Urban Mama

Find me here...

2007-12-30T07:47:00.000-08:00

I switched to wordpress so find me over here.

Sorry my blog is messed up.

2007-12-30T07:22:00.000-08:00

I do not know what is going on with blogger right now but it seems that wordpress is messed up also. I hope to get it back to normal soon.

My top ten for 2007

2007-12-29T13:07:00.000-08:00

1. The finalization of our adoption, one of the happiest days of my life

2. Our new house with lots of room for guests, a big backyard, and a kitchen that I love to cook in, I hope I never have to move.

3. Movies, ">Once and ">Juno. It is a tie. If you have not seen these, you should. You will not be sorry.

4. The book Ten Thousand Suns... one I could not put down.

5. My trip to Burkina Faso, a trip of a lifetime

6. My son losing his first tooth and my middle girl becoming a little fashion designer

7 Our time in Tahoe this last summer... swimming, hiking, and just enjoying being on vacation

8. My road trip with my friend helping her move to Vermont. We went though the craziest storm I have ever experienced.

9. Discovering that I like sushi...this makes my husband very happy

10. My bike and double stroller. We went on our first bike ride all together (all five of us) and it was wonderful. The stroller has made walks much more enjoyable and we get outside a lot more.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-23T13:56:00.001-08:00

Our Christmas with my family...

2007-12-23T13:37:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas with my family yesterday. As we were getting to my parents house LuLu said, " we are in Nana's woods and there is just a little bit of snow". That girl makes us laugh everyday with the things she says. We had a great time. They had the tree up that the kids had helped cut down and decorate. We ate really good food and lots of it.We drank hot apple cider and hot chocolate with lots of whipped cream. We opened presents. The kids got great presents and have been enjoying them all day. We walked around the little lake that my parents live on. LuLu wanted to trail very far behind the rest of us and pretend that she was lost in the woods. She was very proud of herself for "finding her way back". We looked at the pictures from my trip to Burkina Faso. And before we left my dad made us a bon fire and we stood in the cold, warmed by the fire and enjoyed just being together. It was a very enjoyable day for us and the kind of day that makes great memories for everybody. Tomorrow we head out for Tennessee. We are hoping for a smooth flight, no delays, and patient kids.

A little catch up

2007-12-19T14:55:00.000-08:00

I feel like I need a catch up post. I have been holding off talking about my amazing trip because there is going to be video and blogging by my friend coming pretty soon. I think that will tell the story so much better than I would be able to do here.

. We have been pretty busy like everyone else this time of year.

. We are going to spend Christmas with our good friends in Tennessee and hope to have a tender Tennessee Christmas just like Amy Grant promises.

. This is the first Christmas that I have not been as into the normal traditions that we do. I am still going along with it because I have the kids and cannot disappoint them but it is just not the same this year. It is also the first year to celebrate Christmas without my great-grandma and this was her favorite time of year so it is sad without her.

. I took my girls for a check up yesterday and they are both doing great. I am so thankful for healthy kids.

. My son is on Christmas break so we are enjoying slower mornings, hanging out more together, movies, games, and all the things you are supposed to do on vacation.

. Our friends had a baby boy a few days ago and we are really happy for them. He is healthy and well.

. I have so many ideas of things that are on my heart but it is hard to find time to completely think through an idea. I am hoping over the next year to be able to act on some of these things. One will be more awareness of the project we are working with in Burkina Faso and one would be some more awareness of the fos-adopt program that we used to adopt our little girl.

. I think I will take a break for Christmas. I hope to be able to expand on some ideas and share about our Christmas later.

. I hope everyone has a very blessed holiday

This cool kid turned 7 today!!!

2007-12-10T13:44:00.000-08:00

I am so proud to be the mom of this great kid. It is amazing to me that he is seven years old already. He has learned so many things since the day he came into our lives. He writes stories now and reads really well. He draws me welcome home monster pictures and has the most amazing imagination. I am so happy I get to have a front row seat to his life. It is a blessing to be the mom of such an amazing boy. Happy Birthday, my sweet boy.

I'm home

2007-12-08T03:52:00.001-08:00

It is four in the morning and I am wide awake. I slept to much yesterday and now I think I am going to pay for it. We had the most amazing trip ever. I have been finding it hard to find the words to describe the time that we spent with these amazing people. They treated us like we were family even though we had just met. They accepted us right from the beginning. They shared their best with us, laughed with us, and traveled many miles with us.

We saw so much in the five days in Burkina Faso. We traveled many miles down bumpy dirt roads, squeezed in a land cruiser with the windows down and getting covered in dust, but talking and laughing the whole way.

Journey Mama will be writing about it on her blog and on the LJ Urban blog also. She has a gift with words and will be describing it so well. I suggest you check out her writing. We have a lot of photos that Journey Mama took and some video that we will be putting on the LJ Urban web site also. I will let you know when all of that is up.

It is good to be home and be with my family. I missed my kids so much. I am also so thankful for this opportunity to see this part of the world. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced before and beyond my wildest imagination. I will try to write more soon when my time is not so messed up.

I'm on my way

2007-11-25T12:45:00.001-08:00

Today is my last day in the U.S. for the next ten days. We leave at an ungodly hour very early in the morning. My kids go back and forth between saying they are going to miss me to being very excited about their plans with their dad. I am looking forward to the adventure and challenges ahead. We have a lot of work to do but I do not think it will feel like work. I am packed and ready. There is always that weird feeling before I leave for a trip where I just never quite feel ready and have to just decide that I am ready. So, I'm ready. This trip is good for my soul. That sounds weird I am sure but it has done good things for me already and I have not even left yet. I look forward to coming back and sharing all that we saw and did. There will be a lot more to see and read when we get back. There will be some blogging going on during our trip at my husbands work blog LJ Urban so you can always check that out. I hope to have many stories to tell soon. Until then pray we have a safe journey and do what we have set out to do.

The Truth

2007-11-18T20:45:00.000-08:00

There is a movie called Once that I loved. It was one of those movies that you sit there and watch it and as soon as it is over you want to watch it again. We have the sound track from it and there is this song that I love. One the the lines in particular. It says, " sometimes the truth has a habit of falling out of your mouth". I am not sure exactly why I love that. Partly because I feel like I do that sometimes where I say the truth on accident and am not sure if I should have but there it is and it is the truth so I can't really take it back. Partly because I wish that the truth would fall out of my mouth more often. I have a friend that is really good at just stating the truth if you like it or not. She is so bold and I like that. I never have to wonder what she is thinking or if there is something going on because if there is she would tell me. I love that and want to be that but it is hard for me to not think about what the other person will think or feel or how will it come across. If the truth is said in love and not in judgment is it better received? How do I handle the truth when I am confronted with it? I want to learn to be real. Who I am no matter who is around or what people think. I want the truth to have a habit of falling out of my mouth.

It's today, it's today

2007-11-17T07:24:00.000-08:00

That is a quote from Stewart Little. The day that they are going to go pick up his new little brother. Well, for us it is the day that we finalize our adoption. She has always felt like ours. We have loved her since the day we first saw her but today we have a legal document that says it is true. No more having to explain at the doctors office why she goes by two names. No more keeping perfect track of everything we do. No more calls when we are going to leave the county. All of that was well worth the outcome but it will be nice to be done. We have our court day this morning and then we are throwing a big party in the late afternoon at our house. We wanted to celebrate this big day with our friends and family. I am so glad as I look back at this journey that our family has gone through. I am so thankful that we made this decision. Our lives will never be the same and we are all thankful for that. Last night we were talking about the upcoming court date and telling the kids that they might ask them if they want to have Little Bird as their sister. My son took it very seriously and told LuLu that she cannot even kid around if they ask her if she wants to or not. I thought that was very sweet. The love the three of them have for each other is amazing to me. So, we are off to the court house and then back home as a legal family and ready to PARTY!

A day in the life of little bird.

2007-11-16T14:19:00.001-08:00

Little Bird update.

She is fully crawling now. She is fast. She pulls herself up to a standing position at the couch and today she walked along the couch. She has four teeth. She says Mama and DaDa. This is all happening way to fast. Her whole world view has changed in the last couple of weeks. She can get where she wants to be. She can get into things. She can find the smallest little anything that is left on the floor. She has also become much more clingy to me which I love and dislike at the same time. I think she is a little afraid of all this new found freedom and she wants to make sure I am there in case she needs me. What a girl. I cannot believe the love that I have for this sweet, lovely girl.

Here is another one...

2007-11-15T19:19:00.001-08:00

I do not know why this guy makes me laugh so hard but he does. I just had to share another one. I think the humor reminds me of my friends from high school or something. I laugh everytime I watch this.

My arms are really sore

2007-11-14T21:14:00.000-08:00

Four shots. A pack of malaria pills. Some mosquito nets. A bottle of insect repellent. And we are just about to leave for West Africa. Just 11 more days.

Only Two Weeks

2007-11-12T14:14:00.000-08:00

I have not written about this yet because I am not sure how to put it all into words. About a month ago my husbands business decided to do a project that would require some traveling. My husband asked me to head it up and so I got to work on it. (I am being vague because they want to launch it all at once so I cannot say to much). The thing is, I am going to a country called Burkina Faso in two weeks. It is in West Africa. I will be going with journey mama and a lady that works at LJUrban. We met with one of the guys that is heading up the program in Burkina Faso last Friday and got a lot more details. LJUrban will be posting pictures and video on their web site after we get back. Then it will all come together. The main thing right now is that I am leaving for 10 days in two weeks. My mind is going crazy trying to think of everything that needs to be done before I leave.
I need reading material.
What should I wear?
Will it all fit?
I need to load my IPOD.
The laundry needs to be done.
And food in the fridge.
Will they really all be ok without me?
I know they will.
I am so very excited. I cannot even put into words what I am feeling. I hope to be able to explain it more when we return.

What a great day.

2007-11-08T13:59:00.000-08:00

I had such a great birthday. I got to go get my hair cut. Which I always really enjoy. I spent time with my kids. I opened the presents from them. I had great friends who gave me gifts and called me and wished me a happy birthday. And my husband totally surprised me by having my mom come and watch the kids while we went on a real date. I was not expecting that at all. We went out for sushi and then to the movies. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day. I have one amazing husband. One of the presents that I got from my husband was an object that allowed me to take these yesterday. Can you guess what it was?

I have learned.....

2007-11-07T06:40:00.000-08:00

1. My kids make me laugh every day
2. I really did marry the best guy in the world.
3. That is really is possible to become even better friends with your sister.
4. I still love going to the library as much as I did as a kid.
5. My son would learn to ride a bike the first time he tried.
6. My daughter would sing songs to me almost everyday.
7. My baby would learn to crawl and say mama in the last week.
8. That going for walk with my family after dinner is a sanity saver and we all enjoy it.
9. That my mom was right, a lot more than I thought.
10. That I am starting to sound just like her.
11. That I enjoy baking more than cooking.
12. Moving is hard and I hope that we do not have to do it again, ever.
13. I don't like to shop as much as I used to.
14. The beach is one of my favorite spots to read a book.
15. Good friends will stick by you through a lot of stuff.
16. That I am a stronger woman than I used to believe I was.
17. Family is really important.
18. I will always pick the slowest line at a store.
19. I like sushi.
20. That I would miss my friends that are far away the most on days like today.
21. I love the smell of rain.
22. I do not really like gardening as much as I thought I would.
23. That good shoes are hard to find.
24. So are good jeans. It is a never ending quest for me.
25. To be more comfortable with who I am, not who I think other people want me to be.
26. I enjoy people with a good sense of humor.
27. That parenting is a scary journey, but God has so much Grace.
28. I am not really dreading today.
29. That today I start the first day of the last year in my twenties.

