Our newest Cavanaugh!

Yulia with her mom and dad

Many of you got stuck on the "title". I know that Jason and I have made history with how fast we have babies, but not this time. We are only adopting for a month and she is 8! Although, I love babies and we are thrilled to be hosting Yulia and are excited for the new things we will learn. Here is the e-mail blurb I sent out.

As most of you might know we Jason, I and the kids will be hosting a little girl named Yulia Shemetava from Belarussia starting June 19th through August 3rd.
This is all part of a host program through For the Children of the World www.fortheworldschildren.org. Our home church New Community is sponsoring 10 children through our Bridge to Belarussia Mission Program. There are 79 children total being hosted through out the Pacific Northwest.

This is a program that brings over Belarusian children to the Pacific Northwest for a 6 week health respite with host families each summer. These children suffer effects from the continued radiation from the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster of 1986, including the development of what is known as Chernobyl Aids. The time spent here each summer in an uncontaminated environment can help flush out overwhelmed immune systems and potentially add 5-10 years to each child's life span.

As a host family we are responsible not only for supplying a place for Yulia to stay, but also for taking car of her health needs while she is here. We have been asked to take her to the dentist at least once and to the eye doctor for new glasses. We have been blessed as both our dentist and eye doctor have agreed to see Yulia for FREE and they are local in Maple Valley. This is a HUGE blessing to us!

We are THRILLED to have Yulia here. We have made her a room and made it all girlie for her. We are so excited for her to be a part of our family and to meet all of our friends and family. She does not speak any English - thank God we have the "First Thousand Words in Russian" book. It will be an adventure. We chose Yulia because she is adorable and because she has two younger brothers the same age as Liam and Reilly. I figured this way she will not be alarmed when Reilly runs around in his underwear and with all of the noise those boys make. Yulia is the pastor's daughter of the church we are supporting in Belarussia. This is her first trip to the US and she is a Christian..

Here is a little blurb from the website about Yulia and I attached a photo of her with her parents.

Born August 20, 1999
Age in Summer 2008 – 8

Yulia is in the 3rd grade. She lives with her father and mother, 1 sister and 3 brothers in a 3 room flat in Korma. Her father is the pastor of the church in Korma and has a second job as a watchman. The approximate monthly family income is $400. Her parents would like her to get a good rest in America.

Yulia is mildly cross-eyed and wears glasses. Her parents would like her to see an eye doctor to see if there is something that can be done for her. (Belarussian doctors say there isn’t.)

Yulia likes to draw and do arts and crafts. She also likes to sing. She is a happy child and interacts well with children. She is the middle child from a large family. She is described as a leader. Yulia cannot swim.

She is a good eater and likes potatoes, chicken, macaroni, hotdogs and, of course, candy. She has no fear or known allergies of dogs or cats.

We would love it if you had anything you would like to donate (tax exempt forms will be available to you just like the ones you get for donating at Goodwill) here is what we are looking for:

Suit case with wheels - DONATED alreay
Backpack - DONATED already
Vitamins - Multi & Vitamin C
Toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, hair things
Shoes (not sure of her size yet)
Clothing - Winter hats, gloves, coat for 8 year old (Medium)
School Supplies - Crayons, Pencils, Erasers, Notebooks, etc.

Anything you think an 8 year old girl would like! If you want to do a cash donation you can donate directly to FTC by mailing to:
For the Children of the World
PO Box 58694
Renton, WA 98058

A receipt will be generated by FTC and mailed off to you.

We hope that you each get a chance to meet her while she is here. Thank you for taking the time to read this and we love you all.

Jason, Jess, Liam, Reilly & Natalie

Oregon Trip

Each year we take a trip to Medford, Or and visit family along the way. This year we went in June instead of September. We drove straight through as all the family was going to be in Medford for my cousins graduation. It was a long 9 hrs down, but the kids were fantastic. Despite car troubles we made it and had a great week with family. I love sharing the love of my extended family with the kids. We are truly blessed! Here is just some of the fun we had. Oh and the weather was sunny and warm most day. So sad to come home to rain...ugh!

McDonald's...our first stop on the way down!

This is what us girls do when we are together. We read "smut" mags and hang out. Natalie seems to be catching on quickly!

This is the hot tub I grew up swimming in. The boys had a blast in it!

BMX'r Liam on the dirt track. He has some nasty scars on his knees from the accident he had on the track. We call them War wounds!

This is my animal lover Natalie. She loved Wiggies Grammie Greats doggie.

Our Cousban (Cousin's husband) Tony...Natalie LOVES her Tony.

Reilly Roo at the Science Works in Ashland, OR

The kids and I and Grandma Great.

The Graduate & Aunt Jannie

The Cousins

People wonder where I get all that goofiness from...hmmmm?

Reilly was so excited he got to drive all by himself this year.

Natalie and mommie playing games and getting "tickies"

My crazy aunts Jannie & Angie at Cosmo Bowl

Mema & Liam at Matt's graduation party

Natalie having "birthday cake"...she sang to Matt it was hilarious.

Till next year!

