Cheri Kay in Haiti....where my life became meaningful.

And I get to be a stay at home momma for 2 weeks!!! I'm so looking forward to it!!!! I love my job. I'm the luckiest person in the world to be able to have a job that I look forward to going to every day....however, I love my kids more!!! I love every minute that I get with them and I'm looking forward to our Christmas break! This was a fun weekend! We went to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services "Signing Santa" and had a blast! Both kids sat on Santa's lap. Ecrissa is so fun to watch in an environment where everyone is signing and she understands all that is going on around her. My Dad and step-mom joined us and they too were amazed at the difference in Ecrissa. Many people came up to me during our time there to tell me how much she's grown since this summer when she attended their day-camp. And, when I say grown, I don't mean that she's gotten bigger...I actually mean matured. She is able to hold a conversations, she understands when people are ...

a ground hog week?? Isn't ground hog day when the same day keeps happening over and over. Well, this past week was so awesome I want it to keep happening!!!! In the past 2 weekends MSU has won 2 football games and 3 basketball games and hopefully one tomorrow! Seriously, I love it!!!!! The kids and I got to go to one of the basketball games and we had a blast!!!!!!! I had the week off from work and so was able to spend some time in both of the kids' classrooms. I LOVED every minute of that! I am amazed at how much my kids have grown academically, even since the end of the year last year. I loved seeing the things that they are doing in class and how they are doing in school. This also made them feel very special. Last night we had a "family date night" at the new PF Changs that just opened near us! Jaryse's favorite food is Chinese and we all loved it! We all dressed up in nice clothes and the three of us (well, 4 if you count Ecrissa's American Girl do...

Whew! I don't hardly even remember the last time I blogged!!!! I know that school started and then my life became a blur! We got to move to our new home on October 2nd and I feel like I've been working triple time trying to unpack and get us all settled! I have had lots of people ask for pictures of the house so this blog is my attempt to share some! I did not get any of the yard, but there is a nice back yard that is all fenced in with a play structure. The kids love it! So, here are some pictures......in no strategic order...in fact, in a sort of random order! The house from the front. The kitchen (If any of you ever were in either of my last 2 apartments, you will know how HUGE this kitchen is for me!) My bedroom (view 1) My bedroom (view 2) Living Room (view 1 with the sliding doors to the deck) Living Room (view 2...including the munchkins!) Jaryse's Room Dining Room Ecrissa's room (view 1) Ecrissa's Room (View 2) Laundry Room Well, there you have it...well ...

First, I just have to say.....They have gotten so big!!!!! Sometimes when I look at pictures I have to look twice because I can't believe that either one of those kids in the picture could be my baby!!!!! The first week of school went great! Jaryse even enjoyed it! For any of you that really know my boy, you'd know that this is just short of a miracle!!!! Ecrissa ALWAYS loves school and she is doing great! The second week of school as started off a bit rockier! Jaryse is home and was home yesterday with strep throat! UGH! He is such a trooper, but he has EVERY symptom that could possibly go with Strep. You know, you read the list of possible symptoms and most people get a few of the most common symptoms, well not my little guy! When he gets sick, he does it right and he gets EVERY symptom...even the rare ones! He is on the mend today and beginning to feel better, but is still not well enough for school. So, the reason that I have time to post on the blog!!! Yesterday I spent a...

And so was someone else! Yep! That tiny little speck at the top of the first picture is my little dare devil doing the Rip Cord with her Grandpa and Cousin at Michigan's Adventure last weekend! She is afraid of NOTHING!!!!!!!!! She went up there and free-fell 180 feet and LOVED every minute of it!!!!!! She loved all the big roller coasters and even kept her hands high in the air, all the while giggling and laughing hysterically!!!! Before the ride was even completed she was looking at me signing more and again with a huge smile on her face!!! It was so fun riding these rides with her. She had me laughing and laughing the whole day! Jaryse had an awesome time too! He rode the bumper cars multiple times (I think 4 or 5!), the little go-carts, the big go-carts with me, and any other "driving" ride he could possibly ride! He was all about the cars and driving! He is still to little to go on the big roller coasters and truth be told, that is just fine w...

