Pihl Pastures

The Tooth Fairy Sucks!

2009-04-21T19:17:00.004-04:00

Truth be told, I suck. See, when your kid loses a tooth, then puts said tooth under his pillow, even if they're the smartest kid in the world, they believe wholeheartedly that the Tooth Fairy does exist and will indeed come and magically change said tooth into $$. The problem arises when mommy forgets to "tell the Tooth Fairy" there's a pick-up and said child accidentally brushes the tooth out form under his pillow in the middle of the night, never to be found. Now, said child thinks the Tooth Fairy jipped him and proceeded to write the following letter:

Yup, that's definitely my kid! Not gonna be taken advantage of....gettin' to the bottom of injustice and makin darn sure he can be contacted in the event of the Tooth Fairy owning up to her mistake!~ Gotta admire his forthrightness!

Cinematic Warm Fuzzies

2009-03-27T18:06:00.003-04:00

There are 2 movies coming that I simply cannot wait for. One, was a fave childhood book of both myself and Jeremy and the trailer makes the movie, as another blogger blogger put it, "look like how a warm Krispy Kreme tastes." The music alone is enough to induce warm fuzzies. Please to enjoy, Where the Wil Things Are.

The second is just so stunningly beautiful, it makes my warm fuzzies tingle. Melt into a blissful puddle of cinematic beauty: Astro Boy.

cai-ism for today

2009-03-18T14:08:00.002-04:00

cai: comes out long after he should be in bed for the night. "guys, i have a situation with my breath" (pause for dramatic effect) "it's hot when i doos this" (blows on finger)

mommy & daddy: roll on the floor and laugh hysterically

Some more Floridian Winter for ya...

2009-03-03T23:21:00.008-05:00

Have I mentioned how much we love the beach and how I didn't really think I'd miss it this much once we moved further inland? We LOVE the beach! I mean, how could you not when there are super cute old people just laying around, soakin it up and giving in? How cute is he? (No we're not related - he was just some random old dude.)

Cate, if you blow this pic up and look closely, you can see some really nice twist dreads forming quite nicely! Of course I had just done them the day before! Silly me! (I will post better pics of his hair once I get my new beeswax on Thursday - this stuff is CRAZY awesome and works like nothing else!)

Anyone wanna guess how long it took me to get all that sand outta his velcro hair? That was NOT fun!

Cai was practicing being at one with the sand. He stayed in this position for an extraordinary amount of time.

Then decided he would rinse off, but you know how that goes.

Too much sun and fun...

Cai lurvs to throw sand, but Papa reprimanded him for it after he repeatedly hit Phoenix in the back of the head. Phoenix feigned insult and well.....

This pathetic little picture of defeat is what transpired.

SIckle Cell Info

2009-02-27T12:50:00.002-05:00

I know that some of my readers have questioned a statement made in my previous post about Sickle Cell being a curable disease here in the States. I should have clarified that statement in that post. I will do so now.

We did not step into this endeavor blindly or going on "my cousin's mother's 3rd aunt's boyfriend has it....." kind of info. We researched extensively: medical journals, consultations with doctors, etc. and found the same information. Sickle Cell is absolutely curable and there are 2 avenues that can be explored. Let me quote directly from the University of Maryland Medical Center: "the only true cure for sickle cell disease is bone marrow or stem cell transplantation. The bone marrow nurtures stem cells, which are early cells that mature into red and white blood cells and platelets. By destroying the sickle cell patient's diseased bone marrow and stem cells and transplanting healthy bone marrow from a genetically-matched donor, normal hemoglobin may be produced."

Now, a stem cell blood transfusion is obviously the more difficult option to work out. Though we don't have her stem cells or even a siblings, there is the possibility to find a close enough match from donated stem cells. This would obviously be the less painful route as this can be handled through a transfusion. The bone marrow transplant, on the other hand, can be quite risky because intense chemotherapy has to be done prior in order to facilitate the acceptance of the bone marrow. There is a new procedure however, that delivers a much less harsh, lower dose of chemo and is a lot less risky to the recipient. You can read about it here.

Once Saraphina comes to the States and can be evaluated by a doctor here, we will be able to come to a better conclusion about the severity of her particular case and whether or not these would be viable options for her. If you or a loved one has Sickle Cell, please research the options. Get educated. This disease does not have to cut lives short or painfully destroy each day you have. There are options and new treatments.

more cai-isms

2009-02-23T08:10:00.001-05:00

overheard at the lunch table:

"my boogers are punching me in the nose!"

cai-isms

2009-02-18T15:49:00.002-05:00

Poor Cai,

He tries so hard, but he trips himself up more often than not. His best quality is often his greatest downfall - his passion.

Today, he made an impassioned plea to be let off computer restriction.

"Everything to me is bad and good. My brain just won't listen to me." (Punches himself in the head a couple times out of frustration).

This is a typical day with Cai. Sometimes, he's so trapped inside himself and some days he's absolutely bonkers! He loves so deeply and so openly, and when the pendulum swings the other way,he has zero impulse control and that passion turns to angry outbursts.

Still trying to figure out how to best help him. For now, it gives way to priceless "cai-isms."

Hot Winter!

2009-02-18T15:05:00.005-05:00

I know many of you who read this blog are shivering in your long johns right now and for that, I am sorry. Hopefully, pictures of our weekend at the beach, in near 90 degree weather will warm you up! Here's the scene: Jensen Beach, Florida. Ocean inlet with a park and fishing pier. Low tide. Early morning. Fiddler and horseshoe crabs. Dolphins. Yes, I said dolphins - playing and chasing their breakfast not too far off the end of the pier. Bar-B-Q. Afternoon fishing. Boys caught enough fish for dinner! Hazaa!

Our little girl....

2009-02-12T21:35:00.005-05:00

Yeah, that's right, I said it. Let me tell you a story.

There is a little girl. A sweet little girl who desperately needs help. (And I'm such a sucker for situations that need fixing!) Her name is Saraphina and she has been in the same Haitian orpahange we adopted our 2 boys from, for 2 years now. Some of you may know, some of you may not know, but she was in the process of being adopted. That was until recently.

Recently, it was found out that she has Sickle Cell Anemia. For those of you unfamiliar, I will give a brief synopsis. Sickle Cell Anemia is a disease in which, basically, your blood cells are misshapen. While normal blood cells are round, squishy little things, Sickle Cell blood cells are shaped like crescents. This makes for very painful passage through the blood cells, bouts of "pain episodes" and a shortened life expectancy (about 40-50 years). Now, in America, this is both a very treatable and in fact, CURABLE, illness. In Haiti however, this can be quite fatal. Blood type/availability is not certain, nor is the affordability/availability of transportation to where blood is for a transfusion should a "pain episode" occur.

Long story short, she desperately needs to come to the States on a medical visa. Here she can get the treatment she needs and a chance to not only survive, but be cured. Here's where we come ito the story. Because of our involvement with her previous adoption process and many other issues that I won't get into here, we feel it our duty to step up and take responsibility for this little cast away. God has not yet said no and plans have been set in motion to get her here. We will be her host family while she is receiving treatment and she is likely to be here around the end of March if all goes well.

Honestly, after much deliberation and prayer, we've realized that it will likely be very hard to give her up to another family, both on us and her. So, we will likely begin the process of adopting her a few months after she gets here.

We don't even have a car that fits our whole family at this moment. Our truck got totaled and our awesomeness of a pastor is loaning us his station wagon. We don't have anything for a girl.....don't even know what to do with one of those! Point is, this is what we have been called to do. To obey - to step out - blerg, to leap out! And that's what we're doing. God will take care of the rest.

Just thought I'd give everyone a heads up so that when you start seeing random pics of a little girl in our house in a couple months, you won't be all like wtfrak? what just happened?

Cai-ism of the day

2009-02-11T08:33:00.003-05:00

Cai blurts out randomness so often that its hard to catch or feature just one and I've been remiss. Lately, these random phrases have been captured on photo and I will share these with you now. If you've been following my 365 projeckt, these will be duplicates, but CaiCai nonetheless.

Today's Cai-ism, during his morning snuggle-cuddle: "Mommy, you're my best chef ever!" Who needs to compete in Top Chef? I just got the best accolades ever!

The other day, Cai came over with a heart magnet he got off the fridge, put it up to his eye and tapped it. "Mommy, I want love"
"I love Elijah milk!" For thos eof you who know, Cai had a friend named Elijah who drank Very Vanilla Silk. Every time they were over at our house, Cai would beg Aunt Dian for some of Elijah's milk. This turned into it forever being called "Elijah Milk."

No words needed. Enough said!

Bad Juju

2009-02-05T09:02:00.002-05:00

Seriously, my juju must be off. In the last 2 weeks, I have broken my nose, gotten a really bad cold and burned the inside of my entire forearm. WTH? I mean, for reals? Now that all the swelling has gone down in my nose, you can feel a definite chip or dent on the right side of my upper bridge. Having a head cold has not helped the healing process as every time I have to blow my nose it feels like it rebreaks. There's a crunchy piece, near the dent that occasionally fills the dent and it still hurts like blerg whenever I touch that area.

Then, last night, well, let's just say, as a rule and warning, one should never cook whilst on cold medicine. I was making a delightful winter vegetable bisque to warm us on this blustery, wintery day. I transferred the soup to the blender, locked the lid down good and tight and pressed the low button. Except my drugged up fingers slipped off the low and pushed in the HIGH. Because I was holding the lid on, the scalding soup didn't shoot straight up, it shot straight out, onto my chest and the forearm of the arm holding the lid. Sunova OW! I ran it under cool water, for a couple minutes, but that wasn't working. Since Jeremy was still like an hour and a half from coming home and I was too nauseus form pain to drag myself and 4 children to the drugstore, I had to alternate between running it under cool water and holding cool, wet compresses on it. Finally, Jeremy came home with supplies and lemme tell you - BurnJel is the bomb! Numbed my arm to the point where it feels like how your lip feels when you get Novocaine! Awesome! It's still red and a little swollen this morning, but mch, much better.

