Memorial Day Festivities

What a beautiful couple of days we've had here in New England! A bit hot for my taste, but I'm trying not to complain after enduring 12+ days of rain before. I'm a little nervous about how everyone is going to sleep- the thermostat is registering 86 degrees upstairs...yikes!

Right now, Isabelle Kate is in bed, and the three boys are in the family room with me watching....The A-Team, ha ha!  I helped Jonah and Caleb do a speedy shower since they were dripping with sweat after playing baseball tonight, and here we are- this is a special treat for the younger two, and they look pretty pleased! I never realized what a progressive show this was when I saw the originals, oh, about 100 years ago. Yes, there are guns and explosions, but it is SO different from the gore and guts we're bombarded with today. And it does have a rather catchy theme song.  =)

Anyhoo.

It was a big morning for Caleb- he was a song leader for his school's Memorial Day Service. He told me he felt nervous at breakfast time (it didn't stop him from eating, ha ha), but when I saw him right before the ceremony started, he said he felt good. Funny boy!,

Jonah stayed home {sick} today so he walked down to the school with Isabelle and me. Mimi met us there, and Grandpa was the guest speaker again this year.  **side note- the blowing up stuff part of the show just began and these boys are going nuts! They are such boys...too funny!**  I was so proud of my Caleb this morning- he was focused and did exactly what he supposed to. And he's just so darn cute!!

 HA! I had no idea she was scowling when I took this picture!

She looks maaaaaaad, but she wasn't! She was just hot, so I gave her some ice water & grapes.

Problem solved!

 

My adorable MC!

He sang his little heart out!

As we started walking home, Jonah spied something on the ground. We thought it was candy at first, but then he realized it was a little robin's egg! Oh dear, I knew what was coming next...he has big plans to care for this lost egg and help it hatch. I didn't want to discourage him from trying, but I also don't want him to be crushed. There were a few lost eggs in my childhood, and there were tears. Many, many tears. Maybe this one will surprise us!


Here's the nest Jonah created...

...complete with Mama Robin!!  She sings too, to make sure the baby bird knows she's there!

 Jonah let me hold it, but only for a second, so it wouldn't get too cold :)

On another note, I totally spaced it last week and forgot to get some pictures of my little bird watcher with his big NH project, so here he is! His teacher was very proud of him, and so am I!

This weekend we are hoping to keep things low key since every weekend recently is so jam-packed, and that is making me happy happy happy! You know what I really want to do? I want to find a no-fail Jell-o recipe for some fruity, frosty yummy cake or pie. And go for a hike, literally. But right now, it's still quite hot in here...whew! Wish me luck tonight!

A heartfelt thank you to our selfless veterans and their families for the invaluable sacrifices they make on our behalf- thank you and God bless you!

Sunday Snapshot...Special Time with My Handsome Boy

It all started with these...

Personalized "Date Cards" taped to the kids' bathroom mirror one morning

I knew the exact moment they discovered them because I heard STOMP STOMP STOMP, whisper whisper whisper, STOMP STOMP STOMP...

Later I found out they'd been running back and forth in search of a pen to circle their response, ha!

These have been proudly displayed on their bedroom window ever since  =)

 

  My adorable date

It was such a beautiful, sunny day, and it felt wonderful to be going out without heavy coats for a change

And just where were we headed? ? ?

a fancy restaurant, of course!

I've learned over the years that it is true- the way to a man's heart is through his stomach; boys associate a good time with FOOD!

And this boy is no exception!

Earlier in the week, in anticipation of our big date, Caleb had told me he thought we should go to a place that was romantic, with candles, like an 'EE-talian' restaurant.  I died on the inside, so, so funny!  I wonder if his charming, adorable, big personality comes across on the screen if you don't know him like we do.

He also let me know that it didn't really even matter what we ended up doing, as long as we were together...sharing our love.

Dying, I tell you!

We had a wonderful evening together.

Sharing our love.

If this pic link isn't working, please click here.

Ordinary... and Wonderful

Some random {happy} snapshots of life these days.

