Caution - she's cooking

So, the other day I was making dinner. Yes, me!! And, in an effort to live up to my title of "homemaker" and/or Domestic Diva (as my man likes to call me), I thought I would do it all from scratch and go for something complicated. Something like, oh ... ya know, spaghetti. And, if that were not fancy enough for ya, I went for the whole baked spaghetti thing. And then I thought I would put it all in the crock pot and add some chicken and call it a very (VERY!!!!) non-traditional version of chicken parmesean. How very domestic of me huh?!?!?!

And, in this endeavor, I began to let my mind wander and came up with this:

Suppose that a person were making crock-pot-baked-spaghetti-chicken-parmesean-wanna-be-dinner, ya know, HYPOTHETICALLY. And suppose that person, hypothetically, decided that partially cooking the noodles on the stove top was a good idea so that they would, indeed, be DONE by dinner time.

Now, if supposed person were cooking on a gas stove with, ya know, flames and stuff, and the uncooked spaghetti noodles got away from her and fell down into the flames .... Hypothetically, do you think that the noodles would actually ignite?

AND, if the supposed noodles where, oh let's just say whole wheat noodles, do you think - hypothetically - that said supposed whole-wheat-and-ON-FIRE-noodles would stink?

AND, if supposed flaming noodles DID stink, do you suppose that, hypothetically, the smell would linger and, thus, ruin the aromatic loveliness of said crock-pot-baked-spaghetti-chicken-parmesean-wanna-be-dinner? So much so that when said domestic diva's hubby came home he would, maybe, have a very strange expression on his face, followed by actual fear when he realized that the smell emanating from the stove area was, in fact, a meal he would be expected to ingest? Hypothetically speaking, do ya think that that would be, at all, a plausible chain of events?

Not that anything like that would ever happen here.

I'm just askin'.

Ya know, hypothetically.

Answers

So, after yesterday's post Kelli asked how the girls get along. I then realized that, while many of you three readers know the scoop, the other 1.3 of you do not know all of it. SO, for those of you who have not been here since the beginning (or know me IRL), here is the Bug's story:

Sophie is, indeed, a twin. Her birth parents chose to parent one of the children and make an adoption plan for the other. I know that this does not sound conventional and many people are not a fan of this choice. And, I admit, I was not at first either and the reason we agreed to be linked to this family was in the hopes that they would change their mind and decide to let us adopt BOTH of the babies.

And then I got to know Kim.

Kim is a great lady. She has made some unfortunate choices and feels badly for the effects that they have had. That is all I am saying about that. So, when she learned she was pregnant, she was determined to do the right thing. And she was VERY excited to become a mom. THEN she learned it was twins. She knew - they both knew - that they could not "do" twins. They had neither the finances or resources to parent two babies. Kim immediately felt that God was using her to be able to Bless a couple who could not have their own child. She prayed hard about the choice and instantly, and consistently, felt peace. She chose Baby A without knowing anything about the twins - gender, size, personality, ANYTHING! And she began to pray that God would tell her who Baby B's parents would be. When she saw our picture, she says, she just knew it was us.

By the time we were close to the birth, I could no longer pray for both babies - because I knew that would hurt Kim - so, I simply prayed for God's will. And this is was what we received, so I have to feel that it was in His plan.

So, about the girls ...
They are very similar in appearance. Seeing them in person, you can see the differences and you can tell them apart easily. Their mouths are the biggest difference - they have similar smiles, but the mouths are shaped differently. And Sophie has a bigger smile in that she smile with her ENTIRE BEING, whereas Breauna is more reserved. Not that that is a bad thing at all, I am just partial to Soph!!!

They also have similar mannerisms. They both like to squeal - for no apparent reason! - loudly, drum on the table, point at random things and touch people's faces. They both shake their feet when they are excited. And they both like to eat "puffs".

They completely enjoyed studying each other. I have seen Sophie with other children and this was different. It was like they were trying to remember where they knew each other from. They would hold hands and laugh together and touch each other's face and just LOOK at each other. It was so sweet, and sad at the same time. Like they SHOULD be together and can't figure out why they are not. Bittersweet, I am telling ya. I had to fight not to cry.

All in all, we had a good time. It is so rewarding to see Kim love on Sophie and to be able to take pictures for Sophie to see later. For her to SEE the love in her Mama Kim's eyes and know that the choice was made for SOPHIE to have a life that she deserved. It was not made for Kim's convenience, but for Sophie's benefit.

And we were Blessed in the mean time.

If you have any questions, please ask. I will do my best to answer them. I know that the situation is not conventional, and in some eyes, is questionable. But Kim felt God's leading, we are completely Blessed (as Kim says, she is) to be a part of it all and the girls seem to be happy and healthy through it all. I know that some may not understand, but ours is not to reason why. Ours is just to TRUST God's plan.

