East Texas to the Far East

My Birthday Girl!

2011-05-18T10:29:00.008-05:00

My Cinco de Mayo girl had her 1st Birthday party a couple of days after she turned the big O-N-E. Without rambling on about how much I love her and how she is the most wonderful thing ever, here are my favorite pics of the day!

Love my family!

The birthday girl, who daddy said looked like a rooster! Cutest rooster I ever saw!

Loving her Gigi!

My $20 Craigslist find paired with fun stuff from the day!

First taste of her awesome smash cake! Love it!

The end! How precious is she?

As great as she is and I am so blessed that she is mine, my Father loves her so much more than I ever could. A verse that we have on her wall is 1 John 3:1, "How great is the love the Father has lavished upon us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are!"

A work in progress!

2011-04-07T15:40:00.021-05:00

Well, once again it has been MONTHS since I have updated my blog. Genna has turned 9 months, then 10 months, and now 11 months since the last time that I posted. She has been trying to walk for the last couple of months and took off about a month ago. Now she just runs! Life is exciting around our house! Over Spring Break, we started a renovation project. We actually started a few days before thinking that it would only take us the week of Spring Break to complete. We are now on week four and have no end in sight! Actually, we hope to finish it all before Genna's first birthday party...now one month from today. Pray that it happens.

Our original projects included getting new granite countertops in the kitchen, laundry room, and front bath, along with replacing the sinks in each place. It also included taking the 40+ year old tile from the walls (shower and otherwise) in our master bath and replacing them with drywall and new tile in the bath/shower area. We live in a house that was built in the late 60s and it was the thing to put tile halfway up all your walls in the bathrooms. We had a lovely canary yellow in our bath and it was time for it to go!

We started before spring break removing the old countertops in the kitchen, front bath, and laundry room, which meant that we were down to one sink in our bathroom. We also started taking off the tile from our bathroom walls. A day later, we noticed that the carpet in the front hall was wet and discovered that we had a leak somewhere in the wall. We went in under the sink in the front bath and found nothing. We went in through the shower wall in our bath since we were going to take it out anyway and found nothing. We ended up having to take out the toilet and go in behind it in the front bath...which meant taking out tile that we were not planning to touch during the break. I will refer to this as Episode #1. Since we had already taken the toilet in our bath and then the front bath, we are down to one toilet in the half bath. Also at this point, we cannot use our shower/bath anymore since we went in through the wall to check for the leak. So we are down to just a shower in the front bathroom. And since we had a leak and couldn't fix it late at night, we had to turn the water off. Yes, this is my life!

We finally got the leak fixed and turned the water back on, but since we had already taken down one of the tile walls in the front bath, we figured that we would go ahead and try to take out the rest of the tile at some point, except for the shower, because we do have to bathe! We got all of the tile taken down in our bathroom and it was stripped to the studs!

Monday of spring break comes and we get beautiful new granite countertops. The three sinks (gradually) go in during the week with only 16 trips to Lowe's to complete them. Sixteen is the actual number. On Wednesday of that week as my hard-working hubby is trying to put in the new fixtures in our bath, he discovers that our drain pipe for our bath/shower is cracked in the slab. Then somehow it gets broken down in the slab! Let's refer to this as Episode #2. He informs me that if I ever wanted to replace my bathtub, now would be the time to do it. So we make yet another trip to Lowe's searching for a new tub, only to purchase nothing. We ended up hauling our 500 pound cast iron bathtub to the back porch where it still rests. We live in the country, people!! And when I say cast iron, I don't mean pretty claw foot, I mean ugly apron tub! We also had to take off the door frame to get the monster out of the bathroom.

So here we are on Wednesday of spring break and pretty much nothing has gone as planned. We decided that we would do our tile work ourselved instead of paying someone $1000 to do it, but at this point, nothing was ready for tile. Once the granite was in the kitchen, I decided that I wanted to redo my kitchen cabinets. I had glazed them a few years ago, so I redid it in two record breaking days and I LOVE THEM! Finally something accomplished!

I still had to tile the backsplash in the kitchen and laundry room to accomplish. Just about the time that we were going to start that, one of our hot water heaters went out. Episode #3.

Spring break has now come and gone, but the last Sunday before I headed back to work, we started on the tile backsplash in the kitchen. It took us a whole week of working after we got home from our paid jobs and after we got Boo Baby down at night, but we got it finished.

We ended up taking the green tile in teh front bathroom down now so that we could go ahead and drywall everything at the same time. While in the middle of that, we realized that we were going to have to replace some of our floor tiles because there was an inch gap that we could not cover with molding. So when I called to get more tile, it has been discontinued since 2007. We now we have to tear out the tile floor in both baths! Episode #6. We have accomplished that this week!

Also during this, we discovered that the sewer vent pipe that vents from the master bath to the outside was cracked all the way down into the slab! Episode #5. With the help of a friend who is a plumber, we got it fixed last weekend and can close up the wall now.

My parents visited last weekend and before they left on Monday they called me at work to inform me that it was raining there and water was running down my fireplace brick! EPISODE #6!! Really! My husband said that he knew that God would not put more on us than we could handle, but He must obviously think that we can handle A LOT!!

Last night after waiting for the third round of mud to dry on the drywall in the front bath, I was finally able to start to texture the walls. I got three walls done, but still have three to go! We WILL finish that bathroom this weekend if we have to stay up all weekend to finish it!

Now that you have read all of this, you deserve some pictures to prove my point!

Kitchen before (40+ year old formica countertops and backspash, yucky sink, and old cabinet glaze)

Kitchen after

(new granite counter tops, tile backsplash, farmhouse sink, and new glaze on cabinets)

And we did everything, but the granite ourselves!! Hooray!

Laundry room sink before

(again with the 40+ year old formica and yucky sink!)

Laundry Room After

(Granite with farmhouse sink and tile backsplash)

Ignore that bath toys! It is Genna's baby washing sink until we get our bathtub in!

But she LOVES it!!

Front Bathroom Before

(Yucky formica and sink, and I had already pulled the formica backsplash down)

You can see a glimpse of the green tile in on the right side!

Front Bathroom...during!

(not quite finished, but new granite countertop with vessel sink)

You can see the big whole on the right, but that has now be patched and the leak fixed! Woo Hoo!

I will post finished pictures soon!

Master Bath Before

(In all of it's canary yellow tile glory!)

Master Bathroom During!

(Yep, this is how it still looks, four weeks later! Wow!)

4 weeks to deadline! Hopefully we can make it!

And just because she is the most beautiful thing in the world, our Boo Baby! She is the best thing. She has slept through all of our remodeling each night. Even when we hammered tile off walls, climbed over her room in the attic (which I fell through this week! Episode #7), and pulled tile off the floor in the room directly across from her's, she slept! She is one amazing baby! She turned 11 months old this week and her daddy captured this great picture! Just when I think that I cannot love her anymore, I see this and I can! I am blessed to be her mommy!!

New Tricks

2011-01-28T14:12:00.003-06:00

Guess what somebody has learned to do...

We don't typically let Genna roam all over the house. She has a big "cage" in the living room that has a lot of her toys in it and most afternoons after work while I am getting dinner ready, she plays in it. But this week, we let her hang out in the kitchen with us and look what she found to get into. Needless to say, mommy bought locks for the cabinet doors this morning!

Things I love right now...

2011-01-18T16:13:00.017-06:00

I have fallen in love with so many new things in 2011! I thought that I would share...

1. My sweet Genevieve! I didn't just fall in love with her, but she is always at the top of my list! She has to be the sweetest baby girl ever! She never cries, fusses, and always knows how to make her mommy smile and laugh. Last night, we went out to dinner and we were feeding her things off our plate and finally, I just gave her my plate and let her start feeding herself. She went after it and made her mommy and daddy smile and laugh so much! She also stood up in the buggy at Target when mommy wasn't looking and gave mommy a heart attack! I just love her so much! And she cut four teeth in the same week and didn't fuss! I am one blessed momma!!

2. ZUMBA!! I decided that this year I was going to do something for myself. I needed a night that was mine, but where I could do something fun that was good for me. Zumba is it! I go on Wednesday nights from 5:30-6:30, then stay for abs later...which is painfully worth it (I hope), and am still home in time to put my Sweet G to bed! I am not good at it and my bum will not move quite like the instructor's, but I love it! 3. My iPad, specifically the Kindle, Nook, and iBooks app. I have devoured I cannot tell you how many books in the last couple of weeks. I am addicted and I love it. Makes me wonder how I ever read on paper!! The trouble is that I have a closet full of books, but I find myself wanting to buy the ebooks of those same books instead. I know that I will finish them quicker, but I cannot justify the cost enough to do it! 4. Ebooks!! Just because they deserve their own number! I loved my last two, "Water for Elephants" and "The Help". My super hubby just download thousands more for me over the weekend and I was so excited to add them to my itunes library! Love having access to the library right at my fingertips! Yes, I know I am a nerd!

5. The coolest thing that I have seen in a LONG time. A Book Book by Twelve South! My friend, Lori, who is a wonderful photographer and one of the greatest chicks I know, bought one for her iPad and I just fell in love with it! Had to get one for myself and no kidding, it is AWESOME! I also stole this picture that she took of it! Click on it and check out her blog! She is one happening girl!

6. Weight Watchers! I actually have a love/hate relationship with WW. I'm not going to lie and say that I love them all the time. It is one of those things that I can say, "I love you, but I just don't like you right now!" No matter how much that I dislike WW from time to time, the truth is, it works if you follow it. I started it at the beginning of the year and so far, I am down 12 pounds. Even my hubby, the pickiest eater in the world, is munching on some WW recipes and liking it! And the good thing is, I can still have things that I love, like Buttercup Cupcakes and Whataburger!

7. Budgeting! Now I know that you (if anyone reads this) are thinking that I have lost my mind, but although I would love to have the money not to worry about having to budget, I like the puzzle that my mind goes through when I am thinking about having to budget. When I think about the little things that I can do to save money here or cut money there, it gets me excited. And I have a goal that we are working towards, which gives budgeting a HUGE purpose!8. And because she is just so cute and worth mentioning at least twice! My Genna-Boo!

I took this picture this morning! This was one of the outtakes of her trying to wish her future husband (and my best friend's son) a happy first birthday! Can't resist that smile!

Back again from 2010!

2011-01-07T09:35:00.010-06:00

So here I am! Back again to try this blogging thing one more time! Maybe 2011 is my year to keep it going! So far, I am only seven days behind!

2010 was very good to our family, bringing us our little Genna-Boo! She is a gift from God and the most wonderful baby! I can take her anywhere and she is so good! So far all 2011 has brought is a trip to the ER for daddy and her second ear infection! So we are praying that everyone is well soon!

So since the new year is all about resolutions, I have made a few of my own...

1. Keep working towards being healthy! I need to be healthy for my baby girl and she needs to see her parents eating right and make good choices!

2. Work on being content with what I have! Really I am, but it is learning that I do not need all the little stuff when I make a run to Walmart that gets me! I want to purge and simplify! Genna also needs to see her parents making wise financial choices and learn that we cannot have everything that we want!

3. Be a Godly wife! I want to teach myself to respond kindly to my husband and to be nicer to him, especially in front of Genna. We are not mean to each other, I just want her to have a Godly example of what a marriage should be. And I want her to learn what Psalm 19:14 really means, not just towards her mate, but towards everyone and everything that she encounters.

4. To read to Genna more! We typically read at bedtime or when she gets a new book, but she really has hundreds of books and I want her to love to read like her mommy and daddy. She has more of an attention span now, but she also wants to eat the book while we are reading it. I just want her to love to read and get more exposure to it!

That is all of my resolutions...

But no post is complete without new pictures of the sweetest baby girl I know!

Ten Things on Thursday

2010-09-23T09:07:00.005-05:00

Here are some random things about this week...

1. I lost a Dillards gift card with about $140 on it and I am sick over it. We have torn apart our cars, house, and anything else that will stand still. It is not life or death, but it just makes me mad at myself. I'm going to try to call Dillards today and see if they can help.

2. We spent a free night at the Gaylord Texan this weekend. Our first trip there was not a good experience for us. When we got there, they were out of king size beds, but then they upgraded us to an executive suite, which was bigger than my first apartment.

3. Genna is moving like crazy. If we put her down in one place, she will scoot or roll her way around to where she wants to go. She is going to be very mobile soon.

4. Hubby has a big race this weekend and we were all planning to attend, but now a 40% chance of rain might keep us home.

5. I have picked out bedding for Genna's room when she is no longer in a crib. Actually, it is her same bedding, but it is just a twin size (and what I wanted to use the Dillards gift card for). I also have plans for daddy to make her a new bed.

6. Genna has been doing great with eating. We have tried rice cereal, applesauce, bananas, carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and blueberries. She loves the cereal more than the food, but we are working on that, too.

7. I'm finally getting a Canton weekend next weekend. I'm even taking a day off work to do it. Hope it is great fall weather and Baby G likes her first trip to Canton. Daddy will be hunting.

8. We are doing a four week study on stewardship during Sunday School time at church and I am really excited about it. We made the first one, missed last week, but I am hoping for a DVD, but will hit the next two to finish it out. The first week was great.

9. I have already started Christmas shopping. I have four gifts underway and pretty much know what I am getting the parents and grandparents. I still have four yet to buy, but that will come in time. They may just get gift cards and we will call it a day!

10. Still in a crafting/ creative mood, but still finding it challenging to get things done...wonder why?

Good Eats!

2010-09-17T10:22:00.007-05:00

So this week, Genna tried cereal for the first time. We gave her some Saturday night so she would have plenty of time to try it. First I just gave her the spoon and once I held it out, she opened her mouth and knew exactly what to do. We are foodies in our house so she has been paying attention to mommy and daddy. Here is her first bite.

She loved it and would grunt to tell us that she wanted more food. Yummy!

She really did well so we waited a couple of days and tried green beans!

Here is her response to them!

She OBVIOUSLY loves veggies just like daddy. We were hoping that she would get mommy's love for veggies, but looks like she takes after daddy in yet another stage in life. Tonight we are going to try applesauce. If we like that, those green beans are going to disguise their way into her tummy somehow!

Ten Things {that I love} on Thursday!

2010-09-16T14:28:00.002-05:00

1. Weekend getaways with my honey...one coming up this weekend at the Gaylord Texan
2. Putting my little sweet baby girl down at night and watching her sweet expressions
3. Seeing my two pups play together and give G kisses
4. My parents talking to G on the phone
5. When ALL my family is able to get together
6. Cupcakes
7. A clean house that smells great
8. FALL and the weather that comes with it
9. Redecorating and Canton shopping...for cheap
10. My God...above all else!

Ten Things on Thursday and a little more

2010-09-09T10:15:00.005-05:00

So Genna went to the doctor yesterday for her four month checkup. Hard to believe that she is already four months old. Here are ten things about Genevieve...

1. She weighs 13 pounds, 10 ounces. Two months ago she was 12 pounds. She is now in the 50th percentile for weight.

2. She was 23 inches long yesterday, which puts her in the 5th percentile for height. Looks like she is going to take after daddy.

3. She had to have one oral immunization and two in the leg and she did great. She cried until I picked her up, which was about the moment that the nurse pulled the needle out and she was fine. She is such a good baby.

4. She now loves her tummy and prefers to sleep on it. She rolls back and forth from tummy to back and then to her tummy and can scoot around on her tummy, mostly backwards.

5. We got the okay to start on some solids so Saturday morning, we are going to attempt some cereal. From there, if she can handle the spoon, we are going to work towards some veggies.

6. She has learned to pull the jingle bugs on her carseat and loves playing with them, but still hates the carseat if we are not moving. Can't say I blame her. She has also learned to give kisses, but they are all opened mouth so you have to be ready for slobber. We don;t really mind it!

7. She loves to be outside and loves to watch the dogs run around. It is funny to see her reaction to them when they are going every which way. She is also enjoying their kisses a little better.

8. She is getting a new carseat in the next couple of weeks because she is almost too big for her old one. Shopping for and buying a new carseat might be harder than choosing what college she will attend. Just saying!

9. She likes to sit in her Bumbo chair and chew on her teething ring. This is something that we just starting trying again this week. We liked the Bumbo chair before, but it made her spit up a little, but since we are closer to sitting up on our own, we are doing better in the seat.

10. She still is the best thing, so much fun, and the love of our lives. She is perfect!

We hung a new light above our kitchen window. It was an old square one that was built in from the late 1960s and we also put some ceiling detail in as well. I really like the way that it turned out and that we were able to add a little extra fun and detail to it. My hubby is the greatest!

On another note, we did finally finish two projects around the house. First, I painted one wall in my laundry room with chalkboard paint. It turned out good, but I have a few things that I still need to do to it.

Happy Thursday! Looking forward to a productive weekend.

Ten Things on Thursday

2010-09-02T11:34:00.002-05:00

1. "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." - Psalm 19:14

2. "No one has ever seem God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." - 1 John 4:12

3. "Now it is who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." - 2 Corinthians 5:5

4. "What , then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

5. "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." - James 1:27

6. "How great is the love the Father has lavished upon us, that we should be called the children of God!" - 1 John 3:1

7. "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:22-23

8. "Every good and perfect gift is from above." - James 1:17

9. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1

10. "Pray constantly" - 2 Thessalonians 5:17

10 Things on Thursday

2010-08-26T11:05:00.004-05:00

Second Thursday of "10 Things" and so far, I am keeping up!

Here is life around our house...

1. Genna turned 16 weeks old yesterday and is more amazing to me everyday. She is getting so active and I love her so much! She is wonderful!

2. Trying to plan a garage sale for sometime in October. I feel the need to purge and get rid of stuff we do not need or use.

3. My hubby got a new truck last night. He needed a 4-wheel drive and since my Tahoe is, but I won't let him take it to his deer lease, he had to get his own. It is nice and I hope that we are through buying toys for him.

4. Still planning a trip to Canton at the end of September and I can't wait!

5. My parents came down last weekend and me and G went out with them. We had such a good time and G was great for being towed all over Louisiana in this heat!

6. I got brave this weekend and painted a wall in my house with chalkboard paint. I am still working on getting it finished (been nursing a migraine all week), but hope to finish it this weekend.

7. We are getting more serious about our budget and sticking to it and getting some extra in savings and different areas. We met with our financial advisor and are planning to refinance our home to pay it off faster. The rate is about 2.25% less than we are paying and we are looking at a 15 year note instead of the 30 year that we have.

8. I am still on my organization and creative kick, but I am finding it is much harder to get things accomplished with little G around.

9. Hoping that my hubby and me can sneak in a date sometime and find a sitter for G. We will see!

10. My life is pretty boring so it was hard to come up with 10 things...

10 Things on Thursday

2010-08-19T07:36:00.006-05:00

I thought if I came up with something that I could blog on a weekly basis, I might be more likely to keep it up. So here is my new weekly Thursday post, "10 Things on Thursday" just to let you have a sneak peek into my life!

