Halloween

We haven't done much to celebrate Halloween at our house for the last couple years. We are kind of caught in the debate of whether it is OK to celebrate as long as we keep everything light and happy, or whether the whole holiday is based in a place we ought not to be visiting. Know what I mean? This year(and last), Will took the bigger kids to a giant Harvest Festival at a local church. I stayed home with Grace, and answered the door again and again and again. The kids had lots of fun and came home with a TON of candy. I have to admit, I really miss seeing my kids dressed up in adorable costumes, made by hand by me. That was always the fun part for me. I guess we'll have to check back in on the issue next year.

Until then, here's a little tour of Halloween through the years at the 5McCKid house....

One Last Reminder....

Today is the last day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I must admit that it will not hurt my feelings to have the opportunity to blog in a color other than pink, but it has been worth it. Breast cancer is a disease that affects all of us. I have very little doubt that every one of my readers knows of someone that is fighting it, has fought it or has lost the fight to it. This is serious stuff people!

So, even though the "official" month to be aware is coming to a close, please keep your eyes and ears open for ways you can help.

Milestones

Grace has had a big week. Much to my chagrin, she has learned to climb up on the couch all by herself. She loves to play with the wood blinds and bang on the frame of the painting above the couch. I am really grateful that she is too short to reach the actual painting. She looks so pleased with herself when she is up there. Her heart breaks right in two each, and every time we have to get her down. I guess we. Just. Don't. Understand. Of course, she doesn't seem to understand that she hasn't figured out how to get down yet.

We have tried to be very careful to respond to Grace's every cry or call since she came home in April. For the sake of forming a solid bond and attachment, this was super important. It was also SUPER exhausting sometimes. I mean, the girl would get up four times or more in a night sometimes. Her Dad, who was kind enough to take on night duty, was turning into a walking zombie. I am pleased to say that a switch must have flipped inside Grace about a week ago. She is sleeping through the night!! I have been watching closely for some sign that she is missing the night time attention. Clinginess, fussiness, etc. Guess what? Nada!!!

Grace gave us a big surprise at church on Sunday. It's fine for us to have her with us in the sanctuary during the worship (singing), but she is not one that is content to sit or play quietly for very long, so she has to go out during the sermon. For the last couple of weeks, we have taken turns sitting with her in the nursery. This week, I stayed home from church sick, so Will was on his own with all 5 kids. He took a shot leaving her in the nursery, with strict instructions to let him know if there was even a hint of a problem. She did great! Not even one fuss.

Grace is also talking and interacting with all of us more and more everyday. If I call one of the older kids, you can bet you are going to hear her little voice calling their name right after me. She loves to go in with Dad to sing bedtime songs to Justin before he gets tucked in to bed at night. She stands next to the bed and dances along to the singing. Then she climbs into Justin's bed to give him a hug and kiss (or 6). She loves to "help" anytime one of the big kids is doing a chore. She is completely certain that she is just as capable of unloading the dishwasher, emptying the trash vacuuming the floor, etc. as any of them. Her assistance makes the time to complete the job a fair amount longer, but it is awfully cute!

My favorite new phrase is, "I uv oo". That's right! My girl has started saying "I love you". Usually followed by a wet, sloppy kiss. I'm glad she doesn't know that we would let her do just about anything she wanted to right after she says those words. Things might get kind of crazy around here.

Grace is 14 months old now. She has been with us as long as she lived in Ethiopia. The changes, growth and bonding that have happened in the last 7 months amaze me. A day has not passed yet, when I don't think about all that it took to get her here, and the fact that I would do it all five times over again just to have her as part of our family. She is the perfect fit, and I love her with all of my heart!

The Other Side of the Story

I've made no secret of my feelings about Madonna's adoption in Malawi. However, I do believe in being fair. So, tomorrow, Wednesday, October 25, Madonna will appear on Oprah to share "her side of the story". I expect there will be a fair amount of celebrity spin, but it ought to be an interesting show. I'm just a little bit embarassed to admit that I'll probably be watching.

Click here for a quick peek into the interview. Perhaps it will help you decide what you'll be watching tomorrow.

Thank You...

