It has been a while since we have updated. Maliyah had surgery again for the same thing. Her VEPTR made a hole in her skin again, so they took one of the rods out of her back. She was able to go home that same day. She is missing a lot of school this year so far, which makes me very nervous!
Kendra is doing very well with her 'robot' leg. She is getting around very well at school with it. I am so proud of all of her hard work. Both the girls started dance at the beginning of the school year, but decided that it was too hard for them. I went and visited their class and they were able to keep up with all the other kids.
Courtney decided that she wasn't going to take dance this year and is going to try gymnastics. It makes me pretty sad that we aren't going to be doing her Saturday competitions this year. She is taking a tutor by her Grandma and Grandpa's house. She is flying through her reading classes, so I wonder what we are going to put her in to keep things challenging for her. She has also been having a hard time hearing, so we are taking her to the ENT for tubes because she is getting so much fluid in her ears.
Justin and Austin are so dang cute!! I can't believe that they are going to start Kindergarten next year. I will miss my sweet boys so much. They are learning about safety this week at preschool. They came running out telling me about 911 and the fireman. I was laughing with another mom about my boys calling 911. And was just waiting until they made that phone call. Well that never happened, and at the field trip today the mom told me that her son had called 911 and the police showed up at her house. So funny! Austin's favorite thing to do right now is come up to me and tell me how pretty I look today. He is so sweet. Justin is probably going to be getting his tonsils out soon. He is having a hard time sleeping at night and he has been on a antibotics for 4 weeks now and nothing is happening. We are going to meet with the ENT soon.
Jake is enjoying the football season and I am too. It's nice to get someone to watch the kids and take off to the games together. I told Jake that we will have to start following the team around, if they go to places like Florida.
I enjoy school and am doing VERY well! It's great to be able to learn, but the classes I am taking right now are so easy that it's not very much work.
In Utah the Fall is over and the snow is starting. Our kids are very excited for that, but I dread the snow. I hope that we can get a truck or something for me to drive when it snows.

I am really sorry I don't update this as much. Facebook is just easier and faster, but this is a lot more important because the kids will love this when they are older. :)

Maliyah just had another unexpected surgery on Monday. On Saturday she was having some back pain and noticed that some of her VEPTR was showing through her skin. Thankfully there was no infection to speak of, probably because I got it taking care of pretty quick. She missed just a couple days of school and is back in the swing of things again.
Kendra is working on her 'robot' leg, but its just so heavy for her little body.
Courtney is really bored! She has 2 weeks off of dance and she has no idea what to do with her extra time. There were times when I felt bad because she went to dance so often. Now I know that she needs that.
Justin and Austin are learning to ride their 2 wheel bikes. Its been fun running up and down the street with them. They still aren't ready to be competely off their training wheels, but in time. They also are so excited for winter. Justin keeps asking when the snows is coming. I wonder if he realizes that he won't be able to play outside for hours on end like he does now.
I just started school yesterday. It was really cool being in a class setting again. I really love to learn! The sad part was listening to the people around me whine about having to be there. I guess when you haven't waited 10 years to start school, you really don't know how to be grateful for the little things in life.
Jake is very excited for College Football. Can't say I feel the same way. Now back to being a single mom for the season. Which is fine because he does what he loves and so do I.

The kids just started back to school last Wednesday. When we were leaving the school Justin turned around to the girls and yelled "see ya suckas". It was so cute! The girls had a great day at school. I wanted the girls to go back to school, but now I am so lonely for them to be at home with me. I miss them! I signed the girls up on Saturday for dance. Courtney is back on the competition team taking 5 classes. Kendra and Maliyah are starting with just 2 classes, they take a Jazz/Tap/Ballet class and a Jazz Technique class. They are so excited! I even signed myself up for Jazz Technique, which was probably a bad idea because we are going to be busy with the kids stuff. We will see how the first month goes. Justin and Austin are lost without the girls at home. They seem to fight more than before. Their pre-school starts in September. Jake is still plugging away at work and things are busier for him than ever. Then school starts for me on Wednesday. Jake isn't very excited for that, but he is still supporting me through it. He knows that it's been my dream for years.

