CRAZY EIGHTS

My friend Maria tagged me for Crazy Eights and so I will do my best to comply.



8 Things I'm Looking Forward To

1. Being debt free


2. My children going to college and getting married and coming face to face with reality. I'm not rushing it, I'm just saying....teenagers will make you have these types of thoughts.


3. Disney world with Emma and the boys. Both of the boys would rather go to DW than any place on Earth and I can't wait until Emma gets to go and hopefully enjoy it. She will be wearing a princess dress and tiara, even if she doesn't want to:)


4. Retirement. I don't anticipate this anytime soon. Refer to number 1.


5. Seeing my dad in Heaven.


6. Emma's wedding. NOT RUSHING that one either, but I think every mother thinks about that day.


7. Grandchildren. MOST CERTAINLY NOT RUSHING THAT ONE. I just think I will be a pretty good grandma.


8. Taking another trip out West with my family.

8 Things I Did Yesterday

1. Played with my daughter and enjoyed hearing her laugh out loud when she was being silly.


2. Scrubbed 2 of my 4 toilets. I can only do so much. (I did manage to finish today.)


3. Took a shower with Emma holding the shower curtain open the entire time and getting soaking wet.


4. Continued reading Twilight. Ashton read it and loved it so I'm trying to jump on the band wagon.


5. Cooked a chicken casserole for dinner.


6. Took Ashton to AAU practice.


7. Vacuumed part of the house. AGAIN, I can only do so much.


8. LAUNDRY. NO BIG DEAL, THAT'S EVERYDAY.

8 Things I Wish I Could Do

1. Play the piano.


2. Have straight hair or at least manageable curly hair. NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN.


3. Go to Italy.


4. Adopt again.


5. Hire a housekeeper.


6. Have enough money that I could truly help others. There is nothing like doing for others and if I had the money there are so many people I would love to help. I have thought about this in great detail and I would make a great rich person.


7. Convince others that adoption is one of the greatest experiences in the world. Special Needs adoption has been the biggest blessing to our family. Think about it people! It's wonderful. Challenging yes, but wonderful


8. Get organized.

8 Shows I Watch

1. American Idol.


2. The Mentalist


3. Criminal Minds.


4. Andy Griffith


5. The Wiggles


6. Hannity


7. Nightly News


8. Well, I can't think of 8. I really don't watch much TV.

So that about wraps that up. Thanks Maria for asking me to share. I guess I will ask 8 people to do the same. I choose the following folks:

1. Melissa


2. Lindsey


3. Leslie


4. Barbara
5. Christy
6. Stacey

Okay, so I only have 6. I know people are busy and I just can't think of 8.

The last day of school! Finally. Ashton won a band award for most improved percussionist. Of course, no one at the school let me know that was going to happen so I wasn't there. The first time ever!

Brady got in the car this afternoon and on the way home said "Well, I'm a Sophomore now. This year went very fast." My baby. Where does the time go?

Weekend Wrap Up

Emma is loving the keyboard. She is very dramatic when she plays it and has begun to lean from side to side while playing it. She also likes to turn around and play it backwards.

He bug glasses have become her favorite for now. Our neighbor's little boy gave these to her when we first came home and she loves them. THANKS Ben.

Rearranging the Cd's.

We visited with my oldest nephew this weekend in the big town of Hardyville Kentucky. He had a barbecue and allowed all of his relatives the chance to come see his new farm. Emma loved Bob and was only slightly interested in the cows he had on his farm.

Playing with Uncle Johnny.

We had a very busy weekend. Our visit on Saturday was fun but it was a 2.5 hour drive one way so we spent a lot of time on the road. It did help me to decide that a trip to the beach this year might not be the best choice since Emma was getting pretty restless in the car seat. She was much better than he boys though! That is the real reason that I don't want to make an 8 hour drive. Constant arguing.

Sunday we had church and ended up taking kids all over the world. Brady survived his canoe trip and then spent the night with a friend. Ashton also had a friend over and then yesterday I took 4 boys to the movie. I dumped them out, floated a loan for popcorn and drinks and picked them up 2hours later. It was heavenly. I snagged a couple of CVS deals, walked around the mall and treated myself to Starbucks before I picked them up. After I picked them up they wanted to hang out at the mall a little while and then I managed to do a little more shopping. We headed home and then took Ashton out for a late birthday supper. WHEW. I was beat last night. When the alarm went off this morning I turned it off and fell back to sleep. Poor Bo woke up and saw the clock and made a mad dash to get ready for work.