Today I Am:

Listening...to the sound of someone blowing off the sidewalks at the college I work at. Today is move in day for new and returning students. A busy day and I am currently the only one in my office.

Reading...three books. I have an insane attention span at this time. "The 19th Wife" by David Ebershoff is what I started reading first. It is good, but switches back between present day and the late 1800's and sometimes it is a lot more history than I can take during my lunch break or right before bed. I am also reading, "What to Expect the First Year" to try to keep up with things for Genna. Yesterday I forgot my book to read, so during lunch I ran to the public library (which I LOVE) and checked out Laura Bush's Bio, "Spoken from the Heart". It is really good so far.

Obsessed with...projects! I am so anxious to do some projects, but every night, I find myself not being able to start anything because of little things that need to be done around the house. I do have several projects in mind that I am going to get to sometime. And I have been able to plan ahead on the weekends and make dinner and get clothes ready for the entire week to save some time at night. Hopefully I can be more creatively productive soon.

Thinking about...my baby girl. One year ago today I found out I was going to be a mommy! It was the best feeling and now nothing can compare to seeing my sweet Genevieve smile at me. She is just about the best thing ever!

Planning to...have a Canton weekend soon! At the end of September, my hubby is heading off hunting and me and G are going to have a girls' weekend in Canton. I'm sure Gigi and Pops will come too and some cousins are coming down from Midland. I just need to go!!

Dreaming of...being in a better place, physically, emotionally, organizationally, financially, etc.

Enjoying...cooking new dishes for my hubby. I have made seven or eight new recipes in the last few weeks and he has loved every one of them. I'm proud of myself because he is a picky eater!

Vowing to...keep losing weight. I am 25 pounds lighter than when I found out I was pregnant a year ago. I hope to lose about 25 more.

Working on...organizing my house more and to get ready for a garage sale. But only when it is cooler outside!

Excited about...all of the above!!

And I have to leave you with two pictures. One is of my hubby one year ago today when he found out that he was going to be a daddy!

And the next of me and my sweet G this morning! What a difference a year can make!

Always, Sometimes, Never

2010-08-17T15:14:00.004-05:00

I was challenged to do this from a friend's blog...here goes!

Always...
kiss my baby girl goodnight
love to see my hubby playing with Genna
count my blessings when I am rocking G to sleep
love dessert
wish I had more time with my family
enjoy a date night with my honey
pray that God keeps my family safe
hope I can fulfill all my dreams

Sometimes...

want another child (right away!)

wish I was a better planner

don't get around to reading my Bible enough

get mad at stupid things

start things that I don't finish

wish things were easier

dread working out

wish I could stop time

Never...

mind getting up with G in the middle of the night

get tired of snuggling with my hubby

turn down steak for dinner

go to bed without taking a bath

knew I would love being a mommy this much

can keep my house clean like I did before a baby

try to miss an opportunity to learn something new

want to forget any moment that I have with Genna

A Bug...

2010-08-12T14:37:00.011-05:00

So I caught a bug over the last week. Not your ordinary bug, but the creative bug. I feel the need to have a project going...to create something, to decorate, to shop in Canton. I found tons of projects that I want to start or things that I want to do around the house, but when do I find the time?

The last two weekends, I went a little into organization and budget mode. On both Sunday afternoons, I finished all the laundry, cleaned out the fridge, scrubbed the countertops (which I hope to replace soon), made healthy dinners for the next week (and lost 10 pounds!!), ironed all my clothes for the week, got Genna's clothes all ready for the next week, and a few other little things that I can't remember.

This week I have been looking at blogs and finding little projects that I would love to do. Here are some of my favorites...

Mongrammed burlap pillows

Love these frames in this picture...wish I had the stairs!

Pretty sure that Genna is going to need one of these...probably, sooner that I hope!

I also found a bed and accessories that I want to make for my best friend's little boy, things for Genna's first birthday (I know, way in advance), tips for an upcoming baby shower, and ideas for a playroom or maybe another nursery (far, far in the future!!)

I just need to find the time to do it all!! So ready for a (cooler than it is right now) Canton weekend!

Ok...now for what you really came to see...

Here is my sweet baby girl. I found the coolest app on my iPhone that let me create this picture. She is just the sweetest thing ever! LOVE HER!!

And here is her newest accessory! A tooth that is all the way through the gums on the top! (Don't call CPS on me for this picture!) She was not harmed in the taking of the picture, but we had to document the tooth. She also has two more coming in on the bottom, one on each side! Cannot believe that she has teeth already.

I am one blessed mommy!

Three Months Old!

2010-08-05T10:05:00.000-05:00

It is so hard for me to believe that Genna is already three months old today. She is the joy in our lives and I could not imagine life without her. In fact, we have almost forgotten what life was like without her! She is such a blessing.

Here is our little cupcake after getting ready this morning!

And here she is sharing her sweet smile with Mommy!

And this is how Genna finished her workout with Mommy. Mommy felt the same way...

Here are a few things about Genna at three months old that I don't want to forget.

She loves her thumb. She found it two days before she was two months old and it is her favorite friend. It will comfort her and put her to sleep most of the time. A paci works sometimes, but it is not the same.
She likes to sleep on her side, sucking her thumb (mostly her left one) and has been rolling over on her tummy during the night, which she hates. She makes sure that mommy and daddy know so we can go turn her back over.
She rarely cries, only when she is super hungry, really dirty or wet, or really tired. She just started "talking" when she is super sleepy and will sometimes talk herself to sleep.
She is starting to hold her toys, shake her rattles, and chew on things. Mommy is pretty sure there is a tooth coming in on her bottom right side, but she won't let me look at it.
She is a great sleeper at night, but doesn't take naps very well. She usually sleeps from 8:00 pm until 6:00 am when we wake her up to head to work.
She has been going to the babysitter for a month tomorrow and she is great. I think that she is learning some things from the big girls there.
She has the most precious smiles and gives them almost every time that she sees mommy and daddy. She is also making the sweetest noises.
She loves to hold onto your fingers and pull herself up to the standing position. She is looking all around now, watching your every move, and tracking people. She even watched daddy's truck pull away from work the other day from sitting inside mommy's tahoe.
Daddy gives her a bath every night and mommy feeds her, reads to her, and tucks her in bed. We love this time with her.
She loves to walk around when you are holding her and she has started holding on to your hand when you are walking her for feeding her.
She started holding her feet while she is playing on her playmat. I am sure that they will make their way to her mouth soon.
She loves her playmat and sometimes the swing, but it usually puts her to sleep.
She no longer flinches when Dudley and Dekker give her kisses. She has started watching them more.
She likes to lay on mommy and daddy's bed. It usually makes her calm down.
She can sit up for a good while on her own, but she is still leaning forward, almost touching her face to her toes. She likes the Bumbo chair, but only for limited times and not after she just ate.
She always crosses her feet at the ankles when she is eating or sleeping on her side. So sweet.
She is the closest thing to perfect that I know!!

2010-07-14T09:58:00.000-05:00

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It's Time...

2010-07-14T09:33:00.000-05:00

Yes, it has been several months since I have updated my blog, but I have a good reason why I haven't! She's two months old! Chances are you will be seeing a lot more of her on here as well. I've posted her birth day story and I'll be posting more pictures later.

Genna turned two months old on July 5. She had a big weekend of firsts. On Sunday, she celebrated her first 4th of July, her first night away from Mommy and Daddy with a sleepover at Gigi and Pops house, her first trip to Freebirds (one of Mommy and Daddy's favorite places to eat), first swim in our pool, and first day at the babysitters!

She also had her first shots last week. We went in for her four month checkup and we weighed 12.1 pounds (75 %), was 22 3/8 inches long (50%), and her head was 15 1/4 inches (80%). She has a big brain!! Daddy held her for the four (YES FOUR!) shots, one oral and three in her little legs, while mommy stood in the corner and cried! Genna cried for a little while, but settled down very quickly!

Time has flown by so fast. I cried last night because she turns 10 weeks old today and it has just flown by. Here are some things that I want to remember about Genna:

She is the most wonderful baby. She hardly ever cries, only fusses when she is hungry, needs a diaper change, or when she is cold getting out of the bathtub!
She changes so much every day!
She loves to pull herself up and stand on mommy and is really trying to talk. More sounds come out each day and they are the sweetest thing.
She loves her little playmat and is starting to grab at the toys around her. She loves the bug that plays music.
She loves the music at church (not sure about the preaching yet) and music in the car will usually quieten her down.
She found her thumb about a week ago and is now a naptime and nighttime thumb-sucker. She gets that from mommy and daddy, but mostly daddy!
She doesn't like the carseat, but likes when the car is moving.
She moves ALL OVER the bed. She is always turned completely around when we go to get her up in the mornings.
She has slept in her bed since she was three days old and started sleeping through the night the day she turned six weeks. She would sleep from 7 am until 7 pm if we let her, but she is not a great napper.
Pops kept her all by himself before she started going to the babysitter. I am sure she had him trained!
She is one of the best things that had ever happened to me and I love her so much! I knew that I would, but it is so much greater than I thought that it could be!

More updates to come soon...

2010-07-14T08:50:00.001-05:00

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Past due!

2010-04-28T11:28:00.000-05:00

So it is one day past my due date and still no Genna. The doctor has told us that we need to come back for a visit next Monday and if she still has not come by then, he will possibly induce on Tuesday, May 4. I was upset, but I have now come to terms with it and she can come whenever she wants, just as long as she comes out!

Two weeks or less!

2010-04-20T15:46:00.000-05:00

So I went to the doctor yesterday for my 39 week checkup. For those of you like my husband, a pregnancy lasts typically 40 weeks, so we have one week (from today) to go. (I have to keep reminding him!) There was no news on the dilation front. My doctor would not check me last week in fear that he would start something, but this week he did, but with no news. But he did say that I could still go into labor anytime...like even last night, which didn't happen. Good news is that my blood pressure, weight, and urine was good (whatever that means)! More good news is that he said that Genna would be little. He said that he would be surprised if she weighed seven pounds when she came. I asked how long he would let me go past my due date and he said no more than a week, SO...in at least two weeks, I will be a MOMMY!! Hooray! Now pray for contractions and her own birthday. (We have a lot going on in April!)

Waiting on go...

2010-04-15T07:31:00.000-05:00

Once again it has been awhile since I have blogged, but we have had NOTHING going on at our house! HA! Not sure if I can recap, but here goes.

We finished our birthing classes on March 23. Daddy survived having to watch the videos of four live births and now says he is waiting on Alzheimer's so he can forget them!

My work gave us a much needed diaper shower on March 25. Our diaper closet is packed! The church that I grew up in gave us a wonderful shower on March 28. It was overwhelming and Genna is going to be one well dressed baby girl. On April 1, Daddy's work gave us a surprise shower. I was in on it, but they all pulled a great April Fool's Day joke over on Daddy. He was super surprised and they blessed us with so many wonderful gifts. And just this past weekend, our church gave us another wonderful shower. We are SO blessed!!

On Monday, March 29, I had a car wreck involving the air bag and all the panic that comes with that! I could not get in touch with daddy, but an incredible friend that I work with took me to the doctor because I refused to ride in the ambulance or go to the ER. We finally got in touch with Daddy and he met us there. My doctor is a wonderful Christian man (and a worrier) but he assured us after finding Genna's strong heartbeat and seeing her move and breathe on the ultrasound that she was fine. She has been moving like normal since then and I pray all the time that she is perfect! God was watching over us!

Some really good friends of ours got married on April 3 in a beautiful ceremony. I was able to help them set up for the wedding and we are so blessed that we were able to be a part of their wonderful day! They deserve the best and we pray God's blessings on their marriage and their family. All of their children were a part of the day and it was one of the sweetest weddings that I have ever been to. They have six children between them and walked away from the alter to the theme song from "The Brady Bunch". It was priceless!

Daddy has been playing church league softball and I decided to go watch him play against the Stormin' Mormans on April 6. Close to the end of the game, Daddy was running from second to third and heard something pop. He made it to home, but by the time he made it to the dugout, he was limping and his left calf was at least twice the size of his other calf. He hobbled to the truck (since we are down to one vehicle) and I drove him home. He visited the trainer at ETBU and she recommended going to visit an orthopedic surgeon, which we did this past Monday. He took x-rays and saw nothing so he went for a MRI yesterday and we await the results...on crutches, no less. Great timing!

Not to mention that Daddy woke me up about midnight this past Tuesday morning very sick. He was up every 10-15 minutes from 10:20 pm until we headed out to the ER around 4:00 am. He was severely dehydrated and we spent that morning trying to get him better. They said that it was a really bad stomach bug and sent him home, but told him not to go back to work until today. I took him home, got him settled, and headed into work myself for a very long day after a very sleepless night. He seems to be doing better, but I told him that the next person that gets to go to the hospital is me!

I woke up around 3:20 am this morning with some labor pains. I got up and walked around a little, but am still so tired that I ended up going back to sleep. I am at work and told everyone that I would be until my water broke at my desk. I am sure that she will not come today, but we are very anxious for her to come. We are only 12 days from our due date, but we will welcome her anytime that she is ready to come out! We are ready!

And finally here are some pictures from the nursery...

View from the hallway!

Daddy's glider rocker that we redid just for Genna!

Antique armoire that I bought in Canton, which she will get to shop with me soon!

My old baby bed that daddy painted and I distressed.

One of my most favorite things in her room. The $5 window pane from Canton with her initials on it.

There is a lot to look at in there, but we love it and hope that she will, too! Now if she will just come out and see it in person!!

Back to the Blog

2010-03-23T11:26:00.001-05:00

Yes, I know! It is been a long time! Too long...but I am back in the blogging mode. 2010 has held a lot for us and in the next few weeks, there will be even more! Since the beginning of the year, I have switched jobs, we have traveled a lot on weekends, and we are now 35 weeks pregnant! All of it is so exciting.

I am loving my new (old) job. I went back to work for the University that I graduated from and that I worked for during the first three years that we were married. They asked me to come back in late December and I started mid-January. It is basically the same position that I had before and a lot less stress. Plus, my hubby and I can carpool and get to spend more time together, we are close to my doctor and hospital, I have lots of time off, and I work with some wonderful people!

We have made lots of little small trips over the weekends this year. We went to visit family in early February for family birthdays. At the end of February, we made our annual Amtrak train ride to stay in downtown Ft. Worth for "daddy" to run the half in the Cowtown marathon. We go with some friends of ours and always have a blast. I was off for Spring Break last week (another praise for my job) and we took our last weekend away as a married couple without kids. We only went to Dallas, but we made absolutely no plans and had a wonderful time. We did a lot, but we got to pick and choose what we wanted to do on our own schedule.

Last but CERTAINLY not least, we are preparing for the arrival of our little Genna. She is now a mere five weeks away from her debut date, but I pray that she arrives just a little sooner!! I went to the doctor yesterday and go back in two weeks. After that it is once a week! That means we are getting closer. I spent most of spring break (with the help of Gigi and Pops) putting her nursery together. It is finally complete and we are excited about it being ready for her to arrive! Daddy has been wonderful in working hard to make sure that all of her furniture was sanded, painted, distressed, and had a coat of poly. Him and Uncle Rusty put up crown molding and lighting in her room and it is beautiful. Gigi, Pops, and Daddy also helped me clean the house last week so that hopefully we can do a little each day to maintain it and keep it clean. I will post pictures of her room soon.

On Sunday, we had our first baby shower given by some wonderful friends. In fine Texas fashion, we woke up to the ground covered in snow and then yesterday it was 70 degrees again. But the weather did not keep our friends and family away and they got a chance to come over and see Genna's room after the very generous and beautiful shower. I will have to post pics of the shower as well.

Tonight we have our last birthing class. We are watching a video (which terrifies all the daddies in the class) and touring Labor and Delivery in the hospital. Yesterday was an exciting afternoon for us. I went to the restroom right before leaving work and heading to grab some dinner before our class. While I was in there, I felt this big shift, like everything in my body just fell downwards. It didn't hurt, so I didn't think much of it. But during dinner, I had my first real contraction. And then walking into the hospital for class, I had another one. By the time that class was over, Genna was gone! I guess the big shift that I felt was her dropping down and getting ready, because my baby bump was almost non-existent again she had dropped so low. We asked the nurse about it and she could tell that she had dropped but told us not to be worried about the contractions if there were only 4-6 per hour and if I could still feel her moving around. I can still feel her, it is just that all the movement I feel is below my belly button now. When we got home, Daddy packed his bag...but mine is still not packed, yet! I am working on it, though! We hope to get our cars detailed this week so we can go ahead and get the carseats installed. I hope that she comes sooner rather than later, but I know she will come when she is ready!

Ready or not, our lives are getting ready to change...for the better! I'll keep you all posted!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-06T12:20:00.000-06:00

It is hard to believe that it is already 2010! I feel like the last six months have blown by and I am still hanging on trying to get things done in June! But since it is time for us to look forward, I wanted to stop and think back to what the year 2009 held for our family.

January - I was only a few weeks into my new job.

February - We sent our dossier for the adoption off on the 13th and got a new puppy on the same day. Dudley has been a fun addition to our family and Dekker loves (and hates) having a little brother. Also, at the end of the month, we rode our first Amtrak to Fort Worth for my hubby to compete in the Cowtown half marathon and to blow his previous 1/2 time out of the water! It was a fun weekend!

March - We received news that we finally had an official Log-In Date in China for the adoption of 3/3/2009. We also bought a new to us, but used, Tahoe to start preparing for kids!

April - We celebrated four wonderful years of marriage!

May - We took in a Ranger's game on Memorial Day with lots of friends and my hubby celebrated his 36th birthday with a new to us, but used, 2003 Harley V-Rod. It will be his birthday present for years to come!!

June - We took our third trip with Visiting Orphans to China, but the swine flu kept us out of Fushun. We spent 12 days with the beautiful children at Shepherd's Field Children's Village and met some incredible new friends in the process.

July - We braved our first family reunion together since the year we were married and survived. It was a great 4th of July weekend. Plus, we gained three new cousins on the 2nd and love having Jane, Sydni, and Jaymi in our family.

August - We celebrated my birthday at the beginning of the month by taking a weekend trip to the Dallas area and meeting up with a friend from our mission trips. We celebrated big time on the 19th when we found out that we are pregnant for the first time! We also hit a Dallas Cowboys game at the end of the month.

September - Our first doctor's appointment was on the 1st and we started telling our families. We gained another two cousins, Angela and Carmen, on the 5th and celebrated with a big family wedding. We also had our first sonogram to see Baby P-Body.

October - We completed our first update for our adoption home study this month...probably the first update of many. Also, my hubby went dove hunting for the first time with a group of friends and had a great time. I see this being an annual event!