Whew! The first half of the summer has gone by so fast already!!!!! I was thinking that when I had time off of work that I'd well......have time off!!! LOL!!!! We have been super busy with all fun stuff! We enjoyed our third 4th of July home in the States. We went swimming, took a nap and then we stayed up late enough to watch the fireworks! Jaryse was a bit nervous at first, the loud noises and we were pretty close and he kept telling me that it was going to get into his eyes! After a few minutes he was enjoying them too! Ecrissa LOVED the fireworks! That big wide-eyed, open mouthed smile that you see above is what she did the ENTIRE show! She loved hearing the BOOMS and loved the colors. Last weekend we went to the Coopersville/Marne Railway. It was super fun! We got to ride an old train and be a part of a re-enactment of a train robbery. The kids LOVED it! It was super cute. Ecrissa had her Left cochlear implant activated last Friday. It was an interesting appointment where Ecr...

On June 16th Ecrissa had her second surgery. She was implanted on the Left side and in 3 weeks she will be activated and have access to sound from 2 ears!!!! We have been talking about this implant and I asked her if she wanted it and she said yes! We have been talking about surgery day, reading the same book we read last time, looking at pictures from last time and just trying to prepare her for the day. She was AMAZING pre surgery. She was happy, compliant and excited for her surgery. She woke up much better than last time. She did not try to hurt me and she was not literally climbing the walls. She did not like the IV's in her arm and once those were discharged and taken off she was much better. She still really wanted to pull the bandage off of her head, but other than that she did a really good job. Once we got home she calmed alot. She layed on the couch, ate a little and took her meds with no problem. But then, the vomitting began. She was not tolerating the pain meds well. ...

The kids are at their last day of school right now as I type this! Can it really be??? I am alwasys so amazed at how fast the time goes. I am currently enjoying a 3 week vacation (I work on an adjusted school calendar and will work a few weeks throughout the summer) and I LOVE LOVE LOVE being home with the kids. I got to help in Jaryse's kindergarten class one day last week and I also got to attend their field day activities--SO FUN! I also got to attend the Deaf and Hard of Hearing end of school party with Ecrissa. I'm amazed at how much they have both grown in so many areas throughout this school year. (at the Children's Museum!) Ecrissa will have her second cochlear implant surgery this coming Thursday. We have talked about it and she is excited to have an implant in her left ear. She has been telling people that she is getting one. I hope that she remembers her excitement when she is waking up from the surgery next week!!!! :) (fun on the trampoline at the Deaf and H...

It is sunny, warm and beautiful outside!!! YAY !!!! This is the way it is supposed to be! After living OUTSIDE of Michigan (either LA or Haiti) for the last 10 years, the winter was very very miserable for me! I was so thrilled to have a sunny day! We walked to church and had shorts and T-shirts on again!!!! YAY !!!!!! We had a picnic today after church and had A BLAST!!!!! Jaryse and Ecrissa ran around and played in the grass, blew bubbles, climbed trees and just had so much fun hanging out!!!! I played with them and sat on the blanket in awe of them. If you look closely at the picture above, you'll see how talented Jaryse is at picking out his own clothing! :) Ecrissa is enjoying her new birthday presents and has had a great week at school! Isn't she super cute!!!!

Ecrissa had an awesome birthday!!!! She got to celebrate with me and her brother on Thursday as well as both of her classrooms at school. She was so super happy all day long! Jaryse on the other hand slept all the way through her dinner at Applebee's! Guess it's not as exciting when it's not your own birthday!!!! Ecrissa loved her food and ice cream at Applebee's. Then on Friday, we went to dinner with my mom and opened more presents. Then on Saturday, we celebrated at Chuck E Cheese with my dad's side of the family. She got more presents and tons of fun at C.E.C's!!!!! She is now fully exhausted and in bed! I am fully exhausted and about to go to bed! I am so glad that she is so loved and so special to so many people! But, I am also glad that birthday week is over!!!!! That is too much stress on the momma who wants everything to be perfect for her princess!!! Sleepy time! Good night!