Mister Potter

There has been a request for photos. Particularly of the cat, of all things. 😊

So I'll oblige, but with the caveat that photos only capture moments, and I, as the author, am the one in charge of choosing which moments are shared. This last year has been filled with so many weighty issues that just don't belong in a public place like a blog because they involve people other than me who don't need their intimate struggles displayed for anyone to see. It seems deceptive to post sunny, happy photos not because we haven't had many, many sunny, happy moments and days and weeks throughout recent times, but because those have been so punctuated by the other side as well, and those other sides first of all don't photograph well, and secondly, aren't things I am free to write about.

So, if you'll promise not to look at these photos and marvel at what a wonderful, story-book life we have, you may continue reading! (A wonderful life, yes. Story-book, no. Just had to be clear on that. A life lived in the light of God's glory is always going to be a life full-of-wonder.)

[Ahem] Mister Potter, as he turned out to be at his second vet appointment (so much for telling Bobbi she could pick any kitten she wanted as long as it was a girl! We thought the kitten was a girl!!), is now Tsvetan Brian Potter, and is a pretty awesome cat. He's grown a ton, though doesn't look quite as big in real life as he does in the photo!

Bobbi continues to get out almost every day to walk in her walker on the path in front of our house. She's so steady that we can get her set up, and then she's off all on her own until she's ready to get back into her chair and come up the driveway. She's getting faster, too. What was taking her almost an hour at the beginning of the summer is now completed in about 40 minutes. To get more distance she'll either have to back track or learn how to cross the street to get to the next block. (It's a little more of a slope down at the corner than she's quite ready for yet. The crossing itself she can handle.)

As we were heading out to Bulgarian dance class today, we waved to Bobbi and she flagged us down to get help from Leah with changing the song on her iPad.

Ebenezer is walking! About two months ago he had his surgery to open up his tear ducts, which went really well. This week he has both his pre-op and one final visit with the surgeon to prepare for the bigger surgery where he'll go in shorten/lengthen the muscles in his eye so the two eyes align with each other. Eben was born four days after Reuben's birthday, so his age this fall is exactly the same age that Reuben was in the fall nine years ago when he was still (so far as we knew) our "ordinary" third child. The days leading up to Thanksgiving are always kind of emotional for me as it flashes me back to when Reuben's epilepsy was first diagnosed the day before Thanksgiving 2010. For the last six weeks or so, watching Eben, the first baby boy I've had since Reuben, I keep catching and twisting up inside as I relive in a totally different way those glorious fall days when Reuben's seizures had started (September 2010), but they were mild enough that we hadn't put together that anything was truly out of the ordinary yet. I'm anticipating being quite emotional when this little boy has to be put under for his eye procedure so close to the anniversary of when our grand entry into the life of the medical world and special needs started nine years ago. Same time of year, same age baby boy.

Krassimir has enjoyed some great fall weather. Today when I asked him if he wanted to go outside, he gave me one decisive, resounding thump on his chest (ASL for "I want!") We found a pretty awesome piece of styrofoam in the garage for him to scratch on. Good day!

Reuben's been enjoying the nice weather, too. Because he gets so cold so easily, it's harder for him to play outside during the winter than it is for some of the other kids. He's been able to come out and help me with some of the routine tasks in the garden. "Reuben, pick up the pumpkin and put it in the wheelbarrow."

Gloria is growing up so much! She was just a baby when we started the adoption process for Bobbi and Mira - twelve days before she was born was when we sent our commitment documents! And look how grown up she's getting!

Oops. Another one of Eben "snuck" in. This one puts me in stitches every time. He's all head and thighs!!

 

He was watching me massage Mira's hands one day, and decided to try it himself! It's hard to believe that this girl hasn't been hospitalized since May!!! She's such a delicate balancing act, but we seem to have a number of things working for her, even as dumb as the one-half suppository every other day routine which keeps her regular, which keeps her calmer, which prevents regurgitation when she's straining too hard to move her stool, which can be aspirated, and BOOM! pneumonia. Who knew half a suppository could have such good results!! Of course, we're coming up on the season of exciting respiratory adventures, so we're expecting we'll end up with some time at our favorite hospital before the winter's over, but that doesn't stop us from being grateful for five months free!

 

Have to sneak in another one of Krassimir that his teacher sent me. Look how good he looks sitting up in the chair at school!!! First year of high school this year for him...and Owen, too. They're both at the same high school (where Bobbi graduated from last year). 

This is, as I mentioned, Owen's freshman year of high school, and ALSO his first year not fully home schooled. I still get him for a few classes, but he's got the first four class hours of the morning next door at the high school, and it's been a great thing for him. Here he is playing soccer with Gloria on a rare day when he had some time to spare for his siblings. She was tickled, and he kept looking over me asking discreetly, "What am I supposed to be doing? I have no idea what the rules of this 'soccer' game are!!!" He he. 

Gloria and Evania are so sweet growing up together. They are 21 months apart, but are often mistaken as twins. Here they were helping me back up 4 loaves of green tomato bread (Gloria) and four loaves of pumpkin bread (Evania).

It hasn't been ALL beautiful weather around here. Rinnah's in the center of this photo (in blue) playing her last soccer game of the year two weeks ago on a COLD and windy Saturday. Yikes!!

And Matt's actually gotten time to push the bathroom forward little by little. We're now bathing in the new one, and best of all, the sink for the "vestibule" between the hallway and the new bathroom (the space that used to be the old bathroom) has been hung!! It sounds silly, but this tiny room is my current favorite room in the house! We can stand there and brush our teeth - often four at a time - while someone is using the toilet or bathtub in private! Amazing.

There. Something to keep you going!!