November - Daddy (my hubby), starting preparing for deer season and then hunted all the time. We are glad that January is here and he is back home with us instead of in the woods. We also had our sneak peek sonogram and our doctor told us that he was pretty sure that P-Body was a girl.

December - On the 7th, we found out for sure that P-Body is a girl, Genevieve Kennedy. We celebrated Christmas was all sides of the family including a BIG "F" family Christmas that was full of four girls that made the holidays worth it. We are used to not having any kiddos and then we added Kaitlyn a couple of years ago, but with the addition of three more, Christmas was lively to say the least! Next year, Genna will join in! We also decided that I would take my old job back at the university I worked at and are excited to see what 2010 holds for us...besides diapers and a wonderful bundle of joy.

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to keep you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

Happy 2010!

Genevieve and Daddy

2009-12-18T09:24:00.000-06:00

Last night after rushing around to make sure that I had done everything around the house that I could get done without staying up all night, I finally was able to lay down on the bed. Genevieve started moving like crazy. I guess that maybe I was moving too much when she was trying to be still and now that I was trying to be still, she decided to pay me back by moving all over the place. I laid there with my hand on my belly and felt her moving and told Daddy that he needed to come feel, too. He put his hand there and said he couldn't feel anything and that I was probably just feeling it from the inside and thought that I was feeling it from the outside. He said that everything that he had read said that it was too early for him to feel her. After he brushed his teeth, I told him to come sit and be still and patient, which are two things that are very hard for him. He put his hand back on my belly and then he felt it...several times. Genna knew that her Daddy was there and was showing off for him. He leaned down and started talking to her and asked, "Genna, what are you doing in there?" to which she replied with more moves. With all of her moving around, I am afraid that she is going to be like her Daddy...a little on the ADHD side and always moving!! It was a very sweet moment. Still this morning, she is moving all around. I am excited that I am feeling her move more each day, which lets me know that she is in there and doing okay.

Tonight we have Christmas with Daddy's side of the family and tomorrow we catch a flight to have Christmas with my mom's side of the family...a total of 20.5 people...Genna counts as the .5 since we are more than halfway through the pregnancy. I know that it will be a good weekend. The brothers have to stay home because they are too much trouble to take to Ge's and on the plane, but Uncle Steve is going to take care of them for us. A funny thing happened this morning while I was getting ready. I have had all my presents wrapped and under the tree since Thanksgiving. The boys have not messed with any of them, but this morning, Dudley comes into the bedroom with a present in his mouth. The funny thing is that of all the presents that are under the tree, he picked out his and brought it to me. I guess that he was asking to open it, but he didn't get his chance. Man, I love those dogs and miss them so much even when I just go to work. They are so much fun to come home to!

Pray for us as we have lots going on in our lives right now. Probably more to come on that later, but we have another busy few weeks ahead of us!

Somewhat normal...

2009-12-11T09:49:00.000-06:00

I found out late Thursday afternoon that I will not be heading to Canada next week. I am more than a little relieved. Not that I do not want to go, but right now is not the right time. Looks like it will be the first week of January instead, which makes my life a little more normal, at least for the time being. I have a lot more time to get things done and feel a little more sane and able to handle the holidays. We still have a full schedule, but at least I am home instead of in a different country so hopefully things will be smoother.

We got a new Flip camera over Thanksgiving (which included a 3.5 hour stand-off at Best Buy and me losing my religion more that once in the same day, even after attending church that morning). Never, NEVER shop at the BB in Bossier City. It is a horrible place with horrible employees and ZERO customer service, but I highly recommend Timothy from bb.com because he make a situation that could have been really, really bad for that BB store a lot better for us and I was able to just tell everyone in that store off instead of making an even bigger scene. Anyway, daddy took a video of Genna with the new camera on Monday and I am going to attempt to post it. Patience...this is my first attempt and I have no idea how this is going to go!

The sono tech is telling us all about G and showing us detail which was wonderful for us, but might get a little boring for all of you out there. It is a five minute video so if you really love us, grab some popcorn, click play, and enjoy our baby in black and white. Color version to arrive in late April!

This weekend we went to visit family. It was my mom's birthday and three of our nieces were poppies in the play 'The Wizard of Oz". It was a great weekend and we even got to do a little baby shopping as well, picking up Genna's rocker/bouncer seat (since it is now discontinued), her crib mattress, the blanket that matches her bedding, and a new dress from the Harley shop. Daddy is determined that she is going to "Live to Ride"! Gigi and Pops had their Christmas cantata at church yesterday morning and they did a wonderful job. We were glad that we got to be there to worship with them. Daddy is taking Ge home tonight so our house will be quiet with only our two dogs for the next week at least. We are excited about Christmas with the P family on Friday night and then Christmas with the F family this weekend. We are very blessed with a wonderful family who tries so hard each year to get together so we can see each other. Can't wait!

We are positive...it's Little Miss P-Body!!

2009-12-09T08:35:00.001-06:00

On Monday we had our BIG sonogram. When we got to the office, it was full, which usually is not the case and then while we are waiting two families with new babies came in as well. We waited not so patiently as everyone else's names were called and we wondered why if our appointment was at 10:00 am, why we were not called back since it was now 10:30! Finally, a lady called our name and since I didn't know her, I assumed that she was a new nurse. I handed my purse to my hubby and told him that she was going to weigh me and I probably didn't need to extra weight, but she said, "No weighing today, come on back." Turns out that she was the sono tech and she was wonderful. She went into so much detail about P-Body spending almost half an hour telling us all about the baby. Daddy (my hubby) got to video the sono too so that we can show P-Body to our families. It was amazing to see everything so much more clearly. There was a lot of movement and it was incredible to watch. I don't understand how someone could see a sonogram and wonder how God can exist. Such a wonderful miracle that deserves to have a chance at life. We are blessed and I hope that we can give her a life full of more than what we can imagine for her. God is so good!

Here are some facts about Baby P-Body:

She is a girl! We know for sure and have the pictures to prove it!
She weighs 11.5 ounces.
She is 7.5 inches long, crown to rump.
She is breech, but she did some flip-flops this morning and I could feel them and see them, so maybe she flipped around.
Her stomach is looking good, meaning that she is drinking fluid like she should be.
We could see all the lobes of her brain and ventricles of her heart and all looked good.
We saw her kidneys, liver, fingers, toes, and a whole lot more that I cannot remember.
Her heartbeat was 149.
She moved a lot during the sono. And I'm pretty sure she likes music because the first time that I really felt her move was at church and the organ was loud! She was getting into it.
She likes to have her hands around her face. She has been that way in both sonograms.
When we wanted to see if she was a boy or girl, she put her feet really close together so we couldn't see. Guess that means she is modest like her mommy...not like daddy!
But, she does have a slightly smaller than average head like daddy! Well, daddy's is probably a lot smaller than average, but mommy has a melon head and so mommy has been praying that her head would be small...at least on its way out!
All her measurements are average and she is growing very well at 20 weeks.
The sonogram predicted her due date at April 30, daddy and mommy's 5th anniversary, but since it is only a three day change from the 27th, they left it alone. Her Pops hopes that she waits until May 2 (his birthday) to make her arrival, but mommy would be okay with her coming early as long as she is ready to come out.
She is so very loved and is so much fun already, even if she is not here for us to hug, kiss, and play with yet!

We have decided to name her Genevieve Kennedy, and we will call her Genna (pronounced like Jenna). We are not positive that her middle name will be Kennedy, but pretty sure. (It is going to be a big name for a little girl.) Kennedy was her great-grandmother's maiden name, so it has special meaning. My side of the family will probably call her Genna K (after her Gigi, my mom Kay, and my middle name as well). Genevieve was the only name (boy or girl) that daddy and I could agree on. We like it because it is different and there probably will not be another Genevieve in her class. Daddy came up with Genna, which I loved, too. Her Gigi, being a Kindergarten teacher for too long, is worried about her having to write out Genevieve. She says that all the other kids will be out on the playground and she will still be writing her name. What Gigi doesn't know is that Genna will be the smartest one in her class and will already know how to write her name before she starts school, so it won't be a problem!

I bought some antique furniture for her room this weekend at Canton and was very happy on Monday when they told me she was a girl, especially since I could not take the furniture back! I can't wait to start fixing up her room! We are using black, white, and lime green in her room and here is a look at her bedding.

Note, her room will not look exactly like this, but I hope to get close with a vintage twist since I am probably using my old baby bed, vintage furniture from the 1930s, and daddy's old glider rocker, which was a gift from her Ge, daddy's mom. She already has a lot of clothes (on loan from her little sister, our China Doll) in a variety of sizes, but for the first year, we are going to have to go shopping, because we figured the China Doll will be close to a year old when she arrives so all of the clothes start at 12-month. I am sure that shopping will not be a problem for me or Gigi. I could spend all my money on clothes at Canton alone, but pretty sure that daddy would not approve.

All in all, things are going well and I am exciting about preparing more for her arrival. We can't wait for her to meet everyone!

Counting the days...

2009-12-03T10:05:00.000-06:00

So here it is...December! And obviously I am a few days late in blogging because it is already the 3rd and I am just now realizing it! WOW, is all I can say because we have something every weekend and most weeknights that will fill our whole month, but by the time that December 24 rolls around I hope that all will be complete and I can enjoy some much needed time off. Unfortunately, my time off does not come with a paycheck since I used all my vacation time for China. But we are blessing to have had that experience in the summer. Here is a rundown of all to come...

12/4 - Hubby off to the deer camp for another weekend of hunting and Happy Birthday Chris and Alyssa
12/5 - Meeting my parents to shop in Canton
12/6 - Church and Sunday School Christmas party
12/7 - 20 week sono to know FOR SURE if we are having a girl or boy...and Happy Birthday Brent
12/8 - Mother-in-law coming to stay for awhile
12/9 - Conference Call at work so I'm working late :( and repairs to house from roof leaks :(
12/10 - haircut
12/11 - Heading to visit my parents
12/12 - Happy Birthday Mom and Wizard of Oz play with our nieces as the star munchkins
12/13 - Mom and Dad have their church Christmas Cantata
12/14 - My 6:00 am flight to Toronto, Canada for work...yes Canada in December! Brrrrr
12/15 - Still in Canada
12/16 - Still in Canada and my M-I-L heads to her new house
12/17 - Return from Canada
12/18 - Hopefully a day off and the P family Christmas
12/19 - flight to West Texas for the F family Christmas
12/20 - flight home from West Texas
12/21 - Doctor's appointment for 22 weeks
12/22 - Work, work, work @ work, clean, clean, clean @ home
12/23 - Family heading to our house for Christmas and my last day or work until Jan. 4
12/24 - Day off and Christmas Eve, Silent Christmas Eve service at church
12/25 - Happy Birthday Jesus and Merry Christmas!!
12/30 - haircut
12/31 - New Year's Eve
1/1 - Happy New Year and Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! 37 Years!!
1/3 - Deer Season Ends! Thank the Lord!!
1/4 - Back to work! :(

Luckily, I have almost all of my Christmas shopping done and what I don't have done can be ordered online. Plus, we have so many family Christmases that it typically drags into the new year, but we are doing them all early this year and I am excited that we will finally have a Christmas morning at our house, which I hope to be the trend from here on out. I bought a new tree and all new ornaments and it looks beautiful, especially with all of my wrapped presents under the tree! Blessed that they are all ready to go! My parents and grandparents are all heading to our house for Christmas, which has never happened.

This year we have a special blessing of Baby P-Body. She (or he) is close to being with us, but we are blessed that we get to enjoy the idea of her and can't wait to celebrate with her next year. She is not showing much. I notice it more than anyone else, but I did buy some maternity clothes this weekend...not that I need them. (Daddy and I enjoyed trying on the fake bump at Motherhood Maternity and got a good laugh and what might be to come!) At halfway through this pregnancy, I am ready to see and feel her more, but am blessed that I am feeling better, have not gained any weight (actually lost 6 pounds), and can still fit into all my regular clothes, even some that were too small before I got pregnant! I hope to have some time during my "unpaid" vacation to prepare her room, even though she does not have anything yet! I am sure that between Ge, Gigi, Pops, Nana, Papa Tex, Papa Fisher, and all her aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends, she will have a big Christmas before she even arrives! How blessed we are!

I will post more on Monday once we find out the final verdict on Miss or Mr. P-Body!

That's Miss P-Body to you!

2009-11-17T10:05:00.000-06:00

Well, from the looks of the sonogram yesterday, it looks like we are having a girl. Not at ALL what we thought. This was just a sneak peek sono, not our official one that they will do at 20 weeks, but the doctor was pretty sure the he did not see any boy parts and he pointed out what he thought were girl parts. He said that he has been wrong before, but he was pretty sure that it is a girl. I was shocked, to say the least and that is probably the only thing that I should say. It was a very emotional day. Since we know that we will be getting a little girl from China, I was prepared for a boy and not expecting him to say it was A GIRL, but as long as she is healthy, we will be happy. Even if she is not, we will love her no matter what. Our doctor just said that he guessed our China Doll was going to need a sister to play dolls with someday. I guess he is right. My husband, who is either not disappointed at not having a boy or faked it really well said that God is giving us just what He thinks we need. I don't doubt that...but I am still not buying anything until that next official sono in three weeks...

Sixteen Weeks

2009-11-13T10:58:00.000-06:00

Here are sixteen things about being sixteen weeks pregnant...

Morning sickness (or any sickness) has almost disappeared! I said almost because I still have those "green" moments or episodes when I brush my teeth...but we are getting closer.
I am starting to get some of my energy back. From about week 7-9, maybe 10, I could barely function once I got in from work. I hit the couch or the bed and was out of order for the rest of the night and for at least two weekends I did nothing but lay around. I blame this on the nausea as well, but it is finally coming back.
I am starting to show, a little. I already had a little pooch below my belly button...I am not a stick figure type of gal to begin with, and now the pooch is a little bigger and hard as a rock. Still not wearing maternity clothes, but that will probably change as the pooch grows into a bump.
You learn that you cannot take anything for sickness when you are pregnant. My hubby got sick earlier in the week and was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection and acute bronchitis, so needless to say, we slept in different rooms and have tried to avoid contact with each other. But Wednesday night, I started getting a sore throat and ended up going to the clinic yesterday to find that even though my strep culture came back negative, they are treating me for strep because it can be dangerous for me and the baby. But, they cannot treat you with the medicines that they treat everyone else with so they give you something that they hope will work because your options are pretty much Tylenol and Tylenol...for everything!!
You still have to go to the bathroom a lot even though everybody told me that it would get better when I crossed into the blissful second trimester. I am putting in a request for a port-a-potty to be added to my office!
We hopefully get to find out in a mere two and 3/4 days what our baby is. Monday morning is our appointment so this weekend I will be drinking lots more water (and going to the bathroom a whole lot more, if that is possible) to help get P-Body moving around so we can hopefully see his or her "stuff". I cannot wait! It is like Christmas a month and a half early.
I still crave meat, which has really been my only pregnancy craving. I have always eaten meat, but I am very particular on the meat I eat and am more of a veggie kind of girl. In fact, except for the occasional steak, pre-pregnancy I could have been a vegetarian and have been for months at a time. But now, GO MEAT!! I guess that my body needs the protein. Also, P-Body does not like sugar. Nothing sweet, except tea. So hopefully, that has helped with my chances of diabetes and weight gain.
Speaking of which, my total pregnancy weight gain has been -3 pounds, probably because I have been so sick. I think that will change this month with the pooch and lack of being sick. Hopefully it is just one or two pounds. Pray that it is!!
I have not really started nesting, but I am finding that I want everything in my home that is not something that we use often or that I decorate with out of the house. I want to have a garage sale and declutter everything around me. I have not gotten too far with those thoughts, but figure that we will have one as soon as I can clean.
My priorities have shifted, if only in my mind. I find myself thinking of things that I can do to make life easier, simpler, ways that I can spend time with my family. I am finding the need to eliminate the things that get in the way of that and clutter up our lives. My hubby and I have already discussed things that we will and will not do once the baby is born in terms of extracurricular activities.
I have not bought anything (except diapers) for the baby, but figure that will change soon...like Monday. I figure that once we know what the baby is, let the shopping begin. It just makes things so much easier!
We still cannot decide on names. I know, we have 24 more weeks to go, but I am a planner. We have more girl names that we can agree on than boy names and since we think that P-Body is a boy, that might be a problem. Hopefully when we only have to think of names for one gender, it will help us narrow a name down.
I'm learning that everyone that calls to check on us, really is just calling to check on the baby...and it is not even here yet. I know that it is only going to get worse!
Things might get better in the second trimester, but my mind is still gone. I am usually so good at remembering birthdays, things that I need to do, the grocery list without having to write things down, but since I have been pregnant, I cannot remember much of anything. Hopefully that comes back!
My to do list gets longer and longer...the things that I can remember to write on it!
We are one week closer to holding our precious gift from God in our arms!

Thank You!

2009-11-11T10:43:00.000-06:00

Thank you! Two little words that never seem to sum up our true feelings. Especially for me today. I am not sure what it is, but holidays that we take to remember our troops and our veterans always get me a little emotional and I am not blaming it on the pregnancy.

We typically go to the early service on Sunday mornings as our church. Although, it is sometimes hard to get up early and make it to church by 8:15 am (especially since everyone else in our Sunday School class attends the late service), it has been truly rewarding. The 8:15 service is traditional...meaning that we sing more hymns than praise choruses and we are BY FAR the youngest ones in the service. We love that we have been able to meet and be embraced by this older generation in our church. This past Sunday, I could not have been more proud to sit in "my" pew with my fellow worshipers. Our church family was asked to bring pictures of themselves, their spouses, their parents, children, etc., that have served in the military or are currently serving. They played a slide show that was divided into the branches of the armed services and had a slide for each person, showing their name, their picture in their military uniform, time served, and where they served.

I cried. I looked at the varying ages of the veterans, some that are still currently serving our great nation, and I was overwhelmed. I looked around the church at these wonderful older men who served our country and I was so proud to be where I was and I could not help but cry. After the slide show, one of our pastors asked all that had served in our military to stand. It was so humbling to be in that room with the generation that helped to secure a lot of our freedoms and who probably gave and served the most in our military than any other generation. The pastor asked those who had a spouse or child that was currently serving to stand and then those that had lost a spouse or child while in the line of duty to stand. We clapped for those standing and said thank you...but those two words do not seem like much!

How can two words replace years of protecting the freedoms that we have as Americans, even the freedom for me to go to church and be in the same place as many of the men and women who put their lives on the line? How can two words make up for the horrible things that they had to witness to protect all the opportunities that we have been given? How can two words make up for all the time that they have had to spend away from their families? How can two words replace those who gave their lives to serve?

I am so proud of the country I live in, mainly for the men and women who serve and make it what it is. The dedication and sacrifice that you give on a daily basis will not go unnoticed by me. I am proud to say that I am the daughter and granddaughter of veterans. And I pray that my children know what honor and respect that our service men and women deserve for all they have done to make each day worth living.

