Petition

If you are interested in signing a petitionabout Guatemalan adoptions to the Pres... go here. PETITION

SCARY THINGS

There are some scary things going on in Guatemala right now regarding adoption... I wish I knew how to sum it up but it has already been summed up better than I could have here please go there and read what you can do. Cheri is a mom adopting from Guatemala who received her referral about a week after we got Eliza's. She has been in Guatemala fostering HER DAUGHTER since December (I think). I do not even want to go into details about what could happen if all this stuff takes place, but you can do something. If you are adopting from Guatemala, have a heart for adoption or even have a friend *AHEM- ME* adopting, you can help.

Pachelbel Bedtime

Priceless... thanks for sharing Shelly!

Future in Drawing?

Eliza just cracks me up. She is so tiny, yet sometimes seems like an 4 year old girl ready to jump out. She has amazing fine motor skills and could sit for hours with a colored pencil either putting them all back into the box or writing on paper. I captured her this morning just after she raided the craft/crayon bin in the pantry.

My Mommy Made It

When I was a little girl, you would hear "my mommy made it" come out of my mouth often. My mom was a sewing machine (he he he)! She made all kinds of dresses and I think I wore smocking until I was 12. Anyway, I tried to sew for the boys... or shall I say I attempted it with Baylor when he was little, but it just was not successful and he was so oddly proportioned that if I got it right in the length, then it was too tight in the belly. I made 2 outfits. One the elastic popped the first wearing... the other never made it to the button stage.

Anyway... I got the sewing machine out and blew the dust off of it and thought I would give it a try again for Eliza. Girls patterns are so much easier and a straight A line dress allows room for error. So Friday during nap time I sat down and cut it out and read the directions. It did not take long at all, I am sure the next one will go much smoother, but I wanted to show you my first creation. They will probably all look like this only in different colors until I get brave enough to try another pattern. Sadly, my baby girl is still in a 6 month pattern with it taken up 2 inches at the hem. Such a squirt...

P.S. I had to add the bows to it so I could put my bow making skills to test and make one for her hair.

Karate

Baylor has been working very hard for a while now at Karate. He really enjoys it and he has learned alot, both about TaeKwonDo forms but also about self discipline and self control. Last night he tested from Senior Brown belt to Red Belt. Red (and Senior Red) are the only belts he has to obtain before getting to black. Here is his most recent school picture taken earlier this summer. And then last night he had his testing. First you must show your form. The brown belt ( or Earth) form consist of 26 moves that he must perform perfectly and in order to pass. He then must perform a "one-step" sparring routine with a partner. It has a very specific form and order as well. Then he gets to free spar. He puts on all his pads and gear and takes 2, 3 minute rounds with 2 different partners. The object is not to "fight" but to show form and control. You must show that you can block punches and kicks as well as perform a certain number of kicks standing and jumping while still maintaining control. I think Baylor did a great job. Take a look and see.

How we spend our Saturday!

It started last week and will last until the first weekend in November.

Our schedule consists of a little of this...
With Daddy trying to be a "hands off coach" (Can't you just see him jumping on the inside)


Then a little of this... which is our first experience Baylor never wanted to play. He looks so big out there... even though his shorts look like capris.


We have been really trying to teach him to get in there and be a part of the action. Believe it or not he is a reserved kind of kid and usually stands back and watches.


Eliza, Silas, and I do a lot of this... (Eliza is the only one who would let me take her picture... Silas is over it and I was not going to do a self portrait)


Thank you, GOD! For bringing my camera back!!!

BOWS!!!

Today I had the pleasure of having some much needed "me" time (thanks to my mother-in-law who kept the kiddos). What did I do with my me time you ask? I took a class and I now know how to make my very own beautiful bows. Here is a sampling of what I made today.

Where does a year go...

I cannot believe that I missed it. Yesterday was a year!!! One year ago at about 9:45 PM, my husband and I were trying to "let go" of the fact that our referral had not come yet. We had been talking about it and were enjoying listening to "Not Unto Us" when, the phone rang... and my heart and life changed forever. My agency director on the other end told me that she had a baby girl she wanted to tell me about. One year ago this sweet face appeared on my computer screen and I have not been the same since.

One year ago, I began franticly planning a spur of the moment trip to another country just so I could touch the face I had just fallen in love with. And when we met face to face I thought it was a dream... too good to be true.


Now here we are, a year later and we have been blessed beyond words. All of the days we were apart were agonizing. But now, now that she is home this past year has flown by and we are just where we should be. ABSOLUTELY in love with this amazing gift from God above. I am humbled and honored to be allowed to be called her mom.

