Wrapping Up 2008.....

This has been a full but fun filled year for the Shrum family! This is my 203rd blog for 2008. Pretty good huh! I started my blog last Dec. I missed my blogging ann. I was going to do a celebration post but I guess I missed that one. Since I started blogging a year ago todate I have made 217 post. Not bad for my first year!

The Shrum family always says goodbye to the old year by pigging out on finger foods until we make ourselves uncomfortable and then we watch about 3 movies until it is time to ring in a new year.

The Party Food Menu for 2008:
( Southern Seafood theme)
*Stuffed Crab
*Cajun Crab Dip
*Shrimp Cocktail
*Spinach and Cheese Pastery Puffs
*A Variety of Veggies W/ Ranch
*A Large Fruit Tray W/ Chocolate Dip
*Assortment of Cheese and Crakers
*Chips and Dip
*Chocolate Hay Stacks

Yummo!!! Now we are all stuffed and snuggled into our PJ's (me in my new Victoria Secret Flannels I got for Christmas)and watching movies. What better way to finish out the year!

Interested in my Tutu's???

I have had several people ask me about making them a tutu.

Check out my new blog http://cutiepatutu.blogspot.com/

I am now taking orders for January and February. These would make great gift for birthdays,
Valentines Day, Portraits, Gotcha Days. I can make any color that you would like.

Finally......Tutu Pictures

I finally took pictures of the girls in their tutu's that I made them for their gotcha day presents. Sara Ava's in Sept. and Lilee's in Oct. Are they not just the girlest things you have ever seen? I just love them! These are a few of the pictures I took. I took a ton and the hard part was posting a few, because they were all soooo cute!( I will be posting more later on.) Oh! How I love tea party's , tutu's, pink, and everything danty and frilly!!! "Thank you God for girly girls! You knew my heart!"

Come See What The Lord Has Done!

"Come see what the Lord has done , how awesome is his works in man's behalf! "(Psalms 66:5)

Check out our themometer on our side bar. In Oct. we still owed $4,000 on our adoption credit card. I felt the Lord telling me that I needed to start praying fervently to get this paid off before Christmas. Even though we did not get it paid off before Christmas ; after we had a Rummage Sale, the Wii Raffle, a few donations, and 3 payments we got a huge chunck of it paid off! $2,240 to be exact!PRAISE JESUS!!!! That is still hard for me to imagine! But to God that is nothing!!

The Praise Report Side
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The Prayer Request Side

We still owe $1,760 .Will you please keep praying with us that we will get this paid off soon! I do not know how or where the money will come from, only God does! Someone once told me to pray for a check to come in the mail and I did for many months and one day we had a check in the mail box from Shoahannah's Hope to help us continue Lilee's adoption. So I guess I should start praying again , that a check will come in exactly the amounted needed to finish paying off this credit card. I am faithfully praying that it will come soon , so we will have one less burden to worry about!

I know alot of you have asked about the adoption tax credit at the end of the year. We can not get that because we have to many dependants for the amount of taxes we pay in each year. (Meaning we do make enough money!) We were depending on that money with Sara Ava once she was home to help pay on the huge amount we still owed from her adoption , when we found out we would not be getting of that money(which would of been Almost 11,000 per child) I was sick! When I stepped foot out of the tax place that day I felt like I had just been kicked in the stomach and was about to throw up. So that is why we have been doing all these fundraisers after the girls have been home for more then 2 years (Sara Ava) and a year (Lilee). The Lord told us not to worry and that He would provide for us, and He has!

Will you continue to pray with us that God will send us a check for the amount needed to pay this adoption credit card off? Thank You All for the prayers thus far, they certainly have been working!

With times like they are and the economy like it is that extra payment monthly would be very helpful for us to feed 5 growing out of clothes and grocery eating kids. For some reason we can not keep enough food in this house! Hee Hee!!! You would think that I never went to the grocery store, Bad mommy! :0)

Thank You all so much for taking the time to read my harpings!

"And we know that all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Roman 8:28)

Wanna be my Friend and/or Follower?

I now have facebook so if you would like to be a friend or want me to be a friend ,I would love it. Also, I have the follow my blog at the top of this side bar , so if you enjoy my blog and still have not signed up, click on to be a follwer. If I am not a follower of your blog let me know! Thanks Everyone!

Update On Joel!

I had to take Joel to the ER Christmas night because he had been sick since Monday with what started out just like his asthma but kept getting worse. We were up 2 nights in a row with him breathing horribly. We did the nebulizer 2 times through the night and kept treating it like it was his asthma. He had no voice what so ever for 3 days.

