Lots of camping pictures

Got some great news, Selah's sister's adoption was finalized and she is home in the US with her new family!!!!   I'm so thankful for that!!!

 

 

 

 

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Jon waving  

  (these pictures are from Monday)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this is a picture of the boy's room....we took it over cause the beds were nicer....they didn't care, they aren't old enough to have back pain!

 

 

 

then Jon took the kids to the playground for an hour!

 

I took the boys for a walk

can you see the squirrel on the tree?  he has a nut in his mouth

 

 

 

 

 

Here's Steve at the jump area...and YES he did go in on Tuesday even tho it was COLD!

 

 

 

Shad did NOT go in, it is about 60 feet deep there

 

 

And I certainly did not go in~

 

cute boy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this is bugs on the water, I've never seen this. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

these are cypress trees with knees:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the little ones loved the swing on the porch

 

So Tuesday morning we got up and my girlfriend, her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend went with me and Shad to our family's graveyard.  We go back 7 generations....

 

 

 

this is a picture of me at my Great aunt's grave.  She is the one who raised me.

 

 

 

 

Tuesday afternoon it really started raining

 

But that didn't keep the guys off the Suwanee River

 

Jon came over to say hi!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some pictures of the Suwannee River, right where Fanning Springs comes out

Here is the famous bridge over the Suwanee, when I was a little girl, I'd hide my face going on this bridge.  On Monday I kayaked under it, that was cool~

 

these are the old stairs we used to go down when we'd stop here.  It was a tradition.

 

 

the first bridge and plaque. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took this picture as we were leaving today

 

 

then we went to Manatee Springs but didn't see any Manatees! 

 

 

 

 

pretty

 

 

the only Manatee we saw!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manatee Springs also goes into the Suwanee River about 10 miles downstream.  Here the River is much wider!

 

 

 

FYI it was COLD!

 

 

 

water lilies, what the manatees like to eat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

what a great trip we had!  Loved being with our friends and their kids.  We played and ate and played some more.  Now we are all planning a summer trip to the beach together!

 

There was a cat at the cabins and I asked if she was the mascot and was told no, that they needed to call animal control since it was against the rules for strays to be there.  Shad wanted us to bring it home and they said that was fine and gave us a box.  My friend's husband put it in his van and he was taking back all our "toys" the kayaks and bikes.  Somehow the cat got out of the box.  He had to have the back of the van cracked since he ended up putting some of the kayaks inside and the other stuff in his trailer.  The cat got out of the van.  He didn't stop anywhere (except at redlights ) between there and our house.  We hope the cat got out as soon as he stopped here and is hiding.  Shad is sad!  I feel terrible for the cat.   I know this sounds silly but please pray that the cat either finds a home, finds its way back to the campground or that she is here somewhere hiding.  I hate to think it could be in a town somewhere, scared or hurt....UGH! 

 

 

Selah had a great time while we were gone and she is POOPING on her own:)  She has been very relaxed and peaceful!

 

Sarah is NOT pooping!  The meds have kicked in and things are different.  She has gotten a rash from all the meds she is on and I had to get new creams for her.  My first stop home was CVS for Sarah's medicine, Selah's meds and Sam's eye drops....Back to the REAL world!

 

 

 

 

 

Cabin life

 

Starting this with pictures from yesterday after church....

 

yes we were all wearing black/white/gray

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a nice drive up to our cabin. 

Isn't it beautiful?

 

 

 

 

the wrap around porch is the BEST!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our room bed not too comfy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Fanning  Springs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The springs run out to the Suwanee River where we kayaked all afternoon.  Already having trouble getting my arms muscles to do what I tell them to do LOL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are just photos from early this morning.  I'm at a McDonalds about 10 miles from our cabin as my friend runs to the store so I didn't have time to download more

 

Steve is kayaking with his friends on the Suwannee River tonight....UGH!  Scary for mom but they wear life vests and are having such a good time.

 

 

I never had had a chance to use the kayaks till today.  LOVE using it, so much easier than a canoe.  My arms are about to fall off but I loved it!  That is what I want for Christmas or Mother's Day, my own kayak!  Wasn't sure if I'd tackle the Suwanee River but I did and loved it.  Our friends also had a sailboat, we've had so much fun!