Books

2007-11-04T07:18:00.000-08:00

The other day driving in the car with my kids my son, looks up from the book he is reading and asks me, "what did I do before I could read?" I started to answer and he pipes up with,"did I just look at books?"

That is my son. His love for books is so complete that he cannot even imagine doing anything else.

Getting Closer

2007-11-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

Today we signed the adoption placement papers which officially take Little Bird out of the foster care system and into the adoption phase. We are that much closer to finalizing. It was a strange day because the office we went to was the same one we met at to find out about her for the first time. I was remembering all those feelings again. The wondering if this would be the one, how do we make this decision, what if they do not pick us. And then the driving away knowing that we would be picking up our little girl the next morning. The excitement, fear, business of getting everything ready. It was just a lot of emotion. They gave us her full file today since they are closing it out and we got to keep the Polaroid picture that they showed us that first day. That is the picture that we made a life changing decision on and I am so glad we get to have it. I am so glad we were the ones that God picked to parent her. She is such a joy in our lives.

My husbands practical jokes

2007-11-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

A little background. A few months ago my husband told my daughter that the sap on the outside of the house was the house peeing. Nice, I know.

This morning she saw a picture of a fire truck and said to me and my husband, " our house won't burn and we said yeah we have a safe house and she said " It won't burn cause it pees.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2007-10-31T08:40:00.000-07:00

Coffee and the beach

2007-10-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago I went to the beach with my sister, mom, Kli, and LuLu. We packed a great lunch, sand toys, and some games. It was a beautiful day. The kids played in the water and sand. We walked down the beach and found drift wood.

For awhile I have wanted to take our little stove and stuff to make coffee and make it on the beach. The last couple of times I have brought it up I did not have anyone that thought it sounded like a good idea. Finally, I had my mom. Another true coffee lover and someone up for trying new things.

We made coffee on the beach and it was wonderful. I think most things taste better while sitting on the beach looking out at the beautiful ocean. The coffee experience did not disappoint.

Now, the next time I go to the beach I am bringing the supplies to make coffee. Takers or not. But the ones who ridicule will be sorry when I am sitting there with my hot, yummy cup of coffee and they are empty handed.

I could not put this one down!

2007-10-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

This was one of the best books I have read in a long time. I highly recommend it.

My new favorite comedy guy

2007-10-20T19:42:00.000-07:00

This ones for you Brody

Concert night

2007-10-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

We had a brilliant night last night!! My husband and I and two friends drove to San Francisco to go to the Phil Wickham and David Crowder Band concert. We got there early and met up with our good friend Brody. He is Phil's tour manager and so we got the "royal treatment" We saw David Crowder sound check and then went to dinner. Then back to the Filmore where the concert was. We got these balcony seats right in front to Phil's dressing room and pretty much the best seats in the place. The concert was amazing. I tend to like music so much more after seeing it live and that was certainly true with the David Crowder Band. It was just an amazing experience. We then got to meet some of the guys after the show and that was fun and weird at the same time. I never really know what to say to them but they were are pretty cool. After the concert we grabbed a late night snack and then headed home. The best parts were spending a whole day and evening with my husband and no kids and getting to see Brody and hang out with him some. The whole night was really great and I am not going to do it justice by writing about it. It is just one of those things that is better in person. But it was great, Brody was awesome for getting us in and the great seats and hanging with us and the music was spectacular. If you have not heard them you should. It is well worth the money.

This is a girl who is feeling much better

2007-10-16T08:48:00.000-07:00

Look at those pretty trees....

2007-10-15T12:31:00.000-07:00

That is what LuLu has been saying as we drive around. I couldn't agree more. Things are looking up around here. Everybody is well. That is a huge plus. We spent the weekend at Tahoe where I got a wonderful pedicure and manicure thanks to some very generous friends of ours and a wonderful husband who watched the kids while I got pampered. It was beautiful up there. The trees are changing but it was sunny. The lake is always amazing and we just had a nice break as a family.

My son wanted to play this game where we would say a word and he would spell it. Then he wanted foriegn words because spelling english words was not hard enough. I cannot believe his love of words. It is an amazing thing to watch.

LuLu was in a great mood and saying how pretty the trees were and then when it got dark how pretty the stars were so we pulled over and looked at the stars. You could see so many because there are not that many lights up there and it was a sight to see. I am so glad she brought them to our attention.

Little bird is all better! That is great by its self but she also has her first tooth, she is sleeping all night again, and she is on the brink of crawling. She gets around but just not in the traditional sense of the word. She is our happy, lovely baby again and I am so thankful for that.

As if all that was not good enough we have one more great thing tomorrow. My mom is coming and watching all three kids so that we can go to San Francisico togther without kids. This will be the first time in a very long time. We are going with some friends to spend the day there and then because we have the hook up we are going to the Phil Wickham and David Crowder show at the Filmore. I am so excited. We get to go out to dinner and a concert like adults. I don't know if we will know what to do with ourselves.

So, things are looking up around here and I have a great big smile on my face.

A long weekend

2007-10-09T21:04:00.001-07:00

Friday evening we were back at the hospital with little bird. She was still having trouble breathing and it seemed to be getting worse. She spent Friday and Saturday night at the hospital. We brought her home on Sunday evening. It was a very long, sad weekend. They did a bunch of tests and x-rays and watched her for a couple of days. After all that they decided that she did just have croup but that because of her tracheal malasia which is where her esophagus is floppy it makes it really hard for her to breath when she gets sick. So we were sent home with some breathing treatments to do at home and told that we need to work really hard at not letting her get sick. That is not going to be easy since it is just the beginning of the cold seasons and we have two other kids but we are going to do our best. We are being good about washing our hands a lot and I am being careful about who she is around. She is much better today and I am hoping to be back to normal in a couple more days. I am looking forward to a time with nobody being sick.

A night at the ER

2007-10-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

Around ten last night little bird woke up and was not breathing very well. We called the advise nurse and he said we should take her into the hospital. Since it was that late the only place to go was the emergency room. We live only two blocks away so I walked down there with her while my husband waited at home for a friend to come stay with the other kids.

I hate emergency rooms. They are gross and the wait is always forever. The later at night the worse it gets. So, I got there and the woman working the counter was not exactly friendly. She told me to fill out the form, put it in the basket and wait. All this time little bird is getting worse and worse and I am getting more and more scared. My husband shows up and sees me waiting and decides this is not happening. He talks to the less than friendly lady and gets her to allow us to talk to the triage nurse. He takes one look at her and admits us immediately. I was so thankful. Once they checked her out they said she did have croup, which I figured but nothing we had tried (hot showers, humidifier) was working. So they gave her some medicine, and started the treatment. She had to breath in this steaming medicine air and then plain steamy air. Around midnight I said that my husband should go home and let our friend go home to his family. So he did that and I waited to finish the treatment. Around two in the morning the treatment was done but she was still not breathing very well.

The doctor decided that she would need to be admited but the hospital we were at did not have a children's department so they would have to transfer her. I called my husband and he called my cousin to come be with the kids so that he could be with me. The ambulance guys finally get there just before three and at this point I am feeling like she is doing a lot better. So, I requested that the doctor come and listen to her again. He came over and listened and said, I think you are right. She does sound a lot better and I would be comfortable sending her home. I was so thankful once again. I was not looking forward to spending the night at the hospital if it was not necessary. So, by the time my husband gets there again they are discharging me. We got home and thanked my wonderful cousin for coming over in the middle of the night.

Of course that was not the end to our night. She was not really going to sleep well after all that and the fact that she is still sick so I went to sleep from 3 to 5 and then traded with my husband so that he could sleep from 5 to 7. It was a long night.

I am so thankful that she is ok. She is still not feeling wonderful but much better. The one thing that I learned from all this is that it is good to ask a lot of questions when you are at the hospital. Things could have gone very differently last night if we had not spoken up and asked for what we needed. I am now hoping for a much more restful night for all of us.

The sick house

2007-09-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

Everyone in my family is sick right now except for me. I am trying my hardest to stay well but I am really tired of taking care of so many cranky, sad people. Hopefully we are at the tail end of it.

Still figuring out myself

2007-09-25T16:11:00.001-07:00

Do you ever feel like you are going through changes all at once and it is uncomfortable and necessary at the same time?

That is where I am at right now. I gave up on my dreads. I know that if I stuck it out in about two or three years I would have wonderful hair that I would love but I was not willing to be that patient. So, now I look like the little picture on my blog again. My daughter is really happy because she never really liked it. I think she likes it when we look like each other.

I spent some time yesterday planning out a schedule for what I would do with LuLu during the days and cleaning my house and doing the things that need to get get done. Today I realized that I am not that kind of person. We like to go with the flow and see what happens for that day. There are somethings that we do every week but for the most part I like to see what happens with naps and how everyone is feeling and work around that. I thought I was a schedule person but I think maybe I am not.

I also have realized lately that I am parenting LuLu like I did Kli and they are so very different that it is not working. He loved to go to classes and wanted to go to school when he was three years old. He is very independent and likes to do things on his own. LuLu is not like that. She told me that she does not want me to leave her at classes with kids all by herself. She told me that her favorite things to do are go to the library with me, go to my husbands office with me, and take walks with me. Do you see the pattern here? (with me) I have decided that we are going to enjoy this time where she wants to be with me because I know there will come a day all to soon when she will want to do things on her own.

I have gone to the office with my daughters two mornings in a row now and sat in on the morning meeting. I have wanted to be more involved in my husbands business ,LJ Urban, but have not really known how, so we decided this was a good place to start. LuLu loves it, little bird rides in my carrier and usually takes a nap and we are all happy. It has been a good two days and I am excited to see how it goes from here.

And for the next while (for however long she wants it) we will be going to the office, the library, and walks...together

A little more about me

2007-09-22T15:53:00.000-07:00

I feel like I write about my kids a lot and I know they are the most interesting, the cutest, and just all around more fun than me but I thought I should write a little about myself.

A few of my thoughts on aging;

I am actually liking the idea of getting older. I will turn 29 this birthday and it really does not stress me out like I thought it would. I think that the older I get the more I understand about myself. I don't let things bother me as much and I like to think that I have more wisdom. I truly enjoy my friends and family. I am liking myself more and more the older I get.

My thoughts on the health scares;

I think that if everyone would just do everything in moderation we would all be a lot healthier. There is the soy or dairy debate. At my house we drink both and also almond milk, rice milk, and hazelnut milk. We eat mostly healthy food but we have treats now and then. My kids watch some tv but not all day long. Everything in moderation has become my motto.