....dear readers for your response to this post. I just stopped over to read the comments on the White Family's blog. I have tears streaming down my face. The outpouring of love and concern is amazing. Know that these acts of kindness are not going unnoticed. Shana sent a lovely email to our agency's Yahoo group today, and referenced the comfort their family feels because of your kindness.

May God bless you all.

In God's Hands...

Baby Meskerem passed away today. She is no longer suffering, but her family is. Please keep them in your prayers, and stop by to leave a word of sympathy and encouragement.

3rd World Medical Care

I wrote this in response to a Mom that is waiting to bring her baby home. The baby is VERY sick, and has been in the hospital for a while now. So far, the news has not been good. Everyone involved is worried and afraid. They are currently trying to decide whether it would be best for Mom to travel to Addis early, so she can be by the baby's side. If you are so inclined, please pray for this baby and her family.

Grace spent 11 days in the hospital in January. She was diagnosed with salmonella, which usually stays in the intestines and causes diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramping. Occasionally, it passes to the bloodstream and the person becomes septic. The doctors treated Grace with one type of antibiotic at first, but after the salmonella was discovered, cultures were taken, and she was switched to a different antibiotic. Because she had been so sick (serious failure to thrive), the doctors chose to keep her in the hospital long enough to make sure she was gaining weight and acting healthy before she was returned to Layla House. Unfortunately, I did not know all of these details while she was in Addis. I only knew that she had been kept in the hospital for 11 days for severe dehydration, diarrhea and failure to thrive. I had heard many stories of substandard medical care, and one family even lost a baby while we were waiting. Ethiopia is a third world country, after all.
We were not able to pick Grace up until the beginning of April. The wait was excruciating. In all honesty, there were days that I felt like I was going to have a nervous breakdown. Pictures (and even 1 video) from traveling parents were life savers. AAI did a good job of getting us monthly updates. The update program was just started this year, so we were very lucky to get them. I ended up bringing just about every medicine on the planet along when we traveled. I had no idea what we were going to be faced with. Grace was sick with ear infections (puss oozing out of her ears) and severe bronchitis when we picked her up. I think it is just too hard to clear that stuff up in an orphanage environment. As soon as one child starts to get well, another child is getting sick. It is a vicious cycle. Fortunately, we had Zithromax, Motrin and a nasal aspirator to help her out. She was doing worlds better in a matter of days.

After we got home, we received Grace's medical files. All of the hospital paperwork was included. It turns out that my severe distrust of the medical care in Addis was unfounded. They did a very good job, and treated her issues thoroughly. I know that medical issues that arise in children are very frightening for waiting adoptive parents. I would never go so far as to tell you not to worry, but I will say that the staff in the care centers/orphanages and the doctors in the hospitals, really do try their hardest to help the children get well. Everyone involved wants to get these children home to their new families. Their would be no orphanage or agency, if that were not the case.


Matthew 6:25-34

25 "I tell you, do not worry...27 "Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying?...34 "So don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Update: While they are still waiting for additional confirmations from the doctors in Addis, the latest news is not good. Mom is very likely going to travel to be with Baby M very soon. You can go here to read more about it. Please keep the White family and their precious babe in your prayers.

Piglet

Grandma Carroll and Grandpa John sent Grace an adorable little Piglet sweatsuit for her birthday. As much as I liked it, it was WAY too big at the time, and the mercury was rarely below 100 degrees here in sunny So Cal. It has finally cooled down for a couple of days (although the weekend forecast has us back up the the mid 80's), and Grace has done some growing over the last couple months, so today we dug out some cool weather clothes. The Piglet outfit caught my eye right away. I just had to see her in it. She is looking so cute in fact, that I figured you all needed to see her too. 8^)


















While I was taking these pictures, Justin was taking in the latest episode of The Backyardigans on the little TV. Grace recently figured out how to turn that TV off and on. And Off. And On. And OFF. And ON. AND OFF. And ON. Etc... She drives Justin crazy! He tries hard to be patient with her, but at four years old, I can only expect so much. He finally resorted to holding his hand over the power button so she wouldn't be able to push it anymore.

So what's a baby to do when her brother doesn't let her play in her new found, favorite way?

Try to rip out his eyeball, of course!!