Picture Perfect Monday - Gettin' Together

On Sunday Sophie and I went out to lunch with her Mama Kim and Breauna ...



... and we had a BLAST!!! (Hubby and Hattie didn't get to go because Miss Hattie woke up sick, poor baby, and Daddy stayed home with his girl.)

***Sophie is in the flowers and Breauna is in pink***

Ayiesha - FOR FREE!!

Over at Home Sweet Home you can win the new Ayiesha Woods CD.

And, take it from me and SuperModel, you WILL want it!!!!!

So, hurry, go now, enter.

Ummm, why are you still here?

Look, if you won't enter for yourself, enter anyway and then GIVE IT TO ME!!!!!

*sigh* I love Ayiesha!

Then Sings My Soul - What A Wonderful World

I had intended to post this song last week, but with the craziness of getting ready for Miss Sophie's b-day and adoption LUAU, time got away from me. SO, I am trying again ...

This song has a bit of the Hawaiian feel - well, OK, a LOT of the Hawaiian feel - which is why I picked it. Because we were having a LUAU that day!!! PLUS, it is "Wonderful World". And Miss Sophie has CERTAINLY made this place a more Wonderful World!!!!

A MUCH more wonderful world!!!

So, this one is for you Bug! We love you so!



If you want to hear more Soul singing music, visit Amy at Signs, Miracles & Wonders.

Hot For The Holidays - week 1

So, I have a step son getting married on November 14th. Weddings mean pictures and pictures mean no hiding the extra weight. So, I joined the "Hot For The Holidays" party at Baby Tea Leaves. Every Friday we will weigh in as a group and give our results for the week. Join us if you would like. OR, just keep me accountable!!

If you come here on a Friday and do not see a post - call me on it. If you come here and see that I have lost weight - whoop it up for me!!! And if you come here and see that I have gained weight - encourage me, admonish me, yell at me, tell me to get off my hiney and MOVE!!! Whatever, just keep me accountable. PLEASE!

OK, here we are at the end of week one. I did fairly well all week ... except Wednesday. Wednesday was a DISASTER! I was gonna eat some raw veggies. Then I saw the sour cream and onion dip and figured it couldn't hurt. Then I noticed that Hubby had been eating the dip with Doritos. Hmmm, that sounds interesting ...

Half a bag of Doritos later, I was horrified with myself and thought that I had blown it. So, when Hattie asked for the last piece of birthday cake, I joined her with ice cream. Then, I figured I needed to eat SOMETHING healthy, so I had a cheese quesadilla. Then a big fat cheeseburger for dinner and MORE ice cream for dessert - because by then I had given up for the day - rounded it all off. UGH!

However, I bounced back on Thursday and finished strong. And somehow, by the Grace of God alone, I ended up losing for the week. And, I think, losing BIG!!

Grand total for the week ... 2.4 pounds down!!!!!!

YAY!!!!!!

To Be or Not To Be ... SEEN

Well, we are back in the swing of things school wise. I am enjoying having the special time with Sophie Bug, time that I can devote to her and share with her and love on her. Then, about the time that Hattie is getting home, Sophie is going down for a nap. This means I get to have that special time with Hattie Boo. Everybody wins!

But, here is the dilemma - what about my quiet time? I want to have the time to devote to God and God alone. But, I also want my girls to SEE me devoting time to God. I want to show them that it is an important part of my life and who I am. I want them to see that it is refreshing and vital to my - and as such, OUR - security and spiritual health. HOWEVER, it is hard to DEVOTE that time to God when it is stuck between keeping little fingers from turning the page too soon, keeping bigger little fingers from "helping" mommy write in the prayer journal, breaking up fights over toys, chasing a little crawler down the hall BEFORE she gets to the bathroom (which HAS to stay open because of her big sis who is not strong enough to get the sticky sliding pocket door open on her own), and helping a four year old who wants to "read too". So, do I do it when they are up and around and can see my example, but I have to fight to get it done AND remember what I have read, OR do I get up early and do it with them NOT around? To be seen or not to be seen ... THAT is my question today.

Anyone have any ideas?

Anyone?

Picture Perfect Monday - Leaps and Bounds

OK, Sophie's b-day party pics are coming, but I had to share this first ...

Yesterday we were cleaning up from the birthday party and I moved the kitchen chairs out in the family room so we could clean the floor. I made a train for Hattie and she was LOVING it ... but then she looked at me and said "Mommy, it's airplane?" I said "Oh, is it a train or an airplane?" She said "airplane, I go see Budder, Kissy and Mindy" (those are her brothers and future sis in law in AZ).

That may not seem like much to some, but for my language impaired daughter it was HUGE!!!!!! That was two, count 'em TWO, sentences. Sentences in which she came up with the subject, conveyed her thoughts into words and answered a question ... ALL ON HER OWN!!! And, I might add, a conversation which she started on her own!!!!!!!!