My thoughts on being to busy;

I do not function well if we are to busy but I cannot be home all day long everyday so we mix it up. Our standing appointments right now are ballet on Mondays, soup night every other Tuesday, our video series that we are hosting on the alternate Tuesday and that is it. The rest of the time I like to play it by ear. Have friends over, go to the library, take walks, and then all the other things that have to be done to run a household. It is a good balance for us and I am glad to have found it. It is always something we are tweaking but things are working pretty good.

And just a little fun thought,

I have been wondering why the parents at my sons school do not really talk to me. If my husband goes there he ends up talking to someone for a long time. The most I get is a smile and a hi. Then on Friday when I picked up my son it dawned on me that they might not think that I am his mom. It might be that they are thinking I am the babysitter, or something. I get this a lot with my kids but I had not put the two and two together. I have been told many times that I will one day be glad that I look young but maybe that is why I am not upset about getting older. Just a thought.

It feels like fall!

2007-09-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry about all the house pictures. I have a teething baby that does not think night time is for sleeping anymore. I am standing at the bar in my kitchen with my baby in the carrier typing with one hand and trying to get her to sleep.

It is a great day though because it is the first day that feels like fall. I
LOVE this time of year. It has always been my favorite. I like all the seasons for different reasons but fall is the winner.

I love the crisp cool mornings. How it is cool but not cold. I love the food that we eat at this time, the soups and breads and apples. I love the clothes that I get to wear. I love being cozy in the house with a fire.

It rained tonight and the smell was amazing. As we drove home the sunset was a bright pink and just so pretty.

I am getting excited. There is an electricity in the air, I can feel it. And it is going to be a wonderful new season.

Our living room and a peek at our yard

2007-09-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

The garage that we spent all weekend organizing and now we can get to our bikes

2007-09-19T10:50:00.001-07:00

My house and the history behind it.

2007-09-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

I promised pictures of our new house so long ago but you know how it is when you move and it is taking us forever to get fully moved in. I thought I should start this with a little history of our houses and moving. We have been married for seven year. In that seven years we have moved ten times. We have moved for many different reasons but I think this is the house that we can stay in for a long time. We usually say that with almost every house we have ever lived in but I am really hoping it is true with this house. For one because I love this house, for another reason, I do not want to move our family again. This is a house that we could raise however many kids we end up with. It is in a great location. And until God asks us to move again this is where you will find me. I thought I would post pictures of the rooms that we have finished completely. That way I will be motivated to move through the house getting every room done. We worked really hard this weekend on our garage and Kli's room. I got some of the ideas from a good friend who has a great eye for room design. He is so happy with his room and I find him in his loft really often. He reads every chance he gets and now he has his own little place to do just that. So here are the first house pictures.

My baby can do push-ups!!

2007-09-16T19:16:00.000-07:00

My work in progress

2007-09-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

I have been hesitent to share this picture because my hair does not look how it will after some time. . About a week ago I went and had my hair locked but it will be awhile before it will be really locked. It is something that I have wanted to do for awhile but finally went for it. So now I just have to wait for the final result.

The many faces of LuLu

2007-09-13T20:32:00.001-07:00

Walking around in a fog

2007-09-12T12:47:00.000-07:00

The last couple of days I have felt like my head is full of fog. The baby has not been sleeping as well as normal. She is getting some teeth and pretty cranky. She does not want to be put down much so I am lifting a 22lb weight all day while trying to get the other normal day stuff done. Everytime one of the kids asks me a question I feel like it takes so much effort to answer. I have to really concentrate. I think the only answer is to get to bed earlier tonight and try to start over tomarrow. I hope a good nights sleep will clear the fog from my head

Foster care - adoption or Fos-adopt

2007-09-10T20:47:00.000-07:00

We are nearing the end of our journey with our adoption. Now that we are getting close to being done I feel like I can share knowlegably. I did not want to share until we had experienced the whole thing. We are not quite done but so close that I feel able to share.

I share this because I am passionate about what we have done and what needs to be done. I do not share this to make anyone feel guilty or to say that one way is the only way, only to share my observations and experiences.

My husband and I chose to do a foster-care adoption when we decided to adopt. This was not our first choice because we had a lot of misconceptions that a lot of poeple have.

The misconceptions that most poeple believe to be true for local adoptions are...

1. that is is hard to get a baby
2. that it has to be an open adoption
3. that the chances are high that you could get the baby taken from your home once placed there.

We thought these things and have run into many poeple that belive these things. We have found that they are not true. We started working with this really great agency that is Christian run and doing a wonderful job. After they described the process to us we knew it was a fit for us and our family.

The way it goes is this. You get a home study done just like for any adoption. You tell them what you are looking for in a child. We said, up to two years old, boy or girl, any race, healthy.
Then when all the paperwork is done you are in child-search. This is the point where the agency will look through their files and try to find a good match. When they find one that looks good, they call you, tell you the details, and you can say yes or no as to moving forward. If you say yes, they contact the child's social worker and then that social worker makes a decision on weather or not to set up a meeting.

A quick note.. we said yes to 8 or maybe 9 children and did not move onto the next stage with them. Sometimes there are a couple of families that send in their homestudy and they pick someone else, sometimes they just do not think you are a good fit.

But if they do pick you for a meeting, you go to what is called a disclosure meeting with the child's social worker and your social worker. For us we heard about our baby on a Wednesday, we met with the social worker on Thurdays morning, she liked us, thought we were a good fit and said we could pick her up on Friday morning. It went very fast. They tell us that is pretty typical once you get to that stage in the process.

When we picked her up we were then and are still the foster parents. We do have to go by the foster parent rules but they are not many and not a big deal. We have monthly planned visites from the social worker and there are a few other things we have to do. We feel like it is not that big of a deal compared to what we get for a little inconvience right now.

There are a few hearings that happen while the child is with you but we did not have to go to any of those. She has to be in our home for six months before we can file for the adoption and we are almost to that point. Then we will file adoption papers through the agency and get an asigned court day where we will go to court with the baby and she will become officially ours. She will get a new birth certificate with the name that we named her on it and it will all be done.

So, I am writing this because I want to spread that word about this great program that our state has set up. They have really worked to change things in the last four or five years and although things are not perfect I think it is a great step in the right direction. They are working to place children that are adoptable into families that are going to adopt them as soon as possible. They have made it very inexpensive. We payed a total of 1,500.00 dollars over a few months and will get all of that back because the government pays you while you are a foster parent. The child also gets medi-cal until the child turns eighteen. It is very afordable especially compared to overseas adoptions. The other big plus I think compared to international adoptions is that they get to be in your home while all the legal stuff is being worked out where in an international adoption you have to wait until that is all finalized before you can take them home.

There are so many kids in america that need to be adopted and I do not think enough people understand the process. When we asked our adoption agency what we could do for them because we felt like they have done so much for us they said, just to spread the word about fos-adopt. So, that is what I am trying to do.

I hope this makes sense and is not to boring and technical. I will write more about the feeling type stuff but I felt like I needed to get the facts out there. If you have any questions, at all, please feel free to ask me.

First Day of Second Grade

2007-09-07T21:09:00.000-07:00

My boy is in second grade. I cannot believe his is in second grade. He has been counting down the days until school starts. This boy was born for school. I told him last night that I did not think I would let him so go school, his answer... You have to, it's the law. Where did this boy come from. He has the funniest come backs sometimes that make us laugh so hard.

This will be his first year at a "big school" It is a private school so it is still pretty small but his firs two years, preschool and kindergarten were at a start up school with just a handful of student and then for first grade I homeschooled him. I think it is going to be an adjustment for all of us but good overall.

He is growing into such a great kid. He is my picky eater but he is learning to be quiet about it. He is a talker but usually has interesting facts to teach you. He loves to read. Comic books are a favorite right now. He is so sweet to his sisters. He has told me a few different times that he is really glad that we got our baby. And he plays well with LuLu.

I am excited to see how he does this year. I pray that he will make good decisions. That he will make friends and be a good friend. That he will do well with the school work and not get to distracted. I have a feeling we are in for a good year.

( My hard drive on my computer broke just before I was going to post this so it is a little late getting it put up. It is now the end of the week and he had a great week)

If you have not read this, you should...

2007-09-03T22:38:00.001-07:00

This story

Quick as can be...

2007-08-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

I have not time but I feel like it has been so long since I last posted. I am back from my trip and had a wonderful time. I have a great story to tell but it will have to wait for another time. We are back into the swing of life at home. School starts on Tuesday and things are pretty busy until then. It is really hot here and so we are trying to be creative and stay cool. I am on my way to a friends house to make soap tonight and I am really excited about it. It should be good fun. So, I am off to make some soap, visit with a couple of friends and enjoy a little breather.

I will leave you with this picture of my beautiful baby...

I put a little thing on my sidebar that says what I am going to call my kids from now on in my blog.

My Friend

2007-08-20T18:08:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I leave on an airplane to Colorado Springs where I will get picked up by my really good friend who is moving to Vermont to go to school. I will drive with her from Colorado to Minnesota. Then I will fly from Minnesota to Boise, Idaho where I will meet up with my husband and kids at my sister in-laws house. Have I confused you yet? It is going to be a bit crazy but a very fun last vacation before school starts and summer is officially over.

I want to tell you about this great friend of mine. We met each other in fourth grade. We had been introduced during the summer, so when school started and we both saw a familiar face we migrated to each other and pretty much have been very close friends ever since. We went all the way through high school together. That means that we were friends through, all those junior high crazy days,high school crushes and heart breaks, going away to college, me getting married, her traveling the world, me having kids, to her living in Sacramento and working with my husband for three years. That is the longest that she has stayed in any one place since graduating from high school. When she moved here I thought it would be short. I tried not to get my hopes up but then it kept stretching out longer and longer. Then I got really used to having her close by. I could just stop by and see her, go out to breakfast with her, go on bike rides, she got to see my kids grow up some. My kids love her. She was with us every step of the way through the adoption. She has been a part of my family and now she will be gone. On the other side of the country.

I will miss her deeply. I am also very happy for her. I know that this is what God has for her and I am excited to see all that is going to happen in her life. On the other hand, there is going to be a very big hole in our lives. My son came to me in tears after hearing that she was leaving soon. He said that everyone was moving and he did not like it. My daughter has her own special name for her and does not like anyone else to call her by that name.

I am looking forward to spending two uninterrupted days on the road with my friend. I know that we will talk, laugh, eat good food, swim, and just enjoy the time we have together. We were told that we would most likely not be friends after high school. That most people lose touch. At that moment we decided that would not happen to us. Ten years later, is hasn't. And I know that it never will. One day we will be old ladies, sitting and talking about all the crazy things we have done together.

Tomorrow I leave to meet my friend. The next day my husband gets in that car for a nine hour drive with three kids all on his own. Pray that they make it safe, that the kids are good for him, and that they have a lot of fun.

2007-08-16T13:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend some good friends came to visit. They stayed with us for two nights and we all had a great time. The kids had so much fun playing and we all enjoyed the company. I am always so inspired when I spend time with these friends. They will be moving out of the country soon and so we were blessed to get to spend some time with them before they leave.

