Easter Joy

Dear Friends & Family,

It certainly was a joyous Easter for the Lewis clan. They kids had a beautiful day and just enjoyed having the attention and love they crave and so deserve. So many people showered them with Easter prizes which thrilled them - but of course, the day after they are sitting here on the floor playing with the empty plastic Easter eggs having the best time. It doesn't take much.

The last couple of weeks have been really good overall. Iain's mom & dad came down to meet the munckins and spend time some quality time with them. It was a wonderful visit. My parents are "Grandma & Grandpa" to the kids and Iain's folks are the Spanish version: "Abuelita & Abuelito." Maddie pronounces them beautifully - which makes the Lewis' beam. Collin's version of their names are "Peta & Peto" which is so adorable and brings them equal joy. The Lewis' stayed with my parents at night since nights at our house are still a little stressful. (Night Terrors and nightmares still occur on a regular basis....but they are improving in terms of quantity, duration and sometimes intensity.)

During their visit, Iain caught that nasty stomache flu and later that evening so did Collin. I only THOUGHT that scooping out poop in the tub gained me membership into the Mothers' Club.......not so. Collin got sick 6 times within about four hours.........twice on me (yuck), once in his bed, once on the air mattress I moved him to, once on the fabric chair I placed him on while I searched for clean clothes and the grand finale...........in the bathtub. (Trust me when I tell you that I would MUCH prefer scooping poop out of the tub.) In between Collin's episodes, Iain was getting sick, although he didn't get much attention from me that night since it was my opintion that he 'infected" my baby. And to top it all off -- Maddie's night terrors punctuated each round of "sick." Of course, I had about three loads of laundry going during the festivities and finally got to sleep around 6am. I had to wake up at 7am to get ready to show up for an appointment to the child psychologist. I'm sure I made a FANTASTIC impression on her. Oh well.........my Mothers' Club card is completely valid now....that's all that matters.

Our days are MUCH better with fewer and fewer breakdowns. (Let me make it clear that the KIDS have much fewer breakdowns.....I have mine fairly regularly! :) A couple of weeks ago some of our dear friends got together and bought the kids an amazing wooden swingset/slide and came to our home to install it. It only took 4 1/2 hours with seven adults (three engineers in the bunch.) It was like an old-fashioned barn-raising. Uncle Vinnie got them a cool trampoline and as well as an above ground pool waiting to be assembled. We refer to our backyard as "Lewis Land" now. People have been SO good.

LEGAL UPDATE: We're in the thick of it now and it's starting to get VERY sticky. The good news is that our attorney is asking for serious prayer. The bad news is that our attorney is asking for serious prayer. The case, on its own, is a no-brainer. The problem is that the birthfather's relatives are very influential people which could affect the outcome adversely.

The hearing is set for next Monday, March 31st. It could be delayed and actually, the more time our attorney has, the better. We are begging for prayers. Even though we have so much evidence and documentation that would typically be a slam-dunk for us......this case is very political because of who is involved. Ultimately, we want the best for Maddie and Collin. We know we are not perfect, but we truly believe that our home is the best for them.

As big and scary as this situation is........we truly believe that God is bigger, stronger and more influential than the people involved. We appreciate your support and prayers and love. Please continue to remember us, our attorney, the judge, etc. in your prayers....and of course....Maddie & Collin.

www.fotki.com/lewisfamily
(more pictures)