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My little diva! Joy
loves to play dress up
with the big girls.
loves to play dress up
with the big girls.
The littles
helping Hannah
wash the dogs
outside.
helping Hannah
wash the dogs
outside.
Hannah reading
stories to the
kids, as she
often does. :-)
stories to the
kids, as she
often does. :-)
Hannah
caught a skink,
and showed all
the kids and
had them each
hold it.
caught a skink,
and showed all
the kids and
had them each
hold it.
This is one of
billions of
examples of
how there is
strength in
numbers. Joy
had no
hesitation to
hold the lizard
after all four
others held it.
She was
tickled!
billions of
examples of
how there is
strength in
numbers. Joy
had no
hesitation to
hold the lizard
after all four
others held it.
She was
tickled!
Hannah kept
making it bite
her because
he would lick
his lips after
biting, but I
couldn't get a
picture of the
lip licking.
making it bite
her because
he would lick
his lips after
biting, but I
couldn't get a
picture of the
lip licking.
More of my
little diva.
little diva.
Praying mantis
on the back
door.
on the back
door.
Hooray!!!
Canaan is
finally a
MANAGER at
Moe's!! He's
waited a long
time, and he's
a great worker
and he
deserves it!
Very proud of
my boy!!!
Canaan is
finally a
MANAGER at
Moe's!! He's
waited a long
time, and he's
a great worker
and he
deserves it!
Very proud of
my boy!!!
Hannah
practicing flips
with Maggie.
practicing flips
with Maggie.
Eden washing
dishes. She
does a great
job! If you
want your kids
to do chores
and like it, you
have to start
young.
dishes. She
does a great
job! If you
want your kids
to do chores
and like it, you
have to start
young.
This is a
"snowflake"
(paper cutting)
that Hannah
recently
completed for
an adoption
fundraiser. It is
gorgeous. For
more pictures
of it and
information, go
to Hannah's
snowflake
page.
"snowflake"
(paper cutting)
that Hannah
recently
completed for
an adoption
fundraiser. It is
gorgeous. For
more pictures
of it and
information, go
to Hannah's
snowflake
page.
My flexible
boy. I can't do
this, can you?
boy. I can't do
this, can you?
Fun with Oreos.
The cousins
are here!
Granny came
up to visit with
Brenden and
Alex and we all
had a great
time! There
was a big
person for
each little
person!
are here!
Granny came
up to visit with
Brenden and
Alex and we all
had a great
time! There
was a big
person for
each little
person!
Big monopoly
game!
game!
Brenden,
Canaan,
Alex,
Hannah.
Canaan,
Alex,
Hannah.
Playing mature
hand slapping
games in the
kitchen.
hand slapping
games in the
kitchen.
I would love to
say that
Hannah was
too mature to
take part, but I
think she
taught them
most of the
games.
say that
Hannah was
too mature to
take part, but I
think she
taught them
most of the
games.
Showing off
their red hands.
their red hands.
Daddy flipping
kids in the pool.
kids in the pool.
Well, at least
she won't
drown.
she won't
drown.
Granny's 4th of
July birthday!
July birthday!
Granny with
Trouble.
Trouble.
July 5, 2011 UPDATE:
So what's new at the Baker house? Well, as you can see above, more summer activities.
We are very happy about Canaan's promotion, so that was a highlight. Art is home
again, and consequently Joy is doing very well. She has actually been progressing
quite a bit verbally. She has begun putting two and even three words together, and has
increased her vocabulary quite a bit over the past few weeks. She is learning more
every day.
At the end of this month, Silas is scheduled for another surgery to extend the rods in his
back. We are still awaiting our tax refund in order to do this. It was submitted in
February of this year, but we were confonted with the same situation as many other
adoptive parents: for the first time, the IRS is asking for quite a bit of documentation to
support claims for the adoption credit. But they don't ask for the documentation up
front. You have to submit your return, and later on get a letter outlining exactly what
receipts or documents they want you to send in. Then you gather all these documents
that you thought you'd never need again, and make copies and send them in, and then
wait. We were given a date of July 3 that they would make a decision by. Nice of them to
keep our money for months and tell us when they'd decide we had told them the truth in
the first place. So today I called and was told that everything was approved and we
would be getting our refund.... in six to eight weeks! Seriously? So, the return we sent
in honestly and in good faith back in February, may see a return of OUR money seven
months later. sigh... All of that is to say, please PRAY that it will not take that long.
Otherwise, we will be forced to postpone Silas's surgery until it does come in.
I had a little scare this past week. I have always had quite a few floaters in my eyes, and
am familiar with them. But all of a sudden I had a great amount of them in my peripheral
vision in my left eye. I thought this was strange, and was concerned. Then that night, as
I went into a dark room, I discovered that I was having bright flashes of light from my
peripheral vision on my left eye as well. It was like seeing lightening out of the corner of
your eye. Very freaky! I checked my right eye and then my left, and over and over again.
It was just my left eye, and happened even when my eyes were closed. A visit to my eye
doctor the next morning showed that my retina was not detached, as he feared, but that I
had something called a Posterior Vistrous Detachment. It is where the jelly substance of
your eye, liquifies with age and separates from the back of your eye. I am told that the
great amount of floaters and shadows and the bright flashes of light should subside
over the next couple of months, and hopefully my retina will not detach. I was also told
that I could expect the other eye to experience something similar in the next six months.
