Hello everyone,

I can't believe how fast time goes by. Our day to day lives keep us busy, but it isn't until a milestone approaches that you say, "Boy how times flies!" Sarah is going to be 2 on the 31st of August and Michael is going to be 4 this November. It feels like we just brought Mikey home from the hospital yesterday. Today we went to meet his pre-school teacher. He is really exited about starting school again. He has been pretty bored lately. His new school is run by a church down the road and is structured like an elementary school. He even has P.E. and music classes. And best of all they are very religious oriented. He will be learning Bible stories and they take the kids to chapel and teach them how and why to behave during a church service. Too bad it isn't a Christadelphian church. But, we think he is too young to get indoctrinated with false beliefs.

While Michael is at school and with the help of my mom I'll be studying myself. I am really nervous about going back to school. But excited as well. The sooner I finish the sooner we can make plans for another baby. It seems everywhere I turn there's a newborn. I think I might be starting to get the 'baby aches'. You know that deep down desire for a baby. Now if I could only find someone to carry it for me! :-) I really don't want to be pregnant again. I have very difficult pregnancies with severe non-stop vomiting, excessive weight gain, leg and groin pain, shortness of breath, the hour long roll-over in bed, leg cramps, heartburn, difficulty doing anything, and intense fatigue. Oh and I can't forget my week-long labors. Do I have any volunteers to carry my next baby for me? Yea, I don't blame you.

Life really seems to get away from us sometimes doesn't it? Before we know it it will be five years from now. I think that is why it is so important to stay on top of Bible study and pray. Our fleshly minds say you can always do it tomorrow. But the problem with that is before you know it a week has gone by and you haven't done a single daily reading. And then a month and then a year. The key is to stay on top of it and never put it off. We should make our service to the Lord a part of our daily routine. This is something I stuggle with every day and I look forward to the day when the Lord will be the only thing in my mind, my heart, and my day.

Take care and God Bless,

Dawn

We're back from vacation!

And it was wonderful and so very relaxing. The beaches in Destin, FL are gorgeous! The sand was white and soft, and very clean. The ocean was crystal clear and the surf wasn't very strong. The temperature was perfect just cool enough to be refreshing, but not cold. It was like a big wave pool. I wish I was still there. This is the first vacation where I can honestly say, "It's not good to be home." Our rental house was right across the street from the water, close and convenient. And the kids had a ball. Michael and Sarah learned to surf on a boogie board. Sarah would get up after hitting the sand and squeal and jump around in a circle. It was so funny. The kids both napped on the beach everyday. In the shade it was very comfortable with a nice cool ocean breeze. Michael fell asleep floating on the boogie board with Daniel a couple times. We are all very, very tan. My brother, Tommy (he went with us) got really burnt. I warned him that the sun was amazingly strong. He thought his Italian skin wouldn't burn. I hate to say I told you so.It was great seeing Daniel's brothers and their families. The kids have really grown up since we saw them last. I was really determined to loose weight before vacation so I wasn’t the big, fat sister-in-law I'd been in the past. And I lost 19 lbs. But I was still the big, fat one since both my sisters-in-law got super thin. They look amazing. Well, maybe after I'm done having kids and when I get my much needed work done; I'll look as good as they do. You don't realize how much you miss family until you spend a week with them and then have to say good-bye.We had a really nice time and hope we can see all the other Garan's again sooner rather than later.

Be Safe and God Bless,
Dawn

Orbit: The track of a planet, satellite (space shuttle), comet, etc., around another heavenly body. It’s also the point of a 5 year old argument between Daniel and me. And since sharing it with my family at our 4th of July barbeque it has spread to the Blanchfield household. Apparently, they were up until 1 in the morning discussing it. LOL. So what’s the argument, you say? We both agree that when the space shuttle is orbiting the earth it’s in a continuous state of falling. But that is where our great minds thinking alike stop thinking alike. Daniel claims that an astronaut, while orbiting the earth in the space shuttle, feels like he is falling, physiologically. I say there is no way he feels like he’s falling, not mentally or physically. Rather he feels like he is floating. Our argument is quite in depth and would probably read like a science paper. And even though Daniel is an actual physicist and engineer, and I failed physics in high school (what's a vector anyway?) I still think I’m right! :-) So, this November when we go to Daniel’s brother, Ron’s for Thanksgiving we hope to have a sit down with an astronaut who has orbited the earth. Maybe then I’ll be proven right! :-)

Be safe and God Bless,

Dawn

I thought I'd write a quick post while Daniel was bathing the kids. Now Sarah has the virus, but luckily she only has one ulcer on her tongue and a couple white dots on her tonsils.

Happy fourth of July everyone. If I wasn't a Christadelphian I would be a big time patriot. I just love Independance Day! The fun outside with family and friends, the good food and swimming in the pool; it's great. And I love the patriotic songs and the fire works! And who doesn' love the Wil Smith movie Independence Day! It's one of my favorite, I can watch it over and over again. But I know better. This world is not everlasting and therefore not for us.

I started painting Sarah's room. I'll tell you all more about the design another day, but it's going to be so beautiful. If I can pull it off that is.