 

We're staying at a State campground, the cabins are wonderful.  Our close friends are here and we are running back and to each other's cabins, eating and lots of exercising and exploring all over the park and the woods!  This is the BEST kind of camping!!!!  

 

 

 

More pictures to come, things are great.  Checking on Selah she is doing fine. 

Flags

Lately I've been reading quite a few books about WWII and the history of the world from the late 1800's- through the 1980's.  Ok I'm totally a geek.  I love to read mysteries for relaxing but I do not want my mind to go to mush!  Some books have been more tedious than others but it's eye opening.

I finally read about the battle ground that we visited in Ukraine.  We traveled by van through some rough roads and up a small mountain to get to the battle ground that stretched as far as the eye could see.  I appreciated it then, but really did not know the historical value as I do now.  I also caught some footage of that battle on the Military channel a few nights ago.  That was exciting to me.

 

I'm going to write something that may cause folks throw a shoe at their computer but.....

 

When I wrote about adoption the other day and how I was for all kinds of adoptions but against anything that reeked of requiring adoptive kids and parents to be of the same ethnic/race background just to "preserve" culture, I mentioned how I don't think of myself as an American FIRST!  I got some agreeing responses on that statement.

 

I LOVE America and appreciate the freedoms we have been given.  I'm thankful that we as a nation have escaped so much cruelty that most of the world has had to endure.  We've been safe in our homes, we've never had to leave because of foreign armies taking over, we've been blessed.  I tear up when I hear "God Bless America" or "America the Beautiful"  But I am not primarily an American citizen. 

 

One thing that drives me batty is to have an American flag inside of a church.  I don't' mind it so much when a church has many flags displayed of many countries.  Then it's like a reminder that all nations should hear of God and all nations will stand before God one day.  But when JUST an American flag is promoted in a church.  That makes me so uncomfortable. 

 

WHY?  Because Christianity is NOT just an American religion.  Jesus didn't die for the "red, white and blue" 

 

Many people don't understand but everything in a church should point to Christ not to a country.  Think about it for a minute, what if you were in another country , say a communistic country and you went into an underground church.  Do you think they would have their countries flag promoted? 

 

In churches, even the placement of the furniture points to God and to what that church believes.  Take the pulpit, in a Protestant church the altar is between the pews and the pulpit symbolizing that the people can approach God on their own.  In a Catholic church the altar is behind the pulpit symbolizing that the people must go through the priest to get to God. 

 

So my point is, things in a church should focus on God and God alone.

 

When we stand before God, we won't be holding an American flag, a Russian flag, a Chinese flag, an Ukraine flag or any other type of flag.  We won't be singing "America the Beautiful" Or  "God Save the Queen"   We will be singing songs of praise to the King of Kings!

 

So having an American flag in a church really bothers me.  As I've traveled overseas, I've never been in a church that had just a flag of their country displayed in their sanctuary.  I did go to an International church once that had the flag of many nations displayed to represent all the countries that were worshipping together.  But I think the idea of equating your own country with God is an uniquely American thing. 

 

And that's what bothers me, it seems to equate God and America as being hand in hand. 

 

I'm so NOT anti-American please know that.  Every time I've ever gotten back from any other country I've been THRILLED to be back in America!   America has been blessed by God and for many years we had a strong moral backbone.  We were never perfect but we were a heck of a lot closer to perfect than any other major country I know of!  We've had our shortcomings.....BUT  people still line up to try and get into America.  I've seen it at the Ukraine and Chinese embassies. 

 

BUT America is not eternal.   American is not "God's chosen nation"  So when churches proudly display an American flag inside their sanctuary, maybe they need to think about what statement they are making.....

 

Now ask me about immigration.  I'm so NOT for open borders, not in this day and age!  I believe in  a proper immigration process.  I don't believe in giving citizenship to illegals no matter where they originated from.....  My three kids had to go through the process (in fact Shad is still going through the process as I brought him home by myself and that has been a pain!) 

 

OK now that I've ticked off everyone.......

 

 

We're having a good Saturday morning, the kids are still asleep:)   We're going to pack today and get ready to hit the woods tomorrow!  Have a good weekend!

 



Good School Meeting

Sarah and Selah's school meeting went good today.  I was really hoping the spirit of cooperation I was beginning to feel with this new group was true.  After speaking with the group, I don't believe the one evaluator was speaking for everyone.  So we had a good meeting and the children start their services the week after Thanksgiving.  There are still some evaluations to be done for Selah but at least the core part will start.   I think it will be good for the children but boy will that keep me busy!  I'm still annoyed by all that has happened but I'm glad that they will be getting services! 