I cannot think of this day and not think of the parallels between our men and women in the military and of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave the ultimate sacrifice of all when He died on the cross to take our sins away. He served. He gave. He died. And He is still alive today and all of my past, present, and future rests in His hands. He who gave us the freedom to choose Him. He who is the giver of life. He who is all.

So today, find a veteran and thank them for what they have done. Sometimes if you hear it enough, two words are enough.

Also, take the time to thank God, the ultimate giver of all blessings! He enjoys hearing those two words, as well.

13 Week Doctor Appointment

2009-10-20T10:16:00.000-05:00

Here are the highlights from my doctor's appointment yesterday.

I was able to hear Baby P-Body's heartbeat for the first time. The last visit we just got to see it. What a wonderful sound!
I lost three pounds since my last visit four weeks ago. I had gained no weight last month so we are at -3 pounds for the dreaded pregnancy weight gain. Hooray!!
I got my H1N1 shot.
I go back in four weeks at week 17 and we are going to try to sneak a peek to see (for sure) what P-Body is before Thanksgiving. But I will still have my regular sono at 19 weeks, as well.

And I have many more friends that are joining the mommy club (most not for the first time) so congratulations to Erin R., Sara F., Janae, Catie, Kory, Melanie S., Carrie, Jenny, and Rena (who both already know they are having girls!). I still have many friends who are waiting for their little ones, but now, most of them know what they are having. Kelly, Melissa F., Sarah B., and Melanie D. are all having boys. And Kirsten, April, Melissa U., and Christina are leaving it a surprise. Also, congrats to Bambi, Lena, Kristen R., Kristen B., Jennifer R., and Lacee on their new little boys and Lana, Sarah B., Shannon, Jennifer F., and Tracey on their new little girls. And to Sarah W. and Dana on their new little girls...and I didn't even know that they were expecting. We are all going to be busy really soon!

An Update

2009-10-19T11:39:00.000-05:00

Well, I have been waiting to blog because I wanted to update some pictures, but my laptop is sick and I have no idea when it will be fixed so for now, words will have to do.

It is hard to believe that half of October is already gone. I am ready for Christmas and the truth is that it will be here before we know it. Since it has been a couple of months since I posted, let me catch you up on our lives.

On August 19, my hubby's brother had to be admitted into the hospital for a severe infection. It was a scary day, but also an exciting day. We took a test that morning and found out that we were four weeks pregnant. We kept it to ourselves until the doctor had confirmed it and on September 1, we started telling our family. My mother-in-law was staying with us so she was one of the first to know. I headed out that weekend for a wedding in Amarillo and was able to tell my family then. We are so excited to meet Baby P-Body and up until we started telling everyone, I felt great.

But since then, morning sickness has struck at all hours of the day, along with those other little joys of pregnancy like headaches, constipation, random cases of hiccups, lack of energy, food aversions, etc. Wow! Who would have thought that something currently the size of a peach could make you feel so bad. Luckily, my doctor has put me on medication for the nausea and as long as I take it on a pretty strict schedule, I am usually alright. I still have one episode of nausea a day, but after not keeping anything down for close to two weeks, I am relieved to have just one.

We went to the doctor on Sept. 18 and were able to see little P-Body and a very strong heartbeat. It was very neat to see and I wanted to post the pictures that we have, but until my computer is fixed, you will have to take my word for it. It was a relief to see something in there and to know that he or she is doing well. I go back today for just a regular checkup, but I am praying that they go ahead and schedule my next sonogram for the week of Thanksgiving so we can find out what the baby is before the holiday. We are anxious to know. So anxious that we decided to take an Intelligender test to see if it would give us a clue. The results are supposed to be 82% accurate. We took it this morning and it said that we are having a BOY! We are not going to paint the room or make any big decisions until we know for sure from our doctor, but it is fun to have an idea of what it might be.

Other that that (and is there really anything else) our months have consisted of visiting with family, preparing for hunting season, a weekend of dove hunting (hubby), a weekend of Canton (me), packing up some stuff for a possible garage sale, Sunday School party, Race for the Cure, dinner with friends, traveling for work, football games, and anything else that we can cram into our free time.

I promise that I will post more frequently and hopefully add pictures soon...

Soon!

2009-10-02T15:56:00.001-05:00

I know that it has been forever since I have blogged, but I have really good excuses...I promise to update soon for anyone that still reads this!

My first...

2009-08-31T15:39:00.000-05:00

Early Saturday morning we headed out to Dallas with a couple of friends to my first Dallas Cowboys football game. It was in the new stadium which made it that much better. First we met a group of my old friends for lunch, which was great. You never really realize how much you miss people until you only get to be with them for a short amount of time. They are all amazing people and it was wonderful to get together.

We stopped off at our hotel and had a quick nap before making our way towards the stadium. We made a pit stop at Whataburger as to not leave all of our money at the concession stand at the stadium. Surprisingly, there was little traffic and we only had to pay $30 for parking. I say only because we were told to expect $75. We had a little over 1/2 a mile to walk to the stadium, but it was fine. Here is one of our first peeks at the stadium on our hike...

The stadium really was incredible. And we had pretty good seats. We were in section 215, seats 1-4. We were right next to reserved seating, but didn't have to pay their prices. Here is the view from my seat.

The most amazing thing was the MEGA JUMBOTRON. This thing is 60 yards long. Amazing. And we found ourselves watching it more than watching the live game. I probably only watched 10 or so plays on the field. On the MEGA JUMBOTRON (by the way, I made up this name) you can see Romo's sweat up close. And just by cheering, we made it on the MEGA JUMBOTRON, although I could not get a picture quick enough. But we were famous for a minute there... A pic of the MEGA JUMBOTRON.

They announced the players at the start of the game and all the cheerleaders and even a little fire show brought them running out on the field. I had to hold hubby back from running out among the cheerleaders himself!

And this cute little girl group from Lubbock, the Cactus Cuties, sang the National Anthem and did an incredible job.

And here is me and my love at the game. We had such a good time and a good weekend away. I enjoyed going to the game with him. He was in awe of everything...and he's been to a game, but the stadium really was impressive. His having fun made it that much more fun for me. I love him so much!!

After the game we had no traffic on our way back to the hotel, but we stayed up a LOT later than usual to watch some sports highlights. It was almost 1:00 am by the time we went to bed and I was excited about being able to sleep late on Sunday morning. But...my beauty sleep was interrupted by the fire alarm at our hotel at 8:00 am. So much for sleeping in. Instead we grabbed breakfast, came back and got ready, and headed out for a fun filled afternoon and the drive home. Too bad weekends can't be five days long and work weeks two days!

Today is the first day of the rest of my life...

2009-08-19T09:08:00.000-05:00

What am I going to do with it?

Good question! One thing, I am determined to try to make it one of the best days of my life for no other reason than because I can. I have so many blessing that I cannot overlook another day that God has given me to be what He wants me to be and do what He wants me to do.

It is a wonderful day!

Hard to think that August is already half over. We have had a full month and it just keeps going. We met up with my parents last weekend and had a great day, then we explored some area that I had never been to before. We like those adventures. This weekend, we have nothing special planned, except a visit from the Direct TV man to help us with the receiver in our bedroom and probably a little working around the house. Next week holds a massage (I'm so excited!), haircut, dr. appointment (not as excited), lunch with friends, and a Dallas Cowboys game! The weekend after that, I am West Texas bound to watch my cousin get married. So exited for that weekend because (even though my hubby has to work) I get to see my entire family, which usually only happens once a year. Most of them, I have not seen since Christmas. There are 5 new additions that I have yet to meet and I am looking forward to seeing them all. By that time, it will be September...

Wow, time flies! Make the most of it!

All You Ever Wanted To Know About Me...

2009-08-12T16:46:00.000-05:00

I was challenged to do this by a blogging friend and so I will challenge my readers to the same. Let me know when you post yours!

I AM...a child of God!

I WANT...to feel like I am doing something that makes a difference in the world for the things that I believe in!

I HAVE...too much fat! Hate it!

I KEEP...wishin' and hopin' and thinkin' and prayin'!

I WISH I COULD...be a stay-at-home mommy!

I FEAR...what might happen within our country under the current administration.

I HEAR...people around me that I wish I didn't know!

I DON"T THINK... people really know what I think and /or feel inside.

I REGRET... being 31 and feeling like I have not accomplished much!

I LOVE...God, my husband, my family, my friends, and my furry children. Oh, and China!

I AM NOT...going to let circumstances keep me from my goals!

I DANCE...with my dogs when no one is watching and in the car with my husband to a good song on the radio.

I SING...in the car, by myself, because it is horrible and at church very quietly as to not embarrass myself any further!

I NEVER...want to look back and say, "I wish I would've/could've."

I CRY WHEN I WATCH...old people together, two people become parents for the first time, and troops reunited with their families. And usually any movie or show where an animal dies.

I AM NOT ALWAYS...perfect! Can you believe that?

I HATE THAT...there are children in this world that have never had a mommy or daddy kiss them goodnight, hug them, tell them that they are special, or know that Jesus loves them.

I'M CONFUSED ABOUT...my future and why I cannot do something that I love to do.

I NEED...to lose weight!

I SHOULD...really do something about that last one!

31 and counting!

2009-08-04T11:30:00.000-05:00

Back to the real world after a good birthday weekend away...why are Monday's so hard? We just went to Dallas for the weekend, but we didn't want to tell anyone because our family lives an hour from the area. We love our family, but we wanted a weekend together to do what we wanted to do and go where we wanted to go without having to try to carve in time for everyone else. It was nice.

Friday afternoon, we headed out after work. We made a quick stop by a mall and then headed to one of our favorite spots for dinner, Freebirds. We are not fancy people! It was so close to our hotel and usually we would get it to go, but we decided to eat there and enjoy it. It was starting to lightning outside, but instead of heading to our hotel, we hit a Half-Price Books, which might be one of our new favorite stores. I am reading anything that I can get my hands on and I found two books that I have been waiting for in our local libraries. Plus, I got them for $1 each! We went and checked in to our hotel about the time that the winds started getting bad. We opened our blinds on the ninth floor and enjoyed a lightning show and a view of Dallas.

Saturday morning (early) we headed to McKinney for my hubby to have a foot reading. I was not sure what a foot reading was before then, but they stand you on this big scanner and scan your feet to see how you walk on them. It was at a running store and a shoe company sponsored it. They told him what shoes that he needed to get (which he did get) along with a few other details. I stood by and watched. Then we met up with Teura, a friend of ours who went to China with us the last two years. She is from Utah and was there with her family for her sisters to compete in a pageant. T had been there for over a week and had not been anywhere except her hotel. She was leaving that day, but as we were enjoying breakfast, her dad called and said that they were going to stay another day. So, we kidnapped T and took her to some of our favorite places (which mostly involved food). On the list...Popcorn Papa, the Nestle Tollhouse shop, Frulatti, Sprinkles Cupcakes, and California Pizza Kitchen.

After we dropped her off at her hotel, we headed to Grapevine Mills and to Southlake for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Yum! Sunday we slept in later than usual (meaning 7:00 am) and then took our time going through Central Market. We discussed how we hate our local grocery store and how we should start making monthly trip to CM to get groceries. We both love, Love, LOVE it! After a quick run through Richardson Bike Mart, lunch at P.F. Changs, at shopping at Northpark (complete with hubby's first straight razor shave) we headed home. (Hubby got a lot more than I did this weekend so next year on his birthday, I get to celebrate! And, I didn't get a Harley for my birthday, either! Help me remind him of all of this next year!) Our furry children were so glad to see us, but Monday was only a few short hours away!

Yesterday was my actual birthday and it came and went without any fanfare, which I am totally okay with. Since I was working, it did not even seem like it was my birthday, which is probably better. I do not think that 31 is old, but I am realizing that it is older than I sometimes think that I am. I joke that I am on the wrong side of 30 now or that I can no longer say that I am 30, but in my thirties. It could be worse! Like my hubby says, I would rather be old than take the dirt nap. So here's to another year and hopefully some good changes before next year rolls around!

Too long...

2009-07-29T15:58:00.000-05:00

I realize that it has been a while since I have blogged, but since our return from China, I am still finding it hard to get back into the real world...or get caught up. Here are a few things that have been going on around here...

July 4th weekend we headed to Brownwood to visit my side of the family for a little family reunion. We spent time with my grandparents and extended family. It was so great to see everyone and get caught up. Some of them we have not seen in years and they all have little kids running around this time. I think that I am the only cousin who is married that does not have kids, and unfortunately, I am one of the oldest. We had a great time, but we were glad to be back in our own bed after one very long night on Nana and Papa Tex's pull out bed that we figure was made for a 10-year old kid, not two 36 and 30 year old adults. Needless to say, I visited the chiropractor the week after...thank you, Dr. Glaze!
We returned to my mother-in-law who was saying in our house over the weekend. She came the day we left (Friday) and left on Monday. My parents then came down and stayed Monday night and brought us our furry children, who we had not seen in three weeks. I missed those little guys. Dudley had a little operation while we were gone and it seems now he is now missing a couple of things as well. We had our house to ourselves on Tuesday night and then my mother-in-law returned Wednesday and stayed until Saturday. We love our family, but after being gone for 11 days and then not having any time to get adjusted back before a week full of company, we are ready to lock the doors at Hotel de Peteet!
The weather has not been too bad here so we have enjoyed several Harley rides on the new bike. We usually head out late in the evenings on the weekends to enjoy the backroads. Last Saturday after working around the house, we rode out to the lake, across the dam, and to dinner. We both love those nights when we can hop on the bike and blow the day away.
I went to Dallas for a business trip last week. It was only for three days, but I happened to be there at the same time as a good friend from Missouri, Melissa. I took a cab from my hotel and met her at the Galleria. I got there a little before she did so I was able to shop a little. We met her for the first time last year in China. She went on our trip with Visiting Orphans. She did not get to go this year because she is pregnant with her little miracle baby. What a great excuse...
Speaking of pregnant, I have 19 friends who are expecting. YES, 19! Wow! One of them was to be induced last weekend, but I have not heard. It too was another miracle baby. Also, another friend gave birth to her little boy last week. Most of them are due later this fall or early next year and I am so excited. One of them is my best friend who is about 12 1/2 weeks along. Last week they thought that they saw "boy parts" in the sonogram, but it may be a little to early to tell. And her sister gave birth earlier this month in the elevator at the hospital! So congratulations (in no certain order) to Bambi, Lena, April, Kristen R., Lana, Kristen B., Kirsten S., Melissa F., Kelly, Jennifer F., Melissa U., Sarah B., Melanie, Christina, Shannon, Jennifer R., Lacee, Tracey, and Sarah S. It might be a long hot summer for some of these girls! (I think that you need to get pregnant in the summer so you don't have to go through it, but for those miracle and surprise babies...get that plan doesn't work!)
I am in an adoption swap group with 11 other ladies (one of them being Ana who went to China with us and who I LOVE!) and each month we swap different things for our little girls that we are in the process of adopting. In April, we did a baby shower in a box and sent spring items. In May, we swapped things for Mom since it was around Mother's Day. In June we swapped patriotic items to celebrate the upcoming holiday. In July, we swapped out favorite books when we were children, and in August we are swapping onesies with all eleven members of the group. (Hence, the shopping at the Galleria.) We are also swapping quilt squares for quilts for our little girls. It is such a neat thing to do and I have received such cute things!
We are heading out of town this weekend for a much needed weekend away where no one knows where we are. It will not be much, but we just need to be alone and away from things. Next Monday is going to bring some much needed changes...more to come on that later! But we do hope to catch up with one friend this weekend and she is worth giving up a little R & R time for! Can't wait to see, T!
I am in the mood once again for projects, organizing, and cleaning. I started a little this past weekend, but could use a couple of weeks off to get where I want to be. Not seeing that coming anytime soon! I am also reading as much as I can. I have been reading through the Bible and just started Isaiah. I need to read Proverbs every month! WOW!
August holds our weekend away, lunch with friends in Dallas at the end of the month, and a late night Cowboys game in the new stadium that same night. Exciting! Not looking forward to the walk from the car to the stadium, but hopefully it will be worth the jog. Labor day finds me heading to Amarillo for my cousin, Stephen's, wedding. Also, my cousin, Brian, married at the beginning of the month! Our family is growing from 6 grandsons, 2 granddaughters, and a great-granddaughter to 6 grandsons, 4 granddaughters, and 4 great-granddaughters in a matter of months. Poor Papa better get his checkbook ready! Kidding, Papa...well, kind of!

Guess that is all that is going on around here (and isn't that enough!). Stay tuned...I will try to be a better blogger!

He Knows My Name

2009-07-13T09:47:00.000-05:00

This video was created by a friend of one of our team members. She took a bunch of our group's pictures from Facebook and combined them all to make this video. It is exactly what I needed to see on this Monday morning.

Please pray for us as well as our team members. You may not understand, but we are all having a hard time getting back into the groove of "real life" after what we have experienced in China. And we all have very real things going on around us. But we also know that we have a BIG God who has a plan for each one of us.

He knows each one by name!

2009-07-02T10:23:00.000-05:00

We are back from China, but still not "home". Home is where your heart is. For the third time in as many years, we have made it back safely, but not without disruption. That disruption is in our hearts and in our lives and for this control-freak, this disruption is welcome. I welcome the times that I am changed from the inside out. I welcome times that God breaks my heart so I can see a tiny glimpse of what He sees every day. I welcome this longing to not be the same when I return and to be able to know that He is not finished with me or with China.

I will post more about our trip later, but my emotions are still in another time zone. Today, I will only post these pictures. They, to me, represent China more than the Great Wall, more than the Ming Tombs, more than the Forbidden City. They are the reason I go to China.

You might see 77 little pictures, but I see Aubrey, Cristina, Gregg, Holly, Fred, Seth, Kathy, Josiah, Joy, Brent, Tristan, and others. They are not just pictures, they are real kids at Shepherd's Field Children's Village. SO real to me, in fact, that I know that,

Robert, who we met in Fushun last year, now has use of his right arm instead of it being considered "clubbed" like his feet!
Kennedy has a hard time holding up his head due to his hydrocephalus, but his mind is sharp and he loves to sing "Jesus Loves Me" over and over! He is also a big flirt!
Jamison is a burn victim and lost his family during and because of the accident, but by the grace of God, his new adoptive father is a firefighter who loves him because of who he is, not what he looks like. He will soon be the big brother to three boys in the U.S.!
Jacob-Jai has a clubbed foot, but doesn't let it slow him down. He runs, climbs, and plays like everyone else and is one of the sweetest kids I have ever met.
Stacy, who is 19 and was also burned in an accident and abandoned afterwards, is so talented. She knits beautiful sweaters and baby outfits to sell at the store at PHF to help her be productive and learn money management skills. I am proud to own a sweater that she made and proud to know her!
Rae Anne is considered special needs because she was a preemie, but is now 2 1/2 and perfect with a head full of hair, pouty lips, and a cute little mole below her right eye. She will always be in my heart!
Grady walks with two crutches, but threw them down in the middle of singing "Jesus Loves Me" so he could do the motions to the line, "I am weak, but He is strong!" Amen, Grady! I pray that the family from America that has fallen in love with him will soon get to bring him home and see what an incredible kid he is!
Wendy is in a wheelchair, but is fiercely independent. She is so beautiful and talented. She cross-stitches items for the store at PHF and can play the piano in an amazing way. She thinks that she cannot do anything and has low self-esteem, but has so much to offer the world. We saw a little break-through in her while we were there and God has now provided a great couple to help bring her out of her shell and realize her worth!
Cody has never met a stranger and always have a smile on his face. He loves bubbles, balls, and being held. Is is easy to forget his Downs Syndrome when you see him being a mischievous boy who loves life!
And Ling Ling, a 16 year old who has the mind of a child. She has a love for life and everything in it. She does not let the world bother her and has a joy in life that we should all strive to have!

