Jimmy

As most of you know Jimmy is not our legal son, but in our hearts he is as much our son as any of our boys. He is going through some really hard times right now and it's hard for us to know he is suffering and there isn't much we can do to help.


He is no longer employed. He is trying to get a visa to come visit but money is tight for everyone. If we can get him here to the states he can take the tests necessary to get into college. He would need to return to Haiti in order to get a student visa but could return and get his degree. His dream is to return to Haiti and do something to make a difference for his country. He wants to get married, raise a family and live in Haiti.


We love Jimmy and really want to help him make this dream a reality. The hard part is knowing when to help and when not to. Money is always a factor for us. We are horrible at managing it!! We know that the majority (if not, ALL) our financial difficulties are because of us. not the economy. not the job market. not the government. US! We are working on changing that. Working within a budget. Working with God's help to be good stewards of the things He gives us. The reality is we do not have the financial resources to help Jimmy. We do not know how he will get here. We do not know how tuition can be paid for. We do not know where the money for his ticket will come from. HOWEVER, we do know that if it is God's will, it will happen. God will provide the funds. We have open and willing hearts, we have the space for Jimmy. We want to be here for him the way his birth family isn't able to be. We are trusting that God has Jimmy in the palm of His hand. We are trusting the God will open doors and close others as needed. God is in the paving business, we just have to give Him the space necessary to to the paving.

the summer wouldn't be complete...

...without playing in the mud and taking a shower outside.

Andrew Jaxon (A.J.) Gray

The boy has guns like his Grandpa!

no surgery needed!

We just got back from the surgery center. Shane did not need the procedure!!!! Sometime during the night his jaw re-located on it's own! He has full motion with only minimal pain. He will need to protect his jaw for awhile. Soft foods and a helmet at all times during practice. He is already eaten a huge plate of scrambled eggs and a soft nectarine. Hopefully the feeding frenzy will end soon. Thanks for the prayers. We serve a mighty God who provides us with the miracles we need.

Shane

I got a call around 4:30 today from Shane's football coach. He told me Shane got kicked in the face by another player during drills. Shane was in some pain and he couldn't close his mouth all the way. The coaches thought Shane's jaw might be dislocated and felt he needed to see a doctor right away.

After 3 hours at urgent care it was determined that he had indeed dislocated his jaw. In order for it to be "re-located" (I have no idea the proper medical terminology for this procedure, sorry) he will need to be sedated. There was no way to do it at the facility we were at since all the surgeons had gone home. Our choice was to drive 45 minutes to the ER and wait who knows how long for a surgeon and an anesthesiologist to be available to reset his jaw OR wait til tomorrow at 10 and drive less than 1 mile to the surgeon center. We opted for the surgery center.

Shane is uncomfortable and hungry but doing OK. He has pain meds for the night.

Please, pray he is able to sleep and has minimal pain. Pray that the procedure goes well and does not require jaw wiring. Thanks!

Going Private

We have decided to make our blog non-public. With Jody's profession and the issues we have with RAD we feel it is in the families best interest to keep our life to those we know.

If you would like to continue reading this blog you will need to e-mail me at grayfamilyinhaiti@hotmail.com before July 10th. You will be required to sign in to read, but I'm sure it will be worth the effort. I'm hoping to be able to post more photos etc. in the future.

If you do not know us personally, please introduce yourself. We want to know who you are!!! We are happy to include you on our friends list.

Michelle Cundiff inspired me to try to post an update... so here goes.



Isaiah is getting so big! He weighs almost as much as Sutton does. His language skills are improving everyday. He is every bit the "baby" however. He often whines when words would work. We are working really hard to be consistent with him, he must use his words in order to get what he wants. Dinner time is often difficult for him. He still gorges on food and gets so angry if we don't give him more of what he wants. He is learning to wait his turn, something that is a must with 6 siblings to compete with. He is such a love bug, kisses and hugs abound!!



Sutton is also growing so much. She is still very petite but is one solid girl. Her RAD is still an issue everyday, home life is difficult. She is doing great at school for the most part. She struggles to sit in a chair throughout an activity but is doing better. She loves her pre-school teacher, I hope she has the same relationship with her kindergarten teacher. I can't believe she starts in August. Has it really been 4 years since we brought her home??



Landon is looking more and more like a boy... no more baby face for him. He struggled tons in kindergarten so he will be repeating it next year. He is growing in so many ways though. He asked Jody to take off his training wheels the other day. Jody wasn't sure if Landon would be able to ride the bike without them but figured "what the heck". Landon hopped on and rode away!! The only problem is he has so little awareness of his surroundings that he isn't able to ride the bike out front. He has rode his bike right in front of cars, ran people walking on the sidewalks over and even ran into a stop sign! His body may be capable but common sense just isn't there. Landon is also a love bug and loves to give hugs and kisses. His smile melts hearts!



