'Tis the Season...

 

It's Christmas time and our house is in full Christmas Camo! Our trees are decorated with new and old, with glass and glitter, with snowmen and seashells. We have treasured knick knacks given by friends and made by our little angels. Each with it's own memory of Christmas' past. Our shrubs are lit, outdoor candy canes aglow, and two mini Christmas trees flock our front door. Candies fill the Christmas dish to greet guests and offer a parting gift to visitors. There are a few presents under the tree, along with a train set for little ones to see. And ofcourse our magic Advent box does not disappoint! Our little manger scene was a toy set given to the girls by their grandmother and all kids love playing with it. From entering our front door one might say we are ready for the great celebration!
You know what they say, "be careful not to judge a book by it's cover". For if you traveled past the front porch, down the decorated hall, through the scent of the cinnamon candle and past the beauty of the brightly lit tree you would find our bedroom. (insert Psycho scream here) I once heard a friend jokingly call her bedroom a frat house (not b/c of the fun but due to the mess) and that is EXACTLY what my bedroom looks like! Using your shoulder to push the door open you will be assaulted with the vision of wrapping overload! Overflowing containers of wrapping tissue, loosely rolled ribbon, tape (clear, packing, double sided), miscellaneous shirt boxes (good luck finding the matching pair!) and gift tags galore! Once you step over that chaos you will soon find yourself wondering what on earth all of those Kroger bags are doing in the bedroom. Fear not..there are no refrigerated items in there! That my friends is my brilliant disguise! All gifts are hidden in that quadrant, overlooked by wandering 7 year old eyes and dismissed by 4 year old curiosity as merely Kroger buys! B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T right? Unless you are a 37 year old woman needing a trip to the loo at 2 a.m. Then it becomes a test of agility. So far I've only one bruise. Not so bad. If you dare run the obstacle course (ironing board challenge is a doozy!) you'll find the pathway beside my bed that is at this moment storage for Kendall's new room, that has yet to be built. Her new bedding is lovely, sure to be a pleaser when given the chance to adorn her new bed..yet to be bought.
Now by this point you are wondering why you didn't tie on some of that ribbon to find your way back to the door. You might realize that yes, that is a bed beside you and you fling yourself onto the mound of covers (of course the bed isn't made..would it really make a difference??), you'll shimmy your way to the other side to find the only patch of carpet not covered with tinsel. Quickly look to your right, look for the shiny door handle and run for it! Careful, don't forget the wrapping boxes are there. Did I mention the cat? The sneaky, stealth-like black little hot-mess that likes to take a whack at unsuspecting bare feet while playing ninja under the bed? Hope you enjoyed your Tour de Roy. We are considering selling t-shirts...
We are totally absorbed in holiday happiness and madness! Loving every minute of it, well maybe not every minute. We are still looking for Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus that my great-aunt handmade...can't seem to find that Christmas container. And we're missing a few stockings that should be hung with care by now! The new cat is annihilating the glass ornaments one day at a time and the old kitty is puking daily due to his new diet of fake fir. My youngest has already asked if she has to wear that shirt again (she won't be able to wear this Christmas tree size 4 forever!!) and my oldest is asking more questions than I want to answer..can't we just have one last magical day?
So what do I hang on to you may ask...why do I do it? Read it again...it's really quite beautiful. Beautiful chaos, woven with great stories and memories of something other than ordinary. It's the effort, the knowledge that my chidren will one day, years from now, come home and ask why i didn't put the snowman on the shelf. Some random something that i won't think they paid attention to but they did. I know, I remember doing the same with my parents. It will be details that they remember that they leave here with and carry on with their families. It's the celebration of the best day of the year...the day you can't imagine not spending with the ones you love. All of them! And decorating for them, so that they know you want a party in Jesus' honor as a way to show your love to Him and to them. I'll take the chaos, the bruises, the sometimes snarly attitudes...as long as I get a chance to live vicariously through my children on Christmas morning, as long as I get a chance to connect with friends old and new, as long as I get to delight someone with a great gift, as long as I get to be delighted with others thoughtfulness, as long as my holiday centers around Christ and brings with it all of these things. That is why we all do it I believe. I do Believe.

Kendall, Mallory and Ty

OMG!! (as my Brownie Scouts would say) I can't believe it's been over 5 months since my last post. So much has happened in that 5 months! Where to start...
The biggest news to date is the referral of our little boy. Let me try that again..The referral of our little boy!!!! Because of all the rules and legalities I am unable to post his sweet pictures, but I can attest that he is quite the cutie. His birth name initials are T and Y, and we really love the name so we're keeping it and his nickname (everyone in this family has a nickname!) is Ty. Our little guy Ty. He's a healthy and happy little boy who wasn't afraid to show his smile in one of the two pics we received. We recently booked our first trip to visit him, we go after the new year. We will have a few days to spend with him while he is still in the 'months old' stage of his life. When we return for him on the second trip he will likely have celebrated his 1st b'day. We are a little sad over that and truthfully we pray that somehow we get to be with him on his b'day...but either way we are happy to say we know his sweet face, how old he is and the precious little background that was shared with us. Blessings all around!
The girls are definitely excited about Ty's arrival. They already talk about him and even their friends are referring to him as if he is already here. It's really a treat to hear and watch. Kendall presented a report last week on Timkat. Timkat is the Ethiopian festival of the Feast of Epiphany. She told her class how this festival is the biggest, most celebrated in Ethiopia and lasts for 3 days. In remembrance of the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. ..hmm...I was just about to give a brief review of her report but I have a better idea. I'll video her and post it. She is really quite educated on the topic and would be able to deliver in a much better manner. I'll work on that today. Stay tuned...
Mallory has thrived in her Pre-k program and is sure to blaze a trail straight through Kindergarten. Her laugh has always been contagious but now she pairs it with honest to goodness humor and lights up the room. Today is her Christmas Program and she plays the ever popular role of 'the chicken'. Yep, there was a chicken in that barn, right there by the manger...go look it up...no time to argue this. She has voiced her own concern over being a 'turkey', we assured her that she was a chicken NOT a turkey, no way a turkey! For now she has accepted her chicken status, if only for the glory of being a level about the lowly turkey. Dear Play Director: We encourage you to stick with chickens to represent the fowl feathered friend of Jesus...we've noticed the chickens and turkeys have begun to separate themselves from one another, we have no idea why of course.

