Summer 2011...

Before the year ends...thought I'd squeeze in a sweet little summer clip I recently found. Love my little family! More to come soon..and so glad for that promise!

Opry Fun!

Minute to Win It Christmas!!

We had a few family friends over and led some friendly competition, Minute to Win It style! I had found a great link to someone's blog that had done this same type of party...so since they were sharing... kind of. I have to tell you, it was the MOST fun! Feel free to hijack the idea and spread a little laughter this weekend with your crew!
Minute to Win It Games (for those who don't know..all Minute to Win It Games are to be competed in one minute..thus the name..aha!):
Balancing Act Objective: Partners try to hang as many ornaments as they can from a yard stick that is balancing on an empty paper towel roll.
Hanging Ornaments Objective: Partners attempt to hang ornaments on a suspended string NOT using their hands at all.
Rudolph Nose Objective: One partner applies Vaseline to their nose while the other comes armed with pompoms and a good aim! Separated by 6 feet or so, the goal is to land a nose on your partner and for the nose to stay there for the remainder of your minute. Our winner won by landing the nose in 14 seconds and keeping it on the rest of the time..way to go Suzanne and Grace! (Another way to play..attach a pompom to a string, have the player put the string in their mouth and attempt to flip the string and land the pompom onto their nose)
Snowball Fun Objective: one person per team plays..toss marshmallows through a wreath, into a bucket (or large bowl)on the other side of the wreath from a distance of 4 feet. We propped a wreath against a baking bowl, set it on a chair and had the players sitting on their knees.
Cookie Face Objective: Place a cookie on the forehead, without using your hands (or any aids) inch the cookie down to your mouth and take a bite..Jenn rocked this one!
Christmas Tree Cup Stack Objective: Using 28 Solo-style cups, player uses one hand to stack cups in a pyramid with a seven cup base. Other hand must be kept behind their back.

We also played:
How well do you know Christmas Carols?
The MC calls out a line from a Christmas Carol with a missing word... the kids really liked this too!
Example: Song: Santa Baby Line: Santa honey, I wanna -----, And really that's not a lot. Answer: Yacht

Here's a fun video of some very competitive friends! Too cute!

Holiday Cheer

After MONTHS of using a stand-in computer, I think I may have all of the links to start posting again..yay! So much has been happening at our house, I am going to try to get more pictures up soon. Until then..a little holiday sweetness. This was Ty's first encounter with Santa, and he was not at all scared. Brian shot this clip right after they took pics of the kids on Santa's lap and at this point Santa started asking about their wish list. In the background you'll hear a fan of Ty's, Olivia. I'm sure Ty will get that sippy cup she is so concerned about! It was a great day spent at the Opryland Hotel with our sweet family and friends.

Post Adoption Report #2 is due!

This week we meet with our adoption counselor for our Second Post Adoption Report. These reports are required to be completed every 3 months for the first year, then once a year until he is 18 years old. The report is sent to our placing agency, then forward to the Ethiopian agencies. We understand the importance of the follow ups and are glad to comply. Any chance we can have to brag about our happy little guy!

Here are a few pics we will be sending with our report, just wish I could include the stories that go along with them:

Ty enjoying a little rest on our tour of the Chattanooga Aquarium. Obviously, he never really 'rested'!

Wish I could send a video of him swimming, he loves the water so! I'd also like to send a thank you note to the nannies...their speedy baths didn't include shielding the eyes or carefully pouring water over their heads...and Ty has NO problem with the water on his face or in his eyes. Such a gift...wonder if they know that?

We've moved from cars to trains. He saw this shirt at Target and began crying as we pulled away from it. Between tears and little gasps of "ChooChoo" I was quick to back track and buy that boy his shirt!

Now we have to hide the shirt or he'll wear it every day!

The Roy clan enjoying an afternoon together. When Brian comes home all of the kids faces light up, and Ty now says "Dada or Dad" and runs with open arms to him. I don't know who I'm happier for!

