Our Journey with Eden: July 2009

We completed two sticker charts in May and June. Eden had a blast doing this. Each day she could earn a sticker for the following....
Picking up her Toys
Brushing her teeth
Sharing
Obeying her parents
Going to bed on time
Eating well
Being polite

...and if she earned all of those stickers daily, then she received a small reward at the end of each week. Out of the eight weekly charts, she completed six of them without having any of her stickers taken away. This was the first time that we had done this. I thought it worked pretty well and she would say at different times, " Oh, I better do this or that or I will not earn my sticker tonight." I will be doing this again in the future for sure.

Below was her reaction when I told her "maybe" next time we do this she could earn an allowance. Even at 3yrs of age she understood that this meant "money". I couldn't help but laugh at/with her. Her reaction was too cute and I'm glad I caught it thru this picture.

Bible School was also in June. In this picture we were leaving to go there.

Eden really enjoyed attending Bible School this year, everything about it!! Her class started off with "supper/dinner" before heading to all of the other planned activities and classes and I enjoyed helping out in the nursery. (I love this picture of her!)

Eden is sitting between "her" friends, Taylor (also born in China, as Eden likes to say) and Olivia.

Taylor grabbing Eden's hand as they were leaving the Fellowship Hall. Taylor is 5yrs old.

Eden receiving her certificate of attendance.

Father's Day 2009 --- Not for sure why I didn't get a picture of Eden giving her Daddy his gift????????or did I????? Anyway, we had bought a T-shirt for him that said, "World Greatest Daddy Hands Down" and Eden got to use paint and made her hand prints on it and also added with the paint by writing with her fingers XOXO Love, Eden. ( I did hold her wrist to steady her hand for her.) It turned out good and she had fun doing it. After church I did snap these pics of Eddie and Eden.

Later that evening at my parents house giving Dad his gift and cards.

Me, Dad and Eden

Also in June, we traveled to Louisville to take Tallie (our furry family member) to see a Vet Specialist. We were getting ready to leave early that morning in this picture.

Arriving....

Around 3:00 that afternoon we found out that Tallie would need to stay the night there. They still needed to do the MRI and other procedures that were planned and at that time the doctor would be calling us with the results and we would need to decide (following the info that he gave us) if we wanted to go ahead with a surgical procedure. Eddie, Eden, and I also ended up finding and staying at a hotel. We made a Wal-Mart stop before picking up some supper and taking it back to our room, waiting to hear from Tallie's doctor. After waiting, eating dinner, playing UNO and waiting some more we finally got the call. In the end, we decided, no to surgery. The chances of it helping Tallie was only 50-60 percent and the risk of her being left paralyzed were greater. No tumor was found (GREAT NEWS), but she has a rupture vertebra (top area) with mild nerve damage. Also at the lower area of her back/bottom she has nerve root damage which is the cause of several of her recent and continuing problems. They really couldn't explain the cause of this. After returning home the next day, Eddie and Eden (with her Handy Manny tools) built Tallie a ramp off of the back porch so she will not have to use the steps, hoping this will be easier on her. It did take Tallie a few days before she would start using it. You can teach an old dog new tricks! ha! We have also started Tallie on a mild pain medication to help with any discomfort she may be feeling. We think this is helping her. She just seems to be feeling better and a little more frisky. Our Tallie Anne will be 15 yrs old on December 1st and she is a BIG part of our family.

Eden napping, Eddie checking us into the hotel.

The next morning getting ready to pick up Tallie. Eden kept looking out the window saying, "Look, you can see the whole world from here!" "Tallie, your family is coming for you!"