Happy Thanksgiving

I'm feeling Blessed this morning!  Surrounded by family and friends, with two new daughters and daughter-in-laws (soon to be), to share Turkey with for the first time, Plus all my boys, and everyone in the family in good health.......Blessed indeed.

Ella got here late last night........so glad to have her:)...and we are not alone:)

We have friends here from Colorado to celebrate with us as well.  Welcome Mark, Emily, Isaiah, and baby Malakai.  That baby by the way.....looks SO MUCH like Sherman did at that age!  It's so cute cause Sherman just loves him.   He's asked to hold him several times.  I have a picture of them together.....BUT......my blogger patrol....or whatever determines things about the blog.....won't let me load any more pictures..it says I've exceeded my storage limit????  WHAT??? I've only put a few pictures on....really!  So they are saying I have to buy more storage......so until I get a few minutes to figure out exactly how to do that......you have to just listen to me ramble...sorry folks, I know that isn't nearly as nice as cute little brown people.

Wren is starting to vocalize.....A LOT......as in we are nearly going bonkers listening!!!  It sounds like CAW CAW CAW AW AW AW AW AW CAW AW.........ALL. DAY. LONG. I hear her upstairs....outside......right next to me...on and on and on.......until the implants are off.  Then she stops.  (Mom and Gwen...you will understand this.....you know in the James Harriot book when the dog howls in the car the entire trip......uh huh! That's what it's like!)  The audiologist (yes I emailed her...hoping she would say try to make her be quiet.....she said...NORMAL..and..GOOD.....good for who???) ACK!
But on a better note, she cooperated well with the speech teachers at school and even imitated some of the sounds they were making!!! The audiologist said AMAZING! and Wonderful!  So we are hopeful, and will try to brace ourselves for the added noise that goes along with progress.

Iley is doing fine.....still trying to get over the nasty cold or flu she had.  She's much better but still seems to get tired easier.  I was looking for her yesterday....all of a sudden in the middle of the Chaos I couldn't find her....she had went upstairs and crawled in her bed and was sound asleep!  unheard of! 

I hope to update soon with pictures......until then..Have a blessed Thanksgiving!!

Sunday Lunch Club

Our Regular Sunday crowd........plus one.  We had the privilege of having on of  Thatcher's oldest friends

here for lunch today.  He is visiting from Ohio and will be here the rest of the week.  The only problem is he didn't bring his mom and dad....some of Troy and My's oldest friends.....along with him.  

The girls both looked so cute for church this morning.....of course I didn't get a picture..... but had already changed into play clothes when these were taken:(

She looks quite comfy...and pleased with herself perched up there don't she!

 My walls are NOT yellow.....but her tights are.

 Sherm Sherm

 Kynie and Scout

 Harrison and Kyn

 Jensen got initiated into the family.......they are always up for more adoring pack mules, people with cell phones and jungle gyms fans.

Biggest brother Ash jumped with them........an let them jump ON him.

 If I want to get a REALLY GOOD smile out of him..........

 I just say Ellllllla.....:)

Wren was hoarse tonight from vocalising ALL DAY!  I think she made a kind of bird chirp Ahh noise with every step she took today.  I don't know if it's because she is hearing herself more?  She's never done it before. She's usually pretty quiet.  Maybe she's trying to drown out all the other noise? 

Kyndahl took the girls with her to the apartment she's getting all fixed up for her and Thatcher.  Thatcher already lives there, so she's able to go in and start getting things situated. The girls love to go places, and they love to go to Kyndahls.  Iley tells her "this is a kynals bed, this is a kynals house, this is a kynals kitchen....but this is a Iley's toys."  She also put on Kyndahls name tag with her picture from the hospital where she works and said "now I'm a Kynal"  They had already made one trip to town and the girls were merrily helping her carry stuff for the next trip....they  had just got settled in the car to go with her again.......when Thatcher called and said he was at the ER and could she come and bring his insurance card.  His gun kicked back on him while hunting, and the scope caught him right above his eye.  He ended up with 8 stitches!  I have already considered postponing family pictures over Thanksgiving because of his beard shenanigan......now he's going to have stitches in his head!  Kyndahl wasn't very happy with him either...not so great for wedding pictures!!  So the girls had to stay home.....which I could explain to Iley.....that Kyndahl had to go to the doctor because Thatcher had an ouchie on his head.... I signed all that to Wren too....but....I'm not sure how much she understood.....It just made her mad at me cause I made her get out of the car.  She didn't throw a fit though!! Yay!    She was just so disappointed, and cried a little, and wouldn't let me hold her or love on her.  In cases like this I have found distraction is the best option.  So I went upstairs and played.....house, doctor, school......let her tuck me in bed like we do her....with all the normal routine.....she didn't forget a single step of it!  She even went down and got their cups and brought Iley and me a drink...their cups from lunch...I pretended to drink....cause I don't do floaties:(   

I think that was about it for the day.

