Big Foot

Earlier this evening, Seely tripped on the stairs and broke his foot - the right, fifth metatarsal to be exact. It wasn't all that swollen, wasn't even all that painful, but he was hopping around the house, so we decided to take him in just in case. Sure enough, he'd managed to crack one of the bones. They put him in a walking boot cast, and we are to call the orthopedic doctors in the morning . At this point, he is finding it rather amusing - though he is trying to come up with a better story than tripping down the stairs!

The Simple Joy

....of an ice cream sandwich.

You've Come A Long Ways, Baby

Nine years ago today, we arrived home from China with baby Lily in our arms - finally a family of five. Those of you who knew us then, know exactly what a miracle that day was and what a miracle her life has continued to be. She arrived home at 18 months old barely able to sit on her own, and has amazed many with her ability to overcome. The damage that early neglect had on her life is still with her every day, but none the less, as we look back today, we can only admire how far she has come in these last nine years. We love you, Lily! Happy Homecoming Day!!!!

How We Didn't See John McCain

Instead of our usual homeschool co-op classes this morning, many of the co-op families decided to attend the McCain/Palin rally being held near-by. We parked at the "shuttle station" and were told something was "screwed up" with the shuttles, and that it was suggested we walk....So, off we went. We walked the mile and a half with hundreds of other rally-goers. The weather was beautiful, the people friendly, and the protesters were respectful and peaceful.

We arrived at the hangar about an hour and a half before their big arrival (remember it took a half hour to walk!), and saw this.....

And that, my friends, is about all we saw! There was no raised stage, so we were not able to see either McCain or Palin in person. (Except for Mango, because Uncle Matt - who we happened to run into there - was kind enough to put her on his shoulders). And the sound system was so poor that only the people in the front were able to hear anything that was being said. (I realize that some of you may think that is a good thing - but it really was disappointing). Don't the kids all look excited to be there?????

The most excitement we had was generated by the man holding the Obama sign in this picture.

He and one of the McCain rally goers had a shouting match, and yours truly had to go find the policemen before things got violent (and the first punch was being thrown right about the time the policemen arrived).

So we left early, and did what our group is best at....went to lunch!!!!

Wii Fit

After several weeks of searching, we were finally able to get our hands on a Wii Fit. Wii Fit is sort of an exercise "game" for the Wii. You can jog around the Wii Isle, hula hoop, slalom ski, ski jump, do step aerobics, and many strength and yoga exercises. Best of all, it is fun! Above, you can see Mango doing the "hula hoop". Below is a video of Random and Seely out for a two person jog around Wii Isle. (And if you don't know the boys in person...just GUESS which one choose the name RANDOM!!!!)

Goodbye, Blossom.

Lily's hamster Blossom died during the night last night. Even after her vet visit, it became obvious early on that she was not going to make a recovery. We have a couple of very sad girls this morning. We'll bury her later on today.

Our Blossom

I woke up this morning to the news that Lily's hamster, Blossom, could not open her eyes. They were crusted shut, and the poor little critter was huddling blindly in one corner of her cage. We tried cleaning her eyes off with some warm compresses, but it didn't seem to help. The girls tried to feed her by hand, but she wasn't interested in anything other than a few tiny sips of water. We found a vet who was able to see her, and DH took her in, expecting that Blossom would need to be put to sleep. The vet gave Blossom some fluids under her skin, got her eyes open, and discovered a lump in her abdomen. He says she is not suffering, and sent her back home with some antibiotics, and the knowledge that she will either improve or die within the next two to three days. Why take an $8 animal to the vet? Because this animal belongs to Lily....and those of you who know her well know that she needs to see that her Mom and Dad did what they could to help her and this little animal that she loves.

Monkey's Coat of Many Colors

During Sunday School this past week, after hearing a story about Joseph, Monkey made a coat of many colors. He was quite proud of his creation and wore it around the house for much of the afternoon. At one point, he even told his oldest brother, "I have a coat of many colors and you don't". Seely looked at him and with an amused grin, said "They didn't tell you the whole story, did they?"

"World Fest"

This afternoon, we all attended the first annual "World Fest" in our city. They had free food, dance performances, and informational booths representing many cultures around the world.


We were lucky enough to run into some friends that we hadn't seen for awhile, and were able to just enjoy being outside with family.


But someone thought the music was just a wee bit loud.

Washing the Wall.....Again.

Here is an image to enjoy while I am busy getting the rest of my blog set up. Our four year old has recently decided that writing his name on the wall is a great past time. He is cleaning his signature off the bathroom wall for the third time this week!