ONE more day of school! That is one of those bittersweet things. I am glad to get a break from all of the school trappings and having to get up early everyday but then I have to sacrifice my sanity by having the boys home all day. They are going to church camp next week and I am so glad. I remember the first time they went and how I worried about them being gone for a week and not being in touch with them. Man, not anymore. They love it there and I love the one week of the year that there is no arguing in my house. Ashton comes back home and has 2 weeks of basketball camps. It is going to be busy.

My Name Is Emma and I Have a Problem

My girl is addicted to chips. Today's choice was Frito's, a classic. Yesterday's choice was Ranch Doritos. She loves them and although it may not be the best choice of a snack, it sure makes a little girl happy.

Is this the face of a content child or what?

Helping me get things out of the refrigerator. It would appear it's time to have a cleaning.

Ashton cleaned out his locker at school and brought home his mirror (oh my vain child) and it has provided a lot of entertainment for my girl. She loves to look at herself and make faces.

Crazy busy week and the weekend isn't looking much better.

Some of the most memorable things from this week are:

1. Emma and I were getting out of the car and walking in to Walgreen's when she saw a woman and little baby and immediately said Baby. I was so proud of her! She is trying so hard to make words and speech therapy is helping her so much.
2. During dinner one night this week, Brady informed us that he had been thinking and had decided that he is going to get a tattoo next year. Bo informed when he (Bo) could blow flames out of his ears then he (Brady) could get a tattoo. I explained that when he turned 18 he could make that decision but at the ripe old age of 15, we didn't think so.
3. My favorite song is "What a Wonderful World". The boys and I were on our way to church Wednesday night and were listening to some of the oldies and that was on. Ashton proceeded to illustrate the song and the motions that he did were hilarious. I almost wrecked laughing at him. I guess you had to be there.
4. Emma new favorite thing is to put a blanket on her head and disappear. She cracks herself up when you start calling her name and asking where she is. She pulls the blanket off and reappears and rolls with laughter.
5. Emma stood at the bottom of the steps today screaming "Bubba" in a very Chinese sounding tone. She was looking for Ashton and couldn't find him.

So that about wraps it up. We are visiting my nephew this weekend and having a little family gathering. Brady is canoing on Sunday with a youth group and we have no definite plans for Monday. We have to get the pool opened and that is usually a family affair. Not a very pleasant one might I add.

Have a great weekend.

Happy Birthday Nanny

Today is my mother's birthday and I want to wish her a very happy birthday. She is a special lady and everyone that knows her loves her. She has her hands full helping me with the kids and taking care of my step dad who unfortunately has Alzheimer's. When my dad died 15 years ago, she was blessed to remarry a wonderful man. I don't understand why things work out the way they do, but God does. He has a plan and we just have to have faith. My mother is the perfect example of that. She is a blessing to those around her and I am very lucky to have her. Oh, and do you think she might like her granddaughter. After 7 grandsons it's funny to see her with a girl. Happy Birthday momma. We love you and appreciate you more than we can ever say.

I managed to run by CVS this morning while I was out and snagged a few good deals.

My total purchase was $24.07 before tax.

After coupons and ECB, it was $5.67. I also got $7 in ECB. Not too bad. Oh and mother, if you are reading this, please don't look at the cards. You will see them later.

Emma went for her orthotic fitting this morning and it went surprisingly well. She woke up at 4:10 A.M. this morning and really never went back to sleep. I don't know what her deal was and expected the fitting to go horribly. Well, she was great. She let them put the casting on her and then cut it off with the cast saw and never flinched. Our P.T. Miss Susan was there and helped with the fitting and I can't say enough nice things about her. She is genuinely concerned about Emma's feet and has gone over and above to make sure that Emma gets what she needs.