After everything I went and got a pedicure today!  Yeah Me!  I could have fallen asleep in the chair!  I don't get manicures anymore since I have almost knawed MY hands off over the past few months!  It's awful, I go through cycles in biting my nails.  Sometimes I stop for years at a time....before the last few months I had stopped for several years and didn't even wear fake nails.  BUT one night since we've been home, I sat up with Selah back when she was so sick all the time and before I knew it, I had slaughtered my hands!  It's such a nasty habit. But at least I can't reach my toe nails LOL!

Sam is doing great, he is taking his afternoon nap and just seems back to himself.  So thankful we decided to put him on something to help him take the edge of anxiety.  Even his body feels more relaxed when I hold him. 

Sarah is doing fine, taking her meds like a pro, still pooping like crazy....hopefully these meds will kill the bugs!

Selah had her last session of HBOT this morning.  We have not seen any new changes but are still hopeful.  Even if nothing new changes, I'm glad we tried it.  I would recommend the HBOT office here to anyone.  They are very professional. 

Well the Thanksgiving break has started for us:)  My hubby is off from now until the Sunday after Thanksgiving (except for doing the prison and church service this Sunday morning.   We will be going to a cabin in North Florida some next week.  We will leave Selah with our nurses but be back in time for Thanksgiving.  I'm so thankful we have nursing staff that I trust with my daughter.  Our funny day nurse is even feeding the animals!  We are blessed:)  Well actually the animals are blessed cause I had forgotten about them and he offered to do it!  And no I'm not worried about anyone breaking in while we are gone, our nurses are here, we have a security system and neighbors who watch over our place:)  And by neighbors who watch over our place, I mean neighbors who believe FULLY in the Second Amendment  LOL  Looking forward to spending time with our family and some good friends.   There is no internet, no tv, nothing....but there is a McDonald's about 10 miles away with internet access in case it is needed:)   I plan on taking long walks, lots of pictures and just relaxing.....there is a seafood restaurant in that area that I've wanted to eat at for years.  Looking forward to some good Southern seafood.  

I love the woods.  I can stay out all day as long as I know I can take a shower at the end of the day and have a clean bed to sleep in.  I am NOT interested in tent camping....NOPE not me!  But this cabin in a state park sounds good to me.  The area is known for Manatees so we are hopeful that we will see some.  My aunts used to tell me about going there when they were children and young adults and I have never stopped at the park even tho I've passed it many times.  There are several state parks in the area that we may check out and we are near the Suwannee River.  Really looking forward to going and I'm glad that one of my BFFs pushed me to rent a cabin like they are doing.  We are all going to have good times for sure!  The cabins are nice, they sleep six so we'll have plenty of room, 2 bedrooms.  There are only 5 cabins there and no tent camping so at night the woods will be dark and we hope to see some critters!  I can't help but smile as I think about next week, it will be EPIC!

We keep a family pass to the Florida State Parks and try to go to as many as we can.  Not too far from us is Hillsborough State Park one of the nicest ones.  It is one of my favorite places on earth and so beautiful.  We go there a lot over the year.  When I'm walking the trail, especially when it's empty of people, I feel myself relaxing. 

Hope everyone has a great start to their weekend!

A Clean House and another RANT!

Just finished cleaning my house from top to bottom.  I have to laugh, before when we didn't have any kids, and when we just had Steve, I cleaned the whole house every Saturday because it was so "dirty"  LOL...I had NO idea....NONE!   Now I'm lucky to be able to do that once a month.  But there is nothing better to me than a clean house.  for some reason it fills me with such satisfaction, nothing can match the feeling.  I definitely have the opposite disorder from Hoarding!   Once my house is cleaned, drawers organized, closets neat, toilet cleaned, I can conquer mountains!  But when my house is messy, I can't do anything!  People say they don't mind a messy or dirty house, and I can not relate!  If the house is messy or dirty I feel like my whole life is!  When it is disorganized, my whole life is disorganized.  It's weird and I'm sure there is some diagnosis for it BUT I'm glad I have this particular syndrome because there is a cure for it...a CLEAN house LOL!

