macalwag

Sweet Gus

2012-01-16T08:21:00.000-06:00

Meet Gus!

2012-01-01T11:09:00.000-06:00

Recorder Concert

2011-12-05T08:55:00.000-06:00

M had her recorder concert last week. It was neat change to see all the kids playing their instruments (I remember playing the recorder in elementary school!) She did a great job!!

15 years!

2011-12-05T08:53:00.000-06:00

I don't know of many companies that pull out the stops like Cerner did for D's 15 year work anniversary! A limo ride to a fantastic dinner at a Kansas City upscale restaurant + a gift of his choice. We had a great night celebrating this milestone and our limo driver was sweet enough to let the kids ride w/ us around the block (which they thought was so awesome!!:)

George Washington!

2011-12-05T08:49:00.000-06:00

Auntie G showed us how to play this game while she and the boys were here for the Step Up for DS walk and I don't think we've stopped playing it since they left! At any given free moment, either M or A is asking us to play George Washington! It's a catchy, quick card game that we all love! Thanks Auntie G!!

Turkey Day!

2011-11-28T10:19:00.000-06:00

We had a nice Thanksgiving w/ my family. Several games of George Washington & Apples to Apples, trip to new H&M store on the Plaza, Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt & walk around the neighborhood, acorn cookies, performing a play w/ Grandma, making pilgrim hats, Curious George movie on PBS Thanksgiving morning, brunch and delicious turkey dinner followed by a fire in the driveway on a perfect balmy November evening!

Mamo visits!

2011-11-28T10:15:00.000-06:00

We had a great visit w/ Mamo this month. Treasure Hunts, Christmas outfits, dinner at Blanc, brunch at Succotash, visit to WW1 Memorial, trip to Nelson Atkins Art Museum, Christmas shopping, and a delicious dinner of her halibut she caught in Alaska were among the highlights. Come back soon Mamo!

The Many Faces of C!

2011-11-28T10:12:00.000-06:00

Walking in the 'Woods'

2011-11-28T10:10:00.000-06:00

Our of our favorite pasttimes is walking through the woods and ditch behind our house. The kids will have fond memories of all the hikes through the creek and hide&go seek games played in this fun place behind our house!!

Halloween!

2011-11-28T10:07:00.000-06:00

We had a Tribal Spirit, Leopard Lady, and Batman this year!!

Trunk or Treat!

2011-11-28T10:05:00.000-06:00

We decided to do a trunk for our church's annual Halloween Bash. The kids chose an Animal Rescue theme and we ended up winning a prize for the Kid Friendliest trunk. We had fun participating and serving our community in this way!!

Step Up for Down syndrome!

2011-11-07T11:04:00.001-06:00

We were blessed to have 35+ family and friends join us for C's walk this year. It was an incredible, record-breaking event that hosted over 10,000 walkers, 338 teams, and raised over $400,000 for the KC Down syndrome Guild. What a wonderful celebration of all the individuals w/ Down syndrome!

Twin Day!

2011-11-07T11:01:00.000-06:00

KC Kids Marathon

2011-11-07T10:59:00.000-06:00

For the 2nd year, C's school participated in the KC Kids Marathon. It's a great event that promotes fitness and health in kids. It's a 1 mile race that M had no trouble w/ since she was in pretty good shape from training for the 5k's, but A ran the entire thing. C entertained those around him as he'd stop and start and as he was doing so would say, "3-2-1, Let's DO THIS!"

M's 1st 5k

2011-11-07T10:56:00.000-06:00

M had a great summer and fall training for 2 5k runs. She likes to tell people she ran 3 5k's in a week (counting the training run, it's true!) She and I ran one together and then she ran one w/ a group of girls from church. She worked so hard training and we are so proud of her!!

Taylor Swift

2011-11-07T10:51:00.001-06:00

On a whim, we decided to go the Taylor Swift concert in September at Arrowhead Stadium. Wow, what a performance and show! A slept through 1/2 of it, C keeps asking to see her again, and M was in awe of her first concert experience. What a fun night!