My dad helped me to realize my heart's dreams, my husband is protector of my heart and my son (and daughters) fill my heart daily. He is momma's boy right now, and that's ok with me.

This is his 'no...I didn't just put my truck in your pitcher of water' look. Yes..that is a slight grin...and yes he's about to run!

Kindergarten Round 2!

Her first day of Kindergarten couldn't come soon enough for my sweet Mallory.
She was smiling before she even opened her eyes that morning!

She was bubbling with excitement!

The classroom has a beautiful Puppet Theater...

that alone was enough to walk through the door for!

Her first full day isn't for another week, but this 'phase in' day was a success! She loved her teacher and made a new friend. She saw 2 of her neighborhood friends on the playground (yay!) and one of the older kids in our neighborhood saw her in the cafeteria and gave her a hug. That, she said, was her favorite part. Thanks Sydney! You made her first day very, very special!

On Friday we invited a few of our neighborhood friends, and Kindergarten students, over for a Painting Party! The kids painted a rocket..they are now the newest Rockets at their school. They had a blast! Thanks to Jo and Les from A Painting Party for the fun! (http://apaintingpartywithlesjo.shutterfly.com/)

So now she's off on her next adventure. It's no surprise of course, we knew we'd get here..but as usual, it's the mama's and daddy's left wishing for one more day. Love this sweet girl!

Ty-Land

I have wanted to post pics of Ty's room for a while now, 'cause I love it so! My sweet friend Angela took my giraffe ideas and put them on the wall with her talented hand! I had imagined one large giraffe, she thought maybe a pair, Kendall wanted the baby handing the mama a flower, the flower needed to come from someplace so the tree was born! It was a collabrative effort and the result is just as sweet as can be! Around his room are items other friends have gifted him and we treasure them so!

He loves his room, and when he wakes in the morning he looks around for his Choo Choo book (thanks Beth Lockamy!) and points at his giraffe buddies on the walls.

To the right of the mirror is an Orthodox Coptic Cross, used in Ethiopian traditional and religious festivals given to us by the Bingham family as a celebration of our adoption process. Love it! Also on the dresser is a hand sewn giraffe that our friends the Fischers bought in Ethiopia as a gift for his room. And the lamp was purchased in Ethiopia, Brian loved the shade Ethiopian Alphabet. The ceramic shoes were given to Brian's mom when Brian was born. And above the mirror, on the picture frame is the phrase..The moment we saw you, we fell in love. A gift from Cathey Sweeney...one of the first items I hung in his room. I love all of these items!


So many talented friends! Jo Miller created these canvases for our little guy's new room. Perfect for our giraffe theme!

The tree that came to be! See the little branch and leaves in the baby's mouth?? Kendall's contribution, and such a sweet idea. We have had this crib for all three of our babies. There are 3 different sets of teeth marks! The lanterns belonged to the sweet little Schiro boys next door, and they thought they'd look good in Ty's room..and they were right!

Kicking Off Camp

Day One of Kendall's Summer Camp Adventure!

Carolina Camper

They're off! Kendall and Brian are on their way to North Carolina where Kendall will have her first camp experience at a 4 day camp on the water. Last night she said to me "Mom, I'm a little nervous." I wanted to say "I'm terrified!" But I didn't. And like her, I know I have nothing to worry about...but worried I will be until she comes home with the same smile illuminating her face. That's just what I'm wired to do. My mother used to hide in the bathroom until my brother and I left the house, she was busy crying. I'm not that bad, though I did call for Kendall to come back to me for one last kiss...after she was half way across the sidewalk. Brian rolled his eyes. It crossed my mind to ask if she was still nervous..did she want to just stay and try this all next year?? But I calmed my inner-Donna (my mom) and blew kisses like a maniac as she walked away. She was smiling. Either happy for her adventure to begin or perhaps her "Oh my gosh, I can't believe she's doing this to me in public" apologetic/embarrassed smile? I love that girl. She is the oldest and again has taken me to a new place I had dreamed about years ago and got to share with her today. She is so independent, she is our family 'pace' car. The youngest are always getting blamed for needing so much attention. But truthfully, it's the oldest who has the show. We are gripping on tight trying to figure out this whole parenting thing, all the while she's living her life and showing us the next progression. Our family learns from her experiences and from our reactions to those experiences. She is what makes us better parents for our other two. Doesn't mean we'll get it right the next time around...but at least Mallory can rest assured it's not our first rodeo and that can either be to her advantage, or not. Who knows what the rules will look like by the time Ty turns 8. I'm guessing Kendall will be the disgruntled older sister declaring "I NEVER got to do that!".