SBE's

For the uninformed, that stands for Self Breast Exam's. A few months back, Kelsey, from HolyMaMa, started a monthly public service announcement on her blog. On the 17th of each month, she reminds us all to do our SBE's. This is where it all began. She always has some great links to remind us of how to do it and why we need to do it. Thanks, Kelsey, for keeping us all aware. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, do your SBE and stop by Kelsey's blog to let her know you did. Tell her Blaine sent you. 8^)

PS All clear here!

100 Things About Me...

1. I was born just outside Chicago.
2. My parents divorced when I was 3.
3. They both got remarried just before I turned 4.
4. I was baptized when I was 4.
5. I moved to Colorado when I was 5.
6. The Colorado Rockies are still my favorite place on the planet.
7. I'm glad to have family that still lives there because it gives me an excuse to go back.
8. I went to AWANA's at a local Baptist church when I was 7.
9. That is where I came to understand my need for Jesus.
10. I skipped two grades in elementary school.
11. I lived in a foster home for 10 months when I was 14.
12. I still maintain a close relationship with my foster parents.
13. I moved to Southern California when I was 15, to live with my Dad and family.
14. I went to high school for 6 years.
15. I didn't want to graduate when I was 15.
16. I would have missed driving, dating, the Prom, etc.
17. I had LOTS of credits when I graduated.
18. I was 18 when I got married.
19. I married my highschool sweetheart.
20. I had planned to get a PhD in psychology.
21. Sometimes God has other plans.
22. I was 19 when I had my first baby.
23. I have been a Stay At Home Mom ever since.
24. I was 21 when I had my second baby.
25. I had contractions every day for 16 weeks, so I had to be on bedrest and medication.
26. My son was born three days late.
27. I bought my first house at 23.
28. I was widowed at 24.
29. I lost my husband in a motorcyle accident.
30. I hate motorcycles!
31. My church was a ton of help after I was widowed.
32. I met Will (my current husband) the Sunday after I was widowed.
33. He had been widowed 6 weeks earlier.
34. I had a child in the same Sunday School class that he did, but we had never met.
35. We only talked a couple times over the next few months.
36. I took my kids to "Family Camp" with the church that Summer.
37. Will was there too.
38. We took two long walks on the beach while we were there.
39. We haven't spent more than a day apart since.
40. We got married twice.
41. Once shortly after we got engaged, because I was impatient.
42. The second time was a big wedding because Will said I should get to be queen for a day.
43. It was glorious, and the pictures are gorgeous.
44. I inherited a 3rd child when Will and I got married.
45. He is only 8 weeks younger than my 1st.
46. People often think they are twins.
47. Telling people about the age difference leads to lots of funny looks and questions.
48. Even though I thought I was through having children before, Will and I decided to have babies together.
49. That was definitely a God thing after my last pregnancy.
50. I didn't do any better during this pregnancy.
51. I was on bed rest from 17 weeks on.
52. I was SEVERELY hypoglycemic.
53. I had morning, noon and night sickness THE. WHOLE. TIME.
54. My placenta abrupted (detached) halfway at 37 weeks.
55. It took the doctors 6 1/2 hours to figure it out.
56. Even with an emergency c-section, the baby and I both almost didn't make it.
57. Blood tranfusions saved me.
58. 17 days in the NICU and lots of miracles saved him.
59. My husband had a vasectomy a couple weeks later.
60. We were happy with the family we had.
61. God had other plans.
62. A bunch of "politics" happened, and our pastor left our church.
63. We chose to leave the church too.
64. The church we went to had a strong ministry going on in Lesotho, Africa.
65. They also had a strong adoption ministry.
66. We had no idea how much we would be drawn into those ministries.
67. This was the place God chose to reveal His plans for our family to adopt.
68. It was wonderful to be in a place that offered so much support.
69. We had no idea it would take 18 months for the adoption to happen.
70. The "pregnancy" was easier on me physically, but much harder emotionally.
71. Halfway through the adoption, we moved to a new home, one hour South.
72. Our home, community and schools for the kids are wonderful.
73. Being far away from family and friends is not so wonderful.
74. We finally got to bring Grace home 6 months ago.
75. It's impossible to think of our family without her.
76. Our trip to Ethiopia changed me forever.
77. We plan to adopt an "older" child from Ethiopia in a few years.
78. This is a FOR SURE thing.
79. I wish it could be sooner, but God said, "Wait."
80. My heart aches for when the time is right.
81. I will keep praying.
82. I have four biological siblings (half, but who cares).
83. I have lots more by marriage.
84. My kids have 8 grandparents that we are in contact with.
85. There are two that don't want that relationship. Sad.
86. They also have four great-grandparents. Lucky!
87. Holiday times are very busy at our house.
88. The kids never have a shortage of gifts.
89. We are all VERY spoiled!!
90. I homeschool one of my sons.
91. Public school has been great for my two oldest kids, but not for #3.
92. We'll see how things go for the youngest kids when the time comes.
93. I am a Mom...
94. ...to 5 kids.
95. Someday it will be more.
96. I have only given birth to 3 kids.
97. I don't plan to be pregnant ever again.
98. If I did get pregnant, I would have some explaining to do to my husband.
99. I'm glad God had a plan for more kiddos than my body could handle creating.
100. I can't imagine my life without any of them.

