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.