The Bartlett Happenings

Last Post for 2010

2010-12-31T09:46:00.000-06:00

Here in my last post of 2010, I really wanted to recap our year. This year has been an incredible year.

Claire-turned 13 this year, so we offically have a teenager girl in the house. Claire has got to be the best big sister anyone could ever have. She loves Macie & Conner and helps them out so much. There are many times that I have walked in to see her playing baby dolls & Barbie with Macie or seen her playing cars & firetrucks with Conner. She also helps out a lot with our newborn babies. I haven't seen too many "tweens" that will feed, clothe, change or allow a newborn to spit up on them, but not Claire. I'm not sure that she doesn't love babies more than I do...and most of you know how much I love babies. Claire played softball this year after only playing at 6 years old. She loved playing fall ball and is going to play park ball again in the spring. Claire is in 7th grade this year and is loving homeschooling. She doesn't want to go back to public school next year because she doesn't want to be a participate in all of the drama. Doesn't sound typical does it? I told you Claire was in incredible child. She would much rather spend her day at home, working at her own pace and helping me out with day to day routine than to "chat it up" at the lunch table with school peers. All I can think in my mind, is that God has an awesome plan for her and she will be a great wife & mom one day.

Macie-oh, Macie. Macie is 6 and is all girl. She is very strong on her feelings, expresses herself extremely well, and can convience a tin can that she's got what it takes to run the show. She often flips her head around to pose for anyone willing to look and will dance to only the music in her head. This is one child that has no problem being a leader and bringing as many along with her as will follow. She is a huge helper during our day and will gladly load the dishwasher, take out the dog, fold towels, feed a newborn, talk on the phone, or shower 3 times a day. However, she will be quick to tell you that she WILL NOT change diapers, fold clothes (only towels), take out the trash or dry her hair by herself. Homeschooling has been fun with Macie this year, as she loves doing her schoolwork and showing Conner She played fall softball as well and says she had lots of fun. She plans to play again in the spring. Macie is a great encourager and constantly tells me that she loves me and how beautiful I am. Macie wants to be a mommy when she grows up and wants to be a vet. Macie still can't say vanilla, but says a-limma instead. However, I think the correction is coming near because she struggles to say it right each time. My baby is growing up too fast and her sweet little pronunciations are changing into correct word forms. Macie asked Jesus into her heart and was baptized this year.

Conner-Our youngest child by only seconds. Conner is one tiny strong kid. He played football this year on the Helena Wildcat 80lb team and weighed in at 38lbs. It is said that he is the smallest child to ever register to play football in Helena. However, even though he was tiny, he never backed away from the football field. He loved every minute of it. As a matter of fact, the harder they worked, the better he liked it. He struggles with school but homeschooling has been great for him this year. He works better if we school many different times during the day instead of all at once. I have been known to be schooling Conner at 9:30 at night because he seemed interested to learn right before bed. He doesn't mind homeschooling and isn't sure if he wants to go back to Helena Elementary School. Conner is a great "play by myself" child and will sit for hours and play with some cars/trucks/firetrucks. He can mimic the que sound of a fire engine perfectly. Conner is very inquisitive and will ask lots of questions about "deep" things. He also remembers things very well. He can give details of an event from months ago and remember even things such as words spoken during a routine conversation. Conner helps out in many ways here at home. He doesn't do much without being prompted, but he will do just about anything you ask him to do. He loves the newborn babies and I can't think of a time that he isn't asking me if he can hold or feed one. Conner is the only one of my children that willl come sit in my lap and hug me at various times during the day anymore. Conner wants to be a firefighter when he grows up.

Heath-my loving husband... He has had a very productive year in 2010. He was just awarded EMT of the Year for Shelby County. He works his 24 hour shift at the firestation and then spends a lot of his time off working with the explorer group or offering classes to the community. He teaches CPR/First Aid to anyone needing/wanting the certification, works with the Helena schools to provide Risk Watch to the children, teaches Remembering When to the senior citizens, and helps out at just about any public event here in the city. As his wife, I am very proud of him and am very proud to say that he is my husband and the daddy of my children. He has even been known to have his nails painted just to make one little girl happy. As a matter of fact, Macie made him a necklace and he vowed to wear it for a week 24/7. Macie was so proud.

Pierce-our newest family member. Pierce is a 6 month old dalmation. Pierce is very much a part of our family but is also so much more. Pierce came from a breeder (Lakeshore Dalmations) and was already being trained in obedience when we got him. Heath plans to use him to help teach fire prevention/public education. He attends classes each week to prepare him for his future goals. We feel like Pierce will be a great asset to the fire department. Until he's able to go into the schools, he just visits the fire station, attends public events and runs around our house seeing what kind of trouble his little puppy self can get into.

