What a Year !!!!

Well it is about 3:40 am and I have yet to be able to go to sleep, Insomnia, I think that is the word. I cannot clean house because I have children spread throughout this house who are sleeping peacefully and I do not want to disturb them.
When Michael and I went to bed we had our usual pillow talk and our topic of conversation was our life with these children God gave us "our children" and how amazing it really is. That ten years ago he sent us a child from nearly halfway across the world from a little Island out in the pacific ocean, and what a blessing and miracle that was and how we have watched him grow into such a wonderful child a child that would of had a much different life a life I do not even want to think about, a life of poverty in its most true form but tonight he is asleep in his room safe and sound and what a blessing he has been to his father and I. We were the ones who received a great blessing when God gave him to us, he filled a void, a longing in our hearts to parent a child, to share our love with a child. We were so happy,Carter was our world and then out of the blue on a Sunday afternoon we received a phone call, a call that changed our lives. We thought Carter would probably be our only child and we were ok with that even though we wanted more we just felt extremely grateful for him, we were not seeking out anymore adoptions because we really did not know how to go about it because Carter just kinda fell from heaven to be our child so when we received the call if we would be interested in adopting again we were beyond happy to think maybe just maybe God would give us another child. We were a little afraid to get our hopes up but on that next Thursday we got the phone call that changed our world forever, it was from the doctor who was delivering the baby and it went something like this " Crystal you and Michael need to get to the hospital your baby is on the way don't worry about anything I have called the judge and lawyer and they have drawn up the paperwork and they will meet you at the hospital. Wow, so to the hospital we went and into the delivery room I walked and the birth mother said " its you...Your the one I have been carrying this baby for" I had never seen this lady in my life but God had put a connection between the two of us, I sit with her through nine hours of labor and then witnessed the birth of our precious son, Caden has been our sunshine, this child who will soon have his sixth birthday has been a joy, he makes you smile even when you want to pinch his little head off because he is being a stinker, he has a way about him a way that special, I look at him and nearly laugh just because he is such a mess, full of adventure but most humble. He has blessed our lives more than words could express. Well as you all know the story does not end there, were only half way there.
I really felt as though we were so fortunate to have two children through the miracle of adoption and did not expect anymore blessing. After the earthquake in Haiti last Jan. we felt the tug upon our heartstrings that God had another child planned for us, but after realizing Haitian children would not be placed for adoption unless you were already working toward an adoption in that country, Michael decided to get back in contact with the people who helped facilitate Carter's adoption. We could of never imagined what was in store for us, I guess you all know that story and I do not need to continue to ramble but what a year this has been, what a remarkable life God has allowed me to have. I would most of all just like to say Thank you a million times over for my life, yes it is hectic at times and I do not relish the moment like I need to but at times when it is quiet and I am all alone and I think of what God has given me an overwhelming joy floods my soul and I know its just by his mercy and great love that I have such a blessed life and that my children are just gifts from God and it is only because he allowed it. I am ashamed of living a fast paced life, a life where I worry and wonder what the future may hold, I would like to live in the moment the moment of now, the now is good, my children are just that children, precious wonderful, full of life, happy children and that is so much to be thankful for, so tomorrow when things are a little hectic, I want to remember how I am feeling now, feeling like the most blessed woman on the planet, what have I done to deserve this, nothing, nothing at all just by grace..Thank you Lord!!!!
Someday I hope I can give back, I want to know my life helped someone else and not always be consumed with me and mine, that is how it seems sometimes but with the help of God I will do something someday, I told Michael earlier tonight we should be missionaries when the kids grow up, he laughed but I was serious...You never know but for now I guess my purpose is to try and raise these precious children in the nurture and admonition of God, whew that's something big right there and I pray everyday I can do just that. That remains to be seen. Sorry I have rambled on and on and if anyone actually reads this kudos to you, its late and I had nothing better to do, well I just now thought I could of been praying,oops sorry Lord didn't even think of that, see I have a long way to go to be that creature he intended for me to be...lol..well goodnight or should I say good morning..

Snow day!!!!!!

Today was such a fun day and thankfully all my children were well enough to play out in the snow. The kids as well as the adults had a great time. What some great memories we made today. Michael got a rope and inter tube and pulled it behind the four wheeler and we all took times riding in it and the kids loved it. Life is so busy sometime it was just nice today to have my husband and children together with nowhere to go or no deadlines to be met. I remember when I was a child and how much fun my family had playing together in the snow and I hope my children will look back on this day and remember what a wonderful day we had.

