Spring is in the Air
I have been marveling over the colors of spring this year. I mean, seriously, I don’t remember all these colors in years past. Is it because we had so much snow that things are brighter and greener? Well, I’m enjoying my view of Spring each morning as I make my way into work and even Rachel comments each day “mommy, look at all the flowers, that means it springtime and the Easter Bunny has to come.” She is still saying this even though Easter has passed and the Easter Bunny paid her a visit with some fun goodies in her Easter basket. Springtime reminds me of “renewed life” and our Heavenly Father who died for our sins and who gave us “new life” if we allow Him. I’ve been thinking a lot about my faith recently and realized that I really need to grow deeper in my faith and Jesus Christ. I want to learn more about faith and how to rely on it in good times and in bad. It’s a shame that sometimes it takes a tragedy in ones life to realize that there is something out there so much bigger than us. Recently, I have learned of several young families who have been hit with devastating tragedy with losing a young husband and leaving behind a young wife and small children. And another who was stricken with cancer after losing a spouse to cancer three years ago and now having to deal with her illness and her small children by herself. It scares the living daylights out of me! I need to learn that I’m not in control, but God is and I need to just let all go and give it all over to Him. I have a lot of growing to do!

Hard to believe there are only a couple of months left in the school year and Jake will be finishing up his first year in middle school as a 6th grader. HOLY MOLY…seventh grade next year! Time sure does fly when you are having fun. Jake finished up his basketball season and unfortunately lost the championship. I felt so badly for him and the team, because they truly had a great season with only one loss. Jake took the loss very hard as well as his team, but as I tell him, you can’t win them all! What matters is they played their best and most importantly, that they had fun! I mean, life is going to be full of seriousness as he gets older and I just want him to enjoy life right now and enjoy playing sports. Where in the world do they learn to be so competitive? Are boys born this way? Baseball season has started already with practices. His team is the Cardinals this year and he has his first game on Opening Day this Saturday after the Opening Day parade and pictures. Baseball has been a little tough for Jake the last couple of years. I think he’s not enjoying it as much as he used to and I think it’s our fault. We allowed him to play on an All Star Tournament Travel Team that was extremely serious and competitive. He did this for two years and I totally regret it. He forgot to enjoy the game. I hope he can find that again this year. His coach sounds great and has total confidence in Jake, but Jake needs to find that confidence in himself again.

The third marking period is about to end today and I’m so proud of Jake for making honor roll each marking period since school started. From the grades online, it looks like he may do it again this marking period! He’s so smart and things just come so easily for him when it comes to school. I hope he continues to do well, especially when things get more difficult as he increases his grade level. He might get mad at me for saying this, but he has his first girlfriend as of this week. I know what you all are thinking…”he’s too young.” Right now, at this age, the boyfriend/girlfriend thing is pretty much only texting each other via cell phone. I started dating Dave when I was 13 years old, so how can I forbid him to have a girlfriend? I want him to know that we trust him and unless he does something to break that trust, then we will just keep trusting him. He’s a good kid with a good head on his shoulders and I truly trust him. We are not going on dates, NOT for a long time yet, and texts and emails are checked before they are deleted! Heck, he’s not even allowed out in groups without adult supervision yet! Believe me, I am not ready to embark on this new phase of Jake’s life, but it’s inevitable and I want him to know that we do trust him. We are truly blessed that he’s a good kid. I have to share something he did on his own during lent season. During lent, Jake gave up his cell phone and iPod touch. This was a decision he made on his own after going to church and hearing his group leader from church talking about what lent meant and about fasting. I didn’t even know until about a week into lent that he’d given up his cell and iPod. Most kids gave up chewing gum or something small like that (I don’t mean to knock them), but Jake really gave up something that was truly important to him. The last week of lent was the hardest for him, but he stuck through it and prevailed. I was amazed at the discipline he showed. He’s such a great role model, not just to his sister, but to Dave and me as well. We love you him so very much. I’m impressed with the young man he’s turning into. I love watching him with Rachel. She gives him a run for his money though, but he knows that she loves him.