Potty Training

Natalie has started to take off her diaper all the time poopie or not. I am not really ready to potty train her, but she has left me no choice. So I asked myself what would motivate her. Hmmm....FOOD! Yes that has been the trick. A big jar of "chociemilk" (a.k.a. M&Ms). She has been doing a pretty good job. We pooped in the panties today, but we have been peeing the potty with 1 accident.

I took these pictures of her brothers encouraging her to go. It is a family affair!

MRAMA

My dearest and sweetest great-grandmother passed away this past week. She was almost 98 yrs old (Aug 12th). She fell in late Oct/early November and it was discovered that she had severe dementia. She had hip surgery and was placed in a rehabilitation facility. She was stubborn as a mule and did not like being there. Of course, after living on your own since the late 70's I would feel the same. She made friends and soon became known for her fiesty yet warm hearted side. She remained at the rhab/nursing home until this past week when she took ill. We knew she probably would not make it much longer and tried to get to visit her when we could. We will dearly miss her!

She is survived by her daughter Carolyn and Carolyn's son John (grandson), her son Chucker (my grandpa) and all of the family which includes 4 grandchildren (my mom), 7great-granchildren(me)and 3 great-great grandchildren. I am so blessed that she got the opportunity to meet our kids. Liam and Reilly know who she is and will have a memory of her forever. She lived an amazing life and had so much to share. I loved to listen to her stories and hear all about the adventures her and Papa had. I am glad that she has finally passed as the past year has been really hard for her.

I know that we will miss her smile and her geniune heart full of love. She used to tell us how her heart would "jump" when she got to see us.

These photos are of our visit with the kids in September. We saw her again
in Nov and then in Feb.

You might ask what have we been up to...well here is a daily schedule to show you.

5:00am - WAKE
5:30am - GYM
6:45am - Shower
7:15am - Quiet Time
7:30am - Kids wake up
8:00am - Breakfast
8:30am - Will & Leila arrive (Will 22months, Leila 4 months)
9:00am - Leila Naps, the other kids play
9:45am - Leila has a bottle, change diaper
10:45am - Leila Naps, try to get the kids to be quiet so she can sleep.
11:30am - Lunch time for all the kids
12:00pm - Change diapers, deal with screaming kids, time outs, all the norm.
12:30am - Leila has a bottle, change diaper
1:00pm - Will, Natalie & Leila go down for naps, Liam & Reilly play, I do laundry, dishes and whatever else I can get done. Sometimes I just sit and rest my eyes.
3:00-3:30pm - Kids wake up, Leila has a bottle & change diaper
3:30pm - kids have snack
4:00pm - Change diapers, deal with screaming kids, time out, all the norm.
5:00pm - I break down and let the kids watch TV, so I can make it through the last hour. I try to think about dinner. Will & Leila get picked up.
5:30pm - dinner with family
6:30pm - bath time & pj's
7:30pm - Brush teeth, story time
8:00pm - bedtime
8:30pm - I sit in front of the tv and zone out for about an hour and go to bed.

Then we start all over again the next day! In between all of this I seem to find time to start our garden, feed chickens, clean bathrooms, pay bills, hang out with our friends and have playdates.

One might say "that seems like a lot" and they would be right. It is never a dull moment in our house. BUT God never gives me anything I can not handle. I rise to the challenge, I cry, I laugh, I raise my voice,I sit in pure exhaustion, but I love every minute of it. One day I know I will look back and laugh about these days and hopefully remember the memories.

"I MADE" by Natalie Cavanaugh

I was sitting in my crib one day, while all went outside to play. The sun was out and my room was hot, but this did not stop me from feeling distraught. I tried to nap, but the heat was intense and then I pooped so it all made perfect sense. I called for someone to help "MOM" and there just was no answer. So I took matters into my own hands and took off that stinky diaper. The smell was a lot, but it looked like brown finger paint, so I thought what the heck I could be here really late. I called out to "MOM" and yelled "I POOPY", but still no one noticed that I was in no mood for sleepy. So with that brown finger paint I painted my crib, the wall, and then my belly. It started to stink, but it worked really great and when I was done I had it all over the place. I was so proud I yelled "I PAINTED MY POOPY". I heard a faint cry and then they finally came. My Mema entered and I heard her exclaim "JESSICA COME HERE RIGHT NOW". I did not know what was all the fuss I was so happy that someone finally came in a rush. My mommie came running in quit a hurry and when she entered my room I could see she was in no flurry. She laughed so hard she fell on the floor. I laughed and said "I MADE" I smiled at her and yelled out her name. I got to take a bubble bath while pictures were taken of my fine art work and a memory I guess that will last a lifetime.


"I MADE"

"Seriously, I had no idea you could not paint with poop"

"OOPS"

Who wants to go for a swim?

Hot! Hot! Hot!

Well despite getting the HFM disease after 3 weeks of being exposed we are doing pretty good. We did not even know we had it, let alone that we were contagious. I guess that is the way it goes. We are on the mends and it seems that no one got it to bad. Natalie is the worst with them in her mouth. BUT thank the Lord she is finally sleeping good.

Today we decided to hit the water park for a little fun in the sun. We took a picnic and got there early. It was a blast and the older kids had a lot of fun.