Thank the Lord all the kids are fever free for now and seem to be over their sickness, Resiana is still not 100% and we still have the worry of how her blood work and test are going to turn out but for now I am choosing not to drive myself crazy with the what ifs and be thankful she is our little girl and God has allowed us to take care of her and we should know that he ALWAYS comes on time and knows how to calm the storm. Just a few short months ago he delivered for us and brought our bundle of Joy home and that is exactly what he is...JOY, there is not words to describe how crazy we all are over him...We are thankful!!! I know and trust the Lord is going to take care of her. He has it all in his hands and where better could it be!!!

Re-Cap

Well I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, we did!!!! It was amazing to have our children and enjoy Christmas together. To see Resiana and the excitement she showed and to know this time last year she was sleeping on a side walk and that Christmas to her was just another day but this year was totally different. It is amazing how God has blessed our lives this year, I would of never dreamed that we would of been blessed with not one but two children, we are a very happy and blessed family and we could never praise God enough.

We did have a good Christmas, but unfortunately we have had very sick children, baby Crimsyn took very sick during the night Christmas Eve and was sick during all the holidays and after taking him to the doctor on Monday after Christmas they determined he had RSV. He was very sick but with breathing treatments, antibiotics he still was not making a big improvement but after much prayer and the compassion and love the prayers got through and he is now 100% better.

Resiana has been very healthy since coming to us and it has been very hard for us to watch her be so sick, she took sick the Monday after Christmas and remained sick all week,running high fever and just laying around. We were very concerned because she just couldn't seem to get over it, Caden took sick also but only ran high fever for a couple of days and now just has a cough. Resiana did not have any symptoms other than the high fever but on Wednesday night she came in our room and I thought she was sick at her stomach but when I turned the light on I realized she was bleeding it was all over her, I ran to the bathroom and started cleaning her up and realized she was having a severe nose bleed, thankfully it stopped within about five minutes. Well the rest of the week she remained sick and Sunday night the kids were watching TV and Carter started yelling for me and she was having another nose bleed this time it was massive, I got her to the bathroom and it was coming out with such force it was splattering on the walls and we could not get it stopped, after about ten minutes I started to panic, I could not get it to stop it continued for maybe another five minutes and I realized she was getting weak and I had to do something, I called the church and told them to tell Michael to come home and when he got home it was still bleeding and I think it bleed for about 40 mins, after about 25min it slowed but continued to bleed. The ER did blood work and was concerned, her platelets were low and that is what allows your body to clot. So now we are having to watch her close because they said at this point her hemotocrit and hemoglobin are so low that if she were to have another bleed they would have to admit her for observation and most likely give her a blood transfusion. They are thinking the reason her platelets got low was because the virus she had traveled to her bone marrow, we hope that is the case. She goes for more blood work this week and if her platelets are not up it would mean something a lot more serious than a virus. The doctor said it would take her a couple of months before her body built back up the hemotocrit and hemoglobin because she lost such a large amount of blood so during that time we have to pray she doesn't have any more bleeds. I know we are no better than anyone else to have sick children and I am so very thankful I get to take care of them but it still hurts my heart to watch them be so sick. During her sickness she has not complained one time, during the massive bleed (so bad it looked like someone had slaughtered a pig in my bathroom) she never cried or got the least bit upset. My other children would of been beside themselves, I asked her later if she was scared and she said no. I guess considering everything this poor child has seen in her little life has made her one tough little cookie. She is truly our little Angel and I thank God everyday I Get to be her mother, it is truly an honor. So please pray for her if you think of her.

Carter was my tough one during this past week and he is my helper, he is such a good boy, I am so proud of him, he helped me so much this week . I thought he was going to stay well but today he took sick, mainly his asthma, he has had several spells today, I guess it is his time to be petted by Momma, it is a circus around here. Oh the nights are an adventure as well, I guess with four kids you increase your chances on less sleep....Last night I think it was around one before I got to sleep and before 6:30am, Carter up twice, Caden up twice, Resiana up once and the baby once...OH the joys of motherhood..Yes I asked for it and belive it or not I would not have it any other way. I am just thankful that my sickness was brief and I have a wonderful husband who also happens to be an amazing father... Take Care everyone and Happy New Year!