Kynsley is turning into such a mommas girl. She loves to help me run errands and bake. She is struggling a little in school and really needed summer school but the district canceled it due to budget cuts. So, we are doing a little homeschooling this summer to get her ready for 4th grade. She gives 100% to learning it's just little slow going for her. Math is her biggest struggle so we are focusing on multiplication and division. We go to the library often so her reading is improving everyday.



Dylan did great this year at school. He loves to read and is reading at a 9th grade level. He's not fond of memorization so he is also working on multiplication over the summer. It amazes me everyday how tall he is. My guess is he will pass me up by the end of the year! He loves to hang out with his big brother and is great with Isaiah. Landon and Dylan butt heads constantly but we are working with a counselor to help improve their relationship.



Shane is such a bright young man. Things come pretty easy for him. If we could get him to remember to turn in his work, his grades would be through the roof ;) He had his wisdom teeth out last week and recovered really fast. Football started this week and he is really sore but LOVES to play. His IPod and phone are his constant companions but he is really great about helping with his siblings and hanging with dad.



The other 3 are doing great. You can read about Carsen's life at: http://www.whateverchristian.blogspot.com/

Andrew is busy working and raising 2 small boys! We are really hoping to see him this summer. Jimmy is hoping to come to the US for school soon. He has such a strong desire to get an education in order to go back to Haiti and do something to make a difference.



Jody and I are doing great. Life is busy and we have very little time just for us but make a point to have date night at least once a week. We love our new house and are having fun decorating. We are looking forward to a week on the Oregon coast in July with the whole family.



WOW! I did it!! Sorry, no pictures though. I lost my camera in Haiti and still haven't replaced it.

Happy Fathers Day

To all the fathers out there, I hope your day is blessed beyond measure. You are a blessing to your children!

G-pa... we miss you and wish we could be with you today. Have a wonderful day!

Jody... thank you for being such a great dad. Thank you for loving all of us even when we act "unlovable". Hope you have a blessed day.

Father's Day is always a hard day for me. It always reminds me how much I miss my dad. He's been gone for 13 years and it hasn't gotten easy. I try really hard to help the kids focus on their daddy but I think I fail miserably at it.

Dad... I miss you more than words can say. You would be so proud of your grand kids and great-grand kids! I wish you were here to see them grow. I know we will see you again someday. I love you, Dad!

prayer request

****Updated below at 12:45 p.m.*****
****Updated below at 11:30 p.m.*****

Today Shane will have all 4 wisdom teeth removed. The dentist said they should have come out over a year ago and the roots are longer than he has ever seen on a 15 year old. They are expecting a difficult surgery.

Also.... we just found out that Andrew and Jackie will be parents in the next few hours (or days???). Labor began early this morning, yesterday at her regular OB appointment she was at 2 cm. Contractions are at 7 mins right now so they are still at home. They will head to the hospital when the contractions are regular at 5 mins. The baby is measuring very large so there is a possibility of a C-section.

Please, pray that baby, Andrew Jaxon Gray, arrives quickly and easily as well as healthy!!! Also, pray that Shane's surgery goes well and he has minimal discomfort.

Thank you!!

Shane is home and sleeping. Surgery went well, much easier than expected. He was so funny when he was coming to!!! Wish I had the video camera with me :)

Still no word from Andrew yet.

Andrew Jaxon Gray was born at 11:07 p.m. He is 22 inches long (no official weight yet) Mom and baby are both doing great and daddy sounds beyond excited!!! We will post pictures as soon as we get some. A.J. and parents are needing some serious rest after a long hard labor.

2 minute update

Yep... I have exactly 2 minutes to get this posted...

It's moving week. I meet the landlord today to get the keys woo-hoo!!!! We are beyond excited.

The furniture refinishing was put on hold for awhile since it was raining. It's sunny again and we are almost finished with the china cabinet. We will wait until our new kitchen table comes in to tackle the dining room table. I hate to do it, but I guess I do need a place for everyone to sit to eat until then.

Kynsley got her cast off yesterday. Found out from the x-ray that she actually broke 3 bones not 2. Doctor said if it had been an adult it would have taken months to heal. That girl is one tough cookie!

The whole family has caught a nasty head cold... not fun for moving time!

That's all I have time for! I'll post pictures of the new house and finished china cabinet as soon as I can!

We are 99% sure we are moving to a larger house on May 16th... as long as the IRS comes through with our refund ;)

In preparation for the move, I've decided to refinish our seriously dinged up dining room furniture. Shane (with the help of a few of his siblings) has done most of the prep work. He shows some real talent at wood working and seems to enjoy doing it. His papa would be so proud of him!! (For those of you who don't know, my dad was really into woodworking before he died.)

Prayers would be appreciated for the funds to arrive quickly! Thanks!!!

long overdue update

I really do not have much time for blogging lately. Sorry! Here's a quick update of a few things happening around here.