After the fitting we headed to CVS and Kroger and Emma managed to hang in there the whole time. She even stayed awake on the way home and has been singing in her crib. She usually goes straight to sleep and when I went to check on her earlier she was attempting to turn a flip in the crib. She never even noticed me slipping in and checking on her. So hopefully she will take a good nap while I prepare my mom's birthday dinner for tonight.

I don't watch a lot of T.V. I really just don't have the time. I like to watch O'Reilly and Hannity (in moderation) and am a big fan of Andy Griffith. I loved John and Kate plus 8 until all of the controversy that has begun to plague them. I personally think it's time to quit the show and focus on raising the kids without cameras in the house, but hey, that's just my opinion. I have however found a show that I really like. The Mentalist on CBS. I am loving that show and can't wait to see the season finale tonight. I will have to share my time with the American Idol finale, but I'm thinking that The Mentalist is a much better choice. So if you haven't watched it, try it out.

Okay, so enough rambling. Have a great rest of the day.

Weekend Wrap Up

Emma is loving the new karoke machine that Pop gave her and the boys. She is all about singing.

Well, another weekend has come and gone. Is it me, or do they just seem to fly by?

I came home from work Saturday morning and we headed straight out to basketball games. We had 2 extra boys and they were just as sweet as they could be. However, Ashton was in trouble for asking friends over after his dance Friday night. I had given him strict instructions that he was not to have friends over since we had to be at his game at 9:30 and I wasn't going to be able to rest at all. I made one mistake with that. I didn't give Dad strict instructions and so Ashton brought home 2 buddies. Needless to say, mom was very unhappy with the situation. Ashton told me he "forgot" that I had told him no friends over. Short term memory loss at age 13 seems to be at an epidemic proportion.

So Saturday was spent in the gym watching Ashton play ball. He did well and in each game (3 total) he increased his points. He ended up having a late game and Dad had to make the long trip back home to return the friends to their homes and Emma and me to ours and then go back for the 7 p.m. game. LONG DAY.

Before Ashton's second game I noticed a boy who was missing his left forearm. He had his elbow and a little bit of his forearm, but that was it. What I noticed about him was that he was putting on his basketball shoes and getting ready to warm up for the game. What I also noticed is that the kid could play some serious ball. I was so impressed and it just reinforced what I know about Emma. She will be able to do anything!

Well, not being the least bit shy, I found out which person was his parent and had the opportunity to speak with the dad. The boy was born with ABS and therefore the missing limb. I told the Dad about Emma and how I am always wondering if she will be able to play ball or an instrument, or whatever and that seeing his son just blessed me so much. The dad was so sweet and told me that nothing slows his son down and that he was sure nothing would slow Emma down either. It was just one of those GOD moments that I would have missed had I not stayed up and went to the game. So sure, I was up for more than 24 hours and completely exhausted, but I was blessed. Isn't GOD cool!

Sunday was spent at a family reunion for my step father's family. It was very nice and I got to seen an old friend that I played with when we were just little girls. It was great to see her as well as the rest of the family. My step father had 12 brother and sisters. Can you imagine?

Today has been spent cleaning and trying to play catch up. Emma has been very good and is really enjoying her Play Doh. She hasn't mastered the whole concept that it has to stay on her table in the kitchen and I keep finding her roaming around the house holding it. She ate some on Friday and evidently purple Play Doh must taste pretty bad.

Just a Few Pics

Everyone should play with Play Doh with sunglasses on. Emma has made a big step and actually is rolling the Play Doh in her hands. This is huge for her. She hates to get anything on her hands, so this is a big deal.

Helping mom with her filing.

Satan puppy IN the dishwasher.

You're Only as Happy as.....

In the words of Beth Moore "you're only as happy as your saddest child." Ain't that the truth. My boy didn't make the bb team and I have to question the reason. This kid eats and sleeps basketball. He practices everyday. I have seen him outside practicing in the rain and lightening and have to make him come in the house. He seemed to be okay, but he is my child that doesn't show his emotions very well. He tends to clam up and and keep it all inside. He did come to my room last night while I was reading in bed and crawled in next to me and began to talk. Those are his moments when he tends to open up a little. My heart was really breaking for him. I hope the kid makes the high school team next year and just blows it out! Is it all right to want your kid to show someone what he's got:)


So we have another busy weekend. AAU this weekend, a family gathering with my step father's family on Sunday, house work, yard work, the usual.


