Merry Christmas 2009

We enjoyed the 5pm service at church on Christmas Eve, especially The Little Drummer Boy Stomp rendition. The music was too loud and lights too bright for Torrie, so she & I were in the back of the church listening. She got to see the lights on the tree and the candles we lit which then were lit all over the church. I told her it was Jesus, who is the Light of the World.

When we got home, we left cookies and milk for Santa and oatmeal on the grass for the reindeer. This is Torrie's first Christmas that Santa is "making sense." I had to keep telling her to SLEEP thru the night if you want Santa to come visit.

We had a great Christmas day in FL! Of course, we had the air on with the temp toward 80 but there was no snow. The girls opened presents in the late morning (Bry slept in) and Torrie got a Braille/print letter from Santa that she is thrilled with. Both girls got a lot of clothes. Bry is thrilled with hers!

My dad and sister came over for ham & cheesy potatoes for dinner. We opened presents and then had dessert. Torrie combed Grampa's hair - just like Bryanna used to way back when. It was a great day.

We wish everyone a great Christmas and wonderful New Year!

Happy Birthday Bryanna!

Bryanna turned 14 this morning at 8:13am - of course, she slept thru it all! It seems like yesterday when we got the call from the attorney saying that Bryanna was born. We saw her that night and brought her home 27-1/2 hrs after she was born! Today she is a beautiful young woman.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Catching up

Well, I just saw it has been over 2 months since I posted anything. Today was Torrie's Thanksgiving Feast at school. It was great -- we were entertained by the kids singing several songs. Torrie had an awesome lunch of turkey, stuffing, corn, yams and the canned cranberry sauce!!! She will eat her fruit for snack later. The kids were all Pilgrims ... so Torrie is following in Bryanna's steps. In 1st grade, Bryanna was a Pilgrim in the school play and Torrie has her hat home to wear later.

Bryanna is going to the premier of "Twilight - New Moon" at midnight tonight. She and friends are going and then they will be having a sleepover till Saturday. What are we to do with the QUIET?????? Don't worry, Torrie will make up for it!

All is well with us ... we have had some cool weather but are hoping for a lot more! We hope you enjoy Thanksgiving and are as thankful as we are for God's great blessings!

Love, Doreen

Thanksgiving Feast

Make a Smilebox greeting

School and more

Well, the girls have been in school for 2 weeks now and they both love school.

Bryanna has had homework almost nightly since she started (she is using the A-beka program at Faith Baptist). She is delving into new territory - her science is on "matter," her history is American History, and she is in pre-algebra. She has joined drama again; they have just gotten the Christmas program and parts will be decided shortly. She loves being in school - yes, she is very much the social butterfly! Bry is not doing volleyball but will do basketball when the season starts in a few months.

Torrie has been enjoying her class with new friends also. Her day is packed with many different activities and she does have "free" time where she can decide what center she will go to. Torrie also has a small playground that she has been on and she enjoys the water and sand boxes. Her teacher is a blessing with helping her by handing her materials for Torrie to see up close and also remind Torrie "thumb up" when using Dora, her cane.

Both girls are doing well in their schools. Torrie celebrated her birthday there, and this year, Bry will be celebrating with a goodie (there are 2 other girls who share her birthday).

This coming weekend (Sept 11-13), Bry will be going to Rock the Universe at Universal Studios. She is going for the 3 days with one of the moms from the nursery. Bryanna cannot wait to go and enjoy the parks and the concerts! I would love to go, but at this point, it's not going to happen. Maybe next year!

Torrie's 5th Birthday!!!!

Enjoy Torrie's 5th Birthday! (click passed the 2 promos and turn off music at the bottom far left).

