Sorry I haven't posted in a long time 
but after Christmas  my  family went
to see my Mimi . We had lots of fun :)

Here is Judah ,Mimi and our Uncle Bubba .

Dad just gave Bubba his blanket. He loves it

Say cheese ;)

Bubba just loves his family so much  .
.

WE love you so much too Bubba!

Christmas 2013

Some of us are true OU fans and some of us are not so loyal !

Enoch , Abe and Judah all are wearing their Oklahoma PJ's from Aunt Christy.



Daniel first time seeing the Christmas tree because
he was so little so he is super surprised.
                                                                               









Here is some of the family on Christmas morning.
See that a couple of us are a little sleepy.

We just had our Christmas party.
It was a lot of fun!!!

Here is my brother Eli at his basketball game.
His team spanked them.

Way to go Eli.

Hijacked

Duval Quiver has been taken over!!! Patience has graciously agreed to be the official blog writer of our family. Due to so many other things going on I don't have the time to regularly update our family happenings. Since Patience is only 11 I hope you will be kind to her regarding her spelling, grammar or any other issues and keep in mind that she is only 11. I look forward to hearing her perspective on our family life and I hope you will too!

 

Sasha Super Star

We just got back from a short trip to Philly for a braces check for Sasha. Everywhere and I mean everywhere, Sasha made a friend. Adults went out of their way to tell her she was beautiful in airports, bathrooms, airplanes, everywhere we were. My once reluctant talker was a social butterfly, starting conversations with adults and maintaining the conversation at a good back and forth level pretty well. For awhile it was all about talking about herself but she has already figured out that it is good to listen to the other person in a conversation too :) Not just women, but men were chatty with my daughter in a very social way.

If society as a whole were like this it would be so wonderful.

So I do have a negative to add to this post. A certain Iowa doctor that specializes in the spine told my daughter three weeks ago that the curve of her back was fine. In Philly her doctor immediately saw her and ordered a back x ray. Her back is curving rapidly and if not braced she will have not other option but surgery. This same Iowa doctor refused to help us with any of her treatment. If Sasha does not have her hip tendons released and her scoliosis treated then her shoulder will eventually touch her knee and she will be curled up like that the rest of her life! She will be stuck in a bed...exactly what her future was in Ukraine! But, this is America!!!! We are so blessed that this is not her future. We have an amazing doctor in Philadelphia that is treating her. Sasha will walk. Not perhaps, not maybe, but Yes! Her issues are really pretty treatable. Had she been born here she would have been walking a long time ago.

What I'm learning from all this is Fight for what you believe in. When people tell you no....ignore them and find the person that says Yes! There are wonderful people that care, that reach out, that take chances, that offer hope, that see beauty where others don't. Surround yourself with those people. As for a certain Iowa doctor...in the end it is his loss. He could have been a part of helping an amazing young girl reach her potential. He could have been a wonderful part of her journey. He could have been blessed by knowing her. I'm so thankful that I get that blessing!

If you haven't seen the movie Gifted Hands, you should. True story of an amazing doctor that reminds me of our doctor in Philadelphia.

Trusting like Sasha

Yesterday we went for one last hurrah to the pool. Jim decided that he wanted to teach Sasha to float in case she would fall into water. Well, he did teach her and she did float. On her back and on her belly. Amazing!!! She is still very contracted cannot straighten her knees or her legs at her hip joints. Cannot raise her arms up and can barely bend her right elbow. So imagine how much trust she placed in my husband to have him take her to the middle of a pool, in deep water, and then let go of her. (of course he didn't let go until she was able to float)

I don't know if I trust anyone that much. I hope I trust God that much. It was a beautiful thing to see. She knew without a doubt that she couldn't do anything to save herself if he didn't get her out and yet she trusted him to take his hands of of her. And that he would help her if she started to sink. I wish I had a picture to share. I have a feeling it won't be long before I can take a picture of her swimming. One day it might not be so Awesome. But, yesterday it was like a glimpse of the Kingdom of God. Trust, Faith, and Love. I never knew when we started on this journey to bring home Sasha how truly amazing she was going to be. 9 months home and she amazes me almost daily!