After dropping her off at the airport I came home and laid down (it wasn't even 7:30a!). As I laid there I could remember that sweet little girl at 6 mos old laying in the crook of my arm enjoying a quiet morning in bed with me. She was so intrigued by my voice and would laugh easily and freely. Was that really 8 years ago? Be still my beating heart...I just want to stay here a little longer and remember that smile, that laugh, that sweetness. Have fun sweet girl, I'm cheering you on.

Busy Man...

What a busy man my sweet husband is! I wonder if he had any idea 15 years ago that his 'dating days' were just beginning? In the last 3 weeks he has taken Kendall to the Princess Ball, he has taken me on 2 separate dates one of which was the celebration of our 15 yr anniversary, and just last weekend he took Mallory on their first "official" date. She was over the top with excitement. Weeks earlier Mallory had pulled on her 'princess' dress and joined her sister and friends before they left for the Princess Ball. That event was sponsored by the Girl Scouts, and Mallory isn't a scout yet so she wasn't able to attend. She wanted to go so badly! A week after the Princess Ball we were eating at our local ChikFilA and the manager was posting flyers for the Daddy and Daughter Date Night. Bingo!! I had heard about this special event from a few friends who took advantage of this last year and knew it would be great fun! Mallory was so excited the day of her 'date', she was beaming from ear to ear! She insisted on new toe nail polish and mascara...yes I know, Diva! She and her dad met her friend Faith and her date at ChikFilA for their 6:30 reservation. The tables were covered with white table cloths, the 'servers' came to the table to take their order. The girls received a token ChikFilA stuffed cow and a carnation. Plus they were treated to a horse drawn carriage ride. (That was Mal's favorite part.) I think Brian loves doing this as much as the girls. I'm not sure if it's because he loves seeing the smiles on their faces and spending the quality time with them or if he knows he's setting the bar way too high for any little boy to come close to succeeding? I'm guessin' it's both! What a great dad and date that man is...so lucky to have him!

Happy Father's Day

"It doesn't matter who my father was;

it matters who I remember he was." ~by Anne Sexton

Let us celebrate the caring, strong, inspirational men in our lives today! I am always proud to retell stories of years past with my dad, and my girls love to hear them. Kendall is now 8 years old and she is beginning to have strong memories of times with her dad. I catch her sharing and giggling over those moments with her friends. My dad was always a source of comfort and protection for me and my family. He was, and still is, the voice of reason and calm. He showed us that 1. the adult is always right 2. you can watch t.v. with your eyes closed..dare you to change the channel! 3. potatoes can and should be served with each meal..fried is the best 4. you must finish what you started 5. Don't let them get to you...it's not worth it 6. the white-faced bumble bees don't sting..not at all true!! 7. Good cornbread is all about the pan 8. Courtesy does get you everywhere 9. Pester your kids as much as they do you, and feel free to do the same to their friends. :) 10. Have all your facts before you speak up 11. Actions speak louder than words 12. Sometimes you gotta take one for the team (for 35 years he goes to the ocean with the family and absolutely HATES sand and sun) 13. What your mom don't know won't hurt her (I must admit that was only fun as a kid eating junk for b'fast, but now I'm scared to death of this lesson!!) 14.Don't be afraid to try. 15.Family comes first, always.

So grateful for my dad (and for my mom for choosing him and keeping him!). I can't wait to hear the lessons my kids learn from their dad. My husband is a fantastic father! Love the lessons I continue to learn from both of these wonderful men in my life. Happy Father's Day to them both!

