We'll be back...

I wanted to write a post just to let everyone who has been following that we are still here. Lately, I guess I just haven't had the inspiration to blog. I have been on Facebook quite a bit, and I have been keeping up with all the kiddo's we love.

V is still doing well. There has just been so much happening with the family and I've honestly been exhausted.

I don't get much relief from posting about family stuff. Anyone who know the family we live near would understand. They are about as dysfunctional as it gets, and I have enough trouble dealing with it once let alone reliving it in writing.

I have appreciated all the support that everyone has offered through your wonderful words of encouragement.

Don't misunderstand, I have every intention of returning to the blog. I am simply in need of a break. I'll keep following, and I hope that when the time comes you will all come back to us. Hopefully that will be soon. I do miss the awesome friends I have made through this experience. That is why I still keep tabs on you all, you mean so much.

Until then...

Finally a Reprieve

Today we decided that enough was enough. We took the kids and headed out for something we rarely get to do anymore. We had a day of adventure.

Lately money had been very tight so alot of the fun extras we used to indulge in have had to go, but today we needed a break, so we went ICE SKATING!

It was an absolute blast! I haven't been since I was a teenager, and the little kids had never been before. I was amazed at how quickly they picked it up. There was the obvious first time death grip on the wall when they first went onto the ice, but after a fall or two they loosened up and started to have fun.

They even had a pair of little bitty ice skates to fit V! He eventually got to where he could stand and even take a step or two off the ice, but as soon as we hit the rink his feet went crazy and he turned into dead weight. Everyone we passed said he had the biggest smile though. So it was all worth it. Every time we took a break to sit and rest all he did was point to go back out on the ice. He really enjoyed the music and jammed out the entire afternoon. I so wish we owned a camcorder!

We all had pizza and even got a tray of cupcakes from a birthday party that was there. After the public skating was closed we got to stay and let the kids watch the zamboni clean the ice while a hockey team got set for practice.

Today was a good day, hopefully just one of many more to come.

p.s. We did manage to get some cell phone pics and I will try to get those up soon. I know I still owe you all holiday pictures too!

I am soooo tired....

That about sums up how I feel right now.

To add insult to injury, last night we were told by the case investigator that "C" also has a broken arm.
Could it get any worse???

I did talk to his father last night and he's already retained a lawyer in an effort to get custody as soon as "C" can safely be discharged from the hospital. Now we're waiting for our background checks to clear with he judge on Monday to hopefully allow us temporary custody of "L" and get her out of the foster home.

I hate waiting...

In the meantime, "C" and "L" 's mother has chosen to stay with her boyfriend and continue to live in the house where the incident happened...

... she's on her own. How do you help someone who doesn't want to be helped? Easy, you don't.

Our energy is completely focused on making sure those children are never sent back into that place ever again, and if need be, to a mother who would let this happen and protect the one who did it.

*sigh*

What Now?

Well, true to form I am well behind, but not that I've forgotten. Not by a long shot. I'm still needing to upload all those warm, happy holiday photos.
It's just that as to be expected in my world, nothing stays smooth for long...

Fortunately it's not V, or any of us for that matter.. whew...

UNfortunately, it is my neice and nephew. My somewhat mislead (to put it mildly) sister-in-law lost custody of her two kids this past week due to a case of suspected child abuse. My 8 month old nephew is currently residing in the ICU due to "extensive bruising over his entire body, multiple rib fractures, free floating fluid intra abdominally, and fluid on the brain due to suspected intentional trauma."

*sigh*

My neice is 4 and we were able to collect her from her Mom at the hospital before the fireworks started. We had NO idea what was about to happen since she hasn't been a frequent visitor to our home in several months. She called out of the blue last week asking for a ride to the ER, and then it all began.

"L", my neice, looks to be in good health which is one good thing. She came home with us willingly and enjoyed a night of pizza and movies as her little brother was scanned head to toe and their mother was grilled by DCF and sheriff's deputies as to the cause of his injuries. Apparently she wasn't much help, and during a court hearing today she officially lost custody of them both for at LEAST the next 6 months.

The night this happened, after we put the kids to bed, a DCF worker showed up at our house and took "L" into foster care until the preliminary investigation is over. We immediately offered ourselves as caregivers. For now we're being background checked and home studied.

She and my nephew "C" have different fathers, and "C"'s father has shown an interest from out of state, that he's willing to take custody of him when he's able to be released from the hospital, but we'll see. If need be we'll take them both.

For now, until all the preliminaries are handled, and a permanent caseworker is assigned, no one can have any contact with either of them. It's maddening. We can't even call to check on how the baby is doing and we had NO part in any of this. "L" is in a foster home.. somewhere in the county.. and we have no way to find out where until next week. As hard as this is, we do know that "C" is being well cared for, so our immediate push is to get "L" back here with us as soon as possible. If everything goes the way we're hoping we may be able to take temporary custody of her by the end of next week.

How can someone be so irresponsible with something so precious ???

This is such a nightmare....

Two Years Ago Today...

January 19th 2008, at 11:22am, his heart stopped beating.. and our world would never be the same.


Julian Michael Avery
5/12/03 - 1/19/08


Rest In Peace King Julian... nous t'aimons lil man........

Seriously, we're still alive...

I feel badly that I've been neglecting the blog these past weeks. First it started with my being horribly sick. Fortunately that's finally coming to an end, and thankfully, somehow, I was the only one who caught it.
Lately it's more just things happening here at home. Nothing too new really, and nothing with V or the immediate family, but with the extended family we share our property with.
Sadly, as much as I would love to vent and ask for some advice, I just can't bring myself to write about it. It's something I never though we would have to deal with and something that throws me completely out of my element.
My biggest priority of late has been to keep the kids from being affected by it and that will continue to be my struggle until we somehow get this resolved. Ultimately if we can't put an end to this it will mean that we are going to have to leave the home where Carmen spent his childhood behind, possibly for good.
The "how" is our conscern with very little, other than unemployment income. Needless to say it's been a pretty stressful time. This has been brewing for a while and sadly we were wrong in the hopes that those with the power would put things right.
Ugh...
I know I'm ranting about a subject I refuse to even write about.. thanks for putting up with it...

As for us, I honestly haven't even uploaded our Christmas or New Years pictures yet. I've been slacking.
I do plan to do it soon and when I do I promise I'll share. Thanks for staying with us and hopefully it will all be worth the wait. We did manage to have a happy holiday and the kids had a blast!
God Bless.

Succumbing to the crud...

Still here... still very much sick...

I'm not exactly sure what I'm fighting off, but a lack of medical insurance isn't helping the process any. So for now I'm continuing my vigil of vicks vapo rub and robitussin. The biggest battle of the moment is to keep this nastiness from spreading to anyone else. So far I'm winning that one, thank goodness. Whatever this is.. it's NOT pleasant. Hense the lack of photographic proof of life.

Hopefully soon I'll be back to myself and I can finally share our Christmas, and now New Years with you all.

Thanks for hanging in there and for all the well wishes!