These kids are not no-names half-way across the world. They are real and they have forever changed me. Before we left, we thought that this trip would be our last, but now we are not so sure. We see what PHF and these children are doing and we want to see how we can be a bigger part of it. Here is where it starts. We have sponsored two kids from here for the last two years, you can do the same. Believe me, this place is incredible and they need sponsors to help provide for these special kids who their society considers the least. Please visit their website and prayerful consider giving. Let these kids touch your heart and learn what they have to give. It could be the beginning of a disruption in your own life as well.

And we're (almost) off!

2009-06-15T12:46:00.000-05:00

Counting down until 4:00 when I will leave work and we will be on our way. Tomorrow morning we board flights to our new home away from home...at least for the next 11 days. After a lot of changes, up in the air destinations, and finally a peace, we are heading to Shepherd's Field Children's Village for our time in China. We have been before, but were only able to stay for a few hours so this will be a new experience. We know that great things are in store. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Trip to somewhere...

2009-06-10T12:19:00.000-05:00

We were relieved a couple of weeks ago when we found out that we were allowed to go back to Fushun this year. The swine flu had interfered with out plans, but we were blessed by this news. But, on Monday (yes, two days ago), we found out that Fushun has once again be closed to us. There are ten reported cases of swine flu in the Liaoning province so they will not let us in. It is a huge disappointment, to say the least, but it is even worse because we leave in six days and we have no idea where we are going. Our original plan was to stay at Shepherd's Field, outside Beijing, for the first two nights we are there and then fly to Fushun. We now have two options, but we are not sure how either of them are going to work. And we have not heard anything since Monday. Stress? Nah, no stress here. Not me and my OCD self. NOTHING is packed. NOTHING is planned. NOTHING is concrete. Not to mention that between work, family visiting, appointments, emotions, and life in general, we have a very full week. I DO know that I am not in control, which is hard for me, but Someone greater is and He is going to send us where He wants us.

Our options are to stay at Shepherd's Field for the duration of our time in China. That is, if they have the time and space to accommodate us for that long. Since this is last minute and they plan other groups to visit, we are not sure if this is a possibility. The second option is to go to an orphanage in Heng Feng. It is in a rural area and they need a lot of help. A group from Visiting Orphans is there now and things are going great. And it is pretty much all babies. If you have been reading my blog any, you know I have baby fever, so I am pulling for this place so I can get my baby fix. Plus, with us having a large group of about 16 people, I think that we could be a lot of help to them, even if it is just giving the nannies a break. VO is afraid to plan for us to go here in case they shut it due to the swine flu. So here we are, six days out. All we know is that we are going on a trip to somewhere!

The new bike!

2009-06-05T15:55:00.001-05:00

The previous pictures that I posted were some stock pictures that I found of a V-Rod. Although it is similar looking to ours, here is a real pic.

Not the greatest since my hubby was still learning how to use his new iPhone, but you get the idea. He wanted to make sure that the new pipes were showing. They sound great, but I prefer the look of the stock pipes. They are prettier! Ha!

Once we got home, we took the boys for a ride. Not really, but they did get to try out the new seat before mom did.

Dudley in front and Dekker in back. I love my furry kids!

Three months down...at least 34 more to go!!

2009-06-03T11:05:00.000-05:00

Today is our three month log-in anniversary for our adoption. Not much going on, just makes me think about how much longer that we have to wait. It is going to be a long time...

We pick up the "new" Harley today if the rain stays away. The guy from the shop said that it looks "killer" with the new pipes and sounds "incredible". Isn't that really what it is all about!?! Guess I just don't get it. But I am sporting orange and black for the occasion...purely by accident.

We bought tickets today for a Dallas Cowboys game with a couple of great friends. I am excited about that. And we are also meeting a group of our friends that day for lunch. Some of them I have not seen in a couple of years. We don't live that far apart, but life aways gets in the way. Glad that we can make the time to get together.

Had dinner with two of my favorite people last night and am so blessed to have their friendship. It is so great to have people that you can talk to about pretty much anything. I love those girls! Also, know lots of people who are expecting babies over the next few months. At least ten I can name off the top of my head! So exciting...but I am not one of them!

Thirteen days and counting until our trip to China. I am getting excited and already feel the need to pack. The next couple of weeks will be busy with family reunions, Sunday School parties, greeting at church, haircuts, doctor appointments, family visiting, and more. I know that I need to start getting things together now and have a To-Do list that is a mile long. It will all come together like always and we are going to have to get by with less this year because they have cut us to one checked bag each! Packing will be a true test.

Not much else going on, so I figure that is enough of my rambling today! Happy Wednesday!

Oh, Happy (Birth)Day!

2009-05-29T12:42:00.000-05:00

Two years ago I posted this. I was wishing my hubby a Happy Birthday and told him because he never reads my blog that I was going to trade in his Harley Sportster for a V-Rod (which happens to be my favorite Harley because it is pretty, although I have been told that I cannot call it that!). It was a joke because he never reads my blog and so I got off scott-free!

Well, it is his birthday again and this time, he got his wish. He is (although it is not in his possession yet) the proud new owner of a new (to him) 2003, Harley Davidson, 100th Anniversary Edition, VRSC V-Rod. I am sure that this will be his best birthday ever and I can fairly say that I will never again be getting him a Harley for his birthday present. Actually, it is not a bad deal because we traded one for the other. It just cost me a few accessories and one was a new hiney-friendly seat for me. And, this would be my bike of choice. I have said that since I saw it back in 2003, so I am okay with the trade. I might even have to take the safety course and make it "my" new bike as well!

So Happy Birthday, honey! I hope that it is your best one yet and that you know how much I love you and how much Dekker and Dudley love you. And I am sure that if we had "real" kids, they would love you, too. (Hint! Hint!) Enjoy your new toy and remember that my birthday is only about two months away...start saving! I want something pretty as well.

Nostalgic...

2009-05-28T09:01:00.000-05:00

Five years ago today, I was here. It was my first visit to New York City and a memorable one at that. I saw and experienced so much in my first day there. Riding the NY subway for the first time. Seeing Ground Zero and being filled with emotion. Boarding the Staten Island Ferry in the rain and catching a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty through the fog. Standing by the bull in front of the New York Stock Exchange. Walking halfway across the Brooklyn Bridge. Experiencing Chinatown. Eating a hot dog on the curb in Times Square. Riding a horse drawn carriage through Central Park. But this place, Bethesda Fountain, holds special memories. I walked down the stairs to a little spot in the upper left of this picture, almost right under the white banner. And I walked away with a ring on my left hand and a best friend for life.

Recapping the weekend...

2009-05-27T11:34:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful long weekend, but it is never long enough. Saturday morning we got up and ate breakfast, only to end up falling asleep a few minutes later on the couch and chair. We finally got motivated about 11:00 am and I went out to put the last coat of paint on a door that I was refinishing and my hubby cleaned up his Harley. We decided to go into town and catch a matinee movie. We made it in for $10, but by the time that we grabbed something for "lunch" it ended up being a $31 date. We headed to gas up for our trip to the Ranger's game and made a stop by the Harley shop. Big mistake...more to come on that later. We grabbed a few groceries and headed home to grill some yummy steaks for dinner.

Sunday we went to church and then ran to see if a local store had Nathan's hot dogs (because nothing else will do!) and I found a cute bag in the process. We went home, ate our leftover steak for lunch, hung the door (which looks beautiful and I will share pictures later) and then my hubby headed to the deer lease. Since we were going to the Ranger's game with a big group including kids, I figured that I would make cupcakes and cookies for the tailgating party. It turned into a bake-a-thon. I broke in our double ovens with two dozen cupcakes, three dozen peanut butter cookies, three dozen chocolate chip cookies, and almost two and a half dozen of these...

I bought this cookie cutter the other day (that is 5 inches wide) so I could make these for our China kids and take them with us. I decided that the Ranger's group would be my test subjects. I ended up getting 28 cookies from a couple of batches of sugar cookie dough. By the time that my hubby returned from the lease, I had turned into Betty Crocker and our counter was full of yummy treats. We went over to some friend's house for dinner (where we ended up buying a smoker that they had in their garage sale pile) and when we got home, the icing commenced. I made my first ever double batch of royal icing and we both got into action. This is not a perfect specimen, but it is pretty cute if I do say so myself. Hubby did all the stars, while I started icing the cupcakes. We were beat by the time that we finished and 5:45am came pretty a little too soon!

Monday we headed out to meet everyone for our trek to The Ballpark. We ended up not taking our car and rode with friends and four kids (2 junior highers and 2 elementary kiddos...not too overwhelming!). We met up with everyone (25 of us all together) and fired up the grill. After stuffing the kids full of hotdogs and cookies (which were a hit) and the adults full of burgers, we cleaned everything up, left the grill smoking, and headed in with just minutes to spare. In fact, we had just arrived at third level (we were in the nosebleed section) when they had the moment of silence and the National Anthem. On the last line of the Star Spangled Banner, four Texas Army National Guard helicopters did a fly over the stadium. Talk about impressive! You couldn't help but cheer for the country we live in, the people who fought for our right to live here, and the men and women who continue to serve on our behalf. Then the Yankee's started playing some ball. I say the Yankee's, because the Ranger's didn't really show up that day. The final score was 11-1 and we missed the only run by making our exit in the bottom of the ninth. They did come back and beat the Yankee's last night, but Monday's game was great anyway!
I only took a few pictures, but I was most impressed with the star that the groundskeeper put between the baselines. My hubby said that he is going to try this in our front pasture...sure! This picture is right after the Ranger's tagged A-Rod out. He is trotting back to the dugout. We were only about eight rows from the top of the stadium, but if we were three rows lower, we would have spent the day roasting in the sun. We hiked our way back down the ramps, picked up the semi-cool grill (surprise, it was still there) and headed for home. We were all wiped from the day, but it was a fun one. The kids slept most of the way home and the adults played name that song with the iTouch. Can't beat a happy ending!

Random (Picture) Wednesday

2009-05-20T15:03:00.000-05:00

Back when I started this blog I started "Random Picture Wednesday" where I would post pictures of random things and then slowly relate how they fit into life. Figured it was time to do that again...
Memorial Day is only a few days away and I am thankful to have the day off this year. Although I always had several days off at my previous job, Memorial and Labor days were not among those unless I wanted to give up some vacation time. This year, I get it off for free. We plan on using our extra day to watch the Texas Rangers take on the New York Yankees. I'm not much of a baseball fan, but who can resist carpooling three hours with some of your closest friends and a whole bunch of people that you really don't know that well, tailgating in the parking lot with Nathan's hot dogs and maybe some burgers from Central Market (if I can find one close), and enjoying a day that many people have given their lives for...a day that I am free to make my own decision on what I want to do! There is a reason that it is called Memorial Day. Take time on Monday (wherever you are) to stop and think about the many people who gave their lives to make our country free. Pray for our troops that are trying to give others that same freedom, pray for our country as we desperately need God's guidance in every step we take right now, and thank God for all of your blessings. I know that I am!

On that note, here are some things that I am blessed to be able to do right now...

Continue on with our adoption knowing that it will be probably the longest wait of our lives. I know without a doubt that in the end, it will all be worth it. We may wait 10 months or 10 years, but one day, we will hold our China Doll and know that she was meant to be ours!
Give thanks for my sweet hubby who takes care of me and does everything he can to make me happy. He is such a blessing and meant for me. I am glad that I can slow down enough to enjoy him lately.
Love on my two furry children. Dekker and Dudley have their own special section of my heart. They are so different, but so exactly like my husband and myself. They help make our family complete...at least for now!
Have a job! Many people right now cannot say that and I am blessed that I have one that is better preparing me for the future, whatever that might be. I am blessed that I am able to take off for our mission trip after only being here for six months.
Enjoy my family and friends who are always a constant source of fun, support, blessings, and faith.
Trust God! I know that it is only He that holds me in the palm of His hands. He knows all my fears, desires, shortcomings, and loves me anyway. I know that He has more in store for me than I can imagine!

Enjoy!

Prayer works...keep praying!

2009-05-18T08:46:00.000-05:00

We found out more about our trip through a conference call on Friday night. On Thursday we received an e-mail from our team leader that said that China has closed all the Social Welfare Institutes (government run orphanages) to foreigners due to a case of the swine flu. I have to admit that I did not full on panic, but all these scenarios started running through my head. We are not going to go...they are going to cancel the trip...or change the dates, which means that there is a possibility that we could not get off work. The list goes on and on. Why do I worry? God is in control!

On Friday we learned that we are still going forward with our plans. We hope that China will lift the ban, but if not, we are coming up with alternatives. There is another group from Visiting Orphans that leaves about ten days ahead of us. We are waiting to see what path they have to take. Here is our game plan. We are continuing on to Fushun as originally planned. If the ban is not lifted, we will extend our stay at Philip Hayden and then visit Maria's Big House of Hope (part of Steven Curtis Chapman's ministry). I feel much better about the situation now. And although I want to see the kids in Fushun again, (especially since this might be our last time for awhile) I know that God will send us where He needs us. Please continue to pray for our trip. it is in His hands. (Four weeks from tomorrow!!)

Stand in the gap...

2009-05-15T09:37:00.001-05:00

I need some prayer warriors out there to stand in the gap right now and pray about our China trip! I do not know much right now, but it involves swine flu. Pray hard! God is listening...

Five weeks...and counting!

2009-05-12T13:48:00.001-05:00

We leave for China five weeks from today. Five weeks! 35 days! Wow! I am not prepared at all! Usually by this time, my office/closet is packed with all kinds of stuff. I have not shopped, yet for this trip. I did get in gear a little bit yesterday and start planning teh stuff that I need to order. It is hard for me to believe that it is so close.

This is going to be an incredible trip. I know that from past experiences, but this year is also going to be a little hard, too. We feel like God is telling us to go this year, but we also feel like He is telling us that this is going to be our last year to go for awhile. It is hard to think about that because these people, this orphanage has become so much a part of our lives. They have changed our thinking, our perspective, and our approach to many things just by being themselves. And God did so much in our lives by going on these trips and has allowed us to meet so many people who we now call friends. There is a reason that God takes us on journeys, a reason He tell us yes or no, a reason that He is sometimes silent. We make up the dreams in our head about how something should go, but we serve a God who's love picks up where dreams leave off. That is our God. We dreamed of a trip, but thank God that His plans are bigger than our dreams! I know that once again, He will be waiting for us when we arrive...

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-08T07:58:00.001-05:00

Since I typically do not post on the weekends, I thought that I would go ahead and wish a Happy Mother's Day to everyone. I have several special people in my life who are mother's. Of course my own mom, my Grams and Nana, my great-grandmother's, Granny Seigler, my mother-in-law, my hubby's grandmother, my aunts, cousins, sister-in-laws, and friends. Each time I think of these people, I think of the kind of woman they are, what they have taught me, what they continue to teach me, and what I can learn from them. I am amazed and blessed by the kinds of examples that the women I know set for me.

I was reading on my cousin's blog the other day about the Proverbs 31 woman. I have always heard these verses growing up, but probably the most memorable time I can remember hearing them was at my Grams' funeral. She was a shining example of the Proverbs 31 woman. She was not perfect, but she was so close you could not tell! She loved her God, her husband, her family, and her friends so much and lived out God's love in those relationships. The verse that we used at our wedding (which is at the bottom of my blog) is 1 John 4:12, "No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God lives in us and His love is perfected in us." To me that relates to the Proverbs 31 woman. She loves her God and her family and others around her so much that people can see God and His love through her.

So to borrow from Sommer's blog (who borrowed it from another friend), this is my new prayer for each day.

I want to be the woman who's husband trusts her, who does him good and not harm all the days of her life, who works with willing hands, who rises before everyone else to take care of needs like clothing and food, a woman who dresses herself with strength physically and spiritually, one who works until the work is done, the one who keeps things steady, who helps the needy, who makes herself appealing for her husband, one who is proud of her husband and lets people know it, who has much dignity, one who overflows with wisdom and has a kind tongue, one who is not lazy, a woman who's children call her blessed and her husband praises her, one who remembers that charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised!(Proverbs 31:10-31)

Happy Mother's Day to all my friends and loved ones out there. May you strive each day to be the Godly woman that you have called to be. In my eyes, you already are and I hope to one day, join your ranks as a mom. (Just pray that it is not ten years away!)

Happy Mother's Day!

May...

2009-05-04T08:31:00.000-05:00

So it is already May and it started off with a bang...

Happy belated birthday to my Dad who turned another year older on Saturday. We had a great day meeting up with him and mom to celebrate on his big day.

Sunday was our two month LID anniversary. I know that I will be blogging a lot of anniversaries related to our LID. I don't want to believe a website that a lot of people in the adoption world rely on, but I put in our LID of 3/3/2009 and it said that we will receive a referral on 7/3/2019...yes, you read that right 2019!! Hopefully it is a wide guesstimate and it is about seven years off, but who knows. I read the blog of a family who has a LID of 3/29/06 and China has matched up to 3/8/06. They have been told that it will probably be 2010 before they received their referral. Pray for this to speed up! We joked this weekend of how I wanted to be able to stay at home with my kids and my hubby said that he could just retire a year early and stay home with her! :) Hopefully, this is just a joke!

We are only a month and a half away from our trip to China and May is already getting full. We have three nights this week that we are meeting friends, which is great because we have not seen these friends in awhile. Saturday holds possible home repairs as we bought a new double oven this weekend and realized that it is going to require a little more demo than we thought. I have total faith in my hubby that he will get it done. He has turned into Mr. Fix-it and it pretty good at it! Also, my hubby's family is coming to visit his grandmother on Saturday so it will be family time as well. Next week I have lunch with a good friend. We are discussing possible plans for a Ranger game over Memorial Day. The end of the month is ,my hubby's birthday...the list goes on and on. So here's to May...enjoy before it is gone!