Torrie enjoyed donut holes at school with her friends. She then had Grampa & Auntie for cake and presents! Then goodies from the Leons! She made out very well with a doll, magna-doodle, t-shirts, night gowns, Ariel the mermaid and a Princess backpack (she hasn't taken it off yet)! It is hard to believe she has been home 3 years on August 25th!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Photos of Christmas in July

Please enjoy the album. You will need to turn off the music from the blog (far left bottom corner). You will also have to click thru 2 promos to view the album. Enjoy it! Just think, we are only 5 months from Christmas!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Christmas in July

On Saturday, July 18, families from our parent division of National Federation of the Blind drove to Christmas, FL. We toured Fort Christmas, which was founded while trying to find the Seminole Indian chief, Osceola.

There were several old homes which have been recreated. It was interesting to turn back time to the early 1900's with these log cabins ranging from very simple to larger, more modernly-equipped homes. The Fort had many old trees all hanging with Spanish moss, giving us a needed breeze.

After seeing these homes, we shared the lunch which everyone brought. Of course, all the calories were taken out! The lunch was great, sharing a quiet time with each other.

Florida Santa came to give out presents to all ... the kids enjoyed sitting by Santa as well as the adults. Everyone had a great time. Santa lost a few pounds with his "light" outfit. While giving out presents, we watched the thunderstorm, which cooled things off a bit.

It was an awesome time - and we will be doing it again next year! All of us really enjoyed the time with friends.

We are also going to be doing a "corn maze" in October with the parents (no, we don't have them here). We will be going north of Orlando and will enjoy the day trying to find our way out of a corn field that has been shaped into a special maze. I am looking forward to it, hopefully with cooler weather!

From Detroit ...

Back from the Motor City

The week in Detroit was awesome! The weather was absolutely gorgeous - cooler in the mornings with low humidity daily. Several times, I had my sweatshirt on. I don't think the temp tipped 80!!! We walked as much as we could outside to enjoy the city and the weather. We did get to ride the People Mover and got to a Hard Rock Cafe for lunch; we walked back to the hotel that day.

There was a lot to do for us - meetings in the morning, afternoon and night. We did not get to bed much for 11, and several times, it was after midnight. Next day, we were up early to get Torrie to her kid camp and us to the meetings.

Torrie and I were in a "Cane Walk" where I was actually taught how to use the cane to walk everywhere - in the hotel, outside, over steps, thru doors (including the circular door you could get stuck in), narrow and wide hallways - it was eye-opening for me. Torrie kept trying to help me by saying "over here mom" but with a blindfold on, I couldn't see her.

We also got to "see" what our kids are seeing. One of the sessions had the visual readers (us) put on goggles to simulate different eye conditions. I got the cataracts given to me - but we didn't know the conditions as we were getting the glasses. I could not see to read - and that was with the goggles on for only about 5 minutes. Her other eye conditions weren't even simulated - and I had problems just with the cataract simulation to get my head in a position to actually SEE the letters. This is what she deals with all the time, along with her other conditions.

Torrie did learn to ride the escalator from a friend who is 14 with albinism and nystagmus (bobbing eyes). Emily and Torrie were inseparable and it was great that the 2 of them bonded so well. The 2 girls went with the other adults from our FL parents division on the People Mover - without us 2 moms. Torrie was soooo excited she said I had to ride "the train." We got to ride and Torrie could not sit still because of the excitement!

Torrie and I did the FULL 5K March on Monday. Torrie was definitely whopped from the walk - but she did it. She was filmed by a TV crew, but with all the other news, the March did not make the TV or newspaper. She may have been the youngest walker. She did get a shirt for the walk and she proudly wore it that Monday and on the plane home.

I have gotten a lot of information that was much needed. It will help to get services for Torrie as she enters kindergarten next year. This year will be the "trial" year where the teacher will have to record what is going on with her. So we will have to wait .... I will be learning Braille and will be teaching Torrie to read Braille with her fingers (not her eyes) so that if the need arises (due to a loss of vision, eye fatigue, headaches, or other physical symptoms from the use of her eyes), she will have Braille.