A few things to say...

First of all, camera snatcher was no camera snatcher at all. Camera snatcher was Mr. Maintenance Man who had been carrying around my camera... I guess waiting to turn it in. I got a phone call on it this morning and already have it safe and sound in my possession. Tomorrow, I see the plastic surgeon about having it permanently attached so we do not go through this again. =) So, THANK YOU Camera Snatcher/ Mr. Maintenance Man... I appreciate you taking care of my camera and bringing it back.

Second, have you all seen my little map to the left. It really cracks me up... I mean it is nothing like the ones I have seen on other blogs, but I had no idea where everyone was from looking at this until I got the map. I mean there is a dot in Germany, Italy, and Dominican Republic ( and I only knew that because Baylor brought home a book on David Ortiz yesterday- baseballs one and only Big Papi- and we read it together. Big Papi is from DR... OHHHH do you think HE is the blog reader- just kidding). You are reading from all over the US, and that floors me. One little girl, one little family and yet so much in common with people all over the world.

Third, I have been meaning to post one of the pictures I had made of Eliza at Portrait Innovations. We have a photographer that is taking pictures of Eliza for a "panel" but I just cannot afford to hand those out so we went with the most cost effective photographer for these. I really like how it turned out. Her eyes are just mesmerizing.

I forsee...

Years of teenage telephone talk in my future. My daughters first audible word that has meaning... HEY!... WATCH!!!

Memo

Dear Camera Snatcher-
I know I made the mistake of leaving my camera sitting on the bleachers at the baseball park. If you were me, you would have to set things down too. Between the running chaos, potty-trining runs and the baby up past her bedtime, I completly forgot that one of my most valuable appendages was sitting there. (Did I add that it was my night to provide snack for the team and I had to run to the car and get it and carry it around).
I know how much fun it must look to you to have a big fancy camera like that. Either to play with or to hawk for some cash. But, that thing is a lot more than a camera to me and you took it. There was a consession stand where you could have left it not 5 feet away and had a good warm fuzzy feeling in your heart. You could have called the office and let them know you found it, or you could have even responded to one of my many flyers, post, e-mails, etc. But no, here I am 6 days later and no news on my camera. Have you taken fun pictures with it, or did you pawn it? If so, I would love to know how much you got for it because it is pretty useless to you once the battery runs down or the card is full.
Camera snatcher... grow a heart...have some feeling... bring my camera back.

Felíz Cumpleaños!!!

I cannot belive that she is already one!!! It just blows me away!

We threw a "Centeral American Fiesta" tonight in her honor with a catered display of beans, rice and fajitas. Since we had a big party for her as her homecoming, we tried to keep it small.

She has brought us so much joy in her short time here. I can only imagine the life ahead of us!

We prayed specifically for her birth mother tonight. I have no idea what she is feeling today, that too I cannot imagine, but I pray that she is at peace in knowing that her child is loved more than she could imagine possible.

Here are some photos from the PAR-TAY!

A note from the Land of Eternal Spring

Late last night I got an e-mail from Eliza's foster mom... I had it translated and I was so happy to hear from them. I left her my e-mail address when I went in November to visit. I do not know if she just now found it, or just now was able to get to a computer. It is so sweet and you can tell how much she still thinks of her. She wanted to know if she was happy and loving and if she was chubbier.I plan on sending pictures down soon with another family. I am also sending them an e-mail back as soon as I can get it translated and gave her the blog address. She may not be able to read all my rantings, but she will enjoy the pictures I am sure.

Mom's Day Out

Today was the first day of Mom's Day Out for Callan and Silas. They were so excited this morning as we were getting ready armed with backpacks, lunch boxes and rest mats ( and several changes of clothes for my potty training Silas) they were ready to take on the day. I hope they had a good day... I will soon find out, pick up is in 30 minutes.

Eliza and I used the day to run to a local town to apply for her Social Security Number, run by Hobby Lobby... and take a good rest (for Eliza) because tonight starts the Fall Chaos of Baseball games and Soccer games, and Karate, and choir, and G-Force, and Team-Kid, and Bible Studies, and ...

That is just not right

Sunday as we were getting ready for church, I had all the boys dressed and they went in to help with Eliza. I put on her dress which had a slip with it and then I slid the BIG matching bow into her hair. My oldest looked at her and plainly said "that is just not right!!" Oh the things they will learn from a baby sister. He also expressed that he was concerned that I was making her wear 2 dresses and found it a hoot when I held out her bracelet to put on and she stuck out her arm as if she were some prissy princess.
You will be seeing this dress more later in the week. I bought it as her birthday dress... which is THURSDAY!