WOW! It's Saturday 12-13-14 in fact.....boy have we been busy! Wednesday we went given a van that we can modify for Selah's use.
Thursday we had our ONE & ONLY Christmas Play practice....No speaking parts, the kids will act out the story of Jesus's birth while a narrator tells the story and the congregation joins in with singing at various spots. I wrote it along with our Music pastor Guy Canady and I have to say it is simple but very beautiful. This is my first time directing a Christmas play and certainly the first time writing one!!! Shad and Sam will be Wise men (Shad holding on to Sam). Sarah and Selah will be a part of
"heavenly host" in beautiful angel costumes our nurse Rose bought them. Sam's favorite cabbage patch boy doll (sent to him by one of my readers) will be Baby Jesus....it's going to be sweet:)
Thursday night was the Habitat for Humanity party. We were presented by Florida Hospital of Zephyrhills with a check to buy an industrial refrigerator! Those folks are just great, they've worked on our home & they are a great hospital. We experienced them also when we had to take Selah in on a weekend to check her arm out. We were in and out in two hours!!! We really appreciate Florida Hospital of Zephyrhills!
We were also given a washer and dryer by a company that has also helped on the house. Angelo's Recycled Materials of Zephyrhills has been bringing in truck loads of dirt to build up the foundation and the property of the new house. It's in a low area (like most of Florida) and just like where we live now, it's near the Hillsborough River, so the property tends to get a little wet. They've been out there since the beginning hauling tons of dirt in to ensure we don't have any flooding.
We also got to spend some time with some of the volunteers who work on our house during the week. They are RV'ers from all over the USA who come to Florida for the winter. Many are skilled retired men and woman who have lots of experience building homes. We met a couple out at the house and again at the party that the husband taught Vision Therapy to kids just like Sam and Sarah. We talked "shop" with him. It's not very often we meet someone who really understands our kids!
During the party, Steve had to leave and go take his LAST final for this semester. Then he was rushing home to try to go to bed early as he planned on meeting his friends at 2:45 AM to drive to Disney to take part in a commercial as an extra. Living in Florida, our kids have the opportunity to go to all the theme parks and beaches a lot, something most folks don't get to do. Every so often there is some type of free deal. Well this was going to be one for the record books. He and eight of his friends were going to be extras in a commercial shot at Disney. There was much care taken in finding clothes (no logos allowed) a lot of planning went into things.... I got up with him at 2 am and by the time he was ready, some of the friends had driven up. As they were waiting they got a text from one of the guys.....he had hit a cow! Really totaled his SUV! It was really awful, no one but the cow (poor thing) was hurt but everyone was shaken up. INCLUDING ME!!!!! Steve had originally plan on spending the night with his friend and then driving to pick up the van as they needed two vehicles. I didn't want him to do that since I knew they wouldn't go to sleep early and at least get a few hours of sleep before it was time to get up. I'm so glad that I didn't let him spend the night! I was upset enough even tho no one got hurt and then when Jon reminded me Steve could have been in the car.....let's just say I needed an anti-anxiety pill to go to sleep!
So Friday we all slept in. thankfully it was Jon's day off so he remembered to take Shad to school! It was about 11 am before I wondered about that..... Then we all got ready and went to see our friend's SUV...boy it looked bad. I'm so grateful that everyone was ok!!!1
We then went by the house and guess what? Part of the roof is on!!!!
We took Jon out to eat at Subways for his 51st birthday. He was not too thrilled with it LOL but I will make up for it later. Then I had to go shopping for the church. I bought all the things to decorate the church for Christmas. This year I threw away quite a bit of stuff that was looking rough. I'm not into keeping things once they've outlived their usefulness. Near our new house there is a church that has the absolute ugliest flower arrangements on it's porticos. I have threatened to go and grab them and throw them away! I'm sure someone's great grandmother made them and left them there....50 years ago and everyone is afraid to do anything to do cause it might make someone mad..... Anyhow stuff like that drives me BATTY!!!!! If something is useless and worn, let it go! Sometimes it is better to have nothing than to have something that is worn out.. So I let some things go and bought a few simple things to grace the foyer of the church along with lots of cleaning supplies. Steve went with me and he pushed our family buggy and I pushed the church's buggy. But I got everything done:)
Later that night Jon and I went for a walk around the hospital which has about 50 Christmas trees up and lit. It was a beautiful, crisp night.
We came home to Movie & Popcorn night so I snuggled Sarah while she fell asleep in my arms....nothing better than that!
Recently I read a blog about an adoptive child who has a hard time being "still". That was Sarah after we got her home and she got some strength and gained weight, she went from lying quietly in our arms to being a crazy girl, twirling and playing on the flood till she'd fall asleep with exhaustion. We think she finally felt FREE....and healthy so she didn't want to be held too much. But NOW.....she wants me a lot, especially at night. If I try and walk past her, she reaches her hand out to grab my clothes. I really find it endearing even if it means I have to spend a few minutes cuddling her before I can get anything done. She loves to hold mine or Jon's hand....it just brings tears to our eyes to see how she trusts us.
So the last few days have been so very busy but good!
Today I finished decorating and also did a little shopping for our NY trip. We are Florida folks so most of our clothes are thin and includes shorts & flip flops. Luckily most of us have some winter clothes for those few weeks of "winter" here. Sam and Sarah have all grown out of all their "winter clothes" that we bought while we were in NY after the accident in 2012. They were able to wear them last winter here but now they are both in size 6 instead of size 4. I'm trying to get them a winter wardrobe together:) It wouldn't be so hard but usually one outfit change a day is not enough with them. We have to be prepared.... As I was shopping for Sarah it struck me once again how we as a culture try and make our little girls grow up way too fast! Since she is out of the toddler section for good, I'm seeing the 6-14 size section and it is annoying. I did find two sweet and warm outfits. Since we are in Florida, even our winter clothes are made pretty thin. Having kids that have some tactile issues, I have to feel inside clothes to make sure they are as soft inside as outside. I'm truly thinking of putting Sarah in PJ's for the trip, nice warm ones with feet, so she'll stay warm. I know it will be challenging in NY and very cold.
Tomorrow is the Grace Church Christmas Play 2014- 11Am! If you are in the area, please feel welcomed to come! We will be having a luncheon following the play also.
Sorry the pictures are all wooky.....not sure what is going on, I can't see them as I type to tell you what is what.....
