Summer Fun Contest

Kristen over at We Are That Family is having a summer wrap up contest. Ya link to your favorite summer fun - or summer gone awry - post and there are door prizes etc...

Here is a link to the post that I entered, it was a great day!
If you have a fun summer post to share, go see Kristen

Last Days Of Quiet

We are having a pajama day here at the B** Manor. One of the last we will be having for a while. Our pajama days are numbered my friends. Numbered!

See, Hattie goes back to school next week. An event that we do NOT plan to take lightly. Because, as you may remember, our girl's first day of school got a little less fan fair than it deserved last year. For good reason, might I add. It seems that our Miss Sophie made her debut into the world on the same day.

Oh, we have pictures of her seeing her classroom and meeting her teacher and they are sweet. But her first time on the bus? Her first time coming home with her little back pack filled to the brim? Mommy in a puddle on the front lawn the first time that big 'ol bus drove away with her baby in it?

Yeah, we got NONE of that!

Which, as I said is understandable. But try to explain that to a little girl who wants to know where all of the school pics are. Oh, the pressure of being a mom.

It is rough.

And pretty great too!

Wouldn't trade it for the world!!!

But, back to today ...

We are having a pajama day. Because, well, they are fun. And the girls get to take it easy, which is good for them. And they are happy lying (laying?) around watching movies and reading stories and having tickle sessions. And they enjoy it. Plus, add to all of that the fact that I am just plain lazy and having a day where I get to hang out and enjoy my girlies and not worry about make up and hair products is pretty much a preview of Heaven for me! Everybody wins!!!!!!

So, in summation:
Today - pajama day ... FUN!!

7 Days from now - Hattie goes to school

9 Days from now - Sophie turns ONE YEAR OLD (and, ohhh, there will be a post THAT day!!!)

10 Days from now - LUAU to celebrate Sophie's big day and her adoption!!!

(all of this plus, in 8 days I get to have a date with my man to see STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did I mention the preview of Heaven? Cause, yeah, I am pretty sure that when he gets there some poor angel in the choir is gonna be looking for a new gig!!!)

Ohhhhhh, we also dressed up like pirates today ...


... ARRRRRGGGHHH!!!!!

(of couse Hattie refused to pose ... hmmm, maybe THAT's why we have no good pics from last year!!!)

'

Picture Perfect Monday - Stop The CLock!!!

So, in 11 days, my baby will be a year old ...





... please forgive me as I submerge myself in memories and try to stop the clock.


(yeah, she is growing up ... so much joy, and yet ... STINK!!!)

In A Tight Spot

Last summer when my Mom was here we did a LOT of shopping. The biggest task was to get Hattie's new big girl room ready so that her old room could be used for the nursery for the new baby. We were just beginning to feel confident that we were going to get to adopt Kim's baby, whom we knew was a girl. A girl we named Sophie Lee. So we set out to give Hattie a room to fit her personality and celebrate all she is!!!

One day, while we were shopping Hattie spotted a little something in Babies-R-Us that she wanted. And I do mean a LITTLE something. And my mom, being the overindulging Grandma that we all know and love, bought it for her.

That "little something" was a kangaroo Halloween costume.

We looked for it in her size, but the biggest we could find was a 6 month size. SIX MONTHS!!! Sophie - under EXTREME protest from Hattie, wore it for all of 10 minutes on Halloween. Just long enough to take the picture above. Since then (and even before then) Hattie has taken full ownership of the stinking thing.

And then today we were hanging out having a "pajama day" - one of those days when we go nowhere and do nothing ALL DAY LONG! It is one of our favorite things to do!!! (The only thing better than PJ Friday, is PJ Saturday - when Daddy can join us!!) Sophie was down for a nap and Hattie was amusing herself and I was working on a project for church (ps - writing a short version of your own testimony is H.A.R.D!!). Suddenly, Hattie came up to me and asked for help. She was trying to put the kangaroo costume on! She had her feet in it and wanted help getting her arms in.

I giggled and tried to explain that it was too small for her, that it was for a baby and she was a big girl. I told her I could not help her because there was no way she was gonna get the costume on.

A few minutes later she came up asking for help again. This time her arms were in (creating a wedgie to be reckoned with!!!) and she wanted help putting her head in. Again I told her it was too small and I could not help her. Undaunted, she just kept trying, and eventually got her head stuck half in and half out. As I was trying to get her head OUT, she found an opportunity to put it all the way IN. She was so proud that she started dancing around and I fell on the floor laughing. Here is what I saw ...


And THIS is how proud of herself she was ...


Then I asked her to show me her tail ...


I think my favorite part - other than the fact that she is sticking her little hiney straight up in the air - is the nightie sticking out of the back.

On a side note, Steve called in the middle of all of this and I was laughing so hard it took about ten minutes to explain - in a language that he could understand - what was happening!!

I am still CRYING from laughing so hard!





Aaaaaaaahhhhhh, I LOVE this girl!