If anyone has any ideas on how to get my juju back, I would really appreciate suggestions. Between broken noses and scalding soup (which turned out incredible, by the way), I don't know how much more I can take!

An open letter to Steak 'n Shake

2009-01-31T18:42:00.005-05:00

First off, let me say that this is not a regular "Pihl Pastures" kind of post and that I may or may not say things that may or may not offend my typical readers. However, since I am a fairly rational, intelligent adult, I will try to refrain from at least excessive use of ignorant words.

We have a Steak and Shake across the street from us, here in Ocala. Usually, the parking lot is quite sparse, as are most restaurants around here lately. The economic downturn forces the majority of us to stay home and cook. A few weeks ago, we noticed a sign that had been put up on Steak and Shake's roof: "Kids eat free all weekend long!" WOW! Okay, so this is great! We can have a special treat on the weekend for the kids and eat out and it will only cost us for our meals. Oh, the naivety! To think that a business would actually conduct themselves in an ethical manner and use truth in advertising! This is where the utter frustration, betrayal and disgust comes in.

The first time we tried to go was at lunch. Because of the sign posted on the building advertising free kids meals, the parking lot was so packed that people were waiting outside in the cold in a 30 minute line. We chose not to wait and to come back later in the day. But, those poor people, those people that chose to wait, in the cold of the day with small children in excess of 30 minutes for a table were lied to, just as we were lied to. These people waited for that long and were never given the opportunity to learn the truth until after they had already been seated. After they had been roped in. After they were so hungry that going anywhere else would have been an endeavor in futility. And I say, how dare you Steak and Shake?

Here's the run down. Once you walk in, you wait and wait and wait to be seated. Why? Because this is a glorified McDonald's pretending to be something it's not - a real restaurant. So, you wait to be seated by a server who eventually serves you a burger patty so thin, it would actually take 3 patties stacked together to make the thickness of a McDonald's patty. But, I digress. While standing and waiting to be seated, One looks around and finds no written advertising regarding the Kids Meals and their freeness. So, one has to wait to actually be seated before one can ask their server about said offer. It is then, and only then, one learns that to get a single free kids meal (valued at $2.50 - because drinks are EXTRA and don't come with the kid's meal like most other fast food establishments), one must spend $9 per adult for one kid's meal. Now realize this: that's not even possible at Steak and Shake! For instance, Jeremy ordered the most expensive thing on the menu, which was the Steak and Shake meal consisting of a burger, 2 sides and a shake for $7.99. Yup - just under $9. So, for us to even earn 1 free kids meal, we either have to order more than we would otherwise eat, or get one free kids meal for every 2 adults.

Listen, I can understand that nothing is free. I could understand the offer being one free kids meal for every adult meal purchased. That would have at least been fair and in the general realm of truth in advertising. But there is not an ounce of truth in their advertising. Had Jeremy walked in there with even just one of our children, he would not have been able to take advantage of the free kids meal because what he ordered would not have equaled $9. So, in truth, there are very few families, very few people, that would qualify for this "Kids eat free all weekend" offer.

Lies! Complete and utter false advertising. And I say, how dare you Steak and Shake? Yes, I know I already said, it, but I say it again. How dare you flat out lie and take advantage of people during this economic time of uncertainty. People whom you know would not otherwise choose to eat out, save your ridiculous offer of lies? There is no asterisk on the signage. No fine print. How do you get away with this? Is there no code of ethics at all? My husband is an IT consultant. Let's say he offers a free iMac with every service. The catch is, your service has to equal $5000 before you qualify for that offer, but that detail is nowhere in writing, nor does he offer that information before he starts your service. You could then, sue him for false advertising. Explain to me the difference between this and that. You, Steak and Shake, are no less robbing people, no less stealing form them their hard earned money that you know they otherwise never would have spent at your establishment.

So, for all the people who read this blog, for all the people who see the Facebook post or the tweet on Twitter, I say boycott. Sure, one person's indignation does not amount to much. But a state, a region, a country of people standing up, speaking out against establishments that choose to lie to us and steal from us and take advantage of us during such a time as this, will surely do something. Leave a comment to this post, pledging your commitment to change - your commitment to stand up to those taking advantage. Join the Facebook group boycotting Steak and Shake. This is about truth, about justice, about ethics and most importantly, about change.

Cai's Best Friend

2009-01-27T14:49:00.003-05:00

His name was Jiminy. He was just waking up from his winter sleep and was sunning himself on the sidewalk. In true Cai Cai fashion, he walked right up to him, said "Hello, friend," put his hand down, and Jiminy crawled right on. He and Cai hung out for about a half hour before Jiminy crawled up to Cai's shoulder, flicked his wings and flew away. Cai was devastated. He had lost his best friend. Ice cream was in order.

Best. Present. Ever.

2009-01-24T09:41:00.009-05:00

Today, the mail lady brought what has to be the best. present. EVER. Our friend, affectionately known and heretofore referred to as "the Dood," had purchased this for us for Christmas. It's called the "Yacker Tracker." For those of you that grew up in the 80's with me, this may bring a bit of silly nostalgia. Crushing on Ricky Schroeder in Silver Spoons, I always wanted a real working stop light in my room. Now, I have one with a purpose!

This beauty is a noise level detection and deterrent system! That's right! Just plug this bad boy in, set it to the acceptable decibel level and let the quiet times roll! Those who know me know that I, in futility, utter the phrases, "Quiet down," "Settle down," and "Shush, shush please" (think the scene in Encino Man where the douche jock is hanging the sweet nerd from his undies on the wall of the cafeteria). I'm not thick, I know the futility of my attempts with 4 boys in the house. But this, this is my hope, my audio savior.

I set mine to decibel level 60. This seems acceptable for now. When all is good and the noise level is acceptable, the light remains green. When the noise level creeps to 15 decibels above what has been set, the light flashes yellow. Once it reaches 30 decibels above what has been set, the red light flashes and a siren briefly sounds. Now, with a noise monitor, one would question the decision of making a loud siren go off once the noise has already reached epic proportions, but I can appreciate the idea. It lets the kids know, without me saying anything, to settle down or the pain is coming!

To put this in perspective, normal conversation flows at around 40 decibels. A restaurant during rush hour, hits levels of around 80 decibels and roadside construction hits around 110. That's right, the noise in my house at any given time is between rush hour at a restaurant and roadside construction. But, not any more!

So, thank you to "the Dood!" A brilliant, funny friend who truly cares for our family, and my sanity! If you want to get one for your family (a Yacker Tracker, not "the Dood"), hit up Amazon.

Teach a boy to fish....

2009-01-22T21:22:00.002-05:00

and one day, maybe he'll catch something instead of his mom having to draw imaginary fish hanging from his imaginary line!! See what happens when I get bored? Bored, you say? With 4 BOYS? Yes, bored.....it was VERY cold today and I made my son pose outside, BAREFOOT, for this pic in 45 degrees.....Yeah - I'm a good mom!

Brotherly Lurv

2009-01-20T19:15:00.004-05:00

Trying...not.....to....cry.

They get it. The bonding has begun.

Our standing arrangement is that if the boys behave well all day, they get to play Rock Band with mommy and daddy before bed. Moise was good today. Logan however was quite disrespectful, mouthy and all together argumentative. After he completely ignored 4 separate requests I made of him after dinner tonight, Daddy made the decision that Logan would not be allowed to play. Then something spectacular happened. Moise, realizing he would not be playing with his brother and that his brother would miss out on the fun, interceded on his brother's behalf! That's right...INTERCEDED! He told Logan, "You must say you're sorry! Mean it!" Then Moise turned to Daddy and pleaded for a commutation of Logan's sentence. He insisted that Logan was sorry and would apologize."

It was beautiful. It was sincere. It was a moment. Much like the stirring moments earlier i the day...moments of change, so brief, so small but so significant. They have become brothers.

A Moment in History

2009-01-20T12:33:00.005-05:00

Sitting down in front of the computer, explaining what Inauguration Day represented, what it meant and why this particular one is so very important, I didn't expect the tears that came. The more I told my natural born son and my Haitian son, who has just become a citizen of this wonderful country, about the great importance of this moment, the more choked up I became. To realize that for hundreds of years, black people of all nationalities have been disrespected, mistreated, made to live in a manner less than worthy....to witness this moment when equality has truly come. When a black man, has risen above, to now sit in the highest office in the land....That stirs emotions. It doesn't matter if you agree with his politics, or even if you personally like him. That one fact, the historicity of it all, is enough. As a mother now of black children, immigrated and now citizens, it is powerful. We watched the inauguration together, and though I doubt that either of them really "got" it, they will. Soon they will understand. Soon they will know that they lived in a time of change. They witnessed a historical turning point in our nation - one that will hopefully, prayerfully, bring about change for the good.

Tampa Zoo

2009-01-15T20:52:00.005-05:00

Today was our first trip to the Tampa Zoo and Moise and phoenix's first time to any zoo - EVER. It was a GREAT time and Moise especially was overjoyed to be so close to the animals and able to touch them! I've been to MetroZoo and the Palm Beach Zoo and the Tampa Zoo is by far the BEST ZOO EVER! The weather was perfect, everyone had fun and we can't wait to go back! I'll be uploading more pic sinto a slideshow tomorrow, so check back for that.

