Wonderful News!!!!!!!!

Great news has finally arrived for one of my closet friends, Andrea, who is a single woman adopting from China. She finally received her referral for her daughter, Phoebe, who is in the Jiangxi Province of China. Her birthday is December 27, 2009 (ahh, another December birthday!) and she was found two days later, taken to TongGu County orphanage and then placed in foster care.. She is only 6 ½ months old! She is so incredibly beautiful and her name, Phoebe Liat-Yin Zavod, is perfect for this little peanut who only weighed 13.2 pounds when she was 5 months old. I can’t tell you how elated we are for Andrea and how much we are looking forward to loving on Phoebe.

Andrea has waited over 4 ½ years for her little girl. Being single has scared her on more than one occasion with China constantly changing their rules and guidelines and Andrea was concerned that she was becoming too old! Thank God, Andrea was grandfathered in and was able to keep her LID of 4/29/06. It’s crazy to think that she was less than 4 months from our LID of 1/6/06 and she was waited over 2 years longer to receive her referral. And the age thing, I think it’s better for a child to have an older parent and know what it feels like to be loved and feel affection than to be stuck in an orphanage where she would otherwise not have this kind of attention or feelings. And hey, kids make you feel younger! Just ask my back! LOL.

For some reason, God has made us wait for our little girls and we constantly wonder why and questioned God on more than a dozen occasions. I still remember a pastor, who we met along the way and who has since adopted 2 children from China, has said to me that we have to think of our lives as a this million-piece puzzle where everything has to fit into place before you meet your daughter. I truly believe that part of that puzzle is the friendship that has developed in those 4 ½ years of wait between Andrea, me and my family. I met Andrea through an adoption Yahoo group and when I noticed that she only lived in the next town over from me, I invited her for dinner. We met and had great conversation! Me and my outgoing and social-butterfly self, invited Andrea again to my home, but this time to meet more of my friends at a scrapbooking evening and she graciously accepted my invitation. From that point forward, we started hanging out and have become the best of friends. She has become a part of our family in such a short amount of time. Honestly, it feels like I’ve known Andrea forever. My kids adore her and she has even babysat for us on numerous occasions. We love her so much that my husband is accompanying her to China to bring home Phoebe. I believe our family has given her more of the confidence she needs in becoming a mom. I don’t think she needed much help, because seriously, she missed her calling by not becoming a teacher. She is incredible with kids and they respond so favorably to her. I have truly enjoyed watching Andrea blossom into this more confident woman who is ready (still a little nervous, but hey, who isn’t nervous about becoming a first-time mother) to take on the role of being Phoebe’s mommy. I know I can’t wait to get my arms around her and to smooch those adorable lips! We love you already Phoebe and Rachel is dying to be your “big sister.” Mommy and Uncle Dave will be coming with open arms very soon.

Please keep Andrea, Phoebe and Dave in your prayers as they continue processing all that needs to be done to head to China. Please pray for transition, bonding, travel, etc. You can follow Andrea’s journey at www.meisnowwe.blogspot.com.

SUMMER IS IN FULL SWING!

Gosh, Jake looks so grown here. We are on our Second Annual Scavenger hunt on Memorial Day

Jayden and Sherman are Rachel's best friends at nursery school. She will miss them!

You can't see me! I just love this picture of her.

My princess!

So pretty you are!

Please take the picture!

We have very little patience and the fiestiness is showing here! LOL.

Catching the wind! LOL.

Jake loves basketball!

Here we are at a park on 4th of July! How appropriate to take a picture with a statue of a soldier?

I LOVE LOVE the pigtails! Can you see, they are getting longer!

Love this picture of the two of them.

Pool fun in the backyard.

Jake cathing during one of his games.

Can you see the ball right in fron of him? He smacked it!

Jake pitching. He has power! We are still working on control.

He looks like a professional! LOL.

