Jesus' Blood Tastes Good

Rachy has her first loose tooth and she does NOT want it to fall out....she is scared that it will hurt and she does NOT want to taste blood in her mouth (Jordy told her that this would happen). It has been loose for several weeks now and she is getting really nervous about it falling out. At lunch today we were talking about it and she says, "What does blood taste like....I don't want to taste it." The kids all answered something about it tasting "salty" or "not too bad", and she says' "Well, Jesus' blood tastes good!" We laughed and laughed....then she got embarrassed and she wouldn't tell us why she thought that.....we can only imagine that she got this idea from the yummy Communion juice at church!

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I have blogged, but Summer has been busy.......here are some updates:

• Went to Indiana for the 4th of July
• My mom came home with us for the week.....went to zoo, shopping, movies....
• Went to King's Island with my mom and dad -MET DORA!
• Went camping in Delaware, Ohio (took boat, but rained and rained....never got on the water)
• Went camping at Tar Hollow with homeschool group
• VBS at church

Now that August is here it's time to concentrate on getting back to school.....I always start by cleaning out the house....not sure why, but closets, basement, garage....all those places have to be cleaned out....rooms rearranged.....I guess I don't do Spring cleaning....I do Back to School cleaning.

Hope you're having a great summer!

Happy Birthday Jordy-jo!

Today Jordan is 9 years old. She is a bundle of energy around here, always coming up with a new song, dance, game or competition. Most of the time, she is great with the girls (they have their moments) and she plays well with Zach (big kid stuff). She has a great spot in this family line-up. God has blessed her with great talents and a huge heart of compassion. Always thinking of others and ways that she can bless anyone who may be less fortunate. She also has a very competitive side that likes to win and succeed....her size or age has never mattered when it comes to finding someone who will "race" her. Many days you can find her in the backyard, on the trampoline or swings, singing her heart out to the Lord in a song that she's making up as she goes. She's bold.....making sure that she asks family and friends if they know Jesus and if not, well....she tells them all they need to know........there is alot to Jordy, and we love it all!

I was due around the 20th of July, but my doctor believed that Jordy was already a good 8 lbs on a visit that I had, I believe on/around the 9th of July. Remembering back to Zach's delivery, she suggested a scheduled induction on the 13th. I joyfully agreed, thinking, this is going to be so easy compared to Zach. I had expectations of this happening so quick, but it was so NOT quick! I was at the hospital early, 6am, I think. Signed in and in a room by 7am, IV's in and drugs entering my system by 7:45.....anytime now....labor would start. Time and hours passed and .......nothing.......no contractions.......nothing. More drugs....sit on a big huge bouncy ball.....water breaks.....and now contractions are coming......very painful (intensified by the heavy amount of pitocin).....need epidural......very painful, but no drugs in the epidural because it might slow down the very intense pitocin induced labor that is finally happening.....did I say that the contractions were painful......finally get to the pushing part and I am screaming for something in the epidural.....which I get and now I can't feel my legs or anything from the waist down.....have no idea when to push, gets crazy confusing and I'm shaking all over, then I see this baby with tons of dark, black hair. They put her in my arms, but I am shaking so bad that I can hardly hold on to her.....Kevin takes her and holds her until they take her to the nursery. Come to find out that the hospital had so many deliveries that day that I (and others) had to share a room and they were running so slow in the nursery. Hours passed and I couldn't stand it anymore. I made Kevin go and get her....."Don't come back without her and come back SOON!" I did not get enough time to hold her earlier. He came back with her and I kept her with me all night. I loved all of her hair (Zach was bald until he was about 1). She was precious....and alot more pain than I thought she would be, but it was all worth it.......born at 8:52pm, 8.5 lbs. and beautiful!

Love you Jordy Taylor and I can't wait to see all that the Good Lord has planned for your life!

Video of Jordy singing @ my moms & dads church.

Happy Birthday Big Z (formerly Zachy-pooh-bear)

Today is Zach's 12th Birthday! Hard to believe that I have a 12 year old. He is just as tall as I am and his feet are bigger than mine now. I shop for him in the Men's department now. He is susch a good strong help here around the house all day, always helping me do "projects" around the house when I ask. He's a great big brother and even babysitter sometimes. He helps with MWAS office work and any computer/technical "stuff" that needs done, that I don't know how to do. He is great at memorizing scripture, has a heart for God and loves TobyMac! I couldn't ask for a better Big - little guy!