Camping

2011-09-18T15:11:00.000-05:00

Well, we've pretty much established that if we go camping, we should plan on rain. This time, at least it wasn't the tornados we encountered on our camping adventure last year. Just light rain that delayed our dinner for an hour or so. We had the run of our area of the campground -- no other tents within eyesight, which was nice. The challenge we haven't found a way to overcome is getting the kids to be nice to each other... only ever two at a time seem to be getting along. But I seem to recall that being the case with my sister, step-brother, and me to some extent. In any case, it was great to stoke a fire and sleep under the huge full moon listening to the sounds of summer fade into a crisp fall evening.

Camping Night

2011-09-18T15:00:00.000-05:00

Want to do a Triathlon? "Sure" OK, we'll sign you up...

2011-09-05T22:51:00.000-05:00

Little did we realize we signed her up for the "Iron Man" of kids triathlons for her first attempt. Maybe "Iron Kids" should have given us a clue...

But she did great.

And they're off!

2011-09-05T22:46:00.000-05:00

More Iron Kids Triathlon

2011-09-05T22:43:00.000-05:00

More back to school

2011-09-05T22:38:00.001-05:00

Yes, folks, this is ONE bus stop in our immediate neighborhood. Don't drink the water.

First day of School

2011-09-05T22:33:00.000-05:00

OK, so you can probably tell I'm not blogging in any sort of historical order. Fortunately, this can all be fixed later (but, probably won't). Hope you enjoy.

A scene from little "A's" room on any given evening after bedtime

2011-09-05T22:28:00.000-05:00

Walking bridge in Iowa

2011-09-05T22:26:00.000-05:00

Had fun on a cool and breezy day walking on a bridge that is now part of a bike path converted from a railway. Kids did great walking over 2 miles. So did grandparents.

Ziplining!

2011-08-25T15:04:00.000-05:00

This was one of the kids highlights of our vacation! I love the look of pride and accomplishment on C's face in the first picture! Of course Lil' A was the child who wanted to do and the other 2 decided to do it a little more reluctantly (both probably not wanting to miss out on what their little sister was going to attempt!) C still talks about it and as usual, that kid can surprise me...I honestly didn't think he'd do it once he got up there, but sure enough...he did and wants to do it again someday!:) Maybe D & I will have to take him to Costa Rica for the real thing!:)

More Holland, MI

2011-08-25T14:58:00.000-05:00

My aunt, uncle, and cousins were great hosts during our stop at their home in Holland. C bonded especially w/ my cousin Betsy's fiance!:) We very much enjoyed our time w/ them and it was a special treat to see my cousins ALL GROWN UP!:)

Holland, MI

2011-08-25T14:55:00.000-05:00

Shedd Aquarium

2011-08-25T14:52:00.000-05:00

Chi-Town skyline

2011-08-19T15:38:00.000-05:00

I have such a special spot in my heart for Chicago. When I nannied there for a summer, my BFF and I took the train down to the city as much as we could. I once thought I would live there, but...the job offer came from KC and boy, am I glad it did! It was fun for us to take the kids to experience the Windy City!!

Dinner!

2011-08-19T15:35:00.000-05:00

I love this picture - A doing what she does so well, just making us smile! Love that girl, she's had a good few days of kindergarten.

Pre-Boat Tour

2011-08-19T15:34:00.000-05:00

Killing time before our 90 minute, oops, it was actually 3+ hours(!!!) boat tour of the Chicago River & lake. C and A fell asleep at the end, so D & I carried them through downtown Chicago back to our hotel and Macy missed the Navy Pier ferris wheel (which she still hasn't let me forget!:)

Not sure about all this...

2011-08-19T15:32:00.000-05:00

I love these pictures of the kids as they observe all the sights and scenes of the streets of Chicago -- D did a neat job capturing their bewilderment!:)

CHICAGO!

2011-08-19T15:29:00.000-05:00

Rainy afternoon

2011-08-10T23:20:00.000-05:00

Lake Michigan, Sleeping Bear Dunes

2011-08-10T22:03:00.000-05:00

Wow, it has been a long, dry blogging stretch. Need to get some serious updates in here! Here are a few pics of the girls and I on the very sheer face of one of the largest dunes in Sleeping Bear park. Yes, those dots going down the hill are people. Mostly on all fours.

Doug Wager's photostream

2011-06-26T22:38:00.001-05:00

Doug Wager's photostream on Flickr.

Ireland Photos (family shots) available -- not all days there yet, but getting rolling!