I did have lunch with 2 cousins and an aunt I have not seen in 30 years! They lived in Detroit and we moved to FL - so we lost touch. We were able to catch up and we will be able to stay in touch. I wish I had had more time to visit with them and see more of Detroit.

I am going to work on a photo collage tomorrow to upload. God opened the French doors for us ... and we walked thru. Now we need to continue that walk with our information to get her services she needs.

Detroit - here we come!

Today we leave from West Palm Beach to go to Detroit - Torrie and I will spend a week there for the National Federation of the Blind convention. Friday is the parents' sessions; there are also a few other things from the parents division taking place during the nights. I will be all ears!!!

The 5K March for Independence is Monday, July 6th - we start at 7:15 am. Torrie and I will be doing the mini-march which is shorter. Thanks to all for your support!

We will also be doing some evals which will help us out. Torrie is excited to be able to see so many others using their canes and guide dogs. She is excited to be staying in a hotel and having gum on the plane.

Please keep us in prayer - for traveling mercies and for God to put us where we need to be and see who we need to see.

David and Bryanna will be picking up the rug in our bedroom and laying a wood laminate floor. It sounds easier than it is -- the rug is the original and has lots of ingrained things! They will have to move all the furniture and then put it all back! I am glad I will not be here for that! My allergies would definitely be in a flare-up! They will be going to friends for July 4th! And yes, David can cook so he will keep them fed! I am sure Bryanna will be spoiling the dogs while we are not here!

Happy July 4th to all!!! Thanks to all and God Bless!!!!

Busy week here ....

It has been a busy week here. On Monday, I took Torrie to her ophthalmologist in Palm Beach Gardens. The doctor is giving her a new Rx for glasses (which we need to check with the low vision doctor to see that it is the correct Rx). I am working on a low vision eval to refine that Rx (Torrie may need aids at a later time thru the low vision doc too).

Tues-Fri was VBS at Sunlight Community Church. The theme was Crocodile Dock and Moses made a daily appearance. Torrie made several crafts, played games, watched a movie and really enjoyed being at the VBS with other friends! The snacks they served sounded DELICIOUS!!!!

Bryanna got to babysit Tues, Wed & Thurs. She played basketball with the dad on Wed and went again today. It is a good workout for her and Scott is a coach (but there are no jobs here in the county). Bryanna is good on offense but needs to work on defense. Bryanna will be playing basketball every Wed during the summer. She will be ready to go when basketball starts at school.

I took Torrie to the doc yesterday -- she's had a few bloody noses and was doing a precautionary trip to the ENT so we don't have a problem in Detroit. She has an ear infection - her right ear has liquid and the left is inflammed. We have antibiotics that we have started her on that she will take for 10 days. She is already not coughing, sneezing & blowing her nose as much.

I am getting Torrie & I ready for Detroit. I am slowly packing our clothes and getting our paperwork together. We have a full week, so I am trying to do a lot of this early - but not too early that all my clothes are wrinkled (I don't iron much). David and Bryanna will be pulling up our rug and putting a laminate wood floor down. The rug is the "original" from 1992 and has a lot of Gigi hair on it so we really need to get rid of it. The bedroom will look very nice once the floor is laid. I am glad I will not be in all the dust and gunk that will be coming up with the rug!

Hope all will have a happy July 4th -- I probably will not do another entry until we return from Detroit! I will have pics and lots to tell!

Father's Day coming up

Well, it has been a quiet month so far. Bryanna is babysitting on Tues, Wed & Thurs for a friend. She is actually earning money!!! It has been pretty easy for her so far. She loves staying up late and waking up very late in the morning, just in time to go babysit.

Torrie and I are waiting to go to Detroit. It is 2 weeks from today and I know I cannot wait. I am also looking forward to some COOLER weather - the temps are about 10 degrees cooler and the humidity is less than 50%! It will be a very welcome change for me! We are still looking for sponsors for the 5K March for Independence. Go to www.marchforindependence.org/goto/doreenf to support Torrie and I.