• Over spring break Kynsley broke the 2nd and 3rd metacarpal in her left hand. She is currently in a removable cast (takes it off at night to do physical therapy). She wants to be done with it so badly. It's driving her nuts!!
• Landon and Dylan are both doing great in counseling and we have seen great improvement in their behavior and relationship.
• Isaiah decided that rubbing peanut butter in his dredlocks was the best game ever... after 1 week of this and not being able to get the peanut butter out of the core of the dred they started to smell... so.. he got his hair cut!! I miss the dreds so much but he does look more grown up with his hair short. We are open to letting it grow back... when he is a little older.
• Sutton has good days and bad days. Pre-school is going OK and they are willing to work with us on behavior issues so we will continue with it as long as the school is. Kindergarten starts in September for her, please pray for her. It will be a very tough transition.
• Shane is loving Vacaville High School. Spring work-outs for football start next month and he is already preparing. He runs a couple nights a week and is lifting weights in PE. Our grocery bill will go up so much next month... I'm not looking forward to that.
• Jody and I are doing great. We just finished a 6 week couples bible study based on the movie "Fireproof". We will be starting track classes at church next month which will allow us to get more involved (track classes are a requirement to be a small group leader or be in any leadership role).
• We are currently looking for a bigger house. We have been living in a 1200 sq. ft. 3 bedroom house since moving back to the states. We are certainly thankful for what we have but really do need a little more room. 3 kids in a room is tight and most of our stuff is still in boxes in the garage. I have an appointment today to look at a 5 bedroom house. We are praying we can find something soon!!!

I'm sure there is more but Isaiah is getting into stuff so I need to go!!!

Blessings!

Jamming

Isaiah is currently obsessed with 2 things... wearing hats and playing guitar... unfortunately until recently he owned neither. So I finally took him to Target and he got a new Giants hat just like Daddy and a new rock -n-roll guitar. Jody took him out to the garage with him last night and they jammed. Here's a little (unedited) clip of Zi and Dad playing some rock-n-roll.

My prayer for today...

Heavenly Father,

Today thousands of people will gather in Oakland to say good bye to 4 men who gave the ultimate sacrifice. I do not know Lord, if any of these men knew you, I pray they did. We do know, Lord, that there will be many gathered today that do not know you. Lord, for those that do, give them strength to share the gospel today with their brothers and sisters. Give them the courage to step outside the "macho-cop" zone and share their faith. I pray you open the hearts of those who do not know you to hear the message. Help them to see that there is an urgency. Satans armies are at the ready to take any one of us, I pray that these brave men and women can see that without You, it is a losing battle. That only with Your power, Your strength and Your grace can they overcome the evil in this world.

Lord, be with them today. Keep satans evil away from the gathering. Give them peace, Lord, as they mourn. Send your Holy Spirit amongst them. Open hearts and minds to you.

Amen!

broken hearted...

It's been a rough couple of days. Whenever we hear of a brother officer fallen in the line of duty, Jody and I both feel broken! Saturday, 4 of Jody's "brothers" gave their lives. We did not know these men, yet they are still brothers. We have never met them or their families. It does not matter, they are still our family. Brothers and sisters of the law enforcement family. Oakland PD has suffered a huge loss, law enforcement all over the country are mourning the loss with them.

I can only imagine what the family is feeling, the pain must be nearly unbearable. I just pray they have Jesus as their Savior. I pray the 4 knew Jesus and are standing with Him now. I pray the city of Oakland can come together as a community and support the men and women in blue who put their lives on the line everyday to protect and serve.

no matter where you live... take the time to thank the officers in your community. It takes a special person to be a cop. They deserve our respect.

One of my favorite qoutes...
"Do not mourn the way they died but instead be thankful for the way they lived."

I thank God for my man in blue and for his brothers and sisters! God be with them today and always!

WELCOME HOME, NOAH WILBERT CUNDIFF, WELCOME HOME!!

It's been a long journey but you are finally going home!

Jeremy and Michelle, Congratulations!

hanging with Dad

So last week Jody took Isaiah to the gym with him. Isaiah loves the gym, his favorite activity is to put his truck on the treadmill and watch it roll backwards. He will literally spend hours doing this. His other new favorite is to "box" like dad. The pictures below are not that great of quality but it was too cute not to share.

First attempt was with Dad's help....

next... he decided the boxing gloves looked like fun....

Then he figured he would give the bag a try with the gloves....

The gloves were too big so he took them off and started in on the bag without them (no picture, sorry). The best part of it all..... the bag got to swinging and came back at Zi.... this is were he ended up....

He soon got up and simply walked away. Guess he figured the bag won!

family

Daddy and Zi

Heartline Ministries

Heartline Ministries is an organization in Haiti that serves pregnant women and orphans. The organization is ran by John and Beth McHoul, 2 of the most amazing people we will ever meet. The women's program has been offered a "matching grant" of $15,000. If they can raise $15,000 for the women's program by the end of June, they will receive an additional $15,000.

I know times are tough for all of us. But, if you feel that you can help this very worthy organization go here:
http://heartlineministries.org/womensprogram.aspx
and help however you can. $1, $5, $10... anything helps.

Jody and I both have said... If God sends us back to Haiti, we hope He allows us to be a part of Heartline Ministries!