Disturb Us, O Lord...

When you use Children's Hope International for adoption you are given the gift of a weekly update. These emails include new stats, important changes, informational pieces and motivational quotes or prayers. On March 5, 2010 we were included in the stats for the Families on the Waiting List. At the end of the email was this prayer/poem written by Sir Frances Drake, a 16th Century explorer (aka legal pirate) thought to have written this while out at sea. On January 21, 2011 we left for our first of two trips to Ethiopia. On that Friday the much appreciated email went out as usual. It announced that 10 families would be headed to Ethiopia that weekend...we were one of those familes!..and it ended with the same prayer by Sir Frances Drake. Brian has made a beautiful video documenting our journey to bring home our sweet boy. This prayer meant so much to us, spoke to us directly really..we used in the video and continue to love the words each time we hear it. We have recently been asked to serve on an orphan relief committee and immediately this prayer came to mind again. I think we all can use it in many instances each and every day. The first line is so powerful....

Disturb us, O Lord

when we are too well-pleased with ourselves
when our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little, because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, O Lord

when with the abundance of things we possess,
we have lost our thirst for the water of life
when, having fallen in love with time,
we have ceased to dream of eternity
and in our efforts to build a new earth,
we have allowed our vision of Heaven to grow dim.

Stir us, O Lord

to dare more boldly, to venture into wider seas
where storms show Thy mastery,
where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars.

In the name of Him who pushed back the horizons of our hopes
and invited the brave to follow.
Amen.

Princess Ball 2011

It's their second year to attend the Girl Scout sponsored Princess Ball and they came home with smiles and stories to share. Brian pays attention to all of the work that went into it..and a lot of work goes into pulling off an outdoor, under the stars, fully catered by local restaurants, music, crafts, games, decorations, volunteers...and the list goes on and on. They hosted over 150 participants this year! Kendall's stories are accompanied with giggles, tales of dancing triumphs and not so groovy moves (rolling her eyes toward her own dance partner), her favorite part of the dinner (desert) and the fun crafts she proudly shows to me. Her feet are aching from her new high heel shoes (of course they aren't high heels..but they do have a heel and that made her LOVE them!) but she doesn't settle down for at least another 45 minutes. I am so happy for them both, and for all of the other dads and daughters who have had this opportunity. Mallory has been wearing a 'party' dress all night, dreaming of her chance to attend the Princess Ball with her Daddy. She has recently proclaimed her destiny to marry her daddy, and live with me. Kendall corrected her, told her she couldn't marry him. He's too old. (hmm...love that logic) And in her older sister wisdom reminded her of one of their favorite neighbors, Ms. Steph, who doesn't have a husband and gets to do whatever she wants..and has 2 dogs. So now... via that conversation...both of my daughters are refusing marriage, and plan to live by themselves and have all the animals they want. Mallory will have a bedroom just for her guinea pigs. Kendall will apparently have to forfeit a house, codes won't allow her to have all the animals she has in mind.

Addis Documentary...lovely

So excited to share this video! Sam (his video) was at the Ethiopian Guest House during our second trip. Each evening we'd see Sam and Dawit (from Ethiopia) drag in with video equipment slung over their shoulders and exhaustion all over their faces. In the video are pictures of Korah, pictures of the women making the necklaces I wear. Summer and Cory Yates are included, both from Tennessee and making a big impact in the community of Korah. Owner of the Ethiopian Guest House,Dave McIlrath is involved with Korah and set up the necklace project for the women of Korah giving them much needed income. And he spends lots of time, energy and funds raising awareness for the people of Korah and Ethiopia in general. We met Ephrem there too, and he shared with us his soccer program that gets kids off the streets, onto a field and into a team setting. His work is giving children hope. When we were shopping at the Post Office area we were approached by many homeless children. I remember one young boy, about 10 or so, asking us for change. Brian recognized his soccer jersey and asked if he knew Ephrem. The boy did and he was delighted that we knew about his team. He walked with us the rest of the time we were shopping and shared his story with us. He and Brian talked about soccer, Ethiopian and American, and the boy kept asking if we could come and watch him. He was proud of his team and of his involvement. That little boy had something to look forward to on Friday of that week. These are amazing people who inspired us during our journey. They were the richness to our memories. We met others who we now call friends that touched our hearts and who we know we will see again soon. Thanks Sam for creating such a fantastic video..a wonderful representation of the beautiful people of Ethiopia and the powerful ministries stirring the souls and giving hope to all they meet.

