My Sweet Girl

We lost our dear, sweet Penny girl recently. She would have been 10 years old in October. She came down ill so suddenly....it was a shock to me. She was just so ornery all the time, she never seemed sick. She quit eating for 4 days. I took her to the vet who said something had been going around and prescribed antibiotics. After a couple of days, she perked back up and started eating and drinking. About a week later, she quit eating and drinking again. I knew I had to take her to the vet the next day. By that evening, she was really moving with great difficulty and her breathing was starting to become short and rapid. At the vet's office the next morning, they did an x-ray which revealed a large tumor on her spleen. He said it had most likely spread to her other organs. She also had fluid in her lungs. I was so shocked and sad to leave that office without her. It broke my heart to realize she will not be running out in the driveway to greet me when I get home or barking happily. She was ALWAYS happy to see me and followed me around the house everywhere. She was content just sleeping nearby or close where she could see me. I miss her so much. Rest in peace, my Sweet Penny Girl.

PS... I shaved down her fur every June because she LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the creek behind our house and this way, she dried out much quicker. It also helped keep down the burrs and other stickery things she picked up along the way!

Finally Student Teaching!

Well, I finally passed the Praxis II exam. It was rough...but I did it in time to start Student Teaching this Fall. I'm at a high school (versus a middle school). My cooperating teacher is great and we get along well. She also has a daughter from China the same age as Caitie as well as an older son and younger daughter. I anticipate having a good semester. We have three Algebra 3 classes, one Precalculus, and two Geometry classes.

Justin started back for year 3 of college at CalU, and Corey is still at the Art Institute. Jordan is working on PA Cyber School. Caitie started Kindergarten last week and Sarah is back in preschool.

And Then The Semester Started....

Well, so much for my blog attempt. I realized that I created this thing in January and now it is May with nothing posted in between. The reason for that is shortly after January 7, I started my last semester of course-work at school. Five classes: Abstract Analysis, Calculus 4, History of Math, Real Analysis, Exceptionality....so that is all she wrote. On Wednesday, I take my last final. I have completed a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics. Woo-Hoo! If I can only pass the Praxis II, I'd be able to student teach in the Fall and be done.

So, that is the reason for the delay. Lots happening as usual with a house full of kids/people. Will put pictures and updates on in the next week or so. Have to catch my breath from finals!

The Girls

Meet the girls.....Caitlin and Sarah

Caitlin is 5 years old and in preschool. She was adopted from China at the age of 8 months on May 28, 2003, from the Fuling Lily Orphan Care Center in Chongqing of the Sichuan Province. She is shy around new people but once she warms up to you, she is very loving. She loves to draw and color and having stories read to her is a favorite pastime. She enjoys playing with her toy horses and barbies and delights in anything Disney-princess related.

Sarah is 4 years old and also in preschool. She was adopted from China at the age of almost 2 years old on September 12, 2005, from the Shucheng Social Welfare Institute in Hefei of the Anhui Province. Sarah was born with cleft lip and palate and all of her repairs were done at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. She is outgoing, loves to chatter (can't stand quiet!) and will talk to just about anyone! She adores her older sister and wants to do everything she does. She also loves coloring, puzzles, and reading.

Both girls get along really well, for which we are very fortunate. They are each other's constant companions and both of them adore their brothers. They enjoy hanging out with them when the girlfriends come over, especially!

We are truly blessed with our daughters!

The Boys

Meet the boys...Corey, Jordan, Justin.

Justin is going to be 20 on January 20th. He is in his second year of college, currently attending California University of Pennsylvania. He is studying accounting. He joined a fraternity this past Fall and has a girlfriend, Jess. He works to maintain his mustang and typical of any kid his age...is never home except when he is low on food or money! Justin likes snowboarding and daydreaming about all the things he wants to do to fix up his car.

Corey is 18 and will be starting at the Pittsburgh Art Institute tomorrow! He is going to be studying video production and he's pretty excited about this new venture in his life. Corey was pretty actively involved in video production and photography all through high school. He has been dating Laura for about 18 months now. (She has put up with him longer than any other! That girl has nerves of steel!) Corey continues to write music and record songs and he plays out occasionally at local coffee houses and such.

Jordan is 16 and in the 10th grade. He loves to ride his bmx bike and is constantly coming home banged up and bleeding. He has been dating his girlfriend, Kaitlin, for several months now. Jordan is pretty laid back and easy going with many friends. He never has a lull in his social life and occasionally makes time for schoolwork, if only to get himself ungrounded.

That's the boys....they keep us on our toes!

Introduction

I decided to try something new this year to stay in touch with people that the chaos of my life normally prohibits. This will be the latest on what's happening in our household. Be it boring or breath-taking...you'll find it here!

For those of you who know us...you'll want to skip this part.

For new people or the simply curious, we are Gary and Karen, married 24 years this past November. We have five children...three handsome sons, Justin (19), Corey (18), Jordan (16), and two beautiful daughters, Caitlin (5) and Sarah (4) and our dog, Penny (9).