Ok Ok Ok

I am back.  I've had several emails and texts asking if we are ok and alive.  Yes we are alive......ok is relative:)   It's been a really busy week...whew.  Monday, is always laundry and catch up day, then I went to Hays with Kyndahl for her final wedding dress fitting.  Tuesday Wren had an appointment in Kansas City (5hrs each way......in case you forgot) at the Audiologist for another mapping session.  We got 3 more settings for her implants.  There isn't a whole lot of news there....just continuing to draw her attention to every sound we think of.  The rest of the week has been a bit of a blur. 

This is on Wednesday morning before Mrs. Kay picks Wren up.  She hasn't had her C.I.'s on long.  This is the first day to school with the higher setting.  You can tell by these next few pictures that she is a little tense, and not loving it.

 She was really touchy with Iley too.  Just a little "raw".  Poor baby.

 Look at this poor baby's eyes!  She is still NOT feeling too chipper.

 Oh that crazy door!  If it didn't have the lovely cord running through....it might latch.  The cord has to be there though....because....in this old farm house.....there are NO outlets in the bathroom!

 Wren was much happier when she got home at lunch time.  Her note from Mrs. Kay said she worked pretty well but towards the end she started asking for mom.

 This is after school on Wednesday......she came home one cranky poodle!  She went and laid on the couch with out being told to.  She really didn't feel very good.....still.

 The next time I checked on her.......I found this.  This girl NEVER naps!  Not a good sign.

 By Friday.....she's lookin much better!

 Wren's prescool teacher sent me this picture Thursday in an email saying that Wren heard the CD player and wanted to listen to it.  YAY!  Over all she had a really good week.  I think we are seeing less stubborn spells and more cooperation overall.  Progress!  baby steps....but .....Progress!

Not Much Doin

Friday's are always a much needed "free" day.  They love the no routine, no where to go,  freedom of Fridays.  It was a beautiful day and they spent most of it outside.....moving sand from one area to another....with the cookie sheet....the wash tub.....and when that wasn't efficient enough.....the big orange wheel barrow.  Our determined Lil Scout, man handles it no problem....and Miss Cricket...just lets her.  They usually play so well together too when the boys are gone.  When the boys are home....Wren won't relax and just play with Iley.  She has to be watching them constantly and worrying that they are going to "leave" her.  She LOVES her big brothers, and wants to go everywhere with them......MUCH to their dismay most of the time.  They DO ditch, escape, leave her occasionally...which causes MAJOR melt downs and tears! 

 Sherman had an appointment with the dermatologist at Children's Hosp. of Colorado on Friday to get a 2nd opinion on the glomangioma on his back.  It's a mass of blood vessels, we had biopsied a couple of years ago, but it has gotten really sensitive, and we wanted to find out if there was anything to do to get rid of it.  We are waiting to hear back from the dermatologist for recommended treatment options. It's nothing life threatening......just annoying to him.

Harrison stayed home and went to school....then played with the littles. He is such a wonderful big brother! (most of the time)  They all had to have hats on...Iley wanted the green one!!  She likes green....it had nothing to do with the fact that it was John Deere....sorry Grandpa.

 This girlie has been sick the last two days:(  I think it actually started on Thursday.  She was just "off"  She didn't eat lunch and didn't want to go to school.  Something about her eyes just didn't look right.  She didn't have the usual sparkle of mischief.  Friday she played all day with Wren.....but those eyes had me wondering???......Saturday there was no doubt.  She had fever and was just a "poor honey".  So... she's had much holding...and loving on.....and to say she's been milking it for all it's worth....would be an understatement!  Oh well when you consider all the years she probably lay in a crib alone, with no mama to hold her when she was sick........we are glad we are privileged to have the chance to pamper her a little.  She is all snuggled down to the bottom of mama's bed where the heat pad is.  Snug as a bug in a rug.