Please check it out and after you have viewed it go ahead and click the underlined title below the screen... The City of Addis- A Short Documentary. There is more great footage covering all four of these organizations serving the children, women and orphans of Ethiopia. They need $15,000.00 to complete this project and give these organization the support they need to continue their life changing missions. This project can only be completed if the funds have been raised by June 25, 2011. Important work going on here...I know you'll want to be a part of it!

THIS PROJECT WILL ONLY BE FUNDED IF AT LEAST $15,000 IS PLEDGED BY SATURDAY JUN 25, 3:04PM EDT.
THIS PROJECT WILL ONLY BE FUNDED IF AT LEAST $15,000 IS PLEDGED BY SATURDAY JUN 25, 3:04PM EDT.

The City of Addis - A short documentary from Session 7 Media on Vimeo.

Wearing my Rose colored glasses...

Today a very dear friend, one of God's finest really, left this life to join her Father in Heaven. Rose (McNish) King was the spark of all things to my childhood memory. She was one of my beloved scout leaders, and those of you who know me well have likely heard me fondly recall the memories of those times. Those three ladies...Rose, Ann and Judy...were the fearless ones. From camping in the thunderstorms, to loading us onto buses for the World's Fair, scaring our socks off at the Bell Witch Cave ...they taught us about the charms of becoming a young woman and reminded us the gifts God bestowed upon us as young women. They didn't take no for an answer, or if they did I never heard of it. We sang carols at the local nursing home and marched in the Christmas parade. We sold cookies like nobody's business and had sleepovers for any reason we could find. Throughout my elementary years these ladies banned together and committed themselves to make a difference in our lives. Our troop was riddled with extreme personalities...shy, overbearing, attentive (not very many), timid, angry, challenged, lonely, fearful, hopeful, animated, goofy, etc. We were all over the place! And boy did we get yelled at! And we loved it. Every minute of it. Rose was a single mother of two very active daughters. The oldest, Kim, was my counterpart for many years. The youngest, Amy was at every scout event we ever had and was all about being front and center. Looking back now I realize that Rose had such deep love for us, she had to because that was A LOT of devotion and persuasion, a lot of late nights and cold nights, a lot of laughing and yellin'! What I know from my own adult scout experience is that you do it for your daughter first..and I have no doubt that everything she did was for her precious daughters.

I will tell you she was a force not to be reckoned with. When she was on, you better step aside. She was God fearing and full of grace. Her fallibility made her more endearing and raised the standard for success in my book. She was the first to bring God to my life. No doubt about it. We prayed at each meeting and used His name each time. I bet a meeting didn't pass without her praising, speaking, teaching, or asking for His help. ( the latter I'm sure she did many times each meeting...we were wild!) She loved God and her girls. It was at the McNish house I found a love for Elvis and Rocky Balboa... Rose put up with our crazy antics and even let us kick her out of her own bed. I'm telling you, she was beautiful. She held her head high and had the confidence of a lady who has seen hard times and knows that Glory is awaiting her arrival. She had suffered the worse loss of all and in that time I'm confident she sought her Father's hand and He led her through the darkness and found the direction she needed to move forward again. She loved her daughters, she was a warrior for them. Mind you, I see her in my child's eye and I always will.

I have not seen her in a while. The last time I do believe was at a grocery store, where she got to meet my husband and my daughter. She was thrilled to see me and meet my family. She hugged me with both arms, held close to her. She was weary, she had just left work and was on her way to assist her grandchildren. She loved them dearly too, in her very Rose way..fiercely.