That night, I discovered that my right eye was having flashes of light too. Unbelievable.
So both eyes are kind of like looking through a microscope slide swimming with
paramecium and tiny things squirming around, along with lightening flashes from the left
and right. Annoying. But, thankful that my eyesight is not threatened right now, so far.
Just one more annoying thing. I can live with that.
Beyond this, the summer is progressing. The garden is flourishing. Hannah and I have
lots of plans for painting and other projects, as time and money permits. The kitchen
cabinets are almost completed and I think they look great. But I have some finishing
touches before I can post pictures. We have thoroughly enjoyed having cousins
Brenden and Alex up for a few days, but it has been too short this year. Next year, we'll
need to plan a longer visit, God willing.
And our "last" birthday of the year, Isaac's, is coming up soon. Sweet, patient little guy
has the last birthday of all the kids. He has to wait through all the birthdays -- even the
birthday of the new little sister! -- before his birthday comes. But, on the other hand, we
try to go out with a bang. Looking forward to it!
And next week Art and I will celebrate our 25th anniversary. Interesting times. I never
doubted this day would come, but I don't know what I thought it would look like, or
where I thought we would be. I am thankful and praying for 25 more years. But praying
for happier days to come. I don't know how I would ever have made it through all the
struggles our family has been through had it not been for Art by my side. God knew
what I needed, 25 years ago. What a gift.
So what's new at the Baker house? Well, as you can see above, more summer activities.
We are very happy about Canaan's promotion, so that was a highlight. Art is home
again, and consequently Joy is doing very well. She has actually been progressing
quite a bit verbally. She has begun putting two and even three words together, and has
increased her vocabulary quite a bit over the past few weeks. She is learning more
every day.
At the end of this month, Silas is scheduled for another surgery to extend the rods in his
back. We are still awaiting our tax refund in order to do this. It was submitted in
February of this year, but we were confonted with the same situation as many other
adoptive parents: for the first time, the IRS is asking for quite a bit of documentation to
support claims for the adoption credit. But they don't ask for the documentation up
front. You have to submit your return, and later on get a letter outlining exactly what
receipts or documents they want you to send in. Then you gather all these documents
that you thought you'd never need again, and make copies and send them in, and then
wait. We were given a date of July 3 that they would make a decision by. Nice of them to
keep our money for months and tell us when they'd decide we had told them the truth in
the first place. So today I called and was told that everything was approved and we
would be getting our refund.... in six to eight weeks! Seriously? So, the return we sent
in honestly and in good faith back in February, may see a return of OUR money seven
months later. sigh... All of that is to say, please PRAY that it will not take that long.
Otherwise, we will be forced to postpone Silas's surgery until it does come in.
I had a little scare this past week. I have always had quite a few floaters in my eyes, and
am familiar with them. But all of a sudden I had a great amount of them in my peripheral
vision in my left eye. I thought this was strange, and was concerned. Then that night, as
I went into a dark room, I discovered that I was having bright flashes of light from my
peripheral vision on my left eye as well. It was like seeing lightening out of the corner of
your eye. Very freaky! I checked my right eye and then my left, and over and over again.
It was just my left eye, and happened even when my eyes were closed. A visit to my eye
doctor the next morning showed that my retina was not detached, as he feared, but that I
had something called a Posterior Vistrous Detachment. It is where the jelly substance of
your eye, liquifies with age and separates from the back of your eye. I am told that the
great amount of floaters and shadows and the bright flashes of light should subside
over the next couple of months, and hopefully my retina will not detach. I was also told
that I could expect the other eye to experience something similar in the next six months.
That night, I discovered that my right eye was having flashes of light too. Unbelievable.
So both eyes are kind of like looking through a microscope slide swimming with
paramecium and tiny things squirming around, along with lightening flashes from the left
and right. Annoying. But, thankful that my eyesight is not threatened right now, so far.
Just one more annoying thing. I can live with that.
Beyond this, the summer is progressing. The garden is flourishing. Hannah and I have
lots of plans for painting and other projects, as time and money permits. The kitchen
cabinets are almost completed and I think they look great. But I have some finishing
touches before I can post pictures. We have thoroughly enjoyed having cousins
Brenden and Alex up for a few days, but it has been too short this year. Next year, we'll
need to plan a longer visit, God willing.
And our "last" birthday of the year, Isaac's, is coming up soon. Sweet, patient little guy
has the last birthday of all the kids. He has to wait through all the birthdays -- even the
birthday of the new little sister! -- before his birthday comes. But, on the other hand, we
try to go out with a bang. Looking forward to it!
And next week Art and I will celebrate our 25th anniversary. Interesting times. I never
doubted this day would come, but I don't know what I thought it would look like, or
where I thought we would be. I am thankful and praying for 25 more years. But praying
for happier days to come. I don't know how I would ever have made it through all the
struggles our family has been through had it not been for Art by my side. God knew
what I needed, 25 years ago. What a gift.