My perfect nose

2009-01-14T23:41:00.003-05:00

I have a complex about my nose. When I was growing up, everyone admired my "perfect Precious Moments" nose. It was the perfect shape, slope, slant and size. When I was 13 (or 11 or somewhere around there), my head collided with someone else's at a pool party and my perfect nose ended up on the other side of my face. It was shattered so completely that the x-ray at the ER showed it as a whole and complete, unbroken nose. Never mind that anyone with 2 working eyes could see that it was swollen, in 2 pieces and on the other side of my face. Anyway, 3 days later at the doctor, they determined that yes, it was broken, but had begun healing back together. This was BAD. So, now reconstructive surgery was needed. I now have my perfect nose back and yes, I suppose you could say that I've had plastic surgery. Long story short: lightning struck again. I mean, HOW RANDOM IS THAT?

I was putting Phoenix down for a nap today. He had already been outta bed once and was not happy that I was putting him back in bed. (This was out of character for him, but this is how it went down. He's been "off" the last 2 days. We won't even mention the bruised bite mark on my hand courtesy of his little vampire teeth. That's a different story.) Anyway, I was readjusting his narrow little behind to put the covers on him. While doing so, he decided to rear up and clobber me with his giant cranium right on the perfectly reconstructed bone part of my perfect nose.

I fought blacking out, shed a few tears and fought the nausea all the way to my room. No blood, which was good. I think the swelling is only as minimal as it is because hubby rushed home form work with one of those old-fashioned ice bags and took care of me. It's broken, broken, broken! Though hubby begged me to go to the hospital, I didn't. I mean, seriously - it's in one piece, it's straight and it's still where it should be on my face. All the hospital will do is take an x-ray to confirm what I already know ( we know how well the x-ray turned out the last time!), give me pain meds and tell me to keep ice on it. See, I just saved us $3000!

Out of respect, let's have a moment of silence for my dearly departed and heretofor no longer, perfect nose.

Unicef Photo of 2008

2009-01-12T17:08:00.004-05:00

The beauty in the juxtaposition of this photo is truly breath taking and so close to my heart as the adoptive mom of two kids from Haiti. This photo won first place as the Unicef photo of 2008 taken by 21-year-old Belgian photographer Alice Smeets, the youngest person ever to win the competition. The place: Cite Soliel, Haiti.If this image encourages you to get involved and help in relief efforts or even goes so far as to make you think about adoption, please visit For HIS Glory's website. They are a non-profit organization that has an orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and also helps fund and provide relief efforts for the surrounding area. If you have any questions about adoption, they currently have available children and I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

An anti-climatic Flip Experience

2009-01-07T18:15:00.009-05:00

I ordered the Flip HD Cam for Christmas, courtesy of my in-laws (Thank you very much!) and it just came today. It took a little while longer than normal because with the Flip, you can have them customized for your personal tastes. This is ours:
I was SOOOOO excited for this thing, until I realized I hadn't researched as well as I normally do and found out that Kodak makes a far superior "Flip killer" for nearly 1/2 the price. Plus, unlike the Flip, Kodak's comes with recahrgebale, replaceable batteries and an expansion slot for SDHC cards. So, I will be rigorously testing out the Flip during my 90 day return window, but will probably exchange it for the Kodak - which, oh by the way, is weather resistant too! Just smarter all the way around. I got suckered by the customization option of the Flip. Truly. I mean, how COULD one resist the panda? It really is the perfect size, but already I'm seeing that the back is a definite fingerprint magnet!
Below are 2 completely non-sense 30 second videos I took today to test the resolution in bright and low light situations. Both of these are indoor as I have yet to test outdoor. If you have either the Kodak version or the new FlipHD, chime in and let me know what you think of yours.

Food Pron

2009-01-02T12:38:00.003-05:00

Yes, the title is a typo. But seriously, nothing gets more more excited than food and beautiful pictures of food. No one does beautiful food pictures like Kayotic Kitchen, but I digress. I made buffalo hot wings with ranch dressing, bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers, roasted garlic bread and Tequiza to wash it down with. Mmmmmm - New Year's food. We watched Tropic Thunder (most retarded movie EVER, but very funny watching Robert Downey Jr. trying to play a black man), watched the ball drop and a very anti-climatic volcano jump by Robbie Knieval. A subdued, but delicious New Year's Eve!

My OCD kicked in again....

2009-01-02T12:29:00.002-05:00

Here are Remy and Gusteau. Yes, Gerbils. You can take the girl off the farm, but you take away her animals and she gets all shades of depressed....So, they're like my medicine. Lasst year at this time I was milking goats, cursing the freezing weather while I installed heat lamps into each stall in the barn. I was enjoying fresh eggs everyday and looking into the crystal blue eyes of my horse while I groomed her. Yeah, I miss my farm. I guess these'll do.

A beautiful sight....

2009-01-02T12:24:00.002-05:00

I love Cai's heart. It's so big and so compassionate. I see great things for him in the future....

By the Hammer of Thor!

2008-12-25T17:32:00.004-05:00

I will contest that there is nary a taste bud anywhere, on the planet, that is popping with more happiness than mine is right now! My hubby today took our aged family recipe for stuffing to new heights! I mean, this stuffing is so good I wanna take it out behind the high school and get it pregnant! (I will give mad respect to whoever gets that genius reference!) And the turkey! Don't get me started! Usually, we throw the bird into a Reynolds roasting bag and let nature take its course. This morning, however, we realized that we (I) had neglected to buy said bags. IKEA dutch oven to the rescue! We roasted that bird for 2 hours, all the while sucking up the drippings with a poultry syringe and re-injecting said goodness into the breasts. Did I mentioned we shoved a beautiful poultry arrangement of fresh herbs under his skin? O-M-G! Seriously! After 2 hours we tented it for another hour and half and let him alone. Then, Jeremy sliced that bird open like a TonTon and we feated like it was Festivus! (Too many pop culture references?) Picture the most succulent, flavorful, RIDICULOUS bird you have E-V-E-R tasted. THIS was our bird. Mixed with the aforementioned RIDONKULOUS stuffing and the combination was pure O pleasure for food ho's and casual foodies alike! All I gots to say is: secret family recipe! You can look....you can drool.....but you will NEVER know!

Christmas Morning....so far

2008-12-25T12:57:00.002-05:00

Christmas Morning thus far has been surprisingly peaceful and low key. We got up at 5:45 to try to beat the kids, but as soon as we walked out, Logan and Phoenix came strolling out. Moise came out 1/2 hour later and we finally had to wake up Cai shortly after that. Each boy had 1 unwrapped present under the tree and were allowed to play with those as well as whatever was in their stockings while Jeremy made breakfast. During breakfast, Jeremy read the Christmas story and then it was present time! Each boy opened one present at a time so mommy could get good pics. Fab idea as it created this calm instead of feeding frenzy! Now, everyone is playing happily and the turkey is about ready to come out. We'll post more pics at the end of the day. Merry Christmas EVERYONE!

Christmas in the Square

2008-12-24T20:25:00.003-05:00

Our church held Christmas Eve service in the historic downtown square of Ocala. It is beautiful and every year it gets decorated with millions of lights and the horse-drawn carriages come out to play! It would have made for a picture-perfect Christmas Eve had it not been 82 degrees! In any event, the boys were excited to get to hold candles and sing, but were super disappointed that the whole thing was only 30 minutes. Bummer, indeed. Then we went to KFC for some holiday grub, only to wait 25 minutes in line before being told that when we placed out order they had already run out of food and it would be an additional 30 minutes before any magically appeared! Bah-humbug! (I had other choice words, but we'll stick with Bah-Humbug!) Then we went to Steak and Shake which had already closed for the evening and were forced to seek food in other, less desirable locations. But, I digress. The kids are in bed, sound asleep, and the presents are being placed under the tree presently! I have to go help Mr. Claus now .... maybe there'll be milk and cookies in it for me!

Merry Christmas!

Macro Flowers

2008-12-22T16:01:00.004-05:00

Lovin my new Nikon D40 and the beauty of the small things....Please to enjoy the flora and fauna of my mom's backyard.

Our Christmas Weekend...

2008-12-22T16:00:00.001-05:00

Let the fun begin!

Geeky Goodness!

2008-12-15T14:15:00.004-05:00

Rarely do I share glimpses into the true geek that I am, but I couldn't resist. The trailer for the new Wolverine movie was just released and I felt the need to share. Yeah, I'm a geek! So here it is, X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD

Downtown Disney!!

2008-12-15T11:39:00.004-05:00

The benefit of living where we live is that Disney and all is glittery, shiny, ooey-gooey goodness is a mere 45 minutes away! This was a weekend a relatively money-less fun, which is ALWAYS a good thing! The weekend started off with the baking of some super yummy peanut butter cookies! The big boys helped with he rolling and the forking (hehe!) and of course, with the taste-testing! Then on Saturday it was off to Orlando for some fun. You have to realize, my kids idea of a grand time is an hour in Smaland at IKEA. And since IKEA is mommy's happy place, we were happy to oblige! I have already bored you with my long-winded ramblings of my love of all things IKEA, so I will spare you this time! After IKEA, we headed to Downtown Disney. By the time we got there, it was already dark, which was really our plan all along! The whole area/marketplace is done up in the beauty and excitement and the gaiety of the holiday season! Lights, street performers, Christmas music, special yumminess to sample and of course, a train ride! The kids LOVED watching the silly husband/wife yoyo team, the jugglers, the Renaissance string trio ad the Toy Soldiers on stilts! All of this goodness would blow any little kids' mind - but for 2 little ones who just came from Haiti - well, there was a glaze and a sparkle in their eyes, a ridiculously large grin and silly dancing any time we stopped for but a moment! Moise's mission was just to get to the train. He's obsessed with trains and to get to ride on one - well, there wa nothing to make him happier! Well, maybe except for the cotton candy and Mickey Mouse lollipops! Oh, and getting to take his picture with his hero, Buzz Lightyear. And, did I mention the "what the heck is that?" discussion he had with Logan upon seeing the life-size Lego Santa Claus? Pretty funny! Even Jeremy had a "happy shiver" moment when he stumbled upon the fully assembled Lego Deathstar in the Lego store! Speaking of Lego store....when putting your child on your shoulders and browsing a store, always, ALWAYS have your spouse check the caboose, lest you end up with a really great photo-op! In case you're wondering about the water- fountain pic - it took him a while to figure out the whole water fountan thing, since it was his first time using one - pretty funny!

Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!

2008-12-12T22:37:00.001-05:00

Charlie Brown Christmas Revisited from Heather Pihl on Vimeo.

Thanksgiving Pt.2 + Grandparents Weekend

2008-12-08T10:30:00.003-05:00

This weekend marked the last of our Thanksgiving celebrations. My parents came up from South Florida and spent the weekend. We also decided to celebrate Mo's birthday. It's not until December 22nd, but we wanted him to have a real birthday experience and not feel either jipped or overwhelmed. So, my parents brought him up his birthday present: a new bike. He was retardedly happy and took off like a rocket! My mom brought up hats and gloves she'd made for the boys and they were in heaven! Their little hands have been SO COLD these past few weeks! We also went and got a Christmas tree and spent the day decorating it. What fun for the boys! Their first Christmas! I wanted to get pics of Mo picking out his first ever Christmas tree, but I had taken my mom's cam since it fit in my purse and failed to realize that my SDHC card wouldn't work in an regular digital SD camera. Grrrr! So, no pics. Anyway, plenty of pics of the decorating and such...so enjoy!!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T18:28:00.004-05:00

Bear with me here cause this is gonna be a long post! Since our family all had different scheduled this year, we had to actually postpone Thanksgiving until Saturday. My sister and her family and my grandparents came over and spent the day.
First, there were shenanigans:

Then, of course, there was football:

I got it!!!

Come on, son, you can do it!

As my grandpa said, "Look at the wing on that chicken!"

This is his Huisman pose! :0)

Grandma calling out plays.

Finally, the bird was finished and it was time for FOOD! Get to carving!

Grandpa got caught cheatin the pot and stealing some stuffing!

Let's give thanks....Yes, that's my chair on the end. The photographer never gets IN the picture.

Finally, sweet bonding with the great-grandparents before everyone passes out from tryptophan overload!

Tonia figured out that everyone passed out and left HER to do the dishes! Payback for YEARS of her doing the same thing to us!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Best part of the Macy's Parade?

2008-11-27T16:07:00.001-05:00

Boys bein boys

2008-11-26T10:16:00.003-05:00

Caught the boys wrestling....

Have I mentioned that I <3 this kid's laugh?

Portrait of (2) 13 year olds! cn u c it?

Cai-ism Pics

2008-11-26T10:13:00.002-05:00

Since a picture is worth a thousand Cai-isms.....BEHOLD! The Cai:

And say hello to his little friend!

Pics of Boys

2008-11-22T14:46:00.003-05:00

Took pics of Moise and Phoenix this morning just cause it was cold and they were cute. I love the last one cause it looks like such a "superhero" shot! Please to enjoy:

Dred Update

2008-11-21T09:51:00.002-05:00

we've been waxing and have kept them banded for a week. took he bannds out this morning and they are beautiful, tight little twists all over his head! he's very happy with how it looks. as long as he keeps twisting them whenever he's bored and we re-wax once a week, we should have beautiful "wyclef hair" soon!

This Morning....

2008-11-20T07:53:00.001-05:00

Cai hugged me, pulled back and looked at me and said, "I smell love in my nose."
;0) hehehehe!

Check out our scrapbook!

2008-11-18T10:28:00.003-05:00

It's not finished yet, but this is what we have so far. Be patient, as it may take a minute or so to load...If you're really impatient, you can click "View FullScreen" and it will load instantly.

dreads

2008-11-17T19:15:00.003-05:00

moise's hair finally got to the 1.5" - 2" length - long enough to start the dread process! he has been buggin everyday..."wyclef hair today?" so this weekend was the day! took about 4 hours total, but we sectioned, twisted, waxed and banded his whole head! his head huuuuuurts, but he likes how it looks and is excited for it to start looking like "wyclef!" we'll be posting update pics as the process progresses...but here are the first few:

My new hobby

2008-11-16T19:55:00.003-05:00

I L-O-V-E my camera. It's a Nikon D40 and I am determined to move away from the Auto setting and jump into the world of ALL MANUAL! So, here are a few pics of the new trick I learned - showing speed in motion. Also, I couldn't resist a "many faces of Cai" collage! Enjoy!

Church day at the Park

2008-11-02T13:51:00.001-05:00

Too. tired. to. type. Look at pictures.

Trick or Treat Day

2008-10-31T20:29:00.002-04:00

You know, I always grew up not celebrating Halloween. We would go to our church's "Harvest Festival," play games and get candy and dress up as Bible characters. Nothing wrong with that I suppose, but if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, well, it's still Halloween, isn't it? So, if the church can make up things and recreate a holiday the way they want to celebrate it, then so can I. The boys love, I mean, L-O-V-E dressing up as super heroes. So, for this reason, we went to the Cheapo Depot (I kid you not, that's the name of the store) and got last year's Halloween costume's for $5 each! Had a party/cookout with our neighbors and all went around the neighborhood together. To the boys, tonight was not Halloween, it was Trick or Treat day. A day of fun, candy, food, friends, fun costumes and our personal favorite tradition, ending the night with "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown." I know many Christians have very opposing views on this, and that's all good. But tonight, my boys got to bloss out in their favorite super hero costumes and mountains of candy with no knowledge whatsoever of the actual name of or meaning behind the holiday. Pictures now, for your viewing pleasure.

Logan's Birthday!

2008-10-26T16:30:00.002-04:00

So, it was Logan's birthday today - 7 years old. We started the morning off with strawberry french toast - Logan's request. After church was a cook out with his friends next door, cake and presents. Mommy finally found him a killer little R/C car (see my review here and the review for the failed/returned present here). He's been outside all day making his new car do wheelies and flips and practicing his pogo skills. I think the 7 year old mind set has kicked in and he has really begun taking more risks, brushing off wipeouts and crying about things much less. I like this turn of events. Nest is Moise's birthday and a sincere attempt to make sure he doesn't get jipped just because his bday is 3 days before Xmas. Anyway - if you missed it, make sure to wish Logan a Happy Bday in the comments section!

Dancey Dance Time

2008-10-07T15:06:00.003-04:00

.....courtesy of Wyclef Jean and Carnival!

A bit of a breakthrough

2008-10-07T14:53:00.002-04:00

Cai and Moise have been pretty much at each other's throats since the day we got back to our house. Moise provokes and antagonizes and annoys the pee out of Cai and Cai, in return, gouges, bites and generally drops his 8 year old brother to his knees in a puddle of tears. One would think Moise would learn to stop doing things to make Cai angry, but no....

Anyway, Tom & Jerry break today and thisis what I found in the middle of the living room floor. Let's pray it lasts beyond the cartoon.

A few new pics

2008-10-04T14:43:00.005-04:00

Just a few new pics for your viewing pleasure. The video below is of Logan messing around on the guitar. I only caught the tail end of it, but Phoenix thought it was HIGHlarious!

Is anyone cuter than Cai? I mean, really?

Mad because he couldn't play football. Check out the killer Spiderman kicks though!

This is my new favorite pic!

Logan doin what Logan does....

Phoenix has become very attached to Logan - I think he's his favorite. Everything Logan does is either hysterically funny or worthy of hugs and kisses!

Just in Time for Christmas!

2008-09-30T13:59:00.003-04:00

To all you wonderful peeps out there who keep up with the Pihl's here in blogland, I give to you a gift - the gift of awareness! There is this incredible little internet boutique you should all check out. It features knit couture apparel and accessories at fantastic prices - everything from shawls and wraps to hats, purses and scarves! All handmade and of the finest quality materials! This is the perfect time and the perfect gift for any friends or family you may have up north or in the colder parts of the country.

As an added bonus, the designer has agreed to donate a percentage of the profits until December 1 to the relief effort for hurricane devastated Haiti.

So, buy a gift for family and friends and do your part to help a devastated country.

