My Favorite Time of Year!




My blessings.

 


I hate to say it, but this is my sassy girl!  I love it though!  LOL.

 


I love this!  She is showing her toe point.

 


Group dance. 

 


Rachel absolutely loves to sing and dance.  She was having a blast here.

 



I love this pictures with Rachel's pigtails.

 



Me, Rachel & Jake at a school event.

 




Jake is so grown and looks so handsome here.

 




Rachel had a blast sliding into the hay!

 




Seriously?  Jake wanted in on the fun!

 



My sister Debbie's family - Debbie, Miranda, Mark & Gabriella

 




Gabriella, Miranda, Rachel & Jake - we had a blast at Colonial Gardens

 



Sisters - Debbie & Me.

 



Me, Dave, Debbie (my sister) and Mark (brother in-law)

 



Dave and Jake being completely silly!

 




Andrea and Phoebe - Look at that smile!

  Fall is definitely in the air and it’s truly my favorite time of year. I love the colors, smells, fall festivals, pumpkin patches, fall foods like pumpkin bread, apple crisp, hot apple cider, etc. I wish our schedule wasn’t so hectic so that we could enjoy more fun things this time of year. The crisp air is incredibly refreshing too! There is something to being in crisp air and then being snuggled up in nice comfy sweats watching a movie with your family.

We are truly in full swing with school, activities and the pending holidays. Rachel loves every minute of school and even seems to be upset when it’s Saturday and she asks if she’s going to school and we tell her that it’s Saturday, we get to spend the day together. I guess I should be happy that she likes school that much and would rather go there than be home. We started off the year great with no crying and nothing but enthusiasm, but I can’t say that the last two weeks. She has cried almost every day when dropping her off at school. She is such a mommy’s girl sometimes and she doesn’t want me to leave her. I have to admit, I secretly like when she clings to my neck and wants only me…tee hee! I do hope it doesn’t last too much longer, because it really is tolling to leave your child crying. The other morning, she was desperately trying hard not to cry and I look over, with no sound coming from her the tears are just flowing down her cheeks. She says to me “mommy, I’m trying real hard to hold it in.” Talk about heart wrenching! All in all, she loves school and she seems to love her teachers. Just like First Baptist, her friends seem to be more of the boys than girls. What’s up with that?!

Last week sometime, during one of her 2AM bathroom wake-up calls and while she is doing her business on the potty, she looks at me and says “mommy, thank you for taking care of me” and she followed it up with a kiss. Seriously, can you ask for anything cuter?! She truly makes my heart sing! She is learning to write her ABC’s and almost has mastered the letter “A.” She writes it perfectly except that it might be sideways or upside down. She is very proud of herself too. We will soon be moving onto the letter “B.” She is learning so many wonderful Christian songs at preschool too. This morning she sang the B.I.B.L.E. song to me. It was so adorable and she knew all the words too which impressed me. Rachel is “little miss popular” in school too, because when we walk through the school yard, all the older little girls come running over yelling “Rachel…Rachel…Rachel!” They all comment on how cute Rachel is. During the first week of school, we were waiting in the school yard for the bell to ring, and Rachel sat on the steps with about 7 or 8 girls circling her. Rachel did a show and tell with them with everything that was in her Ni Hao Kai-Lan schoolbag. She showed them her lunch box and what she was having for lunch that day, she pulled out her file and showed them the papers we had to put in there for the teacher and she showed them the change of clothes she had in case she were to have an accident. All the girls got such a kick out of her and Rachel was sitting there just eating it all up. I couldn’t believe all the attention she was getting the first week of school! Now when we walk through school yard, so many girls yell “hi Rachel” and Rachel says yells hi back and bee bops into school like the queen bee that she is. She is always several steps ahead of me and I struggle trying to keep up with her. The other day, a teacher at the school wanted Rachel to take her coat off so that she can see what she is wearing that day. Apparently, Rachel’s known as the “fashion diva” because everyone loves the way she dresses. I just love it and it makes me laugh every time someone stops us.

I think school is helping with Rachel’s behavior because she’s listening a little more. She seems to think twice now and she responds to the 1…2…3…method on most occasions. She sometimes pushes it, but not nearly as often as in the past. She is only allotted an hour for naptime each day, so she is very tired at night and is out like a light rather quickly. I must say, that is probably my favorite part of school. I’m not constantly in and out of her room like before and she’s not playing until 11:00 PM every night. I myself need downtime at night and when I’m running in and out of her room a thousand times, I don’t become a very nice person! So, the cliché “when momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy” definitely is true.

Okay, I know it’s our fault, but Jake’s sports schedule was out of control this fall! What in the world were we thinking when we signed him up for soccer, flag football and a coach’s assistant for flag football for Upward all in one season? We learned a very valuable lesson the hard way! He does not NEED to do that much all at once! I’m surprised he didn’t complain about it. Anyway, Jake just finished up playing flag football for i9Sports and his team, the Misfits, won the championship. They didn’t have one single loss this season and they had a great team where the kids played really well together. I will have to say, that one opposing team, who apparently has been together for a few years now, showed incredible poor sportsmanship, especially the parents. The league and team we were on was for 10-12 year olds. Now, with that being said, we know that Jake is not the size of most normal 12 year old boys, but should Jake be penalized and forbidden to play sports because of his size? We aren’t talking about tackle football where kids make physical contact with each other by slamming into one another. This is flag football where there should be little contact. Jake was screamed at by parents and players because he was a great player and was a team leader. He probably scored most of the touchdowns. Jake is very athletic and loves sports, so he’s good at it. Tackle football was not for him…he’s been there and done that and it’s not for him. At least not right now. The championship game was terrible, because the opposing team used tactics that should have been penalized. While Jake was in the end zone, waiting to receive a pass, for the 2 point conversion, a kid literally jumped on his pack and stayed there. No one said a word about it. Maybe it’s because Jake caught the pass, but nonetheless, this kid jumped on his back! He should have been warned or even removed from the team. I just can’t believe this kind of behavior was accepted. When the game was over, we won by a huge margin too, the parents were screaming “you should play with kids your own size” or “these are only 10 and 11 years olds” and “your team won because they are so much bigger.” I was appalled at the behavior and lack of sportsmanship attitude and maturity from the parents. They know the rules and regulations. Our team was not the only team with a “big boy” on it either. You know it was bad when my husband sought out the commissioner to speak to him about the behavior of the opposing team. Tee hee, I’m rubbing off on him! I’m proud of Jake for not quitting and not retaliating. I’m proud of him for sticking it out and for being a team player and a team leader!