Their little girl is very close in age to my girl and they are like two peas in a pod. We were amazed at how similar they are. They spent most of the days in dress up princess dresses. They have stong emotions that go up and down quickly. They both suck their two middle fingers. They are the middle children in their families. And they got along really well. On the last day, just before they left they were cuddled up in a bed together laughing and giggling. I hope that they can remain friends for a long time. It seems that they have a special bond. Kind of how I feel about my friend. There are just some people that you feel a connection to right away. It is a special kind of friendship. One that I belive can stand the test of time, and of moving far away.

Sick girls

2007-08-16T12:22:00.000-07:00

The baby has been sleeping through the night for awhile now so we decided to move her crib into the girls room that they will be sharing. I had mixed feelings about it. My room looks so empty and sad but at the same time it is nice not to share it with a child. The girl was very excited about sharing with the baby and seemed so grown up all of a sudden.

The girl woke up when I checked on her before I went to bed with a fever. I took her temperature and then went to bed. A little while later I checked on her again and she wanted to come to my room. So I made her a little bed on the floor next to me and we went to sleep. She woke me up a couple of times and was so pitiful. I hate it when my kids are sick. I feel so helpless to make them better. The sickness just kind of has to run its course. She was sad that she missed out on her first night with the baby but she is really to sick to care to much. She has watched tv for hours on end. She has hardly moved at all. She still has a temperature and I feel so sad for her.

The baby had shots yesterday and is running a low fever also and spitting up over and over. I hate shots. It just seems so wrong to take a perfectly healthy baby and make them sick but I know it will pass soon. She is 21 lbs and 11 oz. A big girl for sure. The doctor said she looks really healthy and is meeting all the milestones that she should be. I am so thankful for this.

So, today is the day that I stay at home with two sick kids. It is hard because I feel bad for them but am I a bad mom if I admit that one day with my daughter not going full force is kind of a nice break?

My Friday Moment by Moment

2007-08-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

7:15AM Wake up and bring baby into bed with me.

7:20AM Daughter joins us and moves me aside so she can play with the baby

7:25AM Realize we have a lot to do this morning and get us all up and out of bed

7:30AM Help son make 10 english muffins with jelly and butter to bring to his class. Everyone eats breakfast, I make coffee

8:00AM Sip some coffee, help son get dressed with minor melt down about the choice of clothes

8:15AM Get self dressed, make-up, hair, all in record time.
Another sip of coffee

8:30AM Feed the baby a bottle while directing the rest of the family about where their snacks are, the sunscreen ect...

8:45AM The baby spits up all over, clean it up, worry about why she is spitting up so much lately. Get knots out of babies hair while fielding daughters questions

8:55AM Husband and son are out the door, put Curious George on for daughter, put baby in bouncy toy, heat up coffee that is now cold, make my breakfast and read some of the paper while eating

9:30AM Curious George is over, get ready to go to the mall, can't find daughters other shoe, run back into the house three times for forgotten items.

10:00AM Get to the mall, strap baby in front carrier, put daughter in stroller

10:10AM Look for shoes for daughter

10:30AM Ride merry go round

10:40AM Continue looking for shoes. Find very nice sales lady who helps her try on 10 pairs of shoes. Daughter is feeling very proud and big. Decide on the pink, sparkly, light up ones.

10:50AM Thank sales lady profusely for making my daughters day

11:00AM Get in car and drive to store to buy double stroller after carrying 20lb baby around the mall all morning.

11:15AM Take care of daughters melt down

11:30AM Try out lots of strollers

11:45AM Wait for them to check the stock for the color I want

12:00PM Still waiting and holding 20lb baby. Remember why the double stroller is a must.

12:20PM Finally buying stroller

12:30PM Thankfully the nice man is helping us to the car. I am hot, hungry, and my arms are aching

1:00PM Home and put on a show for daughter when I realize naps will not be happening today. Friend brings lunch over. Eat and chat. A nice break to my kid filled day

2:00PM Clean up house, hold cranky baby, change laundry

2:20PM Make a snack for daughter, change baby for third time due to lots of spit up

2:30PM leave to pick up son from last day of summer camp

2:45PM Pick up son who is having so much fun he is not very happy to see me

3:00PM Get home and put daughter down for a rest, son in his room for some quiet time and me and the baby hanging out catching up on blogs and email

3:30PM Daughter is not going to rest, baby spits up all over me and I am ready for my husband to get home.

4:000PM Call husband, he is about an hour away, not to bad. Very thankful that it is Friday.

4:30PM Finally get the baby to sleep and break up a sibling squabble.

5:00PM My husband is finally home. He helps me put together the new stroller and takes the kids off my hands so I can sit and read and eat a snack.

6:00PM Go downstairs and make crepes for dinner. I felt like making something special and it takes a little longer than I expected but they are good.

7:00PM Finish dinner, my husband starts getting the girls ready for bed and I read the Emerald City of Oz (the fifth or sixth book in the series of Oz books) out loud to my son as he finishes dinner. Then he gets ready for bed.

8:30PM The kids are finally asleep, even the baby, I lay in bed not able to move after a long week. Read for a little while get ready for bed.

9:30PM Go downstairs and check the house. Close up for the night. Take son to the bathroom.

10:00PM Read some more to fall asleep

10:30PM Go to sleep

Ground breaking

2007-08-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

For those who do not know my husband is the owner of LJ Urban and they are working to build eco-urban houses. A couple of days ago they broke ground for the first time. It is very exciting for them and I am so proud of him. They set up these sit here signs on all of their project sites to get people thinking, dreaming, and excited about what is coming to their neighborhood. I think there are about 6 of them. We went last night to see them and the kids thought it was very cool. They really stand out and I think it is a great idea. The one picture is from the front and then the second is the back of it that you see sitting on the rock. The last picture is where the first phase of houses is going. It does not look like much right now but you can see where each house will go and get an idea of how it will look. I just thought I would share what my husband does and show you all how amazing he is. I am very proud of him.

My baby is six months old

2007-08-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

Can this sweet girl really be six months old already? It does not seem possible. This girl. She is amazing. She is the sunshine in my day. The baby that I finally feel like I might have a handle on this parenting thing and I am enjoying babyhood. She is sitting up now, eating food, and trying to say da da. My husband is very proud. That has been all of our kids first word and it looks like it will be hers to. I am alright with it because now the other two say mama about 3,562 times a day and I can wait a little longer for another one to start saying it.

She is a true gift to us. I feel like I did not do anything to deserve such a great baby. It was like she was just handed to me out of nowhere just like a gift from a great friend. She adores her sister and brother and they adore her. They are eager to tell people that this is their sister with a great big grin on their faces.

They can make her giggle and laugh. They play with her and she is so happy. She is eating food with no problems. Whatever you give her, she eats. Sweet potatoes, great, peas, no problem, bananas, bring it on. She loves it all.

We get stopped in stores and restaurants all the time with people telling us how beautiful she is and happy. It is like the whole world knows that she is a very special girl. And she is.

Her hair is getting longer and I am having to learn how to do it and take care of it. It is a process of trial and error but I am getting the hang of it. Sometimes. I am not used to having to do anything with a babies hair but it is so curly and long. I might have to search out some wisdom from some women that know the tricks.

She is such a trouper. She just goes along with whatever we are doing and always with a smile on her face. She naps when she is tired, eats when she is hungry and is sleeping through the night almost every night now.

She is our little bird. When she was really little she made these little noises that sounded like a bird, so we call her our little bird. She is what we all revolve our lives around right now and it is good. She is a common bond that we all have. She is going to grow up knowing that her brother and sister think that world revolves around her and she will smile at them and their hearts will melt.

Our lives are so much better with our new addition. Our gift from God.

Links I am liking

2007-08-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

this is a good one for movie ideas and things to do that go along with the movie

this one for fun kid things

This one for more ideas

And this one for finding out if a movie will be good for your kids

August

2007-08-02T07:56:00.000-07:00

It is August and summer is in full swing around here. We have been very busy in a good way, doing fun summer things. Summer has always been a favorite time of mine. As a kid it was a time without school, playing with friends all day long, and swimming. Now it is a time when we do not have as much of a schedule and we can spend our days doing all those summer things. I love to swim. It is one of my favorite things to do. Now watching my kids love it to is so much fun. They love the water. My son learned to swim last summer but this summer he is so much stronger and more confident. My daughter has no fear. She cannot swim yet but she is not afraid to get her face in the water, jump in off the side of the pool or go down a water slide. It is really nice to be able to share that love with my kids.

We are at lake Tahoe for our summer vacation and there is a lot of swimming going on here. We went to the lake on Tuesday, the pool yesterday and today we plan on doing a small hike that will take us to a swimming hole. My husband is leaving with the kids tomorrow and I am staying here while some girlfriends join me for the weekend. I am really looking forward to that. It should be some crazy fun with six moms and no kids.

My son starts school in a month. I have very mixed feelings about that. He is so excited and I know he will love it but I am going to miss him. I am used to having him around all the time and it will take some getting used to. When school starts we will have much more of a routine and that will be good but for now we are living it up. Soaking in every last drop of summer and swimming as much as possible

Just to make you smile

2007-07-25T14:59:00.000-07:00

Stay at home mom time cards

2007-07-23T21:04:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wished that you kept a time card like people that go to work do? After a day like today where I have had a child with me at all times since 7AM and it is now 9PM and I am finally off duty (unless someone wakes up). It makes me wish that I could tell people that I just worked 14 hours straight, no breaks, no lunch break, no bathroom breaks (if you don't count it a break when someone is there talking to you and asking questions the whole time).I want to have the sympathy that is given to someone who has worked that long day and is tired. I want to know that it has been acknowledged that I really put in some long hours, some hard work, above and beyond. But the truth is that I will go to bed, wake up in the morning and do it all over again. I love it, don't get me wrong. I would not want to be doing anything else. It is the most satisfying thing that I could spend my days doing. The thing that bugs me is that when I am at a work party with my husband and someone asks what I do. I kind of cringe. I never know how to answer that question. So I end up saying something like, " Oh, I stay home with the kids" and the other person always says something about how that is a very important job and then moves on. I wish that I had a better title for what I do, something like, child development coordinator, house manager, chef, nurse, teacher, child behavior trainer, and referee, then they might understand what it is that I really spend my days doing.

What we did over the weekend

2007-07-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

We went to the lake with my family. There is this little lake called Lake Valley that we like to go to at least once a summer. It has a little island in the middle of it and my dad shuttles us out there with all our gear for the day. The water was great, there were a couple of kayaks and some good food. It was a very fun day. The girls with the glasses on is my sister, she is doing much better as you can see. The other girl is my cousin, and the one holding my sweet baby is my dad.

