That's My Girl

Emma discovered a shower cap this morning and wore it while she took a shower with me, while she sat on the potty, while she played. She cracks me up with her head gear. She is all about hats. I just loved watching her sit on the potty and make so many faces while she read her book and wiggled around. Of course, she didn't' do anything on the potty, but she certainly enjoyed herself.

Standard breakfast attire. A cap, a lei, and her pajamas.

Another busy weekend come and gone. I am not scheduled to work any extra shifts right now and I have to say that doesn't upset me at all. I am worn out! Luckily Bo has started back to 5 days a week and that came at just the right time. GOD always works it out.

I've been observing my daughter lately and it amazes me all that she has learned and all that she is able to do with her hands. She uses those 2 fingers with such ease and it doesn't slow down at all. I watched her try to put her shoe laces back in the holes of her tennis shoes yesterday. She had no idea I was even in the room. She was totally engrossed in what she was doing and she worked so hard. She wasn't able to get them in the holes and she became frustrated and had a small melt down but she was back at it today. She doesn't give up and that is what I love so much about her (well, that and lot's of other things.) She is determined.

I was thinking about when I learned to tie my shoes in kindergarten. That was such a big deal and suddenly you are so independent! I don't know how long it will take Emma to learn to tie her shoes, or put earrings in, or button her shirt, or zip her pants, but I do know one thing, she WILL do it. This girl will never play the victim role and I suspect will be an overachiever. That makes me even prouder to think that I'm her mother. All of her stubbornness is certainly an asset!

It's the small things that you and I take for granted.

I Hope You Don't Freeze Like That

So my little angel has learned to make such pretty faces. She mastered this yesterday while sitting on the potty and trying to be still. She is very impressed with her new talent. (making faces, NOT using the potty).

A Week in Review......Maybe

My daughter picked out her clothes this morning. Is she going to make the worst dressed list or what? She was very pleased with her choice and since we are not going out in public until later today, I really don't care. If she likes it, then I'm happy.


Nanny and Pap bought Emma a music box for Gotcha Day celebration and it has just now arrived. She really liked it and had to give Nanny a kiss to show her how much. Emma loves music boxes.

Taking her time opening her present. Could she be more laid back?

We had a family reunion at Bo's parent's this weekend and attempting to get a picture of Emma with her great, great Aunt Corrine was almost impossible. She just didn't want to cooperate. (Emma, not Aunt Corrine:)

She did manage to give Uncle Edd a quick kiss, but I almost missed it.

She was just as quick with Uncle Bobby. This girl would not cooperate at all.

Another attempt to get a kiss from Aunt Corrine. Mom is just not quick enough.

Loving her wagon ride.

Loving her wagon puller, Aunt Pam.

This is just another in a series of fashion mishaps. She wore this get up while eating dinner. This girl has her own sense of style......

Sitting on the porch while Daddy mowed. Not a happy camper because Daddy made her get off the tractor for a while.

I feel like a broken record, but I simply have not had the time to blog. I have been working extra shifts and the boys have been busy with all of their activities and Emma with all of her appointments. I feel like I spend my time going in circles.

Emma has been very busy and is trying hard to say a lot of words. The average person would not necessarily understand them, but we are picking up on them. She is saying "Astin" for Ashton and baba for daddy. She is saying juice, eat, and some babbling sound for Wiggles. She is still loving those guys. She is also saying Eldo for Elmo, down, opie for open, and her constant favorite, no,no,no and stop it. She has those mastered.

I'm pretty sure that we have moved to a tropical island without the island, it has rained for a week here. A quick peek of the sun and then it's gone. I'm so ready for fall and can't wait until those beautiful leaves start changing.

Well, lunch time is upon us and our (my) favorite time of the day....nap time.

Just Too Much Going ON

It is becoming harder to find time to post everyday. There are simply not enough hours in the day to get it all done and no, I'm not whining, I'm just stating a fact.

Emma and I did manage to sit out on the porch a little while one afternoon last week and rock and blow bubbles. She was mesmerized by this stick. She is studying it so intently. We also played outside Friday morning and she allowed and inch worm to crawl up and down her arm. I was shocked considering how terrified she usually is of all of God's creatures.