We are going to celebrate Father's Day by baking brownies for David. It will be a quiet day and we will probably grill a steak outside (although that could change by Sunday).

It has been quite hot and humid already, so we are playing Wii in the house. I try to get Torrie outside but it is so oppressive already, we prefer doing Wii. Torrie is a really good bowler, without even trying.

Hope all Dad's have a wonderful Father's Day and that everyone is enjoying their summer.

Help still needed

Your help is still needed!!!! Torrie and I have committed to join the National Federation of the Blind's March for Independence - A Walk For Opportunity fundraising event. This 5K Walk will take place at the National Federation of the Blind's national convention in Detroit July 3-8. Our goal for the Walk is $500; we are half-way there. Please support us with a donation by selecting the "Support Doreen" button. By helping us reach our goal, you will see that together we CAN make a difference. The money raised from this event will be returned to NFB state and local affiliates in the form of grants and direct funds. It will also be used to support the NFB Jernigan Institute's programs for children, youth, college students, adults, and seniors. Together with the National Federation of the Blind we can change what it means to be blind!

There are three goals for the Walk: to raise funds, to educate the general public about blindness, and raise awareness about the NFB. This organization is so dear to us because it has changed what it means to be partially sighted for Torrie, our family, and countless others. Torrie (with her cane, Rosie) and I will "march" with others that feel as strongly as we do about the National Federation of the Blind. Help us to raise our minimum pledge of $500. By clicking the "Support Doreen" button on the website www.marchforindependence.org/goto/doreenf, you will go directly to the donation page.

We want to thank you in advance and we'll keep you informed of our progress.

Watch for pictures when we return.

Love, Torrie

May in Review

I apologize for not posting anything in May. But now I will give you our month.

May 1st was the Faith Baptist Spring Extravaganza. Bryanna has several different in different skits. The program was great! The kids all did an excellent job! Bryanna really enjoyed her drama class.

Bryanna began practicing for the volleyball team for next year. She had some back, neck and knee pain so we took her to the chiropractor. She still has pain in her knee and has decided not to play volleyball. She will play basketball and is signed up for the basketball camp in August.

Bryanna had her finals the week of May 18 and she was finished May 22nd. She did okay, and would have done better if they had had more time. She did okay for a first year back to school with a full year of Abeka curriculum. She is so happy to be done! She will be returning next year and go into 8th Grade! OY!

Bryanna will be doing some babysitting over the summer time for an 11-yr old boy. She is anxious to earn money ... and has already spent some of it! I will see if she is so "eager" to spend money when it is her money!!!!

Memorial Day weekend was a National Federation of the Blind convention in Boca Raton. We had an awesome time and the conference reinforced the need for Braille and cane for Torrie. The cane will give her the confidence she needs to be able to move about without banging into things and falling off curbs as well as let others know she needs some space to travel in. The Braille will help her so that she does not have to struggle to see print. (Our plan is to do print & Braille - we will be working on those soon). Torrie was in the Palm Beach Post for "Cooking without Looking" and they were making taco salad for lunch.

At the convention, I was elected as Vice President of the Family Division of NFB. I am also a new member of the Parent Leadership Program. With the Leadership Program, I will be going to Detroit for the national NFB convention. Torrie and I will be going while David and Bryanna will be home (they will be taking out our rug in our room and will be putting down laminate flooring). I am excited to be going and will be able to learn a lot!

Torrie and I will be doing the 5K March for Independence and are still looking for donations. Please go to www.marchforindependence.org/goto/doreen. Go to "Support Doreen" and make a donation. All donations are tax deductible and a receipt will be sent via computer! Thanks in advance for your support.

