Celebrating the "lasts"

I just put to bed my 2 year old for the last time tonight. When she wakes in the morning, she'll be 3.

All day, as we went about our business - Barnes and Noble, grocery store, Target...I just soaked her up, in all of her 2 year old glory.

When I told her to 'come on' in Target, and she used all her strength to tell me "I DON'T WANT TO!", I took in the sight of her and smiled. She smiled back.

I took my time as I zipped up her red footie pajamas, and gave her lots of extra hugs and kisses before bed. She let me rock her like a baby before she raced around her room in her pink piggy slippers.

I love this girl, more than I can communicate in any coherent way. She is strength, and beauty, and grace to me.

Happy Birthday, Piper Grace!

Life

I'm not sure what it is, 3 kids - 2 in school this year, Piper being 2, me getting old, or what - but, life seems to have taken on turbo speed. Earlier this fall, I started to feel...squeezed, pulled, tired, busy, you know -just how the good Lord intended - NOT!

I listened to a talk by Henry Cloud, the author of Boundaries, and all sorts of light bulbs came on for me. The title of the talk was "Endings, the key to good beginnings". I really want to write a post on what he said, but the main point that really changed some things for me was that for certain seasons, we have to put an end to certain good things, to make room for another good thing. Our life is basically time and energy, and we each only have certain amount. What happens to your budget when you don't manage your money on purpose? Same thing with your time and energy. The day is over and you wonder where it went.

I spent some time thinking about the main things I wanted to spend my time and energy on daily. I have finally surrendered to the fact that if I'm going to workout, it's going to mean waking up at 5:15 and doing it before the kids wake up. I cannot tell you what a difference that is making. I spend about 45 on the treadmill listening to John Piper, or John Waller (usually a mix of the two), praying, and sweating like crazy. I ask God to help me with my time, and allow Him to bring to mind anything I need to do (or be) that day, and just get myself in a place where I am open to hearing His voice.

Putting this first in my day changes the rest of the day, and leaves me ready for bed by 9:00 pm! I am feeling so much more positive and productive, and actually more available for the people in my life. I've had to end some things that I enjoy in order to fit the main things in first. Writing on the blog has been one of the things that has dropped off as I get used to my new schedule. I used to write or at least start my posts at night. That time is now spent, well, sleeping! I am looking at this as a season where I settle into a new routine and am trying to give myself plenty of grace(a struggle at times) as I have to press pause on some things I think are important, just maybe not as important as some other things right now. I don't think that it's a coincidence that I heard this message just before a friend of mine went through a pretty major crisis. I was able to see clearly that God wanted me to be there for her, and put praying for her and walking with her through this trial as one of the things that was a priority, for this season. It was so clear.

Piper requires lots of mommy time and gets into mischief pretty quickly if left on her own for too long! I am a little sad that I've not been able to record on the blog some of her funnies lately. I told my mom that she is either going to keep me young or make me old. My mom thinks the latter.

We are all getting excited for Christmas, but none more than Ella(6). Every morning she crosses off another day on the calendar, and exclaims "I just don't think I can wait!!!". We got to talk to Santa at our town's Christmas festival, and while Hunter(8) is beginning to ask questions, he still believes! We've never made a big deal about Santa, but have treated it as a fun game to try and figure out. Hunter says he thinks it's really God who gives Santa the idea to give gifts. Oh, he is so right! He just doesn't yet know who Santa really is. Santa only gets credit for usually one gift and their stockings. I like to have everything else wrapped and under the tree ahead of time.

What a difference a year makes! This time last year, my dad was still struggling through chemo, and we we'd just learned of my mom's breast cancer that would require surgery at the beginning of the year. Unbelievably, they are both doing really well. Both done with their treatments, my dad having had several clear scans in a row! Thank. You. Lord.

I'm headed to Target and Ikea this morning, along with several thousand others I'm sure. If any of my bloggy friends is still checking up on us (I know at least a couple of you are), hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

***Blogger is not letting me post pictures right now. I'll be back later for that. Just not sure when later will be!

BOO!!!

Ella took her job as a cat very seriously.

Cutest pink bunny on the planet

Annual pumpkin carving at my parents' house with the cousins

Maybe I should get off the phone now

Heard from the other room, "Mommy, wanna play a game?"

Melamine makes me mad!

After sitting back and watching others in our various adoption related groups figure out what to do about the possibility that our children may have been given melamine tainted formula in China, I called Piper's pediatrician today. She is recommending every child adopted from China have blood work and urinalysis done, and possibly a renal ultrasound.

Turns out China has known about this issue for quite some time and did a "secret recall" sometime in 2006. What the heck?

Our adoption agency just sent out this email about melamine tainted Halloween Candy that applies to everyone:

"There is a new warning put out by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency....Sherwood brand Pirate's Gold Milk Chocolate coins are being recalled due to the fact that they contain Melamine, the ingredient in milk product that has caused many infant/child health concerns in China. These candies are sold at Costco, as well as many bulk and dollar stores.please make sure to check your children's Halloween candy and DO NOT LET THEM EAT THE PIRATE COINS (you know the ones wrapped in the shiny gold foil) and please let other parents know about this!"

Why are people so stupid as to put this in children's products? It makes me crazy!

The shoe fascination continues

Piper and her buddy Noah at the Pumpkin Patch

Negotiating who is going to drive the tractor.

Love this picture of Piper. It was Noah's turn, and she was trying so hard not to take the wheel! At least she didn't kiss any goats this year.

Where's Piper?

Hunter is running on a track team, and Piper and Ella love going to practices. We walk the track, they practice cart wheels and generally roll around on the astroturf until practice is over.