Leslie- I hate talking about myself. It's hard. But, if I had to reflect back on 2010, I would say that I have had an interesting year. I still love fostering the newborns just as much today as I did when I first started. No suprise there, right? We even had a set of older siblings (1 and 2 years old) this year. Since we began forstering 2 years ago, we have loved on 36 children. For the short time (5-19 days) that they are with us, we are able to love on them, meet new adoptive parents and pray for all families involved. I believe this is one thing that has moved my family to a measure of closeness that we otherwise woudn't have had. There is nothing more sweet than to tell my children that we have a mommy that is going to have a baby that she is going to place for adoption. They immediately ask if they can pray for that mommy. So, we begin praying specifically for that mommy, the baby, and the adoptive family. Their prayers are always different and often bring tears to my eyes. I school our children and love it. It has been so great to see them learn a new concept as we go throughout our year. I'm not sure who has learned more...me or them! I am still a terrible housekeeper and often wonder when the maidfairy is going to stop by and decide she wants to make this her permanent residence.

Well, that about recaps the year and I am sure I forgot tons of stuff, but I promise to do better in 2011. We are getting together some goals as a family for this next year and will work together as a family to get them accomplished. So, if I had to sum up the year to just one word, it would be*****AMAZING******. I pray that you all have a Happy New Year and a blessed 2011.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T14:12:00.000-06:00

Time is flying by and before I lose my thoughts, I decided I better sit and type. I think the kiddos had a great Christmas. We exchanged gifts with my parents on Dec 23. Then, we did our tradition of going to grandmother's and to the YMCA. The picture above is my grandmother's children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Santa came and once again this year, it looks like ToysRUs here. I took my tree down yesterday and finished cleaning up the mess today. Heath's mom isn't doing too great and has been in the hospital twice in the last 3 months. Hopefully I can sit and blog more frequently in the coming days. It is a new years resolution. So, hold me to it!

Where Have We Been?

2010-10-14T07:41:00.000-05:00

For those of you that are new, welcome! For those of you that thought I had quit blogging, you're right! But, after a lot of thought and consideration, I have decided to pick it back up again. I have lots of information, pictures, updates, news, and happenings. Right now I'm trying to get everything together and ready to post. Check back later today for an updated blog---

Updates

2009-08-26T07:05:00.002-05:00

Ok, I have fought for a few weeks trying to load pictures from the summer, but I am giving up. My blog doesn't want to load the pictures, and I am tired of trying. I will just recap the summer and start from here...

Our summer was BUSY and lots of fun. Claire got out of school at the end of May, and we took our family vacation to Myrtle Beach at the first of June. Since this was the last vacation before all 3 of my children were in school, we decided that we would "go all out". So, every time we saw something we wanted to do, we did it. We went to a waterpark, played putt-putt golf, went to the campground, bought lots of goodies, had lots of ice cream, ate at lots of places and spent lots of money... but, my kiddos were happy and that's what mattered at the time.

The summer was busy at church as well. We had lots of swim parties, worship gatherings, baptisms, fellowship and fun. The theme for summer at The Church at Ross Station was "Owatasummer". We had a blast learning about some of the children in the Bible that God used in big ways. We went to church camp and had a blast. All 5 of us went this year, and what a wonderful family time we had together. This was the only time all of us would get to go, because Claire moves up to the youth department in September.

We went to Alabama Adventure a good bit, had lots of family time and I actually got a tan for a change. Heath started up the explorer program for the Helena Fire Department. He has 7 guys ages 16-21 that are dedicated to the program and meet every week to learn about the role of a firefighter. Most of these guys have a desire to be firemen when they graduate school, so they are just getting a headstart in their career. Hopefully they will go to some competitions and be a great asset to the city. Speaking of city, the City of Helena is hosting a "Smoke & Gun Poker Run" and concert featuring Bo Bice. The events are benefitting various groups including the fire explorers. If you are interested, please visit www.jamminatthejunction.org.

School has started, and the kids are loving it. Macie and Conner are in separate classes and are really getting along well without each other. I, on the other hand have the "empty nest syndrome". I miss them when they are at school. Claire started middle school, so she has 8 different teachers this year, but seems to like it.