Well, we finished up the 6th grade and Jake did extremely well. He earned “meritorious” honor roll all year, which is fabulous. I know he can do better, but I’m proud of him nonetheless. He’s a smart boy, and he earns A’s and B’s without much studying or effort. I tell him constantly, “can you imagine how much better you would do if you studied just a little bit more.” I know, I am grateful, really I am. I just don’t want Jake going through life doing the bare minimum. I expect and want more for him. He’s a terrific kid with a great personality, extremely athletic and he’s a great looking boy…very well rounded. Doesn’t a mom want their child to be the best they can be? I need to relax and know that as long as we are the best parents we can be, he will be just fine!

We are finished with baseball and we are in full swing with two summer basketball leagues. He started the first one about a month ago already and the league has been a little challenging for him because he is playing with 9th and 10th graders. I attended my first game last week because the games are so far away and they don’t start till either 8 or 9 o’clock at night… way too late with a little one. I couldn’t believe the size of these boys! I mean, Jake is big for his age, but HOLY MOLY, some of these boys were even a foot taller than Jake! I kept thinking “is Jake going to be that big when he’s in 9th or 10th grade.” He’s definitely heading in that direction since he’s already 5’7” and he’s only going into 7th grade. Oh, I have to add, Jake’s very proud that he’s taller than me now! Anyway, I could sense Jake’s intimidation and his confidence was lacking, but he was a different kid playing with kids his own age with the second league that started last week. He really does enjoy basketball and hopes to be able to play for his middle school next year.

Jake started camp through our township. I believe this is his fourth year at this camp and it is probably the last year. I walked in last week to pick him up and I thought he was one of the counselors. All the kids are so tiny. Seriously, I think Jake is at least a head taller than every single child there. He does seem to enjoy it more this year than in years past. Apparently, the kids who caused a ruckus last year and the year before are no longer there. We do need to find something more challenging for him next year. It would be nice to find a part-time summer job, but I think he will still be too young. We shall see what happens.

Rachel finished her first year of two-year old nursery school at First Baptist Nursery School. I don’t know what it is, but life just seems to fly by, especially when you have kids in school. My year doesn’t go from January to December, but rather September to June which is the school’s calendar and every year, it seems to get faster and faster. We are going to miss Mrs. Melito and Mrs. King since Rachel won’t be back in the fall. It was so neat that Rachel had the same teacher Jake did 11 years ago! Rachel has learned so much this past year and one of my favorites, is that she learned how to say the blessing during meal times. It’s so cute to watch her through slitted eyes, but she’s watching us making sure we have our eyes closed. So very cute! She can count to 10 and surely knows her alphabet. I love when she rattles off shapes and colors she’s learned a long the way as well. In the fall, Rachel will be starting a Christian pre-school full-time. I know she will continue to flourish in her new setting, but it’s all bittersweet. She’s growing up so fast! We are now in a big girl’s bed too and she thinks she is such a big girl. A big girl bed was her incentive when potty training, which she did in no time flat. Rachel is such a quick learner.

We are in a second year of Petite Feet dance and we even are doing a summer session because Rachel LOVES to dance. A woman who works there, was kind enough to give Rachel a used pair of tap shoes. Rachel was in her glory when I gave them to her. She constantly talks about getting bigger so she can do “tap tap.” She puts the tap shoes on and goes to town on my kitchen floor. I’m sure the linoleum won’t like it soon, but hey, she’s tapping and she’s happy and that makes momma happy. In September, Rachel will start ballet and tap. The tap won’t start until after the holidays depending how they do with ballet, but Rachel will feel like such a big girl. She watches the big girls every week when they are tapping and when we leave, that is all she talks about. I love watching her dance and sing. I’m telling ya, she’s going to be on stage someday!

