A Brave little Warrior

A typical Saturday at the Napier house is little kiddies waking up way to early.

Mind you Ty and I don't want to be in this category but it goes with the territory. Well this was a regular Saturday kids already lathered in Sunblock breakfast all done and in there bathing suits playing in there little pool. Let me say it was only 8 a clock too. I was in the kitchen and see Averee and little Tyler throwing water back and forth at each other and I go back to putting dishes away. Then I hear this loud thump..

I knew someone had hit the house well then a loud scream came after and I knew.. Little Tyler was at the screen door covered in blood. He had hit the corner of the stucco post dead center of his forehead. Well I of course freaked out none of my girls have ever hurt themselves like in a serious situation. So I had never experienced this kind of thing. I was smart enough to know he needed stitches. So I called Big Ty in the house and of course he thinks I am over reacting when I call him and is thinking he's fine until he see's it. So Ty gets ready and I get little Tyler ready to go to the hospital with Daddy. Little Tyler say's to me while holding the cloth to his head "Mommy I am like a real Warrior now" I said "You are right buddy you are a warrior".

As the girls and I waited for him they Averee was so scared and she wanted to pray for him that he would be ok. So her and Lola prayed. I thought about what he had said about being a real warrior and how true that was. He has endured things and faced battles at such a young age and that day he got hurt he faced it with such strength. He didn't freak out he did cry of course, I mean who wouldn't? He calmed down in a traumatic situation and trusted Tyler and myself to see him through it. I mean think about it. Living in a new place and experiencing such trauma and having to trust people who you have not Known for a long time. Well he did and he came out like a Warrior. 7 stitches later and will have the scar to prove it. I will be ale to tell everyone that scar is a battle he did win with trusting and overcoming it like a warrior. 

Around the Dinner Table..

  Dinner time.. I don't know about you but for our family dinner time is a big deal in our house. Not only is everyone starving by that time, but everybody knows that is the time everyone gets to be heard..

Hi's and Lows and How you served the Lord that day?

That is the question and topic at dinner that everyone is so excited to hear about and share. All the kids think  about it and Lola says the same thing every night. Her Hi is spending the day with Mommy her low is taking a nap and how she served the Lord that day, She didn't say "Poopo, pee pee, or ca ca" But boy does she love to say it at dinner..lol She Say's that because sometimes she gets carried away with yucky talk and I tell her that Jesus doesn't like her to talk like that so there you go. It is the best way to hear about every one's day and to hold them accountable on how they can serve the Lord that day.
Well last night was different it was Ty's idea to go around the table to say Word's of encouragement about everyone. So everyone had to say something they liked about that person. It was the greatest thing ever to watch as a Mommy to hear what your little ones think about each other. Things were said like, your kind to me, "I like when you play with me", the way you get my stuff for me". Then a little boy in the sweetest voice who had the hardest time with this not because he didn't have nice things to share but probably has never done anything like this. He looked me in the eye and said "You are the nicest mommy in the whole world" I lost it. I sat there and thought everything he has gone through all he knows right now at this moment is the consistency of Love shown to him.He knows how it truly should be with how people are to there kids and how a family acts to one another.
So after dinner I truly reflected on our dinner time and how truly precious it is and how much eating together as a family means to our kids. Sit together as a family at dinner and hold hands and pray because in that moment you see how truly blessed you are. Kids thrive off consistency.

This last supper table I call it was the best purchase we ever made seats 13 and the more the merrier.

