Prayers Please.

Well I may be going back to work. Drew's job is commission and with the economy the way it is people just aren't buying TVs, Home Theatre equipment, Speakers, etc. The last two months have been very hard. But the Lord provides and we are doing OK. The important thing is that Drew still has a job. Some of our friends have lost theirs.
So anyway I may be returning to the work force so that we can keep our heads above water.
I wish I could say more but I am not in the mood. Sorry.

I hope everyone is doing well and our prayers are with you all. It is not an easy time for anyone.

God Bless,

Dora

Scoot, Scoot, Scootin'

Anna is scootin' around on her stomach all over the floor! She will be up and crawling soon I just know it. Supplementing with formula has really helped. She has put on some weight and can even sit up by herself for a few minutes at a time. It is bittersweet though because I do still get teary eyed thinking that these are my last firsts. Last first tooth, last first sitting, last baby to watch get up and crawl. I will miss having babies and will be so excited to have Grand babies but not for at least 17 years! I also have nieces and nephews to look forward to in the future.

Sorry no pictures this time I have to wait for a while. My digital camera got washed. Dylan has been helping do laundry and somehow my camera ended up in a laundry basket then in the washer when Dylan loaded the washer for me. Oops. It was an accident I probably would have done it if I had been loading the washer. So needless to say it will be a bit before I save for a new camera.

Drew has a camera that he got for his birthday but he can't find it. He usually uses it for work but has misplaced it either in the house or at work. If I find it I will snap some pictures and share them. If Drew finds it he will forget for a few weeks to bring it home. Poor Drew he gets distracted, it took him two and a half weeks to bring his W-2 home. I do have it now and have started working on the taxes.

Well laundry is calling, talk to you soon.

God bless you and yours!

Dora

Some Pictures I Found and Thought I would Share

The boys laying in the blue bonnets March of 2007. Devin was 9-10 months old and Dylan was 5 going on 6.
Same day in the blue bonnets. I love black and white and profile shots!

Dylan competeing in a karate tournament Oct 2008. He got first place in traditional forms.

Yes that is a wrapper in his mouth. Devin couldn't wait for chocolate last Easter. (Drew in the background.) Oh and yeah he is gagging but Drew got it out after the photo- I swear!

Anna and Daddy napping. She was 10 days old.

I am so blessed!

-Dora

Signs that Three is Almost Here

Devin is most definitely almost three, more specifically the trying threes. His new favorite phrase is "I said no!". I know this is a direct quote from Drew and myself but when your two almost three year repeatedly says this I have one of two responses, neither which is great. Most often the response is a slow boiling anger that makes one see red send the child with the offensive phrase straight to the corner because in this state of mind you don't dare touch them. The other response is laughter which doesn't help either when you have to suddenly leave the room for fear of encouraging said behavior. Laughter is usually a result when he says this to his brother or dad.

The last time Devin told me he said no was this morning when I was cleaning out Anna's nose with the nasal aspirator. Anna of course screamed as if I was pulling out her toe nails which greatly concerned her brother. He kept saying "No Mommy, don't hurt Anna" and tried to cover her face so I could not get to her nose. I did not get upset at first I thought it was sweet that he was so protective. Then he stomped his foot and yelled "I said NO!". Admittedly I wanted to laugh, it was kind of cute, but he was sent to the dreadful corner.

Dylan is almost as frustrated as Drew and I am. Devin loves to tell Dylan no. It is like a new super power. Especially with toys. Dylan does not like to share his cool big brother toys so is always telling Devin no. So now that Devin has appropriately cool toys that Dylan can play with he tells Dylan no. Of course this results in the immediate response of "MOM" being yelled at the top of Dylan's lungs no matter how far away I am. Now to Dylan's dismay he sometimes does not get the desired response. Reason being that I have told Devin that there are some of Dylan's toys he can not play with and back Dylan up when Devin tries, so to be fair Dylan can not play with all of Devin's toys. I know, so unfair. But most of the time if Dylan were to ask nicely instead of trying to take Devin would usually share.

I am grateful though that Devin is not like other 2-3 year olds that we know. He is not a screamer, he does not like to cause physical pain unless repeatedly provoked or if it is his brother, for the most part I think he listens well, and as of right now he does not intentionally take a toy for the sole purpose of making someone else scream. We have a friend who's little girl does that and it is so annoying.