On Friday, June 5, we enjoyed a few hours at the Tradition Fountains before the rain. The kids all had a great time -- and the moms got to enjoy quiet time together while eating M&M's. Boy, were they good! We hope to do more water days over the summer! As most of you know, we have had our share of rain over the past few weeks -- so we are no longer in a drought!

So now you are caught up with life at the Franklin's! We hope you enjoy our blog. Hope all of you have an awesome summer!!!

Torrie's eye doc appt

We went to Miami on April 24th to see the glaucoma doc as a follow up to the exam under anesthesia done the month prior. The doctor looked thru Torrie's file, posted her optic pressures and reviewed the photos taken of her eyes from all the exams.

At this point, glaucoma is not showing up! Praise God. We need to continue with our office exams with her regular ophthalmologist. We have scheduled another exam under anesthesia for February and need to continue watch for glaucoma or retinal detachment.

We thank God for His blessings!

5k March

Torrie and I are asking for your help. We will be attending the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) convention in Detroit over the July 4th weekend.

At the 2009 convention, NFB is going to have a 5K walk to raise money for the Imagination Fund. Walkers must raise at least $250 to enter into this March for Independence. I'm not good at asking for money, but you know that I am a firm believer in what the NFB stands for. So far, they have helped Torrie get some of the needed services as well as given me support, ideas and resources to go to on how to get the needed services for Torrie.

Would you sponsor us by contributing towards our $250 goal money? If so, we would be most grateful!

If you would like more information please email me at "doreenproverbs3@bellsouth.net," click on the link under my name, or call me at 772-343-8370. Your sponsorship is fully tax deductible and a receipt will be provided. Online donations will receive automatic acknowledgements.

Thank you in advance!!!!
Doreen and Torrie Franklin
http://www.marchforindependence.org/goto/doreenf

Easter week

I cannot believe it is already April 15th! This year is already flying by!

We had a very busy few weeks. On April 3rd, the girls colored Easter eggs with Joel & Katerina Leon. The kids had a great time getting dye on the eggs (and their fingers). We have barely gotten into those eggs yet. Katerina did an egg hunt for Torrie and she found all the eggs (they were stuffed with pony holders so she could play with the Barbie head that Katerina had). Torrie played a beautician for Barbie.

On April 7, Bryanna and David went to the Miami Arena for the boys to play basketball against Greenacres on the Heat court. They were able to watch part of the Heat basketball game that evening. Between games, they all went over to Bayside to shop. Bryanna came home with a Heat jersey. David and Bryanna really enjoyed the time at the game but wished they could have stayed longer.

That night, I took Torrie to church and we prayed over her for a miracle for her vision. We were talking about Easter and Jesus and when we got home, she accepted Christ as her Savior! It was awesome !!!!

On Saturday, Morningside had an Easter egg hunt and Torrie got a number of eggs. She enjoyed looking for the eggs. There were a lot of kids for the egg hunt. After the hunt, the kids enjoyed cookies and lemonade and then hit the playground. Torrie climbed the slides over and over again!

That night, we were part of the Worship Loud Choir. We had to be at church early to practice and Torrie saw a reenactment of Christ's crucifixion and triumphant rising and overcoming death! She was wide eyed every time she saw it. She was thrilled to be a part of the Choir! Torrie was telling everyone she was in it. Service was awesome and was packed! Both services on Sunday were also filled. After service on Sunday, we served continental breakfast of bagels, donuts and fruit. We had a lot of fun and the weather was beautiful with a breeze and some clouds.

This week is much quieter. Bryanna had spring break 4 weeks ago so she is back in school counting down the days until the end of the year on May 22nd!

Hope all had a great Easter and continue to trust in our Savior!

Bryanna's Gotcha Day

Thirteen years ago on March 28, Bryanna's adoption was finalized in Delray Beach! She was a FRANKLIN!!! As you can see, Bryanna has grown into a beautiful young woman! It is so hard to believe that it was like yesterday when she was just a little baby!!!