Click here - BluMorfo Creations to check out the full website. Below is a slideshow of some of what the boutique has to offer. Some of the products are located on the boutique's website and some of the others are located at the sister boutique, blumorfo.etsy.com

Week 1 Observations

2008-09-27T10:04:00.003-04:00

Okay, so we're just past the 1st week mark. It's been a blur really - a little too "normal" and a little chaotic all at the same time. Here are just a few of my observations:

1. My house STINKS! (as previously stated in another post)
2. The novelty of the in fridge ice and water maker has not worn off and my kitchen floor always has a puddle on it.
3. Moise is obsessed with ice and will eat ice chips all day
4. Haitians MUST yell EVERYTHING! There is no concept of volume control at all!
5. Moise understands everything we are saying to him unless its something he doesn't want to hear - then he's amazingly stricken with the "I only speak Creole" disease
6. Phoenix knows how to "work it!" He will bat his eyelashes and flash a heart-melting smile whenever he's told no or is doing something he knows he's not supposed to
7. Getting an 8 year old who wets the bed nearly every night to wear GoodNights is A LOT easier said than done
8. Who knew adding 2 kids would increase the mess in my house exponentially. I have wiped up more spills, washed more blown out clothes and picked up more crap in the last week than in my entire career as a mom
9. Just cause you adopt an older kid doesn't mean you'll get the sleep of an older kid - expect newborn sleep cycles!
10. Phoenix sleepwalks apparently and often ends up on the couch or chair in the living room.
11. Having to discipline 180 degrees from what you're used to and now applying to all boys instead of just the new 2 - uber challenging.
12. I H-A-T-E diapers!!!!! I didn't order a baby, but I got one anyway! Changes the game plan 110%
13. This - all of this - still feel like babysitting. I can't emphasize this enough. There is not some magical moment when they come home wherein that organic, loving, "feels like they've always been here" family appears. It's work and a choice every single day to love them and make it work. Do not misunderstand - I love all of my children passionately and unwaveringly. However, you have to realize that this is one of the biggest changes and adjustments we (or you, if you are adopting) will ever go through as a family. It takes a helluva lot of time and a helluva lot of work and prayer. The more you build up dreams and ideas and paint pictures of what you think it will be like when your children come home, the more disappointed, frustrated and out of love you will be with them when they finally do come home. Let me share with you something my parents shared with my husband when he was about to meet my extended family for the first time: expect the worst....and then you get the "family name inserted here." I will relay the same advice to you: expect the worst...and then you get "insert child's name here." In other words - have no expectations or dreams or grandiose ideas of family ooey-gooey bonding. Expect the worst and you will be so wonderfully surprised when it turns out to be not so bad. This puts so much less pressure on the children and takes a HUGE burden off of you.

I think that's all for right now. I have 2 very sick little guys - 24-hour flu kinda thing and we've been up since 4:30am. Will post more pics and updates throughout the next week, so keep on checking in.

Read my Blog?

2008-09-25T09:49:00.002-04:00

I would LOVE to know who's reading, following or just stopping by once and a while. Hit the "Follow Me" button on the right sidebar and lemme know who you are! The more friends and family I have to write for, the more fun it is!

First Bike Ride!

2008-09-24T20:22:00.002-04:00

Daddy being home from work this week has been a great thing for all the boys! He helped Moise with his first bike ride today and in no time, Moise was off! Phoenix got into helping daddy fix a bike and it was a great time of winding down before dinner. These moments are so sweet!

My house....

2008-09-23T15:58:00.001-04:00

STIIIIIIIIIIIINKS! Who knew 4 boys could stink up a house so efficiently and thoroughly? ;0) It's like one long, never-ending fart! I'm looking for some sweet savior to send me a gas mask......

Brothers Bonding

2008-09-23T12:33:00.002-04:00

GoodNight!

2008-09-23T12:27:00.003-04:00

The boys LOVED their new beds, especially with the new blankets grandma made (as seen in grandparentsRfun. The first few nights in their new home have gone very well and everyone has slept through the night - with the exception if Logan. He had to fall asleep in the guest room last night because Phoenix was snoring SO loud he couldn't sleep. Phoenix definitely has some nighttime breathing issues we're goingto have to get looked at.

One of my favorite moments

2008-09-22T14:49:00.006-04:00

was watching Moise "fish" for minnows with a bucket. He was always SO surprised when he caught some. The video should show up shortly - after it is done processing - so check back....

First Grocery Trip x2

2008-09-22T14:11:00.003-04:00

So this morning we decided to tackle both Sam's Club AND Walmart for groceries and, since the special seat for our SUV won't be here for another month, we had to take 2 cars. I was expecting insanity...shouts of amazement and eyes wide with disbelief. On the contrary, it was surprisingly underwhelming. Moise walked alongside the cart with Logan, helping to put things in the cart and asking for specific things he wanted. He was so happy to be helping and a part of the team. Phoenix and Cai played happily together in the front of the cart, relatively oblivious. All in all, fun but oddly normal. Sorry for the crappy pics - that's whatcha get with a cameraphone....

Grandparents R Fun!

2008-09-22T13:42:00.003-04:00

On day three, we stopped overnight at my parents house for introductions.My sis, and her fam showed up and to Moise's delight, we had pizza! Yes, his favorite. My mom has a veritable zoo (with guinea pigs, rabbits, cockatiels, dogs, turtles and a duck) and Moise, we found out is crazy about animals! He was so good with all of them! Phoenix was terrified of everything at first but quickly got over it. Intros went so much better than expected and the boys had a great time and adore their new grandparents. Here's a few pics from the day....

Day 2

2008-09-22T13:06:00.004-04:00

These are the final pics from day 2 at our friends house. They hosted a little gathering in which a few friends had been invited to drop by throughout the evening to meet the boys. There were tons of kids and food and fun. The boys really enjoyed their time there and were all sad to leave. Now it's off to mee the rest of the family!

The first morning

2008-09-19T10:26:00.009-04:00

Phoenix slept from 3pm yesterday to 7:30am today. Everyone is super happy and getting along really well. Moise helped make breakfast this morning and they're chillin in the pool already!

More from Day 1

2008-09-19T10:26:00.008-04:00

Here's a few pics of the boys first meeting of their brothers, swimming, catching tadpoles and getting used to friends and family.

There is no God like our God!

2008-09-18T17:29:00.005-04:00

There is SO much to say, but you must first understand one thing: God's sovereignty is the most frustratingly beautiful thing! It's this incredible resting place right between joy and terror and once you "get it," there is truly nothing like it. Now, I would also suggest at this point, that you not "test" God the way we just did by blatantly arranging the IMPOSSIBLE and expecting Him to show up. But, He did show up in His infinite power and grace and though the powers that be flat out REFUSED to let us on the plane for our return flight, God had other plans indeed. Plans that included running through the airport with an escort, being shoved onto the tarmac and pointed into the direction of a waiting plane on the complete OTHER END OF THE AIRPORT! We had to run across the tarmac for what seemed like an eternity to a plane with attendants eagerly waving us to HURRY! The story is much longer and full of a nearly hysterically crying Heather, totally overwhelmed boys and 2 sweat drenched parents. But in the end, the prayers of our friends were more powerful than any plans the enemy had for us and being able to rest in the knowledge that God had ordained for everything that was happening.....well, that was both maddening and comforting. Now, that I'm rambling, enjoy a few pics from the plane and initial moments home.

We leave tomorrow!

2008-09-16T09:55:00.002-04:00

Everything is in place and confirmed. We have visas in hand! We leave tomorrow! We will post pics as soon as we can (which will likely be minute by minute as we both have smart phones). Check back often and pray for us as we rush through the Haiti airport. We only have 55 minutes between landing and departure to get the boys and get through the airport. Small airport but often big lines. Mercy and compassion...that's what we're looking for here......we've gotten this far right? To those in SoFla - see you soon!

God is Good

2008-09-15T14:39:00.002-04:00

The visas for both boys are being printed as we speak - that is unless the printing machine breaks or something else equally as ridiculous. Looks like we will be on a plane later this week after all! Thank you to all who prayed and to all who rejoice with us now!

There's ALWAYS a problem....

2008-09-15T08:36:00.003-04:00

Let me re-phrase that: There is always a huge, seemingly insurmountable problem. Here we go: two days after our visas were supposed to have been printed, they were still not printed. When I called to find out why, I was told they were waiting on a paper from USCIS. What?!? Here's what the problem amounts to: Our I600s have already been approved, our visa appointments have beeen completed and all went well - visas have been paid for. Even still, now they are questioning our I600A! It says we are approved for one or more children and though the officer stateside says that is sufficient, the Haitian officer says it is not and needs to see docs that say we are approved for 2 children!

Let's keep in mind that our homestudy has ALWAYS been for 2 children. We were approved through the court system, the Minister of Interior and our own Department of Homeland security through the USCIS approving our I600. NOW they want to question what amounts to a useless piece of paper that never needed to be filed in the first place. Let me explain further.

The I600a is a form, requesting from our government, the permission to eventually bring into the States, a child(ren) you intent to adopt. This just states intent. The approval comes in the form of an I171H. The I600 does essentially the same thing, with one notable exception: The (a) should be filed if you are adopting from one of those countries that doesn't let you know who your child will be until the end of the process. If you already know who your child(ren) will be before you start your process, you can and should file the I600 only. Because we filed both (the I600a at the beginning of our process and the I600 in Haiti about a year ago) this is blowing the minds of the government and they can't fathom that the I600a doesn't really amount to a hill of crap right now. The USCIS officer in Haiti tells me now that they "mistakenly" approved our I600 before double checking our I600a. This is INSANE! First, even if it was mistakenly approved, IT WAS APPROVED! They cannot now backtrack and hold our children hostage, which is essentially what they are now doing. Second, the I600a is a moot point and even if it was valid, specifically states one or more children!

If you have followed this inanity to this point, you will see this as nothing more than a complete and utter attack. It is so preposterous, so inane that this is the only explanation to be had. By the same token, because God is sovereign, and nothing happens that does not first pass through his hand, this has, for one reason or another, been allowed. This blows my mind. I cannot grasp why God would be allowing this particular trial after we have already been through delay after delay after delay. This is so like being pregnant and waaaaaaay overdue! My heart hurts. There is not a moment in the day that I do not think of/long for/agonize over the absence of my children in my life. This trial has only magnified that to unmanageable depths.

So this is what I ask of you dear friends who frequent the ramblings of my blog, pray. Over the course of these next 2 days pray fervently and without ceasing. Pray that they eyes of the government officials will be open to the gross oversight on their part. Part for mercy and compassion towards us and our situation. Pray that our children will be coming home as scheduled on Thursday and that this will not drag on and on.....If nothing else, Moise will come home on Wednesday. This has been a heartbreaking decision - having to choose, as a mom, between two children. Which one needs you more? Which one can you just not live without any longer? At the moment, we have determined that to be Moise, simply because he is more aware of us, our relationship with him and the imminence of his homecoming. He has already been disappointed so much in this process and we cannot bear to inflict the scars that choosing Phoenix over him would inflict. So, for these reasons, if thinsg are not worked out before tomorrow, we will be bringing Moise home on Thursday and turning our focus to fighting for Phoenix every day after that. This, friends, is why we desperately need your prayers.