People have said to me, “Wait till you see how different it is raising a girl vs. a boy!” I really didn’t think it would be that different and honestly, I thought a girl would be easier. Jake had so much energy all the time! Well, not only does Rachel have energy, we have attitude, we have a mouth, we are feisty and independent as they come! I mean, all these traits will bode well for her as she gets older, but HOLY MOLY, she has been my challenge lately! I love her so much even with all her feistiness! She does make us laugh everyday and she is our entertainment everywhere we go! She is becoming more and more theatrical and dramatic as she gets older. She has such a little attitude sometimes that I just want to strangle her. LOL. She used to tell us how she wants to be a baby and she will model that behavior sometimes, but a couple of weeks ago after seeing the older girls at dance school doing tap dancing, she has her heart set to getting bigger so she can do “tap tap.” She talks about it everyday! If I comment on how big she is getting, she’ll say “so I can do tap tap.” Love it!

We are potty training, which we started this past Tuesday. Rachel is doing fairly well…so much so, that she woke up with a dry diaper this morning. She has NEVER had a dry diaper in the morning. I was so amazed. Again, she thinks that when she is potty trained that she will be a big girl and can do “tap tap.” Once we nail the potty training down, we are going to transition her to a big girl bed. I just need to do some shopping for girly bedding. As expensive as Pottery Barn is, I know I will find something adorable there for my “princess.” I actually can’t wait to shop for her! I will have to admit, there is nothing like shopping for a little girl, especially for one who thinks she is a “princess.” She loves to dress-up, especially in dresses where she can “spin.” When I show her a dress she asks “can I spin in it?” The higher the dress flares when you spin, the better! Seriously, that just cracked me up the first time she asked me that. My little girl is way beyond her years and I really do think we are in trouble when she gets older!

The next big phase in Rachel’s little life will be in September when she starts school full-time at Penn Christian Academy. I can’t wait for her to go there and the staff was so warm and welcoming when we were visiting schools. She will go 5 full-days, actually that is why we are potty training her, because she has to be diaper free when she starts there. The school is right up the road from where Dave and I work, which is incredibly convenient and we will be able to adjust our schedules so we can avoid extra cost for before and after care. I will have to work later each day, but to save a couple of hundred dollars a month is worth working a half hour longer. Hey, maybe going in at 8:30 AM will allow me to get up and work out first thing in the morning…NOT! No, I’d really like to try that.

Easter was very nice this year, especially because my mother in-law’s birthday fell on that day too. I had 15 people for dinner and it went off without a hitch. The weather was incredible which allowed us to enjoy a wonderful Easter Egg Hunt in our yard. The grass was a little long, but it made hiding Easter eggs that much more fun. I’m sure Dave will run over a few when he finally mows the lawn! The kids looked adorable in their Easter dresses and even Jake looked handsome in his khakis and button down shirt. We had ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, pineapple stuffing, cole slaw, broccoli, corn, deviled eggs, macaroni and cheese, blueberry muffins and birthday cake and ice cream for mom! Everything was so yummy and boy oh boy, were we full! We had another feast the following night with all the leftovers. My friend, Andrea, was able to join us too!