It was a slow summer for foster babies. We took the time to enjoy each other, but I am excited to say that I have a baby that should be coming home from the hospital today. I can't wait to love on me a newborn sweetheart. Oh yeah, if you are interested in what I do with my newborn babies, and would like to be a foster parent (just like me) please let me know. The other foster family that we had has given it up, and we are looking for another family. Please pray that
God will send the perfect family to work with us. It is hard work, monetary pay is minimal, but the blessings are abundant.

I hope everyone has gotten adjusted to their schedules since school is back in session. I am making it a goal not to stay away from the blog for so long again. I am paying for it since I can't load my pictures. Happy Hump Day and thanks for sticking with me.

Haircut, Camping, 5th Grade Day, Tucker Beam is my Hero

2009-06-04T21:12:00.008-05:00

I got a haircut and highlights...

Back View

Here is where I got the idea from (yes, I took a picture of the TV screen)

Claire's Graduating class of 2016-

Claire getting her Presidents Achievement Award-

My mom wanted a good picture of her and my dad (my dad wouldn't cooperate ;-D )

Macie & Conner's Birthday Cake from Edgars-

Tucker Beam is now cancer free. He is also in the presence of Jesus. Tucker passed away early Sunday morning. The funeral was the most incredible service I have ever seen. Over 700 people attended and over 50 salvations. What a celebration! Thank you Tucker for touching so many lives and being such a witness for God. I love you and miss you very much. Please continue to pray for Tucker's family....

Our Camping Trip-we went with Brian & Cris Ryder camping... we had a blast... enjoy the pics.

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST

2009-05-27T14:04:00.003-05:00

Please take the time to pray for Tucker Beam. He is the strongest little boy I know. If you don't know Tucker, take time to read his story. You will be blessed, I promise. I can not imagine what his parents and family are going through at this time. I am so honored to be Tucker's Sunday School teacher. He has taught me so much and I can only imagine how much joy, laughter, teaching and loving he has brought to his family. He needs a miracle right now that only the great physician, God, can provide. I am believing that God can heal Tucker's body. God has the perfect plan for Tucker, whether he heal him here on earth, or takes him home. Please join me in praying for:

Tucker's comfort-no pain during this time

Tucker's family and friends: for peace

Tucker's doctors at Children's Hospital: for the right amount and types of medicine to keep Tucker comfortable.

Our pastor, Randy Norris and his family: The Norris' and Beams have been friends for a long time. I know this time is difficult for them, as well. Pray that God will give them everything they need.

Please visit Tucker's caringbridge site and post a message. www.caringbridge.org/visit/tuckerbeam

I love you Tucker Beam and I am so proud of you. You are the most strong and courageous person I know. I am praying continually for you during this time.

Thanks for praying,
Leslie

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T19:20:00.003-05:00

I want to wish every mother a Happy Mother's Day today... Here are a couple of cuties that I g0t to give to their mommy and help them have a very special Mother's Day. This is Owen. He was a big boy, biggest I have had so far, 9lbs 3oz. He has moved to Wisconsin.

This is Brielle and her mommy and daddy meeting her for the first time. She has moved to Wisconsin also.

Sleeping Angel Brielle

I am so blessed to have 3 of God's precious miracles to care for. My ultimate goal is to make sure that they know that their Heavenly Father loves them and is preparing a special place for them. I still get emotional from time to time thinking about God allowing me to care for his children. What an honor that is.

Otherwise, we have been busy with lots of family time. Heath is getting ready for his first meeting with the Fire Explorers this Tuesday night. We have now been for our first meeting at Helena Elementary for Macie and Conner and how to prepare them for Kindergarten. Heath and Claire are home from their Washington DC trip, and I hope to get some pictures to post of that soon. We went to the Buck Creek Festival yesterday, and saw the ducks. Macie isn't feeling well today, so we didn't make it to church.... I will be looking for the podcast soon. I sure miss my church friends when I can't make it. Also, please continue to pray for Tucker Beam. Tucker is on a new drug that we are praying for awesome results. He is also getting ready to travel to Minnesota for a bone marrow transplant. Please, Please, Please pray for him, his family, and his doctors. Thank you so much for checking the blog.

So Far Behind

2009-04-15T21:52:00.006-05:00

I am so far behind on the blog. Let's see if I can catch up... So much has gone on in March and April. First off, we went to McWane Center. Claire stayed out of school and we took an education family trip. Here is a bass spitting Conner out onto dry land...

This is Conner showing you the great big green eel. Doesn't he look so grown up with his watch on?

Here is Piper. She loves the dog bed.

