THE JOURNEY

Skiing

2012-02-09T14:41:00.001-05:00

We got to go skiing again with some other friends. We had such a great time. We went last year with them and had a blast too. Both girls were new at skiing and have progressed so much in one year. These are the only pictures we have from the weekend. But, we had a great time on the slopes and the weather was great.

More news

2012-01-28T14:30:00.004-05:00

So, we just found out two days ago that we now have to travel to Russia twice! And, the kids will not be coming home with us in May but in June. We will travel in May and do our physical exam with the 8 doctor firing squad (the name for the 8 "specialists" that we have to be checked by), go before the judge, and visit with the kids. Then, the 30 day waiting period for anyone within their family to contest the adoption (was 10 days but the law was just changed to 30 days) starts and we go back to the States and wait it out. After that time is up, we get to go and get the kids to bring them home. Good news: we don't have to spend approximately a month in Russia. Bad news: we have to travel twice.

Picture Update

2012-01-08T14:16:00.004-05:00

She loves to ski. This is what she looks like flying down the mountain. She wants to go on the Black Diamonds. Justin has said "No," until she takes more lessons. She is fearless.

We bought Piers this raincoat when we were at the Grand Illumination in Williamsburg and he is obsessed with it now.

Kira's second grade Christmas Play. So cute!

Kids making pizzas.

Adoption Update

2012-01-08T13:49:00.005-05:00

I have so neglected this blog. I am sorry! Justin was going to try to fill in for me while I was doing school but he has found himself playing the role of full-time doctor and then full-time parent. That has left him with little time. I have one more week before my semester starts and I have a minute to update you all on our adoption status. As you may recall, we worked at a feverish pace to get our paperwork done and sent off so that we could have a court date in December or early January. Nowhere along the line were we told that it would be nearly impossible - not sure why. So, we found out in November that traveling during my semester break was pretty much impossible. So, now onto Plan B. I chuckle a little because Plan B is so vastly different than Plan A that I have to laugh to keep myself from going crazy. So, Plan B. In addition to not traveling over the holidays, Plan B involves a 3rd child. Yes, we are going to adopt T-H-R-E-E siblings. What?! Yep, you read that correctly. We are adopting three. The "older" sister was not really on our radar for many reasons - mainly, we were told the younger two didn't EVER see her. When Justin pressed and questioned and pressed and questioned to get absolute confirmation on that huge piece of information, the answer changed. The younger two siblings supposedly DO know their older sister and see her frequently. They are in a separate orphanage from her but they do get to see her. So, when faced with that information and the ability to put their little family back to together, we decided to move forward with all three. This was not an easy decision and one that we W-O-R-K-E-D through for weeks. And, I mean we labored over the decision. It wasn't easy but we got on the other side and have a peace about it. The second part of Plan B is that we will be traveling in May - once my semester is over. That helps with stress a lot. I will be ready to apply to Dental School and won't have to take summer school at all this summer. So, I get to stay home and get everyone adjusted to their (our) new life together and under one roof. Don't think I am doing this without help. We have found the most wonderful nanny that a family could ask for. She is amazing and our kids absolutely love her. She has patience that I can't match. She is like Mary Poppins for us. She gets my little man to do whatever she asks and he does it happily. We can't imagine our life without her in it for this season. She wants to be a teacher and we are praying that she gets a job in her field but at the same time we don't want that day to come (selfishly, I know).

On a different note, school is going so well. I can't believe that I am almost done with all my classes. It has flown by and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I wish I had jumped into this years ago instead of waiting. It has really been great and I literally can't wait to go to Dental School. I have been shadowing other dentists and each time gets me more and more excited. I just can't wait! I just need to get accepted! :)

We went skiing over the Holidays with friends and it was such a fun time!

It was an American Doll Christmas for Kira. She and I went to NYC with friends for a mommy/daughter weekend. The focus was The American Doll Store. She got Julie and for Christmas Julie got a whole bunch of things including her own horse. :)

Orphan Sunday

2011-11-06T14:01:00.001-05:00

Pumpkin Patch Fun

2011-10-15T21:58:00.001-04:00

St. Catherine's

2011-09-28T14:25:00.004-04:00

This is a hard thought...

2011-09-05T09:24:00.001-04:00

"What if there are children in the world who will suffer somehow because I failed to obey God? What if my cowardice costs even one child somewhere in the world his or her life?" Richard Stearns.

The long wait...

2011-08-09T20:34:00.003-04:00

It's been a few weeks since I wrote but it seems like a lifetime. I'm certain that everyone who goes through the process of adopting has a unique experience that differs in many ways from everyone else, but I'm equally certain that there are similarities. We've been told that the period of time between the referral of a child to adoptive parents and the travel date to pick up the child(ren) is generally excrutiating. It is no different for us. Though we haven't technically received our referral from the country where our children reside, we've met them and we're working toward adopting them and in many ways we view them already as ours but simply separated from us.

While this period of time is very difficult, we're taking great pleasure in the milestones that are passing by (sometimes quickly, sometimes painfully slowly) as we inch toward the date we arrive back in the US with the children. Right now, we are awaiting word that our homestudy is completed. Most of the paperwork of the dossier is ready to go so as soon as we get final approval of our homestudy it'll be packaged into the dossier that will be sent overseas for consideration by the country we're adopting from. We'll also be sending off a package to the US immigration service for their stamp of approval, and we'll be getting an FBI clearance. This is a gross simplification of the process as there are numerous other pieces of the puzzle, but these are the biggest ones.

We find ourselves constantly focusing on the details because it keeps us from stepping back and looking at the big picture. When we do that we can become overwhelmed with emotion realizing that no matter how quickly we do our part of this we're still looking at more than 4 and possibly as many as 7 months before we travel to pick up our children. That's a very hard pill to swallow, yet it's one that we find ourselves choking on multiple times a day. We think about it every time we walk past the bedrooms that will be theirs when they arrive, every time we make a meal and consider the extra that will be needed, every time that we get in the car and see the extra seats that will one day be occupied.

It's worse when we consider that it's still not a completed process and that so many things still have to go right for it to work out. So, we busy ourselves with the paperwork and the preparation for their arrival (both in educational materials provided by the agency and with learning their native language.) It's a long road no matter how you slice it up, but we're taking it one day at a time knowing that as the days slip by we're getting that much closer.

1st Visit Waived!

2011-08-02T14:02:00.001-04:00

We just got word this morning that our first trip to Russia has been waived!!!

Happy Birthday, Renee!

2011-07-31T22:56:00.012-04:00

Tonight we celebrated a birthday with our good friend and neighbor, Renee. There was a lot of food, beer and conversation. It's always good to catch up, but it was especially good to spend it in celebration of someone we all love. Thank you to everyone who came out!

Piers made a guest appearance near the end and had fun with the ice in the coolers.

Adoption

2011-07-24T21:11:00.006-04:00

Let me start by saying this is Justin writing this post. Jaclyn has been far too busy with school these days to do much blogging, so I'm going to try to pick up the ball and run with it if you'll bear with me and my typically more verbose style of writing. While Jaclyn may be too busy to write herself we have some very important news that we feel we need to share with you all.

