What writing can do

I looked in a bag that was sitting in my scrap room and found a journal I had been writing in. I realized I haven't been writing on a regular basis for so long. Reading what I had written in there was amazing. In the sense that I forgot how much I love to write! I have always wanted to write a book about my experiences/life growing up. I started several years ago but have never given it much time. Now that my daughter Madison is getting older, she will be 9 yrs old on Monday, I have watched her become this amazing poet and writer. I steal all the tidbits I can that she writes and forgets about. I have a folder full of little scrap pieces of paper where she has so boldly expressed herself and one day she can look back at these and see what a writer she was so young.
I was looking through old video tapes of the kids and I am really taken back as to how fast it has all gone by. It makes me cry watching Cody at 2 yrs old singing in the bathtub " twinkle, twinkle, little POOP" and crack up because he said the word poop. And walking out in the backyard with the camera and finding Maddie at about 2 yrs old eating a popsicle and chocolate chip cookie for breakfast and telling our little dog not to lick her leg. Those videos are like the greatest piece of happiness. priceless. My kids are getting bigger, I now have 2 granddaughters from my bonus kids and I am feeling like I want life to freeze for awhile so I can take it all in. Days, weeks, months fly by and I am finding myself worrying about Christmas when i feel like it was just here. I am really trying to enjoy the younger kids at their ages now ( 14 yrs and 9 yrs ) and I feel sometimes that life is so consuming that there are days i feel like I have missed the enjoyment of it all.

This past summer cody had a sports physical which caught an abnormality in his spine. his doctor thought it was scholiosis. We got him to a specialist and it ended up being what's called Kyphosis( which is when you are hunch back on the top pf the spine and sway back on the bottom). Basically his spine needs to be straigtened out. His is pretty severe and I always just thought he had bad posture. It's genetic and it can only really be corrected before he turns about 20 yrs old. So I am grateful it was found but it has changed his life and ours too.He had a brace made especially for him and he has to wear this brace 22 hours a day !!! yea, I did write 22 hrs. It's a lot. It's very uncomfortable and restricting. I know Cody is going through a lot with his brace and is more angry at life that he should be. It totally breaks my heart. I wish I could wear that brace for him. the brace has now given him nerve problems in his hip area which is now healing. they are in the process of making a new brace. I have faith that God is with our family at all times or I think we would all be done by now. Life has been hard. God keeps us somewhat sane. Kris, Megan, Katrina and Jared have all been very supportive to Cody. Kris, Katrina, Cody and Madison are very special siblings. I have never really seen anything like them. They are very connected and they love eachother beyond belief. That means everything to Tony and I.
Here is what the brace looks like. Please Pray for Cody to heal quickly and to have peace of mind while having to wear this brace.i'm having a hard time uploading the picture, i will try later.

creative flowers

I am taking an online class from Elizabeth Kartchner. She is amazingly talented in a variety of things but i first found her in my passion for scrapbooking. Fabric flowers are the very "hot" thing these days in clothes. So this is the first in many to come of fabric flower projects. But I wanted to share my finished product. I had so much fun !

Our newest grandbaby

Here is the most beautiful baby born on Aug. 30th 2010. Paigeren Lee Budrick. I can't begin to tell you how very special it was to be in the room with Kartina while she brought her first baby into the world. I am her bonus mom so it was very special to me that she wanted her mom and me to be there. Her dad ended up being in there too. It was beyond words.

Trina as beautiful as could be !

Here is the evidence that there is a baby inside. Yup! I'm going to be a grandma once again! Isn't that wonderful?? We are excited to welcome another baby girl to the family. She is due early Sept. and her and Jared are getting excited. She couldn't be a more beautiful pregnant woman.

Bengali... the newest member of our family

This is Begali, our new puppy! He is the best dog. Pitbulls have a bad rap but he has been nothing but an angel. He loves everyone equally the same, ok maybe Tony a little bit more, follows him like a shadow! We have been enjoying a puppy again. We bought 6 baby chicks to keep him company outside during the day. We will have fresh eggs in about 6 months! Excited about that. Our garden is doing really well too. Nothing like fresh veggies.

LIttle Ladybug

My grand daughter is pure joy! She is full of happiness, smiles, googly sounds, yummy roles of chub, those eyes make me melt, and her face is full of God's love. We got the chance to finally meet her and spend 1 very short week in Florida. We miss her and of course her parents as well ( our big kids ). I like the fact that today's technology helps us see her when we get to skype with them. Kris holds a pink fishing pole with a pacifier on the end and we watch and laugh at the " Daddy & Addie Show." My only wish is that someday before she reaches college, we all live closer!