I have ODD children

2008-09-11T17:52:00.004-04:00

This was our day.....need I say more?

THIS....went on for hours. I think I should be worried.....

Yeah, I'm A Soccer Mom

2008-09-06T12:29:00.005-04:00

Today was opening day for soccer season and Logan, our little right halfback, was kickin A on the field! There has seriously not been a cuter boy in a soccer jersey since David Beckham! Next week he may even sport the early years Beckham 'do with the top half pulled back into a little ponytail! Until then....enjoy these:

And what day would be complete without the Cai-Cai!

Oh Happy Day!

2008-09-05T19:51:00.002-04:00

Our boys are coming home! Our boys are coming home! They'll be ready to come home on Monday! Sadly, Jeremy has a business trip scheduled for next week so we can't pick them up then. It will have to be the following week. But, the point is: THEY'RE READY AND THEY'RE COMING HOME!!!!!!!

Oh, did I mention, MY BOYS ARE COMING HOME!

What's in a Name?

2008-08-30T15:16:00.002-04:00

A lot....a definition of character, a legacy, a hope, an ideal. We have always taken the choosing of our children's names very seriously and with the 2 new additions coming home soon, we are again playing the name game. Though we've had their first names chosen for a long time, we've struggled for nearly 2 years with their middle names. Not only have we finally settled on middle names, but we have come to a monumental naming decision. Once we readopt the boys here in the States and officially have their names changed, we will also have a name change for Logan and Cai. We really want to honor our fathers and grandfathers in such a way that their relationships to us and the legacy they leave behind, will be forever etched into our children's minds - and names. So, without further adieu, here are the new Pihl children (with the new names in bold):

Logan Gabriel Robert Pihl
Micaiah Ramsay David Pihl
Moise Benjamin Joseph Pihl
Phoenix Jude Austin Pihl

Yes, I know - I hear you - 2 middle names? Whatever - it's very euro and very honoring to our patriarchs and so, it is what it is.

Cai-ism of the Day

2008-08-28T18:45:00.001-04:00

I love you Cherry Fanta and your red taste! (And yes Nichole, he sounded just like you when you're mimicking him!)

Cai-isms

2008-08-26T18:43:00.005-04:00

So, my Cai-isms are growing too numerous for the sidebar to house. What is a Cai-ism you say? Well, many of you know that Cai has a unique personality and view of things (to say the least). Lately, he's taken a "Ralphie-esque" view of daily life (for those of you who watch the Simpson's, you'll know what I mean.) Whenever he busts out with a new "CAIism," I'll post it here. Enjoy!

Pastor: How'd you like your class today?
Cai: I have goldfish in my teeth!

Daddy: Come on, let's get you ready for your bath.
Cai: Can I take a shower with my peeper?

Cai: I have such a beautiful brain! Wait....why is it so quiet in there?

Cai: (In regards to daddy's hairy chest) You have such beautiful feathers, daddy!

Cai: Silence! You are defended!

Cai: I'm so sad about it, my bones are tears...

Thank you

2008-08-11T14:36:00.002-04:00

We wanted to extend a special thank you to those of you who have donated to our efforts to bringing our children home. Your thoughts, prayers and donations have meant SO MUCH to us and have made a HUGE difference! THANK YOU, does not seem to be sufficient.....

For those of you lurking, reading and/or wondering what we're referencing, please click on the "adoption" label on the right hand sidebar and read the posts regarding our adoption process. God has definitely provided, but we've not reached the finish line yet. We implore you to pray/consider and ask how you can/if you can be of assistance.

Until they come home.....
Heather & Jeremy

Happy Birthday Phoenix!

2008-08-04T15:25:00.003-04:00

Make a Smilebox postcard

Moise playing soccer

2008-07-27T18:13:00.003-04:00

Moise is in the light blue shirt and, as usual, has to stop whatever he's doing to imitate his favorite superhero - Spiderman!

Mmmmmm bread!

2008-07-27T14:13:00.003-04:00

You have to appreciate the beauty of this french bread. No, it was not bought at the Publix bakery. It was crafted lovingly, by hand, from scratch, by me! Yes, me. It shall be enjoyed tonight with Swedish meatballs...mmmm swedish meatballs. Why does dinner have to be at the END of the day? Grrrrr.

IKEA=BLISS

2008-07-27T10:42:00.004-04:00

Since we had to go all the way into Orlando yesterday to get our fingerprints redone, we decided to make a day of it. Unlike the first fingerprinting (which took 1/2 the day even though we had an appointment), this time we were in and out in literally 15 minutes. It was a thing of beauty. So, off to the land of bliss we happily went. Keep in mind, neither of us have ever been to an Ikea store. We were Ikea virgins. I have to say, our first time was nothing short of pure, unadulterated BLISS! As we entered the store about 15 minutes before it actually opened, we were ushered upstairs to a land of brilliant colors and whimsical simplicity. The first "showroom" area we walk into was the children's area and our 2 boys immediately went bat**** crazy! And, since you are encouraged to touch, play with and try out everything in the store, the boys happily complied!

There really is a very special feeling that radiates throughout your entire being once you take your first step into an IKEA, like utter euphoria. It is difficult to put into words, but I will tell you that I had to fight the urge to sit down and cry in the middle of the store. (DO keep in mind how stressed we've been over the past 2 weeks with all of the adoption troubles and work situations that this was nothing short of a beautiful release.) After the children had sufficiently tried every toy and every bed, climbed through castle tunnels and hugged stuffed animals, we had the brilliant idea of checking them into Smaland, IKEA's supervised children's playroom. The boys were so delighted to swim in the enormous ballpit, climb the rock wall, slide down the slides and hide in forts to watch movies, that they were actually pretty pissed at us when we had to pick them up at the end of their allotted hour. During that one hour of glorious mommy/daddy alone time, we fell in love with the furniture, textiles and everything IKEA had to offer.

Once we picked up the boys, it was off to the in-store cafe and the moment mommy had been waiting for all week: swedish meatballs! IKEA certainly does not disappoint in the quality of their food, the beauty of their presentation and the ridiculous affordability of everything they have to offer. How can you beat a completely balanced and yummy kid's meal for 99 cents? CRAZY!

Before we left with a birthday present for Cai and a few essentials for mommy's kitchen, we made sure to hit the swedish food market for absolute essentials like rasperberry jam cookies, lingonberry jam, swedish meatball sauce mix and a few other confectionary treats.

4 hours! That is how long we reveled in the beauty, simplicity, whimsy and utter delight that is IKEA. Truthfully, it's my new Disney, my new mecca.

After the IKEA experience, we met up with a friend at the Millenia Mall (right behind IKEA) and chilled there for a while before grabbing some lunch at the Mellow Mushroom - an incredible all organic pizza joint. We shared a tremendous jerk chicken pizza that is not to be missed!

All in all, a full day spent in Orlando, tremendous fun and much needed stress relief. Hooray!

More pics of the boys

2008-07-25T22:20:00.005-04:00

Thanks for the awesome pics, Nick! You rock!

Thank you

2008-07-24T17:14:00.003-04:00

to everyone who has written and who is praying for our situation. It would truly be a miracle if they were able to come home when their escort is scheduled to come home, and that is exactly what we are praying for. Let;s all join together to pray for God to be glorified in what would be a seemingly impossible feat of miraculous mountain moving!

Thank you Kathy....

2008-07-24T09:33:00.005-04:00

...for this awesome video of my musical boy! And super thanks to Nichole who threw me the heads up! I needed this SO much today! For those of you who can't distinguish - they're singing a CrEnglish version of Father Abraham!

whatevs...

2008-07-23T19:46:00.004-04:00

so NOW we have to have our entire home study redone. everything. police background checks, physicals, employment letter and financial records, dcf clearances - EVERYTHING.

what REALLY makes me mad is this is OUR GOVERNMENT! you would expect this kind of behavior, this kind of detrimental bureaucratic bullshizz from a third world country, not from our gov. i did all your stupid paperwork, paid all your stupid fees. now my children, who have my last name and passports that say they are my chidlren, can;t come into the country because you want to friggin steal MORE money from me? isn't that what taxes are for?

what makes this worse, is that not everyone that adopts has to go through this. apparently, immigration laws (re: adoption) are different in every state and can even differ from adoption agency to adoption agency. for instance - homestudies in the state of florida must be fully updated (that's everything we have to go through right now at the cost of $500 plus physicals and background checks and fingerprints for a grand total of about $800) every 12 months. now to be clear - there is no country on the planet that processes adoption faster than 12 months. so, for anyone adopting in the state of florida, you are guaranteed to be milked at least twice. prices even differ between agencies. one agency wanted to charge me $1200 for the update (in other words, just for them to type up the new info) and $250 extra because we needed it expedited. SERIOUSLY? shouldn't there be some sort of regulation put on these people? there are regulations preventing gas stations from hiking up the prices during hurricanes, but no regulation on completely taking advantage of a life altering,emergency situation such as this? my children, legally mine, are stuck in a third world country and can't come home until this paperwork gets redone and you are seriosuly gonna sit there and say you need $1450 just to coax your fingers into remembering how to use the keyboard? honestly, doesn't that border on - dip into the genre of - enabling/contributing to - human trafficking - in a way? i know its a stretch, but think about it.

i digress. something needs done, but where to start? i guess i have to start with bending over......