Speaking of Andrea…she is a friend I met on a Yahoo group online who is also adopting. We have been friends for about 4 years now and she is getting so close to getting her baby girl from China. Andrea’s log-in date is April 29th and so far this month, China is through April 17th with referrals. There are 12 days to go for Andrea! Her mom, her friend, Donna, my mother in-law, Helen and I are planning her Adoption Shower for June 13th! We started registering at Babies R Us and Target. Andrea is a little overwhelmed but she is being proactive and getting a ton done including having a crew of friends over to her house on a Saturday to help pack and fix things so that she can get her house painted. She is probably one of the most organized people I know with her spreadsheets and whatnot. LOL! I love her so much and her friendship means the world to me. So much so, that I’m allowing her to borrow my husband for two weeks to take to China with her to get her baby girl. You read that right, Dave is going to China with her which should happen this summer. I don’t know what in the world I’m thinking, but I’m so glad we are able to give her this gift of friendship. She has been an amazing friend to us and this is a small way to give back to her. I think she has such a sense of relief knowing that she has someone giving her 100% commitment to go with her. 36 hours from the time Dave told her that he would go, her three potentials who offered to go with her, backed out. God works in mysterious ways! I’m excited for Andrea and I’m excited for Dave, because he will be able to experience this whole process from a different perspective. I’m sort of jealous, because I want so badly to be the one to go with her. I can’t bring myself to leave my kids for two weeks. That is just too long not to see my babies! If it was just a week, I would have given it serious consideration, but two weeks is out of the question for me. So, please keep Andrea in your prayers as she continues to wait and prepare for her referral and please pray for Dave that he will be a good travel and support companion for Andrea. And please pray for me, because Dave and I have NEVER been away from each other for more than a couple of days. Please pray for their safety and that they come back to me safely.

Dave and I will be celebrating 16 years of marriage this month. That really boggles my mind that it’s been that long. Although, we’ve really been together since August 18, 1985! That is almost 25 years this year! Now that truly boggles my mind! He truly is my soul mate and he tolerates so much from me, especially lately. I am truly blessed to have a wonderful friend and man for my husband. I thank God everyday for him. He is a great father too and I love watching him be a father.

You know, it’s so funny because when I start typing to update my blog, I’m amazed at all the words I get down. I didn’t think I had this much to say! I hope I don’t bore you all, but I know my children will cherish these words some day when they look back at what they wonder what they did “back in the day!” I hate to write, but the words just flow out of me! LOL!

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Rachel had her face painted at our church Easter Egg Hunt

Rachel loves to "spin" in her pretty spring dress

Rachel is making sure she can spin!

What a pretty ballerina we are!

Easter Morning

Rachel loved the Easter Bunny! She was afraid of the Chick Fil A cow who was also visiting

Not happy about waiting in lines. I couldn't blame her, it was very crowded!

In our Easter Dress

Jake and Rachel Easter Morning before church

My sister, Debbie, and her family. Mark, Debbie, Gabriella and Miranda
Mommom & Poppop's Grandkids!

Easter Egg Hunt in our yard.

Rachel was checking to see how many eggs she collected

Mommom with her babies.

Garbriella and Miranda

Jake catching for his team, the Cardinals

Running to third base!
Daddy high fiving Rachel for Jake's good hit!
Bam! We got a double out of this one!
Jake helping his little sis get a drink of water.
Jake at the playground.
Weeeeee! Notice the static in the hair.
Cool Dad!
They are so cute!

Swing higher!!!!

Uno

Another cute little story to share with my followers. A few weekends ago, we sat around our dining room table with some friends playing Uno but with a twist. The game my friend, Tina, taught us was Polish Uno. Once you learn how to play this new way, you will never go back to the old way. Anyway, on with the point of this story...Rachel was sitting between two of my friends while we were playing and Tina yelled, "Uno!" and Rachel responds very quickly with "Dos." We all laughed so hard. Who said television wasn't educational? LOL! She loves watching Dora Explorer and obviously, she is learning Spanish while watching it.

Another Snow Day!!!!!




























I just love being home. I wish I could financially afford to be home all the time. Well, actually, let me rephrase that...If I could choose my schedule, I'd work a couple of days a week. I have too much energy and my personality requires me to be around other adults. I've been told that is a trait of "A" personality types. LOL. I'm the first to admit that I have a strong personality! LOL. Anyway, I do enjoy these times off, especially unplanned where we can hang in our pj's all day. I can hear the kids downstairs watching television and I can guarantee, it's something Rachel wanted to watch! Not sure if it's good to have two "A" type women in the house! Rachel is definitely the princess and pretty much gets what she wants! If she doesn't get it, she will go on and on and on and on. I'm sure you catch my drift. LOL. Seriously, we do pick our battles and we don't let her get away with everything!

