Our Lawyer...Our Friend...

It is great to have our potluck/game nights and our most faithful attenders are our lawyer and his wife! It is always great to get together with them because they love our kids so much and the kids love them back!

Well the May game night was a celebration of Lawyers 30th birthday...nothing fancy, but it was his night non-the-less! Things can get a little crazy around there and so there really is no explanation of this picture...except it is his "sexy pose." Haahaa

May 12th

We have some crazy weather around here, but this particular Tuesday it was going to be around 80*F, so we got out the little kiddie pool that my mother had left for us and had some fun!
Here we have little Pumpkin K.B, Princess, & Boo cooling off...Pancakes also left some floaties...Boo got "Dori" & Princess got "Nemo"I do not know for sure what Boo is doing here, it doesn't look so good!After snack time his tummy was kind of full!Pumkin K.Jo didn't love being in the pool, but she liked playing in the mud outside of it!

Mothers Day

On Mothers Day we went to church AS A FAMILY (of 6). The foster boys went to the nursery and the rest of us went to sit in our usual spot. At the beginning of the service all the kids were given a red rose to bring to their mothers...Handsome helped Princess and Boo just a bit with that one. We then went out for lunch with a friend and his little girl...5 kids, 3 adults! Craziness! Came home, put our kiddos to bed and watched Bride.Wars (hilarious!) and Marley&Me (a good movie, just not one for me!) We had a little trouble with the foster boys that Handsome cleaned up and then we went to the park! Oh how fun it was to see my kids enjoying to throw rocks in the creek (Boo was trying to throw himself in) and then we went swinging. We were able to get some DQ.ice.cream and went home for supper. It was a relaxing day...

Thankful Thursday

This last weekend we were able to take advantage of the long weekend and go back and spend time with my family! It is always nice to be able to go back to the farm and do farm things with our children. We went for 4-wheeler rides, went to the SF Zoo, caught up with some friends from the past, planted flowers on the graves of my Grandparents & Great Grandparents, had 2 bonfires (with s'mores the 2nd night), went to the park, listened to stories about my mom & dad in their teenage years, explored some of where Handsome used to live (and pocketed a sword he made as a little boy), more 4-wheeler rides, ate at Olive.Garden, saw some extended family, slept in, and just had an all around grand time!

There will be pictures and videos to come in the next couple of weeks here on the blog, but it really made me realize how very much I love to be around family. Mom & Dad were great hosts, it was fun to see my brother playing at the park with my kiddos (and my mother who thinks she is a kid!) It was great to spend a day at the zoo with my aunt, her granddaughter, her sons gf, my SIL, my Mom, Handsome, Princess, & Boo! The bonfire the first night was full of people and it was OH so interesting! The bonfire the second night was really fun with just my mom & dad, Handsome, and myself! There were memories made this trip, memories that my children will probably be able to remember. There were times I wished I had my camera for that special kodak moment, for example when my husband took Princess and knelt down beside my Grandmothers grave (the one Princess is named after) and explained to her that this is a very special, godly woman who we felt was so important that we gave her name to our very important daughter...it was special! Or when Boo was helping Grandpa plant the flowers at my other grandparents graves...who would have thought to bring their camera to plant flowers at the cemetery!

But what a wonderful weekend, I am thankful for my family and how they love us for US!

Backing Up A Little

This picture of the Princess is back from the 6th of May! We had the foster boys at the time and I was busy getting them ready for the day and she had gotten herself undressed and waited for her Mommy to give her the clothes for the day...I came out to the living room to find her sitting here in her hat, necklace, and big girl panties! For some reason it makes her look little again!

Thankful Thursday

Today's 'Thankful Thursday' is something that has been pulling at my heart strings for a while now...

I love the way that a Mommy's name changes with the stages of a wee ones developments!

She first said "Ma Ma"

We then moved on to a smoother "Mama"

Followed by "Mommy"

On to "Mom" (Which in my mind came WAY to soon in a young 2 year old life!)

But just this past week we have moved back to "Moma" She actually says it differently than when she was tiny, she says Momm-a. In a very grown up sort of way...to hear her running around looking for me saying Momma Momma over and over again, wow, it just give me goose bumps.

So today I am thankful, thankful that even though both the Princess and Boo are growing up at crazy fast rates, we do still get glimpses of their tiny little NEEDY selves once in a while!

A little slow...

Well, my computer is back...but not allowing me to transfer my pics from my camera to my computer...so the blog is a little boring! Sorry about that, trying to fix that problem...but there will be a Thankful Thursday post tomorrow!

In other news...if you are an IRL (In Real Life) family or friend and have a need of some baby related items or other misc. items check out this link on Face.book and see if there is anything you could use! We are thinning out due to the down sizing of houses in December and have some 'extra' things that need to homes!

Our adoption...

...we are still raising funds with the prayer that we could bring home baby Emi or baby Owen by Christmas 2009. Any prayer or financial support that you can offer is greatly appreciated!

