Funny things that kids say

It is so much fun talking to the kids and listening to what they say to each other. Ty is really starting to talk a lot. The other day while I was changing Shylo's diaper he toddled over and said "Potty?" I said, "Yep, Shylo went potty." To that he replied, "Goss!" I agree that was pretty gross. Shylo is potty training, but is still not proficient. One day I asked if he went potty and he said, "No, my peter won't work." I have to admit that I get a good laugh at least once a day. Last night we had conferences for our 3 in elementary school and they are doing great. It is fun to see the progress that they've made. Nando's conference last week revealed that he has pretty much doubled in his test scores. I love to have good reports. I know they are behind their peers, but success to me is measured in how far they have improved instead of focusing on how far behind they are. Rob and I have changed our last name to be Milbridge-Scott, so we all have the same last name now. Our exciting news is that we are going to the temple in December to be sealed. We are all very excited about that. Rob continues to work hard in school. We are all looking forward to him being done with this semester. He is working hard in the student senate and also has been nominated for s few scholarships that require some of his time. We manage to see each other every once in a while. I am still working every other week and it is going well. I am contemplating applying for Grad school. Next year Shylo will be in Preschool 4 days a week and I think Rob will be taking night classes, so I might be able to do it. I'll keep you posted. We are happy and doing well. November is National Adoption month. Please remember the 132 million children worldwide who need families.

"We are family"

I'm so grateful for great people. We have continued to see the goodness of most people through our experience. We travelled to Utah to finalize the adoption with the judge who has worked with the children all along. She was fabulous. She had a special gift for each of the children and she was thrilled that we went back to Utah to finalize there. We stopped in Yellowstone on the way there and we got stuck in a Bison traffic jam. The best part is they were crossing the road right in front of our vehicle and walking along side our van. We stopped in West Yellowstone at a Grizzly and Wolf center. Alicia and Stevie got to hide food for the Grizzlies and then we watched as they overturned rocks and logs to find their treats. We had a blast. Yellowstone is a must see for anyone who loves the outdoors. The kids' favorite thing was having their own money to buy souvenirs with. I loved that as a kid too. We are so grateful for a wonderful safe trip, but mostly that we are officially and legally a family. What a blessing it is. My children know they are loved by us, but they are also loved by so many other people in our lives and community. One thing we have learned is how many people want to bless our family and support us in one way or another. And the other lesson is that there really is opposition in all things. Not everyone will support us in our decisions and some will even feel that they are entitled to an opinion about us (and feel the need to express that). The Lord has blessed us and will continue to bless us. Of that I am certain. Thanks to everyone for everything.

Response to Duluth News Tribune Article comments

Hello Everyone! This is Rob. I don't usually update the blog, but there is a first time for everything. Below is a letter I wrote in response to comments posted online about our article in the Duluth News Tribune. Here is the link to the article. You can read the comments if you are interested and to understand the context of the letter. http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/comments/id/146992/
I decided to post this response here instead of the comment section because of the length.

