look ma.. no cast! Out kicking/geocaching with the family.

out with the family and tabitha geo-caching with a little hiking

give me some love :O)

Drew using Tabitha as a road.. he loves his cars!

Our visit with Tabitha

Tabitha and Drew loving on each other!

sweet little feet

Today, Drew had his last casting removed.

It was painful, as a mother, to watch him so scared.. at times mad but mostly sad and scared. He had this pitiful look on his face that was begging me to save him. I wonder if that is what we look like to our Lord? Do we look that pitiful as we ask Him to save us? Is he sad while we are going through the process and then rejoice when we accept him? Today, it was sad, yet when that last particle of casting came off - i cried for joy. I cried for Drew. I cried at all the possibilities that are afforded to him now. I cried knowing that soon.. very soon he will be running. R.U.N.N.I.N.G!!!!!

Tonight Drew was able to soak in a bubble bath. Not a sink, but a TUB. He played and laughed and squealed with delight. I asked him to kick his feet and he looked down then up at me and smiled his killer smile - then kicked and splashed and for a moment- I am not sure who's smile was bigger!

As of tonight, he will not stand on his feet. i am assuming that they are sensitive and tingly. Plus, he has NO muscle tone on those little chicken legs! He loved having us put lotion on today. And didn't' cry or make a fuss when we put the braces on. He is such a little trooper!

Keep him in your prayers as he adjusts to the braces and not being in casts!

Thank you Lord for working out the cost of the braces, the insurance and the kind lady that agreed to cut off his cast.. for FREE. we are blessed.

PS.. Tabitha is staying with us for a couple days :O) and that is her in the first photo with Drew in our home. Then the bath photos. I will post the "feet" tomorrow. I have to pull them of Tabithas camera

happy anniversary honey

last night (march 9th) we celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary!! So this post is to my beloved Bob.

Bob, I am so blessed that you chose me for your bride, partner, mom to your children, best friend, confidant, and more..

We are so blessed that we both fell in love with Jesus AFTER we were married and in our late 20s! I am thankful for the leader that you are. You keep our family grounded. You strive to do better so you can provide for us. You amaze me at the growth in your walk with our Lord.

I continue to fall in love with you as I see you with our children. You are an awesome father. You have fun with the kiddos, you lead them and you love them deeply.

You take me for who I am. skinny, fat, or inbetween. Long hair, or short hair.. brown hair or with a little highlight.. bummy clothes or nice clothes or somewhere inbetween... you see me. you see my heart. you love me. the inside of me all the way out. you are my biggest supporter - for what ever i may be concocting at that moment.. you make me laugh. laugh hard.

We have made it through some tough stuff.. endometriois, infertility, pregnancy loss, loss of family members, military moves, military deployments, living away from family, BUT we have had really great stuff too. FOUR CHILDREN, awesome foster kids over the years, 15 years together (including our dating years), NEW LIFE in JESUS, watching our daughter fall in love with our Lord, living in fun places, see the world (okay not the world but something like that LOL), having fun, meeting new christian friends, going to couple bible studies, worshiping God together, and of course ... settlers... geo caching... and watching American idol. (i had to add that for your benefit!! )

bottom line.. I love you. I love who you are. I love who you are becoming. I love you.

forever, Jill

Song of Solomon 1:7

tell me O you, whom my soul loves

third and final casting on Drew

WOOHOO- Drew had his third and last casting put on. I was so BLESSED by our friends Laura and Steve, and also Kimberly and Glen. Laura and her daughter rode up to U of I with Sarah and i (and of course the smiley boy, Drew). Kimberly watched frick and frack.. I mean Daniel and Sophia. A good time was had by all.

Drew currently has a plaster cast on with a fiberglass cast over top. he is H.E.A.V.Y. But he can go very FAST. nothing is stopping him. He is climbing stairs (up and down), crawling faster than anychild I have had and LOVES to 'fall" on my chair. He gets on one arm then swings back and forth then pushes himself off.. to land on his back laughing..

today i found him ( i was preparing lunch) up on his toes, falling forward - b/c of the way his knees are bent - it would make him ROCK. he again, was laughing.

kids are so amazing.. where we, as adults, may say "what! a cast for 6 weeks" - kids just continue to go with the flow and make their own fun!

Daniels video

I uploaded Daniels video. I mightchange one of the songs.. I REALLY want "HOME" by Daughtry but when I downloaded it from itunes (for a buck!) it is "protected" and One Tr*ue media wouldn't allow it to get off my computer onto their system.. so I will work on that..
if I can't then I will put it in Drews video! Sophia's is at the bottom of the page..

drew and all his sweetness

drew just saddled up to me, threw his arms around my neck, kissed me and said 'momma, i wuv ooouu'
unsoliciated. OHMYGOSH. this kid.. has me so wrapped.

calling all prayer warriors

Today I am asking for prayer.

Several of my friends children have had surgery this week and/or preparing for up coming surgeries. Please pray for them.

Daniel and Sarah have the flu. Daniel is puking and Sarah is well.. the other end... Daniel has a temp of 104+.. not keeping anything down... pls pray it ends and also that the rest of us stay healthy. Sarah is on her last day of antibiotics for strep!