Check out our YouTube channel

2011-02-02T20:30:00.003-06:00

Check out other videos I've posted over past few years. Since my phone can now take and post videos, I'll likely be doing this more often. YouTube Channel

Snow Day

2011-02-02T20:16:00.001-06:00

Well, the kids have been out of school all week due to the blizzard we were hit with. Very different than the other two 6-8" snows we've had which were Norman Rockwell gentle snows. This one was like a snornado. We had bare spots in the yard, and snow drifts of 3 feet right next to them. Here's our neighbor, Bryan, who thankfully got to play with his tractor and save my back while I dialed from conference call to conference call all day.

Dress up day

2011-01-26T23:34:00.000-06:00

Faces of Wii Part 1

2011-01-26T23:04:00.000-06:00

Faces of Wii

2011-01-26T23:00:00.000-06:00

The youngest were playing Wii last week, and I had fun watching their expressions as they played.

Thanksgiving

2010-12-11T11:49:00.000-06:00

We had a fun time in Dallas visiting Liane, Joel, Greta, Claudia, Mamo and Aunti Joan (and cats, horses and chickens). Lots of good food, lots of fun, and discovery that kids don't need us to have fun!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-15T13:21:00.000-06:00

Graveyard Cake

2010-11-15T13:19:00.000-06:00

Boo @ the Zoo!

2010-11-15T13:17:00.000-06:00

KC Kids Marathon

2010-11-15T13:07:00.000-06:00

Haircut!

2010-11-15T12:54:00.000-06:00

Before...

After...ahhhh!:) We've secretly (and sometimes not so secretly:) wanted M to cut her hair and in early September, she finally decided to do it! It looks so cute and she donated the rest to Locks of Love. So far, she's wanted to keep it short (vs. growing it back out) - hooray!

Annual Liberty Square Bench Picture

2010-11-02T22:37:00.000-05:00

Smile?

2010-11-02T22:35:00.001-05:00

Fourth of July on the boat... calm before the storm.

2010-11-02T22:35:00.000-05:00

So we thought we were in the clear when the rain finally stopped, and we motored out for the Smithville 4th of July fireworks over the lake. Well, most of you know the story. Within 30 minutes of this picture, the sky and the lake decided to get married, and it became hard to tell which was which. That goes in my book of one of the more unpleasant boat captaining experiences I've had.

Happy Birthday Cal Cal ("I'm not Cal Cal!")

2010-11-02T22:31:00.000-05:00

We celebrated at Great Wolf Lodge after presents in the AM. ...So Spider Man was a little tougher than I thought. Sorry, Spidey. Please stay off our roof.

2010-11-02T22:23:00.000-05:00

More from Honey Creek

2010-11-02T22:21:00.000-05:00

2010-11-02T22:16:00.000-05:00

2010-11-02T22:14:00.000-05:00

Fun at the lake in Iowa

2010-11-02T22:10:00.000-05:00

So the blog now goes random chronological in order to meet requests for more pictures. I'm hunting for photo contest entries, which has me browsing Picasa, and finding so much we haven't posted. Here's a taste!

Mountain Springs, AR

2010-08-14T10:36:00.000-05:00

We stopped off at this neat little spot in the NW corner of AR (at the MO/AR border). Our road trip was coming to a close and we all have such fond memories of a wonderful family vacation!! Can't wait until the next one!! Thanks for stopping by to take a look!

Airboat Ride

2010-08-14T10:31:00.001-05:00

Going on an airboat ride through the swamps of Louisiana is probably one of the coolest things I (S) have ever done! We had an absolute blast and our guide was extremely accomodating, knowledgeable and sweet enough to let each of the kids drive the boat. The guide grabbed a baby alligator out of the water for the kids to hold (no mouth taped shut this time!) I heard the mama alligator having a fit in the water which made me MORE than nervous about my babies in the boat!! :) Doug got to show his skills by grabbing a few bullfrogs for the kids to hold--nevermind that C and A let 3 go inside of the boat! If you ever have an opportunity to do this, don't miss it!!

2010-08-14T10:28:00.000-05:00

2010-08-14T10:24:00.000-05:00

2010-08-14T10:22:00.002-05:00

Farewell NOLA!

2010-08-14T10:17:00.001-05:00

Rain Delay!

