some troubling news

Today we got some troubling news. Our foster license has to be closed due to the number of children allowed in the home going from 7 to 5. We have been praying and hoping to adopt two precious little girls that we have had as a part of our extended family for 2 years now. This puts a wrench in those plans. I am not saying it is over because as the saying goes, anything worth having is worth fighting for and we will continue to fight for the rights of the two precious children! We Love them with all of our hearts and our children love them and they love us and are very bonded!!! Please pray with us that God will change the hearts that told us only a short while ago that we were being considered and then without notice or CONSIDERATION closed our license. That in itself does not keep us from adopting them, as the standard of 5 children in the home now is for FOSTER not ADOPTION, but we do have an uphill battle before us. It is frustrating, but you know we were told by several people to give up when Marlee's biological father came into the picture to take her away from us - what if we had given up then? I cannot begin to think of our lives without Marlee!!!! We fought for 2 years and we won that battle with the Lord's help - actually He won it for us! I am having faith now in Him as well, but do not want to just sit around and do nothing so I have emailed some people in charge, gotten some information from the state about the new standard and we are going forward. We hope to not have to "battle" much at all! But Please keep us in your prayers!

Sunday

After reading this post myself, I must first say it is a lot of just plain babble! lol enjoy! :)

Hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend. My weekend was a little busy, but not too bad. Friday night is movie night here at the Reeves' home, but not this weekend - it was sleep night! The boys were tired from school and a long week, Kalee fell asleep in the chair and Marlee and I were not feeling well, Larry had rookie school and had to be up early so we all went to bed early! Doesn't happen often here, but when needed it happens!!!! Saturday morning came early even after early bedtimes. Larry left for rookie school and the kids got up and and got ready to go. Kalee was going to Aunt Stacey's to play for a little while and Marlee and Drae had a Teen Works event. They went Ice Skating! TJ, Kris and I did a little shopping and I printed some pictures and they played until time to pick the other 3 up. Picked the other 3 up and came home and also picked up Brianna and Keara when we got Kalee. Larry got home about 2 hours after we did and he and I went to dinner and then home. Marlee was pretty sick later that night and so was I. We went to bed and slept in because Marlee and I and even Larry still were not feeling well! Larry fixed the kids some pancakes since he had to leave too early to have Pancake Saturday. So the kids said it was a Pancake Sunday! The weather was nice enough for the kids to actually spend a couple hours outside! They loved it. Marlee has been in bed all day - she is still not feeling well. I feel a little better but still in my jammies!!! The kids are all in the house right now playing games and Larry is cooking dinner! So nice to have a man who will do anything to help me! He is a great dad, husband and pappy! He was just tired from rookie school not sick. Thank God!!! Now about him, I cannot believe my man is a fireman. He is volunteer fire fighter! He has dreamed of this forever! So even with my fears I agreed to it. I say I agreed because he does not NEED my approval, but he does want it and if I said I just can't handle it he wouldn't do it! That is how it is in a marriage. But I could not keep him from a lifelong dream just because of fear on my part. I know God gave him the dream so He will protect him. I am proud of him!!! Well I am going to eat dinner with my family and check on my baby girl! I hope everyone stays well and has a great week full of blessings and happiness!!! Here is a picture for you!

Drae is a **star**!!!

Tonight was Drae's Debut on stage! He played "Chad" in High School Musical and did a great job! It was a fun little rendition of the Hit movie from Disney. The kids were in grades 3rd, 4th and 5th. It was very entertaining. We are super proud of Drae and the interests he has found! For so long he just seemed to be "looking" for something to enjoy and be committed to and now he has found 2 highly important passions: Horses and Theatre - acting, singing and dancing. He seems to be a natural at both! We knew he would find his place! We just kept putting him in anything he asked to join and now he has set his mind to these two things and we are so proud of him in both areas! His grades are up as well and he is doing an awesome job! His whole attitude has changed over the almost 5 years he has been with us! He is not even like the same child! I give the glory to God because even anything we have done is because HE has given to us. We believe 100% that you cannot give what you do not have. Most of us if we were completely honest did not receive Total Unconditional Love and Acceptance as children because truly our parents had not received that so how could they give it. Even in the best homes there is some lack in these areas. So the only way to give it is to receive it FIRST and we believe the only place to truly receive TOTAL UNCONDITIONAL LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE is through Jesus Christ! Our Heavenly Father gives it and makes it possible for us to ATTEMPT to give to our children. We still are human parents and we make huge mistakes often, but with Him we have the ability to lose our pride and say to our children that we do make mistakes and we are sorry and we talk to our children with respect and love and understanding! I believe that makes such a difference in a child's life, knowing there is someone who will love them and be here for them NO MATTER WHAT!! We often hear, "oh it is such a wonderful thing - what you do for these kids - you are such a blessing to them!" I know people only mean well with that and we know the kids are happy and blessed, too, but our response always is, "no they are such a blessing to us!!!" I was called to be a mommy and when I could not give birth to children of our own, I knew God would work it out for us to have children and now we have 7 and are hoping to adopt two other little girls who are already a part or our family right now! What a Blessing!!!! God is awesome!
Back to Drae: we could not be more proud!!!! Here is a picture of our son on stage and then after the production! He is good looking, sweet, talented and just plain wonderful!!!!!! YOU GO, DRAE!! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!!! KEEP IT UP!!!!