The summer is coming to an end. I can't believe how relaxing this summer has been. The older the kids get and easier things seem. Several years ago, if the girls got sick they would need to be in the hospital. Now they know what need to be done for them to stay at home. The last several years has been more then overwhelming at times. I think we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thank Heavens! I really thought this would never happen for us. When you are in the thick of things its hard to see when the hard stuff will end. I know that things will be rocky at times, but I am glad that we are getting a break. I really think the vacation that Jake and I took was a big help to see the positive things in life.

Justin and Austin are starting their 2 year of preschool. Kendra and Maliyah are starting the 2nd grade and Courtney is starting the 4th grade

There is a cute girl Kiera that came from Canada to meet our family. She wrote on her blog that meeting the girls will be better than meeting Hannah Montana. I agree with her!

The last several weeks have been so much fun. Kendra and Maliyah stayed with their grandma Patsy for all of last week. Then my Aunt Nikki from Provo took Courtney, Justin and Austin. Jake and I got a much needed break from all 5 kids. It was heaven on earth!! The summer is almost over for our children, it has flown by. The girls are done with summer school and are reading on a 3rd grade level.
We are planning on taking the kids camping before school starts. Maliyah is finally done with her PICC line. Kendra is working hard on her 'robot leg'. Courtney has a dance camp in the next couple of weeks. She will dance 19 hours in 2 days, she is so excited! I uploaded her dance video to youtube. Justin and Austin are doing very well and will start sports in the fall.
Life is so good right now. My children are healthy and things are going so well.

I would like to thank the people that look out for our family. Thank you!! And to the people that write nasty things on MY guestbook. Its really funny to read your notes, do you really think we care what you think. LOLOLOLOLOL!! You just make us laugh!

Thanks for all of the guestbook entries. They are so wonderful to read... It nice to know that we have people around the world that pray for our family and that are excited to hear the good things happening to us. Things have been REALLY crazy!! Our family has been sick with the throwing up. Maliyah has gotten it a lot worse than the others. Thank goodness she has her PICC, so that I can give her IV fluids at home. On Tuesday she must of thrown up ever 10 minutes, all the way up until I started her fluid. She will have it pulled out on Monday when her lab work shows everything back to normal. She will have it pulled out on Monday when her lab work shows everything back to normal.

The girls have been working really hard on there legs. The work will be worth it when they are able to walk without there walkers and crutches.

The girls expansion went BETTER than I thought it was going to. We were able to go as a family to see the fireworks at the park by our house just 2 days later.

Austin favorite thing to say right now is "mom pay attention". He is so funny.

Justin just wants to play outside all day long with his best friend..

Courtney just made the Juniors dance team. One of the studio that is in our neighborhood is flying so professional dancing instructors to teach. So in 2 days Courtney will be taking 15 hours of dance. She is so excited!! Kendra and Maliyah are taking dance at the same studio as Courtney.

There isn't much to update about Kendra other than she is doing so great. I think that TLC show really showed how funny and happy she is. I loved all of her funny phrases in the show, like awesome, weird and it just like playin in the mud..

I loved that my children are always so happy and willing to show how brave they are with others. Its truly is amazing how far they have come and how far our family has come. We are still under a lot of stress, but we know as time goes on that it will get better. Things always do with time.

For those that have emailed me there stories about there families. Thank you so much!! You are such amazing families as well and your stories touched my heart!! We all have trials to get through in this life, but if we help lift each other things will get easier.

I wanted to update and let you all know that our TLC show is airing this Sunday the 12th, 13th and 15th of July. Check your local listings for times.

The girls have their legs and are taking off with them. They also had a surgery this past week to lengthen their rods in their backs. Maliyah is still on IV meds for the infection she had in her back a month ago. She is still on a feeding tube as well.

Kendra is doing very well.

Both of the girls started dance this summer..

Sorry this post is really short but its going to be a very busy day today!