A big day for us...a VERY BIG day

Ask anyone going through any kind of adoption and they will all tell you one thing...they just want their adoption to be done - final. No matter how many people tell them that it will never happen, they want to erase any fear in their heart that someone could come and take their child...the one they have come to love and adore...from them. They want their child to have the same rights as their biological children...be a permanent US citizen, get a social security number and even a US passport. But in order to do so you must have one very important piece of paper...the final adoption decree.

Today was a big day for us...a VERY BIG day. For you see, in the eyes of Ethiopia our adoption was finalized when we were there in December. Today, our adoption was finalized in the states...we received our final adoption decree. What does that mean for us? EVERYTHING... Today we can apply for an Iowa birth certificate with his legal name change (we kept his African name as his middle name). Today we can apply for a social security number. Today we can apply for him to move from a temporary US citizen to a permanent US citizen. And today we can apply to get a US passport. His case is now sealed and cannot be opened...and our fear, my fear, is now gone. He is our son, now and forever will be.

Yes, today was a big day for us...a VERY BIG day!

Hoot n' Holler day...

After working all weekend cleaning out the garage and storage areas and now being terribly sore and very tired I really don't have too much energy to think of a new blog post for my favorite day. I know it doesn't seem fair to "reuse" blog posts but this is one of my favorite ones I wrote last year for one of my favorite days in our city (which just so happens to be today for us). Anyway, I'm old and I've got muscles that hurt that I didn't know I had...I hope you enjoy it one more time.

I love spring...actually I love every season, but I especially love this time of year. The birds begin to come back, the flowers start to bud and bloom and then...there is "hoot n' holler" day. Now, if you are unfamiliar with it, it's a time when you can rummage through those items you swore you would use someday and of course you never did and finally decide to throw it out. I believe here in the Midwest they call it "spring-clean up" day. However, I was born and raised in the south and I do so love to call it "hoot n' holler".

So picture this...you take a few weekends and you gather up all your cherished treasures that you've toted around with you for years (and never used) and you haul it out to the curb. Then...cars come one by one and rummage through your items taking what they will then call their cherished treasures. I can hear their conversations now..."Oooh, wheee! Lookie here, Earl. They got them here a shovel-thingy I saw on TV once. Now who would throw a good thing like that out. I'm gonna keep me this one."

I just love "hoot n' holler" day...

This is a garage sale...right???

In honor of garage sale season which is now in full swing here, I thought I would share with you a story that I've heard a hundred times and I laugh every time I hear it. I always think about it during garage sale season. It goes something like this...

My mother and father loved to get out on the weekends and drive around. You know, looking at houses, doing errands...just getting out and about. One weekend in particular they were out driving around when they spotted a house with the garage open. The man had pulled all of these boxes from his garage out onto his driveway. Believing it was a garage sale, my parents pulled the car over and got out to take a look. Walking up the driveway they looked in box and after box and thought..."man, this is some really nice stuff here".

As they continued to look through the boxes a sudden realization came over them..."this is a garage sale, right??" Oh boy, they thought. As the man continued to clean up his garage, my Mom and Dad tried very hard to "slither away" unnoticed. It wasn't until a few blocks later that they busted out laughing. Only my parents could do something like that.

Today, I can't look for a garage sale without pausing for a split second to say...this is a garage sale, right??

Breathing is optional...

A friend of mine came over for a minute this morning and she mentioned something to me that I just couldn't stop thinking about. She and I were complaining about workouts, not losing weight...you know all the good girl stuff. Then she mentioned that she was about to celebrate her 10th wedding anniversary and wanted to see if she could still fit into her wedding dress. Then she wouldn't really care so much what the scale said. Hmm...interesting thought.

Well, I knew I couldn't just let this one pass me by. So when I had a free moment today I decided to try my wedding dress on as well. It's been 17 almost 18 years since I've had the dress on. I've given birth to three "large" children (one weighed 10 pounds at birth). Since given birth, I've got body parts that definitely do not "bounce back" as they tell you they do in the hospital. And to top it all off...I'm 40. At this point...the odds are against me.

Carefully, I unwrap the plastic around the dress. Wow...puff sleeves, huh? (They were so in at the time) I slip one arm in and then the other. Pulling it up and over me...man, it weighs a ton. Whew, now for the hard part. Sucking all the breath I have in...I zip it up. Hot diggity dog...sweet momma! The dress fits after all this time. Of course...

breathing is optional...

Allow me to show you...

