Adoption Pictures

Here are some of the great shots that Auntie Weezer (Hubby's sis, Melissa) took of the adoption proceedings!

Waiting our turn: Chelsea & Kayla


Sophie & her boyfriend, Mr. Darcy



Grandma & Grandpa


In the court room

Notice SuperModel on the witness stand! She chose to sit there so she would have a good view of me CRYING!!!


Celebrating afterwards!! Our wonderful Judge!


The fRamily who came to share our joy (please ignore the fact that Hattie is trying to Houdini her way out of the stroller - which she was in because she kept trying to run away - and in the mean time is showing her princess undies to the WHOLE WORLD!!!).


A family group shot.
There will be more to come on "Picture Perfect Monday", but I knew if I didn't get some up before then I would be in BIG trouble with my Mommy!!!

Sweet Abundance, Indeed

Today, our abundance got a whole lot sweeter! The courts FINALLY acknowledge what our hearts have known all along. Our sweet girl is now - and FOREVER - known legally as Sophie Lee B....! And all glory and thanks goes to the One who brought her to us from the very beginning. Thank You Father God for this Blessing.

Hubby's sis Melissa was - as always - our official photographer for the event. Which means pictures are "to come". I have a few that we took, but the ones of us all gussied up for court, in the court room and afterwards will have to wait.

Some hi-lights of the day:

Sophie had her famous smile beaming the whole time!

She also "chatted it up" during the proceedings, which was fun.

So many of our fRamily were there to share the joy with us - Hubby's mom and dad, sister Melissa, nieces Chelsea and Kayla, SuperModel & her hubs (Amanda Jo & Darcy - who also happens to be Sophie's boyfriend!!), The Christian fam - Eric, Mary, Caleb & Cassie, Cheri & her cute boy Owen, Kathy & her sweet Evy as well as one of the caseworkers - Dawn (who is preggars and as cute as can be with her baby bump!!). Thank you all for coming to share our joy!!!

Hattie, in a fancy dress she picked herself, was such a sweetie all day (well, until about noon when we realized that because we had had to wake her up at 6:30, she was not up to eating breakfast and had had NOTHING to eat all day. THUS the melt down. A little bit of mall food court pizza and she was good to go!).

The Judge was so nice and let everyone sit ANYWHERE THEY WANTED!

SuperModel chose a seat right next to the Judge! And when all was said and done, the judge let her hammer the gavel to declare it official! She was so cute! Alas, no pics - and that makes me sad:( But it is a fun memory that I will have FOR-E-VER!

After court we decorated the car to let the world know of our joy:



And then we headed to the mall where Sophie adopted her own someone special!
Meet "Flo Mingo"!!



Notice any resemblance?



Yeah, I thought so too!!

We had such an amazing day! Thank you all for your prayers and your support! We are so Blessed to have such an amazing fRamily - not to mention all of my lovely and wonderful Siestas!!!

We love you!!!!!

Praise Him...

... today, she becomes ours FOREVER!!!



Thank You, Sweet Jesus!

Two Days!

So, yeah, Sophie's adoption will be final in TWO DAYS!!!!! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I am so excited!! Friday morning (bright and early) we have us a date at the court house!!! (I fully realize that there are more !!!'s in this paragraph to get passing marks from any English teacher in the free world, but seriously, y'all .... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't stop myself!) (and, I just said "y'all" - like I am Beth Moore or something!!!) (BTW - Beth, if you are reading this - 'cause, ya know, we ARE PBFF's - you are totally invited to the adoption!!!)

My buddy SuperModel took me shopping last night. She is like having my own personal Stacy London/style guru. She sent me into that dressing room with more clothes than I currently have in my closet - well, OK, not really, but at least more non t-shirt/non sweats/non hoodie/non jean clothes! (lookie there, another !) We found a very cute outfit in a store that is closing this month. Everything was half off the lowest price. Can I get an AMEN? Original sticker value of said clothes (a blouse, pair of pants, bracelet and hoodie shirt) was $143.00, the markdown sticker price was $76.96, I got 50% off of that - plus a coupon for an additional 50% off of THAT price for the blouse. All told, I paid $32.82!!! Seriously, does anyone else hear the angels singing in the background? And, I really think that it is because SuperModel totally prayed over the clothes before I went into the fitting room, and because God cares about the little things too, He answered our prayers! And I even got to head over to payless to get a pair of shoes - very cute black heels, that in every other size cost a dollar more than they cost in my size!!!