Time Out's for Mommies

 As I am finally sitting down during the day and using my new little notebook laptop my husband got for me for my birthday. I take in a deep breath of I needed to stop and sit down. Doing what is a a normal every day thing of getting snacks, changing diapers, feeding babies, taking dropping off to school, folding laundry.. I loathe laundry if you wanted to to really know!! Getting things out for dinner that day, putting dishes away in the dishwasher from starting it the night before because that is an everyday thing. These are just the things of everyday that goes on, and I'm sure for a lot of Moms. I am drowned out of the words Mommy this Mommy that? A baby that is crying in the background and I am truly surprised that I am not in a stray jacket. I am kind of at peace with it all. Crazy I know but I know it is all God and he prepares me through it all. I find that me taking time for my self if that means 20 minutes whatever I am doing and give my self a time out, it let's me truly reflect what is going on around me. My kids know when I need that time I tell them that when I am done they can ask me for whatever it is they wanted at that time. I think it also helps them with knowing they aren't the center of the universe and that is good for kids to know. Kids grow up these day to entitlement because that is what they are used to. No Mom should feel guilty for taking time for herself it helps her in the end she is better for it. I can't say I do this everyday but should, it is just a good reminder to let know to take care of my self.

30 and Blessed

 Well I will tell you I can't believe I am 30 it doesn't feel real. I still feel like I am 21 and I wish...lol But with age comes so much growing. Growing in my walk of life and truly realizing the type of woman I am. A blessed woman that is a fact even  during the hardest times in my life I didn't think they were blessings. I am married to my best friend who I am so grateful to be in love with who is on this crazy journey of life with me. My kids are growing up to be such children of God and for that make me so proud because that's letting me know I am doing something right. I know I can't predict there future and how they will turn out I just pray that I make wise choices in parenting them, and for God to lead the way. I have truly been blessed with some of the most amazing friendships a girl could ask for. God has put so many people in my life that truly bless me. I have always struggled with trying to find close friends and as I have gotten older I have formed some of the strongest friendships. People who are a part of our lives that are very dear to me. Starting on April 15th a friend of mine who I love dearly started this thing called Michelle's count down to 30 so for 30 days I have been blessed by a friend each day via text, or dropped by with lunch, a gift telling me what I mean to them or childhood friend driving a couple of hours just to drop by and spend time with me surprising me. My dear friend who started this I won't say who because that's just the type of person she is she wouldn't want me to make a big deal about her. She did the most amazing thing for me at the time I surely could of used it most... In this journey we can get lost and feel like no one is watching when in fact they have been there the whole time it is just that you get too side track to notice. You know someone said once "When God knows you have a need there is someway or someone he is going to use to meet it.  I am truly grateful for everyone God has placed in my life who is coming and going and who I haven't even met yet. So yes at 30 I can say I am a Woman of God, Wife, Mother of 5...sheesh never thought I would say that..lol sister , daughter, and friend. To everyone who is apart of our lives I am so thankful to God for you::)

Love requires sacrafice!!

  Well I didn't think I would be here writing this post. A shock value yesterday was the definition of Tyler's and my day. A simple email I received which two words stuck out to me
( Conditionally Approved) which means someone might be cleared to have the boys... "NO way this isn't the way it should be going they are perfectly fine here". Tyler and I are Daddy and Mommy and these are our boys..I had to sit and truly think what is happening? It was the longest drive home from Bakersfield after getting the email. I cried while trying to make sense of it all. While in my crying I hear "Be Still and Know that I am God" 

"Well God I don't want to be still!!! I wrestled thinking and saying out loud I want to be angry. Why do we have to be this family? We just did this I mean wasn't loosing Elijah hard enough? Why can't we have a smooth sailing adoption? This is all the things that were going through my head. Later that day after trying to make sense of it all and truly finding out what Conditionally Approved meant.  We found out that it means that they are still waiting on a couple of things so until that comes through which will determine  the full approval. So it could be granted or denied. If it is granted we have a meeting a meeting that will be the hardest thing I will ever have to do. A meeting trying to convince people why its the best choice for the boys to be with us. We are so grateful we have 100% backup from our social workers and that they will fight with us. But we all know ,Tyler and I better than anyone our court systems can really get ugly. So after finding all this out and praying yesterday God showed me that he is in control and whatever happens he is still God that loves us and doesn't want the bad for us but does want us to grow in him. Loving these boys comes with no guarantee but it does come with sacrifice. Sacrificing our wants!!!!! Yes there is nothing we would want more than to be able to adopt our 2 little boys but we can't be angry at God if that isn't able to happen. We need to relish in the fact that we were chosen to take care of them that God placed them with our Family for a reason. Our girls know it isn't a guarantee either but they love there brothers unconditionally.  I say brothers because that's what they are to them not friends, neighbors, random boys that came to live with us, Brothers that God picked for them to be sisters too. We are a family that is filled with God's love because its only through him we love like this.