These last couple of weeks have been extremely stressful. Unfortunately, things are kind of grim for the school district I work for. So grim, that people are losing their jobs and I believe that my job is also in jeopardy. The school district has unions and our union has been in negotiations with the school board since July 1st, 2009 and the way things are going, I see no resolution in the near future. The biggest issue is about health insurance. We have a very good plan right now, but it's costing the district too much money and with state budget cuts, which affect the school districts, they have to try and cut costs somewhere. From what I can see, the new insurance plan doesn't seem all that bad. And of course, I much rather take another insurance plan than to lose my job. I can see where the union is coming from though, because if we take a lesser insurance plan, we could be jeopardizing ourselves and our family. Unfortunately, in times like this where our country is in a recession, each party has to be flexible. I can't give out too much information, but I know that I can't afford to lose my job again, which will be the third time in a year and a half. A person can only take so much!

The stress of it all has really taken a toll on me, my body, mind and spirit. A person can only handle so many changes in a short amount of time. I'm truly blessed and believe me, I thank God everyday for my blessings. I really do. I think about those who are way less fortunate and I beat myself up for complaining, but it doesn't eliminate the fact that these changes have caused me stress and worry each day. I know I need to hand it over to God, but I haven't figured out how to do that. I'm asking that you do pray for me and that you pray that I can just give it to God and what will be will be and that I will be able to get through it all. Pray that I will be able to handle it and not let it affect my body, mind and spirit.

My family is what keeps me going each day and the Lord knows, I need them. I feel utterly blessed to a wonderful husband who loves me, even though the stress has caused me to gain so much weight that I can barely stand myself. I'm blessed to have two beautiful, smart, talented kids who make me laugh when no one else can. I am blessed that I have wonderful friends in my life who love me for me and listen to me when I need them to listen. I'm blessed for two wonderful sisters who cry with me and who just let me cry when I need to cry. I'm blessed that I still have a job at the moment, even if it won't be there tomorrow. I'm blessed that God has given me talents and skills that WILL help me find another job if that is what I'm suppose to do. So, I'm blessed that I have a God who gives me the strength to keep going each day.

Basketball is keeping us busy these days. Jake is playing on two teams this year and I will tell you, he is growing so much in this sport. It is so much fun to watch him play and I love that I get to be there witness his growth. He's not just growing in skill but in character and sportsmanship. I hate to always seems like I'm bragging, but I figure this is my blog, so I'm allowed! LOL! I had a parent come up to me during his Upward Basketball game (Upward is through our church) two weeks ago and ask me if Jake was my son. When I confirmed that he was, she said you are doing an amazing job as a parent. I was so touched that I almost cried. She said that she first noticed him last fall playing Upward Flag Football and she was in awe over this "gentle giant" as she called him. This mother said that he obviously has talent and size going for him and that he could pummel any of those kids, but what she saw instead was a kid who was gentle and encouraging to the other players. She saw a kid who high fives another kid for making a good play or even a good effort. This basketball season, she sees the same thing on the court. See, her child is special needs (you wouldn't know this by looking at him) and she was so touched how Jake treats him as a player and friend. He high fives him and encourages him. She said that his character, gentleness and encouragement runs deep. As a parent, you know you have a good kid, but boy, when someone from outside who doesn't know you and comes up to you and tells you that you are doing a great job as a parent, there is no better compliment. I was so deeply touched and so grateful to hear such wonderful things, that it seriously brought tears to my eyes. So, when Jake is being a preteen and doing what preteens do, I think of this moment and cut him some slack, because, he really is a great kid and I'm truly blessed to be his mother. It is such a privilege watching him grow into a young man.