Pink, Pink & More Pink

I am finding myself getting weary of all the pink around here. I must confess that it is NOT my favorite color. But, lest we all forget, there is a purpose for the Pepto Bismol fest going on here at 5McCKids. It is Breast Cancer Awareness month. For that cause, I will happily continue to endure the PINK.

A Little Help From Our Friends

Since we had the "paint spilled on brand new carpet" emergency when we first moved into our house, we have our own carpet cleaner. Actually we have two. A small, portable one for little messes and the "grande" version for taking on whole rooms and big messes. This has really saved us in times like the Puke-apalooza after Grace came home. Not to mention the random occasion, like last night, when she still pukes for seemingly no reason. Most of the time, all over herself, her Mom and the floor. We could have owned both of our carpet cleaners many times over if we had to rent a machine every time we needed one.

Getting to the point now, I promise. Will decided it was time to clean the carpet in our family room a couple days ago. This was a job for the "grande" carpet cleaner. Our children have rarely seen this machine put to use in our house, so the little ones were especially curious. They were running around, yelling questions and other random sounds over the din of the motor and generally just getting in the way. Finally we decided to attempt to focus their curiosity. What better way than to suggest they "help" Daddy while Mom takes pictures. I am pleased to say it worked like a charm. I am not so sure Will appreciated all the "help", but it sure was fun to watch. 8^)

Lots of Comments

Yesterday, I got the funniest email. I wasn't too sure about it at first. I was afraid that our efforts could be mistaken as Spam. After checking in this afternoon, and seeing that there were already many people joining the bandwagon, I decided to go forward full speed. Check it out.....

Hi,

I got your e-mail from a comment you made on Marry (Owlhaven’s) blog. Did
you see her post about buying 1000 comments?

I thought it would be insanely funny if we gave her 1000 comments on an
entry. I collected 33 of your names, so if everyone adds 30 comments, we
should get there. Plus, people who I haven’t contacted will probably catch
on so I doubt it will be necessary for each of us to do all 30.

So, add your comments to her “Works for me Wednesday” entry (October 11th).
On the off chance she doesn’t do one, add comments to the first post on
Thursday.

-Brian (currently blogless)

You know the coolest part? In doing something kind for Mary, I have been blessed too. I have received all kinds of sweet comments and visits from new readers. How cool is that?!

If you feel so inclined, join in on the fun. Last I checked, there are 325 comments on the "Works for Me Wednesday" post over at Owlhaven. Wow!!!!

Update: 648 comments over at Owlhaven as of 8:27 MST. Holy Smokes!!! I think she just might make it to 1000!

Another Update: Owlhaven reached 1000 comments at 11:19pm MST!! The really fun thing is that the same person left the 1st comment and the 1000th comment. Good for you, Sarah, for sticking it out.

Thanks to all of you that stopped by and commented. I enjoyed visiting all of you too. 8^)

Important....

Last week, I posted about Madonna going to Malawi. I followed that up with a post about a family that has followed God's call in their lives to go minister to the children of Malawi. Today, I received a lovely email, and request, from that family. I thought about trying to summarize it, but decided it would be best to share it with you directly.