Today is Mother's Day. Is it more painful to lose a parent on a special holiday? I don't know, but I'm guessing Kim will take some of that Rose instinct and wrap it with grace, she'll comfort others and seek her Father's hand. And He will be there for her. And Rose will be too. On this day one beautiful, fierce, loving and all inspiring woman got to be with both daughters once again and meet the Glory that has awaited her arrival. She has left a smile on my face, a warmth in my heart and yes, of course, a tear in my eye. We love her for her honesty, we love her for her leadership, we love her for her loyalty, we love her for her dedication...we love her. Thank God for her.

Yep...even those...

Tonight the kiddos had to take a bath..all 3 of them together. Mallory and Ty find themselves splashing together quite a bit, but this was a first for Kendall. Only because she is a shower girl. Kendall asked " Why do people say brown skinned people are black?" I say " That's a good question...some people say it to be unkind, others use it as a poor description, I'm not sure exactly why they are referred to as 'black'. " I go into it a little more with my understanding of history, and how in today's society we refer to 'black' people as black people or African Americans and it is accepted by and large. Isn't it funny...I don't have a good answer for it when it comes right down to it. Frustrating. Truth is I'm not really white either...kinda pink really. Back to the story...

Kendall looks at his feet, "Look at his feet, they aren't brown. Neither are his hands. We have the same hands and feet." I respond "I think that is neat. Plus..he has the cutest little toes ever!" I go on to point out many similarities: We also have the same mouth inside...on cue Ty stuck out his tongue. Our eyes are the same, just a color difference like so many others. Our blood runs red and our heart beats with each breath. " Kendall says: Our fingernails look the same color and shape too." At this point I'm feeling glad to have this dialog with my kiddo. Then Mallory points out "We even have the same colored boogers."

Yep. That too.

Mac Man

Now this is how you eat some Mac'n Cheese!! Believe it or not, my little guy was NOT a mac fan...actually he just didn't like noodles. Crazy right?

On a whim I decided to cut it up into small pieces. You'll notice the spoon, thought I'd give him the option. Well that was useless!

But the effort was rewarded with a big ol' toothy smile. Love my mac man!

Magical House by Mallory

Yesterday my middle child (wow..that is the FIRST time I've used that label!!) decided to compose a story. First she found the scissors, then glue. She dug into our stash of papers and found 2 that suited her. She located a pen (that's impressive!) and set down at the kitchen table. In a few minutes she asked for my help. It didn't take long to recognize her art as a yellow house, with 2 windows, glued onto a white sheet of paper with a flower border..presumably the flower garden. She then asked me to write her story for her. And after my 'encouraging' ways (begging), she has allowed me to include it on the blog. I love it because, well because it came from her little creative noggin! And also, if you're in Tennessee (and the other states who have been wracked with rain for 5 weeks...then you will understand completely!!

Magical House by Mallory

When my tear drops I saw a magical thing happen in my house. Everything started floating. And then I started floating. I looked out the window and the trees started floating. And then the flower pots started floating. It was raining and then it stopped. Then it started raining again, and again, and again, and again. And then Kendall came home and she was floating. And then we started watching t.v. and the couch was floating. And then we saw the remote floating and we jumped up and caught it and started watching t.v. And then we watched Arthur. And then the lollipops that we were eating started floating. And then they EXPLODED!! And then we got more lollipops.

The End.

Mallory showing us how to 'hula' the rain away.

Walking Romeo

This has been a very fun week with the family. My Mother In Law, aka Nina, was here for her first visit with Ty. On Sunday we celebrated our first Easter as a family of 5. Funny...kids don't need any instruction when it comes to Easter Baskets. Ty pulled up to the table, his sisters pointed him in the direction of his and that was all the encouragement he needed. His basket of cars and bubbles, a bunny cup and 2 chocolate bunnies (small ones!) was overturned and inspected in true Ty fashion. Then Monday marked 2 months with Ty. On Wednesday Ty began walking...no baby steps either. He's crossing rooms now! Forget the locks on the lower cabinets! I'm worried about keeping him away from the stovetop knobs..yikes!

