Gotta Watch

The main part of the video was taken just to the north of us.  The main part of the video you will see the Air Force Academy on the mid bottom right (the triangular building is the AFA chapel.)  Our home is directly across from AFA for reference.

This is absolutely the best I have seen of our reality of almost the past week.  It is shocking and also confirming as part of me wonders why I was so freaked for the past few days.

This is basically what we saw from our bedroom, our living room, and yard everyday for the last week.

Please continue to pray.

Where's the smores

Just kidding - but living in a giant campfire, I sure wish it was under different circumstances.
The overwhelming smell in and out of the house makes me really wish
I was spending a weekend with the kids and a huge pile of smores. -
ugh but I would have to go to the store
because I gave the graham crackers to Care & Share
ate all the chocolate I could find
and I'm not sure what my little angels have done with marshmallows while they have been cooped up in the house for days on end.

As for Colorado Springs -

This man is in charge and he is AWESOME! 

15% containment today

 THank you!

They had a cattle drive through the fire zone to save 43 cows

some with burns, 2 babies born, all safe

Socks were donated for the firefighters,

Care & Share has been inundated by supplies to make their job a little easier

A community will be forever indebted to these men 

working 16 hour shifts

sleeping on the ground

Saving our city!

We heard from a dear older friend who we have been worried sick about!

(Chapel at the Air Force Academy during firestorm on Tues)

~ Threw the kids outside - my China kids thought they were back in China LOL! (i.e. smog/ bad air)

~ Learned that Cav has enough english to tell me "Momma I broke cast"

~ Realized he also has worn the knee out of the other cast

~ The city held a meeting for those with homes in the burn zone

~ Atleast one fatality was discovered

~ 1/3 to 1/2 of the evacuees have returned home

~ We all continue to watch the hills

~ We mourned for and with members of our community

~ We are becoming tired of tripping over the bags packed in the front hall

~ Thrilled the kids were eating carrots until I realized that the home behind us rescued horses from the Air Force Academy - they are so excited for tomorrow so they can ride them! 

We see and feel the prayers from all over!

(this is the only pic that is mine)

346 Prayers TONIGHT

Please my friends, please will you pray tonight starting at 8 MST for the 346 families who will find out that their home is a complete loss.

We have a very good friend in this group and my heart absolutely breaks for them.

Praise - many of the evacuees are being allowed to return to their homes.

(not my photos)

Reeling

I'm just gonna say it . . . I am tired, my heart hurts for those around us

BUT

I am also so incredibly thrilled to live here.  

For you see there is BEAUTY even in the midst of the most horrific storm.

(taken this after noon of Pikes Peak and all the smoke )

I came to the realization last night that if hour home was going to go - I might as well donate most of our food to Care & Share.  So the kids and I packed up our entire Yukon XL with food including cans, popcorn, drinks, toiletries, paper towels, toilet paper . . . basically all of our extra supplies.

What happens if our home does NOT burn?

There are 32,500 people evacuated from their homes.

This is what last night looked like (I gotta figure out how to photograph at nights)

And this morning we woke up to find a whole neighborhood gone.

(not my photo)

We are still in a holding pattern, and in shock for this city that we love so much.  Please pray for those around us.  We live in an incredible city - care & share had a line of 100 cars dropping of items when I went!!

And as an additional punch in the gut - we found out our LID . . .  you know for the paperwork we sent to China on 5/30 . . . Yeah we found out it was 6/20?!?!  On our Facebook group there were people DTC on 5/20 with a LID of 5/21.  Talk about wanting to just sit down and cry.

Perspective & prayers

Tonight I mourn for a town that has been my home for almost 30 years.  I mourn for the tons of families we know who have been evacuated and MANY, MANY of them have lost their homes.  Homes, parks and even streets we roamed as kids are now all on fire.

AS I went to the Air Force Academy to get my children at 4:30 we saw the fire crest the last set of mountains  - for the rest of the evening we watched in horror as our town began to burn.