Dear bloggers,

We have recently been made aware of your interest in our ministry in Malawi and your blog comments on our activities. I would like to thank you for your support, especially in the realm of prayers for our success and continued health. I would ask, however that you make sure you give ALL glory to God, as without His working our efforts would be nil. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16
Many times since we have been here our flesh has longed to give up the fight and return home. Without divine help, all would have been lost long ago. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13

Please continue to pray and ask those who you communicate with to pray as well. We are only one small link in the lives of the children we touch and they need all of our prayers to succeed in a realm of darkness. We commit them to God’s care, for only He knows their end.

In God’s Grace,

Andy Langdon

With that in mind, please keep this family, their ministry and the children of Malawi in your prayers.

Thanks 8^)

Visitor

My oldest son made a pretty big mistake this past week, and earned himself some yard work time. As he was working on weeding the hill in our backyard, he let out an alarmed cry. It seems he had come upon a snake. My husband just happened to be in the yard at the time, so he hurried over to see what was going on. It turns out, we had a young rattle snake in our midst. That angle you see in the top right of the picture is where the concrete step into our garage meets the stucco on the side of our house. Yikes!! After taking a moment to snap this picture, I am happy, I mean sorry, to say it met its' demise.

Prayer Request

Grandma and Grandpa Mac (Will's parents) could use some extra prayers right now. They are dealing with some health issues. Grandpa had a heart attack two weeks ago. After a week long stay in the hospital, he has been home recovering for the last few days. Last night, things got even more interesting. Grandma had been having stomach pains throughout afternoon. As the evening progressed, they became more intense, until the need to head to the ER became apparent. She was diagnosed with severe appendicitis, and promptly had her appendix removed. She is recovering nicely, and the doctors anticipate her discharge from the hospital sometime tomorrow. However, therein lies the rub. We have two people, alone in a house, recovering at the same time. They have a home health nurse coming twice a week, but there are still many needs to be met. We are grateful that there are a number of family members close by. I figure prayers for quick healing and restoration couldn't hurt either.


Update: We just found out Grandma Mac was discharged from the hospital today (10/7). She is tired, but recovering well. Keep those prayers coming. Thanks!!

Little Helper

After watching her big sister mop the kitchen floor, Grace decided to try to get in on the action. Holding that mop shows just how tiny she still is. Don't be in too big a hurry little one.

End of a Long Day

Shhhh......Baby (and Mommy) Sleeping

Under the Sea

I've mentioned before that my kids' Middle School works hard to keep their "dances" age appropriate. They have provided bounce houses, food, velcro walls, face painting, bouncy boxing and almost as an afterthought, a DJ. Very little dancing goes on at these dances. Much to my relief!!!

This is what Kayla looked like when she got home from the dance last Friday...



Tyler passed on the dancing and face painting, but had a great time anyway. 8^)

More from Malawi

Back on September 1st, Rich, over at No More Counting the Cost, brought a new blog to my attention. Much like myself, Rich is an adoptive parent. In fact, he and his family are currently waiting for their two beautiful girls to come home from Ethiopia. I notice his name pretty often in the comments sections of the blogs I read, so I decided to check out this new place. Wow! The story that is unfolding at Suffer the Little Children is nothing less than incredible. Talk about hearing the call, and acting without question. I have been a faithful reader ever since.



It just so happens that this family heard the call to go to Malawi, Africa. Now, a couple years ago, early on in our adoption journey, any news or information from Africa was interesting to me. Then I went through a phase where I only wanted to learn about Ethiopia. After traveling to Ethiopia this past Spring, I find myself attracted to news about humanitarian needs everywhere. This blog fits that bill. This family has moved to Malawi, and proceeded to take in six babies so far. They are not just talking the talk. They are walking the walk.

When I wrote my post about Madonna yesterday, I hadn't considered that I actually knew of people who were in Malawi (the same country Madonna just took by storm), working with orphans. As I was making the rounds through the blogospere this morning, I came across this post. Please take a minute to go read it.....I'll wait.



I know that I am a terribly spoiled American, that is hopelessly uninformed of the true reality of living in Africa. Sure, I can quote statistics with the best of them. I have even traveled to Ethiopia, and felt like my heart could not be any more broken than it was every time I saw the children begging in the streets. The fact of the matter is, I still have no REAL idea what it would be like to live like that. This post was written by someone that lives in Malawi. Someone that cares for 6 helpless babies that would surely have died without her care. She lives it and sees it every day. She has the benefit of the news in Malawi, not the watered down version that we get of African news here in America.