As I'm sitting here, Rachel is in her Minnie dress that was purchased for her while we were in Disney last September/October by mommom and I will have to say, she makes such cute little Minnie. She loves the dress because when she spins, it flares out and she loves that! I had to get up and do "circles" with her so that the skirt will flare. She is all girl! She is singing up a storm and she loves to dance. Last week her dance class was closed for the President's Day holiday and I didn't realize this until we drove to the class. She was a VERY unhappy little girl and she let us know all the way home with her tears! I tried everything to get her mind off it, but she kept saying "I want to go to my dance class." How do you explain to a 2 year old that the class is closed! In the future, I will pay extra attention to those calendars that are emailed to me from LeRoux each month.

Rachel is 2 1/2 years old today. Hard to believe that we will be celebrating our 2nd "Gotcha Day" in May. These last two years have flown by! But honestly, I almost can't even remember our lives without Rachel. My friend, Tina T. (TT as Rachel calls her) even said that me last week when we were talking on the phone. Rachel is our source of entertainment, because I will tell you, this girl is funny. Her sense of humor is amazing. And her wit for a two year old is even more amazing. A funny story that my mother-in-law shared with this week while I was at work...She was changing a 7 month little boy that she watches as well each day and this time she changed him on the floor vs. the table. Well, Rachel noticed the difference this time between boys and girls and she points at "him" and says what's that?! She's staring and then says "it looks like a noodle, that a noodle...that a noodle?" OMG, I was roaring when mom shared that with me. This is just a small example of the things that come out of Rachel's mouth. This week while going to work, she tells me "takes this path and watch out for snakes, Lions, Tigers and Horses." I wasn't sure where she got this from but apparently, it's from "Diego" on TV. It just goes to show you, they say and retain everything they hear and watch.

I know this is a small moment, but for me it was a happy and fun moment...I was able to put pigtails in Rachel's hair last week! They are on top of her head, but they are piggytails nonetheless! And she loves them too! They look so cute on her and she can't wait to run and tell someone "see my piggytails!" LOL. This was a special moment for me as I've been dreaming about this day since the day we decided to adopt a little girl from China. How ironic that she would be a bald baby...a very very beautiful bald baby I will add!

Two weekends ago we celebrated the Chinese New Year! It is the "Year of the Tiger" and we celebrated with family and a couple of friends on Valentine's Day following church. What a nice day it was too. I wasn't at all sad about not celebrating Valentine's Day. We had lots of Chinese food including Ling Ling Potstickers which were a huge hit! I found a cute game for the kids and we did a cute Tiger craft with the kids. My friend Andrea and I decided that this is a celebration along with the Moon Festival that we want to honor each year with our daughters. Andrea will be adopting from China, hopefully in the very near future. We decided that my family will host the Chinese New Year and she will host the Moon Festival. Hopefully as our girls grow we will find other Chinese traditions to honor. Last weekend, we celebrated the Chinese New Year with our Adoption Agency, Living Hope, where we got to see other families we have met over the years who have adopted from China. We went to the King Buffet, where I barely ate anything because I was to busy chatting! I know I know, me chat?! LOL. I just love the people who work for our adoption agency, because they truly do feel like family to me! This weekend, Rachel and I are tagging along with our friends, the Panco's, to Chinatown in Philadelphia for a Chinese New Year's lunch and activities with another adoption group. I wish Jake and Dave could go, but Jake committed to baseball conditioning training. And I figured I wouldn't torture Dave with more Chinese food!

Well, I rambled on long enough, so I will close and add some photos for your viewing pleasure. I'm glad you all stopped in to see how our family is doing. Your comments mean the world to me! So please share your thoughts and words with us! My sister shared her blog in a book with me, so we are going to start printing our blog each year. What a great treasure that will be for Jake and Rachel when they are older and have their own children and so on.

Blessings.

The ABC Singing Princess