My grandbaby is a week old!!!

This was posted last night well actually early this morning on the wrong blog! I posted it on the 4H blog lol!

As I sit here in bed wide awake becuase if I lay down I cough like crazy, I realized that it was a little after 4 Am and that at 4:18 Sydnee would be one week old! It is so surreal to me that Kourtnee has a baby! I know she carried her in her belly for nine months, but it is just strange in a good way that our little girl is a mommy! And now her baby is one week old!!! There is a part of me that says wow, it has been a week already and another part that can't really imaging that she has only been here a week! Does that make sense to anyone else? I hope so! I love her so much! I cannot wait to go see her later today! I am so glad that we are close (in distance) so I can see her whenever I want and things work out! Well, I ahve about 2 more hours until everyone will be awake so I am going to try to sleep sitting up a little! I hate being sick!!!!!! Byt the way tonight is the opening of Drae's play! I cannot wait to see him! His teacher says he is really good and has a promising future in drama!!! I am excited to see him!!!!! I will be sure to blog and put up a picture about that!!!! Have a blessed day everyone!!!

Pictures taken on her one week birthday at Uncle Drae's theatre production:

Close relationships - a real blessing

It is after 3 in the morning and I cannot stop coughing long enough to get to sleep so I decided to blog. The thing that has been on my mind is my relationship with my children, especially the older ones. Yesterday, well technically since this is Wed. morning, a couple of days ago on Monday, Sydnee Renee' had her first doctor appointment. So Marlee went with me and we took Kourtnee and the baby to the doctor. Afterwards the 4 of us went to lunch and to Wal - Mart. We laughed so much. Now this is not unusual at all. It seems we laugh all the time. But it did get me thinking about how blessed I am. You know, we are not a perfect family in any sense of the word!!! Not perfect is not even close!!! But what we are is CLOSE!!! We have our disagreements and get upset, angry, hurt, etc. but it is over quickly and we are back to laughing and hugging! I thought about some of my friends and some of the parents I talk to and hear from and hear how they "wish they had a good relationship with their teens", "wish their teen would talk to them", "wish their teen would do more than stay locked up in their room". Well, I have to say that we are blessed that we do not have to say those things or wish for those things to be true. I have so much fun with my girls! I have always said when people say that their teens stay in their own rooms and do not talk to them, that my teens - all my kids spend more time in our room than their own. At night when Larry and I "retire" to the bedroom, we have several knocks on the door and end up with most of the kids in here at once! Kourtnee, Marlee and Alex used to all crowd in here telling us things about the day or just making jokes or whatever! We really do spend more time laughing together than anything else! That is truly a blessing! I love my family and I am so glad that we are close! I would not want it any other way! I have often said that times I want to just say, "ok enough is enough stop talking, I can't take anymore" :), but then I think what if they every did stop talking to me? I could not take that at all! I want to always be here and be open for my kids to talk to and to listen to them! I pray that the relationships of all the kids continue to be as close as these older 3 have remained! I pray that all my kids always know that their mom and dad love them unconditionally and want to share everything with us! What a blessing to be close! I look forward to many more Girls' days out and many more special times with the boys! Kourtnee, Marlee - thank you for Monday and all the days! Thank you for loving your mother like you do and know that your mother loves you with all my heart! You are the most beautiful, fun, loving young women any mom could ask for!!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!! I love all my kids!!! and grand kids! :)

Our grand daughter is here!!!!