More sad news

We have more sad news ... my mom passed away on March 5. She was diagnosed in September 2008 with liver cancer and Hospice was assisting her, my dad and my sister. She had a heart attack early last Thursday and passed away peacefully.

We also lost a sister of my father-in-law; Aunt Midge passed away February 27. Aunt Midge was suffering from lung cancer and Hospice was also there to assist her and her 2 children.

We are saddened by their passing but believe they have joined our Heavenly Father.

Lion Country Safari

Torrie had her first sleepover with Mikala & Gwen Wednesday night, the night before going to Lion Country Safari. Then it was time for Lion Country Safari. Torrie was able to go with friends on February 26th. She had a blast both days!!!

Torrie was soooo excited about being able to pet a giraffe and let it eat out of her hand (no, I did not tell her its tongue was L-O-N-G) but told her she would feed it just like the horses. She also petted and fed sheep in the petting zoo.

Torrie and friends also rode the paddle boats and all the rides (I didn't think she would get on some of the rides, but she surprised me). She could not stop telling us all about it when she got home on Thursday! She had an awesome time and everyone kept an eye on our "little missy."

Sad news

I have not blogged this last 2 weeks as we have had some sad news. David's dad went Home to be with God on February 21st. It has been a hard week but we have been surrounded by our family and friends who have provided love, support and prayers to help us through. We thank you all for your support.

David's brother, Jerry, and his wife, Pam, came to PSL on February 13 for their annual trip. They saw dad that afternoon, even though Harbor Place was in "lock down" from the flu. Within days, dad was confined to his bed and on oxygen. On Saturday, friends were with David, Jerry & Pam praying and singing "Amazing Grace" while dad went Home to be with Mom and God.

We have truly been blessed by our friends, family and church! Dad and Mom leave a huge hole in our lives, but we know they are enjoying the streets of gold with God!

Bryanna is growing up ...

I know I've said it, "My baby is growing up!" and as you can see, Bryanna is! Faith Baptist had a Valentine banquet and Bryanna and classmates went on Friday to the gym that was transformed into Venice with the theme of "That's Amore." Guests dined on a spaghetti dinner and got to see some skits performed by the teachers.

We borrowed a gown from Carenet's Cinderella's closet and Bryanna was a princess! (She even wore her hair down!!!) Bryanna had a great time that night ... but was ready to get back into her basketball uniform yesterday.

Bryanna has not played basketball with her bruised ankle/fractured growth plate since the first game. She was tired from the game but was excited to be back playing with the team! The girls did not win but they did score more points this game than their first game! The girls did a super job for a first-year team!

Walk for Life and more

February 7 was Carenet's Walk for Life. We were to get pledges to walk 1-mile around Jensen Beach High School. It was our first time to walk (Bryanna walked a few years ago with friends). The day was overcast and a bit chilly so it was great walking weather. We turned in our forms and were surprised to see there was breakfast of bagels, bread & chicken-biscuit sandwiches from Chick-Fil-A; there was also hot chocolate, coffee and water. For the kids, there were balloons and face/hand painting as well as a bounce house. Torrie got a beautiful flower painted on her hand. There were several Christian dance groups and a hip-hop/rap singing group.

We walked on the school track field - I went 3 times, Bryanna went around 6 times with a friend from school, and Torrie went around 4 times with someone from her Lil K class. Torrie had a blast being able to run freely with all these other people! She loved it!

Then the prizes were announced ... and Torrie won 2nd place for the $70 in pledges for kids under 6! She got Dr Seuss's "Horton Hears a Who", a "quarter horse" bank, a ribbon and some candy. I was amazed because I had no idea there were prizes; and then for Torrie to win was incredible! Thank you to all who helped support us!

Then we had lunch of hot dogs or hamburgers, potato salad or chips, super sweet oranges and lemonade or water. It was an awesome day. Carenet raised their biggest amount of $42,000+. It was their 20th anniversary and it started at Morningside!