Matthew 22:37 

 You must love the Lord your God with all your heart,all your soul and all your mind.'

This is true and speaks of how we are dealing with our situation. We can't just Love God with half of our heart because we want to keep the other part safe. We have to love him with everything we have and by doing that we are trusting him with our lives. Good or Bad at that time. Now I am not saying that It will be easy I am just relying on God to get us through. So everyday will be treated no different and we will still be that Crazy Circus family and be thankful that we get to be until God says otherwise.

So I ask that you would just pray over our Family and if we have to have the meeting for the boys that we will have peace going into it.

Much Love Michelle and The Napier Crew :)

GOD is Good!!

A Supporting Family

 Yes our family is big and could continue to grow God willing. All the kid's have there own likes and dislikes. Everyone one of them is different and yet all the same. How are they all the same they support each other. With that being said. Our girls have taken Tyler and the baby under there own wing and showed there Daddy and I about true unconditional love. They don't see the bad ugly side that comes with taking on adoption they just see these boys who need love and support and they do it. Not once did they ever second guess these two little people coming into the house that were going to start taking up Mommy and Daddy's attention also knowing our family would be different. There are bonds you can't even describe and a common ground between them. They all  can meet on the same level that they are of the same family and they all know Jesus loves them very much because in Jesus eyes they are of the same family. They also know  Mommy and Daddy support them all. If they have conflicts or a hard time understanding what's going on were there to help them all through it. I just wanted to share because I am so proud of  how well the kids have been together and this picture just makes my heart just melt. Three girls watching a there brother who they are so proud of and want to be there for him.

6 months old Today and still Growing.

 I can't believe my Little boy is 6 months old today. As I look into his Big blue eyes I think of quite the journey this little man has been on. Being brought into the world so dramatically and not in a normal way. He was so tiny when we first laid eyes on him in the Nicu he didn't look real. He was only 4 pounds when we brought him home from the hospital. He could fit into the palm of both hands put together. Fragile and so weak I couldn't believe this tiny little person was coming home to us. It would take him 45 minutes just to finish a bottle the size of a pretend bottle for your girls baby dolls. Even his preemie clothes were to big if you could even believe that! 6 months in the making and he has improved more than i could express. We took him to Mad era's children's hospital and had some test done on him Found out that he has esophageal reflux we are so grateful for that. He will grow out of it and he is now on a medicine that has truly helped him. He doesn't have that major heart burn  that would cause him a lot of pain and discomfort and  doesn't projectile vomit his food as much anymore.

  He has totally changed from the last blog I wrote. He is now tracking your face and he just started grabbing for things. He doesn't sit up yet or eat solid foods. Crying isn't like it used to be. We have now learned he is baby who needs to sleep a lot and know when to put him down for his naps. His sister's and brother love to make him smile. He is by far the most popular and unpopular in the house..lol Either they love him for smiling or dislike him for screaming give or take.  He follows me with his eyes when ever I am in the room. His smiles melt my heart every time, it isn't really anything I could explain just the fact that it reminds me every time that God is faithful and in control. Though the bonding for him and I hasn't been easy because his little body doesn't take well to touch or to much stimulation. It is just something that we have to work harder for. There is so much love that we have to give to him that I truly know in my heart it will help him through.

I can't wait for that day when I get to hear him laugh. I don't know how I will handle it I won't know to laugh or cry. Not hearing this from him has been kind of weird for me since all my babies were smiling and laughing and making  baby noises already by now. He will laugh I know it in his timing and Gods. I will wait patiently just adoring and enjoying all the steps he is doing day by day. He is my precious Little Boy and I Love Him so.