Two most important words...

2009-04-30T08:46:00.000-05:00

Four years ago today we took the biggest step in our lives. Aside from the decision to become Christians, it was the most important decision of our lives. Two little words changed our world, and in my opinion it was for the better. Four years ago today we said, "I do."

Two words....

It is funny to think how two words can turn your world upside down in such a wonderful way. Never would I have imagined my life this way, but I am glad that I couldn't because it is so much better in real life than it could ever be in my imagination. To think about the ride that we have had in just four short years...vacations, home improvements, the adventure of adoption, mission trips, blessings that are unmeasurable. All those things would have been wonderful to begin with, but together are more than I could have ever hoped for.

Two words...

I have thought about how I could sum up our marriage in two words from start to finish. Not sure if it can be done, but here is a try.

I do...hello honeymoon...Caribbean cruise...scuba diving...real world...living apart...home repair...finally together...new jobs...Dave Ramsey...losing Grams...adventure racing...first year...swimming pool...another job...more improvements...Las Vegas...still working...China's calling...unexpected surgery...second year...China trip...life changing...Amazing God...back home...what's next...living life...new truck...Merry Christmas...planning ahead...adoption adventure...debt free...third year...thirty-five...home study...China again...finally 30...more paperwork...finger printing...more waiting...Haynesville Shale...red Beetle...lawn mower...new job...new year...finally LID...paper pregnant...loving life...family car...still planning...another year...love you...Happy Anniversary!

So here is to those two little words that we spoke only four short years ago and to the two words that we have yet to hear over the next sixty years of bliss...

Hello China...getting older...we're pregnant!...Happy Birthday...finally time...China doll...gotcha day...forever family...life's crazy...two kiddos...maybe three!...still together...school days...years pass...starting college...we're retiring...leisurely life...sixty years...maybe more...wedded bless...wonderful life!

Two words...

Happy Anniversary!

Two Months from Tomorrow...

2009-04-15T13:34:00.001-05:00

I wanted to wait and try to post this tomorrow, but I am soooo bored at work today that I have to feel like I am doing something constructive, so this is a day early.

Two months from tomorrow we will board a plane bound for Beijing, China. It is an adventure that we will take for the third (and possibly) last time. A few days later (after loving on some kiddos at Philip Hayden), we will board another plane with our final destination being the Children's Social Welfare Institute in Fushun, China...our home away from home.

Many of you have heard our story and have read about our other two trips on our blog, but I wanted to update a little on why we go...

God has given us a love for this people group, more specifically, this orphanage, these kids, these nannies, and these government workers.
He has shown Himself to us through their faces.
He has impressed on us that we need to be "Jesus with skin on" to them so that they might see the love of our Savior in our actions since our words cannot be understood.
He has given us a group of friends over these trips that are so dear and special to us. We have been through so many wonderful blessing together. No one else can understand why we go like they do.
Because He called us to...

Please pray for our trip this year. We feel that it might be our last for awhile as God calls us to focus on our family here at home. This orphanage has become a part of us. I will say that never has a day gone by that I do not think of some aspect of my previous trips and marvel at God. Only He could done what we have seen happen. He is worthy of all our praise!

Dudley's First Haircut

2009-04-08T13:25:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a first for Dudley. My hubby took both the boys into work with him and dropped them off at Shaggy Dog Care to get haircuts. Dudley is our baby and already has a good pound or more on Dekker at the same age (maybe even now!). I told my husband it is because Dekker, who loves my hubby, is like him, thin and hyper. Dudley, who loves me, is like me, fat and cuddly. Anyway, this is what I came home to. They almost look like twins. The picture is a little blurry because it was with my phone and it is hard to keep them still or looking the same direction.

When my hubby went to pick them up, the brought the first one out and he was loving all over him and calling him Dekker, but when they brought the second one out, it was Dekker. Poor Dudley. We have a hard time calling him the right name already and now he looks so much like his brother that he might get a complex. Dekker is on the left and Dudley is on the right. Ahhh...the joys of furry children.

ONE MONTH LID

2009-04-03T15:28:00.000-05:00

One down, 35 more to go!

My New Ride

2009-04-03T14:59:00.000-05:00

** First of all, if you are reading my blog and you are a friend of my parents, please do not share this info with them. I will see them tomorrow and want to surprise them. If you are my parents, surprise! **

Back in 2001, I bought a new Tahoe. I loved my Tahoe. I was very particular about my new car and never allowed anyone to have food or drinks in in for over two years. I remember the first person that my friends caught with a drink in my car. It was Wes Craig (God love him) and he did not know the rules of riding in my car. Poor guy only had a cup of water and all of our friends tattled on him. We pulled over for him to dump it out, but it was all downhill from there! (Don't worry Wes, I have forgiven you! :) Since then, there have been countless meals eaten in my car and numerous drinks spilled in the floorboard. All of that was preparing me for something greater...

Moving now to last fall. I have always wanted a red Beetle. When the new Beetle's came out, I was in love with them, but I had a pretty new Firebird at that point and it seemed unnecessary to make the trade. But last fall, I bought my little red Beetle because I was able to pay cash for it. It was a convertible, tan top, tan leather interior. Bun warmers to take the chill off those fall days. Just a beautiful little car. It was LOVE at first sight. But as I mentioned before, it was not meant to be...for long.

I now have a new ride. My Tahoe, Beetle, and I parted ways a couple of weeks ago. It was hard to say good-bye to each of them, but we needed to start planning for the future. So we welcomed a new (to us) 2007 Tahoe into our family. It matches my husband's 2007 Avalanche perfectly, but it is ready for the task that is ahead...children. No, we are not expecting right now, but being in line in China has made us think about what we need to prepare for. Since I would like to stay at home with my kids, we knew that we would not want a car payment when that time came. But, if we keep our current Tahoe, it would be over 10 years old at the point that our China Doll came home and not be worth anything for trade. So, the decision was made, trade two and pay the new/used one off now.

This time we got the kid essentials...leather seats (for easy wipe down), bucket seats in the second row (for easy access to the back seat), automatic lift-gate (for arms that are full of strollers and baby things), entertainment package (for those long trips to visit the grandparents and for mommy and daddy's sanity), backup sensors (for the trikes, and bikes sure to be left in the driveway and hopefully not to sense kids behind the vehicle), and the list goes on. It even has a few things for mom and dad to enjoy until the babies arrive...heated seats, navigation system, DVD player in the front (which we are soon to disable the safety feature to be able to watch movies while going down the road...shhh, don't tell GM), XM radio (which I never thought I would pay for because radio should be free, OnStar (which is probably worth the expense), and 4-wheel drive (just for daddy).

So welcome our new friend. We hope that you stay with us for a long time...and lots of happy memories. Now bring on the babies!!

Three-peat

2009-03-19T11:54:00.000-05:00

For the third year in a row we are heading to "our" little orphanage in Fushun, China. The flights are booked and the wait continues. We will be heading out on Tuesday, June 16-27. We are excited to have some familiar faces in the group, but several new faces as well, including my friend Lorrie. I am excited to share this part of the world with her as she has never been to China.

I fell in love with China in 2003, when I went to visit a friend in Hong Kong. Little did I know how that trip would change me. Later that same year, I went to Singapore to work with Chinese students and fell in love all over again. On my 25th birthday, I walked the streets of Singapore and realized that God was showing these people to me. I looked at those beautiful faces and realized that sometimes, I need to use my voice for God, not me.

That led me to feel the call to adopt and God led me to a wonderful man who supported my plan, but then on our first trip together, felt the call himself. It is humbling for me to think about all the blessings that God has allowed me. These trips are hard for me to explain. They are what many people might experience in a lifetime, but God has allowed me to go for many years. It is also humbling to know that God knows my baby girl's name, face and family, and she has not even been born. Will I pass her mother on the street while I am there? Will I see the place where she will be abandoned? These are answers that I will never know, but my God does know and He is in control, even when I feel like my life is not! Thank you God for the peace that only You can bring.

March 3, 2009

2009-03-12T10:58:00.000-05:00

What an important date, and to be honest, I have no idea what I was doing on this date. What I do know is that God answered part of our prayers on this date and from this date forward, we are in line for our beautiful baby girl (or girls) in China.

March 3, 2009. Our Log-in Date (LID).

It is a big deal because this means that China has looked over all of our mounds of paperwork that has taken us almost a full year to complete and has agreed to put us in line for one of their precious daughters.

Chances are that she has not even been born yet, but that does not mean that I do not pray everyday for her. And for her family that will have to make what seems to me as the hardest decision of their life, to let her go. I pray that God protects her during the time until she is ours. I pray that God gives grace and peace to her family to know that what they are doing is the right decision and that He will protect her. I pray for us that we can be the kind of parents that God wants us to be.

Wow! What a day to remember!

Now that it is official, only 36-37 months to wait. So worth it for the one that God has for us!

Congratulations!

2009-03-11T09:08:00.000-05:00

Our cousins, Kevin and Sarah, announced yesterday that they are expecting in mid-September. They just moved to India from D.C. late last year. I am so excited for them as they are such a neat couple and will make incredible parents. Their anniversary is in September as well, so "Lumpy" (as the baby is affectionately called right now) will be a wonderful anniversary gift for them. I also learned that they met in September, too. Seems like September is going to be a busy month for them. Here is a picture of them at our wedding. Their kids are going to be so beautiful...and very tall!

Also, congrats to Mrs. Barbara. She learned yesterday that she is going to be a "Grams". She is one of the most incredible people I know and I pray that this is a wonderful time for her and her family. I cannot name many people who will make such an incredible grandparents as her and Mr. Mike. I know that God has so many blessings in store for them!

**On a side note, both of these couples that are expecting, were married AFTER my husband and I were. I am seeing a trend here and although I am so excited for them, I am wondering if I might be the last person on earth not called "mommy"? Honey, are you reading this??

Saying Goodbye!

2009-03-09T13:17:00.000-05:00

You know when you have those old friends that you have to leave at one time or another. Maybe it is someone that you grew up with, someone that you worked with, or maybe a member of your family. Those times are hard. Goodbye is a hard word to say. And sometimes you have to say that word to an inanimate object. Sometimes (even though you shouldn't) you love those "things" more than other people. Well, as hard as it is, it is time for me to say goodbye, even though I said hello a mere five months ago. I love "her" and it will be hard for me to say goodbye, especially since I have not had that much of a chance to enjoy her friendship. We have had some good days already and I can look back fondly on our time together, but I need to think of the her and the future and I can see how she might be much happier with someone else...

Goodbye!

As much fun as I have had owning the Beetle that I have always wanted, I realize that I need to think about the future. We have four vehicles (for two people)! Yes, I know that we have two more than we need, which leads me to do what I do not really want to do and let my lovely Beetle go. Back to my soccer mom SUV, which I still love, but is just not the same as letting that top down after a long, hard day at work and driving so fast it just blows the day away before you arrive home. It was nice while it lasted, but I know now that we are not meant to be together forever. So goodbye...maybe one day when I have blue hair and a head scarf, we can find each other again!

Back to the real world.

2009-03-02T11:29:00.001-06:00

You ever have those weekends or even days that you just don't want to end? This weekend we went with some friends to Fort Worth for the Cowtown half marathon. We all took Friday off work and rode the Amtrak train there. That was an experience within itself. It was really fun and I would recommend it it you do not have to be there at a certain time! It was great. My hubby and our other two friends were running the half marathon and I was the "cruise director". Everything was within walking distance so I planned meals and entertainment! We arrived Friday around 1:30pm and grabbed lunch at P.F. Chang's. We shopped a little bit, (got some cute, new boots, but sadly, I have no picture) and then headed back to the hotel to get settled a little bit. That night we went to Riscky's Barbecue. Yummy! He we are after enjoying a great meal!Then back to the hotel for a good night's sleep! Me, being the supportive wife that I am, opted to sleep in instead of heading down at 7:00am in the sub-freezing temps and 35 mph winds to support my man! I did wake up at 5:15am and stay awake for an hour while he got ready. When I woke up (for real!), I could hear lots of people and looked out of my third story window to see the finish line RIGHT BELOW ME! Wow! I started getting ready and knew that hubby wanted to finish the half in a little less than 2 hours. So, since I could see the race clock, I watched from 1:45 until it rolled over the two hour mark for him, with no luck. About that time, I hear banging at the door and it was him. He finished in 1:37:10! Isn't he the greatest! So much better than all of his other times! I am so proud of him! (Sadly, no pictures of him, either! I was so bad with my camera.) We met up with our friends, who did awesome as well and had lunch at Uno's Chicago Grill for all of us to Carbo load...them since they ran so much, me just for fun! After that we caught a movie (in which no one fell asleep) and then back to the hotel for a little afternoon nap. We had dinner reservations at 6:00pm at Simply Fondue, which I would highly recommend. None of us had been to a fondue place before and it was so much fun! Again, no pictures! Bad me! After overindulging ourselves, back to the hotel for more sleep. Sunday brought more food (did I mention this was a good weekend)...breakfast at the Hilton (also the hotel that JFK stayed in during his last night alive...ever!) and lunch, again at P.F. Chang's. They just can't get enough. Here is a quick pic of my hubby and the terracotta warrior. We hurried to Barnes & Noble to buy some cards to teach them a new game on the train home and then we were East Texas bound. This is where is starts getting sad. The weekend was fun and I just did not want to come back. The weekend was not magical, absolutely incredible, or phenomenal, it was just fun...and not work, so I did not want to return to the real world where work is a part of every yucky day!

But, I will say this...I got to come home to this!

This morning when I was getting ready for work (the thing that I did not want to come home to) I walked into the laundry room to find this! It is a first, but I am pretty sure that Dekker (right) does not mind too much being a big brother to Dudley! They are just too fun and I wish that I could stay at home with them all day...you know, instead of work! Making sure I made my point!

My Boys!

2009-02-26T13:53:00.001-06:00

Since I can only brag about my furry children at this point, I wanted to share some pictures!

Dekker (left) and Dudley in their first game of tug-of-war. Dekker is learning that Dudley wants to play with him. He still growls at Dudley when this is going on, but he is usually just playing. He has not tried to bite him this week and he goes in to check on Dudley when he is in his cage. Sorry that the picture is blurry. I took it with my phone and they were really moving around!

And here is a picture of my sweet Dekker cuddling with daddy in the recliner after the tug-of-war episode. He is such a sweet dog and loves his people so much!!

Thanks for indulging me with pictures of my "kids". Maybe one day, I will have the two legged kind!

Just what I needed...

2009-02-23T15:31:00.000-06:00

I have been struggling with life in general lately and although I have been reading my Bible daily, it has been more of a chore than me choosing to take joy in it! Today, randomly, not even while I was reading my scriptures for today, I ran upon this verse.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful"

- Hebrews 10:23

Why do I insist on trying to do things myself and not giving them to God, not even talking to Him about it? Why, when time and time again, He has proven Himself to me? I don't know why sometimes He just does not take me and shake me to get my attention!

And Dudley makes four...

2009-02-16T08:35:00.000-06:00

So remember how I have mentioned over the past month that I am ready to be a mommy...well, I guess that I got my wish, in the most unlikely way! Friday, a friend of mine (and my former boss) sent me a text message that her in laws could not keep the yorkie puppy that they bought two weeks ago because of her mother-in-law's allergies. She asked if we would be interested. I figured convincing my husband to get a second dog would be hard. I have tried to do this in the past to no avail! But, he said yes right off the bat! He figured that our Dekker needed a brother and a playmate and that it might take some of the pressure (or jealousy!) off when we have babies in the house! (By the way, he is getting into this "I might be a daddy soon" role!!) So we went to pick him up on Friday night and brought him home to meet Dekker and Audrey (my former dog, currently living with my parents because they could not give both of us up when I got married, and who we were dog-sitting for the week!). We fell in love instantly with Dudley, but Dekker and Audrey were another story! They are just not sure how to deal with him. Dudley picks on Dekker like Dekker picks on Audrey! And Audrey just hates all of them! When Audrey went home yesterday, the night was a little better with just the two little ones! Dekker likes to cuddle with me, but he loves my hubby!! He is a daddy's boy, but I think that Dudley will be a mommy's boy! Dekker is not completely sold on having a little brother, but he is getting better! So now here we are...a family of four!!

Destination China

2009-02-11T11:55:00.001-06:00

I just got off the phone with my hubby and our family coordinator from our adoption agency called him. Our paperwork for our dossier is complete and everything will be sent to China on Friday. She said that in 4-6 weeks (although probably less) we will have a Log-In Date (LID) and will officially be in line for our little girl (or girls!) from China! How exciting!

This day has been a long time coming. We started the paperwork on Friday, February 22, 2008, and were told that the paperchase would be 4-6 months. Well, as you can see that has easily stretched into a year! Hopefully we will have a late February or early March LID...wishful thinking!!

I am so excited!!

Also, yesterday we booked our airfare for our third annual Fushun Mission Trip! We are so excited to be going again and we are taking a friend with us this time! I am glad to have Lorrie going with us and know that it will be an adventure of a lifetime for her! Our week has just been filled with China and I would not have it any other way!!

We are officially "paper pregnant"!! One day...I will make it to the "mommy" status!!

Our "New" Old House

2009-02-07T16:27:00.000-06:00

When my husband and I were dating, l lived in a brand new house. We were four hours apart and he was living in the house he grew up in. I moved not long after we got engaged into the house that we thought that we start our new life together in. It also was a brand new house and at that point, we were still three hours apart. He bought the house that he grew up in during the time we were dating and we started fixing it up to sell again. His dad, who passed away when he was seven, was the one who built and designed the house. It sits on seven and a half acres outside a small town and had little upgrades since it was built in 1969. I decided right before we married that I would rather him keep the house and us fix it up than for him to give up his good job and move into my house. So the journey began to make the house in "our home". It is around 2200 square feet and we have 26 acres total that we own. I have grown to love living in the boonies and look forward to my kids playing outside where their dad played and growing up in his old bedroom. He was lacking in furniture, but I had plenty to fill it up. Until Thanksgiving, the living room furniture was what I brought with me into the marriage. The day after Thanksgiving we hit the black Friday sales and bought a new TV which turned into the need for different furniture to house it! Here is our NEW living room!!!

Here is our new TV and the piece I found at Canton to put it on! I fell in love with this piece, before we even decided on the TV, because I did not want something ordinary! The best part was the day that I found it and had decided to come back a couple of days later to pick it up, I got a 30% off coupon in the mail! It was worth it!!

Here is the new couch and ottoman/coffee table! I love the curve shape!!

Here is my hubby's new chair! He loves that it is a recliner! Dekker says hi!!

Mom and Dad got us this cute little chair for Christmas to go with the new living room!

Here is kind of a full view from the entry way!

And I added this saying when you walk in the front door! I love these wall words! Hope you like the updates! Not too bad for a 60 year old house!!

Where does it go??