We also realized that as the winds continue and the fire ebs north towards the Academy - we better start getting our items packed.

As I video'd the house - I looked around at all of the CRAP!  A family of 7 (ok 8 cuz adoption paperwork was imperative to grab) could put their most important belongings in a few tubs, some backpacks and the rest could be left behind.  In a sad way it was eye opening.  So much stuff that has little TRUE meaning - even the priceless art projects I have kept over the years.  So much money we have spent on stuff that can be left to burn.  Think about it.

One of the blessings (and yes I realize we live in the Bible Belt of the west) has been the media's reference to prayer.  It saddens me that so much bad has to happen for people to remember who really is in charge.  Please continue to pray, tomorrow is supposed to be hot again and more winds.  So far no one has been hurt or died and that is our number one request for you to pray.

Our first view of the fire on Sat

2 hours later

Wildlife escaping to our neighborhood for refuge.

Tiny black dot below is a helicopter still dropping buckets of water.

Just at the corner of the house by the chimney - is the Air Force Academy Stadium

Prayers

Yesterday was tough and yet I feel like I can't even feel sorry for myself - safe in my home.

As I looked out upon the scenes below, I also found there was an earthquake by our sweet little baby.

One family, two "natural" disasters.

such feelings of helplessness.

Luckily, someone messaged me from our little guys region and they didn't even feel anything 

WOOSH - so relieved!!

NOW onto this one -

If you have followed our blog long, you know we live in beautiful Colorado and have the most incredible views of pikes PEak.

Unfortunately, this is our newest views.

winds are pushing the fire towards the Air Force Academy

Not sure if you can see the little dots up against those hills but all of those people have been evacuated.

My heartbreaks and I pray that this was not a purposeful act.

We are extremely blessed to live in a community where people sacrifice their lives to ensure our safety.

Folks, it is over 100 degrees out

The winds can be absolutely crazy

but 450+ firefighters are out digging trenches.

Brave men and women, flying planes 

risking their lives to save our community!

Please pray for their safety.

Slow Down!

Ha, you would think that this would be a post on our life, on the virtues of the Bible . . . um, nOPE after 100 miles round trip this is our newest attire.

 - just in time for the 4TH of July (praying we last that long!)

Can you see the bottom of his first cast!  You know it's bad when one of the ortho's asks 

"Did someone saw the bottom off?"  

Yeah , NO that's MY wild kid LOL!

The concern is he has pins coming out of the bottom of his leg, so once he wore through the cast all we had was some cotton between the pins and his wildness.

Oh and the duct tape which lasted all of 2.3 seconds LOL!

Heehee telling yet another child that "A Shark ate my leg" HEHEHE

SO, I am not sure I mentioned that Cav took all of his bandages off his short leg less than 1 week after surgery.  Yep, Chris was making breakfast and wild man handed him all of the bandages.  LOL I am so surprised this man of mine didn't hit the floor!

Anyhow, we went to the prothetist yesterday and he have is a shrinker to wear on that leg.  Ok, Cav with basically a tight fitting WHITE sock for 6 weeks - I think NOT!

Our Dr's are awesome and determined this was not a great idea, and although his site looks FANTASTIC we didn't want him opening it up.

SOOO, we are trying a cast on his short side.  He has a little bit of a bulb on the very end so we are hoping it will stay on - atleast for a bit!

GOtta be my most favorite picture of all!

AND this one!

NOT amused by the cast cutter, we expected it.  iPhone to the rescue.

Even the others were freaked out!

Ok, I am a nurse but I have to say, the incision on this side was NASTY!  I couldn't even take a picture of the black, yellow and red mess.  The other side looks so fabulous I was really surprised.  I guess we really are jsut going for function here.

Ok, back to the casting.  The fabric looking stuff on the bottom is another shrinker, and then they really padded this cuz because he has a knee to keep it on!

Really, I just never thought that this would be my life!