Not much else to say. I am about to put senorita fussy pants down for a nap and attempt one for myself since I have to work tonight.


I hope you all have a good weekend.

My Baby is a Teenager, My Puppy is the Spawn of Satan

Emma and I went to her speech appointment today and then did some birthday shopping for Ashton. Emma just happened to find a hat that she couldn't live without and fell asleep with a french fry in her hand and her hat on her head.

Good morning to my birthday boy. How can he be a teenager?

My little sleeping angel. NOT.

Oh, and did I mention that I'm pretty sure that Sophie is the spawn of Satan. She is wild and I think she must take after her mother who had the devil eyes. I knew we should have gotten the male dog.

This is what my laundry room looked like when we got home from the band concert on Monday night. Bo arrived home first and was kind enough to leave it the way he found it so that I could get the full effect. She had turned over the dog food, emptied the recycling baskets, turned over her water, went potty in the floor and looked so innocent when we got home. (That's dog food that she is sniffing by the way.)

Okay, so now I have 2 teenagers. How did I get this old? I know that I remember being young, but it's almost become just that..a memory.

Ashton requested bacon and eggs for his birthday breakfast. I worked until 11 p.m. last night and didn't realized that I didn't have any bacon in the refrigerator. I improvised and he got cinnamon rolls instead. Poor middle kid.

Tonight he tries out for the basketball team and therefore doesn't want anything special for dinner. I hope that we get to go out for dinner this weekend to celebrate. He deserves it. He also wants a drum set for his birthday and I haven't gotten him that yet either. What kind of mother am I? I did manage to pick up a few other things that I think he will like and we will work on the drums when Bo and I can go together. Again I say, poor middle kid. I hope he doesn't need therapy at some point.

The puppy has moved to the outside pen. She doesn't exactly like it and I did cave and let her sleep inside last night. I can't stand to think of her outside all night. She has never been alone and I don't want her to be afraid. Of course, when I witnessed her attempting to jump over the gate in the laundry room last night by getting a running start and throwing herself into it, I have almost come to the conclusion that she may indeed spend her first night alone TONIGHT. She is wild. I left a radio on NPR last night hoping to bore her to sleep. I only heard her once during the night so I guess it worked. Of course Emma woke up crying during the night. I hope she didn't hear some liberal commentator and have a bad dream.

So my life continues to be an adventure. Isn't that what it's all about?

Let's Get a What?

So "we" got a puppy. Her name is Sophie and she is a cutie. How is it exactly that somehow you forget just how much work a puppy is? Sort of like kids. You just forget how much goes into it until they come along. So far today, I have accomplished very little. I have walked the puppy or cleaned up after the puppy. I have held Emma because the desensitizing process obviously takes longer than a few hours:) I have walked the puppy again, I have changed Emma. I have walked the puppy again, well......you get the picture.

Every puppy that Santa has ever brought us has somehow involved my mom, so the boys couldn't wait to call Nanny to come over and see Sophie. Emma was holding on to Nanny for dear life.

Miss Sophie.

Baby dedication with our Pastor, Brother Bob.

Yesterday was a busy, but nice day. I was up early preparing lunch and catching up on laundry and all the other million things that I am behind on. We went to church and had Emma's Dedication service. We showed our video from China and our Gotcha Day that is accompanied by Steven Curtis Chapman's song When Loves Takes You In and I'm pretty sure there wasn't a dry eye in the church. It was a very special service and I hope that we can be the parents that God intends for us to be. Emma was very busy during the prayer doing the "Quack, Quack, Quack, Cockadoodle Song" from The Wiggles. Of course, if you didn't know that was what she was doing, you just thought she was being silly. It's her favorite song and she loves to do the motions.

We had lunch with our parents at our house and enjoyed it a lot. I have never cooked a Mother's Day meal before, so it was nice to have everyone here.