She's still working on her form.

Coming soon...riveting photos from the pumpkin patch!

Eeeek!

My computer is fixed, sort of, if you don't count the fact that it just shuts down every 35 minutes or so. So this will have to be quick.

We are in the middle of watching Alabama roll right over Georgia. I went out to the garage to get a bottle of water from the outside fridge and a medium sized mouse ran right in front of me - YUCKOLA!!!

Still living in defeat over the frog incident, Scott seems determined to get the rascal. He stopped the Alabama game, and for the last ten minutes he's been out there making a whole lot of noise.

Ok, he just asked for the flashlight, and I have to say, I am in shock over the state of the garage. He's pulled out the car and has all the kids stuff in a big pile in the middle. He is yelling at the mouse right now. It's as if his very manhood depends on the outcome.

I believe I am almost "live blogging" this.

More yelling. More banging around. Something hit the wall.

Success!!!

Apparently I am spoiled rotten

A year and a half ago, before we went to China, we got a laptop and I went wireless. It seems in that time I've become a laptop snob, b/c I just can't seem to be bothered with using a computer that is, gasp, connected to the wall by a cord.

Scott assures me that my laptop will be good as new by the end of the week. I sure hope he's right. I miss my blogs. I miss my blog friends. I do most of my computering sitting all comfortable on my couch.

So, it's me, here, connected to the wall, by a cord. I really do hope to be back at the end of the week with a squeaky clean wireless connection. I am already planning on hibernating for a few hours (or days) so I can catch up with all of my blogs. Can't wait!

Corrupted

I am using our dinosaur computer that is slow as molasses to write this post. My laptop is apparently "corrupted" and I could just cry about it. Scott took everything off it, put it all on an external hard drive, and attempted to restore it back to it's original state, you know before I CORRUPTED it reading mommy blogs. The little light on the front that is supposed to be blue is still orange.

I can't upload photos, or I'd post a picture of Piper's latest artwork. This morning I was lying on the dining room floor taping a pink polka dot table cloth to our dining room table for Ella's upcoming birthday party. Piper was playing quietly in the other room.

That should have been my first clue.

I walked into the kitchen to get some more tape when the purple scribbles caught my eye. Purple scribbles on the windows, window sill, walls, and tile. At least she's thorough.

Love that girl.

I would have to say we really haven't had our share of scribbles on walls, so I guess Piper just thought she'd humble us a bit. A while back I noticed something on the wood surrounding our garage door opening. I walked closer to discover someone had drawn a perfect Apatosaurous (long necked dinosaur for those over 10). Gee, I wonder who that could have been.

I just used the word dinosaur for the 2nd time in one post.

Labor Day

I've never played a meme before, but who doesn't want to read about my labor? Come on now! I read this over at Rocks in my Dryer and thought I'd add my 3 labors to the mix.

How long were your labors?
kid #1 -14 very long hours
kid #2 - 4 hours - their labor and delivery were as different as their personalities
kid #3 - 1,296 hours -oh my word. Once you have all of your paperwork turned into to China, they say you are "paper work pregnant", so that was a 16 month pregnancy. We got our referral call (water breaking???) on January 3rd and did not get to hold Piper until Feb. 26, 2007. Not labor, you say? Try preparing to travel half way around the world, leaving your 2 kids behind, knowing your 3rd child is living in an orphanage with questionable care, as you carry her picture around trying to convince yourself it is really happening.

How did you know you were in labor?
kid #1 - contractions
kid#2- 1 day overdue, doctor wanted to be home for dinner, so he induced me after a check up - grrrrr...
kid#3- I don't know if I can say how we knew unofficially(oh, I wish I could tell this story), but officially when the phone rang and I saw on the caller ID it was our adoption agency.

Where did you deliver?
kid #1 - hospital
kid #2- hospital
kid #3- at the Center for Marriage and Adoptions in Chongqing City, China

Drugs?
kid #1- oh yes, unfortunately they only took on my right side
kid #2- oh yes, but only for the last hour
kid #3- oh, I wanted some badly on the bus ride over to meet the babies!

C-section?
Nope, but we were close to one w/kid #1. The doc said if I didn't deliver w/in the hour, we'd have to. 45 minutes later...he arrived, he still hates to be late.
Kid #3- One of the great parts of an adoption delivery is you feel fantastic from the very first moment and get to focus on your baby 100%. There's nothing else in this world like it.

Happy Labor Day!

See, we are alive!

Piper, cookin in her pink shades, just like mama.
Ella, posing with her "kissing hand" she made in Kindergarten.
Ella's apprentice, "I can pose with the curtains, too!"

You must

go here and listen to today's broadcast of Focus on the Family with Steven Curtis Chapman. You just must. Beautiful.

Maria's adoption story. So get it.

"SEE". I will never forget this. Sometimes all I can say to God is "See, do you SEE this, Lord?". He does.

Today

They both had a GREAT day! (Thank you, Lord)
My Kindergartner!
Piper was a bit lost today. Kept asking me "where is everybody???". She likes for all her people to be "ALTOGETHER!" as she puts it.
Every fall, I am an Alabama football widow. So this year we all are joining in the fun!
Roll Tide!

Me? I had a good day too. Back to school...it's a good thing. More later.

Kindergarten countdown

(taken today at the park) I would have been happy with any of the Kindergarten teachers at Hunter and Ella's school, but we found out yesterday she's in Mrs. "mom couldn't have picked a better teacher"'s class! I was hoping for her for Ella. This teacher seems very fun and social - two of Ella's favorite things. Something about her I just like, and I am really happy!