I'm certainly not saying that ONLY bad will come from Madonna's actions, but I believe in weighing the pros and cons of a thing before I form an opinion. The scale seems awfully lopsided to me.

The Material Girl

This article came to my attention today on our Agency's Yahoo group. I originally appeared on the CNN website. I have copied in it's entirety here, but if you prefer to go to the source, feel free to click away. Whatever your choice, please read it.


Madonna starts Africa baby mission

POSTED: 8:26 a.m. EDT, October 4, 2006

LILONGWE, Malawi (Reuters) -- Pop diva Madonna arrived in Malawi on Wednesday to adopt an African child and fund an orphan center for 1,000 children, many of whom lost parents to AIDS.
A fleet of cars and trucks specially flown in whisked the "Material Girl" and her entourage to an undisclosed location soon after their private plane landed at Lilongwe.
"She came straight from the plane, greeted the minister (of women and development) in the VIP lounge, then (went) straight to her car," said Adrina Michiela, a government spokeswoman.
Madonna's trip has stoked high expectations in Malawi, an impoverished nation of 13 million people who are dependent on tobacco exports. The country, like others in the region, has been decimated socially and economically by AIDS.
Madonna has said she plans to spend at least $3 million on programs to support orphans in Malawi and another $1 million to fund a documentary about the plight of children in the country.
She is scheduled to travel to Mphandula on Thursday, a village 20 km (12.5 miles) outside Lilongwe, where she is funding the construction of the Raising Malawi center to feed and educate orphans.
Madonna, who already has two children, is also making arrangements to adopt a child, according to the Malawi government, which is helping to locate a suitable candidate and planning to exempt her from a ban on non-resident adoptions.
Residents in Mphandula, which has no electricity, were busy on Wednesday rehearsing songs and making preparations.
"We will show her how we in Malawi welcome such visitors who are ready to help," the village chief said.
Critics have described the project as a publicity stunt that follows in the footsteps of other celebrities who have taken up causes on the world's poorest continent.
As part of their studies, orphans at the center will be taught a curriculum based on Spirituality for Kids linked to the Kabbalah school of mysticism to which Madonna adheres.

Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

I try to stay out of the fray of adoption controversy for the most part. I don't join in on the discussions about "proper" adoption terminology. I avoid conversing about keeping names vs. changing them. Don't even get me started on whether or not we should be allowed to mention God on various Yahoo groups. I definitely have opinions about these things (and many others), but I'm OK with the fact that other people have opinions about them too. Even when they differ from mine. I'm just not a person that likes to fight, so I rarely feel the need to spout off in a public forum about my opinion.

This article is an exception. Don't get me wrong here. I am grateful for any and all help that benefits orphans in Africa, but Gah!!! "...a suitable candidate..." Statements like this make me crazy! Also...

"As part of their studies, orphans at the center will be taught a curriculum based on Spirituality for Kids linked to the Kabbalah school of mysticism to which Madonna adheres."

Do you think there might be another agenda here?! People talk about the Angelina Jolie affect on Ethiopian adoption. At least she has done, and continues to do, significant work in the countries of her children's birth, as well as many other nations in the world. She also started way before it was "COOL" to do it. I'm sorry families have to wait longer to bring their children home now, due to increased popularity in Ethiopian adoption and new checks and balances that have been placed in the process, but SOOOOO many more children are coming home now! Malawi doesn't even allow international adoption. This whole Madonna thing just wreaks of publicity and duplicity to me.



No thank you Madonna! Keep your "Material Girl" ways and mysticism to yourself!!!

Update: You can click here to read the latest update from Madonna's publicist. I am not one to take "official" comments from a celebrity publicist too seriously; especially when the rumors have been floating around since July; but I felt the need to be honest in my reporting of this story.

PINK

I don't know if you all knew this (I just found out myself from my friend DeAnna over at Doubly Blessed), but October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Now, I'm not a big fan of celebrating every little holiday or jumping on the bandwagon of every cause, but this one is different. I doubt I have one reader that has missed out on being touched by this disease. So, in honor of my sweet friend Tina that has been courageously battling for the last year, and all the other women and men that have, or will be affected by breast cancer, all posts here at 5McCKids will be in pink for the month of October.

To all the other bloggers that might be reading this, what can you do to increase the AWARENESS?