We just finished up soccer season as well, and their team, the Galaxy, came in 2nd place. Jake apparently did really well playing goalie this day and unfortunately, I missed the tournament because I was helping with a Scrapbooking Fundraiser. I love that Jake is athletic and that he enjoys it. I hope that he will always stay active, because a big part of me worries that he will inherit my family’s weight issues. I don’t want that for him. I want him to be active, healthy and thin and not worry about being heavy.

We are in full swing with basketball practice with a travel team Jake tried out for. I’m so proud of him for making the team because he’s new to the competitive world of basketball. In early December, he will be trying out for the middle school team as well, which he’s real excited about. Hmm, I’m thinking scholarship or something in the future! I’m hoping with all these years of sports it will pay off when it’s time for college! LOL! I do think ahead! Of course, this travel team is going to take up some time, which I just found out about, but he enjoys it and dad is making the commitment to take him most nights. Unfortunately, it may not leave much time for Upward Basketball which is the league he’s played with for quite a few years now. I think three teams would be really pushing it. Although, it would give him some practice time that he wouldn’t get at home since we don’t have a basketball court. We will have to see how it plays out. It’s hard to believe watching my son on the court playing ball. He’s grown so much, not just physically, but in the sport itself. He’s really a talented young man and things just come easily for him. I hope he doesn’t take advantage of that and that he will continue to push himself to be the best he can be in everything he does.

Jake’s first marking period just ended last week and I couldn’t be more proud of him. He received all A’s and one B. Way to go Jake! Keep up the good work bud! You are making us proud. Remember, you can do anything with God on your side. I can’t believe you will be 13 in a month and that you are turning into a young man. I love and feel blessed to be your mom! Being parents to you and Rachel is a real gift. I hope you always know how much your dad and I love you!

Seriously, Thanksgiving is next week? That is just crazy! I feel like we are still in September. I went Christmas shopping with my mother in-law last night at Toys R Us. My goodness time is flying. I’m super excited though for Thanksgiving, because I’m cooking and my sister, Sandy and family are coming up for the holiday and weekend! We are going to celebrate the first birthday of the newest addition to our family, Isis! I haven’t seen her since early September and we all know how fast they change in the first year. I have 16 people coming for dinner! Yep, I might be out of my mind, but it should be fun and I know I will have the support and help of my family. I love hosting, especially for my family and friends. I just want us to focus on family and just enjoy each others company. Please pray that they will have safe travel.

We finally celebrated Rachel’s birthday in early October at the local playground. It was a great day for a party, except for the excessive wind. The kids didn’t seem to mind. It was nice being with our family and friend’s sharing Rachel’s 3rd birthday. I can’t believe my little princess is three years old! She is so wise beyond her years and I’m enjoying every moment of it. Even when she’s being a pistol, I’m enjoying her. She loved the attention on her birthday and she loved having quite a few of her special friends to celebrate with her. The kids got to play on the huge playground where there are huge slides. They all loved the piñata that gave them lots of goodies when it was finally pulled open. Rachel received some very nice gifts including books and paints. She loves to paint! I love that her birthday is during a time of year where we can enjoy being outside and the kids can run and be kids.

We did get to enjoy some fall festivities in the last month. We actually got to two Pumpkin Patches this year. We were joined one Saturday with our friends, the Bell’s and Zavod’s and the kids had a blast. Rachel loves her little friend, Elizabeth. The two of them are “two peas in a pod.” Little Phoebe got her first taste of a Pumpkin Patch too, but it’s a bummer that it was so chilly out. Next year, hopefully she’ll enjoy a hayride with us. The following day, we met my sister, Debbie and her family at another farm where we took a hayride and did a couple different hay mazes. Rachel and Jake had a blast with Bella and Miranda. They loved the little play area for kids and it was like pulling teeth to get them to move on. Of course between my sister and I, we took tons of photos. I just love fall photos at pumpkin patches!

I’m excited because I’m trying to get back into my hobby of scrapbooking. I haven’t done much of anything since bringing Rachel home. It’s not fair, because I have so many albums of us with Jake, but I have one with just Rachel in it. So, with that being said, I’m starting a monthly crop at my church in January 2011. I’m so excited to be doing this and this will be not just for others to enjoy it but for me as well. My church is incredibly generous to allow us to utilize one of the rooms for our hobby. We enjoy the fundraisers so much, but 2 times a year just isn’t enough to get caught up. My daily life is too busy to try and do it at home, but adding it to my schedule for once a month and committing to hosting it once a month, will help me make the commitment to get some of my own scrapping done. If you don’t scrapbook, you should! It’s such a wonderful thing preserving your memories and it’s a great outlet to our over active lives. Let me know if you are interested in joining us for those who live close by!

I’m going through some personal stuff right now from health to finances. But I’m relying on God to see me and my family through. Please pray for changes that will be coming our way and that we will listen and be obedient to God’s will. It’s hard giving up control and relying on faith alone, but hopefully with prayer, God will pull us through it all.

A follow-up on new family members

Andrea and Phoebe are doing wonderful! I’m so proud of my friend and the mother she has become. She is incredibly blessed with the little angel she got from China. Phoebe has adjusted so well to her new life. She knows who her mommy is and reacts when her mom is out of her sight. Although, each time she comes to my house for a visit, she is becoming more and more comfortable with us. She will now crawl and explore and she is letting me hold her for a longer period of time. She will do this more so when mommy isn’t in our presence, but of course, we all know that’s normal and a very good thing. She’s eating, even from a fork and has mastered the sippy cup. She isn’t a great napper, only 2 twenty minute naps a day, but she will sleep like 12 hours each night! Who wouldn’t take that, right? LOL! When Phoebe smiles, she lights up my heart! I just love this little girl. I just hope Rachel starts to behave like she likes her. She talks about her and offers to give things to her that she has “outgrown”, but she isn’t very good sharing with her when we are physically with them. I think she misses her Andrea. The attention is no longer solely on Rachel and she’s having a hard time with that. Hopefully with time, she will grow to love Phoebe like a sister!