First, let me thank those who have offered their support, and also those who have expressed sincere concern for the well being of our children. I read the comments posted and wanted to respond to the questions asked regarding indoctrination, and government assistance. Jaime and I also want to be clear that all of our children receive all of the physical and mental health services they need. I don’t think it is appropriate to elaborate on that, but their unique needs are met. By responding I understand that just as we did when we finally consented to do the article, we are putting ourselves out there for others to embrace or ridicule. I hope that this story is one that inspires others as it has inspired us. We have been the humble recipients of so much goodness and the witnesses of so many miracles. That is the story. Not Jaime and Rob the great couple that adopted 8 children. I'll begin with the fun one of indoctrination. The older two children were baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints prior to placement with us. We are also members of that church. We go to church, pray, and read scriptures as a family. If our children had been adopted by a couple with non Christian beliefs; some people's concern might be that the children were not being taught about Jesus Christ. I will not apologize for teaching my children doctrines and principles that were taught to me by my parents. Those teachings have had such a positive impact on my life. One of those principles is that everyone has agency. Our children are taught that they can decide what they will believe. I can't force them to be Christian any more than I can force you to believe that we aren't religious zealots. I would only request the same respect I give everyone to share their beliefs and values with their children. Next lovely topic is government assistance. Prior to adoption the state of Utah (a state that Jaime and I lived in for 5 years and paid taxes) was paying for the children to be in the foster care system. The state of Utah continues to pay a subsidy for the children, but it is significantly less than the foster care rates. Also, anyone that would attempt to adopt 8 children to "get rich" or "make money off of the state" should seek the mental health help that was recommended in one of the other comments. Our national government's welfare system isn't set up to encourage repayment or contributions back into the system. However, the welfare system of the church we attend does teach this principle. I have contributed by paying taxes on all of the jobs I have had since I was 14 years old and delivering papers. We will continue to pay taxes on any income that my wife earns through her employment. As a family we will give back and help those in need well after the point that we have equaled the amount of assistance the state of Utah has given us. This is a good point to address the suggestion that the church should pay for the children. I would submit that the members of our local congregation have far exceeded the amount of financial assistance we have received from any government agency. The gifts, donations, labor, and skills that have been so freely offered to our family are remarkable. Those who wish to debate this fact are welcome to inquire of someone that saw the sorry state of the home we needed to fix up for the kids in a months’ time prior to their placement. Hundreds if not thousands of hours were given in acts of selfless service by members of our local congregation, the community, and amazing local businesses. You may ask why we would be so irresponsible and naïve to undertake such a challenge with our limited financial resources. The commitment we made, which in our minds is eternal, was not made on a whim. I don’t have time to outline the painstaking process of researching the financial implications of such a choice. At the end of that process we received a simple answer to our heartfelt prayer. We asked that the correct couple would be chosen to adopt these magnificent children and the answer was to go forward with faith. We have and will continue to do so. To those that still feel our temporary receipt of government assistance is a poor use of tax dollars. I wish you could spend a day with our amazing children and experience firsthand what remarkable individuals they are and continue to become. We are so blessed. There isn’t a perfect person in this family, we all make mistakes, are adapting to one another and continue to grow. We have always expected that this will be the hardest thing we will ever do. I would disagree with Jerry though and say that we do have courage. It is the same courage each person reading this, including Jerry, has to live each day and try and be true to the beliefs and values we hold dear. He is right about the Lord's role in this process. Jaime and I could not do this of ourselves. We receive divine assistance on a daily basis; many times in the form of great friends and family!