Birthday Wishes for Granma!

We're home now and today is an 'in between' day. In between day seems to happen often here during the summer for sure! What is an in between day? This represents the one 'free' day we have in between two busy days (or visits in this case). We spent this weekend traveling home from Rhode Island, unpacking (still more to do) and yesterday we celebrated my grandmother's 86th birthday. Tomorrow Aunt Amy and cousin Aaron will arrive for a week of family time. So today..we'll be hanging out and catching up on household chores (bummer).
Let me pay respect to the coolest 86 year old woman I know..my grandma! She rocks! All of my life she has been the ideal best dressed Southern woman I know. She and my grandfather walked their lives together for over 50 years (my other grandparents did too!) and she was the ultimate housewife. Clean house, dinner on time, attention to detail and family gatherings fit for royalty! One of the more endearing stories is that when they got married she woke up an hour earlier than he did just so she could be dressed, hair fixed and make up on before he saw her. That lasted longer than you'd think! As a 20 year old she was gorgeous with dark hair and a dynamic smile. I have to think that my grandfather was dazzled by her smile and those flirty eyes. He too was a looker, very handsome and she adored him. Together they raised 2 daughters and to them family was everything. He died over nine years ago and she is still very much married to him. His passing left her reeling and it took her many years to figure out how to live in this world without him. But yesterday she celebrated her birthday surrounded by the family she lives for. Dressed in her full length dress, strappy, shiny sandals and jewelry (always jewelry) she brought in her 86th year with style...like she does everyday! When asked what her plans were after our luncheon she said she hadn't decided. I asked if someone was taking her out, would she be getting into any trouble. Her response, with a grin, was "noone can keep up with me". She is like a tall glass of iced tea..sweet southern iced tea. She is refreshing, she is comforting, she is just what we all needed on her birthday. My favorite part of her is listening to her. Her southern drawl makes me smile. It paints pictures of a white wicker swing on a plantation porch. Sun bonnets and peach jam. Tall glass of sweet tea and honeysuckle vine. It rolls off her tongue in a melodic way. Every now and again I get to visit with my Aunt Sara, her sister. Sara visits my grandmother (Dorothy) every couple of months and sometimes I get to see them chatting together. It's such a treat. Those two with their whisky slow cadence. It wraps you up, a warmth that soothes your senses and heightens your curiosity. Dorothy(Darathey)...Dot...Mom...Granma. Here's to wishing you a year full of all things good! And a prayer of thanks for you and all that you have blessed us with.

Block Island

Today we headed over to Block Island. This island is a mere 13 miles away from Galilee..Point Judith, RI and by way of ferry takes approximately 50 minutes. So we packed our backpacks..3 to be exact and caught the 9:30 a.m. to the island. The ferry ride was a surprise for my girls as they had no idea what to expect. Their dad took them to the front of the ferry and they both leaned forward, as if Rose on the Titanic, in response to the whipping wind and the sea spray. They loved it! I enjoyed sitting quietly watching the Atlantic and all it's beauty.
Once we arrived we immediately set out sight seeing. We found a grassy path that meandered up a hill and so we followed it. This path led to a beautiful ocean view and a hidden path to the shoreline. We took in the sight and made our way back to the main loop. We found a little book store and cafe with outdoor seating. The girls hit the book store for new reading materials and post cards and the boy scoped out the menu. Before we knew it we had all plopped down at one of the outdoor tables and began reading/writing postcards and just lounging. Just like that..the island vibe had us lulled into relaxation. We sat there for over an hour! Enjoyed a few dishes from the cafe and loaded up on drinks. Then we decided we better find a beach..so off we went. We wound our way through the shops,stopping frequently.. until we found the state beach. Once there we laid out a few towels and the girls immediately began their competition of building the best castles ever!! Two hours passed before we knew it and we were packing up and hailing a taxi back to the shops. We picked up a few souvenirs, enjoyed ice cream and bought snacks for our ferry ride home. The ferry ride home was just as fun as the morning trek, but we were all feeling a little drowsy from all of that relaxing!
Tomorrow we head home and the girls are excited to get back to their own beds. I'm sure they'll be happy to see their toys too! They ask for their animals..Annie, Happy and Mr. Frank Jenkins nearly every day. I think it's safe to say we have had a blast here in Rhode Island! Nina is top notch vacation guide for the whole state and was always (ALWAYS) thinking of fun stuff for us to do. We ran out of time to do it all, but no one is disappointed. We'll just add it to our list for next time. And next time we'll have baby brother to share it with!

Wickford, Westerly, Watch Hill....and more!

Once we finally slipped on our shoes yesterday we had already lounged away half the day! The rain had created a cozy morning indoors and allowed us the guilty pleasure of tossing all potential plans aside and enjoying a morning full of nothing but time. Ahh.. But alas..the rain stopped and our wandering ways kicked in. After little discussion we all piled into the car and headed to one of my favorite of all favorite places...Wickford RI. Of course it's loaded with boutiques, on the water and pleasing to the eye. But beyond that, The Grateful Heart store is located in Wickford. There was a picture taken of me and hubby nearly 14 years ago outside of The Grateful Heart store that is now on this blog and thus the name of this blog was retrieved. This time around I have 2 extra reasons for my grateful heart and we all stood under the sign for a new pic. One I'm sure to post as soon as I get home! We wandered down the flower filled streets, some of us window shopping while others were puddle jumping. We wound up by the bay feeding three very friendly ducks. My grateful heart was feeling quite content!