Many of you already know that Jaclyn and I have for many years been planning to adopt. Some of you know that we've considered and planned to adopt more than one child (eventually). While we haven't spoken about this much we have been looking into adoption agencies over the last year as we had decided not to intentionally have any additional biological children.

What we had not decided, however, was where to adopt from. We looked into several agencies and considered just about every possible country, but as of May we had not decided where to adopt from, and consequently we had not begun the formal application process with any specific adoption agency. What we did know was that we wanted to adopt an older child, preferably a girl around Kira's age or just a little younger.

It was shortly after we had made this decision that we received an email from a friend of ours originally sent by an agency that brings older children to the US for the summer as part of a hosting program. The email described four sibling pairs from a country in Asia that were coming to the US as part of this program. While the children were scheduled to arrive less than a month from the date of the email, they did not yet have host families to stay with.

I can still remember in vivid detail sitting in the drive through lane at Chic-Fil-A when the email came through on my phone. I remember reading it and being overwhelmed with a sense that two of these eight children were meant for us. I'm not sure I can fully describe the feeling that came over me. Jaclyn and I had spoken about adopting two children and discussed the possibility of siblings, but had discounted it as unlikely. Our plan was to adopt one and then adopt a second from the same country or culture immediately after.

Nothing about this really fit our plans except that the older sibling was a girl around Kira's age. They were from a country we had not thoroughly considered adopting from because of some of the requirements regarding travel times, and the timeline was completely different from ours. We had figured the process would take at least six months and we wouldn't start it until Jaclyn was part of the way through her next year in school. In addition, we would be getting not one child, but two with the younger child being a boy three years older than Piers.

I called Jaclyn and asked if she had gotten the email and after a bit of discussion we decided to pray and think about it before we did anything. We did so and after several days decided to call the agency to find out if anyone had already spoken for the two children in question. Much to our dismay another family had already begun the process to host these two children.

It was almost a week later that we received news that the other family had backed out of the hosting process. At this point the children's arrival was less than 3 weeks away. We had not even begun the process of a homestudy to ensure that we could provide a safe environment for the children during their stay (something we were supposed to have completed prior to their arrival.) In addition, my work schedule and Jaclyn's school schedule were extremely non-conducive to our being able to take care of these children during the summer. We had a babysitter lined up, but adding two children who did not speak English to her daily routine might have driven her away as well. In addition, while we felt an increasing urge that we were meant to adopt these two children we felt there were a million reasons why we shouldn't. The most compelling reason was that Jaclyn was in school and that adopting two children was going to jeopardize everything she's worked for so far and has dreamed she can accomplish in the coming years.

It was extremely difficult to do, but we passed up the opportunity to host the children for the summer. Still, we both individually continued to think about the children. Our plan was to see them at a picnic nearby organized by the agency, but discovered when we followed up that the children were being hosted by a family in New York. This family, who had adopted a children through this agency in the past, knew they could not adopt them but were hosting them in the hopes someone would meet them and decide to adopt them.

After much discussion with Jaclyn, we decided that I along with Kira would go and meet the children in New York over the one weekend that I had available. Jaclyn had a test the following week and did not feel that she could take the weekend off studying. I was to take numorous pictures and videos and keep in touch with her throughout the weekend. So, I made arrangements and Kira and I went up to New York and visit the children.

Let me say that if this post seems overly long to you it would pale in comparison to the epic I could write about the weekend we spent up in New York with the kids. The truth is that while I had a sense that these children were meant for us before the trip I was certain of it after. Jaclyn ended up flying up the following Wednesday and over the last two weeks we've been mired in the paperwork we're happily completing in an effort bring these two incredible children into our family.

Of course, I want to tell you all the specifics of the children themselves because they are the real story. Unfortunately, we've been instructed to keep most of the details out public access to avoid jeopardizing the process. I would be happy to provide more details to anyone who is interested; just email me.

Powerful Video...

2011-04-25T12:00:00.005-04:00

What are we "moved" by?

School

2011-03-17T22:21:00.002-04:00

Well, I have gone back to school full time. I was so apprehensive about going to class with kids a lot younger with me. I was scared that I wouldn't know how to study after being away from it for so long. I was plain old scared in so many ways. But, my desire to accomplish my goal drove me to move past all of that and go for it anyway. So, I did...I am. I am really enjoying it. It took me about 2 weeks to get into the groove of classes and taking notes. I had a hard time sitting still for an entire lecture. That is the part that surprised me the most. I would start to fidget about 40 minutes into a 75 minute class and my legs felt like they were going to go crazy. But, I survived and now they are used to sitting. Thank goodness! I am finding this time around that I have the ability to push myself harder than I remember doing the first time around. I have the ability to function on very little sleep to make it through a week of exams.

I have met some really great people so far. That is a huge relief to me. I was nervous that I wouldn't make many friends because of the age difference but there are several of us that are going back for round two. Most are hoping to apply to medical school in a couple of years. They are a really neat group of people. So determined and so motivated. I love it! It is exciting to be around others who are so motivated by excellence. It has just been a neat experience all around so far.

New Supplies

2011-01-07T12:04:00.002-05:00

My very sweet and extremely supportive neighbor just surprised me with a bunch of brand new school supplies! How sweet!

Thanksgiving

2011-01-03T09:55:00.007-05:00

We had a great Thanksgiving. I ordered Whole Foods food and it was so easy and tasty. Kira, Anna and I ran that morning in the Turkey Trot 10K. Kira ran the kids 1/2mile and Anna and I ran in the full 10K. It was a great way to start off the eating fest!

We have a visitor (Clara) with us for a couple of months and she got to experience her very first Thanksgiving in the states.

After Thanksgiving, Anna, Clara and I went to Williamsburg and went shopping all night.

Gingerbread Houses

2010-12-09T07:54:00.003-05:00

Last week the girls were invited to make Gingerbread houses over at St. Christopher's. All the 1st graders got to make their own gingerbread houses and decorate them. They did a great job and it was so fun to help. Again, they were asked to dress up. I love that! All of the little girls had on their holiday outfits and they looked absolutely beautiful! It was so much fun.

The Velveteen Rabbit

2010-12-09T07:49:00.003-05:00

I got to go with K's class to see Theatre IV's production of The Velveteen Rabbit. What a great show! All 18 (!) of the little girls sat so quietly and nicely throughout the show. They were really sweet. They were told to dress up for the occasion and K could not have been happier about it. So, precious!

Preparing for the Carpool Rounds

2010-12-02T15:51:00.001-05:00

My neighbor and I decided that we would practice the carpool route before the first day of school. So, we rounded up the girls and made an outing of it.

Pennsylvania Visit

2010-12-02T15:47:00.002-05:00

My grandmother is now in a nursing home but when I got to visit her over the summer she was in an assisted living facility. She seemed happy but had no idea who I was.