OH, I am one proud mama ... and the tears, they are a flowin!!!!

And now, b-day pics!!!!!!





The cake was made by our neighbor Geri,the whale fruit bowl by our nephew JJ and the gift "cake" was from Mrs. Kathy. are they amazing or WHAT?????

(We will have more pics later, our camera was acting up seriously!!!!)

A

To my Sweet Baby Girl

Dear Sophie,

Oh, my sweet Bug, do you have a clue in this world how very much we love you? Do you feel it when we greet you in the morning with "good morning beautiful!"? Do you know that we love you when we change you and dress you for the day and feed you breakfast? Do you have any idea what you are to us when we are playing and singing and laughing with you through the day? And when we put you to bed at night - do you know that the prayers that we say over you are because we know that the only One in the world who loves you more than we do is the One who brought you to us? Can you feel how much you are loved? I hope so, because there are not words to even begin to tell you what you mean to us.

One year ago today I got to be in the room when your mama Kim brought you into the world. She let me hold you first, and I got to help them clean off your tiny body and wrap you in your first blanket and watch you take your first breaths and your first cries. I held you in my arms, totally unable to see your sweet face through my tears, and told you how very much I loved you. And I could not imagine how much more I would love you a year later. Oh, Sophie, How could I have known?

And your mama Kim - Oh Baby Girl, how she loves you too. I want you to know, and never EVER doubt, her love. I can't imagine how hard it was to let you go. She did what she felt was best for you when she let us be your mommy and daddy - and I pray that we never let her down! She was the one who felt your first movements and carried you beneath her heart while you were being developed. She chose adoption for you, because she wanted more for you than she could have given. She chose us because she felt led by God that we were "the ones". She let me meet you before you were born. I went to doctor visits and heard your heartbeat and your hiccups and watched you on a computer screen and fell in love with you, long before that day a year ago. When you were placed in my arms, it was like meeting someone I already knew and loved. And Mama Kim, she was so happy to meet you to. She loves you so much. She sends me messages asking me to tell you so all the time. And I do. And I will. Because I do too, and I want you to know that the choices made, were for your benefit. We were only Blessed to be chosen to participate. Thank you Mama Kim. And Thank You Abba Father.

Sophie, watching you grow has been such a joy. You were such a sweet, peaceful baby. You needed us for everything and we happily obliged. And now, you are becoming your own little person. You are funny and love to make people smile and laugh. You are sweet, you love to cuddle and snuggle and hug. You are energetic - you went from bouncing in your exersaucer (and I do mean BOUNCING!!!!) to crawling at record speeds overnight. I have never seen a faster baby than you. You keep mommy and daddy on their toes, that's for sure. You love to dance - and you got rhythm baby! All along, if you are bouncing to a tune, you bounce on beat. And laughing and smiling the whole time! And you do a shoulder shimmy thing that is the cutest thing EVER!!! Even now I am watching you dance to a song on the TV - after a rough beginning, you finally LOVE Sesame Street (proving that God cares about even the smal things for this mommy!!!). And oh, my love, when you smile!!! When you were brand new I knew you would be a smiler, because even then, when you smile you smile with your entire body! Your face lights up, your body even smiles!!! And seeing that smile first thing in the morning makes my day!!!! You LOVE your daddy and your sister. You have a special smile and snuggle that is only for daddy. I love to watch the two of you together. And you think that Hattie is the best thing since sliced bread. All she has to do is look your way and you light up. Seeing you play together and love on each other is pure Heaven to me. You are the first person that she has ever really interacted with (except daddy and i) in a real way. I love that you are already one of her best friends. She needed you as much as we did, I think. You have so very much to teach, and learn from, each other. I can't wait to watch it happen!

Sophie, I want you to know, that being your mommy is one of the greatest joys I have ever, or will ever, know. You are more than I could ever have imagined in a daughter. I love getting to know you and loving on you and spending my days watching you grow. You are one of my truest joys and Blessings. I hope you know that. I hope that you FEEL that.

Oh, baby girl, I love you so!!!!!

Love you FOREVER,
Mommy

PS - here are your first moments as a one year old.


I love that you are such a morning person!!!

Big Yellow Bus - And One Lonely Little Girl

Hattie boarded the big yellow bus this morning. And as happy as she was to be on that bus, well, that is about how sad Sophie was to watch her go.

Here is how it all went down:

Waiting for the bus


This shot clearly shows how she feels about having her picture taken!



Finally!!!!


And away she goes!



And here is Sophie waiting for her sister to come home :(

Kinda breaks the heart, huh!

The BIG Day ...