Today we roamed the Southern end of Rhode Island. We started off in Westerly. This little town was one of the first we took our girls to during our last visit 2 years ago. We loved the pizzeria and the Westerly Park. Hoping to duplicate the day we stopped first at the park. There we looked for the 'fairy tree'. It is a very old, magical looking tree whose branches sweep the ground. If you step through the branches you are welcomed to a canopy of shade and declarations of love that have been carved into the bark by many who no doubt thought the privacy romantic. My girls agreed, if Tinker Bell lives in Westerly RI this would be her tree. One of the highlights of our last park trip was the beautiful pond, full of water lilies and ducks. Unfortunately the pond had been drained. With many workers on sight we hope to see the pond in all it's new glory next year! After the park we decided not to have pizza but to seek out lobsta! We found ourselves at a local dive called Two Fishes where we plowed into fried clam strips, lobster bisque, warm lobster rolls and fried scallops. Though we were not raving about our experience we all agreed that they were generous with servings and the price was more than fair.
Next stop..Watch Hill. If you have any preconceived idea of what a historic New England town should look like, Watch Hill should live out your dreams. The homes are spectacular. Big, beautiful and breathtaking. The town is quaint and is home of the last flying horse carousel in the world. We enjoyed frozen treats and carousel rides. Took a stroll through the shops and many pictures around the docks. Every time I see a sail boat I want a picture of it..why is that? Luckily we got lost on our way out of Watch Hill and enjoyed an extra 20 minutes of beautiful scenery!
Once we found our way out of Watch Hill we then headed over to Quonochontaug Bay (say that!)for the kids to go clammin'. Earlier in the day Brian had been advised by a local to hit this area for easy access to clams and ease for the girls to maneuver. Low tide was 6 pm, we arrived at 4 pm. But there were many already walking out, so the Roy's joined. Another great adventure...clams, snails, horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs, the marsh...the girls really enjoyed seeing creatures from this coastal classroom!
We packed up and headed home, sandy and hungry. We didn't bring home quite the loot clammin' as we had crabbin'. But that's ok. Now we know what it's all about. Look out clams, we'll be back!

Rhode Island RULES!!

This week we are visiting Nina (aka Brian's mom) in Rhode Island..truly a beautiful state! We flew in Sunday and the girls enjoyed the plane ride so much they wanted to do it again!! Lucky for us their grandmother was waiting for them, a golden carrot that lured them off their 'carnival ride'. Right away we found ourselves on an adventure. Nina had heard rumors of a farm opened for raspberry picking and away we went. I must say that the farms in South County Rhode Island are like none I've ever visited. In Tennessee we have a few wonderful, fun pumpkin patches we visit in October..maybe I should go during the summer and check them out? But really, the farm we went to Sunday (the Farmers Daughters Farm) was artsy and ornate, full of flowering plants, herbs, fruits, veggies..really over the top! Can't wait to post pictures. We left three overflowing pints heavier and $15 lighter. One can only guess how many raspberries left the vine and went straight into the bellies of the pickers..we gladly paid for the berries!
On Monday we headed into Massachusetts, Foxborough to be exact. Patriots Place was the destination..and what a destination indeed! Who needs a football game to go to a stadium when it shares a parking lot with some of the best shopping and eating around? We all had lunch together and then the two obsessed Patriot fans (the apple doesn't fall far) dropped the other 3 off at the movie theater while they toured, slack jawed, the Patriot's Hall of Fame. Those two were elated to experience that together, and I couldn't have been more relieved! The girls and I visited the most luxiourious, plush movie theater I've ever witnessed and settled in for 90 minutes of cartoon comedy in the movie Despicable Me. After the movie and the Hall of Fame, this car load headed over to reunite with an Aunt and 2 cousins.
What a fun night that was! We were greeted at the door with a cute little Grace yelling "Mommy...Kendall and Mallory are here!" Leave it to a kid to break the ice! Tears and laughter, smiles and hugs greeted everyone at the door. And then there was food! and food! It was such a nice evening. Brian reconnected with his cousins and they shared stories..old and new. Nina and Aunt Ethel were able to relive some old memories and though they are not sisters by law anymore, their memories were fond and their friendship runs deep. My girls were elated to meet another cousin, as was I. And did I mention the food? Let me brag on Aunt Ethel's culinary skills. Italian through and through, she woo'ed us with her antipasto and wow'ed us with her homemade meatballs. You know when you look forward to meeting someone new you tend to pray for something in common? Well..God gave us that and much more! I couldn't be happier for Brian and Kerin and David...for "Aunt Mickey" and "Aunt Ethel", for the newest in this story line Kendall, Mallory and Grace. I've said it before and I'll say it again..there is nothing so sweet as family. Nothing. We left happy and stuffed. Most importantly we left feeling blessed.
Tuesday was a day of new adventures. We lounged in the morning, then slipped on our swimsuits and headed for the beach. Toting chairs, blankets, towels, sunscreen, sand buckets and chicken legs...what? Yep, chicken legs..raw. Brian took the girls crabbin' and they had a blast! Dozens were caught with Brian's chicken leg tied to a piece of twine technique and the girls swift use of a net. The rain ended our day and sent us to the docks to buy lobsters (lobsta) and little neck clams. We brought home our loot (9 blue crabs they caught too!) and were treated to a feast fit for royalty! Kendall loves the clams! Mallory liked the lobsta..but she wanted most to play with the crabs. Once she realized she could pick them up (they had already seen the inside of the crab pot) she picked 2 to play with. What the heck..we let her. Where in Tennessee will she ever get a chance like that again right? And once again, another night of going to bed overstuffed and happy!
So today we're approaching lunchtime and everyone is still in their pj's! It's a rainy day and we've vetoed the trip to the aquarium. I'm sure there will be a trip out, just not sure where yet. Do not fear though..hungry we will not be! We have a long list of restaurants just waiting for us to visit...today will not disappointment!!