Drew to continue todo well in his last casting. And that insurance pays for his bar-brace. They are fighting me right now. it is 800 each time. Insurance wants me to pay 600. We will need new ones each time his feet grow out of them during the 18 months.

Thank you ALL for praying.

for my friends!

I love this song for so many reasons. The first time I heard it, I thought of Daniel. For his healing, for my healing, for our family healing. I heard it as if I was saying it to him. Then when I really listened to this song, I heard what the artist was saying.. God is speaking to us.

I love this song. I hear of so many of us hurting and healing. I am praying for you.
just in case it doesn't show up:
someone put it on you tube with a little video - i like this one b/c they included the words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J95rAr0gOFU

are you a writer?

There is a christian conference this summer if you desire to learn more about writing and perhaps publishing. It looks interesting and there are a few of you whom I thought of immediately - not b/c you "need" it but b/c you have over the years expressed interest in book writing, magazine writing ect...
here is the link: http://www.shespeaksconference.com/

happy writing

Drew's second casting

his visit this time went EXCELLENT. I love love love did I say LOVE the staff at Univ of I. Yesterday we were told good news and it was unexpected this early in the game. I "thought" we would have Drew in DAFO's (feet braces/shoes) for many many many years to come (sophia had to wear hers for two years). in addition to the night brace (the one with the metal bar inbetween) for 2 to 4 years.
Our news: ONE MORE casting! say WHAT. Praise the Lord! We go back on Sunday, appt on Monday (pls pray for me b/c i am going alone and i hate to drive!) Then Drew will be in that cast for 3 weeks. they will fit him for his night time brace during next week's appt. (pls pray our insurance pays for most or all of that.. expensive- 300 to 400 dollars and then when his feet grew.. new braces).
next is a shock but pleasant.. he only has to wear his bar braces for 18 months !!!!!! yes you heard that right! 18 months.. oh but can it get any better???? OH YEA BABY it can. He only has to wear them for 16 hours! and not 23~ SOOOOO that means when we are quieting down at night they go on.. sleep 12 ish hours :O) (i know i am spoiled) then after breakfast we take them off. Then at nap time (again, spoiled b/c he sleeps 2 hours). And that pretty much takes up the time . OKAY there is MORE. He can wear "normal" shoes the rest of the time! My biggest shock. I am so happy for my baby.
I said, in the appt, "Drew, by spring or summer, you can run and jump and ride a tricycle with Daniel!" and Dr M says, "spring? oh no .. in a MONTH he will be able to do all that! "
ALL PRAISES TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!

PS - he does not need anymore surgery.. as his tendons are still tight.. the operation is "messy" and he has too much scar tissue from the surgery in China (typical for a tendon surgery). Dr M says that by 4 or 5ish his tendons should stretch out from playing! woo hoo bring on the recess! :O)
Please continue to pray for Drew as they cut off and put on his last casting. He gets mad and sad and it is not comfortable to him when they turn his feet. or touch him at all. Dr M is amazing and LOVES kids. His beside manner is the best I have seen in a doctor. His nurse Marie is a God-send. She is sooooooooo nice and adores Daniel :O) hehehe

first and most important

I have to modify this post. Seems that BOTH of my friends were "found out"!

how frustrating. I tried to be discreet. agh.

Please continue to pray for my two girlfriends and their families. God knows their needs.

thanks

Drew's first casting in Iowa

iowa

Distraction is the key... or so I thought....

clean bill of health

Just got a call from the "adoption clinic" doctor in KS City, Children's Mercy. Drew has a clean bill of health. All his shots are good (we did titers) and all the other test came back neg.!! WOOHOO
Also, this Sunday we will be traveling to University of Iowa. We are in the Ponseti clinic! another PRAISE!! Drew will have a series of castings. His surgery was not completely successful in China. Pls be in prayer as we travel each week in Feb and for Drew to have peace.
thanks!

2yr GOTCHA

Dearest Daniel,
On Friday, the 30th we celebrated you. We celebrated the fact that you have been a Shelton for 2 years. You have had a family for 2 years, a family that will never leave you, that will always love you, a family that you are a part of for such a short time but feels like since you were born. You are our son. You are the first little boy that I have loved as my son. I was once vry close with my two nephews when they were little and it was then I loved the idea that I too could have a son.. you made that possible. While it has be a LONG road, a hard road.. you are worth it. I have been on my knees many times for God to soften your heart and heal your pains. For you to trust me. For you to love me. Slowly, the love came. the trust came. and MAN oh MAN it came. You are the sweetest little boy! The anger is gone. The kind, "helper", sweet, compassionate little boy is here!
Thank you Daniel for trusting me, for loving me, for calling me momma.
Thank you for bringin me to my knees and allowing Christ to grow me in ways that I didnt' think i would make it through. Thank you for being who you are and teaching me to love the unlovable (then not now). Thank you for allowing me to learn what a parent is all about: unconditional love.
I love you so much Daniel. i love you so much I can't even explain the deep love I have for you. You are my first son. You are my buddy. You are my heart.
happy 2nd gotcha day.