No we have not fallen off the face of the earth this week. Although it may seem so with no blogs posted but since our son has learned the process of moving forward...fast I might add...life is no longer slow. I've barely had any time to catch up on the laundry, housework, much less any internet blogging time. Allow me to show you a sneak peek as to just how fast our son can move around in just a matter of a few minutes. Grab your running shoes and try and catch up...

So what is it about pots?...

O.k. seriously, what is it about pots and kids? They seem to migrate to each other. In the end all the pots end up on the floor and the child is no where to be found. Clean them all up and viola...the child reappears...and it starts all over again.

Dear Dad...

Dear Dad,

Today I began painting the dining room. Not many people love to do that but you and I have that in common...we adore painting. Except that I almost spilled the bucket of paint...I thought you'd like that one.

Dear Dad,

We went to our little girl's soccer game today. There were three Granddad's there cheering on their grand kids. Sure wish you could have been there. You would have loved it. She scored 3 goals. We cheered enough for you to hear.

Dear Dad,

It's so cloudy here today. It looks like it might rain. Is it sunny where you are? We could use the rain. I've planted some seeds and hopefully my flowers will grow up soon. A lot of them are daisies. You would like the colors. The last time we saw you we put daisies all over you, remember?

Dear Dad,

I have a moment to myself now...it's rare. I'm left alone with my thoughts and wish I could talk to you. It's been four years since you've been gone. I've got so much to tell you. Do you think of me often? Will you be waiting for me with open arms when I get there? Make sure they let me grow flowers okay? I especially like daisies.

Dear Dad,

Four years...four long years without you. Some days it seems like it was just yesterday. Others, it seems like an eternity. It's hard to understand God's plan. All I know is that the world, my world is just not the same without you here. It's selfish I know, but I want you here. To celebrate with me the good times and the bad times. To see me goof up tremendously and then see me make great comebacks. I need my Dad. I want you to not ever forget that I think you're the best dad in the whole world. I love and miss you terribly!

Your loving daughter...

Testing days...

Today and tomorrow are my two oldest children's testing days. In the state in which we live (it's different in every state), if you want to home school your children then you are required by law to have your kids either: be followed by a licensed teacher, keep a portfolio all year long of all their work or have your kids take a standardize test (the same tests that the public school kids take every year). We always choose to have them take the tests. I like having the scores documented by the state and see where they compare with other children of their age. Since this is our fifth year at homeschooling, the test is really second nature for the kids...for me it's a different story.

After packing them a couple of snacks, here's how our morning went as we were walking out the door. "O.k. kids, you got your pencils right?" "Yes, Mom." "Five of them, right?" "Yes." "How about your rulers?" "Got it." "Just one right?" "Of course." "Did you get your snack?" "Yes." "How about your calculator?" "Got it."

...pause on my part for a moment...

"Are you sure you got your pencils?" ...and it started all over again. Poor kids. They are so calm, cool and collected (not gotten from my side of the family) that they just think this day is just like any other school day. Me...I just about go crazy. It's really a good thing they don't give these tests to Moms. I'm not sure I'd make it through the first five minutes.

I am the wasp slayer...

A little while ago the baby was fretting from up in his crib. He had been taking his nap and woke up a little bit early. So I went up to his room and tried to rock him a little to get him back to sleep. As I was doing so, I kept hearing this buzzzz whack, buzzz whack. Not thinking to look up I just kept rocking and wondered...what is that? Then it buzzed right in front of us and back up to the ceiling...whack. A very large wasp. I tell you, you have never seen a grown woman with a baby move so fast.

Now here's where I should mention that I am petrified of any and all insects, snakes, spiders and really anything that moves and is of minute proportion. But...if my children are involved I become courageous...o.k., maybe not that but...I try really hard to get rid of whatever it is (still there is lots of screaming involved).

So with that in mind, I yelled for my middle girl to come racing in and grab her little brother and whisk him away while I was left alone with...that insect. Armed only with a shoe I conquered my fear and approached the tiny little insect. After SEVERAL minutes of debating on how to do this and lots of failed attempts at throwing the shoe while I stood across the room...I went in for the kill. WHACK! VICTORIOUS!!!!!

I am the wasp slayer...

Happy Easter from all of us...

Our morning has been filled with Sunday church services, egg hunts and Easter baskets. It's been a great day.

Just like every year the girls picked out their fabric for their Easter dresses. They were so excited for new dresses. The boys...well, I'm not crazy enough to make boy clothes. By the way...it only took us about 16 bazillion pictures to get these few good ones. You know with us all counting down the beeps on a camera teetering on a box on a tall chair.

So as we relax the rest of the day, we just wanted to take a moment and wish you and your family a Happy Easter...