Well as I mentioned I was cleaning out Anna's nose so I must go do so again for Devina and her. The three of us are suffering from allergies/colds. We three are snotty, soupy and yucky. Hopefully we will be better tomorrow as we are scheduled to go to the Rodeo because tomorrow is dollar day!! Yeah!!


Today is a gift from God, Remember to Thank Him. (on a new sign I bought for the house)

Dora

Finding the Time and Just Doing it

So finding the time to keep up with this was not as easy as I thought it would be. I should have known.
I never seem to have enough time to finish the laundry, vacuum every day (i thought that would be a breeze being home everyday- ha!) so much to do and so little time. Forget having time to do things I want to do like go to the library, haven't gone in a while, Dylan is not happy with me. Or on the other days enough time but not wanting to do it. Like I hate cleaning toilets - yuck! Especially with so many boys you would think that if they could not get a small steam into such a large hole they would sit down, but no. I will admit though that I no longer forget to look before I sit, wet seats and all (shudder). But when I have the time do I do it like I should, nope. I need to just do it.


Another very important thing we should do and don't is tithing. This has been a source of argument between Drew and I. He wants to I don't think it is feasible. Ugh! I will swear though every time we discuss it I hear something on the radio or a sermon reminding me that it needs to be done and why. Does it really have to be 10% of our gross! I know in the end it will be abundantly worth it and I know it is robbing God. But dang it I am dragging my feet. There are bills I could pay with 10%! Oh and an example of these bricks that get thrown at my head, as I like to call them, I saw a t-shirt to night that said "Just Do It" James 1:22. I of course am curious and, after leaving the Christian Finance class where I saw said shirt, flipped to James and read:
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." (James 1:22)

I will give you one guess what our class discussed tonight. Yes, I am being told to just do it!
I give up, Drew got paid today so I came home and I wrote the check. Maybe I will be left alone now.....

Good Night
God Bless

Dora

All About Anna

Well first off she is hardly ever just "Anna". She is usually called Anna Banana or Nanners. Poor kid she is going to hate that nickname. I almost bought her a banana costume for Halloween but decided that would be unforgivable.

She is the only child I have had that insists on sucking her thumb. So to avoid that habit she gets a Binky (pacifier). Neither of the boys got one, mainly because I don't like them but they also did not turn to their thumb. Anna is so different that way. She has quite a temper, I attribute most of that to the red hair. She has also decided that if there is more than one adult present she should be held and we sometimes go round and round about that.

She loves to be able to see her brothers and laughs her head off at them. She is also the only kid to laugh at me the first time she had baby food. I could not believe it. Every spoonful made her laugh. Must be from her Dad's side, too weird.

As most daughters do she has her father wrapped around her finger and I can't wait to see what kind of trouble he gets into when she gets older. I know Drew is going to just try to give everything she wants and that will not be happening.

I do feel bad for her when he day finally comes that she has a date. Two older brothers and her Dad, not to mention the two grandfathers in the area. Poor Anna. She may never date if they have anything to say about it.

Anna is a little small for her age and we have had to supplement a lot with formula because she just hasn't been putting the weight on. For example at her appointment in Nov. she weighed 13 lbs exactly and then in Jan she was 13 lbs 8 ozs., only 8 ozs. in two months is not so good. I have my good days and bad days feeling like that is my fault but I'm working through that. Since she has been supplemented with the formula I can tell she has put on more weight which is very good. She still wears 3-6 months but they are beginning to fit just right and a few pieces are too small, but most of the 6-9 months is still too big but with the occasional safety pin or the rolled waist band you can't tell.

So far it looks like she will stay a redhead, her eye brows and the top of her eyelashes are red. So happy about that! She is not crawling yet but the pediatrician said that was to be expected since her weight is low but I am sure she will be going before long. She already pushes herself backwards around the floor.

I feel like I have hardly talked about her but since she is only 7 months old there isn't as much to tell as there was about Devin and Dylan. I'll keep you posted and sorry it has been so long since i wrote time got away form me.

"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. 6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. (Matthew 10: 5-6)

Dora