So here's where we're at.....

2008-07-21T09:58:00.005-04:00

It's 8:15 am on Monday morning and already I've been on the phone with both the Haitian Immigration office and the one in Orlando. Though what the Haitian office emailed them wasn't exactly what they were looking for, the Orlando office decided to go ahead and process our fingerprints anyway. Wow - okay - so, Monday morning is starting off better than expected. Then the caveat: even though the fingerprints are being reprocessed, once everything gets to Haiti, the state department could still decide to kick everything back, requiring us to refile our i600a, repay all of those fees and redo our homestudy, including but not limited to physicals and background checks. For those of you not in the know, this could translate to a couple extra months of wait time and a couple thousand dollars in fees and crap. All of that is a possibility - all small one, but a possibility nonetheless.

So, what we need from everyone right now, is prayer. Lots and lots of prayer. Our homestudy update is scheduled for Friday and our fingerprints for Saturday, so we basically have an entire week in which our hands are tied, our train is stuck on the tracks and we have nothing to do but pray for a whole week. And maybe that's what He wanted all along.....

I know God is sovereign. I know that part of our calling, as a family, is to be the family for these two beautiful boys. I know that now that it has come down to the end and they are ready to come home, all hell, literally, is going to break loose and try to prevent this from happening. I get it. I don't like it and no one ever said I HAD to like it. But, I do have to be content, even in THIS situation and trust that what God has on the other side of this is for our good, to His glory. So, so, SO much easier said, than done. But, that is what I'm working on this week. Remembering the lessons I learned in Haiti nearly a year ago - to say (and mean) that "it is well with my soul."

(Note to God: I said I'm WORKING on it! That DOESN'T mean I'm begging you to test me on this. Okay, let's clarify: I'm working on working on this. Better?)

Roller Coaster Week

2008-07-20T19:42:00.004-04:00

So this has been one ridiculous roller coaster of a week. First, we anxiously called the Embassy every day last week, hoping we would be able to schedule the visa appointment for our boys. Every day we were told that Immigration had not couriered over our dossier. Okay, that's normal. No biggie. Then, by Wednesday, we received an email stating that the visas couldn't be issued because our fingerprints had expired and we would need to get them redone ASAP. Okay - loop#1 in the roller coaster. Ugly, painful, but not unmanageable. Just a drive to Orlando and a 1/2 day sitting in an INS office.

Wait for it...here comes loop #2. The Orlando INS office says it needs a paper to be able to process our fingerprints that the Haitian INS office is saying doesn't even exist! $20 in Skype charges and 3 days later, we get it worked out only to find out that loop #3 was upon us.

We had moved and because we never submitted an update to our Home Study stating this, the Embassy was not happy and still not willing to issue a visa. This was contrary to the info originally given us, but that's a different story. So, now our original agency is unwilling to do just a simple update because they say since the homestudy is more than a year old, it will need to be completely redone at $1500. (Me thinks they want my $$) Another, much closer (in location) agency said they will do the update and that the other agency was incorrect. So, I'm just gonna go with what the American Embassy in Haiti is asking for and that's all. Immigration in Haiti emailed all the necessary paperwork to Immigration in Orlando on Friday, but of course, too late for me to confirm or find out what my next plan of attack is. So, come tomorrow, I could be looking at a very easy fix or a very BIG DISASTER.

Oh, but we're not done yet. Loop #4. So, I get this email this morning: Phoenix has been taken to the hospital and is being admitted for surgery....call for more details. AHHHHH! WHAT? I know my little guy's been dealing with what the orphanage thought was hemorrhoids for the past month, but the hospital? Yup, little dude's got a prolapsed sphincter. Um, ewww. So, they have to give him massive amounts of protein in his diet via some meds and tape his little booty shut between BMs and maybe, sorta, kinda it should fix itself in a month or two. Oh, and lets pray it doesn't pop out while they're giving him his visa physical or he won't be cleared to fly. WHAT? Sonova....are you kidding me? It's cause he was born so malnourished and remained that way for the first 11 months or so and nearly died form it that he's now having issues.

Did I mention I've been dealing with all this whilst in the throws of a wicked head cold? Every time I have asked if it could possibly get any worse this week, the answer has promptly been yes. One would think I would learn to stop asking that question, but no. So now, here we are, about to start a new week. I am no less settled, no more in the know and no less terrified of the unknown that I was when this all started last Monday. My faith, what little there is left, is desperately clinging to what I hope is the Hand that is supposed to be leading me through this. In this past week alone I have doubted, praised, shaken my fist, been thankful for tender mercies, screamed in anger and frustration and jumped for joy at momentary relief. I have been more hot and cold in Him and towards Him this week than I ever have been in my entire life. Maybe that means I am finally feeling - finally growing and moving out of this hellova rut I have been in for so long. Maybe I'm just that 5th ball - the one stuck in the middle of the novelty desk toy - the one that's constantly getting beat on by two balls on each side, but never yielding itself?

So, I realize now my family update has turned into a spiritual tirade. One for which this blog does not have the room, nor the inclination to house. So, until I know more, for those of you who are willing, please pray for our little family to be reunited and whole very soon.

Cai & Jazzy's Double Birthday!

2008-07-13T10:53:00.005-04:00

I still need to get some pics from my mom to complete the slideshow, but here's what I have so far. Jazzy's birthday was today and Cai's is in 2 weeks. But, since we won't be seeing any family even close to his b-day, we figured we'd do a double celebration! Cai indulged in his 2 current obsessions. He got a black Spider-man costume and ran around singing "Spectacular Spider-man." For Jazz's bday, all day, playing with his talking, interative Wall-E toy. I had already taken her to Barnes & Noble for a "girl's night out" where we gnoshed on yummies at the cafe and she got to pick out a couple books. Fun times, but 6 hours in a car all in one day is pretty exhausting.....

2008-07-11T13:50:00.004-04:00

Well, here it is, the finale! Tomorrw Jazz heads home and we breathe a momentary sigh of relief before we spend the next 3 weeks, breathlessly preparing for the arrival of our boys. Each child received a scorecard of their performance over the week. Logan was good in most all areas, but was advanced in his individual footwork skills, meaning he had the ability to effectively execute individual technical moves. Jazzy was equally good in most areas, but was advanced in her shooting accuracy and power. All in all it was a really great experience for them and they're both way excited about playing soccer on a team in the fall. Can I get a HOLLA! for the end of summer!

Soccer Camp-Day Four

2008-07-10T20:04:00.008-04:00

I don't have much to say about Day Four. And that's all there is. Here's a pic.On another note, the kids did one of their last crafts today. This one was REALLY hard, but the end results looked great!

Soccer Camp-Day Three

2008-07-09T12:55:00.006-04:00

Pretty awesome stuff today. They practice most of the morning, working on essentials, them have 2-3 World Cup matches of 15 minutes each at the end. After each the kids sit down in their groups and the coaches make a few individual kids (different each time) stand up and be acknowledged for the some awesome display of skills in the previous game. Guess who got acknowledged today? That's right - LOGAN!!!! They said he got 2 World Cup saves, had a couple great tackles and 2 goals! Yup! Soccer Superstar! He kicks butt on the soccer field and plays harder than I've ever seen him play!

I also saw Jazz execute a few tackles, a save and assist in a goal. Super awesome! They're having fun and loving it!

How to buy a child in 10 hours

2008-07-09T09:49:00.006-04:00

People have often asked us, "Why Haiti?" That question is considerably more difficult to answer than what people might think. Africa and all of its troubles are featured in countless reports, articles and fundraising efforts, but Haiti (which is far worse off in many respects) is largely ignored by the US. Truth is, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and its child trafficking and slavery issues rival that of any country on the planet. It is discomforting to know, devastating to watch and see first hand. Check out the article, pictures and video from the NBC Nightline exclusive that aired the other night by clicking here. While watching and reading, try to remove yourself from the comforts of your spoiled, self-centered, American life and ask yourself, "What if I were so poor I could not afford even the smallest bite of food to keep my child alive? What if the only option I had was to give her to someone whose promises of a better life I believed, but knew deep down were not as true as spoken? What if fate had chosen for me to be born Haitian instead of American?"

Once you have watched and read, I encourage you to not just walk away saddened, disturned or worse, apathetic. Do something. For HIS Glory Outreach is a ministry that supports an orphanage and community outreach program in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Though they currently have well over 100 children in the orphanage who they feed, clothe, provide shelter and education for, they must still turn away over 80 children per day. For the cost of a single Starbuck's latte a day, you can have a hand in helping them provide a safe environment for these abandoned children. Check out their website and follow the links for donation. And check out this video, which explains a little more about the plight of the children and what this ministry and orphanage is doing to help. (Double click the video to start viewing)

Doing nothing, being apathetic, only serves to perpetuate the problems and seal the fate of these precious children. So click, become educated, do something.

.....because the more you know......(bing bing bing BIIIIING)

Toothless Wonder

2008-07-08T14:17:00.004-04:00

So, in the 6 weeks Jasmine's been here, she's had 2 teeth knocked out. Yes, knocked out. Granted they were loose to begin with, but only slightly loose. The first was the week she arrived and it was Logan's foot to her mouth. Then, last night, a very excited puppy jumped up and clobbered Jazz in the mouth with her head. Out popped the tooth and down flowed the blood. Mmmmm, blood. I mean, really....