Really like all the remarks I got from my last blog.  When I write my opinion, I'm never sure what the reaction will be, will I be blasted?  Will others agree?  It was so much easier when no one read my blog, I could write what I wanted and no one knew !!!   HaHa!  I tend to be a little opinionated...LOL 

Sam has been a lot more himself and he is back to taking naps in the afternoon!  I really think this pill is helping his anxiety!  I love that he is taking naps and being able to relax.  He has always enjoyed a late afternoon nap, then to get up and eat supper, take a bath and go back to bed....sounds good huh?  This is the second day he is back into that rhythm, he did it even when we were in NY.  He had just quit taking the naps just in the last few months when his anxiety level climbed.  I'm thankful for this return to a peaceful afternoon for him again! 

Selah has one last HBOT session tomorrow morning.  We have seen no change but the staff told us the first time to look for change 4-6 weeks AFTER treatment was finished.  Hopefully we will still see some change, please pray for her!


Sarah is doing good taking her medicine.  Such a good girl to take 4 meds 2x a day!  Tonight she was starting to wise up and turned from me, but I kept playing with her and she took it!  Haven't really seen a change in her pooping either.


Our nurse was kidding me with all of them taking meds, I should just line them up and pour it in!

Tomorrow morning we have a meeting for Sarah for services from the public school system....none of the kids have YET to have any services but we have had plenty of meetings.  Today I was told that I have an "adversarial " reputation with the school board.  Really?  Me?  I thought that was quite funny as I have showed them WAY more Grace than I should have regarding getting services started for my three little ones! 

We have been home since last January......I've turned in things, things have been lost., people have changed....I was told that the time they have missed will be made up, I hope so.  They are very out of compliance and I have a feeling that tomorrow's meeting might not go quickly as the Speech evaluator told me she is only recommending THREE hours a week for all THREE children together....  (Sam used to get 3 hours of speech just for himself)  Oh and by the way, JUST because Sarah spent the first 5.5 years of her life in a Russian speaking country, has little to nothing to do with her delays NOW!  She cited the fact because Sarah has such an "intelligential delay" that it really didn't matter what she heard for 5.5 years.... She was a crabby lady and kept reminding me she would not be giving the services to the children for which I am eternally grateful LOL!    So just so everyone knows there is NO way I will agree to 3 hours of instruction for them together as they have hugely differing needs!!!  In fact I usually do not take the little ones into Selah's room just in case they could be getting sick or carrying a germ.  Selah has been so well, we don't have anyone in her room that doesn't need to be there, just in case....


I just get so annoyed...  I tell this story to everyone when I'm dealing with the school system.

 First, my other kids have gone to only two private schools, one where we used to live and one here in our town and I have NEVER had to have any big meeting to deal with anything.  I got along great with both schools and participated in whatever I could and loved the folks teaching my kids.  So I don't have a reputation of being a "trouble maker".  Between Shad and Steve they have a total of 16 years of schooling (not counting the home schooling I did last year with both of them, even in that I was working with their school) so somehow I don't think it is me with the problem! 

 Secondly I was a probation officer/supervisor  for all together 13 years...I got the services my people on probation needed.  And I did it in a timely manner.  For many I tried to get them extra services , things not court ordered in order to help them out or their families.  I wasn't a saint but it was my job and I did it because it was the right thing to do!  And I was helping CRIMINALS, not little handicapped kids!   HOWEVER in my years of trying to get the services my son and now my girls need from the public school system, it has never ever been like that.  People seem to go out of their way to make things difficult.  I tell this story all the time and I'm sure some who hear it roll their eyes but I don't understand WHY the school system wouldn't be breaking down my door to help us out!  I know I would if I did their jobs!  

I had a little hope that I was dealing with all new folks ( evidently the school board moved a bunch of folks around) but I was told today that basically even this group of folks consider me adversarial in spite of me showing them some grace despite them being so far out of compliance that it is not even funny!  Really I have been so burdened down with the new respondsibiites I have that no one has seen what adversarial looks like with me!  LOL  But have no doubt, I can show them!

So the time frame thus far has been....

The "rehab" sent Selah's records and ALL she needed to the public school system in January.  They told me she was ready for everything to be put in places and services started once we got home....This is now November.... (btw the way I told the perky happy lady we were working with NOT to count on anything being in place LOL  guess I was right!)