Respectfully submitted,
Scott Family

Better Full Than Empty

First off, I ought to apologize that I have not blogged for a long time. I honestly didn't think anyone was reading this AND we have been terrible busy. Here is the last four months in a nutshell. April was a busy month for birthdays. 3 kids within about two weeks. Early May Rob and I got to go on a date to a banquet to honor him and others for receiving scholarships. It was wonderful and it was the first date we had been on in several months. You can imagine we are so busy it rarely happens. As we are walking to our car I was looking at him and searching for the keys and out jumps the ONLY pothole in the parking lot. I fall in my dress, skin my arm and knee and twist my foot. He was so worried about me being embarrassed he sat down by me on the pavement while I waited for the pain in my foot to subside. Isn't he cute? Well we made it home and the pain was still bad so my dad brought me to the ER. I broke my foot. The ER doctor asked if I had been drinking. I laughed so hard. Me? I haven't even tasted alcohol let alone enoug to make me drunk, but they see some of the craziest things. Breaking my foot added to our craziness. We joked around that things were getting a little boring with just eight kids that we had to do something to add some spice. I tell people I needed a break and I had to go to drastic measures to get one. That is so totally untrue because as it turns out I only got a few days in bed before Rob had a tonsillectomy that put him out of commission for about 3 weeks. Ty started talking and walking. He had a speech evaluation done and he is advanced in speech which is always fun to hear as a mom. He says two and three word sentences and tries to copy everything we say. He, by the way, is a total momma's boy. Shylo remains a daddy's boy through and through, to the point he will cry when dad leaves for any amount of time. Shylo is speaking well and enjoying his artistic abilities. Last Monday he decided during nap time to finger paint on the window--with his poop. Yeah, that was really fun to clean up. Good thing he had to do most of it. The next day during naptime he found a marker someone had left laying around and decided his walls and sheets were too boring so he decorated them. I had to take a moment and breathe very deeply before talking to him. Oooooo he is soooooo lucky he is so darn cute. He still has his killer smile and mischievious looks. Nando, where do I begin. Do I dare say that he will be my child that refines me the most and creates one heck of a mom. No matter how many skills I have learned over the years working with children they all go out the window when dealing with him. He teaches me something new every day. And that little devilish smile he has just makes me laugh. He has so much energy I wish I could bottle it and have a little morning cocktail of it. He loves doing "homework" too. Alicia, is still missing her two front teeth. I'm thinking that will be her present for Christmas. She loves Mondays because that is when I watch my brother's three girls under the age of 5. Her best friend is one of her cousins. That little girl is definitely the princess, but her brother's know she is tough and she has got some killer wrestling moves. Stevie continues to be my artist. I just got back from Utah and he had made me a necklace from some string he found somewhere and a pendant he put together. Sometimes we have to be careful what garbage he finds and keeps for "projects". Gilbert is my little charmer. His killer smile and charm are a sure recipe for disaster as he gets older. It is only a matter of time before the girls come knocking down the door for him. He is my biggest defender to any of the kids if they even think of talking back. "Don't talk to my momma like that," is a frequent saying. I never thought I would love having so many boys as I do. My heart melts daily. Jesse, continues to be the mother's dream around the house. When he sees me doing dishes he will often say, "Mom, can I help you?" You have to love when your children help because they love you and they want to help and not just because you ask them. Granted as long as they help I appreciate it no matter what the motivation is behind the action. And Ammon, bestill my beating heart. That boy, when he smiles a real smile, can stop traffic, I swear. He was so excited for a church dance recently and I got to see video of his dance moves. The whole crowd gathered around him to cheer him on and he was on fire. I'm so glad he has that talent to make him feel good about himself. People ask me about my teenagers and how they are about being adopted. I would take my teenagers over anyone else's any day. Their disrespectful times aren't even as bad as some other teenager's respectful times. The Lord knew what I needed and while life is far from perfect I am so loving my life. My children bring a joy that I could never have imagined. Many people will say "Your hands must be full," Or "You've got your hands full." To that my reply is "Better full than empty". And the truth is for several years I experienced empty and full is so much more delightful. I went to Utah for a few days to an adoption conference and had a marvelous time. I so enjoyed being with friends and learning wonderful things. I have more of an appreciation for birth parents wether they willingly place their child for adoption or they unwillingly lose custody. My children would not be half as sweet as they are if their birth parents were only rotten. I thank them for their blessing. And I honor them for giving life to my beautiful wonderful children. When I returned home I got the best greeting from all of my children. Sometimes going away is what is best for a relationship, at least for a little while. I needed a break badly and my children needed me to leave so they could be so excited when I came back. Ty will not let me put him down for long. Even when I needed Rob to hold him so I could get out the presents that I bought for the children out. Ty squealed with displeasure at the idea I would give him to Rob so soon after being reunited. This morning when one of our helpers came over that Ty loves he wouldn't go to even her and she is the one he always chooses. Of course, I loved every second of it. You should have felt the energy of all my children when they realized I was home. Even my teenagers were giggly and off the wall. My husband managed to parent 8 kids by himself and clean and organize my house to a opint it has never been at since we have had the kids. He is superman and I am so blessed to have him as MY sweetheart. I know this update is long, but this goes out to all of the workers at the Utah Adoption Exchange who love when I update the blog. Can I just get on my soapbox for a moment? No one can oppose me since I am writing this. Oh the power I have at my finger tips! Okay, seriously. There are 132 million orphans world wide that need homes desperately. Children who being adopted means they will live because they will be able to get minor surgeries that save their lives. Children who are aging out of the foster care system and get lost. My heart breaks for children without families. Many of you can biologically have children, many have adopted, many may feel too old. Please consider what the Lord could add to your family through adoption. Siblings kept together. I know my children were intended to be my children. August 20th, Rob's 30th birthday, is our finalization date. Then my children will be mine legally and not just emotionally. Final note: My grandmother-in-law is holding a benefit to raise money to send us to Utah for the finalization this Sunday from 4-7. If you want more details let me know and I will get them. Remember the blessings we have and be grateful.

Easter

We have just finished the most wonderful month and week as a family. I have been sick 2 times in the last 3 weeks with Strep throat and Rob has had it once. All of the kids have escaped the sickness, thank goodness. You would think that we would have had a horrible month. However, being sick puts things in perspective (it also gave us a much needed break from the stresses of life aka kids). We were rejuvenated. It also gave me time to bond with my kids as a single parent (good thing that isn't a long-term thing). Shylo is a Daddy's boy through and through and he wants nothing to do with me. But having Dad sick made it so he had to spend time with me and now we are so much closer because of it. Saturday we went to the easter egg hunt at the local zoo. My dad came with us. The kids got to find an egg and then trade it in for a sack full of goodies. They loved it, but to my surprise what they loved the most was running from animal to animal so excited to talk about them and look at them. The animals were getting special easter treats while were there and we got to see the Polar bear eat her treat. Ty went nuts talking up a storm and trying to climb out of my grasp to get closer. Then on Easter day we went to church and all the kids had new outfits. They were all so beautiful and so ready for church. I have had a lot of moments lately of extreme pride in my children. They have overcome so much in their short lives. Rob took our two oldest to a hotel with a few other friends to celebrate Ammon's birthday. While it is normal to want to look "cool" for friends my boys were still respectful and grateful. That could not have been fun for Rob and yet my boys were awesome. I am so sad they are back to school today and I'm back to only having two at home. We tried to make the focus on why we celebrate Easter. When we first asked them they had no idea an d thought it was something about a bunny. By the end of the week they could all tell us the whole story. It makes a mama proud. What would we ever do without the sacrifice of OUR Savior, Jesus Christ. His resurrection gives so much peace and joy. Well, I must end now, but want to just say how truly blessed I am to have children in my life the enrich my soul and bring me so much joy. I've caught myself fighting tears many times lately at the extreme love and gratitude I feel for a loving Heavenly Father who may have had to withhold my deepest desires for a time, but later on gave me the ultimate blessings--beautiful, wonderful children and an amazing husband to cherish always.