After everyone left, we made our quick trip to pick out the puppy. It was a toss up between Sophie and her brother, but Bo was pretty sure that Emma pointed to Sophie when we were trying to decide, so Sophie it was. The parents were on premises and we are hoping that she takes after the male dog. The momma dog looked like a demon. She had the strangest eyes and the boys were pretty freaked out by her. It was pretty funny and Ashton kept talking about how she kept watching him the whole time. Smart dog.

So here we are. The dog managed okay last night. She slept in the laundry room and I didn't hear her all night. She has been pretty loud today with her whining. She wants to be outside and I can't let her out because I'm pretty sure that Molly and Gypsy would attack her. As Brady said yesterday when we were letting her run around outside and the dogs were watching her, "Welcome to the Rock". He did it in classic Barney Fife mode and it was hilarious. Why is it he can remember episodes of all T.V. shows but can't remember if he did his homework or fed the dogs? Another topic altogether.

Well, that about wraps up my weekend. Tonight Ashton has a band concert and he also has basketball tryouts on Wednesday which just so happens to be his 13th birthday. Wow. I'm having a hard time with that one.

Friday Already

WOW! Does a week fly by or what?

I haven't blogged as much this week and I don't have any pictures to add today (sorry Brenda).
I just have not had a lot of extra time this week and have been thinking that I may have to slow down on the blogging. I don't know for sure, but it's just hard to get it all done in 24 hours. I'm sure I will feel differently next week:)

Our weekend doesn't include any basketball, so that will be nice for a change. We have a CPR class at church tomorrow that I will be helping with and then church on Sunday and the grandparents are coming to our house for lunch on Sunday. Emma will also have baby dedication Sunday and I am looking forward to that. It seems that several of my friends children will be dedicated on Sunday. Little Mister Hudson and Little Miss Ellie are also having their dedications that day. What a special day for those parents! They, like us, waited a long time for their little guys to come home and have so much to thank GOD for.


Brady had a band concert last night that was very good. They sounded great. Unfortunately, his bassoon was in the bassoon shop (is there such a thing), so he played some percussion instruments and was the gopher. He makes a great gopher. Emma was very entertained by the music and at one point began clapping before they ever started and saying "yay". Too cute.


Emma's foot seems to be better. I scheduled her an apt. with the Orthopedic and then decided to cancel it. She is practically running through the house, so I don't think it's hurting her anymore. She still has some bruising, but the swelling is better. I hope that I don't regret cancelling the apt.

She also did great for the O.T. consult on Wednesday. The O.T. was very impressed with her abilities and feels like she will only need limited therapy. So far Emma has impressed all of the therapists and doctors with her ability to use her 2 little fingers and pick up just about anything they give her. Nothing slows her down.


Okay, so that I have this in writing, I am sure that I am going to regret this decision and anyone who so chooses can come back and say "I told you so", but we are getting a puppy this weekend. Yes, we have 2 dogs already. Yes, we don't really need another dog. Yes, I love dogs. Yes, it's a free Beagle and I think they are adorable. My plan is to desensitize Emma to her fear of animals. Yes, I should probably start with a goldfish, but hey, I say jump right in. So say a prayer for the puppy as well as Emma. The boys are very excited and I'm sure that the new will wear off and then it will be me who is in charge of the puppy. At least they will be out of school in a couple of weeks and can take care of the dog. Any ideas for a good name for a female Beagle puppy? The boys want to name her Boss, but we will have to see her and then decide what her name will be. Another adventure for our family!


I think that I will attempt to take a quick nap. I am hoping for a good night in ER tonight since I have to stay up most of tomorrow. I am too old for that.....


Happy Mother's Day to all you moms. It's the hardest, most demanding and most rewarding job of all. That's why God chose women to do it!

Wet Wednesday

Gpysy likes to carry her bowl with her wherever she goes. Never know when you might get a free meal.

Mowing with daddy.

Okay, so we are in monsoon season. It has rained for over a week, with a brief reprieve yesterday. That gave Bo and the boys a chance to mow, although the boys thought that it was an absurd idea since it was only going to rain again today. Of course, they don't want to mow when it's hot and dry, so where's the logic?

Emma loved the tractor. I was a bit surprised that she liked it so much and absolutely screamed like crazy when she had to get off. I tried to get a good picture of them on the tractor, but she never cracked a smile. She was very solemn the entire time she was on it.