I am loving the sun being out and the nice weather. I was feeling so down and out and moody with the rain and icky weather. It was refreshing to wake up to blue sky sunshine.

Have a great weekend,
Jess

Natalie 2 Yr Photo Shoot

The Littlest Cavanaugh Turns Two!

Today was a grand celebration. The sun came out which is a reason to celebrate in and of itself. It was a glorious day with friends and family. Natalie had a fabulous time with all her cousins and friends. She played in the sand box, ate cupcakes till she drew a blank stare and then played with all her new toys. Girls are so amazing. She was so into her party today and just knew the day was all about her. She got some great gifts. I have a feeling shopping for a little girl is just to much fun for most of us as she got spoiled. She now has a dolly buggy/carrier, baby swing (for her babies), princess shoes, purse, Dora toys, tea set, music, a pink laptop, and three new dolls.

The boys have already taken over or should I say Reilly. He loves playing with the dolls and making up stories and stuff. Thankfully Natalie likes to play with Reilly, but I can see the future filled with screaming tantrums of who had what first. Yikes!

The best part is that our little girl is two. She is so hilarious. It seems possible that I have never laughed so hard as I do watching our little rag-a-muffin waddle about in all her glory. So full of life and vigor. She keeps us on our toes and I am sure for many more years to come.

We are still here...

Rain...rain...go away...come again another day! PLEASE!!!!

Besides trying to find as many things for us to do to stay dry and happy life has been busy as always.

Jason is working at the church and in his auto business. He has been working like crazy. He has been playing softball on Tuesday nights for a mens league and loving it. We are starting to date again which is really fun!

I am busy with the kids and my new babysitting job. I am watching Will (20 months) and Leila (2 months). They are my neighbors kids and so much fun to have around. Will and Natalie keep me busy and Leila well she is just adorable. I am all caught up in my scrapbooking so I have not been doing much of that. I am trying to get our garden started but it is hard to do with all this rain. I am pretty proud of myself for building a raised bed all by myself. Reilly can not wait for us to get the gardens started.

Liam is just finishing up Spring Soccer (more like Winter) and he really likes being on the 5/6 team this year. It is more challenging for him - especially since he is the littlest one out there. He is also learning to read. He read his first sentence "Fran can see the van". He is so proud of himself and loves growing up. He can recite movie lines just like his daddy which can be good and bad thing, if you know what I mean.

Reilly just starting T-Ball tonight and LOVES it. I think we found his nitch. He has his own bat, glove and ball. He was shy at first but then got right in there and played. This is far better then he did with soccer where he stood around sucking his shirt while the teams ran around him up and down the field. Reilly is starting to desire to learn to count, write, and is growing up so fast. He has an amazing sense of his surroundings and knowledge that amazes Jason and I. He is full of information and loves the outdoors.

Natalie is almost two and well acting like a two year old. Although, I am aware thatthe "threes" are and even harder year...two is starting off with a bang. We have a big party scheduled for her birthday with family & friends. She is into Dora the Explorer and pretty much anything her older brother is doing. She loves babies and helping mommie. She is a definite mama's girl. She loves being outside and helping with the chickens and gardening. She really is so cute and just a crack up to watch. Most days we laugh a lot at how silly she really is.

Life is happening so fast I am afraid to blink. It seems like these years are just racing by. Jason and I are trying to slow down a bit and take it all in before they are gone.

No real news with the house except that King County will make a decision in August on what plan they are going to take for phase one. This just means we are in limbo for the next 5 months waiting then there is no clear answer on if our house will be here or if they will build the sewage treatment plant. It is crazy!

We just decided while live in limbo. So we are just moving forward with the knowledge that Christ in in control. He knows the plans He has for us. All we have to do is believe and follow in faith.

Hope everyone is good. I will try and post more often.

Love,
Jess


s

Finally the sun is out...and the damage is done.

I have my camera back! Yahoo! I left it at my MIL over Easter weekend and met up with her today to get it. I have missed my camera so much.

Anyhow, I was able to snap some more pictures of the house. Pretty amazing stuff. Thankfully we are all okay and moving on to other problems. Like...will we have a home in a few months, years, etc.

Check out http://www.dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/projects/blackdiamond/index.htm
This is the posting on the King County website. The green crossed off area is our home and the surrounding homes in our neighborhood.

So if some of you do not know. The City of Black Diamond and King County have decided that our property and the property surrounding us will be a good place to build a Waste Water Management Facility by 2010 (phase one, read website). This of course means we will not have a home. Compensation? You betcha! Hire and attorney, probably our best bet. Where will we go? who knows. How long? we meet with the group on April 14th at 6-8pm. PLEASE pray Gods will, will be done. This is not necessarily a bad thing, just sad and out of the blue. It could be an amazing opportunity to get out of debt and start over. Please pray!

We love you all and continue to live and enjoy life to the fullest with our 9 chickens, 2 dogs, and 3 kids. New additions Chicken Little, Chicken Joe and Cody Mack...named by the boys. Chicken little lays green eggs! Cool!

Love & God Bless,
Jess