The kids are enjoying the pool at my in-law’s house. They are both fishes and Rachel is becoming so comfortable in the water with just arm floats on. She isn’t afraid to put her face in the water, but screams like a girl when Jake splashes her. Seriously, I thought with almost 11 years between the two of them, there would be no sibling rivalry! Boy oh boy, was I wrong. The two of them harass and pick on each other. Jake tends to be an instigator at times and Rachel gives him the reaction he wants. LOL. The other day in the car, Jake was being is usual silly and sometimes annoying self, and Rachel screams “enough Jake, that is enough!” Hmm, I wonder whey she’s heard that from. Made us all laugh. Bottom line, you have to laugh sometimes and have a sense of humor…if not, you can drive yourself crazy.

We are leaving for vacation shortly and we are looking forward to getting away. Believe it or not, we are headed to Kansas City, Missouri. I know, how many people do you know go to Kansas City, MO for vacation? Well, Dave’s, Uncle Donald, moved there about 10 years ago now and we have yet to visit and we’ve never been and I figured what a great way to spend time with family and enjoy a vacation. Uncle Donald has a boat and a pool, so we definitely shouldn’t be bored. We plan on seeing a Kansas City Royals baseball game and there is an amusement park not too far from his home. I believe we are going to visit Branson, Missouri as well and may even stay a night there. Should be fun! I’m just excited to be on vacation and get away from the monotony of life and work.

In August, we are going to the Great Wolf Lodge for Living Hope’s Adoption Agency reunion. I cannot wait to go there again. I think I might be a tad more excited about that weekend getaway then my week away. We were fortunate enough to go there shortly after bringing Rachel home and we had a blast! The kids were so incredibly good and had such fantastic time. This time we are staying 2 nights and we’ll get to use the indoor water park for 3 full days. I’m looking forward to seeing and meeting new families and connecting with the girl’s that work at the agency. They do such a wonderful job in planning the reunions. I’m hoping next year that I will be able to help them a little, especially with forming a reunion committee where parents will do a little more of the planning. The planning is taking up more and more time which takes away from them helping families to grow. The agency would love the help and would appreciate getting more ideas in making the reunions even more successful in the future. In September, I’m attending the Women of Faith Conference in Philadelphia with a group of women from my church. I’ve never done anything like this before and hope to grow spiritually as I learn to grow my faith. I heard that these conferences are fabulous and that you will go home a different person in every aspect of your life. I can’t wait to share this journey with the women of my church. We have a great summer planned and I’m looking forward to everything about it.

It’s been a little trying at work because for the last three weeks, we’ve been working with NO air conditioning. I know this is such a luxury compared to what others deal with around the world. I try hard not to complain, but let’s face it, we are spoiled here! We are and I will be the first to admit it. We are told that the air conditioning should be working in the next day or so, which will be great since we have embarked upon a heat wave this week.

I’ve been purging up a storm in my house. I don’t know what it is, but it feels good to unload all that stuff. I don’t know why we accumulate so much stuff. Where does it all come from? Most of what I’ve been purging are clothes, toys, baby gear, home décor, etc. It feels invigorating to get rid of it all. Do you ever feel like getting rid of almost everything and starting over? I don’t know why I feel like that sometimes, but I do. Anyway, I love giving to those who could use them or those who are in need. Clothes are expensive and I’m glad to pass them on to someone else who can use them. I was such a snob when Jake was a baby because I didn’t want any hand-me-downs for him. I grew up with hand-me-downs or clothes from thrift stores and I vowed that I would never put used clothes on my child. Well, let’s say I grew up and realize how silly it is not to share things that can be shared. I mean, you spend full price for something that your child is going to outgrow in a matter of a few shorts months. So, I’m not too proud to take hand me downs for Rachel and believe me, she looks fabulous in them! Unfortunately, since Jake is the oldest among most of my friends, we are usually doing the handing down and I love that I can give to a friend to save them money.