Emma's foot is still bruised and a little swollen. She isn't limping as badly, but she still acts like it is bothering her at times. I don't know what the deal is. She is scheduled for her O.T. consult today and I am anxious to see how that goes.

Well, no other big news. The highlight of my week so far has been the fact that I actually got to mop my floors yesterday while she napped. Pretty sad isn't it? I haven't even gotten to enjoy the thrill of Walgreen's and CVS shopping yet this week!

Weekend Wrap Up

Another busy weekend. Ashton had 3 games this weekend and they won only one of those. They didn't get whipped by anyone, just a respectable loss. Ashton called me Friday night after his game to tell me that the kids they played had tattoos and were "a little older" than them.


Brady had a great time at his band banquet. Ashton, Emma, and I were home around 8 p.m. and didn't hear anything from Brady and Bo until around 11 pm. Bo said the kids were going strong and at that time I could hear Brady in the background singing Guns and Roses karaoke. I was really glad at that moment that Bo was the one who had to take Brady to his outing.


Emma and I made a quick trip to see Dr. H today. Her foot problem seems to have gotten worse. She has begun to put weight on the outer aspect of her foot and yesterday morning I noticed that her foot was swollen and bruised. Dr. H seemed to think that she has just sprained it by walking on it or had dropped something on it and wants to give it until Friday to see how it looks. Well, that ended the plan for orthotics fitting tomorrow. Her feet have to be their normal size or otherwise the orthotics will be wrong. We have postponed that for a couple of weeks.


So that wraps up the weekend. I have to work 7-11 tonight and Ashton has practice. Another busy week:)

8 Months Ago - What A Day

As I sit here today with my windows open and the rain coming down and the thunder crashing at times, I just can't stop thinking about how our lives have changed over the last 8 months. On Sept. 1, 2008, our daughter was handed to us by the ladies who had cared for her since she was 6 weeks old. She was frail, sick, and flat. Her expression showed nothing that would reveal what she has become in the last 8 months. The blog post for our "gotcha day" wasn't rosy and sweet, it was real. It was a hard day and I was more scared at that moment in my life than I have ever been.


My fears were real. I was afraid that we had made a mistake. I was afraid when I looked at my girl who was grinding her teeth and repetitiously touching her nose. Flat is the only word I can think of. Here was a little girl that had been through more in 19 months than I had been through in my 40 years. It wasn't her fault. It wasn't her parent's fault. It just was.

And that first night together was worse than I had imagined it could be. Sure, I had read the books and blogs, but NOTHING prepares you for a baby that bangs her head against a crib to put herself to sleep. I can only imagine that as hard as it was for me, it was harder for her. She had to be thinking, who are these people and why am I here? Where is my crib, my nannies, my friends? I probably would have banged my head against the crib as well.


I cried out to GOD that night in a way that I never had. Bo was trying to be strong, but I knew that he had the same concerns. My heart literally ached. I was scared and God was my only hope. I also called my mama. That's what girls do. We call our mama's. I knew that she would be on her knees calling out to GOD as well and even though the enemy might be trying to attack me and make me think otherwise, I knew that GOD would answer and our baby would be okay. I knew it somewhere inside me, but I wasn't feeling it just yet.


Jump ahead 8 months now, and oh how GOD has answered our prayers. Our girl can no longer be described at flat anymore. She is full. She is full of life and wonder and temper and curiosity. She has a spark that lights up the room. Yes, she is high maintenance, but really, what 2 year old isn't. Heck, what 40 year old isn't when you get right down to it. And most of all, I believe she knows that those people who she was left with 8 months ago are never going to leave her. They are her family.


God took a family from the rural south and sent them on a 2.5 year journey of paperwork, decisions, lots of financial concerns, and emotions that were raw, and sent thousands of miles to a little Civil Affairs office in China to meet our daughter. In her face, I see Christ. I see his love for all of us. I am thankful that he adopted me. A woman filled with questions, guilt, sin. He took me in and He will take you as well. All you have to do is ask.


I would like to recommend that you take the time, get a box of tissue and go visit the http://compassionbloggers.com and read about their journey to India. It will change your heart. You can start at the LPM blog.