2010-08-14T10:14:00.001-05:00

Here's what happens when you get caught in a store during a rain storm in NOLA!:)

Carriage Ride

2010-08-14T10:12:00.001-05:00

We had fun touring the French Quarter in a carriage! We enjoyed our guide and learning a little more about this fantastic city!

Cafe Du Monde

2010-08-14T10:09:00.002-05:00

Doug assured me a trip to New Orleans wasn't complete w/o a stop at the famous Cafe Du Monde for beignets and chickory coffee. He was right, it did not disappoint and the kids (after seeing beignets on Princess and the Frog movie) were especially excited to try the tasty treat!

New Orleans Insectarium

2010-08-14T10:04:00.000-05:00

We had a fun time at the Insectarium in NOLA and even ate some bugs!! The chocolate chirp cookies were pretty tasty, but we weren't sure about the other options!:)

Bourbon Street - New Orleans!

2010-08-14T10:00:00.001-05:00

Yep, we did it -- we took the kids to New Orleans and Bourbon Street! I (Sue) fell in love w/ this city, quite unexpectedly, and look forward to another trip someday sans kiddos to truly explore all the sights!!

Gator Beach

2010-08-14T09:55:00.000-05:00

We'd read about Gator Beach in Destin before our travels and C absolutely LOVES alligators, so we knew we had to make a stop! This place had over 100 alligators for us to view! C was in alligator heaven!! The kids even got to hold a live baby alligator-it was enough to make this momma pretty nervous!!

Destin Hotel

2010-08-14T09:51:00.000-05:00

I think our hotel in Destin was one of the big vacation highlights for the kids! It was totally kid friendly (fresh popped popcorn when we arrived, popsicles on our way down to the beach, and a pirate-themed bunk bed sleeping area in our room!) The kids were so excited about the bunk beds!! Destin was not exactly what I'd imagined (lots and lots of high-rise hotels, mini-golf/go-karts on every corner--you get the idea), but I'm glad we stopped in to satisfy my Destin curiosity!!

Dinner @Backporch in Destin

2010-08-12T20:55:00.000-05:00

We received a recommendation to eat at The Backporch while in Destin. We pulled up and it looked fun--lots of people waiting and playing on the beach out back. We quickly realized this may not meet our dining expectations when both the hostess and waitress separately recommended we order the chicken (What?!? Chicken? We're in Florida!) Anyway, it was a cool twist to meet the family seated behind us as Calvin worked his charm and introduced himself. Come to find out, they have a 25-year old daughter (and sister) w/ Down sydrome who lives in Cape Giradeau, MO (and was too busy to come w/ her family on vacation to the beach:)! Small world! They were so impressed w/ how well Calvin is doing and provided a very memorable conversation despite our mediocre meal. Perhaps The Backporch was were we were meant to be that special evening in Destin all along.

Father's Day in Destin, FL

2010-08-12T20:48:00.001-05:00

Seaside Beach

2010-08-12T20:46:00.000-05:00

Kids were less than thrilled about posing for pictures here--it was HOT!!!

Father's Day ice cream @ Seaside

2010-08-12T20:45:00.000-05:00

After a yummy Father's Day brunch w/ Gpa and Barbara, we started our trek across the Panhandle of FL. I (Sue) loved the driving adventure and seeing more of what Doug experienced as a kid. I fell even more in love w/ the Forgotten Coast on this trip and have a higher appreciation of what Doug left behind when he moved to the midwest.

Seaside, FL is a quaint little vacation community where we felt like we were in The Truman Show movie - everything was clean, cute, and fun! We stopped here for a bit to check it out and enjoyed some yummy ice cream (notice C branched out from his typical choice of vanilla and had mint chocolate chip!!)

Calvin's Hat

2010-08-12T20:39:00.000-05:00

On our last day at Water's Edge, we finally convinced C to model the hat that he made at Cousins Camp! We think he made a pretty neat creation!! Great idea on the paper mache hats, Mamo!!

Boss Oyster - Apalachicola, FL

2010-08-12T20:36:00.000-05:00

We enjoyed a few days w/ Gpa and Barbara on St. George! For some reason (Doug and his family don't really understand why), I have a soft spot for this restaurant!!:)

They catch-em, we eat-em

2010-08-12T20:17:00.000-05:00

Oystermen enjoying the prime oysters of the day. I talked with them about the oil that seemed as if it would ruin their livelihoods and the beautiful bay they work in. Within 5 minutes of my conversation, the guy in front of the oysters had shucked, crackered, and eaten all of them.