My sister Sandy and her husband, Marion were officially granted approval to adopt Bella. Her new name will be “Isis.” It’s different, but her name is growing on me! LOL. The lawyer thinks that the adoption should be finalized in January or February. Isis is getting bigger and bigger and she’s just another happy little girl. Sandy says that she’s a daddy’s girl, but she definitely loves her momma too. She is struggling with some ear infections, which hopefully will be resolved sooner rather than later. She’s a great eater and is getting chunkier every time I see pictures of her. Who doesn’t love a chunky baby?! I will be curious to see what happens with they stay with us over the Thanksgiving holiday with Rachel. She’s not good at sharing her toys! I’m so proud of Sandy and Marion! They took on the job of parenthood and they are doing fantastic at it! I love when she calls me to ask my opinion! I can’t wait to see them soon!

I Survived!!!!!!

I did survive, but probably wouldn’t win a “Mother’s of the Year” award. My husband left on September 2 and just returned yesterday, September 16th from China. He accompanied one of my best friends to China to bring home her daughter, Phoebe. What an amazing little girl she is too. You can check out her journey at www.meisnowwe.blogspot.com. I am just so happy to report that Dave, Andrea and Phoebe made it home safe and that now we can dote over a new little one who is now part of my extended family. I love that Andrea asked Dave and I to be Phoebe’s “aunt and uncle.” And Rachel thinks she’s Phoebe’s big sister, but the initial visit, Rachel changed her tune a little. She is no longer the baby of the family and now has to share the attention with Phoebe who really is a baby now. I hope Rachel comes to love Phoebe and does treat her like her “little sister.”

We made our way to the Newark, NJ Airport where we met Andrea. This airport offers a direct flight to Hong Kong, which is much more desirable than doing layovers through Philadelphia. After saying our good-byes, which was much more emotional than I thought they would be, Jake, Rachel and I drove 500 miles to North Carolina to visit my family. If you recall, my sister and her husband are doing foster to adopt and they received a little girl to be part of their family. I wanted to be there for my sister and her husband and to meet my new niece. I’m glad I did go, because it did take away some of the stress of being away from Dave. The trip traveling down to NC went okay, but I didn’t get much of a break from Rachel, because she didn’t take a nap whatsoever! I mean, she may have slept all of 20 minutes the entire way down there. It was a long trip too! All in all, I was on the road for 12 hours! We got down there about 11:10 PM and boy was I exhausted and so glad to be out of the car.

We were only in North Carolina for 3 full days, but they were good days with time spent with my family. I enjoyed meeting the new addition to our family and I can still picture Bella’s smile. Her smile is completely infectious. I wanted to bring Bella home with us, but Rachel and my sister was not having that! She is such a busy little girl. Bella is such a peanut for her age, because she was a preemie and weighed only about 16 lbs. For being born so early and being so small, this girl can move, climb, and walk around furniture already. It’s so strange to see this little tiny baby walking and pulling herself up at the coffee table. She was making me a nervous wreck around the slated coffee table. I felt bad because the first night we arrived, she had a horrible dog-barking cough. She has asthma and needs breathing treatments. She sat and received her treatments with no fuss! She easily laughed and smiled and she had no problem staying with me for the day on Friday while her new parents worked. I will say, it’s tough having a 3 year old and an infant at the same time. LOL! I don’t know how people do it. Jake just loved his new little cousin and of course, like all little ones, she loved Jake back. He is so wonderful with little kids. Rachel struggled at time and her feisty-attitude drove my sister crazy! I warned her before we got down there. Again, my sister is another strong woman and three strong women in one household can be a little dangerous! LOL!

I got to see my brother, Charles, who is in prison. Yeah, I know, you probably didn’t know I had a brother in prison. Well, I do and I miss him like crazy. I won’t get into why he’s there, but I do believe he is a good-hearted person, who regrets his decisions and I truly believe he is remorseful for his sins. I hadn’t seen him in some time, so it was so wonderful to see him. He doesn’t get many visits, and to have that human contact, must feel so wonderful to him. I just wanted to keep hugging him and spending time with him. He got to meet his new niece, Rachel, for the first time too. We had a 3 hour visit with him, because we are from out of state. Unfortunately, 3 hours was a little long for Rachel, because she was losing it the last hour. I didn’t want to cut our visit short, but when I was about to, the visit was over. I’m glad that worked out well. It’s a shame that kids aren’t allowed to bring things in to occupy them or at least the prison should provide things to keep the kids busy. I do dream of the day when my brother is finally released and can be a part of our family again. He so misses growing up with us and seeing his nieces and nephews and even his daughter who is living with my parents. He wants so badly to make-up for all that he’s lost over the years. Please keep him in your prayers. He still has another 7 years or so before he has the opportunity of parole.

We left early morning on Labor Day Monday, because I was sure we’d hit a ton of traffic going home. Going home always seems to take longer than traveling down to NC. We made a stop at 5:00 AM to get gas and lots of coffee! We were on the road by 5:20 AM. I will have to say, with it still being dark outside and the kids quiet, my eyelids were mighty heavy. I didn’t sleep real well and it was catching up to me. I knew it was bad when I made a call to Dave on his cell phone all the way in China. I needed to talk to someone to help me stay awake and I knew that it was 5:00 PM over there. We chatted for only a few minutes because at $2.00 a minute, it adds up very quickly. Finally, at 7:30 AM, I called my sister, Debbie (thank goodness she was awake at that hour), who talked to me for about an hour and then my other sister, Sandy, called me to check in. As long as I was talking to someone, I was good to go. Thank God for hands-free. Dave set my blue-tooth up through my GPS which allowed me to talk through my GPS instead of my cell phone. I was so happy that we were only on the road for 7 ½ hours. We were home just a little after 1:00 PM. With only 2 stops, and eating lunch on the road, we made it home in no time. I’m so glad I decided to get on the road early to avoid potential holiday traffic. We survived! Thank God for our safety and for my sisters who helped me through the long drive.