Florida

2010-12-02T15:27:00.008-05:00

This is really embarrassing but here is my attempt at updating my blog since I have been so neglectful lately. Rewind to summer. Here are some pictures of our trip to Florida. We went with another family and K got to have a friend stay with us too. P and J flew down halfway through the first week to join us for the last week and a half. It was a great two weeks at the beach. We decided to have P fly because not long before we left for the beach, I took a trip with my parents and both kids to PA to visit my grandmother and P was not pleasant to be with in the car. I told J that I couldn't do a trip to FL in the same car as P for that many hours. So, he volunteered to fly. Well, his comment to sum up the flights was, "undignified." I can only imagine what it was like to have flown with P. I am glad that I was with K in the car instead. My trip was great! J looked like he had been through a war.

Looking forward to this weekend...

2010-11-08T21:09:00.002-05:00

I am so excited for the runners this weekend in the Richmond Marathon. I am going to be pacing a friend for the last 6 miles and I am so excited to do it. This is her first marathon and I am so thrilled to get the chance to encourage her through the last 6 miles which can be so difficult. K is going to be joining her classmates on Saturday morning for a pancake breakfast and sign making party. Afterwards, they are going to walk up to the marathon course and cheer on their teacher as she runs the marathon. K is going to have a blast!

I did it!

2010-11-08T21:03:00.002-05:00

I set out to run my 1/2 marathon in less than 2 hours and I did! I was so excited. Once Leah and I decided that training for our fourth marathon wasn't going to happen this season, we decided to improve our 1/2 marathon times. So, we set out to increase our pace so that we could complete our 1/2 in under two hours. That would mean that I would have to shave 9 minutes off of my best 1/2 time. That is a lot - to me. I somehow was able to do it yesterday. I felt like I sprinted the last 5 miles. I didn't stop to walk at all and I didn't stop at any of the water stops. I just kept running. I did have a fuel belt so I stayed hydrated but just didn't take the time to stop at the water stops. It was fun. Leah ran the 1/2 sick with an upper respiratory sickness. She did so well! I couldn't believe it. She was sick but still managed to PR her 1/2 too! It was a successful day for both of us.

He knows...

2010-10-29T13:21:00.003-04:00

Have you had a dream or a desire and carried it with you a very long time? You have just carried it quietly with you for so long and it has come out every once in while but you are able to put it back deep, down inside because now is not the time? Have you ever been convinced you are supposed to do something one moment but the timing isn't right and you wonder if that "something" is still supposed to happen or whether you missed your opportunity? Have you ever wanted to pursue something but felt not good enough to do it, not cool enough, not smart enough, not together enough, just not enough? Then, have you had an encounter where you feel like your desire, your longing is brought front and center in your life and you are weak to handle it? You aren't sure you can anymore? It was so long ago that you wanted it, so convinced you were supposed to, but life went on and the opportunity hadn't come and so you convinced yourself that maybe you heard wrong, your desires weren't right, your feelings weren't real. That is where I today. I am absolutely overwhelmed. I am overwhelmed because my God has given me one thing after the other over the last two weeks to remind me that he hasn't forgotten my heart. He knows my desires because he is the one who gave them to me. He has over and over again affirmed this to me. My mind is just overwhelmed right now. I am feeling so emotional because there is something that happens when you feel like the things that you have kept secret between you and your God - might come to pass. That the God of the whole universe, the one who created me to be who I am, knows my inmost thoughts and feelings. He is showing me over and over again that he knows and that he hasn't forgotten. I haven't missed my opportunity. That, my friend, is almost too much to stand up under. Have you ever felt that way?

New mouse

2010-10-28T14:32:00.003-04:00

I am having a blast with my new mouse. The UPS guy just delivered my new "magic mouse!" He also delivered two sets of vacuum bags. Not all deliveries can be exciting. :)

10 Miles Done

2010-09-03T11:40:00.001-04:00

That is about as simple as it gets. It is DONE!

1st Day of School

2010-09-01T11:14:00.004-04:00

Here she is! All ready for her first day of 1st Grade. Such exciting times!

Guest Post - Nicole Unice, Author Extraordinaire

2010-08-26T11:44:00.009-04:00

This is a very special post. Nicole Unice just completed her very first Bible Study. These are exciting times for her and for those who know her. Not too many people have plumbed the depths of Biblical Study to come back with something so well organized and thoughtful enough to share with anyone who desires to journey through a book of the Bible. It is with great honor that I get to share a tidbit from her personally on my blog. Here she is, Nicole Unice, talking about her first published Bible Study on the The Divine Pursuit, A Study of Jonah. At the bottom you will see how you can get your very own copy. You will want to get one for yourself and maybe a friend.

***

Becoming a counselor is a weird sort of schooling. What other graduate program teaches you how to listen, ask good questions, and read interpersonal dynamics? Who but future counselors study nonverbal cues, birth order, and “solution-focused questions?” Counseling techniques easily transform into entertaining party tricks: “Let me guess,” I imagine saying to my unsuspecting acquaintance while swirling my drink, “your deepest fear is turning into your mother, whom you find yourself resembling more each day?”

There’s another side to studying therapist techniques. Developing questions that pry back even the hardest shell takes practice. And there’s only one person that accompanies me to sleep, to the bathroom, to work—other than my toddler. It’s me. I am the unwilling recipient of my own therapy.

So I paid attention when I got all emotional about the story of Jonah. Do you know him? The bible Jonah, the telling-God-N-O Jonah, the swallowed-by-a-fish Jonah? Think way back to Vacation Bible School. You probably sang a song about him or maybe smoothed him up on a feltboard next to a smiling whale.

Jonah disobeys and isn’t loving, or at least, that’s the point when we tell the VBS version. But when I prepared a teaching series for a women’s group on the book of Jonah, I found myself stirred up, almost resentful, of what Jonah had become in those children’s stories. Like Jonah is a flat caricature painted by a heavenly hand to make us feel good about ourselves. Hey, at least I didn’t have to be swallowed by a big fish to listen to God. At least I wouldn’t defy God like that.

I got emotional because I thought Jonah could have had some reasons for running. That maybe following God’s orders and going to Nineveh was something excruciatingly hard for Jonah, something that felt impossible to do.

And then the therapist in me listened closely and asked a piercing question: “Hmmm….interesting. What are your Ninevehs?”

Hmmm is right.

I pondered my own Ninevehs and the Ninevehs of those I’ve counseled. I thought about the pattern of fleeing, obeying and resisting God found in Jonah—and found in me. I considered the things in life that would make me want to lob a fat N-O in God’s face, modern-Day Ninevehs like:

Living joyfully in difficult relationships.

Struggling through a hard marriage (or waiting on a good one).

Fighting with addictions.

Battling fear.

Making peace with the past. Wrestling with unforgiveness. Learning to wait. Embracing uncertainity. Raising difficult children. Choosing to care for aging parents. Going back to work when you want to stay home. Having children. Not having children. And the list goes on….

Holy Spirit calling: Jonah is me.

Jonah is you, too, if you’ve ever wanted space from God. If you’ve ever escaped from Him in heart or in action. Jonah is you if you’ve ever wondered how or why God would talk to you—and if you would obey. I know one thing: Jonah’s not a platitude to mount on a cross-stitch and hang in the bathroom. It’s raw, real life. It’s one of the many things I love about God--the way He enters our disheveled reality. The way He knows our crazy souls. And the way He shows us His soul for us, and for all his creation.

