Finally! Mini shoot of Leigha

Daddy got rained out today. This meant to me that I would be able to do a mini shoot of Miss Leigha Noelle, YAY! I've been wanting to do her shoot since she was born but with Mr. Drake crazy wild man running around I was never able to. So Daddy occupied Bug while I took Baby Bug for a shoot. I will do more at a later date but here are just a few photo's that I took today. She's already grown sooooo much from when she was born! It's amazing to me how fast these little buggy's grow. Anyway, without further ado here is my beautiful girl!

A few photo's of the kids

Miss Leigha, wide awake last night!

Draker and his toy mess...havin' fun after nap time

My silly bugs - Draker was turning on and off the vibrater on Sissy's bouncy chair. What a goofball

Hope your day is as blessed as ours!!

Now a word from Drake Lane...
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Dancin' and Helpin' Drake

Some photo's from Wednesday and today (Friday) of the buggies. Enjoy!

What does Drake do for his Sissy when she is in her bouncy seat and starts cryin'?? He turns on the vibrater and she stops crying. If it takes her a little bit before she stops cryin', he will lay his head on her (his way of hugs) until she is done crying. What a loveable and sweet little man! She's a lucky girl to have such a caring big brother!

My still sick boy dancing and starting to feel better (this was Wed. night)

After a fall from dancing too fast, poor little cheek! Dad Dad's snuggles make Draker feel better :)

Drake and Leigha watchin' Mickey Mouse...well Drake is watching Mickey and Sis is nappin' beside big brother

Soo much new!

What a week (and a half) it's been!! PHEW! Josh came home sick on Wednesday and was sick until Sunday. He finally was well enough (not feeling great still) to go to work on Monday. Thank goodness! That paycheck is going to be small. We'll make it though :)

Sunday night Drake got sick and is still sick. He finally got over his fever last night though! Thank God! He's still not wanting to eat much or play hardly at all. We've been listening to music and dancing until it wears him out then we turn on Mickey Mouse. Praise God for Mickey Mouse, it's been wonderful to have something for him to watch and relax with.

I haven't been able to get anything done with Josh and Drake sick. But today I am finally getting some stuff done. When I'm not helping Drake feel better, feeding Leigha, and making sure both of them have clean diapers, and are taking good naps, and making sure that Drake has a full cup to drink from all the time.

I'm pretty sure Miss Leigha is going through a growth spurt. The little bug has been eating non stop! Wearin' this Momma out!! She had a Doc apt on Friday. She's doing very well! She's up to 6lbs 4oz, almost a pound above her birth weight. The Doc was very pleased. Made me feel good :)

I am so blessed to have a great friend bringing us dinner tonight. I'm sure I will be worn out by tonight, as usual, and it will be such a blessing to not have to cook or worry about dinner! We've also had food brought to us from others. We are so very blessed to have such wonderful people who care about us! It's made life a lot easier to have those meals.

Today I'm a mad woman trying to get sooo much done after not being able to get anything done the past week. I cleaned and organized one room, swept the house (need to mop sometime), cleaned and organized Bug's toys, did lots of laundry, picked up kitchen, now I'm getting ready to price and go through stuff for Kidsignment that is coming up. PHEW! I was going to work out a little today but I doubt I'll get to that now. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to work out a little. Maybe if Drake feels better I will do it while he's awake so he can join in. He loves doing workout video's with me...walking, yoga...just about anything. He's great at it!

Well that's it for my family and I today and for the past couple days. Now to leave you with some sweet photo's of my Buggy and my Baby Bug.

God bless you and your family!
This is Drake's way of "lovin'" on Sissy. My sweet bugs!!

My sick buggy..this is how he sat to watch Mickey Mouse this morning.  

Oops, he caught me takin' his photo...ha

"Best Little Sister" lookin' up at big brother :)  with a sweet little kissy face

5 Beautiful Lessons on the way we treat others

Please, take the time to read this - it will be well worth your time. It will make you stop and think and possibly do things a bit differently.

Side note: as I am typing this Leigha is laying beside me in a chair and Drake was watching Mickey Mouse. He came over after hearing Leigha making noises and rubbed her face and ear with his finger. When she quit making noises he left her side and went back to Mickey Mouse. I am so very blessed to have my sweet children!

Love, Tiffany

1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, our professor
Gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious studentand had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:

"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the
Cleaning woman several times. She was tall,
Dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name?
I handed in my paper, leaving the last question
Blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if
The last question would count toward our quiz grade.