We also survived the first day of school for Jake, which was the Tuesday after Labor Day. He started 7th grade this year! My boy is growing up so fast. He’s much taller than me now and his size 12 men’s shoes are breaking my wallet too! We shopped at Kohl’s for some school clothes and it’s so hard to believe that this is the 2nd year where I’m shopping in the men’s department for my 12 ½ year old son. I should still be shopping in the boys section…right? I thought shopping for boys was easier too? Yeah right! Jake was so hard to buy for. The shirts were either too dressy, had too much print on them or it was too plain. The jeans, they were too straight, too tight, too dark or too light. I was going crazy with him! What is the deal with skulls on all the clothes these days? I’m not a fan and neither is Jake. Even dress shirts that weren’t busy-like had skulls. Anyway, we only walked out of Kohl’s with 3 pairs of jeans and 3 shirts! I wanted to take advantage of my 30% off coupon and get him everything he needed. I’m praying that stuff fits him from last year. He needs to slow down a little with growing or he needs to lighten up with his fashion! Or maybe he’ll need to get a job!

Survival was what it was all about the last two weeks. We survived the first weekend of sports too. All week we ran to practices and all weekend we ran from one field to another for games. Jake is playing soccer, flag football and he’s an assistant coach for another flag football league where he aged out to play this year. That is 6 different events during the week! What in the world were we thinking? If I were a single parent, and thank God I’m not, he definitely wouldn’t be able to do all this. If we had other children who were closer in age, he wouldn’t be doing all this either. Again, we did it and we survived! Anyway, I enjoy watching Jake play and he had a fantastic weekend with a touchdown on Saturday afternoon at flag football and 2 soccer goals! I love watching these high energy sports! They keep me on my toes.

Rachel started preschool this past Monday and again, we survived! Actually, the start of preschool could not have gone more perfect. Rachel was so ready for this new milestone. I was so worried that she’d cry and cling to me and beg me not to leave her. It was all quite the contrary! She went off and started doing her own thing. She was so happy to see her friend, Sarah, there and all the toys and puzzles peaked her interest. I couldn’t even get a kiss good-bye from her. I had to bribe her for a kiss and hug good-bye! What a stinker she is! Why do parents think the worse and we dread it, but when the complete opposite happens, we are disappointed! I think mom’s like it when our kid want only us and that they cry for us. Makes us feel a needed, right? Yeah, I’m bummed that she doesn’t necessarily care that I’m leaving her, but I do know how good this Christian preschool is for her and that the structure and stimulation is the best thing for my feisty, independent, strong-willed little girl. All these traits will serve her well eventually, but right now, I want to pull my hair out because she is giving me a run for my money!

Oh yes, my daughter has been working me these days. I love her more than my own life just as I do Jake. I would give my kidney to them! But I have to tell you, raising my three year old princess has to be the toughest job God has blessed me with. I’m not sure if it’s because we have very similar personalities or what, but we butt heads so badly. She knows exactly how to push my buttons and to get a rise out of me. I’m trying so hard to not to respond in a way that will let her know that she got to me. Any advice is welcomed, because what I’m doing currently is not working. We discipline and I do think we are consistent, but she just does not listen to me. She has a mouth on her that will stun most people and oh my gosh, poor Jake! He can’t go near her without her screaming at him. She wants what she wants NOW! We use time-out, I’ve taken stuff away from her, I use positive words and encouragement, I scream at her sometimes, etc. Nothing at this point seems to work. So many mothers have said that all this is typical from a three-year old girl. Please tell me it it’s a phase and that it will end soon! What can I do differently? Advice? Solutions? Come on, please help me here! I love her so much…please don’t think I don’t! I really do. She’s funny, loving, my Miss Personality, silly, smart as they come, talented, etc, but OMG, sometimes I want to scream! Wait, I have screamed! LOL! I have sometimes locked myself in my room to take a breather. I have left the house to get a break (of course when another adult is home!). I sometimes go into another room to cry! And Jake, he’s no angel either these days. He’s so darn argumentative and he questions everything I say to him. Jake and Rachel antagonize each other. I wasn’t expecting sibling rivalry with a 10 year age gap, but boy was I wrong. The two of them will go at it! I’m venting and I think I deserve it after 2 weeks of flying solo! LOL! I am no angel and I know that I need to work on my patience level and learn to let things roll. I just want my children to love me. I don’t want to yell anymore. Is this too much to ask? Apparently it is! I hope you all don’t think I’m terrible for venting, but I think I needed to get this all out. I wonder if it’s me?!

So yes, we did survive without Dave around and I did survive being a single mom. I’m glad I have Dave and I’m glad God brought him into my life. I’ve learned so much while Dave was away including how much I take him for granted. I have a whole new appreciation for the husband and father that he is and how much he really does to help me out. I was reminded how much I truly do love him and you don’t know how good you have it until it’s no longer around. I’m glad God brought him safely back to me and I’m blessed to have him for my husband. I even told him last night that I appreciate him so much more than I ever did! I will remember to continue telling him that and to pick my battles. I need to let go of my anal retentiveness and let him fold the clothes the way he wants to fold them (you know that won’t last long, right? LOL!). I love you Dave and I thank you for being the man, husband and father you are.

So, the summer has ended and we are back in the rigorous schedules of school, parent meetings, sports, approaching holidays, etc., I am blessed to have the life that I have. I love this time of year and I hope that we learn to slow down and enjoy life, nature and each other.


Jake loves flag football.  We were able to find a league for kids up to 12 years old.



He loves being the Quarterback



He scored a touchdown here and he scored another later in the game.



Jake does have an amazing arm!



Rachel and her friend, Sarah



Rachel got busy right away in her new preschool classroom



Rachel with her teachers, Ms. Jackson and Mrs. Kuntz



Rachel with our friend, Tracey!  Tracey LOVES Rachel!



Look at this little girl with attitude!



Rachel really was excited to go to a big girl school.



My 7th grader.  So hard to believe how grown Jake is.



Jake looking quite handsome if I must say so myself.



Say Cheese! 



I love this natural smile of Rachel's.



They can be so cute sometimes.