Sydnee Renee' arrived Thursday morning at 4:18 weighing in at 6 pounds and 15 ounces and 19 inches long! Mommy and baby did great and are now home! Since all of my children have been adopted, I have never been able to experience the miracle of birth first hand. Kourtnee gave me a tremendous gift! Not only has she given us the most beautiful baby girl - our grand daughter, but she gave us both (Larry was in the room as well) the wonderful experience of seeing her born!!!! It was too incredible for words! I was in tears with a smile from ear to ear! I can not put into words what I was feeling at that moment when the nurse said, "stop pushing becuase that is her head right there." I was in awe!!! Then when the doctor arrived and first out came the head and then the shoulders and then there is a whole little body!!!! I was looking to see if he had been right and then I heard her cries and saw yes she is a girl!!!!! it was so awesome! I really have no other word but completely awesome! I was awe struck! God is so awesome! Kristofer, my 4 year old asked when we visited Kourtnee and Sydnee at the hospital, "she was in her tunmmy???" It was so cute and then TJ our almost 11 year old said, "Is she like the puppies and won't open her eyes for a week or 2??" Very cute!!! They all love their little niece!!!! Craig and Kourtnee are so happy and they have been so blessed! Sydnee is beautiful!!! I could go on and on about this beautiful blessing and I could go on and on about how awesome it was to see her enter the world, but I think you would stop reading after a short bit lol! As you can tell I am still in awe! she is such a beautiful miracle! Birth is a miracle. While I truly believe adoption is God's miracle of using another vessel to get a child to his or her family, I was so thrilled to witness the miracle He first used to bring a child to a mommy and daddy! My heart is full of joy! Thank you Kourtnee Renee'! You are and always will be our sweet girl and now you ahve a sweet little baby girl of your own!!! I love you more than words can say and the same goes to our little Nee Nee' Angel!!!!

"They call me a fireman....."

WEll that is what we will be calling Larry now! I am happy for him but not so sure for me yet?! I just have to trust God to protect him. I am proud of him. He is volunteer for now and they voted him on tonight. He is thinking of making a late age career change and trying to go full time - paid. That may be while though. he is so excited as this is a child hood dream. HE got the licens plates for 2 vehicles, the pager, fitted for uniforms and turn out gear. He is so happy , like a little kid at Christmas lol! I will be joining the Ladies Auxilliary which consists mostly of the wives of the firemen. The station is less than a mile from our house so that is really nice. I told Larry he should ride a horse down there and tie it to a hitching post. He said one of these days he will because most of the guys have horses! I told him to go put in a hitching post! He said I was crazy - he is right - I have to be to have as many kids and to stay married to him this long :)!!!! Just kidding - he is my world! Well we are going to bed now, but I had to share the news - good news for him, I guess ok news for me. :)
Good night all!

Monday

Today was a good day for a Monday :). Larry went and got his driving record for his fireman application and he could not wait to rub it in that he has a perfect driving record since I am always on him about his driving! :) He is so excited about the meeting tomorrow night at the Fire House! I cannot believe he is attempting this and that I am "ok" with it. I just decided that if he has had this dream since childhood and now has the chance to make it a reality and I LOVE him why stand in his way? And the best thing is he asked me and REALLY wanted to know how I felt about it. He was very sensitive to my feelings - which is not surprising! I am happy for him though and hope he makes it all the way! Tonight Larry, Marlee, Drae and I went to a 4H Horse Council Meeting. It was very interesting! I believe we are going to really enjoy 4H!!!!
Kourtnee's baby girl - Sydnee Renee' could be here just any day now! WE jump when the phone rings, don't want to go very far from the house so we are not far from her, and Base everything on "when Sydnee gets here"! It is amazing to me how much this little baby is already loved and already a part of our lives before she is even held or touched or seen! Babies are such miracles! I know that I have been blessed with children and the children that God wanted me to have, but I will always have a part of that grieves not being able to give birth to a child that has Larry's big blue eyes and my little nose and ears. But I cannot be more excited for Sydnee to be here and the fact that Larry and I have been able to be with her through so many appointments and we will be able to share the birth together with our daughter and Craig! We are extremely excited!
Well, I am going to bed! I need sleep getting the cold that everyone else has had and I have to fight it off to make sure I am not banned from the delivery room - God forbid that! I have waited toooooo long for this wonderful experience! Good night all!