Lessons from a 7 year old

My oldest seems to always find ways to stop me in my tracks. Most of those times it's to 'redirect' her behavior, if you know what I mean. But there are those moments that I find her to be the teacher and I am just excited to be privy of the lesson. Take yesterday for instance, lessons were plentiful! There was something that sparked her interest in making paper airplanes. Being the girl she is, there was detailed decorating and naming of the fleet. As they took their first whirls through the vast space known as the Land of Livingroom, both she and her little sister cheered with excitement. We went to the library, because if I'm nothing else I am definitely supporting an activity that means I can be a spectator, and we checked out an origami book claiming 'very easy' airplane directions. So much for hands off...our fleet then grew by half a dozen. By the time my husband came home there were 3 M.I.A.'s, 2 teetering on the edge of the ceiling fan, 2 more hiding behind the t.v. and many unrepairable. The kitchen was strolled with scrap papers and the super durable wing mender..aka scotch tape. We went out to eat, returned and sat outside at 9:00pm giving the survivors one last flight of the day. I was reminded how very easy fun can be. No computers, no t.v., no packet with 1000 pieces. Love that imagination!
Before the airplane obsession we met a few of my friends at Chik Fil A for lunch. Of course my girls went straight to the play structure, play first..eat last! They played for an hour, stepped out to let their waitress know their order (that would be me if you are confused) and then came out for a quick 10 to scarf down their chicken and fruit. Another 45 minutes later and Kendall steps out to tell me her friend Amber is leaving. "Oh really? Who is Amber?" I ask. "My new best friend, we've been playing together. She's Great!" Again..I investigate "Do you go to school together?" "No, just met her here." Best Friend?? Then she says, "Amber is coming over to meet you." Polite, must have a good mother, I think. Sure enough, cute little Amber comes over and gives Kendall a necklace, the same necklace she has around her neck. This child who met my child maybe 1 hour ago is giving her a parting gift!! She gives K a hug, K hugs back. Feeling caught up in the moment I whisper to K 'maybe you should give her one of your silly bands?' K looks at me like I've just grown a third eye and I realize that mother's shouldn't always take the glory...or be at fault. Nevertheless, the girls left Chik Fil A being changed by each other. What a great lesson. It doesn't take much. Everyone can give of themselves, one way or another. Your time, your ideas, your help, your laughter, your friendship, your necklace! Just to clear Kendall's name..she only had 2 silly bands on and each were given to her by her two bestest buds. She did say if she had others she would have shared. I'm going to just have to believe that...
So this morning we were getting ready for our day. The girls had eaten ice cream before bed last night and they had to wash their sticky hair this morning. K jumps in the shower and washes her hair. When it was time to condition I asked her how she was doing and she said "Just fine mom. I'm getting more mature you know?" Assuming she's watched an episode ICarly I just agree. Then she gets out and is drying her hair. I say "good job". She says "Yeh, I'm definitely getting more mature." Now I'm paying attention. I second that "I do believe you are." Ten minutes later as she's walking through the kitchen brushing her hair I hear her say to little sister "I'm getting mature." I'll bite. "What does mature mean?" I ask. She says "It just means I am getting older, growing up. Soon I'll be an adult."
I smile. She's right. But first I pray for more days of paper airplanes and 15 minute best friends..please. Mature, she's working on it. Phenomenal...she's got it.

Predictions..

"But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, be patient! For it will surely take place. It will not be late by a single day." Habakkuk 2:3

While we were visiting the beach last week, we were walking into a store when out of the blue my oldest stopped me to ask what number we were. "What?" I asked, confused. She repeated "What number are we now...you know with Baby Brother". Oh..that number! Though we were miles away from home, he was continually on our minds. Many comparisons were made, predictions of the future. "Look how well these girls are doing in the water, that will make it easier when we get baby brother", "if we had baby brother here we would definitely not all fit into this van", "wonder if baby brother will play in the sand or will he be a water baby?" It was fun to guess and to have our friends around to share their own predictions. Some things would be more fun, others a bit more challenging..but all were met with great anticipation of the blessings we know he will bring to our lives. Though I haven't checked in a few weeks I do believe we are sitting at around 35..which made my oldest quite happy. Me too! The one thing I have been reminded of throughout this process is that it is in God's hands. His timing is always right. I love the last line of the above scripture..'It will not be late by a single day'. What a beautiful promise that is! We all are so excited to share our lives with him. Can't wait to take him to the ocean, to share my love of the beach with him. To holds his hands while his toes play in the sand. To hear him squeal with delight as we lift him over the waves. What a great day that will be! And for the record...I think he will be a water baby who loves to throw sand at his sisters!