Rachel is growing up so fast!


I hope you all enjoy the fall weather that is upon us and enjoy the changing and falling leaves. I seriously do love this time of year.

THE PRINCESS TURNS "3" TODAY!!!

Rachel, it is so hard to believe you are three years old today. Seems like yesterday you were just a baby and we were introducing you to family and friends after bringing you home from China. I have to say though, it seems like you are 3 going on 13 sometimes! You definitely keep your dad and I on our toes. You give Jake a run for his money and boy oh boy do you give him a hard time. We know how much you love him though, because when he was at camp for a week, you cried yourself to sleep several times that week. You wanted "your Jacob." You are incredibly smart and there are times you have this wise soul about you and I wonder what is going on in that cute head of yours. I am so curious to see what kind of child, teenager, and adult you will become, because you are so funny, smart, independent, feisty and as strong-willed as they come. There are times when you are being naughty that your dad and I have to turn our heads to keep you from seeing us laughing, because you just cease to amaze us with your words and actions. Rachel, you just exude personality and when you walk into a room, everyone knows you are there. I love when you tell me you love me for no reason and I love when you offer hugs and kisses out of the blue. I love when you come into our room in the morning and you climb in bed with us, even if it is just for a few moments, because you want to get your day started by watching one of your favorite t.v. shows. I love that you found comfort in your blanket and bunny when mommy and daddy can't be with you. I love how excited you get when I remind you that you have dance class that night. I am and will be eternally thankful that God chose us to be your family. I am thankful that your birth mother cared and loved you enough to give you life. I thank God each day for you, Rachel. We love you with all our heart and souls. Happy 3rd birthday baby girl.

Lots happening around here…

My sister, Sandy, and her husband, Marion, have received a little girl through the foster care system in their home state with the hopes to adopt Bella. Bella joined their family last Friday after only having a weeks notice to prepare. We are so incredibly excited for Sandy and Marion and I am planning a visit over Labor Day weekend so that I can show some loving to my new niece. She is going to be one spoiled little girl, if I know my sister and her love for shoes, Bella will probably have about 100 pairs of shoes to choose from. I can see Bella now sporting every color sneaker or some metallic gold or silver maryjanes.

Sandy has such a big heart, so I know she will make a great mom. She has helped so many of her friends who have struggled by taking in their children or even the whole family when they needed a place to stay. She has a heart of gold and would take her shirt off her back to help someone in need. Sandy works with mentally handicapped adults and has such a way with them and develops these awesome bonds and relationships. Sandy hit the jackpot when she met and married Marion too. Marion seriously treats Sandy like a queen! She couldn’t have married a better person than Marion; he truly has helped her become a better person, woman and now mother. The pair of them will help this little angel blossom into a wonderful young lady and I’m so thrilled to see them embark on journey of parenthood. I cannot wait to meet little Bella!!!!!

I find it interesting that my sisters and I have been led to adoption. My sister, Debbie, and her husband adopted twin girls domestically about 7 years ago now, we adopted Rachel from China, and now Sandy and her husband are adopting domestically through foster care. God has really worked mysteriously in our situation and it’s wonderful to share this special bond with my sisters. I just wish Sandy and her husband lived closer so that we can do more together as a family. I feel like we are missing out on so much with her being so far away. Dave and I are thrilled that they asked us to be godparents to our soon-to-be niece and we are godparents to Debbie’s twins too. We feel so privileged that my sisters trust us that much to be guardians for their children God-forbid anything were to happen to them. We don’t take this responsibility lightly either. We would do anything for these girls!

Andrea and Dave will be leaving September 2nd for China. I can’t believe that is only about two weeks away now. I’m nervous about being a single mom for 2 weeks and I’m sure I will have a new appreciation for single parents when all is said and done. I am sad that he will be missing out on the first day of school for the kids, the first games of soccer and flag football for Jake, and Rachel’s first ballet class. What keeps me at peace is knowing what a great guy Dave is and what a special gift he is giving to Andrea and her daughter, Phoebe. Dave has experienced many firsts with our children and hopefully he will get to experience more when he returns home from China.

I am elated for Andrea and I get so emotionally overwhelmed when I think about the journey she is about to embark because just a little over two years ago, we were on that same journey. There is nothing like having your child put into your arms, especially after the wait we had. Andrea’s wait has been almost 4 ½ years, which is a whole year longer than we had. Just like labor pains, all of that will go away when Phoebe is placed in her arms. Please pray for safety, bonding, and health for Andrea, Dave & Phoebe.

We had a fantastic time at Great Wolfe Lodge for Living Hopes Annual Reunion. I mean seriously, it was wonderful! The kids had a great time. If you have not been, you should go! It is a little pricey, but when you consider what you are getting, the price isn’t so bad. There is a refrigerator and microwave in every room, as well as a 4-cup coffee maker. You get 2 full days in the indoor water park with the price of the room. The room comes with 6 tickets for the water park, so you could easily share the room with someone. I loved meeting new people and reconnecting with those we haven’t seen since last year. It’s great when you can meet up with a friend you haven’t seen and pick up right where you left off a year ago. We really did experience that with one family and I do hope we connect with them before next year’s reunion. The kids has a blast including Rachel, who LOVED going down the water slides. I thought she’d be afraid, but she was so brave and so independent too. She loved playing with other little girls who were adopted through Living Hope. Jake even had fun with the older girls and hung out with them some in the pool. We were so sad to see our weekend end. I hope we plan another weekend at GW in the near future. We will have to look out for some special deals! Thank you Living Hope for planning such a fun event. We truly enjoyed ourselves and we are looking forward to next year!

After our Great Wolfe weekend, we headed to Wilkes Barre, where Jake would be attending overnight camp for the week. This was a brand new endeavor for Jake and his parents as he’s never been away from home for a week! The camp came highly recommended and the fact that it is a Christian camp really intrigued my interest. The idea of overnight camp was more intriguing when Jake new that his close friend, Miles, would be attending. Knowing someone reduced his fear to a minimal and he decided to try it. It was a little unnerving dropping Jake off to a camp where I didn’t really know the staff nor would I have contact with him during the week. As the week went on, I constantly worried about whether or not he was having a good time and even Rachel cried herself to sleep numerous times. The second day of Jake being gone, I walked into Rachel’s room to find her playing with her little toy cell phone. I asked who she was calling and she said “I texting my Jacob, I so miss my Jacob, mommy.” OMG, I thought that was so funny but so sad at the same time. She cried herself to sleep that night.