Ethan made us yummy Corn Bread from scratch

solo

I was very impressed  =)

cute little girls playing and giggling

ditching boots for sneakers

and meeting friends to go for long walks

oh wait, my friend ditched me!

you know who you are!  hee hee

cuh-razy schedules are upon us yet again

but I love watching my kiddos play!

healthy lunch

mixed greens with tomatoes, sweet bell peppers & diced ham

oh, and seeded Rye toast...fantastic!!

afternoon play times, outside, ahhhhhh...

big little boys

who love to help their Mama make my heart happy

I'm making this picture so large so you can see the dirt all over his cute little legs...you should see his face up close, HA!

vibrant color after all these gray months

 

sunny day preschool pick-ups

sans coats or boots or mittens or hats

family adventures

And ice cream sundaes for dinner

don't fret, we had chicken for "dessert"  :)

Adoption & My Baby Girl: Something to Consider

I have to be honest and admit that I'm a very curious gal.  Maybe that's the nicer way of calling myself nosy.  Listening to someone's story, hearing about the things that stir their hearts, checking out how they decorate their homes- hey, keepin' it real here- inspires me.  It addresses that void inside me that longs for connection, the void God placed in each of us.

So in the spirit of connection and community, I will also tell you that I don't generally mind one bit when a person approaches me and gently asks me about my daughter.  My internationally-adopted daughter.  The girl whose skin isn't the same shade as mine, the one who looks different from her father, me, and her other fair-skinned siblings.

Sometimes, people are interested in hearing the details of the actual adoption process, and I choose my words carefully because I don't want our difficult journey to dampen someone else's potential journey before it has even the chance to sink into their hearts.  We would retrace those very painful steps a million times over if that's what God called us to do because we were that certain of his plan for our family.  The process of adopting a child is rarely easy, but we move mountains for those we love.

Other times, I think people are surprised to see that adopted children can be as vibrant and well-adjusted as any other child on the playground or in preschool class.  The cry of the special needs orphan weighs heavily on my heart, and I pray that families would rise up for these children; but there are also millions of children who don't have mental and physical disabilities and are in need of families, too.  Of course, there are always risks.  If you're the sort who prefers to map out your life in order to avoid all risk, well, then, um...good luck with that.

More often than not, I'm caught unprepared in the check-out lane or at the library or even in the middle of the street when a delightful bombardment of these types of questions comes fast and furious:

"Is she yours?  I mean, really yours?"

"Where did she come from?"

"When did you get her?"

"Couldn't you get an American baby?"

"Why not take care of our own first?"

"Why did her real mother not want her?"

Sorry, Bill, if you're reading this for the first time and absolutely fuming about now- I don't generally allow these questions to occupy much of my mind or time, so naturally, I forget about them over the course of the day.  They're still there, obviously, but hopefully only filling a teeny tiny portion of my mental database.

How would you answer those questions?

I used to be nice.  And gracious.

And then I grew up, because my daughter is growing up.  She is so aware of people, of how they react and respond to her, of how they appraise her, and let me assure you: her feelings and well-being will always take priority over some random stranger's in the store.  Suddenly my voice got less timid and my words more direct, and now people are told without delay or excuse that my daughter is none of their concern.  I hesitate to share that I once asked the clerk if she'd had c-sections or delivered vaginally and had needed stitches in response to her ruthless query about my little girl, but isn't that really the same kind of thing?  It's private.  I don't know you and you don't know me, and therefore neither of us should feel the right to demand such personal information.  Connectedness and community aren't going to be unhinged when we refrain from simply wondering out loud.  As a whole, we're a very curious and open nation, but that doesn't mean we get to ask people whatever we want, whenever we want to.

Her eyes got wide, her cheeks rosy, and she huffed but wouldn't speak after that, just in case you were wondering.

I'll add here that I do not enjoy being rude or confrontational.  And it's worth repeating that I'm more than happy to share some of the details of our adoption journey, but only if you ask nicely and in a respectful manner.  Then again, if my daughter is nearby, I'll probably redirect the conversation.

I can usually tell right away if someone is genuinely interested in adoption or if they're being just plain nosy.  If you really want to hear more, I'll give you my email address, and if you write me, I'll gladly respond with as much encouragement and helpful information as I can.  And then I'll pray like crazy that you consider moving forward on your own amazing adoption journey.

Please know that it hasn't been my intention to shame anyone, but I do hope that if you've ever asked any of those kinds of questions from that list above, you might reconsider and understand the harm this does.  If not, then don't be surprised when you get told to buzz off and mind your own business.

You've been warned.

Thanks for reading.  Have a great day!