If you can relate, take heart, and take another look at Jonah. You might just find a friend.

Nicole Unice is a counselor and blogger working in family ministry at Hope Church in Richmond, VA. Her six-week guided study of Jonah, The Divine Pursuit, is available as a printed version or free download on her website. An online community using The Divine Pursuit begins 9/15.

****

Isn't this study timely? If you are interested in getting a copy and getting into a group study using Nicole's book, The Divine Pursuit, A Study of Jonah, then hop over to Nicole's Blog (http://www.thestubbornservant.com/) and get involved in her online group study.

If you need a change, you might want to check this out...

2010-07-28T16:55:00.003-04:00

The information found in the book by Dr. Hyman is astounding. I never thought to really evaluate the food I eat. I thought as long as you watch calories, you are okay. Wow. That is not what is important. I have already made some changes to our pantry and refrigerator. Food really does affect your mood. I am seeing it today. I ate noodles with my lunch. Regular noodles. I have been feeling blah ever since. If you want a change in your energy level - this book will give it to you.

Summer Fun

2010-07-28T16:51:00.002-04:00

After his first popsicle - I gave him the hose to play with. He was a very sticky mess and the hose did a great job of cleaning him up. I didn't have to do anything. I just watched and took pictures of it.

He loves the hose.

End of School Show

2010-07-28T16:48:00.002-04:00

Ballet Recital

2010-07-28T16:45:00.002-04:00

Field Day at K's School

2010-07-28T16:41:00.001-04:00

Easter

2010-07-28T16:35:00.004-04:00

We had the family over for Easter Lunch. Here are a few shots from the day.

P helping me clean.

K and Pop Pop stealing hugs and kisses.

P enjoying the ribs.

My princess.

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-07-28T16:33:00.002-04:00

I invited some of the neighbors over for an Easter Egg Hunt. It was a lot of fun and there were a ton of eggs to be found. There was no shortage of goodies.

Golf

2010-07-28T16:30:00.002-04:00

K also had the chance to play golf with her next door neighbor, G, and the dads. They had a great time.

Amatuer Night at K's School

2010-07-28T16:16:00.004-04:00

When K brought home her usual stack of paperwork one evening, J noticed a sheet for auditions for the school's amateur night. K had been taking guitar lessons for about 6 months by that point and knew how to play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star on the guitar. So, J decided to fill out the sheet and enter her into the auditions for Amateur Night. He also contacted out neighbor, whose daughter is K's same age and asked if she wanted to join K in the audition to play in the show. The neighbor's mom said that sounded like a great idea and so we both entered them into the auditions to play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. K would play the guitar and L would play the keyboard. They auditioned and did a great job. Then, they attended all the practices and the dress rehearsal. Finally, the big night was here and they did an outstanding job and got a huge applause from the crowd. I don't think it was just because I am biased. I think people were shocked that two little girls were brave enough to play and sing their song in front of a packed auditorium. It was a great experience! They did an amazing job. I was shocked by the fact that they were not at all shy or nervous. I was so nervous before they went up and they didn't seem to notice all the people at all. Amazing.

The Stars of the show!

My girl is growing up. I am so proud of her.

The grandparents wouldn't have missed it for the world.

The very nervous moms.

Spring Soccer

2010-07-28T16:10:00.002-04:00

K played on her first soccer team. They were the Dolphins. Very cute. A little frustrating because of an overall lack of fairness and good sportsmanship on the leadership side of the experience but it didn't seem to dampen her enthusiasm for the sport. I think we will be pursuing this sport further. She seems to really enjoy it and she also seemed pretty good at it. She scored several goals throughout the season and that made for an even more exciting experience for her.

Aruba

2010-07-21T10:56:00.004-04:00

A friend and I decided (very last minute) to do a girls trip to Aruba. We had a great time. Here are a few pictures! We had 8 days and 7 nights of no husbands and no children. It was absolutely the most relaxing trip. I came back ready to jump back into reality. My husband was incredibly sweet to let me get away for a week.

We also did a sight seeing trip while we were there. Aruba is approx 15 miles long by 5 miles wide. Not big. We took a Jeep Tour to the northern part of the island that is mostly not inhabited. The coast is really rocky. I got to drive the Jeep!

Bike

2010-07-21T10:53:00.003-04:00

K is now riding her bike without training wheels! She just decided to take the training wheels off and do it on her own. No help. So, here she is. I am so excited for her.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Sweetie!!!

2010-06-16T15:54:00.004-04:00

Virginia Tech Convocation

2010-04-16T07:48:00.000-04:00

Remembering today those that were lost.

Piers turns 1

2010-03-18T15:18:00.009-04:00

On the morning of Piers's birthday, Kira greeted him with a Happy Birthday hug and kiss.

P's friend, C, came over to help celebrate.

Pop Pop came too and wanted so badly to give Piers a birthday hug and Piers didn't want to be held. He wanted to be down.

Piers's friend H came too.

Ema J came.

C with his mommy.

Me bribing P to walk by holding out the phone for him. He loves telephones.

P dialing on Ema's blackberry.

P and C checking out the gifts.

Enjoying some birthday cupcakes.

Loving the cupcakes.

Getting pulled in his wagon by all the neighborhood girls while they are singing Happy Birthday to him.

Having a birthday celebration with his Big Sister. She picked the restaurant. Chinese. Then we all sang Happy Birthday to him.

Update

2010-03-12T09:20:00.003-05:00

Tile Backsplash is finished.

The gym downstairs is finished. Yay! We still need to add a treadmill and the pull up bar.

The retreat room in the master bedroom got some panels. This room is still a work in progress. We ordered new bedroom furniture several weeks ago so it should be here next month. I can't wait! The room won't be finished but it will be close.

Oh the days of college, how I miss you so!

2010-03-05T14:42:00.004-05:00

I loved my years at Virginia Tech. I think they were some of the best. My church NLCF was a huge part of why there were so amazing for me. Now, one of the pastors of that church has written a book and I am so excited to help get the word out.

Tile installation

2010-02-08T09:58:00.001-05:00

Kitchen transformation

2010-02-08T08:14:00.002-05:00

Today is the beginning of a kitchen transformation of sorts. We are getting our tile back splash installed today. Yay!

Baking cookies from scratch

2010-02-08T08:11:00.003-05:00

Being locked up in your house for days will make a person do strange things (strange for me) and so here are some shots of actual cookies I made from scratch. They turned out beautifully! I was so surprised.

Productivity

2010-02-07T18:20:00.002-05:00

I wasn't thrilled to hear that we would be getting a lot of snow this weekend but I do have to say that it has been good for me. I couldn't put off doing what I have been needing to do for a long time...organize. I finally got around to doing it. It has been exhausting but so relieving at the same time. It feels good to go through stuff and get rid of what is trash, donate what is still good but no longer needed and straighten up things that are staying. J and I have made huge strides in the organization of all of our things. Mostly, we have concentrated on the "kid's" stuff. It is a lot! We tackled the play room, the art supply drawers, our sitting room, the kitchen, and family room. It is great!