Did I tell you yet that Dave is going to China?! I think I did, but we are getting close. My dear closest friend is getting so close to her referral, actually we are hoping to hear this week, which means they will be most likely heading to China in August. I’m so excited. I almost feel like I’m waiting on my own referral. Andrea has been waiting over four years now. She is so incredibly brave to embark on this journey as a single mom and I’m thrilled to be a part of it. It will be so cool to be on the other side of this journey and how cool for Dave to witness the whole family uniting across the world where he will get to witness it all first-hand. We had a lovely baby shower for Andrea on June 11th where about 30 of her friends joined us as we ate, laughed, and watched Andrea open gifts and cry doing it. It was so much fun and I’m thrilled that I was able to be a part of it all. She has been a tremendous friend over the last four years and I’m so blessed to have her be a part of our lives. You can follow her adoption journey at www.meisnowwe.blogspot.com. I am asking that you please keep her in your prayers too. Please ask God to give her peace, strength and security as she embarks on this amazing journey of motherhood.

Can I also ask you to pray for me? I’ve been struggling with my back terribly. I have horrible pain in my back which radiates to my legs. Thankfully, after many tests, x-rays, an MRI, etc., they have found nothing serious. This is bittersweet because I’m glad nothing is seriously wrong, but it’s frustrating to be experiencing this kind of pain and discomfort and no one is able to tell me what it is. I’m seeing a chiropractor and rheumatologist and they are leaning towards fibromyalgia at this point. This scares me because it means I might have to live with pain for the rest of my life. I do know that I need to makes some changes personally including losing weight, eating healthier and just taking care of myself. Mothers tend to not take care of themselves and then we pay for it later. I want to be around for my husband and children for a long time, so hopefully, with God’s help, I can lose weight and start exercising. So please pray for me? I would be ever so grateful.

I hope everyone is enjoying there summer. I will post when we return from vacation with some photos which is all people really care about anyway. LOL! Hey, I get on my blog at least once a day to look at my beautiful family. It reminds me how blessed I am.

Happy Father’s Day
to the man I love and the father of my children

Wish I had posted this yesterday in honor of Father’s Day, but you know what, I do nothing on time anymore. Seriously, I’m constantly “a day late and a dollar short!" Isn’t that how that old cliché goes? I probably got that wrong too! LOL. (Tee hee, I did get it wrong, but my husband corrected me so that I didn't make a fool of myself! See, that's love!)

I just want to post about the wonderful father and husband we’ve been blessed with. I mean, truly, he has been my guardian angel since 1985, which is when started dating! He has been a gentleman through and through and fatherhood has been easy for him. Since becoming a father, he’s also come out of his shell more and more, because let’s face it, the man was as introverted as you can get! But since Jake started school and playing sports, he has gotten more and more involved. Now that we have grown our family through adoption and since bringing Rachel home, he’s opening up and exploring so much more. In the beginning, Dave was hesitant about the road of adoption, but because he had an open heart and open mind and a love for me, he went out of his comfort zone and explored the journey of adoption. Well, we know where that road led us, don’t we? For goodness sakes, he’s going back to China with one of my best friends sometime this summer! No way would he have done that 20+ years ago! He has reached out to the adoption community and is researching more and more about Rachel’s heritage. He has taken on more of a role in all the sports Jake plays with assisting the coach and leading drills. I’m so proud of the man, husband and father he has become. I’m truly blessed to get to share my life and to grow old with him. Dave, we love you so much and I want you to know how much we truly appreciate you. I thank God every single day for you, even when we aren’t having our best days! Thank you for loving me and being the father of my children.

Two Years of love and blessings...

It's hard to fathom that we just celebrated our 2nd "Forever Family Day" or "Gotcha Day", a phrase most adoptive families use. The day didn't quite go the way we hoped, since baby girl is suffering from an ear infection and strep throat. We've had two very difficult sleeping nights. But you know what? We are truly blessed to be able to nurse her back to health. I feel so privileged to be a mom and that God entrusted me to be a parent to two wonderful kids. It's not perfect everyday and there are many days that God may be disappointed in me, but in the end, He knows that he can count on me and all will be okay.

