Heartbreaking story

Please keep Steven Curtis Chapman and his family in your prayers. His five year old daughter Maria was killed yesterday. Steven Curtis Chapman and his family have been huge supporters of international adoption and have inspired many to adopt. They adopted three daughters from China including Maria. Tragically, thier son was driving the SUV in the driveway that struck Maria. I can only imagine the tremendous guilt this young man must be going through as the result of this accident. Please keep this family in your prayers and pray that God releases this young man from any guilt he may feel over this accident.

Soccer

The soccer season is winding down with just three more games left. It has taken me nearly two months to actually take pictures and post them~bad mom! The weather hasn't cooperated and it has been cold or rainy or a combination of both nearly every Saturday. Instead of taking pictures I have stayed huddled under a blanket holding my umbrella. Luckily I don't have a picture of that! I still need to take some pictures of Ethan but for now Logan and Christian will have to do.

The soccer season is winding down with just three more games left. It has taken me nearly two months to actually take pictures and post them~bad mom! The weather hasn't cooperated and it has been cold or rainy or a combination of both nearly every Saturday. Instead of taking pictures I have stayed huddled under a blanket holding my umbrella. Luckily I don't have a picture of that! I still need to take some pictures of Ethan but for now Logan and Christian will have to do.

The Earthquake

My heart is so heavy and sad for the Chinese people. I cannot even begin to imagine the devastation that has occurred. The images I have seen are absolutely haunting to me. One in particular is so very upsetting because I cannot comprehend this kind of pain.

This mother lies by her child's body in what must be sheer pain and agony from the loss of her child. Quite possibly this might have been her only child. Yes the image may be disturbing to some but this is just a small glimpse of what must be going on in China. Many have asked me how I think this earthquake will affect our adoption process. The simple answer is "I don't know." I can think of many scenarios here. It may slow down the process because China will be more focused on the devastation from the earthquake and adoptions may go on the "back burner" so to speak. It could possibly speed up adoptions because tragically many children have now been left orphaned. At the moment though I have thought about our adoption, I almost feel guilty wondering how it will affect ME when there are so many others who are suffering. It almost seems selfish. As I type this post I am listening to my children outside playing basketball and laughing. We just finished dinner so their bellies are full. They will fall asleep in their beds tonight and wake up tommorow with their basic needs and beyond being met.

Our adoption agency has set up an earthquake relief fund to help purchase tents, food, diapers, medicine, clothes, and post-quake building repairs and construction. To make a donation please visit www.chinesechildren.org or mail your donation check to Chinese Children Charities marked "ERF." Please keep China in your prayers.

Field trip pics part 2

Christian's field trip

Today Christian's kindergaten class went on a field trip to a farm. I was lucky enough to be chosen as a chaperone! When we got to the farm we took a covered wagon ride on trails and the kids were able to feed different animals out of buckets of food. It was such a neat experience for the kids! It was fun to watch the different expressions on their faces as the animals came up to the wagon and ate from their buckets! Quite a different experience than seeing the animals at the zoo! After our wagon ride we ate lunch at the picnic tables but not before all the kids washed their hands and purelled them just to be safe. After lunch we went to a petting zoo for about 20 minutes and then we loaded back up onto the buses and came back to school. Actually Christian and I just woke up from a nap so the trip must have worn us out! I took alot of pictures so I will post more tommorow.

Afternoon Tea and Bachelorette Party!

This past Saturday my sister had an afternoon tea bridal shower hosted by Brian's aunts. I had never been to an afternoon tea shower and it was beautiful! I don't think they missed one detail! Sterling silver teapots, crystals on the table, tiny sugar cubes with little flowers on top, and amazing food! Served was a three course meal. The first course was a white chocolate cherry scone served with three different dipping sauces and tea. The second course were tea sandwiches that included ham salad, egg salad, cucumber, and turkey sandwiches. Next was dessert which included different kinds of pastries and cookies! It was a beautiful and elegant shower!

Saturday night was her bachelorette party. The first part of the night everyone met at a hotel(about 30 guests attended) where each guest brought a "sexy" gift for Danielle. She got a good mix of lingerie and comfy pjs which is good because comfy pjs really become the staple after the first couple years of marriage(if not sooner, sorry Brian)! All of us married couples can attest to that! After she opened her MANY gifts we headed to a local club. My mom, me, Brian's mom, and aunts stayed for a little bit and then went back to Danielle's house and spent the night. The younger crowd stayed out later and spent the night at the hotel. I am not very comfortable in the club scene so one stop for my sister and I was done.

It was a great but exhausting weekend and makes me even more excited for Danielle and Brian! Just two more months until they say their "I dos."