We left the house bright and earlier the following Saturday after dropping Jake off. We had to be at the camp sight by 9:00 AM and we had about an hour and half drive. So much for sleeping in! We got there and I was expecting to see Jake waiting for us, but oh no, they made us wait at least another half an hour or so and then the kids came out where they were going to perform a few songs for us that they learned during the week. Rachel ran as fast as she could to her brother. She was so happy to see him and Jake just scooped her up and hugged her. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the same kind of loving that Rachel got. The kids were apparently told that they couldn’t talk to us until after the performance. I was dying to hug and kiss him after not seeing him all week. They showed a short slideshow of photos from the week and then they performed a prayer in sign language. There was a camper who was deaf and he taught the kids sign language. It was incredible and touching to watch. They sang two songs they learned and they seemed to have a great time singing them too. Even Jake performed including the motions and Jake hates signing with motions in front of people.

Finally, after the performance, we walked back to the camp site Jake stayed at and I was able to get a quick kiss and hug! My goodness, we don’t want to embarrass him in front of his friends! LOL! I can tell he had a good time and found new friends, because I watched as kids, both boys and girls, come and hug Jake good-bye. They had made up nicknames for each other and they were all yelling to each other saying they are going to miss him and whatnot. It was so fun and heartfelt to witness that. He told me that he had a great time at camp and he definitely wants to go back next year. Jake wasn’t too happy with the one counselor who was part of his group, apparently he was mean, but overall loved it. His favorite part about camp was mattress surfing. LOL. I can just picture him going down a hill on a mattress. What a riot! I so wish I was there to capture those moments on camera. He definitely learned from the small group lessons too, because he learned that when you say “oh my God” you must finish it with a prayer. I love that! He met some great friends, where he now has connected with them on Facebook and cell phone. I love that he had a good time and that he wants to return. What an amazing experience for him and what wonderful memories he will have as time gets on. I asked him if he wanted to go for two weeks, and he said “nahhhh.” LOL! I’m glad he only wants to go for one week. I don’t think I can handle two weeks. I would have to sneak in after a week to get my fill of my Jake.

So, Jake has a girlfriend and her name is Paulina. A lovely girl I must say and I love her parents! Her mom is very social like me and her dad has quite the sense of humor. It’s cute seeing Jake with her. They are both very shy around each other and almost look somewhat uncomfortable. Paulina is extremely shy, which seems funny with her mom and dad so outgoing! We had her over for dinner last Sunday evening, but I think we had too much company, because she seemed even more uncomfortable than the first time we had her over. I’m sure it was uncomfortable for her being surrounded by not only Jake’s parents, but his grandparents and his parent’s friend too. I’m hoping the next time we have her over, we can sit as a family and play a game or something so that we can get to know her more. Jake thinks I’m crazy for suggesting such a ludicrous idea, but hey, guess who gets to call the shots! LOL! We are very careful and they are closely monitored. Not to mention, Jake’s little sister likes to bug them! LOL! Our young man is growing up and we have to accept that. I could forbid him to have a girlfriend, like my brain tells me to do, but I remember when I was just 13 and already in a serious relationship. For me, it worked out since I married that man! Anyway, we have very strict rules and again, they are closely monitored. Before we allowed them to get together, I had a heart to heart with Paulina’s mother, and she was very much on the same page as me about how we should handle visits. She has two older kids, so she is experienced with this already! They sound like great kids too and my heart tells me we did the right thing. I just pray that they don’t betray our trust. Our allowing them to be boyfriend and girlfriend is based on trust and once that trust is broken, it’s all over! So, I have a question. If I became good friends with Paulina’s mom and their relationship ends, do I have to break up with her mom if we became friends? Tee hee!!! I really like her parents. LOL!

I can’t believe we are at the tail end of summer already and school is about to start in just about 2 weeks. So many milestones about to happen this fall. Rachel will be attending a new preschool and will start ballet and Jake is going into 7th grade and will be playing flag football, soccer and he’s assisting with coaching for the Upward flag football league at our church. We are going to be very busy this fall, but I love it! I love watching my children grow and seeing them excel at something. I love watching them perform at their activities. I love this time of year when the weather gets cooler and the leaves start changing. I’m excited!

Prayers requests:
1. Safe trip for Dave and Andrea to China
2. Family bonding for Sandy & Marion with their new addition, Bella
3. Bonding with Andrea and Phoebe
4. Safe return for Dave, Andrea & Phoebe
5. Great start to the school year
6. I will have a safe trip to see my sister and her family over Labor Day weekend
7. Thankfulness that I’m feeling a lot better, especially my back and legs
8. Our country & President

Blessings!!!

Dave and Andrea are going to China!!!!!!!



Andrea received TA (travel approval) last Friday and today she received an email that she is to be in Hong Kong by September 3rd. It looks like they will be leaving either September 1st or September 2nd! Looks like Andrea will be united with Phoebe on September 6th! It is finally happening about 4 1/2 years of waiting. What wonderful news. Please keep Andrea, Phoebe and Dave in your prayers as they make this journey on the other side of the world. Pray that Phoebe will bond with Andrea, her new mother, and pray that Dave will give her the support that she needs. And please pray that they will have a safe trip and journey! I want them all home safe and sound. Please pray that I will handle being a single mom for 2 weeks!

Summer of Milestones

Wow, it’s August already!!! Summer is more than halfway over now and the kids are starting school in just a little under a month now. So crazy how fast life goes when you don’t slow down. Thank God everyone is happy and healthy these days.