The Dentist

2007-07-19T16:22:00.000-07:00

This seems to be a theme lately around here. I went to the dentist today for a cleaning. I used to really dread going for a cleaning. It would hurt, feel like it was taking forever, and the sounds are just awful. Not any more. We have the greatest dentist ever. I went in this morning. I was asked what movie I would like to watch while I was getting my teeth cleaned. I picked My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Then I was offered a hot wax hand treatment so I thought, why not, so I sat in the chair with headphones on, watching a movie, my hands in warm gloves, and almost forgot that I was getting my teeth cleaned. It felt like I was at spa that I had to keep my mouth open at. I have got to say that we have scored with the dentist. Why can't every doctor, dentist, type appointment be like that?

Where I share my favorite summer drink ever...

2007-07-14T22:15:00.000-07:00

Take a large pitcher

Slice one orange into round slices and put in the pitcher

Take one vanilla bean (these are usually with the spices) and cut one in half. Then slice it open. Put that into the pitcher.

Fill with water.

Put in the fridge until cold

Then drink and enjoy.

Manners

2007-07-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

My daughter said this to my husband last night, " I want to go to a class that teaches how to say please and thank you and not cry and be nice, Do they have classes like that?"

Maybe she is feeling bad for the way she has been acting lately. She says the funniest things these days.

Wisdom Teeth

2007-07-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

My husband had his wisdom teeth pulled today. He is very entertaining because he is so out of it. My favorite quote so far said to the dentist, " What three wisdom teeth did you pull?

I just went up to check on him and he asked me if it was time to go.

I am telling you, my husband is very entertaining when he is on medications.

Good Blog Reading

2007-07-09T21:41:00.000-07:00

I finally put up some links to the blogs that I read. There are some really good ones there and I encourage you to go check them out. Some are some old friends from forever ago, some are newer friends, some I only know through their blog, and one is my husband. So, go check them out and leave a comment because everyone loves a comment.

Happy Fourth of July

2007-07-04T07:57:00.000-07:00

This has always been one of my favorite holidays. As a kid we did the same thing every year and I looked forward to it so much. We would go to this parade in a very small town where my parents had lived. The parade is so small that it goes around the loop, twice. It is one of those true small town experiences. Then we would go to my grandpa's house and have a BBQ with family and friends. In the evening we would make hot chocolate and bring snacks and drive up to Donner and watch the fireworks over the Donner Lake. It was a long, wonderful, fun day. For about three or four years in a row I would get sick on the Fourth of July. It was horrible. I wanted to do everything but I was sick and so sad. I even watched the fireworks laying down in the back of the car one year. I was not going to miss it even if I was sick. Thankfully that time has passed but I still love the Fourth.

Today we have plans to go to a little local parade near our new house, then home for naps (to get ready for the late night) and then watch the fireworks near the river with some friends. I am going to bring snacks and a blanket and enjoy the fireworks with my family.

Hope you all have a wonderful fourth of july and make many fond memories with your families.

Summer Vacation

2007-07-01T14:26:00.000-07:00

We have had a weird summer so far. I started it with the thought that this is our last few months with all of us at home all together everyday since my oldest will be going to school in September. So, I had grand plans. We were going to make the most of each day. Swim, vacation, play in our back yard, and hang with friends.

So far we have moved, ( which has been the hardest move so far and I think it might have something to do with having three kids) we have dealt with the many changing attitudes of a three year old on a daily bases, and I have spent a good amount of time at the hospital with my sister.

We are now on our first official family vacation with all three kids. We were supposed to go to Tahoe for a week of relaxation. Then there was the horrible fire and we decided to make other plans because we did not know how bad it would be up there. We decided to go to this theme park in Gilroy called the Gilroy Gardens and then head down to Monterey and do the beach and aquarium. The theme park was a blast. It was perfect for our kids ages and they just had a blast. They could go on almost every ride there and there were water parks through out the place and trees everywhere. It really was a great place, especially with kids. Today has been a challenge. Breakfast was a nightmare with the three year old, then the beach was a nightmare so we headed back to the hotel to give her a nap in hopes that would help things. She woke up from her nap screaming and now my husband just dragged her out the door to go swimming (he is so mean to MAKE her go swimming). I am hoping that the water will snap her out of this attitude so that the rest of our vacation can be enjoyable. Have you noticed that I have not said anything about our boy or the baby? That is because they have been great and a total dream.

I do this a lot where I get my hopes up about something and imagine it a certain way and then it just is not that way at all. That happens to me pretty much every time we go on vacation. Sometimes I think maybe we should just stay home but then I think of all the fun times we have and in the end they out weigh the bad.

I am always a little relieved when the age of three passes for us. It has been a challenge with the first two. It is also one of the funnest stages.

Just last night as my husband was putting my daughter and son to bed he told them that they could not be talking to each other and not going to sleep. My daughter in response said, " OOOOK but we really like to talk. You got to just kiss that kid.

This is why we do this...

My Top Ten Things About My Husband

2007-06-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

1. He tells me I am pretty everyday

2. He plays pretend with the kids and they love it

3. He gives the best foot massages

4. He will watch "girl" movies and actually like them

5. He brings me coffee in bed almost every morning

6. He has a good sense of humor

7. He is not easily stressed

8. We share interest, swimming, reading, bike riding

9. He can be very entertaining when sleep walking

10. He loves his wife and kids so very much

Happy Birthday

Always good for a laugh

2007-06-24T21:51:00.000-07:00

When we took the kids to see my sister in the hospital she was so happy to see them. They brought her cards that they had made and they even layed in the bed with her.

When we left and got into the car I said to them that it made her so happy to see them and that it was really nice of them to go and visit her.

My daughters response was, " why didn't she say yipee?

That girl makes us all laugh everyday.

As an update..

It was a car accident that my sister got in and she is doing better. They think she will go home soon but she has a long recovery ahead of her so any prayers for her would be very appreciated. She seems to be in pretty good spirits but she is still in a good amount of pain and it will be awhile before she can even walk. So, I will be taking the kids to see her as often as possible because how can you not smile with those two comedians around.

Monday morning

2007-06-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

This has been a long week and it is only Wednesday.

Monday morning I woke up to my cell phone ringing. I answered it and then things felt like they were going in slow motion. It was my sister, she was very upset, not making a lot of sense, there had been a terrible accident, she was in the hospital, she was hurt, confused, and shaken up. I was shaking, called my parents and broke the news to them. They went to the hospital, I had to wait for the social worker to make her monthly visit. Finally she was done and I got in the car and went to the hospital.

ICU

My sister laying there. Looking so small, so hurt.

Fractured pelvic bone
Lacerated liver
Broken nose and forehead
Stitches above her eye
Puncture wound on her upper thigh

I almost lost my sister on Monday but she is going to be alright.

She has a very long recovery road ahead of her but they say she will heal

She is in a lot of pain, there is still a possibility of surgery but not very likely

They might move her out of the ICU today.

It has been a rough week. It is going to be long couple of weeks still.

God spared her life and we are all very thankful.

I have been Memed also...

2007-06-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

My good friend Kristin passed along a meme.
It is eight things about me that you probably do not know...

1. I have lived in 10 places (houses, apartments) in the last 7 1/2 years

2. I have never broken a bone or needed stitches

3. I have one sister who is almost 6 years younger than me

4. I have friends that I have known since fourth grade

5. I cannot fall asleep at night without reading first

6. I like coffee and salads a lot more if someone else makes them

7. I want to take cooking lessons someday

8. I really, really love to swim

Boxes, Boxes, So Many Boxes....

2007-06-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

We are officially moved. Things have been crazy for the last week but we are in our new house and that is good. We are all loving it so much. We have room to breath and a yard to run around in. The kids have been running through the sprinkler and going in the little pool. We have been using the BBQ and enjoying all the nice things about having a back yard.

I will try to post pictures sometime but right now I am just trying to keep my head above water. I am swimming in boxes, trying to keep kids busy, and doing all the little things that have to be done when you move (change address, get garbage cans, get the Internet hooked up) all of that fun stuff.

A week or so more and we should be back to normal, I hope.

Enchantment

2007-06-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

Last night at an outdoor theater we watched A Mid summers Night Dream while sitting on a blanket and eating a picnic with my mom and sister.

At the end of the play my daughter looks at me and says, " I have never hugged a fairy in my whole life"

I almost died from the cuteness.

We then went and found a fairy for her to hug which the fairy was very sweet and accommodating. Then she said, " can I hug a princess too?" She thought the girls in the play were princesses and so we found a princess. My daughter was beaming from ear to ear.

In the car we were talking about it and I said, "you are so lucky that you got to hug a fairy and a princess.

My daughter responded by saying," yeah, and I got to hug Donia (my sister) and Nana (my mom).

It was just so sweet.

Book List

2007-06-06T23:10:00.000-07:00

I have been so behind but I posted a couple more books over at my book list blog. The summer is a great time to read lots and lots of books.

Summer is here

2007-06-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

Here I was getting excited that we were going to have a summer break. No need to do anything in particular and free to do whatever we wanted.

What I found was that little kids do not do so well without some structure. They need to know what they are doing and what to expect. So we have a new schedual. It is different from the school year but still we have a schedual.

I am wondering what other moms do during the summer break? Anybody have any great ideas that have worked for you or web sites that have great ideas?

Today's challenges and one blessing

2007-06-05T14:19:00.000-07:00

Today started out with me not having enough sleep from the baby waking up last night. Then my husband left for work and life got really fun.

I went upstairs to see what my daughter was doing in her room and found that she had peed all over her floor, some toys, and her shelf. It looks like she was climbing her shelf like she always does to get her clothes and then peed while she was standing on the shelf. When asked what happened she told me that she did not know that she needed to go to the bathroom. That was fun to clean up.

Our house is packed up for the move to the point that it is annoying to live here. All the things you need are packed and the house is a mess. There is not a lot of motivation to clean but then I cannot stand it so dirty and it is driving me crazy. We found out that we have no idea now when we will be moving. The owner is not answering any of his real estate agents calls and there has been a little hold up in the paperwork and basically we need his signature to go ahead and move in but we cannot get that if nobody can get ahold of him. Not the highlight of my day.

I am pmsing so everything just seems that much harder and I am on the brink of losing my mind. I do not like this part of moving. I do not mind the packing and un-packing so much, it is the waiting that is hard for me. And the kids are kind of going crazy with the unknowns and excitement all at the same time.

I let the kids watch two movies today which I am not proud of but it was all I could stand to do right now. Leaving the house sounded like a lot of work, but so much of our stuff is packed that it is hard to be home and do anything else.

I discovered that a jelly jar was sitting on its side in the back of the fridge and had leaked onto a couple of shelves. Now I need to take everything out and clean it really good because every time I pull something out it is all sticky and I can't leave it like that. I feel like my whole house is covered in pee and sticky stuff right now. I bet that makes you want to come over to my house.

The blessing though on this frustrating day. My baby took a four hour nap. In her crib. This has never happened before and I do not expect it to happen again anytime soon but it was a nice little surprise on a very hard day.

Food Adventures

2007-06-04T19:00:00.000-07:00

I try to teach my kids to have an open mind about eating. Tonight I told them that we should try a new restaurant that we had not been to before. It is a Greek restaurant so I was not really sure what to expect. I told them to keep their minds open and just give it a try. They might discover that they like it.