Soccer Camp - Day Two

2008-07-08T13:59:00.005-04:00

Bruises, Bad Days and Brits

Day 2 was hotter than day 1 by far. Mostly overcast, but still enough sun to fry an egg on the sidewalk. Ridiculous! I arrived, as usual, about 15 minutes early to watch the kids play their "World Cup match." At kickoff, Logan faced off with a much bigger boy and promptly received a kiss from the soccerball square on his cheek. The kid was much bigger and I could feel the impact from where I was standing. Luckily, Logan did not see me, or it would have been all tears, but he sucked it up and tried to continue until the coach told him to go sit on the bench and chill. That's when the tears came, but in a markedly lighter rain than had I been present. Jasmine woke up today and was playin like she meant it. All in all, a good day of scrimmage.

Soccer Camp - Day One

2008-07-07T13:19:00.005-04:00

So, Jazz & Logan are enrolled in this British Soccer Camp. Kinda cool - they fly in british soccer players to coach the kids & teach them about their culture and the proper way to play football. The kids had a great time, but were FRIED because the camp is from 9-12 - a HORRIBLE time of day for Florida. Look for more pics in the days to come!

4th=Fun!

2008-07-06T18:58:00.006-04:00

This is effectively our last weekend with Jazzy, so we tried to make it as fun as possible. The 4th was filled with playing at the pool, arts & crafts, movies (introduced to my childhood FAVE Princess Bride for the first time!) and outside our front door, fireworks at night.

Saturday, we took off early in the morning and drove over to Mill Dam Lake. It's a bit of a change, for native Southern Floridians to make the trade - beach for lake, but it was nice. Tons of shady oak trees, dripping with Spanish Moss, a white sand beach, beautiful clear, blue, fresh water and about 18 signs warning us of the presence and danger of black bears! Like I said - different, but nice. Trading sharks, man-o-war, sea lice and sand lice for black bears and alligators. Did I say alligators? No! Never in fresh water lakes of inland Florida! ;0) We had so much fun swimming and building sand castles, grilling and just being together.

Sunday, we awoke to please of Cuck E. Cheese and succumbed to the visceral whines. After a morning spent within the 4th dimension of hell (cheesy, disposable toys included), we made a quick stop at McD's for happy meals. More crafts, video games and fun throughout the afternoon and a beautiful dinner made by Jeremy to round out the evening.

Tomorrow is the beginning of soccer camp and nearly 2 hours of roundtrip driving per day for me. Kill me now. I have become what I dreaded most. I am. A Soccer mom.

Our boys are coming HOME!

2008-06-24T11:43:00.006-04:00

We just got the phone call last night that told us the exciting news that our Haitian boys finally received their passports! This is HUGE as it means they will be coming home with our friend in 3 weeks! 3 WEEKS!

Though we've been working through this process for 2 years now, the reality of their impending homecoming is increasingly hard to wrap our brains around. 4 boys. WHAT WERE WE THINKING?!?

To friends and family: thanks for praying, listening, crying, laughing and supporting this insane journey. We really couldn't have made it through with some of you!

Now a request. We still need a little help! We have prepared, but things have happened to cause some of that prep to go out the window - like rats eating a huge hole through the mattress we had bought and were storing for one of the boys. Point is, though we prepared, we still need a few things. If anyone has any of the following items laying around that they're not using, we would really appreciate the help! We need:

1. A twin mattress
2. A toddler car seat or booster seat
3. 2 wooden dining room chairs or folding chairs (we had a couple disasters with dining chairs recently and are now short for our new family of 6)

Additionally, if any of you feels compelled to donate, we still need to purchase the third row seat for our SUV so we can have a car that actually fits our whole family. There's this great company that makes 3rd row seats for SUVs and that's about the only alternative we have right now. So please, if you feel so led, hit that donate button on the right hand sidebar.

This has been an incredible journey and we love and appreciate everyone who has been there for us and helped us along the way. You guys ROCK!

Kids Cook!

2008-06-13T21:21:00.007-04:00

Please to enjoy our first installment of Kids Cook. Logan & Jasmine now have their own website in which they will share recipes and how-to videos for kids. Topics will range from the simple: how to make your own sandwich, to the more complex: meatloaf and mashed potatoes, to the totally fun: PIZZA! Check them out at Kids Cook Ocala

Luv them pool days!

2008-06-12T12:11:00.002-04:00

Bein' a mom is EXHAUSTING

2008-06-11T16:44:00.005-04:00

"Mom, mom, mom - pay attention to me, no me - I'm boooooored - What are we gonna do now? Can I have another snack (#26 this morning alone)? Can I play more video games (Hour 20 coming up)? I'm boooooored. What is there to do? What are we doing next? What are we doing tomorrow? Why's it gotta rain EVERY DAY? Did I mention I'm booooooored?"

All this after I meticulously planned an activity PACKED "summer camp" for my 2 sons and niece for 5 straight weeks. THIS is day 5. Oh joy.

We went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks at the movie theater today. FREE family film fest at Regal and all. So, the morning went like this. "I have to pee." (Of course you do, we just sat down and if we get up an entire summer camp full of children will steal our seats). Then Logan unwittingly rested his hand in the cup holder and pulled back a hand full of ABC gum, which he proceeded to get EVERYWHERE in an attempt to get it off. Then Cai had to pee. Pull down the pants, sit him back far enough on the potty - wasn't expecting the full force jet stream to come shooting out and completely SOAK his underwear. SO, off the underwear come and Cai goes commando for the rest of the film. "I'm hungry. I'm thirsty. I finished off everything within the first 30 seconds of the movie, can I have more now?" Kid next to me jumping all over his chair and later, me. Wanted to STRANGLE said kid, almost did.

Let's see...pool, playground, craft time, video game time, cartoons, cooking class (check out the AWESOME homemade pizza!), dancing lessons, reading time.....and they're still boooooored.

Now, those who know me KNOW I am by NO MEANS a crafty mom. But, you gotta admit, these are pretty darn cool! The kids were so obsessed with Kung Fu Panda that we made our craft day all about the Panda. Paper bag and construction paper puppets...Po, Tai Lung and Tigress to start. Tomorrow they're gonna try to recreate Viper, Master Monkey and Mantis.

Okay, off to make Blueberry Pork Chops.....don't ask.

Slip 'N Slide.....Wham-O!

2008-06-08T19:51:00.004-04:00

There is nothin' better than a Slip 'N Slide on a spectacular summer day. Especially when the kids have the brilliant idea of propelling themselves down a Little Tykes Slide and onto the Slip 'N Slide track for even faster fun! The after dinner sun provided some fantastic light in which to catch the gorgeous colors! Again, please to enjoy....

Kids Cook!

2008-06-08T19:46:00.004-04:00

Tonight was the kid's first cooking class and what better way to kick it off than with a ridiculously gooey, nasty dessert? Rocky Road bars and all with no help from the resident adult! Please to enjoy...

Summertime!

2008-06-08T15:45:00.005-04:00

Summer is finally here and with it all of the excitement, relaxation, and fun! Unless you're a parent and are the one having to plan, organize, and entertain 3 very "bored" children. ;0) Then vacation is really nothing but work!

So, my niece is spending the summer with us and we have a TON of fun things planned. Everything form craft days to cooking classes, field trips to movie days, a weekend Olympics and a week in which the kids will learn everything about Haiti in prep for Moise & Phoenix's July homecoming. Their crafts will be those of Haitian influence, their cooking classes will center around Haitian food and each day will bring a new Creole word or phrase and little bit of 411 about the country.

The kids are REALLY looking forward to cooking classes and want to film it and make their own cooking blog. We'll give it a go, so check back here for the link to that blog once we get it up and running.

Jasmine's first weekend here consisted of pool time, playing ball in the backyard with uncle Jeremy, Kung Fu Panda (which ROCKED), the awesomeness of 3D chalk on the driveway, board games and FUN FUN FUN!

Check out the pics below and check back often for summer fun updates.

God MUST have a sense of humor....

2008-06-01T19:51:00.004-04:00

These are just a few of the weirdest looking animals on the planet. Enjoy!

Pihl Pastures

The Tooth Fairy Sucks!

Cinematic Warm Fuzzies

cai-ism for today

Some more Floridian Winter for ya...

SIckle Cell Info

more cai-isms

cai-isms

Hot Winter!

Our little girl....

Cai-ism of the day

Bad Juju

An open letter to Steak 'n Shake

Cai's Best Friend

Best. Present. Ever.

Teach a boy to fish....

Brotherly Lurv

A Moment in History

Tampa Zoo

My perfect nose

Unicef Photo of 2008

An anti-climatic Flip Experience

Food Pron

My OCD kicked in again....

A beautiful sight....

By the Hammer of Thor!

Christmas Morning....so far

Christmas in the Square

Macro Flowers

Our Christmas Weekend...

Geeky Goodness!

Downtown Disney!!

Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!

Thanksgiving Pt.2 + Grandparents Weekend

Thanksgiving

Best part of the Macy's Parade?

Boys bein boys

Cai-ism Pics

Pics of Boys

Dred Update

This Morning....

Check out our scrapbook!

dreads

My new hobby

Church day at the Park

Trick or Treat Day

Logan's Birthday!

Dancey Dance Time

A bit of a breakthrough

A few new pics

Just in Time for Christmas!

Week 1 Observations

Read my Blog?

First Bike Ride!

My house....

Brothers Bonding

GoodNight!

One of my favorite moments

First Grocery Trip x2

Grandparents R Fun!

Day 2

The first morning

More from Day 1

There is no God like our God!

We leave tomorrow!

God is Good

There's ALWAYS a problem....

I have ODD children

Yeah, I'm A Soccer Mom

Oh Happy Day!

What's in a Name?

Cai-ism of the Day

Cai-isms

Thank you

Happy Birthday Phoenix!

Moise playing soccer

Mmmmmm bread!

IKEA=B*L*I*S*S

More pics of the boys

Thank you

IKEA=BLISS