Skipping out of line, this is Conner's new mouth appliance. It is supposed to help keep him from sucking his thumb and keep his tongue thrust under control. The other appliance didn't quite work. This one looks monsterous and for his little bitty mouth, it is. But, so far, Praise God, it is working.

Here is an Easter Pic minus me!

On April 5, we went to the Tuscaloosa AirPort and saw the Blue Angels Air show! Everyone had a blast! I also had a foster baby, but I can't seem to find those pictures right now. I will keep looking though.

Look at Miss Drama Queen showing off under the plane!

Conner says the sun is too bright!

Macie playing Wii and wearing her Sponge Bob pj's.

Conner-you just can't see his SpongeBob pj's.

Ok enough pictures. As I said, I will continue to look for baby Lyric's pictures. I know I have them stored somewhere, I just can't find them right this moment. Other things happening:

-Bevin had baby Landon!

-Michelle had baby Jenna!

-I am still hooked on FaceBook, but my mom has joined now...

-We got season passes to Alabama Adventure, so we are going to enjoy some family time there...

-Heath passed Fire Officer II class!

-We have now been foster parenting a year, and have had 13 babies. I can't wait to see what this next year holds...

-I have registered Macie and Conner for school (Helena Elementary)

-Claire leaves for Washington with the 5th grade class next week (I am a little nervous!)

-We are praying for baby Stellan (www.mycharmingkids.net)

-We are praying for Tucker Beam (www.caringbridge.org and type in tuckerbeam)

Thanks for checking in on the blog. I appreciate you reading and hope that you will join us in praying for the above mentioned.

Snow in Helena, Alabama, Puppy Love, Locks for Love, and reading with Grandmother

2009-03-01T12:46:00.007-06:00

Today is the first day of March, 2009 and we woke up to snow on the ground. That's right.... it was 72 degrees Thursday afternoon, and today (Sunday) it is snowing. Of course, we will take snow any time we can get it. The twins are not even old enough to remember the last snow we got, so they were so excited. Here are a few "snow" pictures.

Here is Claire sliding down the hill...and for all of you "north" people, remember that we don't have clothes for this kind of weather and we definately don't have snow sleds. Claire is sliding on a garbage bag.

Macie, Conner and Heath rode together on the garbage bag. I don't think Heath realized his bottom would be so cold when he got up. =)

This is a picture of my parents house. I think it looks like a beautiful winter wonderland.

My parents house:

Here is Claire and Tuttle (who hated the snow by the way) and Mrs. Snowmaam...

Here is Conner next to snow Fireman/Baseball player.

We went to my grandmother's house yesterday to spend some time with her. Conner loves to spend time with my grandmother. Here is a picture of Macie and Conner reading with my grandmother. She loves when all of us come over.

Other news: Claire cut her hair. I forgot to take pictures of the before, but she got almost 11 inches cut off. We sent the 11" ponytail to locks for love. If you don't know, Locks for Love is an organization that makes hair pieces for children with chronic hair loss conditions and cancer. Claire was so excited to know that she can do something painless to help someone else. She is going to start over again so she can send another lock to them next year.

This is Graycee and her new fur baby, Prissi. Prissi and Tuttle came from the same breeder. Prissi is a shorkie (shih tzu/yorkie mix). I haven't gotten any good pictures of Tuttle and Prissi playing together because all they want to do is fight.

Well, I am off to play in the snow for the last time today. The temperature is now above freezing, so the snow is quickly melting. Church and small groups were cancelled today, so I am missing my church friends. I hope everyone has a terrific week.

Look what I got and Look who I got to see...

2009-02-15T21:20:00.007-06:00

Introducing... Tuttle Murphy Bartlett.... Tuttle is a dorkie (daschsund/yorkie) and he is 10 weeks old. I got him Friday evening and he is doing great. He should weigh about 7 pounds when he is grown.

And, I got to see AVA and her parents. Ava was here for her final adoption, so we got to meet up for dinner. They love that baby girl so much and it is great to see them after they have grown a little bit. Ava is 15 weeks old now. She has grown so much and looks so happy. Also, my friend Courtney has had her baby boy, Sam, and my friend, Melissa, has had her baby boy. I will try to post some pictures soon.

If you are wondering about our small group Bible study, it is going great. We went to the Oaks Assisted Living, on Valentine's Day, and gave all of the patients in the dementia ward valentine cards that our children made and goodies. I was so blessed by doing that. And my motto for the day.... Live every day as it is the Day the Lord is coming!

Oh Baby, Baby

2009-02-08T22:47:00.011-06:00

Baby Updates first: This is baby Maggy. I got an update today and I think she is so cute. I just love getting updates from my babies and love to share them with you. She looks like an angel doesn't she?