More from TopSail

Our trip ended this past Saturday when we headed toward home. We made sure to spend a little extra time with our toes in the sand and the girls enjoyed riding a few more waves before we hit the road. What a great trip we had! The day before leaving the Gardner's had one more special place to take us to. The Sea Turtle Rescue Hospital, just a mile down the road, was such a great experience. This little building housed (at the time) over 2 dozen rescued sea turtles..weighing between 40- 600 pounds! The girls all had favorites...Lenny the 400 lb. blind sea turtle, Boater the equally larger turtle who played with a red ball..in all we learned the near fatal stories of 5 of these very spectacular creatures and the dedication this small operation has to helping them all. There are only 2 Sea Turtle Rescue Hospitals in the US and we were fortunate enough to have the chance to get to meet these great folks..and turtles!
We enjoyed yet more yummy fare from my new favorite restaurant, Just Baked..also located less than a mile from the house. I think me and the girls could honestly live on Just Baked and Luna Pops if given the chance! One night Ang and I were able to steal away for an adult only meal (and a little retail therapy). Shopping first in Wilmington, then we crossed the International Waterway and entered Wrightsville Beach where we dined at a quaint little restaurant, South Beach Grill, and truly enjoyed the experience altogether. We couldn't have been happier...new clothes, wine and a fab meal...what a great time!
The last night the girls all painted their very own sand dollar (we purchased these). This craft was made even more special when Kayla cracked open an extra sand dollar and showed each girl the 'doves' inside, letting them each have one of their own. Special indeed.
As if it needs to be said, we will be returning to Top Sail Island. Maybe even this Fall, depending upon the circumstances that are hovering around the beautiful waters of Destin, Fl. Whether it be this fall or next spring, we are sure to retrace our steps as best as we can. We know the treasure that awaits us on this narrow strip of land!

 

 

 

 

Roller Skating Champions!!

 

 

Tip of Top Sail Island

Five Wandering Girls..tip of the island.

 

3 Roy Girls at Serenity Point

 

Taking a much needed break after our long journey.

 

Always up for a little fun..these girls had a great time!

 

Yesterday morning we woke up, grabbed a little b'fast, threw on our suits and headed to the end of the island. The Gardner Girls had another fun adventure lined up for us. We were to start on the ocean side of the island, walk to the very tip end known as Serenity Point and then continue our journey down the Sound side. By the top of the morning we were on the tip of the island..fun! The girls had their own mesh seashell bags and they loaded them with more than seashells..they found many cool crab shells, seaweed, sponges and even a skate egg sack..who knew? Oh..and a washed up (already very devoured by crabs) shark, about 3 foot long. Really, I can't say enough how very cool it is to experience the ocean with such knowledgeable guides! What a treat! At the end of our trip the girls were so tired from walking all they could think to do was to lie in the water..and that they did with much enthusiasm! We treated ourselves to an ice cream cone before lunch..indulgent is definitely the motto of this trip.
After dinner we decided to go to the local skating rink. This rink was opened in the 60's, above the post office in the town of TopSail. It has no air conditioning, but many window fans, hardwood floors and the cashier still uses the vintage cash register that no doubt was there from the beginning. Nostalgia at it's finest! The music was played on a record player using 45's. And although we were the only ones there, the rink master was quick to tell us we were skating in the wrong direction. My girls had never been to a skating rink, definitely not one out of the 60's, and they loved it! K was counting laps, I think she made over 15. M lasted about 4, took one big spill and still wanted to do more but her mom thought she had better end now while she still wanted to do more. Before we left they dimmed the lights (basically turned off the overhead) and the next thing we knew there was a magical silver disco ball spinning with green and red lights glimmering off of it. The girls squealed with delight..me and Ang took our victory laps, singing to Michael Jackson's Beat It. Afterward we went to the desk to make a request..for old time's sake. We were hoping for a little Hokey Pokey before we had to leave. Unfortunately the Hokey Pokey had been such a popular roller skating tradition that they had worn it out long ago. We would have to leave without the Hokey Pokey. As we walked down the stairs to the parking lot we were tired, worn out and oh, so happy. Music or not..we put our 'whole self in and (we) shake it all about!'.

The Sound Adventure

More pics of our trip to the sandbar in the sound at TopSail Beach.

Kendall and one of her many sea creature finds..she is on top of the world!!

 

This is Mally's Spindly Starfish...what a neat experience!!

 

 

Summer = Sand

The girls netted thier first sand crabs.

 

Mally showing off her sand dollars and large shell.

 

First day and these babes were ready for the beach!

 

K showing off her new goggles..and her missing front tooth.

 

We kicked off our summer early this year..yippee! School was officially out this past Friday but with approval from the teacher (and principal..geesh the hoops) we headed out Wednesday right after K's first grade awards ceremony. We were invited to join our friends on a road trip to Topsail Beach NC. It was perfect timing because my dear sweet husband had planned to build another bedroom in our house for baby brother. So he was able to get everything together to start the day we 3 girls headed out. Yep..that's right..he stayed home and we hit the road! Our trip was spread out over 2 days, and the girls were good as gold. We arrived around 3 on Thursday, in our suits and on the beach by 4. Finally came in for dinner sometime around 6. The Gardner Girls have been the most generous hosts and each day has been a new adventure..in the most laid back way! We are loving it!! We've had lots of beach time (a few sunburns to prove it), built sandcastles and dug out pools for mini aquariums to house the sand crabs and tiny fish the girls have netted. We've enjoyed our first Luna Pop..local popsicle store with the most unique and tasty frozen treats (we had pineapple, chocolate chocolate chip, blueberry, pomegranate blueberry). We are hoping to sneak in another trip (or 2) to Luna Pop before we leave. We've had a little retail therapy, always good for 7 girls roaming around. Last night there was a movie in the park and we hauled out our blankets and beach chairs...before the show the girls competed in a hula hoop contest and although they didn't win, one of our own (Savana) came in 2nd and everyone was reward with laffy taffy. Our most memorable moment thus far was yesterday's trip to the Sound. Just a few miles up the road we parked at a dead end street looking out over the Sound. It was low tide and there in the middle was a sandbar that spanned longer than we were able to walk. We waded over to the sand bar and once there the discoveries were plentiful. My girls caught hermit crabs (dozens each), they found sand dollars (over 20), mollusks, a large blue crab was caught (many more spotted and one even took a shot at Kayla's toe), a sea urchin (Yes!! a SEA URCHIN!!) and our favorite discovery was the Spindly Starfish. The girls found many small spindly starfish, but a lady that Mally befriended handed her one larger than her hand and let me tell you Mal was the hit of the show with that thing!! Our time here has been such a wonderful gift, so easy and so rewarding in all aspects. We're sure to leave here with memories to last a lifetime and no doubt a yearning to return for more!!

