Possibly getting a child from New Orleans

my friend, Becky mentioned to me yesterday that Idaho just got 500 children from New Orleans that need homes. They are desperate for people to take these children in because our foster homes are full. Instantly, I thought "maybe we could do it!"

I talked to Shawn and he was open to the idea of getting a child. I would take more in that 1 child if we had more room in the vehicle. So today I am just thinking and thinking about it. The kids are open to it....I talked to them right after Shawn to see what they would think. They were very excited. But will they let me homeschool the child? Or would I have to put them into school?? My concern with that is that the child would not have my kids there with her/him and it wouldn't be as fair (IMO anyway) I am also worried that I won't be good enough. I am sure that he/she would have some emotional issues having just lost home and probably family. I am rambling. I have so much going through my head. I never thought that I might want to have a foster child... but I just keep seeing the 500 homeless children go through my head andit pulls at my heart. I want to act quickly, but I want to make sure too that I will be doing what is best for this child.

Susan Anne Catherine Torres has died

Born last month at the gestational age of 27 weeks, she passed on this weekend from heart failure following emergency surgery to fix a perforated intestine.
This last year, the story of Susan Torres hit headlines with a frenzy. Collapsing at work and finding out that she had a stage 4 melanoma -- inducing a coma that she would never come out of. Being kept alive so that her baby girl could be born to be with the family. What heart wouldn't wrench when reading that story?
And now, after a month long struggle to live, the very premature baby, who weighed only 1lb 13 oz at birth, has died.
To have such a short life here on earth. Its a tragedy. And through my tears, I cannot say much more. I would hope that if something like this happened to me, that my husband would have the strength to do what Susan's husband did.
Please pray for Jason Torres, their son Peter (who has lost his mother and now his baby sister) and the rest of their family.

September 11...It just will never be the same.

September 11, 2001.

In rememberance of all those that lost their lives that day.

The mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and friends and heroes.

You will not be forgotten. You are in our hearts. You will carry on.


September 11, 2001--it seemed like just an ordinary day. Shawn was home from work that day as it was his day off. I remember him getting out of bed and walking out to the living room, and then hearing him run back in and yelled "Someone just blew up the World Trade Center!!!"

It didn't sink in at first, but hearing the emotion in his voice, I instinctively jumped out of bed and ran out to the TV with him. I really didn't "get" what the WTC was all about. I never paid attention much in school when we learned about it. I barely watched the news before 9-11. The WTC was just a word I heard in passing, but had no clue what it really was. But as the images were shown on tv all I could see was the countless lives that were lost. The horror on the peoples faces that were there. And I sat down and cried. I think we sat for 3 hours just staring at the tv. The kids were homeschooled - and we did not even do school that morning. All that day and all through the night I watched the images. I watched the firefighters and police officers and paramedics do a job that no person should ever have to do. I watched the grief, the sorrow, the bewilderment on faces that were there when it happened. And I just thought to myself, "Why??"

We did not see the actual crashing of the planes into the building, but we saw them collapse. We saw right after the plane crashed in Pennsylvania. We saw the replays over and over. We went around in a daze that day. Everything seemed so insignificant in comparison. I remember going to the store and being in such a fuge that I did not hear the cashier talking to me. All I could do was look at the man bagging my groceries and say "did you hear?"

2996 human beings confirmed/reported dead and missing.

2996.

That is a lot of human life to be lost.

Gender, sexuality, religion, nationality it does not matter.

2996 is a lot of human lift to be lost.

Until that day I was naive. I truly had NO IDEA that there were people out there that hated our country that much, hated everything that our citizens are and how we live....hated us so much that they would just kill like that. Until that day, words like Bin Laden, Iraq, Iran, Jihad...none of those were in my vocabulary. Well, they are now.

Today, the Dalai Lama is visiting Idaho. He is talking of world peace and a hope for healing. I know that I am going to listen to what he has to say. I only wish that everyone else could and would listen to the message as well.

Did I mention I had pneumonia???

I think my life is falling apart. Or maybe it is just my body! LOL

We moved and I was pretty sick. Coughing really bad and just generally having a hard time. Shawn was always mad because I was so sick I could not help pack. He got pretty ticked for awhile, but I was doing the best I could. We moved and started settling in. Finally after a week Shawn finally said "I am taking you to the doctor!"

In we go to the doctor-no insurance so I was really NOT wanting to be there-and my O2 levels were down to 94. I had pneumonia. They gave me a shot of rocephin right there...dang that stuff stings!! And some antibiotics.

3 weeks later, I am still coughing some. If I start to laugh a lot, my lungs protest and I end up with a coughing fit. I've never been this sick before...and it really sucks!

We started school this week. The kids are very excited. I think they are most excited for Latin and Ancient History. My In-Laws were here a few weeks ago, and my FIL started in on Shawn with the whole "you need to put these kids back in school" routine.

Uhm--thanks but NO. Our children, our decision. Just because you are an educator does not mean that you know best for MY kids. Shawn and I have made the decision TOGETHER that this is best.

I broke a molar this last week. Have I ever mentioned my TERROR of the dentist?? They had to drill out some decay that happened under my filling and he said "we are going to numb you up" I said "NO YOU ARE NOT!!" so they drilled without it, and I did ok. I was literally sick. I HATE THE DENTIST!!

I had an episode at wal-mart the other day too. Noah (who you know has issues) was playing with the men's ties. Doing no harm at all. This employee yells at him! YELLS! She had the worst tone of voice..I really could not believe it. I confronted her and said "the next time you want to yell at a child, why don't you try FINDING THE PARENTS instead!! You are an employee of this store, NOT HIS MOTHER and you have NO RIGHT to talk to thim that way!" I said a few more things, but that was the gyst of it. grrr....darned wal-mart....it gets me everytime!