Even the small stuff friends!

Plus, the outfit totally coordinates with the dress my mommy got Sophie for the adoption. Oh, yeah, He is just cool like that!

And, yeah, Sophie is 11 months old now. I can hardly stand it. She is more of her own little person every single day. She is fun and funny and sweet and charming and loving and social and ... I could go on. She is less of a little baby every day, and that makes my heart weep a little, but seeing who she is becoming is an adventure that I would not trade for anything it the whole entire world.

I love you Sophie Bug!!!!

And, finally, today is my sister Marla's birthday! My sister is A-MA-ZING!!! When I was a little girl, I just wanted to be her. And, in many ways, I still do. She is beautiful in every way and everything that a big sister should be. She has a blog, and is absolutely sure that I am the only one who reads it. (Therefore she hardly ever posts) So, if you wouldn't mind heading over HERE and wishing her a happy day. And, tell her to post a stinking picture of Duncan already!!!

I LOVE YOU MARLA!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

Summer Fun

Those wonderful women over at 5 Minutes For Mom are having a photo contest. This time they are celebrating the magic of summer. PLUS, you can win $500! That is Five HUNDRED American dollars! That is about half of what it is gonna cost to get all four of us to the big AZ for Steven's wedding in November.

Umm, people at 5 Minutes For Mom .... I could really use the dough! Hint. Hint. Nudge. Nudge!

Here are a couple of possibilities (what kinda mom would I be if I could choose between my girls?).


I know that you can't see their faces, but the wonder of a little girl (or two) facing a big 'ol hunk of water is just sweet. Even sweeter when that little girl (or two) holds a big 'ol hunk of your heart!

But, I s'pose I gotta pick one picture, and one picture only. How impossible is that?!?!?! But if I gotta choose ... ... all my kiddos, down by the water, is the way to go. My girls heart their big brothers BIG TIME!!! And, it seems, the feeling is mutual! I liked it so well, I made it my header!

(So, again, I beg of you - lovely people at 5 Minutes For Mom - Please help us get to biggest brother's wedding!!!)

Picture Perfect Monday - Cuteness Warning!!

So, for Miss Sophie's 1st Birthday/Adoption party we are having a luau (ALOHA!!), so we had to take some special pictures for the invitations!!!

****WARNING: The following images are likely to cause you to want to hug, and possibly even kiss, your computer screen!!!***







(Can't say I didn't warn ya!!)

Pool Side Fun

So, Hubby and I (finally) put out the pool that our neighbor gave the girls a month or two ago. It was Sophie's first time in a pool. Every other time we have been to a pool, there was a LOT of action, so we kept her out of the way!

But this time the water was calm and safe. So both girls went for a dip. And both girls LOVED it!

Here is how it went down:

Sophie - Whoa! Little bit chilly!

Hattie - Hey "Soapy", try the slide. That is some REAL fun there!!

S - Naah, I think I will just sit here and play with the balls.

H - C'mon ya make a big splash at the end!!!
S - I know! You splashed ME!! Not so sure I'm liking that.

H - FINE, I'll just splash on THIS side!

S - Cool, that means I got this side all to myself!

S - Wait, now I'm lonely

H - Me too.

(Cue sad music)


After Sophie's teeth had been chattering a few minutes and her lips started turning blue, it was time to come out.

Sophie was willing.

Hattie was defiant.
She thought she was getting away with it,

But then I told her she was next.

Then she screamed the whole way up to the bath tub.

Good times!

Little Bits of Everything, A Whole Lotta Nothin'

A week from tomorrow our sweet Sophie Lee will be an official and FOREVER member of our family. She has been our child since before she was born. I can remember sitting in the office at the adoption agency, being so very nervous that the birth mom would take one look at us, change her mind and run like the wind in the opposite direction. But, instead, she walked in and it was like meeting a friend you never knew you'd always had. I immediately felt at peace and just felt God whisper to my Spirit that the baby was ours. Very much like the first time they put Hattie in my arms and I just KNEW. I felt God's promise and His peace beyond understanding both times. And at that moment, in that office, I knew she was my daughter. Kim (birthmom) handed us a portfolio of ultrasound pictures and I just knew that I was looking at a face that I would see for years to came. That I would watch grow and develop. I would hold this child when she cried, celebrate her victories with her and share her secrets. She was my daughter. I just knew.

