Santa Claus

Katie and Anna have been visiting Santa since they were foster children.  As I have said before, our greatest gifts ever recieved (and Jia too of course)

Our Kid of Character

We are so proud of Jia!

She was chosen as Silver Palms Kids Of Character

for her class.

The category was "Citizenship"

Jia received  a certificate, another certificate from the Ft. Lauderdale

Sun-Sentinel

Jia was also given certificates and  very nice tribute from her teacher. Jia is really coming into her own and we are so proud of her!

Thanksgiving

It has been so long since I have posted on BLESSED BY THREE but I do have some excuses:  1.  I have been posting a lot on Facebook. 2.  My web designer Tina, from THE STORY OF YOU has retired, (the good news is that Anna knows how to do all that I don't know, and that is a lot. )( On the same line, Anna has changed her major to Web design with a minor in Journalism.)  Third reason,   I am just flat out lazy.

Anyway, a few pictures from my camera from Thanksgiving We were lucky enough to share it with Ellen who came bearing gifts, really, really beautiful flowers, yummy pumpkin dip and her company which means the most.

Meanwhile, Silver Palms Elementary is trying to bleed us dry:  Holiday Store, book exchange, Christmas presents for teacher, team teacher, aftercare coordinator , Aater care teacher, holiday dinner, science fair projects, and I am sure I am forgetting other things.  I think I blocked these costs out of my mind when Anna and Katie went to middle school...

Random Pictures...

Jia at the Pumpkin Patch

Katie making cupcakes for Drew's school

Lesa on Election Day

Drew used to work with Angel Gomez (Angel is independent and 

won his election)

Lesa and Katie on Election Day

handing out information for the

 Democratic party

 Jia in her new sequin jacket

(after wearing it one time she decided she didn't like it)

Halloween Night

Katie took all the little girls in the neighborhood

trick or treating

Drew stealing Jia's candy after she went to bed

 Anna's Hunger and Homeless Community

Lesa-early voting

 Anna saw Bill Clinton at UCF

President Obama was supposed to be there as well

but he had to go  to the areas ravished by

Superstorm Sandy

(have I told you that I love Bill almost as much as Tim--well, it is a toss-up)

I have not posted anything in so long, I have let things pile up, so here are a bunch of pictures in random order...I'll try to do better next time.

Anna's Last Gift to Flanagan High School

FROM ANNA (this is about her high school yearbook)-she was the Editor in Chief:

Best news I could have received today, gold award from FSPA and silver award from CSPA for the 2011-2012 yearbook! I'm so happy that all of our hard work paid off and I can now say that my senior year of high school was the best year ever!! SOOO HAPPY! 

This is the final gift that Anna left to Flanagan High School, also so excited and deserving praise is Flanagan' yearbook Managing  Editor, Katrina Fins.  Couldn't be more proud!

We LOVE Bill!

Anna woke up at 5:00 a.m. to go to  a Obama/Clinton Rally on her campus.  Obama was a no-show as he was on his way to FEMA or to help with the Superstorm (as he should be).  It was freezing cold in Anna's mind-about 50 degrees.  She was pretty close and got some great pictures, she is going to send me others from people around her who took pictures as well.  A great moment in Anna's life.  Also a credit that Obama got his priorities straight. I usually get a email or two every day for campaign contributions, todays' email had a link to the Red Cross. 

Ma-Ma Votes Early

Early Voting!  No matter who you are voting for, get our there and make your voice heard!

Jia's Happy Days

Jia has had a busy time lately.  She has been having "Spirit Days" at her school.  I didn't get all the shots, but I have posted some.  Monday was superhero day, Katie and I just happened to be in Target when we got a frantic call from Drew telling us that the next day was Superhero day (one of the bad things about this school is that they don't give you much warning for the things the kids have to bring in/do, on the plus side, I'm shopping for one instead of two this time) Katie and I ventured into the boys section and found an Avengers shirt (I don't even know who they are so good thing  Katie was with me (side note  Jia woke me up the next morning wearing the Avengers shirt and said Mom, this isn't a boy shirt is it?  Now I hate to lie to my children-but it was 6:00 a.m. I was asleep, so I said "no sweetie, its a girls shirt, because we all know that boys are icky.  lol.  Next day was wear red day, we captured that on camera.  After that it was favorite team day--Jisa has many Gators shirts, two UCF shirts, and she decides to wear her Miami Heat Jersey.  Her after care had a Halloween party so she had a quick change into a pumpkin shirt.  Tomorrow is school uniform day.  They have a policy for uniforms, but we have always put in a waiver for exemption.  We do have one uniform that Jia will be wearing tomorrow.