Check out my other blog

My other blog is our 4H group blog. You can read about what the kids are doing in 4H and see pictures and everything! Hope you enjoy that one as well. We have had a wonderful weekend so far and today was a fun time with 4H meeting and then riding lessons after that. Then a night of washing and doing hair. We have Keara and Brianna so we had three heads to do :)! I did Bri and Kalee and Marlee did Keara's. They all look cute - of course! :) Just think the hair issue was one of the major controversies to us adopting black children. Marlee and I both can braid, put in relaxers, straighten, hot comb, etc. It just takes asking questions and learning! I really hope that the issues of white families adopting black children or black families adopting white families will one day cease being an issue and we will just have Parents loving Children! I love my kids so much! I cannot imagine my life without them and I know that God chose them to be our children and chose us to be their parents. - just my little soap box tonight! I hope everyone has a blessed Sunday! Love to all!

I Know it has been a long time

I have actually had a few people ask me about this blog. I really did not realize many people read it, but to my surprise there are some who do :)! Thank you! We had a busy 2007 like I am sure most of you did. So I thought I would give a score card update of the year for the Reeves Bunch. Here it goes:
Adoptions - Kristofer John - Ocotber
Aiden Casey by Alex July
Engagements - Alex and Angela in April
Kourtnee Renee' and Craig in December
Weddings - Alex and Angela October 13
Pregnancies - Kourtnee Renee' due Jan. 29, 2008 - it is a girl!!!
Awards, Acheivements, etc. - Marlee - Exceptional Kid Award - a brand new saddle
from Alamo Saddlery
Drae - won the supporting role in High School Musical 1 and 2 Remix
for his school theatre department
Alex Graduated High School
TJ and Kalee and Drae all have been on Honor Roll all year!
Marlee won a bike at the Christmas party
Marlee was given a new Horse - Mystic Rayne is her name
Marlee won Most Improved at the barrel Clinic and won a beautiful
Belt Buckle
Moved out of state - Alex and Angela Dec.
Accident settled - Mine!!!! It is finally over and I got a truck!!!

You know I think that pretty much covers the score card :)! There was so much that happened I thought that maybe doing it that way would make it easier, but guess what - it didn't! :)
We did have a busy but blessed year. Going into 2008 we now have 6 horses (4 horses and 2 ponies to be exact). We have returned to RCC permanently now. We miss Higher Call, but this was the right move for us! We love the people at both churches and will maintain relationships, but God has shown us where we are to be planted. The kids truly enjoy the Wednesday night classes at RCC and the youth group for Marlee and Drae is phenomonal! Larry did lose his job, but God is still blessing! The only bad thing is that he is getting used to being home and I am getting used to having him home! The honey do list keeps him busy! :) We have had some rough spots this year, but honestly not even enough to mention and I choose not to mention them. i do not see Larry losing his job as a bad thing, because I know that God is in control and He has a plan!
2007 brought a grandson - Aiden, into our lives and he is absolutely adorable! He is no longer living here, they moved to Virginia, but he is still our heart! Kristofer's adoption came through in October and his name is now legally Kristofer John Reeves - and he rides a pony named Superman! :) Get it - Kristofer Reeves on Superman!!! :) Love it! The kids are growing like weeds! Drae is taller than Marlee and as tall as me now. Kalee has passed TJ and Kristofer is getting very close to TJ! :) TJ will grow!!! We keep telling him that! We lost a pet - Kodee our Yellow Lab / Golden Ret. mix. But we were blessed because before he was killed he got Kenzee our Black Lab pregnant and we now have 10 little puppies!!! They are so cute and most of them already have homes waiting for them when they are old enough!!!
Storm, our little momma cat has given us about 7 kittens this past year. They all have homes! Larry tried raising turkeys and will try again next year - it is a trial and error thing and he made more errors lol!!! His chickens have stopped laying eggs (they only lay until they are about 2 years old) so he kept telling us that he was going to put them in the freezer and we would be eating them. Thank goodness he has not done that yet. I know, I know it would be much healthier to raise our own food, but it is really hard to do that for me. I have to see the little ladies as he calls them and then think of killing them. Just to hard!!! Maybe I will get over that! Our goat, Oreo, is doing well! He loves to play with the kids!! He has cleared a lot of our property. ALl of the horses are doing well! I have been riding lately quite a bit! I am so thankful that the wreck did not do anymore damage to my back then it did! I love riding my horse with the kids!!! Well I hope that I have given you something that you enjoyed reading! I will do better in 2008 with this blog especially now that I know that I have readers! Thanks to those who added their names to my reader's list, those who email me comments and even those who talk to me at church about the blog (wink, wink - you know who you are!) :) The Reeves Bunch came through 2007 Blessed and we plan to be great in 2008! Elevate in 2008! The number 8 is new beginnings! I will blog soon about some new things happening in our lives! Love to you all!