"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers,
You will meet many people. All are significant. They
Deserve your attention and care, even if all you do
Is smile and say "hello."


I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her
name was Dorothy.

2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain.
One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American
Woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway
Trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had
Broken down and she desperately needed a ride.
Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.

A young white man stopped to help her, generally
Unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960's. The man
Took her to safety, helped her get assistance and
Put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his
Address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a
Knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a
Giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A
Special note was attached.

It read:

"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway
The other night. The rain drenched not only my
Clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along.
Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying
Husband's' bedside just before he passed away... God
Bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely,

Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.


In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less,
a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and
sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in
front of him.

"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.
"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and
studied the coins in it.
"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the
Waitress was growing impatient..
"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins.
"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on
the table and walked away The boy finished the ice
cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress
came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the
table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish,
were two nickels and five pennies.

You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had
to have enough left to leave her a tip.


4 - Fourth Important Lesson - The obstacle in Our Path.

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a
Roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if
anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the
King's' wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by
and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the
King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did
anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of
vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the
peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the
stone to the side of the road. After much pushing
and straining, he finally succeeded. After the
peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed
a purse lying in the road where the boulder had
been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note
from the King indicating that the gold was for the
person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The
peasant learned what many of us never understand!

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.


5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts.

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a
hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who
was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only
chance of recovery appeared to be a blood
transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had
miraculously survived the same disease and had
developed the antibodies needed to combat the
illness. The doctor explained the situation to her
little brother, and asked the little boy if he would
be willing to give his blood to his sister.


I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a
deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save
her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed
next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing
the color returning to her cheek. Then his face
grew pale and his smile faded.


He looked up at the doctor and asked with a
trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away".

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the

doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his
sister all of his blood in order to save her.

For IL Homeschoolers and those that care about homeschooling rights

Illinois:  Contact Senator Maloney to Stop Homeschool Registration

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:

Senator Edward Maloney has filed a bill that would force all Illinois
homeschoolers to register. The bill, SB 136, gives the Department of
Education blanket authority to mandate what information families must
submit. SB 136 threatens to expand government power into the realm of
private education on an unprecedented scale.

ACTION REQUESTED

1. If you live in his district (Senate District 18, which includes
parts of Lyons, Palos, Worth, Chicago, and Orland Townships in Cook
County) contact Senator Maloney and ask him to withdraw his bill. You
can also use our legislative toolbox at http://hslda.org/toolbox/  to
find your Senate district. Personal visits and phone calls have the
most impact. Letters and emails are useful as well. Your firm but
courteous message can be as simple as:

"Please withdraw SB 136. Studies show that private education prepares
students for college better than public schools. There is no need for
government to expand into an area that is already so successful.
Existing mandates on private education are sufficient."

Springfield Office:
Senator 18th District
119A Capitol Building
Springfield, IL   62706
(217) 782-5145
(217) 557-3930 FAX

District Office:
10400 S. Western Ave.
Chicago, IL  60643
(773) 881-4180
(773) 881-4243 FAX

Additional District Office:
6965 W. 111th Street
Worth, IL 60482
(708) 448-3518
(708) 448-3535 FAX

Home:
Edward D. Maloney
2808 West 11th Street
Chicago, IL 60655
(773) 233-6638

2. After you contact him, call or email us to confirm so we can keep a
tally of how many people have contacted him. (see contact info below)

3. Pass this message on to other homeschoolers in Senator Maloney's
district.

BACKGROUND

Right now, Illinois homeschools are not required to register because
they are classified as "non-public" schools. Many other states
likewise do not require homeschoolers to register, including New
Jersey, Indiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, Alabama, Michigan, Texas, etc.

There is a common myth that Illinois homeschools are unregulated.
While Illinois homeschools don't waste time processing bureaucratic
red tape, they must comply with significant substantive mandates,
including the requirement that they teach the branches of education
taught to children of corresponding age and grade in the public
schools, that they teach in the English language, and, if challenged,
meet the burden of showing that they have in good faith provided an
adequate course of instruction in the prescribed branches of learning.
This sensible combination of no red tape plus meaningful mandates has
protected freedom in Illinois and produced outstanding academic
results.

SB 136 would give the Illinois Department of Education literally
unlimited power to dictate what information homeschoolers must submit.
Since the Department is composed exclusively of staff who are
appointed or hired, rather than elected, they have little or no
incentive to respond to the voice of citizens. In other states, when
education departments have been given power to act against citizens'
wishes, they have sometimes brushed aside overwhelming opposition and
done as they pleased to homeschoolers.

