Hope's Birthday of Course it's Late....

Hope's Birthday was in August. I am only almost 2 months late in posting it. I just didn't know what I was going to do, the weekend of her birthday was Joel's surgery and Joel and I had been in Jacksonville since the Wednesday before her birthday on Sunday and that Sunday was a meeting for Joel's confirmation class. None the less a pool party meeting with all the parents, the kids and Pastor. I was beside myself. I thought we could go out to eat dinner that night and the next week take her for a movie an something else. However, not only was it a suprise for Hope, but a suprise for Mom, the parents and kids of Joel's confirmation class gave Hope a suprise birthday party along with the swim party. What a special gift for all of us.

A New Photographer

See How Long the Bus is (Not), Flags at National Monument, Kya

A self photo (Hope), Her sister Dawn, a Poster at the Christmas Store

Our Little Photographer, will she be famous one day? Hope took these photos and about 375 more and some of them really great, some silly, but she has an eye. I love some of these of our precious little newest addition to the family grandaughter Rylee.

You All Know Me Well! Late Vacation Summer Posting

Okay, So I said I would stay on top of things..... I am now homeschooling Hope. Only 3 weeks or so into her school year and we had horrible experiences and frustrutions beyond belief. They had changed her program from last year, lost her teacher she adored, her teachers aide as well, her friends from class were not in the program and they made her go from classroom to classroom every 40 minutes. This from a child that was abandoned at age 2 1/2, then in an orphanage not even a foster home for another 2 years. Had no communication skills whatsover when we adopted her 2 1/2 years ago, then received her cochlear implants beginning a little over a year ago for the first one and eight months for the second. Hope began crying and screaming at night to us no more school Mommy, please no more school, home school, please. I met with the new teacher and she was nice enough, but couldn't change anything. Now mind you there was only Hope and one other student in this program and the other student being new to the program. The principal said hang in there we can change it after the semester if Hope can't change. WHAT! Then Hope started having nightmares and bedwetting.... We feel that all security had been pulled out from underneath her and she had nothing at school to give her that security she so needed. Since I was already home schooling Joel, I just pulled Hope out of school and began home school Hope and fighting a different battle with the school district in getting her DOH services.

So all that to say why my vacation pictures are late in posting. I needed to get them on the blog so I can go ahead and get my other photos on.

Also I want to let you know Hope is doing great and we have a coop that the kids go to on Tuesday and they love it. Hope, especially and it has been really a growing time for her. She is just doing wonderful in so many ways.

And Yet Again More Vacation....

More Vacation

Just more videos of vacation. Some awfully cutes ones. These are not only of Joel and Hope, but my precious Grandchildren, Kya, Autumn, Aaron and Lily.

Now the Babies

And More

We spent Joel's Birthday with Dawn and Family. He had such a great time.