Our Oklahoma Trip....

Mom, the girls, and I packed up and went on a road trip this past weekend. We went and saw my Aunt Heather (who is really more like a cousin considering she is only a year older than me) and her hubby Phillip (a.k.a "Dr. Phil"--not because he's a psychologist but cuz he's a scientist who is someday gonna discover something BIG!)and two of the cutest kiddies you will ever meet, Bob and Grace. We took our time and went part way on Thursday and stopped off in a hotel and then finished the trip on Friday. We got to Heather's and loved on those two kiddies. We also made a couple chocolate birthday cakes as Grace turned ONE! She is such a little miracle. She had a rough start in life but has proven to be such a trooper! She is proof of a God who answers prayer--that is for sure! She still has another surgery in the future but I am confident God will see her thru that one too! So, besides eating chocolate cake, we had plenty of time for visiting, playing at the park, and doing a little shopping as well. One of the highlights (especially for Mom) was getting Chick-Fil-A ice cream. (okay--for some of you, you wouldn't get it. But, for Mom, that is a BIG deal--thus the reason why there are so many pics of the occasion. Again--we are low maintenance gals. The little things make us happy!) It was a relaxing trip and I am glad we were able to go. Got home late on Monday and am finally getting back into my rhythm I think.
So, check out the slideshow to see our trip and see how big my girls are getting! Abby tolerates my phototaking(about half the time). Alexa lives to pose for my pictures...as the pictures will prove. Her mother's daughter....

Fun Mommy Online Tool....

So, I was online today and looking for a fun way to encourage the kiddies to get motivated around the house. I came across a really fun website I thought I would share with all you other "domestic engineers" out there that seems to be pretty neat. It's a website called "Handipoints" and there are FREE components to the website worth mentioning. (of course, like everything in life, there are options to upgrade for a fee but I was impressed w/ the FREE parts and thought they were worth signing up for). Basically, this site is a tool that encourages your kid to do their responsibilities/chores (set up by you) and it tracks them online. You, as the parent, can make goals for them and assign fantastic prizes and cash (depending on how much you want to fork out....your kid can work to earn a certain number of gold stars to achieve earn whatever bribery you choose to offer. I went with good old fashion cash. Cha-Ching!) There is also a feature that I just used that allows you to print off the chore chart you customize for the fridge. Pretty neat! You can check it out by clicking here. There is also a feature where you (or your computer savvy kid) can then go on the site and "check off" that they have done that task. You do have to register your kids each individually and assign them a user name and password, which takes just a couple minutes. They even get to pick out a cat to use on the site that has clothes and furniture can be "purchased" with BONUS points they can earn. I haven't really explored that feature yet but it appears to be very similar to the webkinz type of play. Just something kinda fun I thought I would jot here. I always get excited when I find something for FREE online that I can use in everyday life....doesn't take much to make me happy. Enjoy!

Alexa Turns 4.....

Well, my baby is officially four. That is hard to believe. Time goes so quickly, doesn't it? Kirk finally got home from storm work Sunday and it just so happened he was off work on Monday when we had Alexa's Birthday Bash. We went to Bouncetown. You can check it out here. It really was alot of fun! (as the pictures will testify). Their party deal allows for up to 25 children and unlimited adults. They have two different "bounce rooms" and you spend about 40 minutes in each room. There were about 5 or 6 different inflatables in each room. There was a particular favorite of mine that was a basketball court and we had gotten into a game of "tackle basketball". Ever played? Didn't think so cuz I think we just made it up on the spot but basically there were two teams and who ever had the ball tried to get the ball into their basket....and pretty much that was the only rule. To get the ball, you could use any means necessary (including tackling and blunt trauma). At one point my sister, brother, and I were playing with the kiddies and let's just say we were able to come together as siblings and play the way we always wanted to as children. Trish and I ganged up on Jim and it was great fun. The three of us almost fell thru the netting at one point, but we were able to recover from that episode. After the big bounce fest, we all went to a party room for cupcakes and ice cream and watched Lex open her gifts. We then caravaned over to CiCi's Pizza for a yummy pizza buffet lunch. Fun was had by all. For having a 9:45 am party on a Monday, we really had a great turn out! Among those on Alexa's guest list were Grandma Pat, Uncle Jim, Aunt Shoosh and Uncle Corbie and Katy and Will, Auntie Pam and Ellie, our whole crew, and several close family friends (the Felicianos, the Larsons, the Ackermans, the Koenigs,Kayla, and the Masokas bunch). I think we succeeded in celebrating her birthday in a very fun (and EXHAUSTING!) way! Happy Birthday Midge! Love ya Babe!

Valentine's wishes and other stuff.....

Happy Valentine's Day to all! We've got a new valentine this year--a sweet little eight year old girl that came to stay with us Thursday night. Wish I could post a photo of her--she's a cutie. We spent yesterday making a pancake breakfast, registering for school, shopping for new school clothes, going to a Valentine's Party, having lunch w/ Grandma Pat, and then hanging out at the house. She's fitting in really well. Abby now has a new BFF. Was cute listening to their little girl chatter in the dark at bedtime. So, things are going well with our newest family member. Wish Kirk was here to be a part, but I am not sure he is ever coming home. He just informed me last night their hotel rooms were renewed for yet another week. Hard to believe there is still that much work left. It has been almost 3 weeks since the ice storms. Oh, well.... guess we will see how that story ends soon enough.