Snow fun!

2010-02-03T13:47:00.006-05:00

A family of snow men/women.

I conquered the hill!

This is exhausting play.

Time for a break.

Let's go do it again!

She is really enjoying herself.

Women of Hope Church

2010-01-26T16:23:00.003-05:00

I am sure, like me, that you see the commercials and hear the statistics about children dying from malnutrition and feel completely helpless and overwhelmed to solve the problem. I know that I do. I don't know where to start. I have given to various charities and tried to do my part to help. But, this is great idea (not mine) and it is so easy. The exciting part is that the more that join in and do this the greater the impact. I hope that you will join in and consider what you can do to help the children that desperately need your help.

Women of Hope Church

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Enjoy

2010-01-25T22:16:00.003-05:00

This is how I found P after I checked my email this morning. I had him in his Pack n Play in the kitchen.

Add it up for yourself.

2010-01-24T15:22:00.001-05:00

Now, take a look at this...

101%

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100% ?

What does it mean to give MORE than 100% ?

Ever wonder about those people who say they
are giving more than 100% ?

We have all been in situations where someone wants you to

GIVE OVER 100%...

How about ACHIEVING 101% ?

What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help
answer these questions:

If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:

H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K

8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And:

K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E

11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%

But:

A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E

1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:

L-O-V-E-O-F- G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+ 6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will
get you there, It's the Love of God that will put you over the top!
copied from http://resolved2worship.xanga.com/

Playdate Fun

2010-01-22T09:06:00.001-05:00

P got to have a playdate with a buddy of his. They had a good time and P was absolutely worn out afterwards.

The funny thing about these two little guys is they are all over each other. Neither one of them can play with a toy for very long because the other one is on the move to steal it. At this age it is usually more about parallel playing but these two are very interactive with each other - completely aware that there is another baby in the room and they might have the better toy. Too funny! This pic is of them fighting over the ball that pops out of the middle there. They are both trying to get their hands there so they can grab the ball.

Haiti

2010-01-14T14:19:00.001-05:00

Our thoughts and prayers are with those in Haiti. May the rescue efforts be swift and effective.

Stomach Bug

2010-01-08T10:43:00.001-05:00

A stomach bug ripped through our house last weekend with a vengeance. It was intense. Once you got over the stomach issues you were exhausted for about 2 days. I mean extremely exhausted. I am glad that that bug has run its course and maybe we can enjoy our weekend this weekend.

Droid

2010-01-05T21:04:00.001-05:00

My Droid arrived back home safely! I left it in the bed in the hotel room in PA. After my night of torture from a GI bug, I was not all together with it when I packed up my stuff to head back home. I realized that I didn't have my phone about an hour into the trip. Yep, it was just about 2 weeks ago that I lost my original Droid in the snowstorm. Mind you, I didn't have insurance on it. Now, with the purchase of the second Droid came the purchase of insurance on my second Droid. If you phone supports it, I highly recommend that you download the app called, "Find My Phone." It costs $0.99 but it will send you a google map picture of where your phone is incase you ever lose it. It would have been very helpful to have had that app on my phone before I lost it in the snowstorm. Now, I have the app and I have the insurance. I think I am set.

Cover Me

2009-12-30T08:11:00.000-05:00

grumpy

2009-12-29T20:46:00.001-05:00

a little too much vacation and not enough activity makes for one grumpy 5 year old...

Milestones

2009-12-28T16:53:00.000-05:00

My Little Man managed to pull himself up from a laying position three times over the last 24 hours. He is also convinced that he can walk without assistance. I am in for some trouble now!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-27T19:39:00.001-05:00

The tree was full of gifts this Christmas. K got an email from Santa a couple of weeks ago that said that she was on the "nice" list and he really came through for her this year. She is convinced it is because she was good. So cute. P had a good time with opening gifts, too.

Almost everyone came to us for Christmas - so nice! It is nice to not have to leave the house on Christmas when you have children.

My MIL made breakfast and my brother and his girlfriend made us all dinner.

Little man keeping an eye on everyone while the cooking is going on.

One of K's gifts was a childsized version of a snugglie. She loved it!

Several of us really wanted to play a board game after dinner. So, we played Settlers of Catan. I forgot that there is no such thing as a "quick" version of the game. It kept us all up late.

K got a Nintendo DSI for Christmas. She played it on our way up to F'burg the day after Christmas.

In F'burg, we celebrated Christmas with J's dad and his wife's family.

P loved this part of the house. It was a balcony and he wanted nothing more than to stand and look down. So, I spent a lot of time right here on the floor.

Christmas was a lot of fun this year. My Sweetie got me a super duper camera. I am so excited. I want to sign up for a photography class so that I can really learn how to use it. He also got me some other really nice items, too generous. My parents stayed with us Christmas Eve and K thought that was really special. Ema stays with us over night every once in a while but Pop Pop doesn't. But, this time he stayed too and she was absolutely over the moon about Pop Pop *and* Ema staying the night with us. It really was a lot fun. Lots of family, lots of food, lots of fun, lots of laughing, lots of gift-giving, lots of thanksgiving. Just a great day! And, I can also proudly say that we are all packed up and put away. The Christmas Trees are down (all 3! I don't know what I was thinking), ornaments and lights off, and all the knick-knacks put back up in the attic. I always tackle that the day after Christmas - while the excitement over Christmas is still with me. It makes it easier. We are all back to "normal." Whatever that means! :)

Saying goodbye

2009-12-20T20:00:00.000-05:00

Wow, this weekend has been hard. We had to say goodbye to our pet dog, Chloe, on Friday afternoon. She will no longer be with us. Chloe will go up to heaven. This is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, to decide. It has left me feeling very sad and broken inside. Goodbye Chloe, we love you and miss you.

Snow, Snow Everywhere!

2009-12-19T16:02:00.000-05:00

We have some snow. It has really accumulated over the last 24 hours or so. I can't believe it! Very exciting. K has been out in it all day long. She is loving it.

Phew!

2009-12-16T15:09:00.000-05:00

It has been so crazy around here. So much going on and so much left to do. I am glad for this: P's antibiotic induced runny stools followed by horrific diaper rash seems to be all under control now. Thank you, GOD! It was terrible but we seem to be out of the woods now.

I love this time of year but this year I am especially glad that we are just here. In this place. It has been a ride for the past year and I am glad that I am now starting to feel more settled. A lot of changes have happened over this past year. Some, great and some not so great. But, what can you do? Just keep keepin' on, I guess.

I am ready to make some New Year Resolutions. I am ready to make a new start and to begin new things. I am ready to put to bed this year. I am excited about starting a new year. I don't know why except that I am ready for a renewal. I need one! I don't have to wait for a new year and that is exciting to think about. I am slowly starting those new things now. I have so much to be thankful for. I really do. Just a random post, I guess.

Oh, and P has broken a tooth through. Again, Praise GOD! It has been a long time coming and I am so glad that it finally popped through.

Oh Christmas Tree!