So, we go in and I order for the family. We sit down to hummus with pita bread, grilled vegis, and two gyros. My husband and I take a bite. And then a couple more. I start to wonder about the meat but do not want to say anything in front to the kids. Then I am starting to get really grossed out as I discover that it is LAMB! I do not like lamb, I do not eat lamb. How did I miss the fact that it was going to be lamb in my food.

I descretly slide my food away, my husband doing the same thing. Then we leave. I talk to the kids about how it is good to try new foods because how else will you know that you like it or not. We all decide that we are not to fond of this restaurant and will not be going back there.

I went into the whole adventure thinking that it would be good for the kids but it was me who was really in for an adventure.

Then we headed straight to Big Spoon ( our local frozen yogurt shop) so that I could get that horrible taste and thought out of my mind.

Peanut butter frozen yogurt with granola on top did the trick.

Lesson learned.. I might think my kids are picky but I have my things that I do not like to eat also.

Family

2007-05-31T09:01:00.000-07:00

We had a great memorial weekend. My family had a big birthday bash for my grandma. She turned 70 this year. It was at my parents house which is always a really nice place to go. It is up in the woods and really peaceful and beautiful. The kids just ran around all day and played. We ate great food and visited. I think my grandma was very happy.

We stayed the night there and then went over to my grandpa's house where my great-grandma lived. My mom and her two sisters were here so we thought it was a good time to go through some of my great-grandma's stuff. It was really sad but we were also laughing a lot. We found things that reminded us of her and things she would say or do. We went through all of her jewelry, which was a lot, and divided it up between all us girls. I am so glad that I get to have little bits of her to remember her by and to pass down to my girls.

It was a really nice time with family. I really enjoy being with them. We all have our quirky things but that is what we love about each other. My moms older sister always makes me laugh and see things in ways that I would not look at them. Her younger sister is really good at giving advise. And I think every time I am with my mom I feel closer and closer to her. She truly is a friend to me and a mom. She loves my kids so much and through doing that she loves me. My dad is also so important to me. He was getting mad at the party because he had not had a chance to hold the baby. He really likes her a lot and she likes him. I think that the older I get the more I appreciate my family.

My son told me that he likes it when my sister cooks for him because she likes plain food also so he does not have to worry about her making it spicy. My cousin made a treasure hunt for all of the kids at the party and they loved that.

I guess I am just realizing that I do not want to take my family for granted. It is a very special thing to have them in my life.

It is not something that just happens but is something that has to be worked at and important to everyone involved. My great-grandma taught us that. She taught us that it is ok to tease each other as long as it was in love. We were to spend holidays together, not because we had to but because it was more fun with everyone around. Staying up late and visiting was one of her greatest joys and she passed that on to us. She made every visit, every encounter a special one just by her being happy.

I realized that my family does not really talk bad about each other. We may get a bit irritated but there was always an excuse. Like if you got upset my great-grandma would say, "o that poor thing, is just to busy or stressed or tired." She taught us so much about loving and treasuring your family. And as far as the grand kids went, they could do no wrong and we knew that she would love us unconditionally. She knew that it was the parents place to raise and discipline but that everyone needs someone in their life that will think they are wonderful not matter what they do.

She has taught me so much and I want to make sure that I pass it on to my kids. I am thankful that my parents have taken up the role of loving unconditionally. To them, the grand kids can do no wrong. And I want to pass on the importance of getting together and just visiting until late at night, laughing and eating. We will pass on this wisdom to our kids that their great-great-grandma taught her family.

A bit of quiet

2007-05-18T07:54:00.000-07:00

It is a rare moment of quiet so I thought I would try to write and put down all the things that I feel like are always running around in my head.

I ran into a girl that I went to high school with at trader Joe's yesterday. She was two years ahead of me but it was a small school and I knew her a little. The weird thing was when she asked what I was doing these days and I told her that I had THEEE kids. It kind of freaked me out. I think it might have been the first time I said it out loud, I am the mother of three kids. I felt so old but then so young at the same time. I do not think I really ever thought I would have three kids but I do, and I love it.

We went to the library yesterday, just me and the THREE kids. We go about once a week because no matter how many books we get my son reads them all in about a week and is needing more to read. I love the library and since we go a lot we kind of have a system and it works really good. The kids know what to expect and what is expected of them and they love to get new books. What I am trying to say is that when we got our baby I was not sure if we would be able to go anywhere let alone the library. It just seemed so hard and crazy but she is only three months old and we are able to go to the library. A small accomplishment but a good one.

Just in case you think things are easy and serene around here I need to inform you that the whole library thing was an accomplishment not a daily occurrence. I am the mother of three small children. I am so tired at night that all I want to do is watch tv or on a good night read. I spend my days cleaning up, doing laundry, breaking up arguments, and counting the hours until my husband comes home. It is not easy but there are moments of pure joy, like when our new baby smiles at us, when my daughter tells me that she likes my dancing dress, when my son wants to share one of his Lego creations with me, that make it all worth it.

Right now things are really good. We are in Tahoe for the weekend. I am drinking coffee in bed and the kids are all happy. I love getting away with my family. We get to spend uninterrupted time together. We read a lot, cuddle and watch movies, go for walks, and play games. I am going to enjoy every minute of our time here because when we get home things not only go back to normal but we have an added thing.

Here is a clue as to what it is

10x7=?

That would be ten moves in seven years. That's right. We are moving again. And it will be number ten in the seven years we have been married. It will be my sons ninth move.
It all happened really fast, like it always seems to for us. We found a great, wonderful house. It is hard to find new houses in our area close to midtown. We do not want to live in an old house if we can help it because it is a lot of upkeep and we just are not very good at it. Plus any extra time we have we do not want to spend working on our house if we can help it. The house we are in right now is about ten years old. It is no upkeep at all. But now with another child it is starting to feel really cramped and we do not have a yard. As the kids get bigger I see more and more the importance of a yard. The other thing we have been wanting it to have the "hang out house" You know the one that everybody wants to go to and just hang out. We love to have people at our house and we host a number of things so we have been wanting somewhere to be able to do that comfortably. Do I sound like I am justifying this move? I kind of am. I do not really want to move again but I do feel like God brought this house along right when we were looking. It is perfect and I hope one that we can settle down in but as you can see from our track record there are going to be no promises. We will be moving mid June. So, when we get back it will be time to start packing. At least now we are really good at it. We have a great system. Maybe we should write a book titled, how to move as many times as possible, with kids, and not lose your mind.

Happy Mothers Day

2007-05-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

There are the beautiful, wonderful that I have been blessed with. I love that I get to be a mom to these precious kids. Hope all you moms out there have a wonderful day and give your kids lots of kisses.

My new hair cut and color

2007-05-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

I just went and got it colored. It is different than I usually do but kind of fun. What do you think? I was asked for pictures so here they are.

Foster Care Awarness Month

2007-05-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

May is foster care awareness month. My husband and I were able to go to a play that is playing here in our city. Our baby was with a babysitter for the first time. My really good friend offered to watch her and it just all worked out that we were able to get tickets that night. It was an amazing show. It is called Someones Somebody. It is written and acted by one woman. It is about her life growing up in the foster care system. It is heart breaking and inspiring all at the same time. She wrote a book first that is called the same thing. I really want to read it now. It is hard to describe the feel of the play but it made us cry and laugh. She is an amazing woman. And now she is spending her time getting the word spread on foster care and the needs that are there.

I also just looked up a program here in our city that pairs you up with a foster care child for one year. In that year you spend 10 hours a month with the child. Doing things that maybe that child would never get to do. Things like going to the zoo, a play, out to dinner. I just found it and I am going to try to go to the information night in June.

Right now I am reading another book by the woman that wrote Another Place at the Table. The one I am reading is One Small Boat. It is so good but really sad. It is so hard for me to grasp that all this is going on here in our country. There are children that at best are being neglected and at worst horribly abused. I am just trying to figure out what I can do realistically with three children to help other children.

We went out to Chick-fil-a last night. It is the kids favorite place to go because they have a play place. I do not usually like those places but this one is actually nice. It is new to start with so it has that factor but it is just a really nice fast food place. It is always clean, the people who work there are really nice and the food is pretty decent. You can get a grilled chicken sandwich that has a lot of lettuce and tomato on it. Anyway, the guy who took our order was really nice. After we had eaten, which by the way Monday is a special day that for every combo you buy you get the next one free so we at for under ten dollars and got four combos. After we were done the kids were still playing so I went up to get a milkshake for us to share. The same guy took my order and he asked me about our baby. She said something about her being a bit darker than the rest of us and I told him that she is adopted. He then shared that he is adopted and does not know anything about his birth parents and so does not really know his ethnic background. But he was so positive about it and said that he was so happy for us and that the baby would never know anything different. It was an encounter that I would not have had if we did not have our baby. I have a feeling she is going to open more doors for us to share.

So, in the spirit of foster care awareness month please pray for all the children in foster care. It is a scary place for some of them, and an uncertain way to live. We need to keep on praying for them.

Two more episodes and it is all over, forever...

2007-05-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

So, so sad.

Bad is the new good

2007-05-05T11:54:00.000-07:00

I just read this post about how we as moms do not feel like it is ok to say we are good at this job of being a mother. It really hit home. The biggest statement that really got to me was "it is like a competition of whose life sucks the most" We as moms sit around and question everything we do with and to our kids. We sit around and complain about how hard it all is. And it is, but is that all you get out of this job we call mom, really.

Not me. I love this job. And I am good at it. It is liberating to say that. It is like a forbidden thing to say. But it needs to be said. Because it is true. If you love your children, take care of their needs, and make your decisions based on that love. You are doing a good job. Not just a good job but an incredible job.

I have felt like for awhile that we as moms need to support each other more. Not be so hard on each other. Encourage, be supportive, but how can we do that for each other when we cannot even do it for ourselves.

We need to be proud. Not saying I am doing a better job than you, or comparing at all but just saying proudly, " I am good at this" I am doing a kick ass job" I rock!"

So as an early mothers day present to myself and anyone who wants to I am going to be proud of myself and not just in my head. I am going to be happy that I can do this job. I can be good at it. And I do not have to be ashamed of that fact. And you should be proud that you are good at it also.

A few things that I am good at

1. I can make my kids feel better when they are sad

2. I feed my kids nutritious food and they are all healthy

3. I read lots of books to my kids and they love it.

4. I play silly games with my kids

5. I love them and they know it!

Now it is your turn. Take pride in the fact that you are doing a great job and write some of the things that you are good at.

This girl is THREE months old

2007-05-01T20:31:00.000-07:00

I cannot belive that it has happened so fast. It goes faster and faster with each kid. She is just wonderful. She is starting to really interact with us and it seems like she really knows us now. She is a little daddy's girl. While he was gone for the weekend with the other two kids she did not sleep as well and she would not let me put her down the whole time. As soon as her daddy got back she is sleeping good again and happy as can be. He has that special touch with her.

The kids were so happy to see her when they got home. They went straight to her and started kissing her and loving on her. It was so sweet.

She is just a complete joy to our whole family. It is at that point where we cannot imagine life without her. She is meant to be here and she completes our family.

I love her so much. Her name means, friend, and I feel like it describes her so well already. She is a friend to her brother and sister.