Nashville Flooding May 2010

Response to Russian Issue..

By now most have heard of the mother from Tennessee who sent her adopted son back to his homeland in Russia. And we are now aware that the Russian Government has suspended all international adoptions indefinitely. This is devastating for all involved. There are so many opinions floating around..I'm not without a few myself. Before we get to mine, I feel the need to vent about those that make my skin crawl. This is my blog and so I get to do this. If you disagree with me and wish to comment such just know I will delete your comment. It is my blog. Get your own. If you have found yourself saying such things as "why don't they just adopt from the U.S. anyhow?" (don't forget the nasty snarl) or "of course he was violent, he's been in an orphange most of his life" or "well that lady was obviously just shopping around" then you have made my skin crawl..congratulations. There are countless others that have made me cringe and sent me praying for grace. In those moments I am aware that there is a bigger picture that we have yet to see, and perhaps we will never know. MY opinion in the matter (know you've been waiting)is layered. Since I am in the process of adopting it is fresh for me. You DON'T get a child without jumping A LOT of hoops. The adoptive families home study is so in depth and so personal that I can't imagine how anyone could not be absolutely positive about the decision to adopt a child. HOWEVER this does happen..though not very often. And when it does it is devastating. You don't get to just hand them back and usually with counseling the family unit is preserved and the dream is revived. With lack of real knowledge let's just stick with what we have read. The family (mother) had reason to believe the adopted son was violent and was putting her other children in jeopardy. On that statement alone we can understand the need to do whatever she could to protect the others. To Protect Her CHILDREN. He was adopted by her family and legally her child. IF he was extremely violent, then there are much more appropriate steps to getting help than sending him home with a note of rejection. Maybe she had already tapped into those resources and felt she was not being listened to. If that is the case then I feel very sorry for her and her family. We all know our Department of Child and Family services are a joke. But where was her agency? Her homestudy counselor? What if the boy flew under the radar and ended up in Tennessee with severe anger issues, and noone knew? I doubt that would be the case, someone knew...but did they decide that a loving home would fix it?? Thus putting the adoptive family in jeopardy? Scary stuff. But take just the facts as they are..he was their son legally. And legally we are obligated to seek out help for our children when they need it. Leave no stone unturned. The steps they took to get themselves in the public eye have proven to be the wrong ones. No surprise there. Since I am not in their shoes I will not pretend to know what went on in their house. There is definitely a side of me that says 'yes, if anyone stepped into my home and physically assaulted my daughters I would stop at nothing to protect them' and then maybe I'd be on the front page too. But for me..my son has not been introduced to me yet and I have already accepted this child as my own..equal to my daughters. And yes, there is fear that we may have bonding issues, that he may come with some 'wiring' issues that won't show themselves until he is in my care, or with age he becomes aggressive because of the race difference. I know of these things because of the rigorous interrogation we underwent to get to where we are with our adoption. And for the record..you go through the same stuff if you adopt in the U.S. and yes..the same issues have been known to show up in white or black 'American' born children. Please..turn on the 5 o'clock news and you can see what our violent/angry/non-bonding American kids are doing. Don't be stupid. Be kind..show mercy and pray for this family and those that have been negatively affected by these poor choices. Poor choices are just that and the beauty is we can rectify them. We just need to be open to doing so.

Bring on the Sun..please?!

First day back to school went something like this...
My personalized alarm clock woke me 15 minutes before my digital one..mad dash to the loo and back to my last few minutes of coziness before my digital one interrupted me. Hit snooze a ridiculous amount of times. Hubby agrees to wake the first grader, get her morning started while I stole 25 minutes more of warm, coziness. 15 minutes before she needed to be out the door I drag myself from the bed, make empty threats in hopes of getting her to brush her hair and resort to meeting her at her own maturity level. 7 a.m., hubby and first grader out the door. I climb back in bed. Oh..the four year old is now awake. I forgot. She needs milk, cereal in a bowl (she's very particular) and Tom and Jerry on the tube. I do my duties, then climb into bed. We do not even attempt to move around until after nine a.m. She's a girl after my own heart, I love her so. For the record, I am convinced that had the sun been out and not the threat of 'wintery-mix' (what the ??? wasn't it 70 two days ago?) that my morning would have ..perhaps.. gone smoother. I may have even gotten out of bed in hopes of doing a little exercise. Maybe not. We'll never know now will we? I NEED the sun! Really. I'm so over it! Bring on the rays..I'll even let 'em burn me a little. It is March 22, we are officially into Spring. By over 24 hours! What's the hold up here??
On to more exciting news. Our adoption agency received referrals for 6 sweet babies today. 5 boys ranging in age from 7 1/2 weeks to 22 months old. One baby girl. The parents of the boys waited an average of 10 1/2 months for their referrals. If you're keeping count, like we are, you will be excited (as we are) because we now have moved down to #51! Almost out of the 50's! Will keep you posted..