2009-01-28T10:28:00.001-06:00

So I'm still trying to update my heading for the blog, but I just cannot find the time! Where does all my time go? I am trying to learn how to balance everything in life and not doing a very good job of it! Before the new job, I worked 8-4:30 and carpooled into work and home with my hubby. Now I work 8-5 and we have to drive our separate ways into work. Since he works 7-4, and is home by 4:30 and I work until 5 and do not get home until 5:30, it makes for lots of time that I feel like I am missing with him. Not to mention that on some days this year, I was leaving the house at 4:30 AM to head to the gym, so I missed mornings as well! And since I require 8 hours or more sleep at night, bedtime was 8pm! I have been working late due to a sales meeting coming up next week and when I get home (7pm last night), I am too tired to think about doing anything but a quick bath and dinner...which has been sad the last few weeks! I have zero facebook, personal e-mail, scrapbooking, house project, cooking/cleaning, etc. time! How can I get on a schedule when I have no idea what each day will bring?? Better yet...why can't I just stay home!?!

I have friends that are stay at home mom's and they love it! That is what I want to do, but so many people tell me that I will get tired of it! I beg to differ!! I love, LOVE, being at home. I can find so much stuff to do around the house that I do not think that I would ever get bored. I have projects upon projects that I would love to complete if I just had the time. On weekends, very rarely do we go out and do things because we have so much that could be done at home and I enjoy having my hubby and my Dekker dog all to myself!! Guess we need kids to try out this experiment, but I just know that I would be so much happier!! I might be stressed about $$$, but I guess that you learn to do what you need to do to make things work!

Wow...I got way off subject. So since I am here, no news on the adoption front! Our dossier is being prepped to send to China, but since Chinese New Year (Xin nian yu kuai - that's Happy New Year in Chinese) started on Monday, once it arrives, we may have to wait a little longer for a log-in date since everyone is celebrating. All in God's time!

Pray for balance...and babies...and lots of time off!!

New year, new look!

2009-01-19T08:13:00.000-06:00

So I was able to update the "look" of the blog this weekend, but I still need some help in updating my header. Maybe I can get that done soon. I played with it all weekend, but was not able to get anything to work! Oh, well...

It is a new year and it has started off with a bang for us! Here are the most recent events in our life!

I started a new job at the beginning of December. I am still trying to get acclimated and know exactly what it is I am supposed to be doing. I like it...but I would much rather be a stay at home mom to Dekker, our furry child...preparing for our next one!!
We received a letter from immigration on the day after Thanksgiving telling us that we were missing a signature from our home study agent. We were not, but since we had to fill out a new form (as in new to the government) they are still trying to work out the kinks of what they want. Our home study agent sent us the forms quickly and we were able to mail them out on December 19. I was thinking that it would be awhile, but we received approval from immigration (which is what we have been waiting on since September) on January 5. The rest of our paperwork has been sent to the adoption agency to be finalized so our dossier should be on its way to China soon! That means that we will soon have a Log-in Date (LID) and be in line for a child! Yea!!
We got all new living room furniture which we love. I will have to post pictures of it later.
We are already planning for our next trip to China this summer. We have the dates posted as June 17-27, but it will probably change a little bit! We are so excited and have a good friend from this area going with us this year! I am ready!!
We had a wonderful group of holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's) and were able to spend time with all of our family. It was nice to see everyone. Our parents have now moved within 20 minutes of each other, so that made Christmas a lot easier to plan!! We hope they stay that way after we have kids!
We have sent some great goals for this new year and have done a great job sticking with them! I hope that I can stick to all of mine through the entire year!!

So that is pretty much our wrap-up for right now! I hope to be able to post and update more since things are starting to get into a routine! Happy Monday!!

Really...It's me!!

2009-01-15T15:27:00.000-06:00

I really am going to post on my blog! It is a new year (although, halfway through the first month), but I need to get back in the groove of blogging. I am going to try some new "decorating techniques" to the blog this weekend, thanks to the help of my friend Brooke and I will update a little more about what has been going on at that time. Until then, again stealing from my friend Brooke, I am posting the books that I am reading in 2009. I love to read, but do not always have the chance, but I am trying to make time this year to do more reading. You will see a list off to the side of the books that I am reading or have read so far! Happy New Year!!!

Yes...I am still alive

2008-10-21T09:18:00.000-05:00

Okay! I have not been great at updating the blog in the last two and a half months, but at the orders of my friend Kristen (Hey, girl!! I am updating!!), I am going to try to play catch-up! Here goes! Here are random things that have happened since I last blogged!!

School started back here and I have been busy planning preview events, which limits blogging time. I now have a minor break before the next one!
It is actually kinda fall-ish here! Wish it would come all the way!
I got a new car...well, new to me! I kept my old one, but I got a red VW convertible Beetle with a tan top and tan interior! It is too cute! I have always wanted one and it took me 30 years, but I got it! We love it!
My hubby also got his dream lawnmower! He is so excited and very deserving of it!
We paid EVERYTHING off...except the house, but that is a tax write-off, so we are alright with that! We had paid everything off except my hubby's new truck in February, but now we owe on nothing!! We are now able to put money back in savings to pay for the adoption that might happen in 2-16 years!
We had our fingerprints taken by the USCIS (immigration) on September 9 for the adoption! We are now waiting on approval, which we were originally told would be 4-6 weeks. Now we have been told that approval is taking an average of 83 days, which puts us at the beginning of December for approval. That means that instead of being LID (logged-in or in line) in China by the end of October, it looks like it might be the end of the year....or later!! Boo!!
I out shot my husband on the gun range by 6 points! And I only started shooting two days before and he has been shooting all his life. He is probably not going to be excited for me publishing this, but I ROCK!! I have bragging rights for awhile!
I have been in book mode....reading anything that I can! I love to read, but I have spurts on when I can do it and I guess that I am in one now. Just finished "Fireproof", which I would recommend the book and the movie and I started the "Love Dare", which I also recommend. I am also currently reading, "The Shack", which has been highly recommended to me, but I have not been able to make it through it yet. I have about five other books in waiting for me to read!
I have most of my Christmas gifts planned out for the family. I think that I have made great choices this year and that they will be appreciated. I have not purchased anything yet, but I have plans!!
I have been to the deer lease with my hubby three times this year. That is a record. I am trying to learn to do more things that he enjoys to do...plus, if I do not go with him, I may not ever see him! :)
I am planning a project to do for our extended family at the orphanage in China. One of our team members gave me the idea to make fleece scarves for the kids for Christmas so I am going to start that soon!!
I am in love with the new 3G iPhone. I usually do not buy into the hype, but I am on the verge of purchasing it! It is just so cool!!
We bought Rosetta Stone to start learning Chinese for our next trip. I have only done about 15 minutes of it and need to start doing it more often, but it is going to be hard!! I am excited about it though!!
I am ready to start new home repair projects around the house, but we have been so busy that I have not been able to start. I told my hubby, no more plans for weekends for the rest of the year! We will see how that goes!
I have other things going on, but those are better left for another post! I will try not to wait as long before I post again, but this should catch you all up on us! :)

The Story of Maynard...

2008-08-08T07:51:00.001-05:00

So I am finally getting back in the groove of the real world since returning from China. Work, Vacation Bible School, travel, and a BIG birthday have brought me back with a thud! I am going to try to get back into the groove of blogging again as well. Since I have only posted once or twice about the adoption, I thought that I would fill all of you in on the details because a lot of people have been asking. Here goes...

I felt the call to adopt from China on my 25th birthday. I was in Singapore walking around that night by myself and I know that God told me to adopt. The problem...I was not married and I was not 30 years old! When my hubby and I got married, I shared my call with him, and although he supported it, he did not feel called for the same reasons I did. We continued to look into it, but since you had to be 30 and could not even start your paperwork until you were 29 1/2, there was nothing that we could do. Fast forward to July 2007 when we went on our first mission trip together to China. We knew that this was an opportunity for us to grow in our walk with Christ, grow in our marriage, and grow personally. At the end of the trip, I asked my hubby if he thought that the trip helped us and he said, "Well, it makes me want a Chinese baby, now." I am pretty sure that is the quote. He is very to the point!! I think that for him to experience the Chinese people for himself, especially working in the orphanage, and by being around other adoptive families, he realized that God really had called me to adopt and God started working on his heart, too.

We did not start on February 3, 2008, like we could have (the day I turned 29 1/2). We talked about it and closer to the end of the month, my hubby said, we should do it. We wanted to wait until we had paid everything off and that has been a huge blessing. We filled out the initial application on February 22, 2008 and we received a phone call and e-mail on February 26, letting us know that we had been approved for the China program. That is just the beginning. Without boring you with the details of all the un-fun papers that we had to fill out, I will make a quick list of the important things...certified birth/marriage certificates, employment letters, Hague adoption training, physicals completed with tons of tests, health/fire inspection of the house, police reports, background checks, photo pages, financial statements, etc. Here is a quick timeline...

Feb. 22, 2008 - filled out application for AWAA
Feb. 26, 2008 - approved for China program
Feb. 29, 2008 - started Dossier (collection of paperwork)
March 13, 2008 - met Family coordinator from AWAA
April 23, 2008 - started Home Study packet
May 9, 2008 - sent bulk of Dossier to AWAA
May 16, 2008 - sent Home Study packet to AWAA Texas
May 29, 2008 - Daddy's 35th birthday!!
May 30, 2008 - had first Home Study interviews
May 31, 2008 - had individual Home Study interview, got verbal approval so we told Ge (Hubby's mom) that she was going to be a grandma again
June 1, 2008 - told Gigi and Pops (my parents) that they are going to be grandparents and Nana and Papa Tex that they are going to be great-grandparents
June 2, 2008 - Gigi told Papa Fisher that he was going to be a great-grandpa again
June 8, 2008 - Gigi told Granny and Papa Seigler that they were going to be great-grandparents
June 14, 2008 - Home Study interview at our house
July 25, 2008 - Received Hague Approval Letter
July 28, 2008 - Received completed home study and were approved for twins
July 30, 20085 - Sent off I-800 for approval from USCIS (Immigration)
August 3, 2008 - Mommy's 30th birthday!!

So we are waiting for approval from immigration to bring one or two little girls into the United States. After that, we will be ready to send it our Dossier to China and be logged-in (LID) or in line for our little girl or girls!! Yeah!!

We are undecided on a name. I thought that we had picked out a name and I had a couple of things monogrammed, but my hubby informed me that since we are Baptist, we need to have a committee meeting to decide her name (or names!). So in the mean time, we are calling her Maynard! I know that it is a boy's name and it is strange, but when we told our families that we were adopting they all asked what we were going to call her and since we have not decided on any names we didn't know what to call her. We did not want to call her "baby" or "her" for the next three years, but we are not ready to decide on a name. We watched a prime time show that many of you might have watched, but that I will not endorse in print, where they had a little boy and had not picked out a name for him by the time that he was born. They heard a doctor being paged at the hospital and so they decided on that name, but a few hours later, the dad found out that his grandpa had passed away. He asks if they can name the baby after him instead. The wife agrees and says, "I would love to name him after Grandpa Joe.", to which the dad replies, "No, it was my mom's dad, Maynard."! Hmmmm...So Maynard it is....at least for right now!! She will hate us if it sticks!!

So we are on the search for a name...if anyone has any suggestions, we would love to hear them. We are not into common names because we do not want her to be one of five girls in her class with the same name. And for those of you who watch Friends, Sandrine is not an option!

30 things about being 30...

2008-08-03T00:37:00.000-05:00

So it is 12:51am, on the clock on the computer, so it is now officially my 30th birthday, although I was not born until 10:04am on August 3rd. So in honor of this day, here are 30 things (both good and bad) about turning 30!

We can now offically send our paperwork to China for the adoption process...although our paperwork is not ready yet!
I can no longer say that I am in my 20s!
It makes me feel old...
Feeling old makes you think that you are a "real" grown-up!
I still have things that I want to accomplish while I am "young".
I feel like I am closer to being ready to become a mommy!
I can still say I am a newlywed and I am 30 years old...benefit to waiting to get married?
My husband told me today that I looked "way better" than a lady that we met who also said that she was 30!
I can say I am 30, not in my 30s...at least for a year!
I have accomplished a lot of things in 30 years.
But I also know that God has much more in store for me!
My husband is older than me!
He will keep me young though, when I feel old!
It could be worse...I could be 40!
I can set new years resolutions, just for my birthday!
I guess that is it getting harder for me to think, because this is not as easy as I thought!
I have high hopes of this next year.
I am blessed with a wonderful family and my sweet Dekker dog!
I am old enough to know that I can learn something new everyday!
I am also learning that life is short and you should make the most of every opportunity.
The older I get, the more I am worth!
My husband blessed me with a wonderful weekend away and a special gift from our future daughter's homeland.
He makes me smile everyday, even when he is a grouch!
He is teaching me that life is too short, not to have fun.
I am going to try to do one new thing or break one old habit everyday this next year.
My priorities in life have changed...in a good way!
I am learning that what people think does not matter to me that much anymore.
It only matters what I think about myself.
And what God thinks about me!
"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to keep y0u and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future! - Jeremiah 29:11

In and Around Beijing

2008-06-30T19:57:00.000-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Last Day in the Orphanage

2008-06-30T19:00:00.000-05:00

I tried to keep it all smiles. They do good to hide the tears on the inside! Until next year our sweet friends....

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Reckless Love

2008-06-30T09:59:00.000-05:00

I do plan on posting more about our trip, but I wanted to share this poem that was written by Teura Keeno, a college student that was in our group. She is an amazing young woman and God is working in her life. She has so much to give and she was able to capture what each of us felt during this trip!

RECKLESS LOVE

I saw the face of God
In an orphan child today.
I couldn't speak his language,
But I loved him anyway.

It's a love that crosses cultures,
And can break down any wall.
It brought me here to China
When the Lord gave me His call.

I held this child in my arms;
He wouldn't let me go.
I looked into his brown eyes,
And my heart began to grow.

And then another orphan
Came right up to my side.
She was searching for the comfort
To dry the tears she'd cried.

I held her hand and smiled,
And gently stroked her face.
I prayed she'd find His love,
And fall into His warm embrace.

If it was in my Father's will,
I'd take these kids with me.
I'd bring them to His loving arms
For all eternity.

I want them as my children,
But God has a different plan,
A plan to make them prosper,
Though I cannot understand.

No one knows the paths they'll take,
Or where their lives will turn,
But we still offer them His hope
And love which they can't earn.

For life comes down to just one thing:
To know our Lord above.
We lift our hands and give our hearts,
And share His precious love.

We're called to be His servants.
We're called to be His hands,
To bring them closer to His heart,
And to the Promised Land.

There always will be pieces
Of my broken heart left here.
These priceless gifts in China
Will remain forever near.

We are back!

2008-06-29T01:04:00.000-05:00

We arrived home late last night, but once again, our hearts are still in China. We are trying to get caught up on our sleep and get back on US time. I will post more later!

Fushun Fieldtrip

2008-06-25T08:21:00.000-05:00

On day three at the orphanage, we took a fieldtrip to see the birthplace of the founding fathers of Manchuria. It was a beautiful place with a lake, a park where the kids could play, and a nice place for us to have a picnic. Bob and Pat celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary while on the trip, so it also made the perfect place for them to renew their vows in front of the children. Bob and John had been planning it for a while, but it was a wonderful surprise to Pat! It was a wonderful day!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Fushun Day Two

2008-06-24T19:22:00.000-05:00

I am getting high-tech like the rest of our group so here are some pictures of the Fushun Olympics from day two in Fushun! John was out shopping, but the rest of us had fun!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Not so good...

2008-06-23T18:51:00.000-05:00

So I have not been very good about posting on our blog because we have been so tired when we come in and still have to do things to get ready for the next day, but other members of our team (Bob and Pat) have been great about blogging so you can check theirs out until I can catch up!

http://www.touchedbyachild.blogspot.com/

Not very good...

2008-06-23T18:47:00.000-05:00

I have not been very good at posting to our blog because we have been so tired in the afternoon when we return from the orphange, but Bob and Pat (some team members that came with us last year) have been doing an excellent job so you can check theirs out until I can catch up...

http://www.touchedbyachild.blogspot.com/

Day One at the Orphanage

2008-06-21T04:23:00.001-05:00

Today was a good day, but tough for me! We went to the orphanage this morning. The orphanage director, Mrs. Zhun, and the government official that we met last year, Mr. Zao, met us downstairs and escorted our bus to the orphanage. They took us inside one of the other buildings in the compounds first and had a beautiful boardroom decorated with a big banner that said "Welcome American Friends" and cherries and watermelon for all of us. Then they took us on a tour of the mental hospital next door to the orphanage. I am sure that no where else in China would we have been allowed to do that, but since we have a relationship with them and they trust us, they toured us through it. The sweet little patients all clapped for us when we entered and some even knew a little English! They were cute! We then got to go play with the kids. My baby girl from last year was there and her hair has grown so much, but she was scared of me. She warmed up a little to me later in the morning, but not too much. Here she is with Lucy, another girl that was here last year! We left for lunch and John and I had to go shopping with Mrs. Zhun and Mr. Zao for the needs of the orphanage. It was hard for me because I really want to be there with the kids. I have decided (since all I did was hold the money and write down what we purchased) to stay at the orphanage tomorrow and allow John to go with them and shop. He enjoys Mr. Zao, even if he speaks no English. The rest of the group had a great time this afternoon and said that my baby girl opened up a lot this afternoon. The rest of the group brought three of the nannies and seven kids back into town to their foster homes this afternoon. That is a lot different than last year! I am writing this in stages, so we just returned from dinner where Mrs. Zhun and Mr. Zao treated us to a hot pot dinner. They bring out thinly sliced meat (mutton and beef) and you cook it in your own little pot of boiling water seasoned with different spices! It was incredible and we all agreed that it was the best meal that we have ever eaten in China! We all stuffed ourselves. Our group is so much fun and Mrs. Zhun fits right in because she is so witty! We have lots of fun with her and are learning to communicate through the language difference. She started doing fun little dances for us and posing for cheesy pictures. We have really built a good relationship with them and they treat us like family. We learned tonight that they are working hard to get the paperwork for the children prepared so that they can be adopted. I also learned that my baby girl (Mei Mei) has been placed with a family. I am not sure where they are from, but I am so excited that she is getting a home and a family. John and I also clowned around with some characters outside the restaurant! We are headed to bed to prepare for another day at the orphanage...can't wait! Check our Fushun 2008 blog (link to the left) for more pictures!

We are here!