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! I know I am a day late but I was out of town all weekend for my sister's bridal shower and bachelorette party. It was a fun but exhausting weekend and I will leave the festivities and pictures for another post.

I am forever blessed and thankful for my mom. Her love, patience, understanding, sacrifice, & friendship have been a tremendous gift to me. She was and has been one of the most influential people in my life. She encompasses everything that a mother should be. I love you Mom!

Ethan, Logan, & Christian~ Through being your mom I am convinced there is no better job in the world then the job of "mom." The reward of being your mother is one of my life's greatest blessings. Everyday you make me want to strive to be the best mom that I can possibly be. You teach me to embrace every smile, every sound of laughter, and every hug and kiss. I am so proud to be your mother! I love you!

Mia~ Though I have yet to see your face and hold you, our journey to you has taught me some very important lessons in motherhood. I hope to always be an example to you and your brothers about never giving up, keeping the faith, and patience on the path that God has planned for you. I pray that this is the last Mother's Day that we are apart. I cannot wait to be your mother! I pray that as we wait you experience the love of a mother. I pray that someone is "mothering" you until it is time for us to meet.

In search of the perfect tan....

With the warm weather approaching I have been searching for a good self tanner. I have in summers past just gone to the tanning booth but since I am getting older and more aware of the damaging effects of the sun I am looking for alternate options. Plus I am too lazy and uninterested in laying in a tanning bed for 20 minutes. I have tried all different kinds of self tanners. I tried the spray mist, the lotion, the gel, and the mousse. Currently I am trying Lancome's Flash Bronzer Glow n Wear in the gel form. So far I have been please with it but I find that just like any of the previous self tanners I have tried you have to be very careful when you apply it or you will get a streaky effect. I really have only noticed it when I have been in a hurry and quickly applied it. I don't care what anyone says there is no streak free tanner! If it isn't applied properly it streaks! For now my search has ended but I am still considering baking myself in a tanning bed one month before the wedding to ensure an even tan.

Happy Birthday Brian!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Happy Cinco de Mayo! No we do not typically "celebrate" Cinco de Mayo but I will come up with any reason to have Mexican food and so will the boys! Tacos, burritos, tostados, rice, and beans is one meal that will guarantee everyone is happy! After last week of hearing complaints all week about what was for dinner and with me threatening to make PB&J every night for dinner this was long overdue! Yesterday I told Logan "We are going to celebrate Cinco de Mayo tommorow." Of course he asked "What is Cinco de Mayo?" I replied "For us it means we are having tacos tommorow night for dinner." This answer satisfied him and he was happy to hear it was taco night! Now if we just would of had some sombreros we could have really celebrated!

Homestudy update complete

On Sunday we had our homestudy update. Basically our social worker met with us to go over any changes in our original homestudy (there weren't that many except we have aged!). She also did a quick tour of the house and then it was over. It lasted about an hour and with that our 2nd and hopefully last paperchase came to an end. I told her the next time I see her I hope to have someone new to introduce her to. She said "I hope so to."

The Bridal Shower

Saturday my mom and I hosted my sister's first bridal shower! We had a wonderful time celebrating this very special event with family and friends. The shower was held at a local Italian restaurant and the food was awesome! We played a couple games and Danielle opened her presents. They received some great gifts and let's just say that their kitchen will be well stocked with lots of pink! My sister wanted to register for a pink Kitchenaid mixer but first she had to strike a deal with the groom. Brian said she could register for it as long as it stayed in the cabinets. So did the bride to be get her pink mixer? Yes! My mom bought her the mixer along with several pink kitchen utensils that will also have to stay "hidden" per Brian.

There was one particular emotional moment at the end of the shower. My sister had bought gifts for my mom, me, and my sister in law Dana for hosting the shower. She let my mom and Dana open their gifts and said I had to go last because my gift required further explanation. A little background information. Last week when I was talking to her on the phone I was telling her how this shower was the last shower we would be hosting and planning and that it was "the end of the line" for us because she is the last to get married. As she handed me the box I asked her, "Am I going to cry when I open this?" She replied "No." As I begin to unwrap the box she asked me "Do you remember this past week when you told me that this was the last shower and wedding we would be planning?" I replied "Yes." As I unwrap the tissue paper revealing the gift she says "Well you were wrong it won't be the last shower or wedding we ever plan. We will plan Mia's wedding one day." With that I started crying and gave her a hug. It was a very emotional moment to be celebrating my sister preparing to get married and thinking of one day planning for my own daughter's wedding. What was the gift? It was a cute flower pot with ladybugs on it. I think it is almost too cute to plant and grow anything it! I really appreciate the thought and sentiment that went into the choosing of my gift and I love it! This shower "officially" started the wedding countdown for me because it was the first big event leading up to the wedding. July will be here before we know it and the excitement is in the air!