Spring Break Bliss

Spring Break at our house is a gift to not only the kids, but mom too! Truly I believe that it must have been a woman, a stay at home mom kind of woman, who said one day "I can't wake up one more morning, pack one more lunch, assist with one more assignment until I have a full week of rest, or two" and thus the Spring Break Fairy was born. Because of the county we live in we are granted not one but two weeks off. Bliss.
How have we spent our days? The last official day of school my oldest and I attended a Girl Scout overnighter..much fun indeed. So totally exhausted when we came home I crawled into bed at 5:30 and didn't get up until the next morning. The next few days were spent just hanging out, sleeping in late, trying to get the house in order. On Tuesday we decided to take a road trip! Yay! Thursday we headed to Illinois, stayed 2 nights in Lisle, IL, right outside of Chicago. We took the train into Chicago, had a dinner party with our American Girl dolls (hubby was sooo stoked about that!), and visited the Adler's Planetarium. Then we drove down to Indianapolis, stayed two nights and enjoyed our time there with a trip to the Indianapolis Children's Museum and an indoor water park. While there my hubby had searched out an Ethiopian restaurant, and aside from getting lost in the area we are quite sure was not visitor friendly on the not so great side of downtown, the experience was Fantastic and the food wonderful.
We've been home for 3 days now. My youngest seems to have picked up Fifths Disease from someplace..my best educated medical guess (all moms come with a license to diagnose). No worries there, it has not slowed her down. My oldest is enjoying her last few days of lounging. We all stayed in bed until 9:30 a.m.! It's 5:45p.m. and we're eating popsicles! I don't have a clue what I'm making for dinner..what's the rush? The sun is still shining and the day just seems to linger on. I. Love. it. Hoping the hubby gets home with enough time to enjoy some of this laziness..maybe he will declare a Spring Break for all others, encouraging all workers to take a spring break. He could be the modern day Spring Break Fairy!! Guessin' he won't find the joy in that title the way I do.

Ethiopian Gov't passes new travel requirements..

We received word today that the Ethiopian Government has changed the way it's doing adoptions and as of today if you are adopting from Ethiopia you will be required to travel on 2 separate occasions. Yikes! The first trip is expected to only take 3 days, just enough for you to see the child and accept him/her in person. Apparently there has been some instances where adoptive parents arrive to pick up their child and decide against the union..for whatever reason. I know, I know..what the *&#@! are they thinking? But since we don't really know the whole story we'll just have to pray the kids have found their forever families as was meant to be. Let me back up...up until today you filed paperwork for adoption in Ethiopia, got on the 'list' (that's where I am..incase you haven't read the latest), and the next step is your referral. The agency contacts you with a referral, you have a few days to review it and either you accept or decline. The instances of declined referrals are minimal because of all of the up front paper work you fill out with all of your requests, including all of the medical issues you are willing to tackle with your child..it really is quite a mental drain but there is a reason for it and your referral should reflect what your dossier paperwork has approved you for. Once you accept the referral, then your agency has someone in country to represent you at the court hearings, which will be scheduled somewhere around 2-3 months after accepting the referral. Have I lost you yet?..hang on I'm almost done! Then after they have had the court date and you have been officially, legally declared guardian , THEN you make your flight arrangements and head over to Addis Abba Ethiopia to pick up your little gem! Now, we looked at MANY different avenues, explored both domestic and international adoption..private and open..same race and interracial..boy or girl..etc,etc. You can't imagine the possibilities until you have it right in front of you. We knew we were meant to adopt, very much convinced it was part of our family plan from the beginning, but we didn't know how or where or who or when or any of that stuff..so it took us a while. In the process we learned that travel was an issue we needed to address with regard to having 2 young children staying behind. Ethiopia was great because the travel was minimal..7 days max. In and out. Our girls would think they were enjoying a vacation, not separation. Perfect! We looked at other countries that required 2 or 3 separate trips to the country before you were able to bring your child home. Also a few others required you to stay in country for weeks, some months before allowing you a court date to take your child home. Now I should say that all of these countries have their way of doing things and many people adopt from there every year so it's not a bad arrangement for some..but it wasn't what we were comfortable with. Again, Ethiopia looked great! But as I mentioned today has revealed a new chapter in our adoption story. We will be waiting to hear more from our agency, to get the details and to find out if this is permanent for the country (one who needs adoptive families worse than anyplace I can imagine) and praying that it does not deter others from choosing this path. So where do WE stand now? Funny thing..when I rec'd the email I was a bit shocked and thought 'oh no, wonder what my husband will think about that" and immediately I said to myself..if one of my daughters was across the world I would travel there every week for as long as they'd let me in order to see her and bring her home. Of course we'll go there, he's there and that's what we are meant to do, we must go to him as often as we can until we can bring him home. We'll just need a new plan, one that includes a little more money, a positive attitude and as always prayers. Oh and for my husband..he came home and said to me "kinda stinks but I'm excited to have another opportunity to visit..maybe we can turn it into some sort of mission trip too, see what we can help out with while we're there." That man..he's got my heart in his hands.

Officially on the List!!