And in a week, the world will know it too. The legal system will recognize what the Lord ordained in that room over a year ago. What I have cherished in my heart ever since. Thank You, sweet Father, for this child. Were would I be without her? Without them both? Such is the sweet gift of adoption. And motherhood.

Also - and that is the utterly genius way that I change my topics (I know, you SO wish you were me!!) - the washing machine broke AGAIN this week. Oh, I KNOW!!! So the last part we had to order had the same flaw as the original. My uber smart hubby found the flaw and fixed it on the original part and - thank you very much - we got our money back for the new one. $130.00 back!! But then it broke again. Now the rubber door liner had a rip in it. Hubby thinks that is may have been there all along and it was what was causing all of the other problems. This was the easiest fix so far, but at $119.00, it did not come cheap. But, then again, has anything lately?!?! We also took a little trip to Home Depot to see what our options are. We realized that, if we had not gotten our money back on the other part, we would have been better off buying a whole new washer. A top loader, but at this point I am so very over the whole front loader thing. I mean I want a washer like my friend Kathy likes to remind me that she has. It came from her hubby's Grandma's house and is OLDER THAN KATHY!!! And is still works like a champ. Ahhh, the good ol' days when they knew how to make stuff that lasted. Sigh.

And, in other news (that was my ultra smooth "Dan Rather" approach to the segue), I am also busily preparing for the Breast Cancer 3day in September. I tried walking the 60 miles in 2005, but I have bad tendons and only made it about 20 miles. After which many doctors have advised me that I should not try that again. So I have been crewing ever since. As a crew member I basically "work" the event. And I L.O.V.E. it!!!!

However, being knee deep in pink ribbons has, as it always does, led to many an emotional breakdown. I know people who have survived this stinking disease - my friend Alice, my sister Marla (my hero as a child and to this day) and my girlfriend Holly - who is stunningly beautiful in her newly growing back, ultra cute spiky "do". Heck, my Grandma Norma died in November at the age of 95 - of natural causes. She was a survivor too.

But my Paula did not make it. And I miss her every single day. And, man oh man, does it EVER stop hurting?
So then I am thinking about this picture:

This was taken about 7 months before Paula died. Morgan was 6 and Faith was 4. And it hit me, Hattie is 4 right now. And I cannot tell you how hard I cried.

I look at my little girl, who for the most part is fiercely independent. But in a matter of moments she can be running to me in tears because she "bonked my toe" - or head, or finger or shoulder ... (always a "bonk" though, so very cute!), needing the one thing that can make it better. A kiss from her Mommy. And I realize how much she needs me. And THIS is when Faith lost Paula.

Rip. My. Heart. Out.

And that is why I participate. Because "everyone deserves a lifetime". I am raising money for the cause. I am in no way intending to make this a shameless plug. HOWEVER, if you feel so led, there is a button on my side bar with a link to my fundraising page. Thank you very much!

Well, that is about all I got for now. But I will be posting, in the next few days, a plea for help with a church project. Stay tuned ... or, ya know, just come back then.

SuperModel

I still have 39 minutes to wish my friend Amanda Jo (AKA SuperModel) a happy birthday!!! Seein' as how I could not get her on the phone today (ummm, excuse me, but what is the use of a cell phone that you carry everywhere if you are NOT GOING TO ANSWER IT?!?!?! Of course, you may have dropped it in the potty - yet AGAIN! In which case I shall forgive and, yet again, offer my pink RAZR as a replacement if yours ever does quit working!)

Anyhoo - I am down to 36 minutes - just wanted to let you know that I love ya and am so very Blessed to call you a friend. You are an AMAZING woman, a wonderful mom, as beautiful on the inside as you are on the out (and believe me, that is saying something!!!!), caring. loving, gracious and kind. Being called friend by you is an extreme honor!

Love you forever SuperModel!!!

XOXOXOXOXOXOX
Love,
"RockStar"

Picture Perfect Monday - Hattie Likes ...

... getting dirty ...

... getting MUDDY ...

... going swimming ...

... and her grandparents!!!