What they found

Mom is done with the angiogram and she has a tear in the artery and a Baker's cyst.  They will operate yet this afternoon to repair the artery and take out the cyst.  She will be in the hospital 2-3 days.  Will post as we get updates.

Mom

Mom is currently in Sioux Falls at the Heart Hospital with a aneurysm in her leg.  After they thicken her blood, they will do an angiogram to determine what type of aneurysm it is.  The type of aneurysm it is will determine the treatment.  We will not know much until this afternoon.
 

Our God is an Awesome God

Tonight on the way home from school Memphis was belting out a chorus of "Our God is an awesome God" with accompaning arm pit music.

Happy 6th Birthday Memphis!

Memphis, it is hard to believe you are 6 years old.  I remember the day you came to live with us.  You were a little rolly polly baby with wild hair.  You have always loved to explore and marched to the beat of your own drum.  At 6 you love to "play", ride bike, and swim.  Your smile charms anyone you meet!

 You FINALLY got the guitar you have had your eyes on for a LONG time.  You are very musical and love anything that makes music!Memphis we love you very much and pray that God would continue to work in your life.

First day of School

August 20th, 2012 started the school year for the boys.  Memphis is in kindergarten and Gage is in First grade.  Julia started preschool after labor day.  The switch to the new school went good and they enjoy their teachers.  Especially Memphis!  (His teacher is Grandma)

Gage is busy trying to get his rocket to blast off doing rocket math and Memphis is busy learning to read.

Julia LOVES her teacher and her teacher can do no wrong!  According to Julia , her memory verse was from Genesis 1 plus 1 this week!

Weekend Celebration

This weekend we had lots of celebrations!  First was LaDawn and Jason's wedding.  Photos are complments of Memphis.

  Grandpa during the ceremony. 

 The kids danced at the Wedding dance and had SO much fun.  The highlight was dancing with LaDawn during the dollar dance.  On Sunday we headed to Platte to eat at Pizza Ranch to celebrate Grandma and Grandpa's 40th wedding anniversary.  Great Grandpa Vande Zande came to celebrate with us.  After we filled our bellies full we went to the park. 

We swang and hung out with Jeremy, Aiden and Ansel.

Memphis's new due...a mohawk!

  Such a big girl! 

 Grandkids!

  Julia getting back into the habbit of wearing her glasses!

The Baker family!  Bethany was not feeling the greatest and thought pictures where a bad idea!

  Cousin's playing by the water.

  Gage with his cape to keep him warm...it was only 65 degrees on Sunday...huge change from the week before...105 degrees.

 Bethany decide she should join in the water fun.....

 first her toes.....

 than her feet....and of course she fell in, no picture though because I was too busy fishing her out of the water!  We had SO much fun with our cousins and great grandpa!  Now 1 week left until school starts for the kids and 1 day for me!

A knock in the head!

I took a new teaching job in Platte this last week.  It was a tough decision to leave a job and community I love, but the driving distance was cut by 60 miles and the time with my family won!  When interviewing for the job the school wanted someone who could teach Birth to 6th grade.  I can only teach special education to eight years.  They spilt the job in 2 and hired 2 people.  One to do the younger and one to do the older.  However after signing the contract the school took a closer look at my certificate (something I should have done long ago) and noticed it only said special education to 5 years.  A huge blow!  I knew that I could and I looked at my trascripts and had my colleges argue with the state, but they are not going to let me teach to age 8.  After much crying and the thought of a losing my job was VERY real.  I questioned God why did he do this...why did he dangle this job in front of me when I wasn't qualified to teach it.  The feeling of not being wanted was VERY real.  Than the state came back and said that as long as I had my SPED degree for K-8 completed in 2 years, I would be considered highly qualified for those 2 years.  So back to school I will be heading....but after USD's wonderful staff helped me out they decided that I have all the classes necessary to teach not only to age 8 but 8th grade....all I have to do is an internship with school aged kids and my job this year!  A complete turn around....from being not what the school wanted to being more than what they needed!

Point of the story:  God has a reason to put you through the fire!  If my degree wasn't questioned I would only be part of what they needed! 

14 months

Today my baby turned 14 months.  I can hardly believe that she is already that big!  I love watching her grow.  She has got walking down and chooses walking over crawling.  Tonight she walked all around Wal-Mart.  It takes 4 times as long to do something, but it is darn cute watching her toddle around.  Her words include "boys, get, hi, bye, this, Mom and sometimes dad".  She watches what everybody else is doing and tries to copy them.  She also learned a new trick today...taking her diaper off while she naps!  Guess it is onsies for her!
After Bethany started saying "get" I started to notice how many times a day I say the word "get"....
get in your room, get your shoes on, get away from her, get your clothes on, get your buckle on, get eating....

Baseball

My boys started baseball this summer.  They have 4 practices and 4 games.  They are the CUTEST boys out there.  The games are a blast to watch and the boys are SUPER excited to be playing baseball.

Young at Heart

Adoption Day

Adoption Day was June 26th!  The boys are officially ours!  Not much changed considering we have had the boys for over 4 years, but now the papers say they are ours. We bought a pool at the end of the season awhile back and never put it up because of the foster care regulations.  The kids have been begging us to put it up and we told them that we had to wait until they are adopted so we don't have to build a fence and find a cover that locks.  So as SOON as we got home they were putting up the pool. 

They ave already spent hours in the pool! 

Bethany was trying to get a drink from the hose and it was HILARIOUS!

The Baker family officially!

Pow wow 2012

Last night we went to the Fort Randall Casino pow wow.  It was SUPER fun!  Gage spent most of his time rolling down the big hill.  I could hardly believe that he left my side.  Not common for the Baker children!  Julia and Memphis danced their little hearts out and Bethany enjoyed the fire works.  Every time one went off she would clap.  I got to see Caroline, Lexy and Johnny and oh my how they have grown! 

Stickney Graduation 2012

Memphis and Gage graduated from prechool and kindergarten again this year.  Here are a few pictures to enjoy from their special day!

Georgia 2012

This year our trip to Georgia was eventful!  Julia LOVED riding in planes and got to meet the pilots and get a picture with them.  She even got wings and a picture of the airplane we rode.  While we were descending into one of the airport Julia loudly exclaims "we are coming down from heaven fast!".We celebrated the girl's birthdays while we were there.  Bethany got a beautiful new dress.

 But she was so sure about the bows on the front or if it went with her hair!

  We played outside despite the hot weather! 

Julia got to experience the ice cream truck and got a Dora popsicle.

 Julia's Party was complete with a cake and all.  She remembered her Nannie and Pawpaw this year so it was fun to watch her interact with them. 

Her favorite present by far was her Dora chair from her Aunt Torri followed closely by the pink soap Nannie and Pawpaw got her. 

Bethany enjoyed rocking with Pawpaw.

David ended up getting 2 root canals and we all got the stomach flu, but a good time was had by all!

Bethany 1 year

 Bethany proved hard to take her 12 month pictures....she did not want to sit still for it....these are the best we got...we will have to try again tomorrow. 

We spent her first birthday playing at the park and swimming.  We enjoyed pizza ranch with our Lake Sunday School group.  At 1 year Bethany is able to pull herself up by things, but doesn't take steps or cruise around things.  She has a beautiful smile and a beautiful curls.  Her temper is also growing as she develops her personality.  She weighs 21 lbs 14 ozs.  Befers we love you very much!