Picture Perfect Monday - A Ride In The Park ...

... or at least the subdivision!!!

So on Saturday Hubby fixed the tires on all of the bikes and the trailer, so we put the new helmets on the girls ...



... and we took us a little ride around the neighborhood so we could see all of this...




... but, really, for Hattie to be content, all we really have to do is BE outside!!

Olympic Thoughts

Here are a few thoughts on the Olympics - these are the viewpoints of the writer and the writer alone, and do not necessarily represent the views of the blog administrator ('cause, the writer, she has been up to all hours all week trying to watch the stinkin' Olympics, and is liable to go on a tangent!!!).

First of all - the opening ceremonies. I know that everyone is talking about how spectacular they were. I don't get it. At one point I looked at hubby and told him they coulda saved millions by just painting a wall and letting us watch it dry. The only parts of the ceremonies that I enjoyed - the fireworks and the little girl singing - turned out to be LIES!!!!!!!! Fireworks - superimposed into the picture (not quite sure how that worked, but that's what I have heard), and the little girl - lip syncing. 'Cause some foolio in the Chinese government decided that the girl who actually sang it was not cute enough ... WHAT?!?!?!?!?! Oh, don't get me started!

Gymnastics - I so wish I would have taken stock out in the Goody hair product company. Because, clearly, if the gymnasts of the world have anything to say about it, this ...
... is the next big hair trend. And the more the better - seriously, how many of these can one "sixteen year old" gymnast get on her tiny head?!?!?!

SIXTEEN?!?!?!?!?!?! -

ummm, yeah, sure. And the "cute" girl sang too, right?

Gymnastic scoring - First of all, I don't understand it - I miss the perfect 10 (GO MARY LOU!!! - who, 24 years and four kids later, is still rockin' ... and BUFF!!!). Second of all, let's just say that it's a good thing Nastia won, cause I was ready to go kick some judge tushies!!! In all my "1 o'clock in the morning and I am STILL up watching the Olympics" glory!!!

Heroes - I have two, so far, in these games:
First off, this person ...

Nope, not Michael (although, ummm, WOW!!!!!), but his mom!!!! I LOVE to watch this woman watch her son. She ROCKS!!!!!

and then there's THIS lady ...

Dara Torres - 41 years old and she gets two silver medals (the first, she missed the gold by one/100th of a second!!! AND, she was older than the gold and bronze medalists COMBINED!!!!!). PLUS - before the final, one of the other girls ripped her suit and Dara asked the officials to wait for her and TOLD the other girls that they would ALL be waiting for her to get ready. 'Cause, ya know, she is a mom and can talk to these children that way!!! LOVE HER!!!

There ya have it. My thoughts. I am sure there will be more, but I gotta get ready for church.

Have a great Lord's day!!!!!!

Praise Him LOUD!

Then Sings My Soul - Every Time I Breathe

It has been a while since I have participated in "Then Sings My Soul" - and that makes me a tad bit sad, cause it is my favorite!!! I LOVE music - it ministers to me in ways that nothing else can ever reach. I have said every week "this week..." and then this week comes and life happens and, well, you know the drill.

But THIS WEEK ... I resolved to not let this week get away from me.

So, the song I have chosen is Big Daddy Weave's "Every Time I Breathe". I have to tell you that the first time I heard this song I was in my living room on a Sunday morning - very early because I was singing and had to get to church early. Sophie was just a tadpole, so the nights were rough - which, as you know, makes the days a little rough as well. The night before I had been trying to pray as I was feeding her and trying to get her back to sleep. I was thinking that something was missing in my relationship with God - and I knew it was me. I had been having a hard time getting into the word or praying or really much of anything too deep without falling asleep. This song came on and I immediately loved it, so I let the words soak in. I just closed my eyes and listened.

By the end, I was crying and just reaching hard to Him. And THAT was what I needed. To breathe and reach. And to let Him reach to me. To let Him get close. To stay in His warm embrace - basking in the Glory shining from His face...

I hope you enjoy!

Every Time I Breathe

I am sure all of heaven's heard me cry
As I tell You all the reasons why
This life is just too hard

But day by day
Without fail
I'm finding everything I need
And everything that You are
To me

Chorus:
Every time I breathe You seem a little bit closer
I never want to leave
I want to stay in Your warm embrace
Oh basking in the glory shining from Your face
And every time I get another glimpse of Your heart
I realize it's true
That You are so marvelous God
And I am so in love with You

Now how could I after knowing One so great
Respond to You in any way
That's less than all I have to give
But by Your grace I want to love You not with what
I say
But everyday
In a way that my life is lived

Chorus:
Every time I breathe You seem a little bit closer
I never want to leave
I want to stay in Your warm embrace
Oh basking in the glory shining from Your face
And every time I get another glimpse of Your heart
I realize it's true
That You are so marvelous God
And I am so in love with You

Wrapped in Your mercy I want to live and never leave
I am held by how humble
Yet overwhelmed by Your majesty
Captured by grace and now I'm finding
I am free
You are marvelous God
And knowing You is everything

Bring On The Gates

Sophie has never showed much interest in crawling. She learned early on that if she sits up and bounces - yep, BOUNCES - she can pretty much bounce or scoot anywhere she needs to go. And she has never gotten all that far.