Then Bryanna and her friend wanted to go to the mall. David came to pick Bryanna up and as I started my van, it would not start! So David dealt with the battery and I took the girls to the mall. After shopping a bit AWAY from mom, they wanted to go to a movie, so I continued shopping. The girls had a great time hanging together. Obviously we came home pretty tired!

Are you ready for Valentine's Day?

Fast Facts

Valentine's Day is February 14.

In 2009, Valentine's Day falls on a Saturday.

Traditional Valentine's day imagery includes hearts, Cupid, candy, kissing couples, hand-holding, cute animals.

Valentine's Day is named for St. Valentine, the patron saint of lovers.

Popular gifts to give on Valentine's Day include candy, flowers, cards.






Valentine's Day Trivia

Valentine's Day is the second largest card-sending holiday in America, with the first being Christmas.

More than half of America's roses are grown in the state of California, however, during Valentine's Day, most of the roses sold in shops are imported from South America.

Hallmark makes over 1300 different cards specifically for Valentine's Day.

The earliest known Valentine was sent during the early 1400s by the Duke of Orleans. While imprisoned in the tower of London, he sent love letters to his wife. The Valentine is still on display today in the Museum of England.

January is gone ....

It is hard to believe that a month has gone by in this new year! And I can't believe 2 weeks have flown by for Bryanna's boot! Last week we were freezing (yes, our temps got into the low 30's for a few days) and it was COLD!!!! I am glad there was no snow to go along with those cold temps. The girls bundled up - Torrie had a hat and gloves on, Bryanna was "too cool" for that so she just wore her jacket. We had the heat on several times.

The beginning of this week started out warm and humid. Vero Beach tied a record yesterday at 85. We had the air on Wednesday & Thursday with the humidity up. Today, we are going into the 40's! The rain came about 11 am and with it came the cold weather. Tomorrow night is supposed to be even colder!

Bryanna went to the doctor today with her foot. She has been walking on it in the house and she says it feels better. Doc was a bit skeptical and said she could use her sneaker but still not play basketball for 2 more weeks. She wants to play basketball sooooo bad and there are 2 games this coming week. It is also Spirit Week next week at school so the kids have a theme for each day. Bryanna is also going to go to the Valentine Banquet with the other girls from the team. It is semi-formal so she will need a gown! She is excited about picking it out - so we will shop next week for it.

Torrie is running around doing errands with me. She has been doing some beading and learning her numbers on the Handwriting without Tears board. We are also working on recognizing letters and I am "trying" different size and shape of letters in magazines. We went to check out a voluntary pre-k yesterday - the same school Bryanna was at 10 years ago. We are going to check out one more school next week. I go to the VPK office next week to get the papers to register Torrie. I am going to register her, but am unsure if she will go in August or if we will keep her home. At the VPK we were at, they have homework Mon-Thurs and the kids "need" to know a number of things before they get to kindergarten. We will see where God leads us on this!

We will be doing the Carenet "Walk for Life" on February 7th. We will be walking a mile around Jensen Beach High School. It will be fun and we know several people who will also be walking.

Bryanna is at it again !

Well, last year, Bryanna had a wrist fracture from being bucked off Paycheck. This year, it is basketball.

She was warming up for practice last Tuesday. She slipped on water from ice the boys were throwing at one another. She twisted her ankle; she went to school on Wednesday with crutches. It was hard for her to go up and down the stairs and her ankle was hurting her. She stayed home Thurs and Fri. Yesterday, we went to the orthopedic doc. She may have a fracture along the growth plate and the doc is taking a precaution with it. He has Bryanna in a walking boot for 6 weeks - she will miss all but 1 of her basketball games!

Bryanna can walk in it and it is more comfortable without the crutches. She needs to ice it down and use Aleve like she has been. Bryanna went to the boys game yesterday (coach wants the girls to support the boys and vice versa) and then she had a sleepover with a few of the girls from her team. She had a great time and stayed up yakking with the girls and the dogs they have (dachshounds).