Look at this smile. She looks so happy to be with her "forever" family. She has two big brothers that I am sure take great care of her.

This is Baby Ben and his big sister and brother. Ben is doing well also. You can see pictures of him in older posts.

This is a picture of Baby Kayla and her mommy. Kayla was here with us from 1/17/09-1/30/09. Kayla was born 1/15. She now lives in Oshkosh, WI.

This is Kayla and her daddy.

This is me kissing Kayla. Isn't she gorgeous? All of my babies are so cute. I might be just a little prejudice.

It has taken me a while to get some pictures of Kayla up here because Kayla left on Friday afternoon, and the next day I got this beautiful baby girl, Hannah. She was with us from 1/31/09-2/7/09. Her parents came to get her yesterday. They live in Greenville, South Carolina. Check out their blog at http://nathanjuliagarner.blogspot.com

This is Hannah meeting her parents and big sister, Abigail. What a precious moment. I always love these moments. What a blessing to see these new parents meet their baby for the first time.

I did hear a rumor that I might be getting twins in the next few weeks. I will let you know if I do. I have lots of friends that are expecting babies in the next few weeks. Please pray for healthy deliveries for Bevin, Michelle, Joni, and Melissa. My friend Courtney just had her baby (Sam-see Malouf's on the sidenotes).

Other news: Heath is no longer working for LifeGuard Ambulance Company. He has been home for the last few days (he still works the fire department, of course) and he has gotten much needed rest. He has an interview with LifeSouth blood bank this week. Please pray for God's guidance in Heath finding a new part-time job. Our dog, Sadie has been bad. We have decided that she has gotten too big for our family (especially with lots of children around) so we are looking for a great home for her to go to. If you know someone, please tell them to contact us. We are having small group Bible study here at our house on Sunday evenings. I will post pictures from that very soon. I have added some new blog sites over on the sidenotes. Feel free to check out...www.mycharmingkids.net, www.shelliandjeremybrown.blogspot.com, aabcccfamily.blogspot.com.

I hope you all have a terrific week, as you get ready for Valentine's Day. As you pray, please remember the Allums' family in your prayers. I have mentioned them before, but they are trying to adopt a baby boy from Guatemala. They have court tomorrow. Please, Please, Please lift them up in prayer. Thank you!

Death, Life and Precious

2009-01-24T10:17:00.010-06:00

January has already been a busy month so far. If this is any indication for 2009, we will be one busy family. Heath and I celebrated our anniversary on January 10. On the same day, my grandmother, Maxine Taft Isbell, lost her second husband, J.R. J.R. had been sick with bone cancer for a few months when he suffered a stroke. For the next 2 weeks, my grandmother stayed right beside him and cared for him until he passed away. My grandmother has gone through the death of her husband, twice. I can not imagine the empty feeling she has. Please continue to pray for her as she is adjusting to being alone again. Here is a picture of J.R. and grandmother Maxine a couple of years ago. Most of you that know me well, know that J.R. looks a lot like my grandfather, Earl. I have to agree and think it is interesting how you tend to choose things that are in resemblence to what you are comfortable with. My grandmother also lost her cousin, Ruby Turner, this past Tuesday. Ruby was 93 years old. Ok, enough with the death part...lets get on to the "life" section.
We have "baby Kayla" with us now. She will be going to Wisconsin to her "forever" family. I think she looks like a baby doll. What do you think?How precious is this? Kayla is a preemie baby being born around 34 weeks gestation, and this is her favorite position to lay in. Any time I lay her on her belly, she immediately puts her feet up near her face in this position. And, any time she is fussy, this position works too.

And, for some updates on some of our previous "Angel babies."

Ben-Wisconsin

This is Logan-Duluth, MN

Ava and her family from Minnesota

Mya and her family from Albequerque, NM

I am blessed to have shared a portion of these little one's lives. Will they remember us? Nope, not one single baby will remember us..... Will I remember them? Absolutely! I can remember something special about each one of these little ones. I get so excited when I get an email with an update and photos.

I am so glad that each one of these babies has been given a chance at life. I was shocked to learn this past Sunday at church that for every 2 babies born, a baby is aborted. With the waiting list for people waiting to adopt, I wish every mother could see the blessing that their child could be.

I am in constant prayer for the birth parents, adoptive parents, and everyone that plays a part in the life of these children. I feel so honored that God called me to be transition care for them during this time. Please lift up a prayer as well for all of these lives that are touched.