We were in and out at the ER in 40 min. , way better then we can do at the Dr. They said he had the croup and gave him a steroid. I stopped giving him the steroid by the next day because he also has a steroid in his nebulizer. Joel started doing alot better Friday and is continually doing better! Praise God! It is sooo scarey when one of your babies is having a hard time breathing. The scariest was when he would be a sleep he sounded awful! Lets just saw I did not sleep for 2 nights!. Please keep praying that he will be completely healed soon!!!

I have 2 more coughing but theirs is more of a congestion cough, nothing scarey. Keep our whole family in your prayers please!

Christmas Day

After Santa had come and we got all ready we went to Karlton's moms'. As we were leaving Karlton was locking his van up and when he had shut his door the whole glass fell out and shattered. Someone got a BB gun for Christmas and some how we were the lucky recipients of a BB. This is why I do not like weapons for children!!!

Here are a few cute pictures that were taken Christmas Day of a few of the kids with their gifts.

Christmas Morning

The kids woke us up @ 4:30 to tell us Santa had came. Yes, I said 4:30 am!


The boys scoping out what Santa had bought them.


The loot Santa left under our tree.

Siah and his wrestling ring.

Joel showing off his things.

Sara Ava and her horsey.

Lilee loves her stroller!

Group Picture Take 1

Take 2

Its hard to get people to smile so early in the morning. Lilee would have rather slept a few more hours!

FFF

The Best Gift Of All Was Born In A Manger

The true reason for Christ(mas).

Luke 2:10-14

But the angel said to them ,"Do not be afraid.I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rest."

Merry Christmas .....

A Home Made Christmas

Josiah and I made over 200 Christmas goodies for Christmas gifts this year. Jordan helped a little too. We spent the last 2 days making all these edible gifts. I also made Calendars (with our family's pictures in them) for gifts. I am getting to the point of gifts should be from the heart and what way is better then giving someone your time. I consider home made gifts giving someone your time. Alot of love went into these goodies!!!



We made sugar, oatmeal, peanut butter kisses, no bake, and oreo truffles.


Mmmmmmmm!

Update On Josiah

Josiah got his cast off yesterday. The Dr. was going to put him in an aircast but his foot looked so good that he only has to wrap it. YAY!!! But, the other foot he hurt looks horrible. At first when I took him they said it was not broken but when the Dr. checked it he said ," the 2 end toes were broken. " Having broken toes before myself , I knew this. This foot is still really discolored and it has been a few weeks. He is still in alot of pain but they can not do anything for toes other then wrap them and they gave him a special show to wear.

And now We have a sick one. Joel woke up with a fever this morning and has a horrible bark. He has asthma so It sounds like he has a flare up , he has lost his voice too! Now he and I will have to miss Christmas at Karlton's Dad's side of the family tonight. Bummer! What a time of the year to be sick!

All Dressed Up!

We took a few pictures before and after church yesterday while we were all dressed in our Christmas attire.

Here is a family shot. Please excuse the blur in the picture, that is a blade of greenery from our garland that is on our fence (where the camera was proped).

A little bit to bright but still cute. It is soooo hard to get a good picture with 5 kids. I took about 10 and everytime someone had their eyes closed.

The kids with their dad.

Mommy with her 3 youngest. Jordan took this picture.

Sara Ava and

Lilee all dressed up,

Jordan too.

I took one of Joel too but it would not let me upload it.Grrrr! Josiah would not participate like usual, so that is why 2 of the boys pictures are missing.

The Lights Before Christmas

We went to the Columbia Zoo last night to take the kids to see ,The Lights Before Christmas.This was our 2nd time going, but Lilee's first. The kids really enjoyed it, except poor Siah hobbling around.

The kids finally got to see Santa! We took them to the mall a few weeks ago to see him but after 2 hours of waiting we had to leave for Basketball practice. I was so proud of Lilee! She was terrified of him last year but this year she walked right up to him and got on his lap all by herself. She was so excited afterward she told me "Santa nice mom!".

Lilee's first ride on a merry-go-round.

Siah having fun too! You can see Joel's back in the plaid shirt.




Santa's Train

Lilee was having a ball riding the train!


Joel with Mr. and Mrs. Claus

Jordan chilling by a light show, behind him.




There was even snow(suds) at the entrance, the kids Favorite part!!! Fake but hey, it was 65 all evening. It has been in the mid 60's and 70's for a week now but the cold air has finally hit. This morning on our way to church it was 65 and by 4:55 it was 41. It is suppose to be in the 20's tonight. But I welcome it. I don't like a warm Christmas. I know I am weird!

Even though we did not get home until 10:30 all in all we had a great time!