Then after we got home and the dust settled, I called the SB and found that Sam had been withdrawn from school on August 20 (just FIVE days after the accident) and the notation was that he would be attending school in another state.....WHAT?  On August 20, 2012 the only thing we were focused on was Selah and if she would live, I certainly can swear to the fact I did not ask nor did I agree to him being withdrawn.  And we never at any point has any plans of enrolling him in another state!


So we were told he'd have to be restaffed all over again....everything....even tho he'd been "served" by the SB since he was 3 years old.   (so about 6 years)

So...as I am dealing with LIFE and a very sick little girl in a coma (this was back when Selah was in and out of the hospital weekly at times)  I make an appointment to have a psychological evaluation for Sarah and Selah.  I got a copy of Sarah's, for Selah they came in and looked at her, I've never gotten a copy, never seen anything on it.....

At that meeting in I think early May, I turn in everything to them to register all the kids again.  I gave them THREE folders of things.  I was told I needed to give a copy of Selah and Sarah's birth certificates...

Then school is out...summer is here....August comes and I wait for a call....and wait...so I call.  No one knows what to tell me.

I am told no one can find all the kids registration paperwork....so I do it AGAIN- this is the third time for Selah and second time for Sam and Sarah IF you are counting!!!!  I believe I drop it off at the school in early September....and we still wait.....  OH and the vision teacher just had to get me to contact Dr A's office AGAIN for another copy of Sam's last eye report as it was NOT in his folder!  I brought the report home with me from NY...turned it in....then had to contact them AGAIN to get a copy and now I had to get a THRID copy......  CRAZY!!!!!

Can you see why I might be annoyed?   And that is not even taking into account our history with the school board!  I had a "teacher" walk Sam around a school with a rope tied around his waist like a dog after being told NOT to do that....oh and the school has huge floor to ceiling windows in most classrooms.....  so anyone looking out could have seen this......wonder why I might not be happy?  This is the same "teacher" that brought Sam back to me with a big red mark across his face and couldn't or wouldn't tell me how Sam got the mark....we "fired" that teacher!  But he didn't get in any trouble with the SB that I know of.   Just one thing after another where I have no trust and not much hope in the public school system.   At one point they had a person over the homebound who had a history of being a failed principal of a school that got a F  6 years in a row!!  That person was a "gem" to deal with I can tell you that! 

I am thankful that our insurance covers the kids' therapy because that has been consistent and wonderful.  I comfort myself with the fact that at least they get that and we know how to work with them thanks to wonderful therapists we've had since Sam was a baby.  I've learned so many things that I can use in a day to day situation.   We had services for Sam from Lighthouse for the Blind from birth till he was 6 years old.  The last day his wonderful teacher came, I sobbed on her shoulder as she left!  She was awesome!  The service he got from Lighthouse was awesome and basically they taught me everything I know about blind kids !  We were so lucky to have the same teacher come out for Sarah from the week we got home from Ukraine until the week we left for NY.....  Sarah turned 6 years old when we were in NY so she wasn't eligible anymore:(  Lighthouse expects the school system to take over until the child is an adult and then they have adult related services for them.  They do some teen programs and camps too but not weekly therapy. 

Right now we have a wonderful PT who has a life goal of seeing Sarah walk on her own.  The PT is experienced and just perfect!   I know Sarah has had a lot of growth but I can not help but believe it was our PT who works with her tirelessly that has helped Sarah to achieve so many gross motor skills.  Just today I saw Sarah put her foot on the ladder to the highest slide.  She climbed up and did the slide with just the slightest help.  She has also recently learned how to put herself in the swing.  She walks out with her walker, gets turned around and as long as we hold the swing, she grabs the rope and hops her little butt right into it!  I need to video tape it and put it on here!!!  The first time she did it, I almost cried!  It still blows me away.  Sam can't totally get himself into the swing and he doesn't use a walker!

Anyhow forgive my rant.....I probably use my blog too much as a diary at times! 

Please pray for a family in our town who I just heard about.  They are in the process of bringing their dying 8 year old child home from the hospital.  We hope to be able to do something for the family, maybe send them Thanksgiving dinner or some gift cards....  please pray for this family, we have walked through some dark valleys but this is not something I have had to face.  I can't imagine how heartbroken they must be, I hope we can do something to lighten their load!