Other prayer requests I ask you to lift up:

***Tucker Beam-finished his last round of chemo-Congrats buddy! I love you!

***Our new President-as the leader of our country, I pray that he will seeks God's guidance every step of the way.
***Corey and Heather Fillingame-a couple in our church that is completing their paperwork to adopt a child.

***Casey and Stephanie Allums-trying to adopt Nathan from Guatamaula.

***The Church at Ross Station

Family is SO important

2008-12-31T19:55:00.014-06:00

Christmas has been such an exciting time this year. First and foremost, we were able to spend time with family. Family is more important to me now than it used to be. The older I get, the more I realize how much I love my family and I am so glad we are so close.

Christmas Eve morning, we went to Bear and Tobie's for "brunch". Heath had to work at the firestation Christmas Eve, but he was able to come and spend a couple of hours with us. Here is my parents, Ben and Tina Quick.
Here is my dad and my niece, Baylee.

Here is my brother and his family...Bear, Tobie, Baylee (9), Graycee (4), and Jake (3).

Here is my family....Heath, Leslie, Claire (11), Macie and Conner (4).

This is my grandmother, Maxine Sandlin Taft Isbell.

And lets see... this is my extended family on my mom's side. This is my mom and her generation...Rebecca Sparks Bunn, Russell Sandlin, my mom Tina Taft Quick, Larry Taft (my mom's brother) and Connie Harper.

Then, it is my generation...Kelli Sandlin(daughter of Russell), Justin Masisak (son of Rebecca), Stephen Sandlin (son of Russell), Jason "Bear" Quick (son of Tina), Natalie Taft Gregory (daughter of Larry), me (daughter of Tina), Brett Taft (son of Larry, and his 3 children, Trayton, Brexton, and Britton), Tristan Bunn (son of Rebecca), Josh Lewis (son of Rebecca) and Hunter Harper (son of Connie).Can you see who I look like...

And finally, my grandmother's generation... The Beginning of the Sandlin generation (still living anyway)...(youngest to oldest)...Diane Sparks (mom to Rebecca), Phyllis Diffy (mom of Scott, who wasn't there), Dan Sandlin (dad to Russell), Sue Roth (mom to Connie) and Maxine (my grandmother).

That night, Santa came to our house. Macie and Conner's "Jeep"

Conner playing his drums.

Heaths mom, Louise, gave Claire as walnut...You can see by the look on Claire's face, that she is confused... she wonders what in the world she got a walnut for... and she doesn't even like nuts. :)

Once she finally opens the walnut, it is stuffed with a hundred dollar bill. That makes Claire a little happier. I thought this was a really neat idea.

Does anybody see anything wrong with this picture...Have I not taught my son better that this...

I hope each of you had a wonderful Christmas. I know I personally spent time reflecting on what Christmas is all about... The gift of Jesus Christ. Tonight, to ring in the new year, I think the twins and I are going to talk about everything we remember from 2008 and what we hope 2009 is like. Claire is spending a few days with Grandmother Maxine, and Heath is working on the ambulance. My prayer is that everyone has a year of God's blessings. Happy New Year!

Maggy Placement, Agency Christmas Party

2008-12-23T23:51:00.004-06:00

Wednesday, I placed this sweetheart. Her name is Maggy. Isn't she precious. She was already smiling and sleeping through the night, even though she was only 2 weeks old. She got a wonderful family and has moved to New Mexico. She has 2 older brothers that I am sure are going to protect her well. What a precious gift they received here at Christmas time. Here is Maggy smiling...

Here is Maggy being placed with her precious family. They seem so sweet and loving.

We had our agency Christmas party Friday at Suzanne's house. What a wonderful time we had. Suzanne's house is beautiful and I got lots of gifts and got to spend time getting to know my friends better. Here is Lola (the other foster mom for the agency), Pat (social worker for the agency...she is the one that did my home study), Suzanne (owner of the agency), Jenny and Marsha (they are usually in the office every day handling things). It is a blessing to work with these wonderful women. I feel as God has placed each one of them for a very special reason and I am so glad he called me to A Angel Adoptions to foster my babies.

Here is just another picture, without Marsha but with me.

Tomorrow is a very special and busy day for us. We are going to my brother's house tomorrow morning, to my grandmother's tomorrow afternoon, and to the "Sandlin/Taft" annual Christmas gathering tomorrow evening. I pray that each of you have a very Merry Christmas. I am also praying specifically for a few of my family and friends... please consider praying with me for:

J R Isbell-my grandmother's husband-he has bone cancer and is really not doing well.

