in me...

2008-10-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

In the past I may or may not have had a few not so successful attempts at baking bread, which has lead to a disbelief in my abilities to bake bread without a doughy middle (that's what "tends" to happen to my bread). When I announced this morning that I decided to take another shot at this art I am trying to master. The response I got wasn't exactly what I was hoping for... This is what I got...
'I'm going to make bread today' (Me, with excitement), "Well... good luck with that, don't you remember what happened that last 5 times you made bread?... It didn't turn out!"( William, not so excited). Not only am I going to make perfectly baked delicious homemade bread, I'm not going to allow those who have shown no faith in my abilities (or lack of thus far) to enjoy in the amazingly warm scrumptious delight that will not only smell and look amazing it will also be baked through and through;)

To all my sister in-laws... I now feel your pain

2008-09-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, so today is Will's birthday, and he asked my dear mother to make him dinner. So, my dear mother called me not 10 min ago asking Will to come out and get his b-day present b/c it was "too big" for her to carry in. Wondering what she got him I ran out to her car to find...
a CAT!!!! So, to all my sister in-laws I think that I now get the award for most annoying present given to your "child" even though he's not my "child" I still get the award.
To be honest I think that this little kitten will be Williams favorite present. He LOVES his little kitty and even if I DO NOT like cats, thanks Mom for giving him the cat!

Watching TV all by myelf..

2008-09-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm sitting here (all by myself), thinking "I can watch whatever I want", well, figuring out what to watch by myself is proving harder than I thought. If only someone made a remote that flipped back and forth from three channels... I wouldn't be writing this now.
So, to end this story maybe having someone to fight over what you watch isn't so bad after all:)

My "emotional" day...

2008-09-18T12:14:00.000-07:00

I hate to admit (not really "hate) that I had a rather emotional day (I sound like my Mom),
I was granted permission to keep my adorable little niece for the last three days and today was my last day with her (sniff~sniff).
We had so much fun playing in the garden, watching movies, reading books, fixing our hair,cooking, going out to lunch, shopping ... needless to sya we had tons of fun! I asked Micaiah if she was going to move to Nebraska and she said "yes", I asked if there were any cows on the ranch she's moving to and she said "There are green cows, deer and ELK!". When we woke up this morning she sat up, looked at me and said "I LOVE YOU!!!", ran into Joshua's room, jumped on his bed and he told her to tell me to make coffee and she said "otay" started to walk out, looked at Snosh and said "I love you Washa". How precious is my little Micaiah!?! She's so full of life and love. I love all my nieces and nephews and cherish every min I get with them. I would have 100 kids if only I knew they would be as adorable and sweet as my 12 nieces and nephew's. They are all so different, from Isaac(the oldest) down to Jude (the youngest). To have a heart of a child, to have that honest untainted love and affection. If we loved each other the way these little ones love us... what an amazing world we'd live in. We said our goodbyes when Nicole came to rip her out of our lives (J/K, but that's what it feels like), as she waved her tiny little hand I thanked God for my family.
When I was younger I never dreamed that I wouldn't live close to my brothers. Now that I'm supposed to be an adult I DON"T like it:( I always new times like these would come, I'm supposed to be the boss of the family and no one seems to be listening when I tell them what to do with their lives (like not moving away from me lol)! I can't figure it out... Now I'll have two brothers, two sister in-laws,two nephews and one neice living too far away to see every week.

On top of it being our last day with Micaiah... it was also Williams Senior day at school.
I couldn't help but thank God for the last 2 and a half years we've had Will. I didn't think we'd actually make it this far. But there we were, waiting for him to walk up and shake the principles hand. At this point I was filled with joy, just happy seeing him happy and ready to grow up. Then came the "emotions" when the Bishop told the kids to go thank their parents... He came over gave me a rose and had tears in his eyes, he hugged me for about a min and I lost it (well, as much I "loose" it). Joshua on the other hand... To see him growing up and starting to take "life" seriously, I know that no matter what anyone may say God gave us Will for a reason and I'm seeing it now. Most people don't understand the extent of our circumstances and that's okay. Some wondered why we'd give up our lives to take care of "just a cousin". He'll be 18 tomorrow and if anyone would have seen him three years ago... William will be an adult tomorrow. but you know what else? He'll still be my baby cousin that I love and would give up anything and everything for.