Why Marcus can not be left alone

I feel like I have some explaining to do. Yes, this is my handsome boy on the kitchen table after drinking/spilling my Diet Coke. He was only left alone for a minute. It was 9:15 and the kids and I were getting together the backpacks for the littles, Bibles, offering for everyone, I stopped to put on my lipstick, you know the things you do before you walk out the door to church. (Wayne is working mandatory 6-7 hour days so he wasn't home to join us). We were all gathered by the front door ready to go, well everyone except Marcus. He was left to himself in the living room. When I noticed him missing I found him here, on the dining room table. A kitchen chair must not have been pushed completely up to the table so he climbed in it himself and up on top of the table and had himself a drink. remind you church starts in 15 minutes. Even though we are close I knew we were going to be late. Satan was NOT going to keep us home. I quickly undressed him and gave him the 2nd bath of the morning. Diet Coke is sticky, there was no just wiping him off. I changed his clothes and off we went to church. The other kids did great. Taylor and Tanner picked up the slack. The wet clothes went in the washer, back packs were loaded, everyone had a Bible and offering and got themselves and Macey buckled in the van. Poor Marcus had no idea what the fuss was all about. I dropped T&T off at the front doors so they wouldn't be too late while I unloaded the two littles and got them to their classes. I sure do miss my husband on the Sunday mornings he has to work. I miss him worshipping beside me and all the help he provides for the kids. It sure was nice that Wayne had lunch on the table when we got home from church. He had NO idea the kind of morning we had. The Lord truly blessed my time of worship and Bible Study. There was no place I would have rather been, distractions and all!

So, how do your Sunday morning's go for you and your family?
I know I'm not alone.

Pretty Toes

Today was not our normal day in the Dickinson household. Taylor is gone over night to a Youth Evangelism conference and Wayne got off early today to go to the doctor. He has a torn ligament in his right foot that now requires surgery. This is why he had such a hard time with ALL the walking while in Ukraine. It probably hasn't helped that he has been working mandatory 10 hours days, 6-7 days a week for weeks now. We are blessed that he was able to pay back the leave he borrowed for the trip and now he is building up leave so he can take off for surgery soon.

Anyway, I had the opportunity to go have a pedicure while the kids napped and Wayne for that matter. I jumped on it. Macey wasn't in bed yet so I decided to take her with me, just the two of us. I wanted my pedicurist to meet her anyway. She had only heard about the kids and had seen their pictures. I don't think she will meet Marcus anytime soon. :) I called ahead of time so she could get me right in. When we got there she had cartoons on the TV. Macey was excited to sit on my lap. She even liked the massaging of the chair we sat in. She kept her legs across my lap for the first few minutes. She then inched her way down my lap to put her feet in the water. Anne stepped away to wax some one's eyebrows so I let Macey stand in the water. She just oohed and aahed at the warm bubbling water. Anne came back and put lotion on my legs and began massaging, this is my favorite part. All of a sudden while my eyes are closed and I'm totally relaxed I feel this little hand rub her hand down my leg to get lotion for herself. Miss Macey began rubbing her own leg, raising it all the way up to her heard. Anne got a good laugh. I asked Macey if she wanted pretty toes, she said, Yea Yea! Anne picked out a pretty pink and added silver glitter on top so her toes would sparkle. Needless t say, it was not the most relaxing pedicure I've ever had but definitely one of the most memorable.

Taylor and Tanner too

A great way to spend some of their summer vacation.

Tanner has enjoyed catching several fish while spending time with his dad.

Taylor has spent many hours making a beautiful quilt to display in her "new" bedroom.

Between working and participating in VBS, attending basketball & soccer camp for Tanner and a leadership camp, Falls Creek and YEC for Taylor they both found some free time to do the things they enjoy.

I am so very proud of them both.

FUO's meet for the first time

We had the pleasure of meeting another family who adopted a little girl from Ukraine just last year. We were invited to Owasso to visit with the Urban Family. We were all excited to meet Miss Ava and her family. The kids and I loaded up the van and headed up the turnpike this morning. The kids did great with their first road trip. The two hours just flew by. We were greeted by Hope when we arrived. A spunky little 4 year old who just adored Macey throughout the day. When Charissa opened the front door there sat Miss Ava. She was just like we had pictured her. It helps to keep up with their family's blog. Her bald head was just beautiful and her earrings were adorable. Taylor was on cloud nine! It's amazing how attached you become to others and their families when you read about their daily lives. Ava was sweet and enjoyed having us there. Tanner was off with the boys from the start. They played Wii, fished in their pond and swam like fish in the pool. We enjoyed our time together over lunch, pasta and green beans. Isn't it funny how kids just LOVE other peoples cooking. My kids loved the meal and "home made" cookies Charissa made for dessert. Nothing like slice and bake cookies after working up an appetite from swimming. Marcus was just precious. He ate well and was ready for his nap. The only problem was were and how? Charissa offered us Ava's crib since she doesn't take naps. It was a God send. Marcus went right to sleep and slept for hours. He loves his routine. Charissa and I spent the afternoon visiting & getting to know one other. It was an encouragement to visit about our experiences with adoption, home schooling, our church life and our families. Ava was a sweetheart as she just enjoyed her cookies and our conversation. Taylor had a great time swimming and playing with Macey and Hope. This was the thing to do on a HOT summer day. We all gathered together again toward the end of our visit for pictures. It was really fun to see Ava interact with Marcus. She too likes to "grab" others. Marcus just sat there with his eyes as BIG as saucers. He wasn't hurt just surprised. She was harmless. We loaded up the car again with kids and a fresh farm egg from their chickens, the few they have left. Oh, that's another story. Needless to say we had a fun filled day with the Urban's on the farm. When can we come back?
We didn't get to the turnpike before Macey was fast asleep. Remember she hadn't had a nap and was tired from the heat and swimming.
It was a day to remember.
Thanks Urban's for having us!