Busy

The evidence that life has been busy is that I have not written here since January. Let me fill you in on our lives over the last few months. Alicia turned 6 and last week had surgery. Tubes in her ears and adenoids taken out. She is doing wonderfully. Ty turned 1 last week and wants to walk so badly. Rob is back in school, is working PT and is the vice president of the Student Senate at his school. I continue to be chef, maid, driver, shopper, appointment setter and so on and so on. Ammon and Jesse have enjoyed some ice fishing outings. Gilbert played basketball and did awesome. Stevie continues to amaze me with his artistic abilities. Fernando is my little character. He gives me a run for my money every day. Shylo is his understudy and is soon going to surpass his curiosity. Shylo is talking so much and copying everything. I might add that everything is much more funny when a two-year-old says it. And Ty, well, he continues to be our little ray of sunshine although he is starting to show what a temper he can have. Why would he be any different that the rest of our children. Tonight we walked down to Lake Superior where the ice has been pushed up on shore creating beautiful ice shapes. The kids enjoyed throwing rocks into the holes in the ice, looking for bugs and collecting rocks. I enjoyed watching my sweetheart play with our children. I also enjoyed seeing how excited children get at the smallest things. Everything is a wonder to them and worthy of exploring further. We continue to be blessed immensely and are enjoying our very hectic very stressful lives. Well, I guess I should say that we enjoy them most of the time. That makes us human, right? There are those days that we would rather not have, but I seem to learn so much more from them because I always wake up the next day vowing to do better or try something new. It is all a part of life--learning every day.

New Year

What a wonderful year so far. Where do I begin with all of the many blessings we have been given. A local construction company replaced our front window that was broken during the burglary. Two angels came to our door representing their family that had pooled all their Christmas money together and gave it to us. Some local women did Christmas for us. The local high school also got each child a gift. Some sorority women made blankets for the kids. My dad gets to watch my children grow and sits with us at church. My husband married me and has stayed married to me. My children are beautiful wonderful happy children. My dogs treat me like a celebrity each time I come home. We belong to the most wonderful church and have so much support from our church family. I feel like we have a golden goose that keeps bringing good luck. But on a serious note I know that they are all blessings from a loving Heavenly Father. Since our computer was stolen I have not been able to upload pictures of our family, but as soon as I can swing things I will show you the reasons that I am as happy as I am. My children have taught me a lot. Patience is the lesson they teach me daily. A friend who had four children in four years once told me that had it not happened that way she would never have learned the patience she needed to deal with life. I must be a slow learner that I had to be given 8 all at once to learn that lesson otherwise I never would learn patience. But I am not complaining. For these blessings I am glad I am a slow learner. I miss my mom. She would have loved sewing for all my kids and kissing them and cuddling them. I have to believe she is closer than we all know. Shylo, our two-year-old loves Papa, my dad. He loves to call him on the phone. When he sees cars like his he yells out hoping it is him. Ty also loves Papa. He just started crawling the other day so he is happy to be mobile. Ammon just finished an art table in his woodworking class and boy is it wonderful. Jesse has his first band concert tomorrow. He plays the flute. Jesse is the child that takes care of me the most. He makes sure I am okay if I get hurt. He wants to help out around the house to make it easier on me. He is my right hand man. Gilbert is playing basketball and he is such a hard worker. He never gets mad when his teammates hog the ball. Stevie is a little ray of sunshine lately. Happy all the time. Wanting to help out. He is our artsy creative kid and his Christmas presents made him so happy. He can now create whenever he wants to. Alicia, well she is the princess and she knows it and loves it. She is a wonderful big sister and very sensitive to the needs of others. She loves her cousins so much and wishes they could come over every day. The funniest thing in the world is watching her and Nando wrestle. She wraps her legs around his head and she looks like a pro wrestler at times. Nando, he is our little pistol. So busy and asking questions about everything. He knows how to charm, but he can also drive a person nuts in no time flat. If I survive him and Shylo together it will be a miracle. They love to get into trouble together. There is never a dull moment in our home and for that we are deeply grateful. Sorry all the words and no pictures. I will work on that. Happy New Year!