2009-12-11T11:30:00.000-05:00

We got our Christmas Tree last weekend. It is enormous. It is the first year that J and I have ever had a live tree. It is so much fun! The tree kept growing for the first 24 hours. It was fun to watch. Every time you looked over, its branches had fallen a little more and it got wider and wider. I think it is just as wide as it is tall. It took an enormous amount of lights to cover it. As you tell, I didn't over do the lights. It just ate up a lot of lights.

Oops!

2009-12-09T14:53:00.000-05:00

I accidentally did a load of laundry with one of P's diapers in it. Thank goodness it wasn't a dirty one! But, it got that jelly-like stuff all over my load of laundry. I am now sending it through another cycle. I hope that that stuff doesn't ruin washing machines. I can't be the first one to have done this. I don't think I am that special. :) At least, I hope not!

Fun Surprise Visit

2009-12-05T13:09:00.001-05:00

Cooper and his mommy stopped by yesterday for a surprise visit (my favorite) and hung out for a little while. It was so much fun. Cooper and P had an absolute blast together. They were hilarious. This is one of the funniest things they did. Cooper pulls up on everything. So, he pulled up on P's walker and tried to push P around the kitchen. It was the cutest thing. P kept looking behind him to see what in the world was going on. They also were grabbing toys out of each other's hands and grabbing for one another. It really was a lot of fun to watch them interact. I wonder what is going on in their minds.

He managed to do it.

2009-11-29T13:10:00.000-05:00

Yep, my little man managed to hoist himself out of his exersaucer this morning. I put him in a for a minute while I made a pot of coffee. I hear a thud and look over, he is on the floor. He didn't hurt himself because he acted like it was no big deal - didn't even cry. I have raised the seat a notch so that will hopefully prevent him from getting the leverage to hoist himself upward and over. He is strong and very determined.

Swings

2009-11-28T20:37:00.000-05:00

Little man is in his swing for the night. I moved his swing upstairs for the duration of his cold. He naps in it and he sleeps in it during the night. I think it is making a huge difference in his ability to get some sleep. I elevated his crib mattress on one side to help him with his congestion but it didn't seem to be enough. So, I carried the swing upstairs and stuck him in that a couple of nights ago and it seems to be doing the trick. The amazing thing is that he is tolerating it. We are probably going to have to replace the batteries real soon but it is so worth it. He is sleeping soundly!

To help the little guy out we are running the shower to create steam. I then squirt some baby vapor bath into his tub and fill that up with warm water. I let him soak for a while in the hot steamy bathroom. I get him out and dry him off. I put vick's vapor rub on his chest and then put his pajamas on him. Then, I suction out his nose. He HATES it. I mean he hollers and carries on like I am torturing him or something. He throws his arms and body all over the place. It is so hard to do but so worth it in the end when he can breathe clearly. That combination seems to do the trick. He is sleeping well at night despite his congestion. Thank goodness!

On a completely different note, he almost tipped himself over in the exersaucer. He dropped a puff on the floor and wanted it so badly that he managed to hoist himself up so far and over that he could have fallen out onto his head. I glanced over at him and ran. I couldn't believe what he had managed to do. This boy is going to keep me on my toes. He is very determined. And, he is very motivated by food. He loves to eat...anything!

A visit!

2009-11-28T20:32:00.000-05:00

My friend and her family came to visit us today. The kids had such a great time. They couldn't stay long and P was not the happiest little man during the visit but it was still great to see them. Her little boys are sooooo cute. I keep telling Kira, more serious than joking, that she has my blessing to marry either one of the little boys. I love them both! Haha! Seriously, I do. I would be thrilled if that ended up happening down the road. Anyway, I get to see them almost every time they come into town and I look forward to it each and every time. Friends, it is hard to imagine life without them.

Sick, Sick, Sick!

2009-11-27T14:33:00.000-05:00

My wee little munchkin is sick. He doesn't just have a little cold, the poor guy is sick. Slight fever, runny nose, whiney, coughing, ear infection, and it looks like two teeth are about to pop through at any time now. I feel so badly for him. I am trying to keep him comfortable as much as possible. Having a sick little one is not fun.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T18:24:00.001-05:00

It was such a good thanksgiving this year. We tried something new with the turkey and it turned out really well, we brined it and used a cheese cloth with butter and wine to cook - turned out beautifully! I made whipped sweet potatoes - yummy! The family gathered and it just was a wonderful time together and delicious foods to eat all rolled into one.

P slept through the entire event. I think he is about to break a tooth (congested and drooling like crazy!). He went down for his nap before the meal and didn't wake up until we were all done with dessert and coffee. He slept like a rock for a LONG time today. K had a great time - loved the turkey - which is chicken in her mind.

We are home now.

Kids are bathed.

Time to tuck them into bed.

Ready to decorate for Christmas!

So much to be thankful for today: Faith, family, health, home, the cuddles I get from my little man, the artwork that I get from my princess, my sweetie's encouragement and support no matter what is going on, freedom, the list could go on and on.

Surprise!

2009-11-22T14:31:00.001-05:00

There is nothing quite like dashing out the door to church with two little ones in tow (...alone) only to find out that you are on nursery duty and your spouse is working so you will be with the little ones alone, again! It is amazing how J's schedule always works out that he is working the weekend we are on nursery duty. There is no point to try to switch weeks - no one returns your phone call. I know, I have tried about a dozen times in an attempt to work around J's schedule. It doesn't work.

Done!

2009-11-15T11:41:00.000-05:00

This is how I sat for a good while after crossing the finish line. I was dead. I was lightheaded and I wasn't sure I would be able to move without being carried. So, I just sat. My princess joined me. On the inside, I was weeping. I wanted so badly to cross the finish line with my running partner and it didn't work out that way. It was a very hard race. I have never wanted to quit something so badly. But, I couldn't stop. There were way too many people cheering me on. I didn't want to disappoint them.

Time to move on!

Honoring Veteran's Day

2009-11-11T15:13:00.000-05:00

His favorite sleeping position

He has been really good for me today. He woke up at 6. Went down for a nap at 8am and slept until 10:30. Then ran all kinds of errands with me and is back down for another nap. I can't complain. He is really easy.

Some shots of the backyard renovation

I am loving the backyard. We aren't done yet but it is coming together so nicely.

My Littliest One

2009-11-10T10:19:00.000-05:00

He just started saying "Ma Ma." I get a text from J last night. He is home with the kids. I am out to dinner. The message reads something like, "He says "Da Da" when he is happy and "Ma Ma" when he is mad." Isn't that mean?! It is sort of true. The funny part is he shakes his head no when he says, "Ma Ma." It is hilarious.

Starting/Finishing new projects

2009-11-09T07:57:00.000-05:00

We almost finished decorating the office. I love it! We still need a chair and to permanently hide the computer cords.

All of this will be different after today. James River Nurseries is coming to landscape our side and back yard. I am so excited!

Fall Update

2009-11-09T07:48:00.000-05:00

My little ones enjoyed trick or treating. K much more than P - but he didn't hate his costume so I count that as a success. P was an inchworm and K was Thumbalina.