Last Thursday, March 4th, we received the email from Children's Hope International stating that our dossier made through the U.S. Secretary of State and the Ethiopian Embassy and now has returned to St. Louis (C.H.I.) and we are officially on the list. Yay! This was very exciting news. We really didn't expect the call until the next week, possibly another full week. What a blessing! So what does it mean to be 'officially on the list"? It means that instead of running around gathering documents, you get to wait..officially. Hmm. Not a very patient person by nature, but this is a process I'm trying to embrace. My friend Angie has already pronounced me prego and has encouraged me to 1. no heavy lifting 2. eat like a maniac and 3. indulge, indulge, indulge! Definitely sounds appealing! But I'm hoping with this 'pregnancy' I don't lose my mind and my waist as I did with the last 2!
Back to 'the list'. My first response after reading the email was to pick up the phone and call the agency for more details. She informed me that we were #60. What??!! (elated!) I thought we would be around #100, that is what we have heard is pretty typical. But #60!! We're 40 spots ahead of the game!! Another blessing..absolutely! And then on Friday three more families rec'd referrals that week, so now we're #57! On each Friday our agency sends out this wonderful email updating everyone on new referrals and all sorts of great information relating to the process. We love these emails! Now, because I know my #, I can use that information and move myself on down the list. Fridays just got a little better. There is a trick though, and it's complicated..the easiest way to explain it is that if 10 referrals are handed out, it doesn't mean those who hold spots #1-#10 get the referrals. The children get matched up to the families based on their needs and that which the family has been approved to provide for. So for now we'll use the Friday emails to keep check of our progress and when we get down to what we believe to be #30 we'll call our agency, get our accurate # on the list and from then on we'll probably call every 10 referrals or so. Our agency said they would give us our number any time we wanted..just needed to email or call. That was NOT a door they need to open for me...I'm going to show considerable restraint to NOT call weekly!
Right now the average wait for a baby boy (we are requesting 18 mos or younger, we hope for under 12 months old)is approx 11 months. After the referral is given, then we wait 3 months for travel. But WE are #60..oops #57!! Praying for less than a year for the entire process. Here's something to consider..in Feb 2010 they had a large number of families matched..16 familes (19 children total) were matched. Do the math..if we can average 15 families a month (a pure guess based on one month I know, but go with me here) then we could potentially get a referral sometime this summer. I KNOW, I know. Keep my head right? Stick with the average, 11 mos referral. But I can't help it. I'm pregnant remember..I'm indulging!

Off and Running

Our paperwork did arrive as the FedEx guy promised before 10:30 yesterday. Nicky (our adoption coordinator) emailed me to let me know. After she combed through it she found one issue that was easily remedied with a notarized letter from Brian and I clearing up the confusion. So it's off and running..literally! They sent it by courier to D.C. to the Secretary of State for certification yesterday. After that it goes to the Ethiopian Embassy and once they review and certify then back to our agency and we'll be notified that we're officially on the list! YAY!! Very exciting times here!

$35 gets it going...

 

We finally finished all of our paperwork! YAY!! So yesterday I spoke with my agency, we went through all of my paperwork and she declared me officially ready to send! YIPPEE! So she says..."If you send it to me and it gets here by tomorrow before 3:00 then I'll be able to review it and send it on to the courier service who will take it to Washington and then to the Ethiopian Embassy, after which it will return to me and you'll be officially on the waiting list." I said..no problem! Headed to FedEx where I spent $10 coping everything and felt terrible each time I messed up thinking about all of those trees I was wasting. My guilt is due to my oldest's declaration to not use so much paper during Lent, which seems innocent enough except I think she may have a ulterior motive that has something to do with homework. Anyhow... Then my friendly customer service FedEx guy helped me package it. At first he suggested an envelope, my furrowed brow must have clued him in that I needed something more sturdy...and since his armored car was not an option he proceeded to bubble wrap it and box it up with additional wrapping tucked in for good measure. For $35.00 he has promised me it will arrive in St. Louis by 10:30 a.m. today (Thursday), giving my girl plenty of time to look it over and get it on to the courier. So now...I just wait. All this time I've been saying how doing the paperwork chase has been the most difficult, the wait should be no problem since I have 2 little ones to keep me busy. But the truth of the matter is I'm already wondering if she'll email me as soon as she gets it!!?? Or should I call her to confirm..at 10:30? Oh the waiting!!!

New Year's Resolution

So midnight came and went and so did my 'Declaration for the New Year'. My hubby and I had discussed that we were definitely ready for a kitchen clean out and diet reorganization. New Year's Day was on Friday. Not a good day to jump start such a venture, atleast that's what we thought. So Sunday was the day to clean out and Monday was the launching day. We enjoyed our last days of snacking and gluttonous behavior and then Sunday arrived. Lots of stuff found the trash can and I could actually see the shelves of my fridge! Monday (4th) started great for both of us...Tuesday equally good... Wednesday not so good (church group meeting, b'day celebration)..Thursday started over...Friday morning good, lunch good, dinner blow out! Then it's Saturday. Our diet makeover was intended to work Mon-Fri, but Sat and Sunday we figured we'd lighten up a little, enjoy our weekends with the kids meaning eat freely. The thought was that we would get ourselves under control Mon-Fri and by Saturday making good choices would be easier for us. Saturday- bacon, eggs for b'fast, lunch at Abay (lots of injera and beef tibs), dinner at Wasabi (excessive amt. of yummy rice, shrimp, veggies). Sprinkled in between were cookies, candy and even topped of with volcano cake (in my defense it was a low calorie cake!). Sunday I went to 2 baby showers honoring 3 different ladies...ate cake at both, enjoyed sugary punch and dipped anything I could find in the rich Ranch! Oh...and I finished off the Wasabi meal from the night before. Dinner was broccoli and Crab legs...and LOTS of water!
So here it is Monday and I KNOW I have to get my head on straight. So I started out thinking "Gym Today". Ended up going upstairs and pounding the treadmill. 2 miles on that machine is torture! I can't stand it! But I did it...2.25 to be exact. Ran half walked half. Felt so motivated that I then came downstairs (after a 20 minute panting cool down, standing still) and registered myself for the Moosic Dash (Purity Dairy, downtown). The choices were 5k or 10k. Must have jostled my brain in my 2.25 mile punishment because before I knew it I had hit 10k, paid the fee and committed. What?!? OMG!! My friends Jen and Jo are doing it...must have been peer pressure? Wish me luck! Better yet..go sign up and join me! www.puritydairies.com/dairydash

First Snowfall of 2010

Though we were hoping for 3 inches of snow, we received barely a "dusting" of snow. But these girls weren't at all disappointed! From making snow angels to making a snowman, catching snow on the tips of their tongues and just plain scooping up a handful to have a frozen treat (yikes!), frozen toes, fingers and frozen noses! They both came in shivering with chill in their bones and excitement in their eyes. It may be just a dustin' of snow, but to these snow angels it was a Winter Wonderland!