***Please excuse the quality of the potos in this post. It was dark in the house, the camera was acting up and I was being rushed by a certain, VERY handsome, man that needed to go to work "AS SOON AS WE ARE DONE!!!". Also, just kinda ignore the big pile o' shoes behind Hattie in the house shot. Thanks:) ***

Hattie is a school girl once again. And no one is happier than she is! In fact, because we were only at school for an orientation today, she was very disappointed that she did not get to stay. Here is our morning in pictures (oh yeah, ya knew the pics were coming!!) ...

My big girl, all ready to go!


This was followed by a tad bit of sadness that she had to ride in the car and not the bus!! But Daddy made the car a fun experience so it was all OK soon enough.


"OK, School, here I am ... let the fun begin!!"


The long walk in.



Sophie is none too happy about the prospect of not having her sis around all day :(



Headin' off to class, she knew JUST where we were going (her classroom from last year) and wanted to do it all on her own.


Here we are!!!


Of course, once we got inside I forgot all about the camera, so I have no pics with her teachers. STINK!!

We had our meeting, filled out the papers and it was time to go. I told Hattie to say good bye and she said "goodbye mom". No, no, no ... you are coming with mommy. Tell Ms MaryAnn see you tomorrow. "See ya tomorrow mom, I love you".

Well, at least she loves me.

By the way, my friend SuperModel is now a blogger!!! YAY! She let me help her make her page pretty. Yep, designed it all by my own little self! Then she helped me tweak the colors and VOILA! I am LOVING putting these blogs together and learning something new. Anyone else want one? I am thinking, if I get real good at it, of using it as a way to offset the adoption costs and get us back above water. What do ya think?

What A Weekend

We had a lovely weekend. Three whole days with Daddy home always makes the mommy a happy camper, and that sentiment seems to be felt by the girlies as well. Which also makes the mommy a happy camper. A happy-er camper, if you will!

Saturday was mostly a work day - getting the yard ready for Sophie's b-day party this coming weekend, laundry, cleaning, etc... However, Hubby did manage to have a date with his girl. He took Hattie on a few of his errands and then took her for a milkshake and playdate at McDonald's. She LOVED it, as always, and I think Daddy enjoyed it himself. I love that he will be the first dates that our girls will have. He is teaching them how they should be treated by a man and respected on a date and I love that they are learning from the best. He is such a great dad!!!! AND a great husband. We are, all three, lucky girls!

Saturday evening we had family fun time and stayed up a little later than we intended. We have been working to get Hattie ready for school hours and had spent the week getting her up earlier and earlier so that she would go down earlier as well. And in one day we ruined it. On Sunday, as is a rare occasion, Hubby and I had nothing to do at church. Neither of us was up for worship team or sound or drama or ANYTHING! So, we decided to go to second service, which means sleeping in! However, BOTH girls also slept in and we ALL woke up too late for even second service!!!!!! OOPS! How often does that happen? Never, I tell ya!

Saturday evening we went to Aunt Weezer's house for a pool party. The girls LOVE the pool in a very big way. However, Hattie does not like going under water. After doing so she attempted to climb to the top of my head to avoid the water all together. She eventually decided that the steps were OK - as long as everybody left her alone. Sophie swam like a champ though, even went under water a few times and it was all OK. After a rousing game of water volleyball, in which hubby was the conquering hero (as always), mommy got to enjoy a rousing game of 31/Blitz. Usually they play for quarters, but they must have been feeling a bit rich, cause they went for DOLLARS this time. I had to borrow my three dollars from Madison ... an 8Th grader!!! However, I did win!!! After giving Madison her $3 back, I walked away with EIGHTEEN DOLLARS! Oh, friends, that is a haircut (with my trusty coupon)!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!

Suddenly it was almost 10 o'clock and, again, the girls were still up! Oops. So we took 'em home and straight to bed! And they both - which means all of us - slept in again Monday morning! As nice as it was, I was worried about the whole school thing! However, after another work/play day, we went to Weezer's house AGAIN and swam in the pool AGAIN. So, two times in Weezer's pool and two times I forgot the camera. Good job mom! However, Weezer (AKA Melissa) IS our family photographer, so she had us covered!!!! However, she is old school and works with FILM instead of digital, so we have to wait for development! Ugh!!!

We did have the girls in bed by 8:30 last night, and in some strange twist of fate, they both woke up early this morning, so we are back on schedule for school starting tomorrow!!!! Oh, who am I kidding with the "twist of fate" thing. It is an act of God - who cares about even the small things! Thank You Lord, for Your awesomeness!!!! Oh, the love and mercy You bring! We are so very Blessed!

Pictures are coming soon!!!

Picture Perfect Monday - My Little Buggie

In honor of Sophie's first birthday on Friday, today's PPM post is all about the Bug!!!


Sophie likes fish ...

... neck nibbles from Daddy ...

... playing with sis ...

... and being Mommy's helper.

(She's also pretty cute - even when she cries!!)