All the little kids in our neighborhood got together to go around to the different houses. Here they are all lined up.

Home Improvement

2009-11-02T23:04:00.000-05:00

We are doing some stuff around the house these days. I will post pictures soon. We are currently finishing the home gym in our basement, we are painting and decorating the home office, and we are getting our backyard landscaped. So, we have been busy with making decisions and designing stuff.

Tapering is in progress

2009-10-30T08:23:00.000-04:00

After last week's long run, we are now officially in taper mode. I only have to run 12 miles tomorrow. That is a lot but in comparison to 20 last weekend it "seems" like a piece of cake. But, I need to continue to take the training seriously. Just because we are winding down doesn't mean I can blow off preparations. So, today I am going to drink lots of water and eat some salty food. I will also fit in a healthy dosage of carbs.

My little munchkins are so cute. K loves her baby brother so much. It is so precious to see them interact. She showers him with attention and he just eats it up. He loves to watch her and he loves it when she talks to him. He squeals and it is so cute. I think that he is going to want to run along side her pretty soon. He seems to want to try now.

On a completely different note, K has lots of little toys. As in, choking hazards for my little man. The pediatrician talked to me about that this week at our check up. She told me that I "needed to be paranoid" about small toys and holiday decorations. She is right but how do I manage to keep the little toys away from P. I am going to have to figure out something. The pediatrician recommended that I institute a rule, if the toy is found within reach of the baby, it goes in the trash can. The end. She said it worked with her kids. Do you know how many little toys a 5.5 year has? Let me fill you in, A LOT. It is like they go through a phase of the smaller the better. She loves miniature sized anything. Oh, boy. I am going to need to stay on top of this.

On Wednesday night, J and I took some dancing lessons. So much fun! This is the second time that we will have taken lessons for the Fox Trot. As a result, we were much smoother this time than last time. I love taking ballroom dancing lessons. It is such a fun activity and inexpensive. We were discussing dancing on the way home and how it is such a fun thing but rarely something that you see done when you attend wedding receptions. Wedding receptions are the only events that we attend where you might see couples doing a ballroom dance - but we never see it. It is kind of hard to do the fox trot or some of the others if everyone else is standing still. It is a dance that creates a loop around the dance floor. We have tried to do it at a reception and it was hard. Too many people to dodge. Plus, if you look like you know what you are doing (we barely had a clue) then you draw a crowd of onlookers. So, we promptly stopped and found our seats. We didn't want to be "watched" at someone else's wedding reception. That is not a good thing. All eyes should be on the bride and groom.

20 Miles

2009-10-24T22:14:00.000-04:00

I did it! I finished my last "longest run" of the training season. Woohoo! It was not easy. It certainly wasn't pretty.

...a few things

2009-10-23T09:20:00.000-04:00

P is saying "Da Da" a lot these days. He is getting better and better with sitting. He is also getting up in the middle of the night and playing. I can hear him talking to himself. I sometimes go in there to peek in on him and he is just as happy as he can be to be in the dark and all alone. He eventually goes back to sleep. Weird.

K had her first class party yesterday in Kindergarten. I was in charge of the pumpkin bowling. A lot of fun!

I have also volunteered twice this week in the lunch room to help the kindergarten classes with purchasing their lunches. Wow, they need *a lot* of help! Some of the stuff they serve in the cafeteria is just not right. I would be afraid to eat it!

I am three weeks away from my first of two back to back marathons. I am getting excited! 20 miles tomorrow morning. The last "long run" before the race. :)

Making my own Baby Food

2009-10-19T22:06:00.000-04:00

I have been making my own baby food for P. It is really so easy with this machine and I have really enjoyed doing it. So far, I have made butternut squash, carrots, and pears. P has loved it all. He is developing a real love of food. The most amazing thing about making your own baby food is how much you end up with at the end. I think that one butternut squash yielded me about dozen baby food jars worth of food. It was really amazing. It doesn't take long to make up for the price of the machine.

Disney World

2009-10-19T22:01:00.001-04:00

It is official. We are taking K and P to Disney World in the spring. I am so excited! It is such a great place. We took K right before her third birthday and she had an absolute blast. Who am I kidding? I had an absolute blast. You can't have a bad time at Disney World. It is an amazing place. I hope to take her to the Bippity Boppity Boutique and have them do her up like a princess. I think she would love that. We are staying at the Grand Floridian - I can't wait. It is going to be so much fun to go back to DW.

Weekend highlights

2009-10-19T07:57:00.000-04:00

I spent part of the weekend in NC at a Women in Leadership retreat. It was a lot of fun and also really informative. It was nice to meet other leaders and hear their successes, failures, frustrations and encouragements in the own ministry positions. It was a really nice time. I got to ride down there with a friend and we had a great time in the car just talking and sharing. I got back and the kids were both asleep and Justin had a glass of wine ready for me. I couldn't drink it because I had to run my 12 miles in the morning but it was the thought that counted. I appreciated it! I think that made it so he could drink 2! :) Can I just say that the weather has severely affected my desire to run outside? I did the 12 outside yesterday but I was bundled up. It was COLD!

Random Updates

2009-10-14T08:31:00.000-04:00

I completely forgot that I was supposed to run my 9 miles yesterday when I got on the elliptical for almost an hour. J calls me on his way home and reminds me that he will watch the kids so I can get my run in. I didn't mention that I had just gotten off the elliptical - I completely forgot about the run. So, I got out there and ran the 9 miles. I felt good at the end - surprisingly. I am going to take it easy today.

On another note, I "moved" into my new office with my friend/business partner. It was fun to set up and decorate it. We have our own space and it had a window! That is big - to me. It is very exciting.

Speaking of real estate. It is amazing how things are still hoping along in certain price ranges. The news makes it sound like the world is coming to an end - but, it isn't. People are still out there buying and selling. I know, I spent the weekend in contract negotiations. Things are still moving along.

I received one of the nicest compliments this past weekend from clients that I barely know. I met with them a half dozen times this past weekend getting signatures and initials. At the end, I was at their place and I needed final initials for ratification - we had all reached an agreement. The husband tells me that he is going to use me and my real estate partner in his weekly staff meeting at his office. He manages the Richmond branch of a business. At first, I was a little nervous and I asked, "In a good way or a bad way?" He says a good way. I then ask why. He tells me because we did an outstanding job - he manages salespeople and he was going to use this past weekend as an illustration for his sales people to help motivate them. It was so nice to be appreciated for the hard work that it can be to get to an agreement.

Hills

2009-10-12T08:47:00.000-04:00

I did the 18 mile run on Saturday. It was so HARD! It was full of hills. Lots and Lots of Hills! I can't tell you what torture it is run 18 miles of hills. It was hard and it was LONG. It is done and I couldn't be happier about it being over. When I got home, I played single mom to the kids since J was working all weekend. Oh, I also had to get signatures, initials, and faxes for a contract for clients. It was one crazy weekend and I survived. :)

Fall Preparations

2009-10-11T15:43:00.000-04:00

It has been fun to decorate the house for the fall. We took K to Tom Leonard's and let her pick out pumpkins. She picked out all kinds. Small, medium and large ones. I had gone to Costco earlier and gotten 4 mums. 2 orange and 2 maroon. Can you guess why????? Yep, VT colors!