We returned a couple of weeks ago after spending a week in Kansas City, Missouri with Dave’s Uncle Donald and his wife Jackie. Rachel did great flying with Dave and me and Jake drove the 17 hours in a car with his grandparents. He got to see the famous Gateway Arch as they passed through St. Louis, Missouri. Our vacation was interrupted, yet again, with illness. Rachel started with a fever the third day and we also noticed that she was frequently urinating. Seriously, the girl was going to the bathroom every 15 minutes. I know it’s not her fault, but my goodness, what a pain and inconvenience! I can’t wait till she can go by herself! Anyway, I knew something was wrong when her sleep became interrupted and she started complaining that her throat hurt. We made our way to an Urgent Care where we had her seen and where they performed a urinalysis. They diagnosed her with strep throat, ear infection and a bladder infection. We started her on an antibiotic and round the clock Motrin/Tylenol. Three days after seeing the doctor, we weren’t seeing an improvement and she continued getting a fever. She was not eating nor drinking and I was starting to get concerned that she would become dehydrated, especially because the frequent urination came to an almost complete stop. The physician’s assistant was so kind and called to check on Rachel. After filling her in on what has been happening over the last few days, she really thought Rachel should be seen again by a doctor this time. Good thing we did take her, because she was on the verge of dehydration and she was diagnosed with the hands, mouth and foot virus again. She had just had it in May after a visit to Sesame Place! No wonder it was so painful for her to eat or drink. We really had to push the fluids. I knew she was in pain, because she wouldn’t even drink a milkshake I bought to coax her into eating/drinking. We followed up with our doctor upon our return home and the sores were finally starting to dissipate in her mouth and they repeated another urine test and that also came back normal. She still urinates a lot, so that’s something we need to look into.

Our trip had some highlights, though. It wasn’t a complete bust after all! We did take a 3 hour drive to Springfield, Missouri to the famous Bass Pro Shop. If you or someone you know is a hunter or outdoorsman, they will know this store. It’s fun to visit even if you aren’t a hunter. I was thrilled to find a very cute pair of sandals for $10! Lots of stuffed animals on exhibit, aquariums, a turtle exhibit, and the décor is amazing. When you look up at the ceiling, it’s like we are the fish in the water. You see fish, the bottom of boats, feet hanging down, etc. So very cool and creative! There was even a Starbucks where I treated myself to a frapuccino. The Bass Pro Shop is where I received the good news that my friend, Andrea, was getting her referral that day! I might not be able to show my face there again since people thought I was being attacked or something because I was jumping up and down with excitement! LOL! We ate at a very famous restaurant that was featured on the Food Network called Lanterns. It was a family style restaurant known for its barbecue! Hot rolls were tossed around all over the place and servers carried around large pots to fill up your plate. A great experience, but just wished Rachel was feeling better. Another highlight for Jake and I was boating with Uncle Donald and Aunt Jackie. We got to go tubing! We have never done that before and honestly, I wasn’t sure I was going to do it. Aunt Jackie showed up the ropes and she was bouncing and going airborne all over the place. Uncle Donald promised he would take it easy on us. Jake gave it a try and he absolutely had a blast! It was a little unnerving watching Jake out on the lake with being completely unprotected by me and bouncing all over the place. It was unsettling, but by the look on his face, I knew he was having a great time. The worse that could happen was he’d fly off and the life jacket would keep him afloat. So now I’m thinking, “if he can do it, I sure can do it” and I did! It was such a rush being out there and water sprinkling in your face and just losing yourself out there. I was worried about falling off the tube, because again, it was unnerving to me to be in water where you can’t see below your feet and the thought of something swimming by me and rubbing against me just freaks me out! I know the living creatures in the water are probably more afraid of me than I am of it, but I was so scared. I held on for dear life! LOL! My arms felt like rubber when I was done from holding on so tight. I had so much fun though and I’m glad that I allowed myself to do it. Jake took another turn, but I figured I had enough for this time. I really would do it again and do hope I get a chance to do it again. What a blast!

We didn’t do as much as we wanted to do, but all in all, it was nice to get away and see family that we haven’t seen in awhile. We so appreciate Uncle Donald and Aunt Jackie giving up a week for us!

There has been some discussion and debating going on in our house that involves Jake and us, his parents. Jake is now 12 ½ years old and he’s maturing in every way. We are truly blessed for a wonderful and bright son. He just returned from a weekend with his friend, Miles, whom he’s known for quite a few years now. Mile’s parents invited Jake to go camping in Gettysburg and was gone for 3 ½ days. Boy, did I miss him. Anyway, Carrie, Mile’s mother, said that Jake was a delight and was very well mannered. He apparently was even great with their 7 year old nephew which was so nice to them. It’s nice that I can send Jake away with friends and not worry whether or not he’s misbehaving. I’d like to think we had something to do with that. Maybe putting the fear of God in children isn’t so bad after all! LOL. I’m just glad to know that he’s not the sarcastic kid that shows up in our house often, especially lately, and the back talking stops when among friends. So, I got off topic here, but lots of discussion going on about whether or not Jake is old enough to go out in a group unsupervised and if he’s allowed to take a young lady out on a date unsupervised. Of course, my gut and heart says absolutely not! He is way too young! And you know what, he is too young! Jake really hasn’t even been out in a group with adult supervision, so what makes him think he’s old enough to go out unsupervised. I’m so glad that when I posted a comment on Facebook, everyone who is a parent completely agreed! I shared each and every comment with Jake, including the one from my friend, Melanie’s daughter, Kayla. She will be 14 this month and she just went to the mall with a group of girlfriends unsupervised for the first time. She completely agrees that Jake is too young. She even reminded him of the crowd of kids we saw when our families were at the mall together one evening, and these kids were clearly older than 12 years old, but they were acting and doing stupid stuff! So, it’s not Jake that I don’t trust, but the influences around him. He’s too young to think in adult situations and quite honestly, I want to keep Jake as young as possible! So, the group thing, with supervision will continue until I feel good and ready! I’m his parent and I’m the one responsible for protecting him.

As for the girlfriend and going out thing, absolutely NOT! I am not opposed to a “girlfriend”, because I can’t control who he likes or dislikes. I was 13 years old when I started dating my husband, so I can’t be a hypocrite and tell him he can’t have a girlfriend. Anyway, we agreed that he can have his “girlfriend” to our home when we are home and under our supervision. We also agreed that after meeting the girlfriend’s parents and assuring they will be home when he wants to visit, he may visit his girlfriend. I did talk to the mother last night, and we are very much on the same page which I was so happy about. This young lady is her third child, so she’s been through this twice already. She probably thinks I’m a nut with all the questions I asked her last night. I just need to know who my child is hanging with and what influences he will be around. I’m so glad this family sounds wonderful and I’m excited to meet the mother. I hope I’m making the right decision and I’m hoping with church and the openness we share, that he will always make the right decision. All we can do from this point forward it guide and direct him, but ultimately, they will make the final decision. I can only pray that God will always be in his choices.