We will be happy when Bryanna is done with sports for this year ... but we are glad we have a great ortho group in town! (We know this injury could have been worse so we are truly grateful for this blessing.)

For Parents EVERYWHERE ....

The MOM SONG has come back!!! (It got deleted for a few days, and now I have a new link).

Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy this video. First, scroll down to the tunes on the bottom of the blog and hit the "stop" button. Scroll back up to The MOM SONG and sit back and listen/watch the words. This is for parents EVERYWHERE!!! You will cry from it being soooo true!!!

I understand that the singer was at Women of Faith this year.

The Girls at Play!

Both girls have been enjoying playing this week .... Torrie played in shaving cream the other day and LOVED it!! She enjoyed smooshing it between her fingers, making castles and a "trampoline" and just mooshing it all over the cookie sheet. She could have stayed there for hours just playing. The next day, she played with play-do and cookie cutters. Torrie used scissors and a knife to cut with and then decided to pull the play-do into a thousand pieces! Torrie also got to play with Mikala, Gwen, Kylie and Katerina on 2 different days at the parks. Torrie loves the slides and the sand (2 yrs ago, the sand was her worst enemy and her shrieks were so loud you thought you were murdering her).

Bryanna went back to school and both of us were pretty tired having to wake up early to go back. This week was exam week and the grades should be posted by this weekend. (She is halfway thru the year!). Yesterday was the first game for her basketball team and their opponent, Liberty Baptist. Our girls did not do well - they lost 42 to 4. Bryanna scored the first basket and played some good ball. She was t-i-r-e-d after playing all 4 quarters! They will be practicing hard this week. Bryanna's next game is at Greenacres on Jan. 20th. There are only about 5 games for the girls thru February.

Today we are enjoying the house being open; we actually had to close some of the windows with the breeze! Blaze and Minnie are enjoying being out of their coats and running around on the side of the house.

Looking back at 2008 ....

It seems the year went by very quickly. I have made a movie of what the girls did during the year. We started with Bryanna's school closing the 5th-7th grades so we ended up homeschooling her. It gave us the time we needed for her to get ready with Paycheck for the county fair and a few other events. We went on a number of field trips and enjoyed all of them.

Bryanna went back to school in August - she is at Faith Baptist School in Fort Pierce. She is doing all A-beka curriculum and is doing quite well considering she came from our "eclectic" homeschool curriculum! She is on the basketball team and was on the volleyball team.

Torrie is growing by leaps and bounds! She has Bryanna on a pedestal and wants to do everything Bryanna does! She is now 4 and thinks she is an adult!! She loves being home (we pulled her out of Head Start) and she has been enjoying the Christmas baking and decorating.

Both girls are looking forward to this year.

Happy New Year !!

Happy New Year to all!!! Hope everyone's New Year's Eve was quiet as you rang in 2009.

We went to a friend's house and had a great time. They had a huge bonfire going and we sat near it. There was so much food to eat and all of it was very tasty; of course, all the calories were taken out! HA HA HA

David brought Torrie and I home as both of us were tired. He went back and enjoyed some of the fireworks for the new year.

The first day of the year was very quiet for us. Torrie and I joined another friend at the park so that the kiddos could run around. It was cold with the wind and front that had come in. But we enjoyed being in the fresh air while the kids played with swings, slides and toys.

We are winding down on Bryanna's Christmas vacation, and I don't know how she will be able to get up early again for school as she has been sleeping in late this whole week. She will have basketball practice every day so that the team will be ready to go for its season. She is excited about being on the girl's basketball team! (She is better at basketball than she was at volleyball).

Check out our new website that is listed below (go to the site and visit it and the products). Call David if you want more info on any of it.

Hope everyone will have a very prosperous and healthy 2009 with many blessings from God.