Another boat coming in with bushels of oysters on St. George Island.

A stop for ice cream

2010-07-22T22:51:00.000-05:00

A sad sign to see in Apalachicola

2010-07-22T22:50:00.000-05:00

2010-07-22T22:47:00.000-05:00

Perfect Beach Conditions

2010-07-22T22:46:00.000-05:00

The calm before the oil storm? From what I've read, there has been no oil at St. George Island yet, and the shrimp and oysters are still being considered safe to eat. Looking at these pictures, you sure hate to imagine anything different! Thanks God for sparing this part of the Forgotten Coast from the spill so far!

The Cake!

2010-07-22T22:39:00.000-05:00

Crab Hunt

2010-07-22T22:35:00.000-05:00

Evening walk on the beach

2010-07-12T22:22:00.000-05:00

2010-07-12T22:20:00.000-05:00

Newfound Friends

2010-07-12T22:19:00.000-05:00

Josie and Adrienne really hit it off, and spent most of Cousins Camp with each other.

2010-07-12T22:17:00.000-05:00

To the Beach

2010-07-12T22:15:00.000-05:00

We did a pajama walk out to the dock to remember Papo. He put the lights on the dock so we could find it when we were out fishing late. Wish we had more time to fish.

Treasure Hunt in Mamo's Garden

2010-07-12T22:12:00.000-05:00

Cousin's Camp at Last!

2010-07-12T22:11:00.000-05:00

Mom was ready for the campers with swimming, popsicles, and treats from Korea.

2010-07-12T22:07:00.000-05:00

Vulcan Park, Birmingham

2010-07-12T22:06:00.000-05:00

We also got to see the largest cast-iron statue in the world, built for the St. Louis world fair to show the iron work of Alabama.

Nashville on the way to Cousins Camp

2010-07-12T22:02:00.000-05:00

Who knew there was a Parthenon in Nashville! Very cool replica in the middle of a neat park near downtown. Kids loved running around it.

Cousin's Camp Preview

2010-06-18T22:48:00.000-05:00

Had to get a few Cousin's Camp pics out there! Blogging on how the oil spill is affecting the area on my photo blog, if you are interested.

Hey! That's my ice cream!

2010-06-18T22:41:00.000-05:00

Calvin's Story

2010-05-31T22:12:00.002-05:00

Doug wrote this for the Dad's Corner section of the KC Down Syndrome Guild newsletter. It was published in May and gives his raw account of the moments after Calvin was born. It astounds us still, to look at Calvin and see how God worked through what seemed to be a tragedy, to capture our hearts for Him.

Here is Doug's story-touching, redemptive, and beautiful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4th of July, 2004. The sky flickered with explosions as we drove south across the Heart of America bridge toward downtown Kansas City. Susan’s labor wouldn’t wait for me to launch the mortars I bought for our neighborhood celebration – it was time for our son to join our perfect little family of Susan, Macy, and me.

Cars lined the sides of the highway, and people were packed into every possible space around a riverfront park we could see from the bridge. "Go easy over the bumps!" Sue reminded me, as three different fireworks displays illuminated the sky around us. Susan wasn't enjoying the experience in the same way I was. Her contractions were strong and frequent now, a far cry from what she earlier dismissed as an upset stomach from something she ate at a neighborhood party. After all, it was two weeks too early for our son to be born -- our daughter was a week late! We hadn't even decided on his name, and here we were on the way to St. Lukes for him to enter the world. What a different experience it was from the freezing midnight drive in the middle of January when his older sister was born two years before! We were totally unaware of how much our world would change that night.

We joked between contractions as we got Sue a wheelchair and began our journey to labor & delivery. All went as expected, and at midnight, Sue waited an extra minute before the final push to give our son a birthday he doesn't have to share with our nation. An 8 pound 11 oz. baby boy was born at 12:01, I cut the cord, and they placed him on Susan’s chest, just as they had with our daughter. But moments later, a nurse checked his floppy arms, and gently, but quickly took his weak, bluish body to a warming cart and hit a call button for help. Nurses filled the room, and began suctioning and giving him oxygen.