My mother made a wreath for the door for me. So nice!

K taking pictures of Chloe regardless of whether the dog wanted to or not.

Me with my munchkins

The inside got some fall infusion too.

Ima Fowl just got released from the PACU at St. Francis. She is taking it easy on the front porch these days.

She has some allergies....peanut oil.

Isn't that funny?!

Business Opportunity

2009-09-25T17:23:00.000-04:00

I have an opportunity to try something and change a few things with my work in real estate. It has been a work in progress for probably a year now and the pieces are falling into place perfectly these days. I had a meeting this past week and I think it went well. I had a legal discussion with an expert in real estate matters. It was just a really good day. I haven't made any decisions yet but I am feeling like now is the time to make the change and pursue a couple of things.

2009-09-23T17:00:00.000-04:00

"Let the refining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have little time to criticize others." - H. Jackson Brown

Off to run 10

2009-09-19T06:58:00.000-04:00

I am up and ready to go. I have 10 miles to complete. I am excited.

6 Months

2009-09-16T07:56:00.000-04:00

Well, this past week was Little Man's 6 month birthday. He has changed and grown so much since he was born. Here is a little of what he is "doing" these days.

He loves to squeal and yell.
He loves to cover his face while he is trying to fall asleep.
He loves his big sister's voice.
He loves his binky - he has pretty much forgotten about his thumb.
He loves to grab at anything and everything.
He loves to eat - I mean he REALLY loves to eat.
He likes to play on his play mat.
He loves to do ab crunches - nonstop.
He likes his swing.
He tolerates his carseat.
He has started to shake his head no when you talk to him. It is pretty funny.
He is working on cutting a tooth - hasn't happened yet. Drool, lots of drool.
He is sleeping well at night and doing well with his naps.
His acid reflux seems to be doing well with medicine.
He can turn himself completely around in his crib.
He loves to grab at jewelry. Necklaces and bracelets are his favorite. He doesn't mess with earrings too much.
He is fascinated with the dog, Chloe.
He loves my cellphone.

P doing his crunches!

Dress Code

2009-09-14T21:02:00.000-04:00

I need to remember that now I have to follow a dress code for length of shorts. I was reminded at the bus stop this morning to check to make sure K's shorts aren't too short. One more thing to remember. I was so concerned about her wearing brown today because it was the color or the day in Kindergarten that I forgot about lengths of shorts. Tomorrow, blue day.

I am D-O-N-E!

2009-09-12T19:47:00.000-04:00

I am done. I ran my 15 miles this morning. It was going along fine for the first 13 miles. The last two were HARD. I mean REALLY hard! I kept having to push myself mentally and physically - I wanted to quit so badly. I didn't. I hung in there and completed my mileage. I got back to the house in a bit of a daze. I drank some water, my recovery drink, and then filled the tub with COLD water to which I added ICE to make it even COLDER. It was painful to sit in there - but I did it. Ever since, my mind has checked out and my body is aching. Anyway, it is done and I can mark it off my to do list.

We made it!

2009-09-11T16:13:00.001-04:00

We made it through the first week of school with no meltdowns. Hallelujah!

Another first

2009-09-11T09:36:00.000-04:00

This week has been full of firsts for us. Here is another one: K is buying lunch today. I went over her lunch "code" with her a million times since we received it. She knows it well. I just hope she doesn't get flustered when she is actually in line. The teachers recommend having your child experience all the different things that they might do throughout the year during the first week. So, if you child is going to buy lunch at all during the year then have them do it the first week when there is going to be a lot of assistance available. Today they are serving Papa John's pizza and K loves it so today she is buying lunch. I just can't believe all the changes this week. She is growing up right before my eyes. She is also waking up to her alarm clock each morning - Amazing! I just can't believe it.

Another start

2009-09-10T12:12:00.000-04:00

I am so excited! Community Bible Study (CBS) started today! I love going to CBS during the year. I miss it during the summer and I am always so excited to get it started again. This year we are studying Acts. I just know that it is going to be a good year. I have my pencils and erasers ready to delve into what the Word says. I couldn't be more excited.

Beach Pictures - Myrtle Beach 2009 - Fun times!

2009-09-08T20:19:00.001-04:00

J and I celebrated our 8th anniversary while at the beach. It is fun to be on vacation when you celebrate your anniversary. This is the second year in a row that it has worked out that way. I like it!

Ema J joined us for the 2 weeks. She helped us a ton with P and K. It was so nice to have an extra set of hands and eyes - much needed!

Ema M and Pop Pop joined us for part of the time and we had even more help. It was so much fun to have them there with us. It wouldn't be the same without them.

P loved the lazy river.

He also spent some time in here...

K loves the beach and the pool. She spent her time at both.

The kids had a blast playing in the sand.

The dads enjoyed digging huge holes for the kids to play inside

Like father like daughter

There was a lot of playing in the lazy river

Our friends brought their kids' Ema too! So, we had 3!

The trip also included a stop at the Disney Store

1st Day of Kindergarten

2009-09-08T19:54:00.000-04:00

Well, it was a successful day! K got up early this morning to her own alarm clock - this was completely her idea. The buzzing sound scared her so she woke up crying. I thought this might be a possibility so I had J stand guard near her room this morning so he could cut it off. She got herself dressed and ready for school in record time. Then, she ate her breakfast.

We took pictures and got her all dressed for the bus stop.

Ema and Pop Pop were able to make it to the bus stop with us. We joined about 7 other families waiting for the bus. It was so cute to see all the kids ready for their first day of school.

K couldn't wait to get on the bus and was the first one. I hardly had a chance to say good bye - it all happened so quickly. I couldn't find her on the bus and that panicked me for a minute. I wanted her to sit in the front and I have no idea where she ended up. The windows were all tinted and you could hardly see inside the bus.

Once the kids were loaded, J and I dashed to our car to race over to the school so we could be at her classroom when she arrived off of the bus. We were there and watched her come into the school building holding hands with her friend and classmate, B. They walked to their classroom and went right in without hesitation.

I wanted to say good bye all over again but she wanted to get to class. Wow, my baby is in real school. There were six of us with children starting kindergarten in my neighborhood so the moms decided that we would all meet at a local restaurant for breakfast. We did and it was delicious!

This afternoon, she was the first one off of the bus this afternoon after I presented the bus driver with a picture ID. Yep, a Driver's License is required to get your child off of the school bus. High security. The first day of school is over - hopefully, it gets easier to be the mom.

The Night Before the BIG Day...

2009-09-07T19:19:00.000-04:00

I am so anxious! Why am I freaking out? I have her outfit picked out, backpack packed, video camera ready, lunch and snack ready, money on her meal card, and all the paperwork filled out and ready to be turned into the teacher tomorrow. K, on the other hand, is ready to go to school. She just can't wait! I am so happy about that! I just might need a drink in the morning. I don't know right now what my emotions are going to do. It could go either way.