Like I said, Jake is 12 ½ and we’ve never been away from him for more than a couple of days at a time, but that will change as of Sunday. We have registered Jake for his first overnight camp in Wilkes Barre, PA called Bear Creek. It’s a Christian camp that’s been around for a long time and that comes highly recommended. I can’t believe we are doing it! I think he’s ready and I think he needs this experience. The only thing he asked for his first away camp experience was that he attends one that a friend will be attending. Thank the Lord for Carrie, because Jake will be going the same week with Miles. Jake was so thrilled to hear we were able to get him in the same week with Miles even though I was first told they were completely booked. The Lord some how moved mountains for us so that Jake could have this experience with a friend. I’m praying that he loves it and wants to return next summer. We have lots to do in a short time to get him packed and ready, but it will be so worth it.

We are looking forward to this coming weekend because we are attending Living Hope’s annual reunion at the Great Wolf Lodge. YES! If you’ve never been, you should check it out because it is a blast. The last time we went was two years ago after bringing Rachel home. My friend Melanie and her kids invited us and we have an amazing time. I will never forget that weekend with them. We are so excited for it this weekend and we are looking forward to connecting with friends and families we met along our adoption journey. The reunions are always great and the women who plan them from LHAA are so incredibly wonderful and do such a great job in making everyone comfortable. I’m excited that next year parents may be more involved in the planning of the reunion, since it is growing and becoming such a large task for the small staff at LHAA. I’ve been networking with families to recruit others to help in this endeavor. Anyway, the Great Wolf Lodge offers a great indoor water park and it even has small outdoor pool area. Talk about great entertainment for the kids! LHAA is also planning a dinner Saturday night at a local Chinese restaurant! I can’t wait for Friday! When we make our way home on Sunday, that’s when we will drop Jake off at camp for a week. That should be interesting!

Rachel will be starting a pre-school this September and boy does she need it. She is so smart, I know, I say that all the time, but she really is amazing. If you have a three year old or an almost three year like Rachel, you will know how trying this age is. I love her so much, but there are times where I just need to put her in her room for a break. She’s been so incredibly feisty and the smart mouth has started. Sometimes I have to control myself from laughing, because she really is funny, but my goodness, she gets mad so easily. I don’t know if she is testing us or if this is her personality. I don’t want her to get angry so fast. For instance, this morning I had to leave for work, but she wanted me to read her a book, Frosty the Snowman! I know, it’s summer, but that’s the book she wanted me to read. I said, okay I can read it one time. Not only did I read the book but we then sang the song together. Well, I told her I had to leave but of course she said “read it again.” I tell her that I can’t that I need to leave for work. Well, she gets off my lap and says “I’ll read it myself!” If you could have seen the look on her face and how angry she got, it just saddens my heart. I know children think the world revolves around them and I try so hard to be a good mom, but that just upset me this morning. She wouldn’t even kiss me good-bye. She is terrible to Jake. He can’t go near her without her screaming at him or yelling. Oh yeah, the screaming has gotten horrible too. So, what in the world am I doing wrong? We discipline her and we don’t let her get away with things. Even my mother in-law called me last week to talk to her because she was being nasty. Rachel always says to me “I’m nasty cause I’m tired” or “I nasty cause I didn’t have a good sleep.” She’s heard me use this excuse for her when she’s being nasty to people. Now she thinks it’s okay. Girls are very different from boys. I guess I didn’t expect the “attitude” to start this young. She is extremely independent and extremely strong willed. It will serve her well later, but in the meantime, what do I do? She is so smart and says words like, condensation and supervision and she completely gets it! I don’t know, those seem like very big words for someone as young as her. She completely explained condensation to me in the car yesterday because daddy explained it to her that morning. She is such a sponge! I can’t wait till she starts school because HOLY MOLY the things she will learn. I love this girl to death and I hope our love, affection and discipline will work out in the end. I know it’s about consistency as well, and I feel like we are being consistent. Any advice is so welcomed! My kids are my everything and I know Rachel is going through a phase. She really is a blessing from God and this is just one of his tests!

We are still waiting to hear about Andrea’s travel approval to go to China to get Phoebe. We are hoping that she and Dave will travel sometime this month. I remember this part of the waiting process and it was probably the hardest part for me knowing who my daughter is and knowing that we are now waiting for each other. Andrea is experiencing many emotions including whether or not she will be a good parent. I have no doubt in my mind that she will be a good mother. All the things she is putting in order and in place tells me she is already a good mother. So, please keep Andrea, Phoebe and Dave in your prayers!

I just want to say that all your prayers are working, because my back is feeling so much better. I don’t know if it finally worked itself out or if it’s the medication, but I’m thrilled to be able to get in and out of my car without cringing or crying in pain. I’m able to get down on the floor and play with Rachel again and I’m able to do a simple task of putting my pants on again without feeling like I’m dying. So, thank you for your prayers and support. I pray that I continue on this path. I’m working now on losing weight so that I can feel even better. I started doing Weight Watchers online and I’m loving it. I’m down 4 lbs. and feel great and confident that I’ve been sticking to my program for a full week now. I didn’t even blow it this weekend when I went away overnight with my girlfriend. I didn’t keep track, but when I went back and wrote down everything I ate, I was surprised to learn that I actually have some flex points leftover! So, if you can continue to keep me in your prayers that I can stay on this program and continue losing weight for my health, I would be so grateful. The last two years of stress as taken its toll and I’ve put everything back on that I’ve lost with Weight Watchers about 5 or 6 years ago. I’m not going to let that get me down, but I’m going to keep my head up and keep journaling and staying on plan!

I have rambled on yet again, but all of my words will be a great treasure for my children and grandchildren in the future. Blessings!