Remembering back 12 years ago today.....the story actually starts a few days earlier when on July 4th I was sure I was in labor. My mom was with Kevin and I in our little condo awaiting this baby's arrival (she had already been there a few days because he was due and now I was about a week late, so surely any day, right?) We logged the minutes and grew discouraged when they started becoming farther and farther apart.....oh well! A few days went by and another doctor's appt on the 7th......anytime now she says........headed to bed that night around midnight and when I pottied I noticed a glop of gross stuff in the toilet, immediately followed by a very sharp pain that took my breath away......and we were back downstairs, mom with her notebook and Kevin with a pillow, laying on the floor. This was it, this was labor, progressively getting more painful and closer together at the same time....yeah and oh no at the same time!
By 6am....we were 3 minutes apart and headed to the hospital. I was screaming in pain by the time they placed me in a room, with a "fairly" new nurse who couldn't get an IV in me....after multiple tries and me now crying and screaming the head nurse comes in, gets the IV in right away and before you know it, I'm sleeping (a very big dose of Nubain - thank you). After a few hours of rest and relaxing, an epidural that I don't even remember getting, we were ready to get this all going again, my water was broken and I'm beginning to feel the contractions coming again. All is going well, his head is out, but......we can't seem to get the rest of him out, what's the problem? His shoulders are broad and STUCK! Options....C-section or "tear me apart" getting him out! Well, I did NOT have a C-section! Thanks Big Guy! Very painful, lots of screaming, Kevin almost fainted and a nurses were holding my legs and laying across my stomach helping to get this stuck baby out! Ok, have to stop, the memories are making me cringe! He was 9 lbs 7 ounces and the biggest baby in the nursery!

He was such a sweet baby who loved to laugh and giggle, he slept well, ate well and had a little bit of a temper. He walked early, talked early and has been talking ever since. Some family members say that he reminds them of Kevin when he was little, always talking, telling jokes, making up stories and teasing his sisters. (Kevin has one sister and she remembers well). I wish I knew with Zach what I knew by the time I had Abby, his infancy would have been different, but you always have to start somewhere and God knew that he would be a good one for Kevin and I to learn with and grow with, now we are charting new territory with him.....so pray for him, pray for us....that he will become the man that God wants Him to be, that He will follow the plan that God has for his life.
Love you Big Z! Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Rachy-lou!

Today Rach is 6.....we were telling her last night of the busy day we had right before I went into labor with her. It was a Sunday, we had been to church, Zach's baseball game, Wyandot Lake (a waterpark)....didn't get home until sometime after 8pm, tucked kids in bed, was heading to bed myself around 10pm and then they started....I knew I did NOT want to do this tonight. I was too tired and she wasn't due for another week or so. No bags were packed no arrangements made for the other kids, my mom wasn't coming over until the next week.....not tonight! I tried to relax, took some Tylenol, hoping the contractions would subside.....but they intensified and out of bed I came....Kev started packing bags, I started making phone calls and we headed for the hospital around 11:30pm. They held off breaking my water until my mom arrived (4 hr drive from Kokomo), so she was born around 6am. I just remember how tired I was .......but happy that she was here, healthy in my arms!

She is a very giggly girl...a bit whiny too, but we can deal with that. She loves Dora still (that's kind of a secret), but enjoys being with the family, she always likes us all together. She loves to clean....windex, fold laundry, sweep and the Green Machine is her favorite to use. I love to hear her read, laugh and sing. She loves God, the church and having friends over is always on her mind!

She is here waiting for me to finish this blog, so we can go get a donut from Tim Porton's to start her day....she's having a couple friends over for lunch and we have planned to go to Zafoli's (that's Fazoli's)for dinner.....we love the breadsticks!!!

Happy Birthday Rachy-lou-bear! I love you!