The rest of the pictures are of Jia's trip to the pumpkin patch.  She needed one for science tomorrow. Got to love that kid though--the class is having a party and the teacher said put your hand up for what you want to bring, Jia got her hand up there for napkins!!!!!! Katie would always raise her hand for brownies, homemade candy and gifts for everyone in the class.

Katie and I will be traveling to the polls tomorrow for early voting.  Both girls are angry that they are missing their opportunity to vote in this election. BUT BOY DOES ANNA HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY! CHECK OUT FACEBOOK!

COOKING WITH KATIE!

Katie has taken a great interest in cooking wonderful, elaborate  dinners.  Jia loves being her sous chef and I am thrilled as cooking is not my thing.  I also have some pictures here for Anna.  They are of me in a UCF shirt with her dog Lola.  It was VERY, VERY hard to go into the public without a UF shirt.

Anna Comes Home!

ANNA TOOK THE TRAIN FROM ORLANDO TO VISIT US.  WE HAVE BEEN MISSING HER SO MUCH,  LAST NIGHT CHEF KATIE HAD   "MAKE YOUR OWN PIZZA" NIGHT.  IT HAS BEEN SO NICE HAVING THE FAMILY TOGETHER.  ANNA LEAVES AT NOON TOMORROW AND IF SHE CAN SHE WILL TRY TO MAKE IT DOWN AGAIN ONE MORE TIME BEFORE THANKSGIVING.

Message from Anna

Guess these guys didn't know that Anna was a soccer beast for 12 years. She beat them all.  This was at 3:30 a.m.  For some reason almost everyone on the floor left last weekend including Anna's roomate so Anna was having a sports weekend with the guys.

The Birthday, the Paint, the College, the Pay Phone

We have been really busy around here.  I blogged all about it-then I lost it, text, pictures, everything but the title. This was enough to send me to bed. Now I am going to try again.  Birthday with my family was wonderful.  They took me to one of my favorite place to eat and then to Barnes and Noble where Jia found the last surviving pay phone in the United States.  Katie our resident germophone  screamed "PUT THAT DOWN!"

Speaking of Katie, she has decided to come home from Stetson.  Being away from home was very difficult for her.  So her new plan is to live at home, get a job and go to Florida International University, which is located in Miami and has her intended major (Education K-3 with a specialty in ESE)  This is a specific program and it is one that Stetson did not have.  So perhaps this was for the best.

Katie has taken over the cooking in our house.  We are now eating WAY healthier.  She loves to cook, and I hate it so it works well.

Katie is redoing her room, she and her Dad are turning it into a dorm room.  When she is done we will take pictures she has some great ideas.  Meanwhile Jia is doing a great job (hmmmm...) helping her Dad and her sister help painting.

Anna is having a great time in college she has really bonded with the other kids on her floor they do all kinds of things together when they are not working.  I am going to let her to post and let her tell about her exploits.  My baby is coming home this weekend on the train.  after we bought the tickets we found out that UCF has a shuttle bus to Miami and it is much cheaper, so next time...

Jia's Weekend- The Good, The Bad and the Ugly or Thank God for Katie

Since everyone is home today we decided to take Jia to a place called Java Joe's   it is an indoor bounce house, wall climbing, slide etc.  There was a game room as well, we haven't counted the amount of "coins" she won but she got a wonderful assortment of plastic toys to show for it. One of the funniest part of the day was in the game room, they had this booth that simulated a category 1  hurricane we had a big laugh at Jia's expense!

Next stop was Barnes & Noble where Jia got a puzzle that Mom and Katie will help her with.

Jia then went to help do the family grocery and checked out the brown M&M.

 Jia at Little Java's

Jia at the beginning of her hurricane experience

 The  storm is getting harder

The eye of the storm

This is how exciting our lives are, we are taking pictures at the Grocery store!

My college, but I am a Gator though and through!

Ok, here comes the ugly part - remember Jia is in the THIRD GRADE.  She had to study for a Social Studies test, here is some of the information:  Name the three branches of government and what they do, how many states does it take to ratify the constitution, who was responsible for presenting the idea for three branches of government etc.  THEN she had to choose a project idea for her Science Project that will make up over half of her Science grade for the second quarter.  Thank God for Katie who is patiently working with Jia.