Tucker Beam-has cancer... Love you buddy!

David Farris-had a car accident and has minor head injury.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Birthday Party, Children's Christmas Program

2008-12-15T06:28:00.014-06:00

We had family over to celebrate Claire's birthday on Saturday. It is hard to believe she is 11 already. For those of you that don't know, I dropped my camera on the way to the fire department dinner and broke it, so I had to purchase a new one. I love it, as you can tell by all of the pictures posted.This is all 6 of the grandchildren. Baylee and Claire(Baylee is 13 months younger than Claire), Graycee, Macie and Conner (Graycee is 5 days younger than Macie and Conner at 4), and Jake brings up the end (he just turned 3) Jake-the youngest of my brother's children.

Graycee-my brother's middle child

Baylee-my brother's oldest daughter.... I am so blessed to have my brother, Bear (no my mom didn't name him that at birth, only soon after-his real name is Jason). Bear and his wife, Tobie live only about 3 minutes away from us and we spend lots of time together. As you can see, our children are very close in age and all get along great. Of course, there are arguments, but it is wonderful having all 6 run around at once.

Our children's Christmas program was last night at church. We go to The Church at Ross Station (www.rossstation.org). We have been a church for only 2 years, and already we have over 200 each Sunday for the service. We currently meet at Bumpus Middle School in Hoover. Here are a few pictures from last night.

This is Tucker Beam. Tucker is in my Sunday School class (I teach 1-3rd grade) and he is battling cancer for the 2nd time. You can visit his website at www.caringbridge.org/tuckerbeam . Please pray for my buddy. I just love him so much!

This is Conner in his sweater. I don't usually like sweaters, but I think he looks so handsome in this one.

Isn't that just the sweetest face?

Claire, looking beautiful as always. She did an excellent job last night. Since she is one of the oldest, she had a huge part, and she fit is perfectly.

Claire and Will. They are the oldest 2 in the children's department. Will was the Judge and Claire was the Pronouncer.

Macie had to have her make-up on, just like everyone else for the program. Of course, she made a mess of her lipstick.

This is pastor Randy and his son, John Mark. They are part of the preschool praises. They meet each Wednesday night at one of the member's houses. The parents get to participate too. Looks like they have a great time.

Mya's Homecoming, Baby Thumbsucker, and Piper

2008-12-04T20:41:00.005-06:00

Today was a very exciting day. Mya got to meet her "forever" parents for the first time. What a wonderful experience it was. They thought she was so tiny. They seem to be a really fun family and I think Mya is going to be very happy. So, right now I have one little "angel baby" left... And here she is.... can you say "thumb sucker?" I think this is so sweet though. When I got ready to take the picture, she opened her eyes like, ""What? Am I not supposed to be doing this?" Too funny!

And this little sweetie is Piper. She belongs to my friend Mallory. Isn't she just the cutest? She is always happy and has the sweetest smile.

For a side note, NO, I am not finished Christmas shopping, we haven't even had our picture made for Christmas cards yet, Macie and Conner's "Santa wish list" keeps changing, my car is having issues and of course is almost paid for, Claire is having an attitude problem at school (according to her teacher, but according to Claire it is her teacher having problems), and I have overdue books at the library that I have to take back today and I am about to work on my own "wish list." I'll let you know how it turns out =)

No Thumb and No Fingers

2008-12-01T20:34:00.006-06:00

Most of you know that Conner sucks his thumb and he has a horrible tongue thrust. So, he now has an appliance that should help with that. It keeps the tongue in the right position and keeps him from sucking his thumb. Here is a picture of the appliance (tongue crib). Here is Conner sleeping. His looks so sad. He can't get his thumb up there. We are just lucky he fell asleep. And then, Macie sucks her first two fingers..... so,

I sewed socks to the arm holes of her pajamas. This way she can't suck her fingers. She finally fell asleep too. I have a feeling it is going to be a long few weeks here at the Bartlett house, as we conquer the "pacifiers". Wish us luck!

Dress up and Dancing

2008-11-25T20:54:00.006-06:00

Tonight the kiddos decided to play "dress up" with Sadie. She had on a lovely t-shirt and a skirt. Macie thought she looked like a girl and thinks we should put her in clothes every day. Sadie didn't like it too much. She kept trying to rip it off... as you can see, she knocked a bunch of clean clothes off of the bed.

Sunday at church (The Church at Ross Station), Claire's drama group (Greater Than) performed to the song "Friend Like You" and Claire did a great job. Destiny and Brooke does a great job teaching them. She is so dramatic anyway and she really gets into the songs. Sometimes I find her making up her own moves to her favorite songs. She is singing her heart out to God. I am so proud.