SB 136 is the greatest threat to Illinois homeschoolers in more than a
decade. HSLDA and Illinois Christian Home Educators are united in
opposing the bill and are committed to protect your freedom. This
fight belongs to every Illinois homeschool family.

Thank you for standing with us for freedom!

Sincerely yours,

Scott A. Woodruff
HSLDA Senior Counsel

The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of:

Home School Legal Defense Association
P.O. Box 3000
Purcellville, Virginia 20134
Phone: (540) 338-5600
Fax: (540) 338-2733
Email: info@hslda.org
Web: http://www.hslda.org/

February is love month?!

February is love month, or so they say...
Around here?? Every month is love month!

We like to do special little things to show our love for each other all the time. Yesterday the boys made Peanut Butter Cookies and cleaned up the mess afterwards! I am such a blessed Wife and Momma! Josh did laundry for me. Leigha was awake a lot more yesterday and this allowed me to stare at her beautiful eyes more than I was able to before. Drake gave Leigha and I lots of hugs and kisses :) All of this is to say that I am beyond blessed and I have an amazing and loving family!!

Now for the photos...I was able to take some photo's of Miss Leigha Bug while she was awake yesterday...here are some from our mini photo shoot. If you want copies let me know and I'll send them to my lab :)


Leigha Bug





Lady Bug (Leigha's nick name)



Big beautiful eyes lookin' at her Momma

So little!

I love looking at her little hands and feet

My sweet little girl all snuggled up

Bright eyes

I love this sweet little face so very very much!

Safe in Dad Dad's hand

Our sweet Leigha Noelle!

My sweet baby bugs

What a week it has been and it's only Thursday! Josh was able to take off work on Monday to spend the day with his baby bugs and me. It was wonderful to have a day for just us! I feel so blessed that we were able to have that special time together. (The helpful hands were nice also ;) Tuesday he went back to work and wasn't able to come home until Wednesday night. That was rough on all of us, but work had to be done. We were so happy to have Dad Dad back yesterday!

Draker lookin' in on his Sissy

Big beautiful eyes!

Leigha had her first doc apt yesterday. She looks well and had only lost 3oz, which is wonderful! It was not too much fun getting out in the cold with her but it was fine.

Today we're just relaxing and hanging out. Here are some photo's I snapped yesterday and today. Leigha's "too sweet" hand

My Buggy showin' off his pearly whites.

Look at those eyes, they melt me!

Leigha/Lady Bug wide awake and lookin' at her big brother.

Leigha Noelle Hileman

Miss Leigha Noelle Hileman was born at 6:10am on January 29, 2011 after 7 hours of labor. She weighed 5lbs 8oz (the exact same weight her Daddy weighed at birth) and is 17 1/2inches long.

I started having contractions at 11pm on January 28. Josh and I laid down, I told him to take a nap, I relaxed to get a bit of rest before they got really bad. Josh got about 10 minutes of a nap before Drake woke up needing a diaper and milk. I was in the middle of a contraction so Josh had to go tend to Drake. After that I got in the tub and tried to relax/distract myself knowing that it would be a long hard night! We called Josh's parents and they came over to stay with Drake. We got to the hospital around 1am on the 29th. When we got there I was dilated to a 4 (earlier that day I was a 3). Josh and my doula/friend Alicia Brooks were my birthing coaches. They were both amazing! Josh was so supportive, knew exactly what to say, how to hold me, how to calm me and keep me focused. I labored in the tub for the most part. I got out of the tub once I was 8cm dilated. They then broke my water and five minutes later I started pushing. I pushed for 15 minutes and then Leigha bug was born.

We were able to come home the next day and were home by noon. I was so happy to see Drake and for him to meet his Sissy. He loved her from the moment he saw her. He gave her hugs and kisses and is constantly looking for her, touching her, attempting to say her name. He is so very good with her and very concerned. Every little noise she makes he stops everything and goes to her to make sure she's okay. He's already such an amazing, loving, protective, and wonderful big brother!!

We are all doing very well :) We are so very blessed! Here are some photo's from the hospital. I will take more soon and post them as well. Enjoy!

My wonderful, supportive, loving husband!

Dad dad holding Leigha bug for the first time. He's inlove with his little Lady Bug!

My sweet girl a few hours old.

I think she may look like her Momma! Although, she also has red hair...maybe Momma will just have to dye her hair red ;)