Title: FUO's (Former Ukrainian Orphans)

I'm gonna miss them like crazy

Sometimes it's nice just to get a few good photos of my cuties for no reason at all. They are changing so quickly. The video that Wayne made this week just brings tears to my eyes. To see were they came from just 3 short months ago until now is nothing short of amazing. I don't want to forget a single moment of it. I am blessed to be at home with them and watch most every new change that occurs. They are progressing in each of their therapies just beautifully, they are bonding and attaching to the 4 of us so well, they still sleep through each night, they love to take baths and they are healthy, we are blessed. They both begin school in just a few short weeks. Yes, we home school Taylor and Tanner and this year I had to admit I need help. We have recently doubled the size of our family, not to mention that they are both toddlers. They are both enrolled in a DD class in the local public school. One will go in the morning and one in the afternoon. I will miss them terribly. This is not about me but what's best for them. I am praying they will be well loved, cared for and taught what they need to learn and that they reach their full potential. We did not rescue them to ONLY save their lives but to also guide them into becoming productive citizens and share the testimony of God's love for them. They have a story to tell...

Video - They have come so far...

Marcus' surgery was a success!

We are praising God for his goodness today! Marcus did just beautifully. He hadn't had anything to eat after 8pm last night. I expected him to be so hungry this morning that he would eat anything, wrong. He could only have clear liquids until 10:30 this morning. He tried Jello for the first time, not a good time to try something new. Needless to say he spent this morning hungry. He was actually very content for a little boy who loves to eat EVERY time someone passes the kitchen. We arrived at Children's Hospital by 11:30, this is about his lunch time then off for a nap. He fell asleep on me in the waiting room today, no fussing just sleepy. It was so sweet. He normally just wants to be laid in his crib for nap time. We were able once again to share our adoption story with a wonderful family as we were waiting. God always places someone who wants to hear our story. I gladly share anytime I'm given the opportunity. We didn't wait long before they took us back and got him prepped to go. We met the team of doctors and nurses. When I say team, I mean it. There were several people who were assisting in one way or another. They were definitely plenty staffed. One of the nurses recognized our family from the News Channel 4 story they did on us at Mother's Day. She was excited to meet Marcus. Once again we were able to share God's goodness. Marcus was cooperative during this wait. We changed him into his hospital gown, it swallowed him. He was on and off asleep during the entire wait, which made the wait manageable. I guess I expected him to be cranky and fussy during lunch and nap time. He would sign eat, cracker, apple, anything, he was desperate. I would tell him, "in a little bit" and he would drift off to sleep, this was before any meds. The staff was excellent. They answered any questions Wayne or I had and were happy to do so. They were very attentive and just adored Marcus, who wouldn't? After about 2 hours after arriving Marcus was taken back for surgery. I was able to join him while they put him to sleep. I had to suit up. And before you ask, NO I did not get a picture of that, thank goodness. Marcus was so sweet and calm. It felt good to be by his side. One of the nurses commented on how trusting he was. She was glad I stayed with him. They said he was one of the best kids they had dealt with. He was very calm and relaxed. It was the Lord's blessing. I'm so glad he wasn't upset or anxious. It made it much easier to leave him. It took me longer to suit up then it did to hold his hand while he fell asleep. They put a cherry flavored mask on him, he licked it and was out within just a minute or so. The nurse was so sweet to sing to him as he fell asleep. A moment I won't soon forget. Wayne and I grabbed a quick bite to eat in the cafeteria before they called us back upstairs. The doctor came to tell us he did just beautifully. Everything went great and no problems. Those were welcome words to my ears. We were soon called back to recovery. He was knocked out when we first saw him. We were asked not to arouse him and let him wake up on his own. Within about 30 minutes of him being in recovery he just popped his eyes wide open, that was it. He was given a sippy cup of diluted apple juice shortly after. He sat on my lap and drank ALL 8oz. in about 4-5 minutes, almost non-stop. This is great for a kid who doesn't drink well from a sippy cup at all. That's how thirsty he was. I was so afraid he might puke on me, but he never did. The nurses in both recovery areas were just all over him. They confirmed that he was a sweet, lovin' little boy. It was a relief to know that he was well cared for and was in good hands. You have to remember this is ALL new to us. We are grateful this is his last procedure and do not want this hospital or surgery thing to be something we would have to get use to. We are truly blessed and we thank God for his loving protection he provided for us today.
How is Marcus now? He is really doing great! You wouldn't know that he had any kind of procedure done today. He climbed on and off the couch several times, ate REALLY good at supper and was anxious to get in his own bed for a good nights sleep. With his pain medicine he should sleep well through the night. Keep praying for this little guy and his recovery over the next several days.
Thanks for the prayers. We felt each and every one of them today!

For those of you who read to the end of this long post I get to share that Marcus weighs 28 lbs.! He is growing and thriving. His hair is growing in thick, his eyes look amazing and he is a little punkin' for sure.
Praise God that he would allow us to care for such a sweet boy. It is our pleasure!