This past weekend Ty became quite the Romeo. He loves to kiss, and has the cutest little pucker! He even makes the "mmmm" sounds. His newest favorite food (and ours too) is corn on the cob. He can annihilate some corn! We love it because it keeps him happy and busy during dinner. That will be #1 on my grocery list until he tires of it. Ty and Mallory have a great relationship. Understandable since she spends a lot of time with him. But in the past couple of weeks the relationship with his oldest sister Kendall has really taken off. They roll around on the carpet playing, she picks him up and cuddles him. He loves it! And so does his mama. The family we are building is definitely a work in progress and we are all being rewarded greatly. Tonight Ty found a photo of all of us in an album. He leaned over it, puckered up and said 'mmmm'. We're all in love!

Desiderata~Things to be Desired

My mother in law has a framed copy of this in her house. Every time we visit I find myself studying it. It is such a beautiful piece...is it a poem? a prayer? a path? I think it is all and I love the sense of hope and peace it brings to my heart. The best part is, each time I read it I am drawn to a different line. As my life changes, as seasons change in my life, there is a line in the Desiderata that speaks to me more clearly than all the rest. I love that.

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

We've Come a long way baby...

I'm re-posting this, hoping the pictures will come through. The original post was to celebrate our first month together, March 28th, 2011.

It was one month ago today that we woke early in anticipation of picking up our son from his transition home and bringing him home with us forever. The day was sunny, much like today. I can remember the streets were crowded with pedestrians and I wondered as I looked out the window if any of the people who looked into our van could guess we were picking up our son, our Ethiopian son? Would they approve? What would they say to me if I could ask.

We were nervous with excitement and scared of the unknown. Our last visit with Ty hadn't been that long ago, would he remember us? Our last visit was many hours spent with a sick little baby boy who only minutes before we were to leave him for the airport decided to gift us with this beautiful, all dimples and sweetness smile. Would he greet us with a smile? Last visit he was confused along with being sick, he cried until he fell asleep. Would he want to play? Could we possibly make him as happy as our hearts so wanted?

Leaving the transition home.

Our first minutes at the guest house. No smiles..but definite curiosity.

That sweet boy was so confused.

Books were his favorite, so we read.

And so today I can say...he smiles at us all of the time. And it is like the sun warming my face and a joyful march in my heart. He reaches for me and I just want to ask him to do it again, again, again. His dad has found his ticklish spots (there are many) and his laughter delights us to no end. He is not afraid of the animals, and if the cat doesn't get afraid of him I'm scared we'll have a cat with patchy fur! He LOVES cars and makes car noises as he pushes anything with a wheel around the house. In the van he makes the same noise, we think if he sees cars he just automatically does it. The girls think he's funny and cute and noisy and all things they should think about their baby brother. Though he's not walking yet he is certainly cruising around the living room. He's got rhythm and loves to sway and bounce and rock to the beat. It's great! Today, when I asked where his nose was, he touched it ...twice. That's a B-I-G deal! He babbles and squeals and can use his eyebrows alone to ask a question. It's only been one month, I swear to you it feels like it's been longer. Not because I am exhausted (though I am most days!), but rather because it just feels so normal. We are cautious to take it one step at a time. He is so willing to go to other people, and we know we must be guarded of our bonding time with him. He has been through 3 caregivers. In his book, that's 3 mothers. He has the capacity to bond, we are certain of it as we have seen it happening with us. I can't wait to experience our relationship in 3 months...1 year...3 years. I can honestly say that my body, heart, mind respond the same way to him as they do to Kendall and Mallory. And that has surprised me. I knew I wanted a son, I knew I wanted Ty as my son, but I really prepared myself for the bonding time to go both ways...he would need time and I would need time. I think it happened on the way back to the U.S. I can remember a feeling of natural response and comfort and protectiveness and love. It just clicked. What an awesome journey we have been on .... and it's only been a month!

Here's to you Ty!

No lack of smiles here...

Daddy's little guy..they share lots of laughs together!