This is the face that I'm seeing a lot of these days. She thinks that puckering up those adorable lips is the answer to every problem. I agree they are hard to resist, but when she has just thrown an all out fit, it makes it a little easier.

We have our final post placement visit by the social worker tomorrow, so needless to say, I'm in a tailspin to get things done. I'm really hoping that she doesn't want to see the entire house this time because I'm just not going to get it all cleaned and I'm really not going to fret over too much. This is our house and when I could have been cleaning this morning I was sitting outside with Emma. Some things are just more important.

Our weekend was just crazy busy. The highlight was going to a Selah concert on Sunday evening. They are simply amazing and could sing the phone book and make it sound great. We enjoyed it very much.

The rest of the weekend was busy with the boys and all of their activities, me working, Bo attempting to play the role of Mr. Mom and get everyone taken care of. I think those times are when he appreciates me the most! Again I say, cloning might not be such a bad thing after all.

The remainder of this week consists of golf practice for Ashton today, a match on Thursday. Brady has band practice all this week except tomorrow and a competition on Saturday. I have to work Thursday and Friday and that leaves Bo in charge of everything again. We have to ace the PP visit tomorrow and not let anything happen to Miss Busy Pants while we wait on the SW. (Refer back to our 6 month visit when we made a run to the emergency room following her fall while the SW was on her way to our house...) So please say a prayer!

A Smile Worth Waiting For

Okay, so yesterday was the day. The day that we have been waiting on for the last 5 years. A day that we have dreamed about. ASHTON GOT HIS BRACES OFF. The dream vacation to Alaska that we have sacrificed to pay for those choppers has finally paid off. Granted, this picture is certainly about as fake as it gets, but you can at least see those beautiful, straight teeth that we have been waiting on since third grade. Of course he left the orthodontist's office with a bag of candy and gum that he finished off before we got home. I guess that I don't blame him.
Look what a girl can do when she gets an ink pen and has some time on her hands. It was also on her stomach.

This is one of the pretty outfits that Aunt Pam gave us for Gotcha celebration day. Green is certainly one of Emma's best colors. Of course it was like pulling teeth trying to get her to be still for a couple of pictures.

My American Girl and Going to the Zoo

Where to begin? It has been nonstop busy since my last post. I'm seeing a trend with that.


We managed to get in a trip to the zoo this weekend. We have not been in years and it was a nice day on Saturday to venture out. I managed to get a couple of hours of sleep that morning after work and then we headed out with our family, one of Ashton's friends and Brady's friend. She is female and he likes her so I guess that makes her his girlfriend. I, on the other hand, have a hard time with that since I am a mother and my oldest son should not be old enough to be interested in girls. I'm not sure where those years went that girls were yucky and we only tolerated them to now when they have become much more interesting. Let me say to all you mothers that have little boys, this is harder than I thought it would be. She is a lovely girl and I like her but it's just WEIRD to be in this place right now. Prepare yourself....not easy. Okay, enough about that.


So trying to get a picture of Ashton and his buddy A.O. was like pulling teeth. Also, the picture that I took of Brady and his friend would have been great had he kept his eyes open in the picture. Therefore there are no pictures of Brady and his friend.


On my daddy's shoulders.

Checking out the giraffe while hitching a ride on my dad.

Emma looks so cute in this picture. I look like someone who had worked for 2 nights and only gotten 3 hours sleep that morning. I've noticed that those lines I have earned are becoming more prominent:)

Nothing says relaxing like Munchos and juice.

In my next life I want to come back as a camel. Do you think that they have some type of dialogue going on?

Emma actually touched the goat. Only once and for less than a second, but progress was made on the animal front.

Being a monkey. She has learned to put her hands underneath her and make a monkey sound. Yes, I taught her that and am considering homeschooling in the future. Want to sign your kid up for my classes?

Puckering up to give mom a kiss.

Emma really liked the fish and the reptiles. She was fascinated with them once she realized they were behind glass.

INTRODUCING BITTY BABY, OUR FIRST AMERICAN GIRL DOLL. These pictures are out of sequence, however Emma is checking out the American Girl catalogue (a girl after my own heart) and wanted her doll left right beside her while she does so.