Busy Summer, Busy Life

Wow, June is flying by with games almost everynight, work for the business still pouring in....and then there are all those summer activities that we have to do....for instance, when the neighbors call and say, "Our Bonzai Water Park is open!", we drop everything grab the suits, suncreen, towels and snacks and head for the Finzers (thanks so much for all the fun) and then there is the Library reading club.....Z and J are flying through books so we are making a trip there at least once a week, the girls visited a VBS for a couple of days, we have babysat for a neighbor who had a week that she needed childcare, homeschool picnics and lots of "backyard" camping......but no pool time yet! Horrible, I know....since Abby spends most days in a bathing suit just asking her dad if today is the day that we put up the pool (by 10am her clothes are off and "baby soup" is on, even tonight when we came home from a game and were supposed to be getting a snack, she disappears only to show up a few minutes later in a "baby soup")......we have this wonderful pool just waiting to be set up and enjoyed, but we have found no time to put it up, or I should say that Kevin has found no time to put it up. He works all weekend unless he is at a game or doing yardwork. The joys of owning your own business huh? We have some hopes for this weekend though, we'll see, it's Father's Day and Monday we are taking a trip to Cleveland for church conference ....since Kevin is the new Children's and Youth Pastor at Redeemer's now.....have I said that before? Could we be any busier? I'm sure we could and at least we are still young, right? Sleep is over rated too!

Baseball updates:

• our favorite time of year (baseball season) is almost over.....bummer!
• Jordy made a TRIPLE play, yes a TRIPLE play.....with runners on first and second, she caught the ball, (batter - 1 out), the runner on 1st had ran to 2nd without tagging up first so Jordy ran to first tagged the base ( 2outs), the runner on 2nd had taken off to 3rd, not paying attention to what had just happened and was happily standing on 3rd base, when coaches start yelling @ the girl to head back to 2nd, Jordy took off toward 2nd base, beat the girl there for the 3rd out and the inning was over! I don't even think her teammates even realized what was happening or were paying that close attention so J just handled it all herself.
• Rachel has been hitting the coach-pitched balls and rarely ever needs a T now! She is still quite aloof in the outfield and likes to play in the dirt, but she's having fun. She also doesn't like to run fast, she says it makes her tired!
• Zach is doing well, still wearing a splint but is hitting his fair share of singles and doubles and he is a great fielder. He has made many nice infield plays and even has done some pitching.
• Kevin and I enjoy watching the games and getting away from home and office....
• We DON'T like the "porc-a-potty's" and Abby always has to go because she's a drinkaholic! (one game she went 4x - one poop and 3 potty's....K and I are always saying, "it's your turn!")

Other summer plans:

• HNI Conference in Cleveland ( pray business goes well without us)
• Kokomo for the 4th and I'm bringing my mom home with me....
• King's Island...that's where my dad will take my mom back......
• Tournament games for Z
• Rach, Zach and Jordy's Birthdays (King's Island trip is their present)
• Boating and Camping weekends ARE planned
• VBS...1st of August
• Most importantly....GET THE POOL UP and RUNNING!

Sorry to family and friends for being slow to blog......we are enjoying summer and it seems I can hardly sit down long enough to update! Hope you are all having a great summer!

Pop-up campers & Softball games

A friend of mine "gave" us this pop-up camper, the kids are loving it! We are trying to make plans to take it out and camp, but the weekends are already so booked!


The girls have been enjoying the Softball season so far....although we have gotten caught in the rain quite a few times recently.....making a run for the shelter of trees and the van.

Rachel hit her first coach-pitched ball, instead of off the tee, as you watch the video you will see that she was surprised too and we were yelling, "RUN, RUN".....we have 2 games tonight (Fri), 2 games tomorrow (Sat) and one late game Sunday! Zach has lost his last 2 games, but he has hit a double, a few singles and made some great catches and plays during those games despite still wearing a splint.

The main office computer crashed on us......so lots of chaos for the business that we are still trying to get in order. We had a good week of "water fun" on a neighbor's HUGE waterslide, a trip to the library, and cheerleading camp for Rach and Jord and of course lots of playing in the pop-up camper. We did manage to get in 2 days of school as well.

Have a good weekend,
Love,
Stacy

Enjoy the videos!

Memorial Day

These Monday holidays always throw me off....I keep thinking it's a Saturday and tomorrow will not seem like a Tuesday.....anyways I am thankful for all those who have served and are serving for my freedom and today we pray for them, their safety and protection

Had a great weekend with "Nana & Pappy"........ we enjoyed a soccer game, shopping, playhouse fixing, cookout w/family, Tim Hawkins DVD, fire pit, church, "the barrel", movies & mini "talent" shows. Today we relax, clean-up, put bedrooms back the way they were & get ready for another school & work week.

Playhouse fixing included: a door, a flower box under window and porch railing......Pappy ROCK's!