Got a little mental health break last night. Mom had bought some season tickets to Drury Lane in Oakbrook for their theatre productions and we went and saw "Miss Saigon". I had heard of the title but had no idea what the story line was about. I should have learned my lesson when I went and saw "RENT" blindly (that one was MESSED UP! Don't get me going on that one! And, brilliant me, had thought it a wonderful idea to "treat" the youth minister's wife (of my former church) to that show--UGH! We were all MORTIFIED!). Anyways, the opening scene was gyrating oriental girls in a bar scene which was a bit scary and almost cause for leaving but it did improve after that lovely song. Left a little depressed and left glad I have never had to serve in a war. Thinking maybe the next time I go to a live theatre performance that I may want to do my homework....since I've been surprised twice now. (I'm slow sometimes, okay?)

Was reminded yesterday why I don't like the public school system. It still comes as a shock to me just how ugly people can be sometimes. I am not sure if the "attitude" I have encountered from my dealings with a certain school office staff is a result of their dislike for me because I am homeschooling my children and they take offense to that or if they are "put out" by our choice of doing foster care and the fact that this creates some work for them in tracking down records on the kids we have registered. (by law, they cannot refuse to take them based on not having all the appropriate paperwork). Either way, I have come to dread school registration as a whole as a result of my not-so-pleasant experiences. I don't get it and all I can say is that some people should just not be permitted to be the face of a facility that boasts of working with children. It all the more confirms for me that my kids are right where they belong--at home!

Dorothy had it right---"There's no place like home."

Wish the state would permit me to homeschool my new little lady cuz the thought of putting her on that bus everyday only to deal with God knows what makes my stomach turn. But, nothing can be done so I will buck up and deal with it.

Guess that's about it....
Until next time.....

Here we go again.....

So, here's the latest from the Doty camp....

Kirk is still working in Missouri--has been now for 2 LONG weeks. Still unsure of an end date on that one. I packed up the kids Saturday morning and drove 7 hours to go and see him at the job. We were very fortunate to have found a hotel room. This was my first time trying something that brave--4 kids, 410 miles, 7 hours in the car being the only ADULT! I made it alive. We hung at the hotel from Saturday til Monday morning and then ventured home. We got the evenings with Kirk, which was good. The hotel had a nice pool and a computer in the hall right outside our room, so we just hung out for the rest of the time. Not much in Popular Bluff, MO. Voyaged home yesterday and got home in the 4 p.m. hour. I went back on-call at 5 p.m. so I officially had like 18 minutes to put my feet up.

On the way home from MO, got a call from our agency and we are going to be getting our second official placement. An eight year old girl will be coming to stay with us later this week. Got a little more info this time around, so that is nice. We are pretty excited about it. We hadn't even gotten a call since November and were beginning to wonder if we would be getting another placement, but it has happened. Kyle is still fighting off a sickness (we all got it last week) so I am thinking he should be good by tomorrow. Gotta get groceries and my house together but should have no problem getting it all done by the time she arrives. Please keep us in your prayers during the adjustment time. We will see what unfolds.....

Last drama is that I was served court papers on Saturday from the City. We've got a drainage ditch in our backyard that the city has always maintained and they have now decided we should be responsible to clean it out (it drains the whole south side of our street and we are on the "bottom" of the hill--thus causing dirt and yard run-off from all the neighbors to pool in our part of the ditch). So, we get to tell the judge our sad story and see if he is going to require us to now maintain it. What is annoying is that the drainage ditch is functioning just fine, but some anal neighbor doesn't like the looks of having some leaves and dirt in the concrete drainage alley and felt the need to call the city rather than talk to us about it. Someone needs to get a life! How sad to have nothing else to worry about than whether or not we have leaves in our drainage ditch. Pretty pathetic! Oh, well. Kirk will hopefully be home before that court day cuz I know that I will likely end up wearing orange by the time the day is out cuz the whole thing makes me mad and I may not be able to control myself. That would not be good! Although, the idea of someone making my meals and lying around on a bunk doesn't sound half bad. Hmmmmm..... might have to rethink that one.

I guess that's it for my ramblings today. Should be an exciting week....or interesting if nothing else.

And you think your day was bad?

From the looks of this slideshow--if you've got power and there are trees standing in your backyard, you haven't got much to complain about....
Kirk is finishing up with his first week of work in Missouri. His company, Intren, is one of several companies that have been called out to assist in restoring power to thousands. After seeing these pictures and hearing from Kirk about the conditions, I really have nothing to complain about as I see it. My house is warm and I am able to look out my back door at numerous full grown trees. I've got it pretty good! Kirk and crew are working hard, "bonding" as they are sleeping in triple decker bunkbeds in some sort of a trailer ALL IN THE SAME ROOM! (Imagine that craziness! I am sure there is a certain "locker room" feel --and smell--to that situation! UGH!). Don't know when they will be finished, but we anxiously await our Daddy's return! Love ya babe! Be safe!