God Bless,

Dawn

Sarah is such a delight! She is witty and so much fun. It's amazing how humans are wired because at 1-1/2 she has such a neat sense of humor. She is always doing something just to make us laugh. Sarah loves popcorn. I only buy Newman's Own Popcorn becuase it's not made with hydrogenated oils and has no trans fats. And we do not eat anything made with hydrogenated oils. So, while eating lunch yesterday Sarah pointed to a salad dressing bottle and said, "popcorn." Well, I corrected her saying, "No Bear that's salad dressing." She looks at me with this expression that said you don't know what your talking about and again said, "popcorn." This time Daniel looked over at the bottle and started laughing. He turned it around so I could see the front and who do you suppose I saw? You got it, Paul Newman's big face. How funny is that?

And last night my bother Tommy and my mom were visiting and He and Daniel were setting off store bought fire works in the street in front of our house and we were watching from the drive way. After each one Sarah would say, "The End." And then ask me to take a step back. Twenty minutes later our little fire works display was over I was in the garage by the door to the house and she said, "Go inside now, mommy." Poor Michael just sat there and watched, his checks swollen and his mouth hurting too much to speak. But he enjoyed the show.

Take care and God Bless,
Dawn

It's a fine Sunday morning here in Florida. I hope all of you are having a nice day so far. You might be wondering why I'm posting on a Sunday morning and not at Church. Well, Michael is sick. He has hand, foot, and mouh disease. Actually a virus related to H,F, andM. It sounds worse than it is. He has ulcers in his mouth and on his tongue and they are really painful, but nothing on his hands or feet. We are trying to make him as comfortable as possible and pray Sarah doesn't catch it. He loves his ped2iatrician prescribed medicine, lots of ice pops! It is the only things that give him some kind of relief. You can't cure a virus with antibiotics, it just has to run it's course. It breaks out within a community and my sister Julie, brought the kids to the movies last week so we figure that's where he got it. Ever since he weaned in April he has been seriously sick twice. And he was rarely sick while breastfeeding. Just goes to so show the awesome power of breastmilk.

There's a lot going on in our family lately. In two weeks we are going to beautiful Destin, FL for a vacation with Daniel family. We are all really excited, this is going to be a very relaxing and fun vacation. I'm already half packed! LOL. Michael has been having speech therepy lesson and his speech is really improving. In August he starts back to pre-school at a new and fantastic christian school that took a year and a half to get him in. And the best part is it is right down the road and the day is from 9-2:00 in the afternoon. It's only twice a week though.

Sarah should make it in next year. It's funny M&S are 2 years apart in age, but because of when their birthdays fall they are only a year apart in school. Sarah is doing very well, she is super attached to me, even with my mom she can only stay away from me for about 3 hours without crying for "Mommy! and Boppy! (boobie). Oh how pleasent! She just brought me the potty with a big poop in it! She is potty training herself, which is good and bad. Good beacuse I don't have to change poopy diapers and bad because she isn't really physically ready so there's a lot of chasing her around to put her diaper back on after she just did peepee on the floor. She is also talking up a storm with a hugh vacabulary and good diction. And she's only 22 months old! My children don't stay baby's for very long :-(

Daniel had the summer off from school so we have really enjoyed having him to ourselves every evening and on weekends. We've been doing a lot of family activities and having a nice time. But in August he's taking another graduate class so we won't see him as much.

I'm going to be starting school in August too. I'm going for medical transcription through a study at homecourse that is completely reputable and accreditied. Hopefully, when I am done I will be able to get a job working from home and make some good money to add to our family income and move to a bigger house. By then maybe I will have talked Daniel into wanting another baby. I really want at least one more, he doesn't. We'll have to see if I can wear him down. The way I see it is if we don't have another baby I'll always regret it and if we do he won't regret because he'll love it and not be able to picture life without it. I think its a good arguement. I had started leadership training with La Leache League (the world-wide leader on breasfeeding and breastfeeding support), but I've changed my mind. I've been active with my local group for years, since Michael was a baby, and it seemed like the next logical step. However since starting the process I've discovered that they are a little too liberal for my standards. They have a 'gentle discipline' philosophy (time-out, no spanking) that all leaders have to live by and since Daniel and I follow Biblical child training (spanking and communication), not worldly child training (time-out, no respect for authority) I've decided not to pursue leadership. Which is a shame since I am such a big advocate of breastfeeding and want to promote it and help other women as much as possible. Oh well, life goes on. Well, I'm always here if any of you need help or information. Feel free to ask!

On that note, please have a good day and may our Heavenly Father bless you.

Love,
Dawn

Hello Family and Friends,

Everybody seems to be blogging these days so I thought we'd join in. It's a great way to update everyone with those day to day adventures that can't really be added to our website. I know it's a bit impersonal, a generic letter going out to everyone and their cousin, but please know we keep each and everyone of you in our thoughts and prayers daily and we will still be corresponding through emails with you. We are still keeping our family website http://home.earthlink.net/~garan_d/ for picture and other information , but journaling in our blog will be a great way to share our day with family and friends. I know I love getting emails titled "We've update our blog!" I hope you do to, becuase it should be easy to do every day or so.