I went up to visit my parents the other day and she fell asleep in the chair with my dad and it was just so sweet for me to see her so content and being so loved by my dad.

We are happy to be so blessed with her and are awed by the way the Lord has blessed us so richly.

We love our little baby girl.

Life is flying

2007-04-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

I did not mean to take so long to write again. I did not want to leave such a sad thing for so long. Life is just going by so fast and I feel like I am aprinting to keep up.

Our new little girl is almost three months old. She had a check up and is doing really good. She is 12lbs and very healthy. We are having so much fun with her. Things have become more normal and we are all adjusting to the changes. She is also sleeping a lot better so that makes everything a lot more tolerable. She smiles so much. From about 8:30pm to 10:30pm is her happy time and she just smiles and has a great time with us. It is when the other kids are in bed so it is nice one on one time with her.

This weekend my husband is taking the two older kids with a friend and his kids to go to the beach. They are so excited and I am looking forward to some time with just me and the baby.

Other news around here:

I got my hair cut short. I think I like it but it is short.

My son is going to go to school next year. We are all excited about it and we have found a really good school for him.

I moved some things around in our house and made a play/art room and it is so nice. The kids love it and they are not making such a mess right in our living room.

My alergies are getting really bad and I am dreading the month of May even though it is the best weather here.

I made it to the gym one time this week, which was one time more than I have in the past few weeks.

I am really looking forward to summer ( swimming, no school, vacations, and BBQ's)

I do not really have a point for this post but I wanted to put something a little more light hearted up. We all miss my grandma but she is so much happier now.

My kids have been counting down the days for a long time to their trip tomorrow and now it will finally be here. They sure have a great dad.

Luella Marker

2007-04-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

My great-grandma passed away yesterday. I know that it was amazing that I even knew my great-grandma let alone had her as a big part of my life. She had three great-great-garandchildren before she died. I wish that I could put into words all that she was to my family and all who came into contact with her.

She was the oldest of eight children. Grew up in Oaklahoma, on a farm where life was hard. She helped raise her brothers and sister. She married at the age of 16 to a man 12 years older. At 18 she had her son. They lived through the dust bowl and the depression. Through wars and many hard times but it did not make my grandma bitter or hard. They moved to the Bay Area during the depression and stayed there until just the last few years of her life.

My grandma was never able to have more children but God blessed her with a lot of children in her life. Her son gave her three girls that she had a big part in raising. Then those girls gave her 8 great-grandchldren who have so many fun memories of her. And then I had three great-great grandchilden who loved her so much. My oldest daughter is named after her and she is proving to be continuing on the name. She is a lot like my grandma already.

Some of the memoris that I have are:

-playing dress up with all of her clothes and jewlery

-she always had special treats for us

-she was the best story teller and had great stories to tell

-she could stay up so late talking that she always out did us

-she loved almost everyone, even those who were hard to love

-she loved my grandpa so much and missed him dearly when he passed away

-she never seemed like an "old" grandma she was willing to accept the changing world, she read a ton, and wanted to kno what was going on in the world.

-she taught me a love of live theater

This list could truly go on forever. This is just a peek into her life.

She was 91 years old even though she told us he was 88. With her age did not really matter. She was 20 at heart. She lived a good long life. She will be greatly missed. We have all cried for our loss. My kids have cried and that is hard. They will miss her. My youngest will not remember her but she did meet her and we will keep the memories alive. My grandma was ready. She was ready to be with her Lord.

I know that she is in heaven dancing with my greandpa and happy as can be.

We will miss her but we will see her again and she will be ready to have a big party with us, like she always was.

My little settlers

2007-04-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter ( a little late)

2007-04-09T19:23:00.000-07:00

I am so behind in writing. There are things that I want to write about but it is so hard to find the time. I am almost always holding the baby so it is hard to type with one hand. When I am not holding the baby I am helping one kid or another or spending much needed time with them.

So, happy Easter. We had a very low key day here at our house with my parents and sister. We went to church, came home and ate, hung out a bit and then they left and I took a very long nap. I am sick. I think that it is a sinus infection. I seem to get one almost every year at this time. I am trying to fight it off myself but I usually end up at the doctor getting some antibiotics. I hope I can fight it.

Today was one of those days where I felt so bad and sick that it was asking a lot just to get through the day with all three kids. My husband had a meeting out of town so he was gone all day. Lets just say that we watched a lot of tv and layed around a lot. But we did make it through and I am hoping that with a good nights sleep things will be looking up tomorrow. We have a field trip that the kids are really looking forward so we will be doing that. It is to Sutters Fort and they will be dressing up. I will post pictures because I think they look really cute.

The best news for us though is that we have a date for our adoption hearing. It is July 12th. We are so excited. We had been told that it would most likely take a lot longer but God has really blessed us and made everything go very smoothly.

It has been a long week and things have not really been going so smoothly. There have been sicknesses with friends and losses. There have been hurts and frustrations but in the end God will get the glory and there will be light.

I read a friends blog today and learned that her son wanted to pray and ask God into his heart. These things make my day a little brighter.

Sister love

2007-03-30T21:52:00.000-07:00

Mom To Three

2007-03-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

Things in our house have changed. A lot. A real lot.

I am now the mother of three. It seems weird to even say that. It sounds like such a big number. It sounds like someone with a very established family. It sounds like the beginning of a very different life for us.

So far I have just noticed the little things that have changed.

That it takes at least twice as long to leave the house.

That there really is not moment when at least one of the kids does not need something.

That our house feels a lot smaller.

That I need to drink twice as much coffee.

But most of all that there are now three little ones that I love with all my heart and they love each other so much. It is a very special thing.

Our new addition is now six weeks old. She is a perfect little gift. She is the most cuddly child I have ever held. She just melts into your arms. She sleeps pretty good, eats well, and seems to be adjusting to the change very well.

It is amazing to me that we have only had her in our home for 11 days and it already seems like she has always been here. The kids have adjusted pretty good and love to do little things for her. Like get her a blanket or her pacifier. They like to hold her and help with her baths.

The biggest thing that I am going to have to get used to it the fact that it is just not that easy to leave the house anymore. Part of that is having a newborn, part is having three kids. It is 2:30pm on Tuesday and I have not left the house since Sunday night. That is not normal for me but I am ok with it because I am enjoying just being home and being with my kids. I am also so tired from the lack of sleep that getting out of the house just sounds like to much work.

Life will get "normal" again but normal will be different than it used to be. We are excited about our new family dynamic but learning the ins and outs all over again is a challenge.

It is a new adventure and I am sure there will be stories to tell. But just look at those three kids and tell me how it could ever not be worth it.

The end and the beginning of our adoption story

2007-03-13T16:04:00.000-07:00

To start at the beginning for us. The first day that we heard about our little girl was on Wednesday the 7Th of March. We set up a meeting to find out more about her on Thursday morning and they said that we could go and pick her up on Friday morning. It all happened really fast at the end. We spent a crazy, haze filled day getting the last minute supplies that we needed. It was a good thing that we had things to do to keep us busy. We hardly slept that night before. We were so excited to meet her and hold her. We had seen pictures but had not met her yet. We tried to get some sleep and then on Friday morning we dropped off the kids at my mother-in-laws house. It was so nice that we did not have to bring them with us. It would have been a little crazy.

So, we drove to the foster mom's house who had been caring for her since she went home from the hospital, two days after she was born. She was so beautiful. I do not even have words to describe what it felt like when she opened the door and there was our little baby. She let me feed her while we talked. It was just unreal. The foster mom was such an amazing woman. Her and her husband have raised five children of there own and now this is what she does. She only takes babies and only one at a time so she had been taking really good care of her. She was such a blessing to us. The name that we had picked for her middle name ended up being the same as the foster mom's middle name. That made me so happy. She will always have a little part of her with her.

We came home and got settled and then my husband went and got the kids so that they could meet their new little sister. They were so happy. They want to hold her all the time and give her lots of kisses.

Things have been going really well since she came home. She is a very easy, happy baby. She eats well, sleeps good. Although she eats about every two hours all the way through the night also so we are getting used to the broken sleep. My husband has been able to take some time off of work so that is making it all a lot easier. The kids are having a bit of an adjustment but that is to be expected. We are getting used to having a newborn in the house again but it is just such a joy. I am in awe that God blessed us with such a wonderful little girl. We are truly blessed.

Thank you to everyone that has been praying for us during the waiting period. God had a reason and we know that but we needed all the prayers. We truly feel that all of our prayers have been answered.

Please welcome Ruth Lucia to our family

2007-03-09T15:17:00.000-08:00

She was born on Febuary 6, 6007

She came home with us today March 9th 2007

Today was a long awaited day and we are so blessed to have a beautiful little girl join our family through adoption.

The Beach Makes Everyone Feel Better

2007-03-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

It's a winter wonderland!

2007-02-26T14:43:00.000-08:00

I just got back this mornig from a great weekend in Tahoe with a good friend of mine. It was supposed to be a girls weekend with some friends from highschool but one got sick, one could not make the flight here, and one was worried about the weather. So it was just the two of us but we had a great time. We did not do a whole lot but that is kind of the point. We read, watched movies, went in the hot tub, and ate.

We were planning on leaving Sunday afternoon. Packed up and on our way we got to the main road and saw that the cars were not even moving. It was snowing, and had been all day. So we went back to the condo and thought we would wait a couple of hours and try again. We did that and got in the line of cars that were still not moving. Good thing we were prepared. We poped a movie in the computer and watched it while we were stopped. About every 15 minutes we would move a little and then stop again, watch some of the movie, and then move a little more. We did this for three hours and where did we get? To the freeway which was about 20 miles. That's right. Three hours, one movie and 20 miles. Once we got to the freeway things were only looking worse. The freeway looked like a parking lot. Nobody was going anywhere and there were a lot of cars.

At this point we decided to head back to the condo, get some sleep and try again in the morning. With the alarm set for 6am we tried to get some sleep. After both of us tossing and turning all night we woke, packed again and were on our way. Things were much better. It was still snowing really hard but there were not nearly as many cars on the road so we were moving. It was slow going but we were blessed to have a good car for the snow. It was a big adventure and we were happy to be home. I was so glad to see my kids. I was gone longer then we were all expecting.

It is always so sweet to be welcomed home by my kids. They make it so much fun.

My Daughters Prayer Last Night

2007-02-23T16:51:00.000-08:00

Thank you God for Mama's food, daddy's food, and my brother's food.

And thank you for IKEA.

I am not quite sure what to think of this...

Lent, Teeth, BBQ, Kids, Life....