Our dog, Like Father/Like Son, and Thanksgiving at School

2008-11-20T20:57:00.005-06:00

Here is a picture of Heath and Conner sitting on the front porch. I thought it was so cute how Conner has his arm on daddy's back. They were sitting outside talking about all the leaves falling and about using the rake to get them up...

The next picture is our dog, Sadie. She is a mixed breed of American Bulldog and Boxer. She weighs about 40 lbs and is 8 months old. She is terrific with the kids and is very gentle.

And last but definately not least, Macie and Conner had their Thanksgiving party at school today. They came home with their little hats. Macie is an indian (even though her "feathers" wouldn't stay up) and Conner was a "pilgrin"... Macie said the indians are supposed to "be mean and make corn" and Conner said "the pilgrins like to travel and they came to Alabama). He wanted to know who came to Auburn. It's early here in the Bartlett household and I am very tired, so I am headed to bed. My goal is to get my Christmas boxes out of the attic before Thanksgiving. Speaking of Thanksgiving, my family is coming here to my house, so I am very excited, and I still have a "foster turkey lurkey". Be praying for her and her "forever" family. Good night everyone... don't forget to give Thanks to God.

Baby Updates

2008-11-15T16:14:00.010-06:00

From time to time, I will get updates about my "Angel Babies." This week, I got a couple of updates, so I thought I would share them with you. The top picture is Ben. The pic on the left is Ben here at my house, and the pic to the right is him at home. The bottom pic is of Larry. The pic on the left is my house, and the right at his "forever" home. For all of you wondering, I have my 9th baby right now. We are having such a great time fulfilling God's calling. Most people wonder how I can have these babies in my home and then "hand them over to someone else." All I can say is that ...........God called me for this, and when he called me, he equipped me to be able to handle giving these babies to their "forever parents........" What an AWESOME God He is!

2008-11-12T20:53:00.002-06:00

Not much to update today. We stayed in our PJ's until this afternoon (I forgot it was Wednesday and we had church)... I was going though some old pictures and thought I should share a couple. I forget how small my babies used to be. They have changed so much... some days I miss the "baby stage".
This is a picture I shot when Macie had gone into Conner's room and fell asleep. Macie sucks her first 2 fingers, and Conner sucks his thumb. I actually woke Conner up when I snapped this pic (you can see his eyes squinting). How sweet!

I also wanted to ask you to pray for some people tonight. Please pray for Tucker Beam (www.caringbridge.org/tuckerbeam) and his mom, Courtney. Tucker is in my Sunday School class at church. His treatment this week has make him kind of sick. Also, keep praying for baby Ava. She is adjusting to her family well, and they are loving her so much. What a blessing!

Busy Day

2008-11-10T21:50:00.003-06:00

Conner had to go to the dentist today so they could put in his "tongue crib" appliance. Dr. Clark Thomas tried to put it in, but it didn't fit well, so he did some more impressions and is going to order another appliance. This appliance is supposed to keep Conner from sucking his tongue, keep his tongue from "thrusting" forward, and hopefully spread out his upper pallet (to prevent braces later).The new appliance should be ready in a couple of weeks. Conner was such a trooper and did great. Also today,
I took Ava to her new parents. What a blessing it was. They were a very sweet couple and gave me a sweet gift for caring for their "angel" baby. I think Ava is going to be so happy with her parents and 2 brothers. Here is a picture of Ava. She was such a beautiful baby, and Claire really liked her. I can't wait to get updates and see how she grows.

Incentive to Blog

2008-11-09T18:29:00.000-06:00

Welcome to our blog site. I enjoy reading everyone elses blogs, so I figure this will allow me to keep a daily account of the things we do and might easily forget.

For those of you that don't know, I am a stay-at-home mom to 3 wonderful (and beautiful) children. Claire is 10, and the twins (Macie & Conner) are 4. My husband is a paramedic/firefighter. We attend The Church at Ross Station (www.rossstation.org). I teach Sunday School to a bunch of 1-3rd graders and we are foster parents to newborn babies (yes, I get the babies straight home from the hospital and keep them for a couple of weeks, while they are being adopted). I have a mother-in-law that lives downstairs and requires a lot of help with her daily acitivities. Overall, I would say God has blessed me more that imaginable. But, then again, he is used to doing the unimaginable.

Keep reading for a glimpse of a very busy household and the struggles, joys, blessings and funny times we encounter.