Aidan's 5th Birthday

My little Rock Star is five! He wanted to out, by 6 weeks. He came into this world early and fighting. He makes me laugh everyday, and loves to play with his sisters. I am very grateful to have him in my life. We enjoyed his birthday at home with cake and ice cream with just the family. Happy Birthday Aidan!!!

Rain

The new house sits on a corner lot. We have two drains, one behind the house and one on the corner by the road. Over the the Fourth of July weekend all it did was rain for two and half days. The water was half way up the drive, both drains disappeared, and the road was covered. When standing in the ditch on the side of the house the water came up to my knees. We Loved IT, we enjoyed jumping into all the puddles.

Baseball

So we have been busy since moving to Kansas. We signed up Aidan and Becca up for baseball a week before games started. Dedrick and I went to Kountry Kafe in town for dinner and ended up sitting next to the couple who handle all the sports for the town. They told us it wasn't too late to sign up. We told them we would think about it and get back to them. We came home and talked to the kids to see if they wanted to play, of course the answer was yes! It gives them the chance to meet kids their age before school starts.

So Aidan played four games of tee-ball in town and in the next town about 5 miles away. He really liked it and wanted to play more games. He made friends that he will be going to school with.

Becca has played seven games in town and other towns that are at least 30 miles away. So we have gotten to see more of Kansas in one month then we will in a year here. The first game was hard for her, she didn't understand the rules and felt like she was a loser. The coaches were great with her and spent extra time with her before the games started. By the second game she hit the ball twice and got to first base at least once.

I have had a hard time remembering the camera for all the games. I did manage to get a few. I will try to get a video of Becca at her last game tomorrow. (...unfortunately that game got rained out!)

Becca Update

So if some of you do not know Becca had a grand mal in March. The seizure lasted about 3 minutes. It was about 1:30am, and I was just getting in bed to sleep when I heard then saw something was wrong. I yelled at Dedrick to call an 911. By the time the EMTs got to the house the seizure was over. We still went to the ER and then stayed for a few hours observation. Becca does not remember what happened except she woke up in the hospital.

She never had a seizure before, so they sent us home and see her doctor in a few day. The doctor wanted us to get a EEG first to see if anything would happen and see if we needed to see a neurologist. Poor Becca was only allowed to get about 5 hours of sleep for the test. She fought it at first then went to sleep. The EEG came back abnormal, so we went to see the neurologist. Since this was her first seizure and the EEG was abnormal he wanted an MRI of her brain before we talked about medication. I asked him if the EEG results being abnormal could be that way because of her Autism. He that that is was a good question and of course didn't have any answer.

So of course we were in the middle of moving when I get a call to set up her MRI. It happened to be two weeks after we moved to Kansas. So Becca and I drove back to Tulsa on June 16th for a pre-op appointment and the MRI on the 17th. Our friends the Queens let Becca and I crash at there house for the night. Becca had fun with her friend, we ended up have a girls night. We had to be at the hospital at 5:45am, so they could give her the sleepy medication. The MRI took about an hour and then an hour wake up time. Then we drove back to Kansas.

First thing Monday morning, I get a call telling me the MRI is NORMAL!!! So we just have to watch her for the rest of the year. If nothing happens, then the seizure was a one time thing. If she has a seizure then we have to put her on medication. So that is the update!

Becca getting her EEG!

Cross Stitches

I believe I'm not very crafty, yet everyone around me tells me differently. One day I might start believing them. I decided to make birth records for my kids that would last longer than paper or pictures. So I made cross stitches for each of them, my hope was to get them done before they were born--that did not happen. Becca was the only one that got done before she came. For the other two, that did not happen. I am happy to say all my kids have one from a very loving mom!

Hope

Hope...is lost for those who never believe they have it!

I feel like a very lost soul.

I know we all have times in our lives when we just forget we are loved!

For me love was not given from the people I call parents. I am now a mother, how do I break the cycle.

When I was eight, just after I was baptized I felt the spirit tell me that I was stronger than I knew.

My life has been one wrong turn after another. I know I am the black sheep. I know I make mistakes. I know that I have a strength that has kept me sane in the dark.

Where do you find love, feel love, hope for love in a world of none.

I found it by an act of violence---but that act gave me an angel that I did not know I would keep. One small moment changed for me when everyone in my life abandoned me. I was told they loved me and would help me...in the end I was Alone!

We all struggle. We all make mistakes. We all believe in something bigger than us. I have never been strong in the church, never really felt I belonged, never saw how I could be.

Yet, I know I may not feel welcome or strong, but I have a deep heart that will always be open. I have broken the cycle, I do love and am loved. I may not be perfect according to the world's standards, but I am who I am.

I can love and will love even when it was not given to me. I wake up every morning to my three silly kids and a husband who loves me -- broken or whole. Also a mother-in law who has taught me about love.

So in the end Hope is real even for a lost soul like me!

"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble" -Helen Keller-

We Moved

So we moved about a week early. There was a miss-communication for his last day in Tulsa and start date in Kansas. So we ended up living in a hotel for a week. The kids enjoyed the mix-up, the hotel had a pool, they went everyday after school. I have to say this move was not to bad, I did stress a little. When I met the moving guys, I felt all my fears just disappeared. I was very strange to trust this men with all our stuff. I just knew everything would be okay and everything would get to the new home safely. I have to say it was a comfort to know we were being taken care of on every level.

So Dedrick's last day in Tulsa was the 14th, but he had three meeting the following week. The movers came the 17th and 18th to pack the Tulsa home, then delivered the 20th to the Kansas home. The kids last day of school was the 25th. Dedrick started the 24th in Kansas. Dedrick, Hans and Kaliska left on Thursday the 20th to met the movers. Becca, Aidan and I left Friday the 21st after school. Has you can see the misunderstanding left things very crazy. I had to pull the kids out of school two days early.

We have unpacked the new house, got the phone and internet on Friday. We were able to attend out new ward Sunday. We have to drive 30 miles to the church building in Newton. Our ward is very nice and welcoming. We signed Becca and Aidan up for baseball and swimming, Kaliska is just doing swimming this summer. So we should be staying busy.

Hans is getting use to living with this wild family. He has helped around the house and watched the kids. He is doing okay!

FYI-Becca is going to be getting her brain MRI June 17th. I will let everyone know how that goes. Keep her in your prayers!

This is the only picture I have had the chance to take!!!