After a 2-1/2 hr. nap, she was feeling a little better...and polished off 2 bowls of Capt. Crunch.

  And you can tell these eyes still aren't great...but she played with pipe cleaners with the boys.

.....a little bling for the glasses.....

 ......a little bling for the hands.......

 .....and this......we are not sure what to call it.....I THINK it's a monocle??  Although I've never seen one quite like it.... 

 Troy is cooking up a pot of Green Chile.  He loves this stuff... it literally runs me out of the kitchen choking when he makes it!  It burns your throat, and makes your eyes and nose water.....look he even has to open the windows!....he mostly eats it alone....although we do get a few requests for it .....from a few of his equally taste bud fried, friends...you guys know who you are.....  And then there's "Linus" with her blanket.....looking for someone to hold her.

Praying this baby gets well soon...I'm afraid it's going into a cold:( ugh!

Yesterday Wren asked for her C.I's while she was in the tub!!!!  YAY!   I love that she wanted them on!  I immediately switched the head pieces to the waterproof ones, and put them on!  Thank you Lord!  Praying her desire to hear and learn increases daily.

I think...it was Wednesday Morning......Ash stopped by and had breakfast with the girls.  He didn't stop by TO have breakfast, but the girls were eating and he sat down next to Wren.  Well that didn't suit miss Cricket AT ALL!  She starts pointing to the spot between them and saying "sit here"  "oshalee sit hewe"  So he squeezed between them.....he hadn't had breakfast so I brought him a bowl and a spoon.

 As you can see.....he doesn't have much elbow room!

 ......and he was a bit distracted texting someone?

 I sat down next to Iley and we all had blue bowls, so they had to sign "same" and "lined up"

 I'm assuming this is her baby carrier?.......she looks more like a ballgame vendor.  She rigged this up herself!  She is forever finding ways to haul more stuff!

 I told Ash...."I'm not sure if she likes you ......or your phone"......?

 They make it a little hard to see your screen!

 She loves hair!  See her petting his arm!  She does this without even thinking.  She's loves skin too.  I wonder if it's because of a sensory loss....she's more sensitive to touch.

 Miss Cricket wasn't getting any attention so put her napkin on her head and said "momma  Pishure"

 This was Thursday morning.  I heard them upstairs playing.... they were so happily occupied that I hated to interrupt......but it was time for school.

 I'm telling them....come on we have to go.....time for Mrs. Kay to come......but they are much more worried about getting their babies tucked in.  They  covered them up....kissed them each one.....and told them/signed....''I Love You"  ....THEN came downstairs with me......On school days I feel like all I do is tell them HURRY UP!  LET"S GO!

 They always ride their bikes while waiting for Mrs. Kay.

 After Wren left......wonder of wonders.......Iley stayed outside....by. herself. with. the dog! and played for almost a half hour!

 Granted......the dog wasn't very close....but he was her only company.

 bath time and a new discovery.....if I leave my shirt part way on...I look hilarious!  I'll dance a jig to go with it!  There's a full length mirror on the back of the door ....perfect for viewing yourself.

 And of course.......we do everything by twos!

  on another note, Wren seems to be "hearing" more each day.  She accidentally flipped on the garbage disposal and looked toward the sink with big eyes and made a ahh! sound.  The teachers say she is paying attention better at school and seems more interested.  Also that she heard some animal sounds. (not sure what it was...a person or a game?)  Please everyone KEEP PRAYING for her:)

And a Sherman Quote for you:

The reason I hate country music~ "It's all about Beer, Love and trucks.......and sometimes tractors......  OH....and back home, KY, TX, and divorce.  But mostly Beer and love."

He also told Thatcher who was singing "you sound horrible"  We all laughed....he's nothing if not honest.....He looks at us and says "why are you laughing?"  "Did you not think the same thing!?"  Which made us laugh even harder!

I promised him I wouldn't put the rest of the conversation on here....he said all his cousins and friends would drive him crazy......Troy says...."we'll see if she listens"  Sherman says "if she doesn't she's a liar!"  "I thought I could trust my mother!"  You can Sherman you can!  So my lips are sealed.   So no bugging him girls! 

Love This Boy!