To be honest, I have never really pushed the whole crawling thing. And when our niece Chelsea got down on the floor and tried to teach her to crawl, I actually cringed with fear. You see, I have know from the very beginning that Sophie will be a curious one. Give the girl and monkey and name it Boots, 'cause I got a full on explorer on my hands. She can open almost any thing that ends up in her hands and she can find any toy that you try to hide - we have tested it. She will be a Hide-N-Seek GENIUS, mark my words.

So, imagine my nerves when, yesterday, we started this:



AAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!

But look how proud she is!


Pretty soon I will have to pull out this little number (which is how Hattie learned to walk!!)


It is still a newly discovered/trial and error skill, and already we are havin' issues. Just yesterday she emptied a baby wipe container, pulled all of the DVD's out of the cabinet, pulled all of Hattie's toys off of the table (onto herself!!!) and pulled every diaper and tube of cream or lotion out of the cupboard where they are kept. And it isn't like I was not paying attention. This was happening while I was doing things like, oh I don't know, CLEANING UP THE LAST MESS!!!!!!

So, I have sent out the baby gate SOS. We priced 'em out last night and the ones for stairs are kinda steep (tee hee, did ya catch that one?). Already we have heard back from one Ms. Becky R. at church - who, by the way, told me a couple of months ago that I was in trouble when this one got mobile! And she was right.

So, bring on the gates ... and let the games begin!!!

(Speaking of games, the Olympics are KILLING ME!!! I can't stop watching 'em, and the morning comes early when you stay up til the wee hours watching Michael Phelps rock it out!!! Or watch the women gymnasts try to pull it out - as a mother my heart just breaks for them!!! Especially the one girl who fell off the beam and then tried her hardest not to cry the whole rest of the night. Hey, I know, let's stick a microphone in her face and ask her how she feels!!! Stupid reporters!!!)

Slow Down and Drive!

So, yesterday morning I had a meeting at church. And, in a strange twist of fate, I left the house ON TIME!!! No rushing today! What a concept.

But, I guess taking the scenic route was not my brightest moment, it took a bit longer than I thought it would and suddenly I found myself running a bit behind. So I hurried it up a bit.

So as I am driving down the road in this:

(yep, it's still painted up for the adoption!)

I see this

(of course, it didn't look EXACTLY like this, seeing as how I don't live in Mayberry - or, ya know, 1955!!)
***I have been informed that this model is more in the mid 60's era. Shows ya what I know!!!***

passing by me in the opposite direction. I take the obligatory glance at my speed-o-meter and see (yikes)61mph!!! In a 45mph zone. Whew, good thing he was going the other way!

Apparently, they can radar you even then.

'Cause, as I looked into my rear view mirror I saw him making a u-turn. So much for being on time.

Now, let me say that I truly have the utmost respect for officers of the law. Truly. One of my best friends is a retired police woman. Retired due to an injury in which she jumped a wall in hot pursuit. A wall which was a lot steeper on the down side than it had been on the way up. HOWEVER, she continued the pursuit, caught the perp and took him in BEFORE addressing her injury. An injury to her knee which has required MANY surgeries since then. She is also married to a cop - a canine officer whose partner dog was killed last month in the line of duty. Plus, I have a cousin who is a police officer and HE was shot in the line of duty about 4 years ago. So, I am not kidding. I REALLY respect those who put it all on the line for our safety.

But, needless to say - even though I respected him - I was none to happy to see this guy.

He waltzes up to the car and peers into the back seat window where the girls are sitting playing in their car seats (this after I specifically told Sophie that now would be a really good time to start wailing!). He looks at me and asks if I know why he stopped me. I sheepishly said "I think I was goin' a little fast", to which he responds "yeah, a little".

I hand him my licence and as I am looking for the insurance and reg. he asks me "how's your driving record?" I say "actually, it's really good, I am just running late".
"For what?" he asks.
"A meeting at church" - again with the sheepishness.
He goes back to his car, does the computer thing and eventually comes back - where I am frantically trying to figure out how I am gonna explain to the Hubby why we suddenly have to pay for a ticket and driving classes! He hands me my licence and says "you're good to go" and walks away.

What? No ticket? Really? WooHoo!!!!

So I quickly started the car and sped away before he changed his mind. Yep, I sped away at the lightening speed of 44MPH. One under the limit, just to be safe!

Picture Perfect Monday - A Little Early

('Cause I just couldn't wait!!!)

After we were finished up at the court house on Friday, we went to Aunt Weezer's house for our OFFICIAL ADOPTION FAMILY PHOTOS!!!








(this one is my favorite!!! I love the look on BOTH of their faces - especially the way my man is looking at his little girl!!)