And the result - casting a SHOE on the bottom of his cast.  YEAH not thinking this is going to work but we will see.  The Dr jsut kept telling the cast tech - make it heavy, make it thick we jsut need to SLOW THIS KID DOWN LOL!

Um, so far we have realized that the back has a hook on it which I immediately caught on the table!  AND we no longer fit in a shopping cart at TARGET.  

cuz, everyone was so traumatized by this unexpected adventure of ours we had to get some little treats!!

Praying for Ivy

There are some very extra - ordinary people in this world who take the ultimate leap of faith in adoption.  I know people look at our journey with Cav and his amputations and think - I could never.  Well, truthfully, heart issues are my - I never could.  

UNTIL, I met some very incredible people online and when we traveled to pick up Cav & Fei.  

THere are a very small number of moms who took the ultimate leap of faith and bring home the MOST beautiful little ones with broken heart.  

I'm not talking about small heart defects, 

but ones that when I was a nurse we would cringe at, knowing the prognosis.

It was these families courage and strength that ultimately gave us the 

courage to pursue baby Tao despite the unknowns.

This sweet baby is exactly ONE WEEK older then our Baby Tao.

Sweet Ivy already has had a laundry list of procedures.

We have prayed them through their surgeries and now I am asking you to pray along with our family.

This incredibly beautiful little one was almost lost during her first open heart surgery in March (shortly after coming to her forever family).  

Tomorrow, Tuesday morning she is having another open heart surgery to replace a leaking valve.

Please will you pray for her and her family.

Although Cav's surgery was no where near Ivy's, I know the peace your prayers brought to me.

Sunday Snapshot - awesome Daddy

(Now let me preface this post with the fact that this fabulous man of mine took the littles to get their haircut while I ran the biggers to their camps for next week.  Ummm, THIS picture was taken 2 hours after the ones below!  Yeah, our little evil genius talked his kind hearted daddy into something he has wanted for years LOL!  And you jsut gotta love a man who is willing to survive the wrath of a momma for allowing not jsut Brahm get a mohawk but for him to order one for his brother LOL!)

Why we love daddy!

You gotta love a man who never wanted children and now almost has a half dozen.

Tristan - "He takes me to the gym, and helps me to get better"

Morgan - "With everything going on, he still has time for us"

Brahm - "He gets me pop"

FeiFei - "He makes breakfast"

 Cav - he loves Daddy "he-cuz" perfect!

This man of mine who works 6 days a week (for as long as I can remember), who didn't want kids and most definately didn't want to adopt, is one of the most incredible dad's I know.  Happy Father's Day honey!

Chinese food for non Chef's

Have I mentioned I am not a very good cook - I love to bake but ugh cooking is the worst!

Anyhow, we were very blessed to have friends who are Hawaiian.  While we were in China they brought over the right rice cooker, and the correct rice.

During those early days of fog, I remember piling our new little ones in the car and driving the 1/2 hour  to the Asian Market.  I walked in and saw the strange fruits I had remembered from China and the fish in plastic tubs with bubbles (oh and don't forget the chicken hanging in the lunch window LOL!)

Anyhow, I walked the aisles with our newest treasures waving my hand like PLEASE pick out something you recognize.  UMMM, yeah they found the cookies and jello caprisun things LOL!

Anyhow, I grabbed somethings I remotely recognized and home we went with hopes I MIGHT be able to make any of it.  Please note that 1/2 hasn't been touched 4 months later LOL!

BUT the steamed buns were the bomb!  As in awesomely easy for mom and the kids loved them!

They come in a bag in the freezer section - different flavors.

Right out of the bag, but make sure yu take the little piece of paper of the bottom LOL!

Then you just put them in your steamer basket that came with the rice cooker.

(smaller 'buns' are jsut bread that all my kids love with butter)

Rice is made 1:1 rice to water (per our friend) perfect stickiness!

Buns come out yummy soft.

The only thing I haven't figured out is that everything is white on the plate (I told you I was pathetic)