“What’s wrong?” I pleaded with increasing intensity as he struggled to breath. "Will he be OK?" The lack of response suggested to me that something was wrong they weren't ready to share, when finally one of the nurses turned long enough to tell me that our baby needed some help to breath right now. As things settled down a bit, another nurse walked over to me to fill me in. "He is doing a little better," she said, and then dropped a bombshell. “There are strong indications that your son has Down syndrome.” Disbelief, shock, and fear overtook me. This couldn't be happening. They must be wrong. I didn’t know much about Down syndrome, but I knew that it meant "mental retardation." Grief filled my heart as I started to cry and shout “No, No, No!” while holding Sue’s hand in the delivery bed. For an instant, my concerns of whether he would survive shift to quietly wondering whether it would be better if he didn’t. It was one of the darkest moments of my life, and one that I hate to admit. Thankfully, God pulled me to my senses quickly – he is my son, and I needed to make sure he would be OK. They took him to the NICU, where he dwarfed the other residents, and gave him a feeding tube and minor breathing assistance. He will be fine. Sue and I shared a surreal night of sleeping and crying, not knowing what we didn't know. Would we be able to go on family vacations? Would he be able to love us? Would he ever be able to live on his own?

The next day, we named him Calvin Douglas after Susan’s grandfather and me, and began our journey into a community that to this point existed relatively invisible to our lives. We were given information about Down syndrome provided to the hospital by the KC DSG, and after one phone call, were visited by two wonderful people who helped remind us that this was a time of celebration. They also reminded us that college and living on his own were a long way off, and that we might want to focus on who he is right now. What great advice! We were surrounded by our family and our church family, who brought gifts, love, and food for weeks, and who loved Calvin instantly. I'll never forget my father's words on the phone, "it will be OK, he will be fine." Boy was dad ever right about that.

Calvin turned five and a half on my birthday this year, and I can easily look back at his birth without feeling the intense sadness I felt those first few nights over not having the "perfect family" we thought we would have. It has become quite clear over the years that Calvin is the perfect son for us. He unifies our family, helps us look outside of ourselves, and has introduced us to some of the most wonderful people you could ever meet (and if you've ever met him, he's probably introduced you to his sisters, his mother, and me!). He sings country songs at the top of his lungs, bugs his sisters like any good brother (when they don't have him in a dress), and loves a good wrestling match. He's a good-natured kid with all the fun and challenge that comes along with a 5-year old. And I have to admit I get a little prideful when he volunteers to pray at dinner gatherings with friends, and certainly when one of his teachers told Sue that he is the most polite kid she's ever been around. Can you really ask for anything more?

We celebrate the 4th of July with extra meaning now, and with only one regret - that we had no way of knowing on that night what an amazing gift Calvin would be to our lives and the lives of those around us. I guess some of the greater things in life come unexpectedly, and must be experienced to be appreciated. Go love someone with Down syndrome!

Camping!

2010-05-20T00:25:00.001-05:00

Our home away from home -- I can't imagine a better campsite location -- well, in our area, anyway. I think Sue is hooked :-)

Little Soccer Players

2010-05-07T23:08:00.000-05:00

So there wasn't too much soccer going on, but both of them show some promise -- Cal in his negotiating skills with the female coaches, and Lil A with independent soccer.

Forever Friends

2010-05-04T21:45:00.001-05:00

This picture was taken a few weeks ago when I had a chance to reunite w/ some of my dearest college friends. Friends that knew me when... Friends that really know me...and still love me:). Friends that lived w/ me and still want to keep in touch...:) It got me thinking about these friendships forged over 15 years ago! That we can pick right back up where we left off. That all 5 of us are stay-at-home moms! That life didn't end up for any of us, like we thought it would back in the mid-90's. It was so great to catch up, to laugh and giggle until we cried, and for that evening...loving them and feeling loved and grateful for these friendships that really have stood the tests of time. Love you gals!!

Perspective

2010-05-04T21:37:00.000-05:00

I read a story the other day about a high school student who had a sibling w/ Down syndrome. The student was quoted as saying, "I need to make sure I don't go too far away to college. Not because my brother needs me, but because I need him." That statement brought tears to my eyes and I pray we are raising our children to be a cohesive unit, each one of them loving God and each other just like He intends.