2007-02-22T14:09:00.000-08:00

There are so many things on my mind lately. I blame it on having to stay home and rest for way to long. I know everyone is tired of hearing about my teeth but I have just one more update. On Tuesday I was still in a lot of pain so I called my dentist and he said I should come in and be seen. So, I take the kids thinking it will just be a quick pop in and I will be out of there. Boy was I wrong. He sits me down while the kids are playing in the waiting room and takes a look. Ends up I have the very dreaded dry socket. This is the thing that I was most afraid of, that I was very careful to avoid. I had been eating only liquids for almost a week. Well, what's done is done and needs to be taken care of. He numbs me up REALLY good and cleans it out OUCH! Then packs it with this stuff that smells and tastes horrible. Then sends me on my way. The kids were great but just did not really understand what had just happened to me so they just acted like they always do (asking a million questions, wanting lots of food) It all worked out ok and things are great now. I am still on the liquid diet but today is my first pain killer free day and it has been exactly one week. I feel bad for my family. It was not supposed to take this long to get better. My husband has had to take up a lot of the slack and I just have not been myself on the medicine but today is much, much better. I think things are going to be looking up from now on.

We as a family have decided to give up TV for lent. I have never done anything for lent before but my friend mentioned that she is giving up coffee for lent and I thought it was a good idea. The same thing happened when my son turned three. He developed a one track mind for television. It is not that I am against it, it is just that there are so many other things we can do with out time and my daughter has developed the same one track mind. I think a break for all of us will be good and it is good to talk to the kids about lent. We made a list this morning of things that we can do instead of watch tv and we came up with quite a few. Now if the kids ask to watch it I tell them to go pick something off of the list.

Me and the kids went to IKEA today to pick up a couple of things that I needed. They had all their new outdoor furniture and BBQ stuff out. It made me get really excited about the upcoming warm weather and then the excitement which is summer. I do not think I have looked forward to summer as much as I am this year. I do not know why but I am so excited about having people over for BBQ's, going to the river and lakes, swimming, parks, the beach, picnics, the list could go on and on. While I was at IKEA I picked up some cute summery napkins and a big beach bag. Let summer come quickly.

As a last little note I did a crazy thing today. I have been talking about cutting some bangs because I have been bored with my hair. I have been going to the same girl since before I had my daughter so almost 4 years. But today I went with my kids to Super cuts and had the girl cut my hair. Just some random girl and I just did it. So, I will post a picture so you can all see the crazy thing I did. I have not gotten used to them yet so I am not sure what I think.

This is a pain, literally

2007-02-18T16:28:00.000-08:00

So, I thought that I was recovering really well and then last night was not so good. I woke up at 1am and it took me until 4:30 to fall back to sleep because this one tooth spot was hurting so bad. I took pm pain medicine finally and then I slept until 9am. My family came home today and it was not how I had planned it. I had wanted to have everything in order so that when my husband got here there was nothing he needed to do and I would be totally refreshed. I was so sad that I was not doing better than I was. I have this fear that I have a dry socket which is my worst nightmare but I talked to my dad tonight and he does not think I do. I think it is just healing and painful in the process. So I will continue to take the strong pain medicine and hope that it passes soon. I feel really weird with the pain medicine and antibiotics but I feel worse with out the pain medicine so that is that.

Now that I have totally bored you with my update I will write a few points that are things that make me happy in hopes to get my mind off of the throbbing pain on the left side of my mouth.

1. A great big hug from my girl after not seeing her for way to long

2. The pure joy that my son expressed when telling me all about his ski lessons and how well he did

3. I am thankful that I really like soup since that is about all I have been eating for days

4. Friends who are so sweet and bring me flowers, magazines, and soft foods

5. A husband who enjoys being with his kids and does not make me feel bad about not doing much lately

6. Sitting and watching Nanny McPhee with my daughter which is what I am going to go do right now

Wisdom Teeth

2007-02-16T16:03:00.000-08:00

I survived the dreaded teeth pulling. I went in yesterday morning and am doing really good. I think I got myself to worked up about it. It was not as bad as I was thinking it would be. I have an amazing husband who has taken the kids for the weekend to Tahoe so I can rest. It is weird to not be doing anything. Usually when I have some time at home without the kids I have projects that I want to get done. This time I have been warned time and time again that if I do anything today I risk getting really sore and getting dry sockets which I really do not want. So I have had the perfect excuse to just lay around and do nothing.

I have some really great friends that have brought by flowers and soft foods and mind less magazines to read. It is like a mini vacation with a sore mouth. I am just hoping that I feel better tomorrow and that it does not get any worse.

I am really glad to have it over with. I have been putting it off for awhile and now it is just done and I do not have to think about it anymore. My husband is getting his done next month so it will be his turn to get a break with a sore mouth next.

I am going to go and enjoy every minute of this time because an excuse like this only comes around so often. The problem is that I am already missing my family.

Happy Valentines Day

2007-02-13T13:24:00.000-08:00

The day of hearts and candy and remembering the ones that we love the most. I LOVE Valentines Day. I have a soft spot for it and I do not really know why. I like it when the stores get all the pink and red stuff. I like to think about what I will do for my husband to show him that I love him. Now I get little things for my kids to and they love it. I know that some people do not like this holiday and think it is just a dumb made up holiday so that the card makers can make more money but I like it. I also know that it can be a time of year that people feel lonely but I think that it is an opportunity to make those people feel loved. Who says that we cannot give a friend some sugar cookies or send a card to a friend far away.

I like having holidays to help us stop our regular days and think about other people. We went to a friends house yesterday and had a sugar cookie baking party. It was a lot of fun and a good excuse to have a party. Tomorrow my kids will wake up and have a little hunt to where there card and small gift are but more than that we will talk about how much we love them and that is what they will remember down the road. Then my husband and I are lucky enough that my parents will have the kids that night and we are going to go on a double date with another couple. I am really looking forward to that.

It might be silly but I think that in February when it is cold and everything is dead and it seems like it will never be warm again it is nice to have some bright happy colors around and some pretty flowers and enjoy some cookies or candy. I makes me have a brighter day and I hope it does for other people also.

My kids have been having a couple of hard days. I am not really sure why but this morning we talked about how when you wake up you choose what kind of day you are going to have. So we sang the song

It's a good day and I thank God for the weather
It's a good day cause I'm living it for my Lord
Living each day by the promises of God's word

I hope that is helps them come out of their funk and I am looking forward to seeing them smile as they see that we went to the trouble to set aside a day to say I LOVE YOU.

Can you say throw-up?

2007-02-11T20:24:00.000-08:00

I have been living in the world of throw-up for the past couple of days. Not me but my family. On Friday I went to visit my great-grandma. My girl was acting kind of funny but I just thought she was tired. That afternoon I am sitting there having a conversation with my mom and grandma with my girl on my lap and all of a sudden we are all covered in the lovely stuff. Poor thing. We got it all cleaned up and were sitting on the couch. She was on my lap still and here it comes again. I know this is to much information but really. How often does someone actually get thrown up on unless you are a mom or dad. So we stayed the night she slept good and was fine the whole next day. We came home later that afternoon to find my husband making runs to the bathroom himself. Let's just say it is a real blast at our house right now. My girl was good all day Saturday, all day Sunday until we went to church. We go to church at 4pm so she had been good for almost two whole days. My husband took her to her class and then she threw up there all over him. Fun, now we are even. He took her home, they got cleaned up and then again all over both of them. My poor little girl. The hard thing with kids is that there is no warning. They are just sitting there and then they are throwing up. So, it is Sunday night, she is in bed and seeming to be pretty good. I hope that was the end of it and that the rest of us can stay well.

Doesn't that make you want to come visit us?

Another Bit of Wisdom That I Have Learned From A Book I Just Finished Reading.

2007-02-07T14:09:00.000-08:00

I just finished this book called Life Is So Good about a black man's life who is 103 years old and learned to read when he was 98 years old. It was such a good book. He has so much wisdom and had seen so many different things in his life time. At the end of the book the man interviewing him asked what he thought was wrong with families that kids are shooting each other in schools and things like that. His answer was that he felt like it was the grown ups and this is why

He said some people grow kids and some raise them. He said that people grow hogs by feeding them, giving them somewhere to live, and making sure they do not get sick. He said that raising kids is a whole different thing. That to raise them you have to teach them, be there for them, love them, meet their emotional needs and so on.

I thought that was so well put. Some people see it as growing kids and some see it as raising them. I want to raise my kids. I thought it was well put.

He also said that a lot of people think that 100 years is a long time to live but that to him is seemed short. That time went by fast and that life just keeps getting better.

If you get a chance it is a great book to read. He is an amazing man and I learned a lot from the book.

As a side note, I am sure some people are wondering what is going on with the adoption. The fact of the matter is that there just has not been anything to tell about. We are just still in the waiting stage and there is not a lot going on. It has been hard to be patient but we know that it is going to be in God's timing. Also we know that at this point all we can do is wait so that is what we are doing. I promise I will post any news as soon as there is any. We are still 100% excited about it and ready for our new addition we just do not know when that will be. Patience is that word of the day around our house.

Happy Birthday Princess!

2007-02-03T20:37:00.000-08:00

My sweet little princess,

Can it be true? Did you really turn three today? You are no longer a baby but now you are a girl. You have changed so much the last couple of months. You are talking so much now and so clearly. I can have actual conversations with you. You got a real hair cut and it made you look so much older. My little girl is growing up and it is a good thing but I miss my little baby sometimes.

This year you asked for a pink, princess party so we did it up with the pink and the princesses. You informed me that my shoes that I put on this morning were not princess shoes and picked out the ones that were suitable. You were so excited about your party and kind of got overwhelmed with all the attention. We had a family party and you loved having everyone at our house. You thanked every person after each gift that you opened and showed pure delight at each and every gift. The ones from your brother were extra special to you. He made and wrapped them all by himself. Then we feasted on pink cupcakes and you were in pure heaven. As the party died down you kept asking if it was still your birthday and were happy to hear that it still was. Now you are sleeping in your bed a very tired little girl but one who knows that she is very loved.

Things we love about you right now:

That you say happy burbay for happy birthday

That your response to most questions is " of course"

That you are such a girl and love girly things but you can play rough with the boys and are much more tough then you let on

We love to watch you in gymnastics and swimming lessons. You do everything with your whole heart.

That your teachers at Bible study get a genuine grin on their faces when they see you coming. You are truly a ray of sunshine in everybody days that is so blessed to spend time with you.

That you suck your two middle fingers and hold your stuffed kitty's tail just under your nose in just the right way, it brings you such comfort.

The nights that we let you and your brother tell each other stories before going to bed.

The way that you love all of us. Our lives would not be a fun of joy without you. You make us laugh and feel loved every single day.

Happy Birthday Princess.

We love you more than we can tell.

Movies from New York

2007-02-03T20:05:00.000-08:00

My son started realizing while we were in New York how many movies and books he had read and seen where from New York. So we started counting them and noticing even more. There was the central park zoo and grand central station from the movie Madagascar, the plaza hotel where Eloise lived, the swan from the book trumpeter of the swan, the newspaper stand at times square from the book Harry kitten and Tucker mouse, Stewart Little drives his car through central park and the list goes on. We had a great trip. It was freezing but we still had a lot of fun. We stayed at the Embassy Suites and I think the kids favorite part was that we had breakfast there every morning and they could pick all their favorite things. My husbands meetings went really well. The kids were great travelers and we did not have any of the incidents that we had last time with kids getting sick. We felt very blessed to be able to spend great time together as a family.

Winter New York Trip

2007-02-03T19:59:00.000-08:00