I will say that these two years flew by! And, I know it will be worse when Rachel starts school, because I look at Jake and shutter because he's at the end of his 6th grade year and in just a few short years,he'll be in high school, then driving, taking girls on dates, going to college, etc. Man, that all scares me, but it's exciting too. I guess having the kids almost 11 years apart was kind of good thing, because I won't suffer from "empty nest syndrome" when Jake does leave home because we'll still have Rachel home for at least another 11 years! LOL! "

"Forever Family" day will always be a day to celebrate for Dave, Jake and I, because our little girl was wanted so much and loved from the moment adoption was placed in our hearts. We will always celebrate our day as a family of four. I want Rachel to always know how much she was loved from the moment God placed the desire in our hearts to be parents for the second time. We didn't know at first that we would become parents again through adoption, but I will tell you, it's wonderful to have the best of both worlds.

Unfortunately, our day didn't go quite as planned because Rachel was up all night with a fever and crying because of ear pain. Dave stayed home with her and took her to the doctor and here she had an ear infection and strep throat. She is still battling a fever as of today and crying every now and then because her throat hurts. I think I may be staying home another day with her.

Sunday, we went to Sesame Place. What great weather for a park, not the warmest for water rides, but it the weather made being at an amusement park very bearable. Rachel loved it and Jake didn't mind it either, considering it's more of a park for little ones. Jake probably would have had more fun if it was warmer where he could enjoy more of the water rides. Here are some photos from our day.

Well, thank you for being my blog fans as I continue journaling about our family of four. I'm enjoying it much more than I thought I would, even if I don't do it as often as I like.

He’s Got Talent!

I just want to brag on Jake a little for a change! He had his second baseball game last night and can I tell you want a change! Last year, he truly struggled with the game and we are not sure why. I think we had a challenging coach where Jake just didn’t respond to his style of coaching. Anyway, hits were far and few last year and Jake really struggled with confidence and insecurity. It’s hard watching your child go through this and then beating himself up game after game and contemplating on whether or not to quit the sport. Dave and I both knew that he had it in him and that he just needed to find himself again. We are two games into the season this year and boy oh boy have we seen a difference in him. He’s got power, he’s hitting, his arm is improving and he’s on fire! He has batted 2 for 3 in the last two games and he’s making great plays. Saturday, we were ahead by a few runs, but lost it in an inning where mistakes gave up several runs. We needed 3 runs to win the game! The first two batters got on base and then Jake came up with a double which tied the game! The next batter allowed Jake to score the winning run for a score of 13 to 12! Last night, he hit a double his first at bat, struck out the second time, and hit a single the third time up, but an error allowed him to go to second. Jake has been alternating positions; pitching, catching and short stop. He did struggle a bit with pitching last night, but his coach, who I must say, is absolutely wonderful, has total confidence in Jake. He let Jake hang in there, even though he walked in two runs. The Cardinals still won 8 to 6. After the game, the coach demonstrated to Jake what he was doing wrong with pitching all the while praising him for having a great game! The coach told Dave and me both, that our son has amazing talent! He is a natural and as his confidence continues to grow, he will be amazing and unstoppable! We are proud parents, not only because he’s doing well in the game, but for continuing to keep trying and not quitting. Go Jake! We love you so much! We believe in you buddy!

Another milestone has been reached in the Crist Household!

We are completely potty trained! That’s right; Rachel is no longer wearing diapers. She is doing so great for 2 ½ years old. She even wakes up to go potty in the middle of the night. The only unfortunate part, she doesn’t go back to sleep! Potty training only took four days! Again, our princess ceases to amaze us each day. She even does her #2’s in the potty already. That usually takes much longer for kids, but Rachel was determined. See, we promised her a big girl bed when she is potty trained completely. Well, I thought I would have a little more time than 4 days to get a new mattress and bed set! We are incredibly proud of her and her accomplishment. Rachel is turning into such a big girl. I’m even nervous about getting her out of her crib! That will mean she is definitely not a baby anymore. These times go so fast and it just saddens me because each day she is becoming more and more independent. Don’t get me wrong, I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of young lady she turns into, but I just want this baby phase a little bit longer. Is there anything wrong with that?

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!!!!