Wonderful friends

Thank-you, everyone, for your wonderful comments on the blog. They mean so much to us-- and we are so grateful for your kind words. I love getting comments from strangers and those who have followed our adoption stories. I have also received comments from a few old friends-- Kelli and others-- that have private blogs. I would LOVE to get in touch with you and follow your blogs, so please send me an invite at christi405@yahoo.com

Also, Marcy, if you are reading this-- I would love to get in touch with you and find out more about your sweet little girl-- please e-mail me!

Heart Surgery Buddies

I am just realizing that I have not updated on Graci's progress. She is doing SO SO WELL!!! She has been off of oxygen for two weeks now, and is back in school. You would NEVER guess that she just had heart surgery-- it's been such a miracle. She was able to go with us up to Oregon to Jeremy's brother's wedding-- and danced as much as anyone at the reception! (Jenny, I would love if you would e-mail me wedding pics so I can post them!) We are so so grateful for everyone's prayers and never dreamed this all would have gone so smoothly.

Now, may I ask anyone who feels so inclined to include my dad in their prayers this week. He following in Graci's footsteps and having open heart surgery tomorrow. He is such an amazing dad, husband, and grandpa-- and we are sure that our Heavenly Father knows that we need him for many more years to come!!!!!

Keltson Blackburn

Taylor has been blessed this year with a wonderful primary teacher. Keltson genuinely loved the kids he taught, and was a fabulous teacher and example. Keltson just received a mission call to serve the Lord for two years in North Carolina, and was getting ready to leave on his mission next month. On October 11, he overcorrected while driving, rolled his car, and was killed. It has been terribly hard on our church ward and neighborhood. Keltson lived just a few doors down from us, and we have so loved him and his family. We were so sad to have to tell Taylor and the other kids. He was very sad, and chose to delay his very anticipated vacation with Daddy to go to Keltson's viewing and funeral. He and his primary class sang "Called to Serve" at the funeral, and we know that Keltson loved it and that his spirit lives on. Thank-you, Keltson, for the wonderful example you set for Taylor and our family.

Don't cry over spilled milk?

Last night, as I was getting kids ready for bed, I heard a thud in the kitchen, followed by a, "Um, Dad-- I need help!" Taylor had gotten a brand new gallon of milk out of the fridge and accidentally dropped it. It busted open and resulted in a HUGE puddle of milk all over the kitchen. It took me quite awhile and several towels to mop it all up-- and being overwhelmed, I tried to ignore the fact that I was sure a significant quantity of milk had gotten under the refrigerator. Well, this morning we woke up to a horrible smell in the kitchen/living room area. I was trying to think of what it could be, when Taylor said, "I know JUST what it is! It smells exactly like the time the milk spilled in the van-- I just know it's rotten milk!" I thought it was funny that he remembered that smell so well (it was AWFUL) even though it happened a couple of years ago. So, as soon as I got the kids off to school, I pulled the fridge out. YUCK!!! It was so gross under there-- and took quite awhile to scrub the dried milk and nastiness that had been under the fridge. I did realize, however, that the smell was not coming from that-- but from the towels I had left in the sink the night before-- oops. Still, it was good to clean under the fridge, and I decided to clean the rest of the kitchen floor while I was at it. After I was done, I left the fridge out in the middle of the kitchen so the floor could dry, and went into my bedroom. A few minutes later I heard the sound of water spraying. I thought Jessica must be washing her hands and ignored it, but after a few minutes I got to thinking how LOUD the sound was. I went into the living room and saw Jessica sitting there coloring-- and followed the sound to the kitchen where I found water spraying like crazy from the wall where the fridge had been. Apparently, when I moved the fridge out, I had pulled out a tube that had been connected from the wall to fridge. Water was EVERYWHERE!! We are talking about a FLOOD!!! And to top it off, cupboards had been opened, so we also had flooded cupboards. So now I have cleaned the kitchen floor for the third time in less than 12 hours (after the spilled milk, the dried milk, and now the flood). Sadly, I have little to show for any of this-- the kitchen looks exactly the same way it did last night as we were going to bed. The joys of motherhood.