Taking Bitty Baby for a ride in her baby carrier. See how concerned she is about Bitty Baby's comfort and safety. She is going to make a wonderful mom someday....

Can you help me with this mom?

When the box arrived with Bitty Baby in it Emma went straight to the kitchen drawer that holds the silverware, reached in (she can't see into it yet) and got out a butter knife and brought it to me to open the box. I had to give her a brief tutorial in safety and not playing with knives and then we cut into that box and got out our first American Girl doll in celebration of our first anniversary of Gotcha Day.

So having a girl that is beginning to like dolls is pretty fun. She is so sweet with them most of the time. She likes for them to sit next to her while she watches T.V. She kisses them before she goes up to take a nap. Then she tosses them off the chair and goes on. It's all really cute.

Emma is really chattering away these days. None of it makes much sense, but she is really trying to talk. She will just begin talking and is so animated. If things are not going her way, she is quick to scream and tell us "stop it". Amazing the 2 words that she knows so well. She is also in the constant kiss me mode. She thinks that no matter what she does if she puckers up her lips that everything is okay. I'm having a hard time making her understand that I won't kiss her when she is in trouble and she has to wait until she has calmed down or gets out of time out. This girl is STRONG WILLED. Her O.T. keeps telling me to pray for her future husband. I keep telling her to pray for her mother!

Lord Help Us All

It's official. I'm old and my son has his driver's permit. He finally got it on Monday and I've been waiting to have time to get his picture. He was so cute when it was finally over. He was very proud and so am I. NERVOUS, yes.

You've Come A Long Way BABY

A year ago today our daughter was placed in our arms. When I think about the day and all that went along with it, it still amazes me. I was afraid. Afraid of the unknown and the possibly the known. I read back over those few days that I posted on the blog and all the comments that we received and the e-mails from our friends and I can honestly say they helped sustain us. We knew that prayers were being prayed all over the world and we felt them. I was still afraid, but it wasn't as bad.


Emma was so tiny, so sickly, so blank faced when we first got her. It was a day that never leaves my mind and I think what haunts me the most is that there are thousands upon thousands of children just like her WAITING for their family. What if we had not gotten the call for Emma, what if we had said no, what if we had never been called to adopt, what if Emma was still sitting in an orphanage WAITING. I am fairly certain that we will not adopt again, but if you are reading this and have even the fleeting thought about adoption, don't let is pass without really giving it some serious thought and prayer. It is the most blessed thing that you will ever be called to do. I believe that. And if you don't feel called to adopt, then consider donating to some very worthy organizations out there that support adoption and orphans. You might not be able to give a child a home but you can help someone else along the way. It will bless you more than you know. Don't turn away from the reality that there are orphans all over the world and in your own back yard. Don't close your eyes and miss out on a blessing.


I hadn't really planned on writing a lot today and didn't know what I would write. But I believe that GOD knew exactly what He wanted written today.


Our little movie star. She was watching herself on a video and clapping for herself.
Celebrating Gotcha Day with Nanny and Pap.

Celebrating Gotcha with Giggee.

Dig the Hat? She looks like Buster Brown. The hat goes with an adorable outfit from Giggee. Aunt Pam and Giggee love to shop at Janie and Jack!

You can't catch me Aunt Pam!

Getting some love from my Uncle Johnny.

ICE CREAM. Forget the cake!

She wasn't too interested in the cupcakes.

CHEESE.

Gotcha Day Cake.

Giving Mom the eye during lunch.

Is this kid silly or what!

She was really cheesing it yesterday during her lunch so I took advantage.

Laying back in her chair to eat her noodles. I know that Ramen noodles are probably not the most nutritious lunch choice but she LOVES them.

When she wears this hat I can't help but whistle the theme song from Gilligan's Island.

Wearing her hat sideways. She absolutely refuses to turn it the right way. She's a punk.

Do you even recognize this child? This is a picture that Brady took on Gotcha Day after we got to the hotel. It blesses me to think how far our girl has come! Yes indeed, you've come A LONG WAY BABY GIRL. So have we.

To all of the people who traveled with us last year, if you are reading, Happy Gotcha's! We are a blessed group of folks in so many ways.