2008-06-20T03:28:00.000-05:00

We had some trouble getting to our blog from Beijing, but we just arrived in Fushun and I was able to get right on and log into the blog! We are staying in the same hotel in Fushun as we did last year, but the rooms have been completely redone and they are incredible! New carpet, cherry furniture and doors, actual mattresses on the beds, totally new (and clean) bathroom with new fixtures and a window over the bathtub that looks into the rest of the room...interesting but beautiful! We also have our same view of the river. The orphanage director and government official that we met last year came to the hotel to meet us! They are so sweet and make us feel so welcome. We will head out to the orphanage tomorrow morning and we cannot wait! We also have our same guide, Maggie, that we had last year!

We arrived in Beijing safely, but had a little trouble finding each other and our guide. We did not know our guides name and were looking for a Visiting Orphans sign after we exited the baggage claim, but all we saw was an AWAA sign. AWAA (America World Adoption Association) is the adoption agency that VO branched out of and we just figured that there was an adoption group in town. Well, that sign turned out to be for us! We finally got everyone together and got settled in our hotel.

Yesterday (Thursday) we went back to Philip Hayden's Shepherd's Field Children's Village like we did last year. We got to meet some new children and see some familiar faces. We were able to see Joy and Holly that we sponsor. Here is Joy enjoying the slide, over and over and over again. And here is Holly...we walked in on her (and some friends) using the potty, but they did not seem to mind. We would bring both of the little girl's home in a heartbeat!! We also went to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square and a few markets. The highlight (besides Philip Hayden) was the tea house. It was very interesting and fun and I do not even like tea unless it is cold and sweet!

We are having a great time and have a really good group! I will post more when I can!

Guess What....

2008-06-02T15:32:00.000-05:00

We are going to be parents...in two to three years! We are in the process of adopting a little girl (or twins) from China! Yea!! It is official enough for us to tell our parents, so I figured that my blogging friends could know as well! We started the process back in February and after much paperwork and secrecy, we figured that it was time to tell the world! We had three of our home study interviews this past weekend and since our social worker saw no red flags with us as people and parents (thank goodness) we told our families this weekend. We bought several pairs of girlie baby shoes (for 12-18 months) and wrapped them in Chinese take out boxes along with a few fortune cookies. We had to tell a few stories to make it to the DFW area for the interviews, but everyone understood! (My hubby said that he was working...which was not a lie! He was working on getting them all a grandchild!) We told my mother-in-law first because she was the closest and she was excited. Then we returned home late Saturday night with a house full of my family and decided to tell them after breakfast Sunday morning. My grandparents were visiting from West Texas so that made it even better. We wanted to wait until Christmas so we could have everyone together, but it worked out that they were together this weekend, too! They were excited as well! All that to say that we are expecting... from China! We are not officially logged-in (adoption term: LID... Log-in-date) to China. We still have one more home study interview on June 14th, but we wanted them to get it done before we left for our mission trip. Then we have to send our home study reports to several people and then I have to turn 30! After August 3 (birthday), we should be good to go, but it may take a little longer for the paperwork to make it everywhere! We put in for a little girl or twins, from birth to 1 year old. The current wait time for China is 28 months and is typically increasing a month each month. By the time that we are LID in China, it might be 30. We know whatever the wait that God has the perfect child or children waiting for us. She probably has not even been born yet! So our journey has begun! I will fill in more details later and post pics of the proud grandparents and great grandparents to be soon! I can't wait to be a mommy to someone who does not bark!

***Disclaimer: This crawling little girl is not our child! She was just too cute with the pigtails that I had to add the picture!

Happy Birthday, Dear Hubby!!

2008-05-29T09:20:00.000-05:00

Today is my hubby's birthday! I will not tell you how old that he is, but you can multiply the candles on the cake above times seven...oops! We have a lot going on this year and this BIG birthday is just one of them! Honey, I hope you have a wonderful birthday and I look forward to many more years to celebrate how much older you are than me! :) I love you!!

Sick and Tired on a Random Wednesday!!

2008-05-21T15:20:00.000-05:00

It is Random Picture Wednesday again! Can anyone guess what today's picture is? Before I tell you what it is, let me tell you that I am sick of being tired and tired of being sick. I stayed home one day last week and one day this week already! Yuck! But on the plus side, I get half a day off tomorrow and the whole day off Friday, Monday, and the next Friday! Woo-hoo! I guess it pays to save all your days off until the end of the fiscal year! I also still have four days vacation, but I am going to go ahead and roll those over. I have to use them before Thanksgiving, but that will not be a problem! We are in the middle of redoing the flowerbeds around our swimming pool. I think that it will be an incredible transformation, but I will post before and after pics for everyone (if anyone reads this) to see! Mu hubby is more excited about it than I am...me, lots of manual labor, and the 90+ degree temps with the Texas sun and humidity, do not mix well!
Last but not least...27 days from today we leave for China! We met our team through a conference call this weekend and it was great! I know that we are going to have an incredible time! Keep praying!

Random Picture Wednesday!!

2008-05-14T08:57:00.001-05:00

I am still here...but close to floating away today! We have had so much rain here (especially since last night) that I am not sure if it will ever be dry again. Overnight, a local airport got over seven inches! All of this weather has caused us to have to get a new roof, ripped our swimming pool cover, and we might just buy a boat to get to work and back! I am tired of it raining, but I know that some places in the world need it right now. Oh, well. Guess we can live with it!!

Our trip to China is still on, so continue to keep us in your prayers. More than us, pray for all of the people that have lost loved ones in the earthquake that hit this weekend. Over 12,000 lives lost, and many of them probably never had a chance to hear the love of God. It hurts to think about it! Pray that somehow, the people left will hear the Truth!

We leave on our trip a month from Saturday...and all we have is our flights booked! Better than nothing! I know that it is all under control, just not mine!

Happy Anniversary!!

2008-04-30T09:15:00.000-05:00

Today is my hubby and my third anniversary! I will admit that it does not seem possible that it has been three years. He doesn't usually read my blog, but just in case...I want you to know that you are the love of my life and I could not imagine any of the adventures that we have embarked on with anyone else but you! I know that God put us together for a reason and He has much more in store for us! I am ready for anything that comes along, as long as we can do it together! Like I said this morning, I love you more today than yesterday, but less than I will love you tomorrow! You are my best of everything! 1-4-3

Seems like yesterday...

Random Picture Wednesday!

2008-04-16T09:02:00.001-05:00

I am still alive, but barely hanging on. My last preview event for work was last week...note that I have said that before, until another one was dropped in my lap. Hopefully this will be the last time that I say that. We have been traveling to see family and spend some time with everyone so maybe we can stay home for the next two months! I feel the need to be home!! And we have exciting news! We have been planning on going back to China this year to the orphanage in Fushun. With the costs of everything rising, we were unsure about finances and had pretty much told ourselves that we were probably not going to be able to go this year. But when God tells you to do something, He makes a way. So now, we are the TEAM LEADERS for our trip to Fushun! Yes, you read that correctly. It scares me to type it! Yesterday, our team leader, Natalie, had to back out of the trip. They have three children at home, one of which was adopted from China. Nate is almost four years old and is having surgery in May to correct his cleft palate and they are adopting a little girl from China, Grace, pretty soon. She has a cleft palate as well. They just have a lot going on and are not going to be able to go this year. They asked us if we would be interested in leading the team. My initial reaction was "NO"! That is too much responsibility! Leading a group in the U.S. is one thing, but in China where I cannot speak Chinese and cannot read Chinese...NO!! But I started praying about it and then I called my husband. Of course, his initial reaction was YES!! We talked about it and realized that maybe this is God's way of allowing us to go...Visiting Orphans will pay the way of the team leader, so we only have to come up with the money for one of us to go. But more importantly than that, we both feel like maybe this is God's way of preparing us for something that we may be doing in the future. So we both agreed about it last night, but wanted to sleep on it and pray about it more. This morning, I woke up with a peace (which is the random picture for today) about it and we are letting everyone know today that we will lead. Natalie reminded me yesterday that we have the Lord going with us and He is greater than anything that we might encounter! So please remember us in your prayers! This is a BIG step for me...I am organized and have been in many leadership roles, but this is a BIG one! We leave two months from Friday. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." - Proverbs 3:5-6

Coming soon...Luke Foster!

2008-04-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

It's a boy!! Congratulations to Kim and Thomas! Luke should arrive sometime in August and now everyone is excited for his arrival since we know who (and what) we are expecting! As I was filling a blue pail last night with all kinds of fun baby boy things, I read on the back of a book, "Every child born into the world is a new thought of God, an ever-fresh and radiant possibility." (Kate Douglas Wiggin) And today, looking at the sonogram pictures of little Luke, I cannot imagine how people can abort a baby. He was so alive and such a little person and has been since day one of his creation. He will have the chance to be all that he can imagine, all that God wants him to be because he will be given life and all that encompasses! I cannot wait to meet him and tell him how much he is wanted and loved! Congrats again! He will be more wonderful than we can even imagine!

Random Picture Wednesday!

2008-04-02T07:43:00.000-05:00

It seems that Wednesday just keeps sneaking up on me! I go on my blog to see what I can add or change and then I realize that it is Wednesday again! I have to admit that I was off a lot tacking on days to make the weekend longer and that always gets me off balance for the week! Oh well...it's Wednesday and I am back at work and it is time for Random Pictures!

I have decided to post three pics this week! The first one describes how life is feeling to me this week! I feel like I have a lot going on, but then again, I cannot pin point what I have going in. When I am at work, I am thinking about all the things that I need to be doing at home and then when I get home, I cannot remember (or muster up the strength or energy) to do what I need to do! Life is such a balance and right now a lot of things in my life are in that delicate balance state. Life is also hazardous and give you lots of twists and turns when you need it to be a smooth ride! Oh, well! I guess that it makes us who we are! Just use the hazard to your benefit and grow from it! (And this reminds me of one of my favorite shows ever..."The Dukes of Hazzard! No, I am not a redneck!)

Picture number two is for my friends Kim and Thomas who are finding out today if they are having a baby boy or baby girl...Luke Foster or Kadie Hazel(?)! This is an exciting day for our office and I am so excited to find out with them! I will probably post again when I find out today what they are having! Exciting!!

Picture number three is a clue! I have to be honest and say I do not know how many people read our blog, but for those of you that do, I will have a little contest for you! This picture is a logo of something that the person that guesses correctly will win a prize...maybe! Good luck at figuring it out and have a happy Wednesday! (And if Christie G. is reading this...e-mail me! I do not have your e-mail address! :)

Random Picture Wednesday...again, on Thursday!

2008-03-27T09:48:00.000-05:00

We are leaving today on a jet plane to head to West Texas for my Nana's 80th birthday! We are having a BIG party to celebrate on Saturday! My Nana told my parents not to make her a grandmother until she was 50. She turned 50 in March and I was born in August! How is that for timing! Unfortunately, the same is not true for my parents. They are both 60 (or almost!!). Anyway, today's picture is in honor of my Nana who turns 80 years young on Saturday! Happy Birthday, Nana! We love you!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Tag and Random Picture Wednesday!!

2008-03-19T08:35:00.000-05:00

My friend Brooke tagged me...so here are the answers to her tag!

1. What are some of your preferences that have changed since you were young?

I, like Brooke, hated tomatoes and I was allergic to them when I was young. Now I will eat them alone, but not on everything. I also hated avocados and guacamole and now I cannot get enough. I used to love chicken a lot and it was almost the only meat that I would eat (except for a steak - I have issues with ground beef), but now, I really have to crave chicken (or any meat for that matter) to eat it! Also, I used to be terrified of the dark and not go outside at night! Now I live in the boonies and have to have it completely dark when I sleep.

2. Rank the seasons in the order you like them most.

Fall - I love when you need a light sweater and the temperatures start to drop. I love the colors of the changing leaves and when you need a blanket at the football game! Perfect!!

Spring - I love the buds on the trees and when it is so pretty and nice outside that you feel the need to go outside and just enjoy or work on a project because you have not felt like going outside in the yucky cold!

Summer - When I can hop in the pool after work or on a Saturday afternoon...plus my birthday is in the summer and I only have to work four days a week! Now that is something to smile about!!

Winter - I like the feel (every once in awhile) but I am always so cold and I do not like being cold! I like snow, but I hate cold and rainy!

If you could live in one city for the rest of your life, which one would it be? And if you could only live in one country (besides the USA) for the rest of your life, and never go anywhere else, where would it be?

Well, I like where I live now! It is not really in the city, but I like the country. If I had to pick a city, I would probably choose downtown Dallas in a loft (thanks Richard). That is until we have kids! I just like that you can walk to a lot of places and everything seems convenient. I hate the traffic, but I love that there are so many Central Markets and Whole Foods close by! Or maybe New York City...it is not what I expected and there is always something to do!

Now, I know that none of you would have guessed that the country that I would pick would be China. I really am fascinated by the culture! I have only been to a few limited places in China, but everything is so diverse. I feel like I could live there because I could always find something that is westernized to make me feel at home! Plus, I know that I have a baby girl (or girls) that are there waiting for us (or that will be waiting for us when we are ready to adopt!)

I tag Jan (because I know that she reads my blog) but she is cruising the Mediterranean right now! I am sure that she is having fun!

And now....Random Picture Wednesday! I love my little Dekky-Doo so much that I have to share the cutest picture ever with you! He was asleep and I had to sneak in to take a picture! He woke up, but his little face is priceless! He did not enjoy me waking him up, but he made me smile!

Hey, I don't have kids and he is the closest thing, so cut me some slack!

Spring has Sprung...Maybe?

2008-03-13T14:42:00.000-05:00

Well, I am again a day late, but here is the random picture for the week! I am ready for it to be spring. Last Friday we had snow and yesterday it was almost 80 degrees outside. My hubby has not had much time (or a chance) to plant his garden. We have potatoes in the ground, but that is about it! Maybe this weekend he can plant some other things!

I am on a spring kick! It makes me want to do projects. I am going to redo our front door. Scrapbook. Clean out and organize. Maybe even rearrange and move rooms! I just feel the need for projects, when in the winter, I wanted to hibernate!

Here's to spring!!

Make it count!!

2008-03-11T15:19:00.000-05:00

We live down the road from a small little church. About a year ago, they upgraded from a small little wooden sign that had their name and service time to a big, fancy sign that lights up a three mile radius! We could not believe how much light this sign put out, but I guess that means that it is serving it's purpose! They put up scripture or quotes each week and change them often, but the last two weeks, their "messages" have been such an important part of what I am dealing with.
A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I were praying about something in particular. My husband even prayed aloud that if this was something that we needed to focus on, then God would give us a sign. The next morning when I was leaving for work, this is what the little sign from the church said...

"Looking for a sign from God? This is it!"

Wow! Talk about getting your attention! So the last week or so, I have had some other things on my mind about the future and what I could do to plan for the things that I would like to do. When we got close to home yesterday, the church sign had been changed again and it read...

"Don't count the days, make the days count!"

Apparently, God is using this little church's sign to get my attention. I'll keep you posted on what else I learn!

Bullet Point Update

2008-03-07T07:58:00.001-06:00

We really don't have much going on right now, but work is pretty slow and I need something to do so, I thought that I would keep you up to date with us...

We are still planning to go back to the orphanage in Fushun, China this summer. We sent out newsletters last week to our friends and family. We hope that we can raise the funds to go, but if not, we know that God has something else in store. We feel called to go, and we will donate all the funds to the orphanage if we are unable to go! We love those sweet little faces!
Thank you to Uncle Fred and Aunt Margaret and our friends, the Bibby's, for their donations toward our trip! We appreciate it so much!
We are planning a trip to visit my grandparents at the end of March. My Nana is turning 80 years old...which means that I will so be 30 all too soon! She told my parents not to make her a grandmother until she was 50. So she turned 50 in March and I was born in August. What good timing! My poor mom didn't have to tell me that! She will turn 60 this year and has no hope of grandchildren in sight! Sorry mom! We are having a special party for my Nana and inviting all her friends from church and our family. It will be good!
The weather this week is crazy. I could have worn shorts on Wednesday and today, IT IS SNOWING! How crazy! Tomorrow it is supposed to be back in the 60s!
We have no plans this weekend...woo hoo! I am excited about that! I think that my husband is going to try to burn our brush pile (yes, we live in the sticks) and I am going to clean the house! I might even do some spring cleaning. We are looking to see what we might be able to sell on ebay to make a little extra money for our trip and other things that we have going on! I love to organize so this weekend might give me another chance to do that!
I am looking for a project to do around my house. I think that I might paint our front door. It is the only thing that we have not painted since we have redone the house. I will have to wait until it gets a little warmer to remove the door!
I thought that my preview days at work were over, but as soon as I finished what I thought would be my last, we have added another one for the month of April. It is new for us so it will be a learning experience. I hope it goes well!
My hubby is working a little less this week than he has in weeks past and I am thankful for that. We got lots of calls late at night and he worked late several nights and weekends that he usually does not! I pray that this new trend continues.
I forgot to post sometime between February 7-22, but Happy Chinese New Year! It is over now, but we can still make resolutions!
I love my dog so much! He makes us laugh and he is such a little ray of sunshine! Dekker has such a personality! He is so much like a child to us! We took him to Canton this weekend and he did so well. He rode up on the top of our cart and greeted everyone! His Gigi even bought him a pair of overalls! He was the hit of Canton. Too cute! His name is Dekker Benton! We named him that because one of my husband's favorite authors is Ted Dekker and we were married in Benton County, Arkansas! (No we are not cousins and yes I wore shoes!)
We will pay off our loan in April! Praise the Lord! After that, we will pay off my hubby's new toy...the 4-wheeler in May and then we will be pretty much debt free (except for the house)! God is good!!
I bought some fun stuff online yesterday, but it is a surprise! I am so excited to get it!
We are still planning on competing in a half-marathon on April 6th! Pray for me! I know that I am not ready, but I can't back out now! Hopefully I can get back into routine next week!
Life is boring and exciting all at the same time right now! But we are blessed!

Have a great weekend!!

Random Picture Wednesday!

2008-03-05T08:13:00.000-06:00

Oh...it is only Wednesday! This week is dragging by and when I look at the clock (every three minutes) this is the picture that I see! I am ready for Friday! I keep thinking that there is so much more that I could be doing with my time...but yet, here I am at work! Woe is me!

Random Picture Wednesday

2008-02-27T09:17:00.001-06:00

Since we live in East Texas, life sometimes revolves around Canton First Monday. If you have not heard about Canton, you need to Google it. I LOVE Canton! And I could go just about every month, except for the rising gas prices. Since I have not been since October (I think) due to work conflicts, we are headed there this Sunday with my parents. Normally, we would not skip church to head to Canton, but I have my last BIG work project all day on Saturday and I need a mental break...so Canton it is! If you go with something in mind you would like to find, you are not going to find it, but if you go just to go, you tend to find a lot more. I am going with an open mind and empty purse! Enjoy Canton, if only from Random Picture Wednesday!

Feels Like Today...

2008-02-22T12:33:00.000-06:00

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

This is a quote from Lao Tzu. He is known as the father of taoism and although I do not agree with his ideas, I like this quote! This pretty much sums up today for me!