Thankful Thursday

So with my computer being sick, I didn't even realize that my Thankful Thursday post went up on Monday! Bet you all thought I might have been a little off my rocker...huh? To see today's Thankful Thursday (that posted on Monday) click here....and I will try to get some more pictures up just as soon as my computer comes home from the doctor!

Until then...my 2 month blogging streak with either come to an end, or you will have to put up with pictureless posts!

A New Funny...

I often schedule posts up to 2 weeks out but have to 'add on' to today's post with something that happened at prayer time two nights ago!

Before we pray as a family we talk about what we are going to pray for to help the kids understand better. We ask them who we should pray for and why...but our list lately has been pretty much the same:

*Mr. S to be healed of his cancer
*M.M. to to well on her interview/find a job
*Help us find a house or land in our town that would work better for daycare
*That our children would realize their need for Jesus in their life at an early age
*Patience for us while we have the 2 troubled foster boys in our home
*For Grandma & Grandpa
*For Mark & Teresa
*For one more Pumpkin in the Patch
and a few more ~personal~ ones.

Well the way we have been having the kids pray at night is that Daddy says one to three words at a time and Princess & Boo repeat what he said. Two nights ago our kids were extra tired from the events of the day and Handsome got to the part where we pray for our kids and he said "And for Princess" Boo repeated, but at the very same time Princess unfolded her hands and opened her eyes to say, "what do you need, Daddy?" in the sweetest little voice ever. Handsome told her we were praying and she needed to focus on our prayers to Jesus so he tried again, "And for Princess" to which she said "what do you need Daddy?" We tried one more time "And for Princess" and this time she with her tender little heart thought she was doing something wrong so she started to cry a little...we just paused the prayer and explained that we were praying for her, not talking to her, and then continued on....oh the precious sweet tender heart!

A few funnies...and some that are just too cute!

Mommy~ "Who do we pray for?"
Princess & Boo~ "Emie & Owen come home!"

***

"MOM, stop, rest my toes. I NEED!" - Princess

***

Mommy~ "Did you go potty yet?"
Princess~ "No, but...HERE IT COMES!"

***

"Mommy, I hungy diaper cake" - Princess

***

"What chu do Etan?" - Princess

***

"Mommy, I NUTS" - Princess

***

Boo~ "Pody Chair, Mommy"
Mommy~ "Do you REALLY need to go potty BooBoo?"
Ethan~ "Noooooooooo"

***

"Wuv ewwwwwwwwwww" -Boo

***

And last but not least we were out for a walk a couple of weeks ago, it was Princess, Boo, & two little Pumpkins. I had the Pumpkins in our wonderful double jogging stroller and Princess & Boo were 'helping' Mommy push (my way of having them hold on!) We got about a block from the park and Princess looked at me and said, "Mommy...have to stop...rest my toes....they tired!"

2008 Mothers Day Pics

I only have one on my computer to compair, but it is amazing how much they grow in a year!
I posted the 2009 Pics yesterday...

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for letters & cards received by way of the good old fashion USPS! You know the ones, they require someone to actually pick up a pen! Well with Mothers Day being last Sunday, I was fortunate enough to receive a card from my very own mother on this glorious day (there were too many Mothers Days' that brought tears and a heavy heart for it not to be glorious now!) This card had a good start even before opening it it has the gold.crown on the outside! It was one of those tri-fold connections cards, you know the ones that have a way of saying EXACTLY what you were thinking but couldn't put into words...yeah, the best! Well this one was actually for a Mother to give to her Daughter that was now a Mother herself...still with me? Anyway, it was beautiful and very sweet. My mother has a way of personalizing cards...and that makes each one from her special! I was thankful for this card that my Handsome and I walked to get from the mailbox at midnight Saturday! Just in time for the big day.

Then Sunday after church there were two more cards laying where I could find them. I opened the one that said "We Love You Mommy" first. And with the help of their Daddy, Princess & Boo told me how much they love me and appreciate all the work that is done for them and that they know they are a handful sometimes but know I can handle it because I am the best! How sweet is that!

The one I saved for last said "To my wonderful wife & a fantastic mom." I always love getting cards from my Handsome the best because even though he doesn't think what the actual card says means anything, he does take time to read them and pick out just the right one for me! The front of it said, "Someday many years from now, we'll look back on this crazy time in our life together and wonder how we did it all... I'll sit close beside you and take your hand in mine. We'll look at each other and say 'I'd do it all again...and I wouldn't change a thing.' " When you opened it up it said, "There's no one I'd rather go through life with than you...my partner, my love, my wife. Happy Mother's Day." He then wrote, "You are the best mother our children could ever have. I know that all the other stuff in life seems to cause distractions from all you want to do as a mom - but you do very well handling it all and raising our children in a godly, respectful way. I am proud of you and I love you very much - Handsome." (He didn't sign in Handsome...he signed with his name.) Those words, coming from the man I love with all of my heart were enough, they will ring in my head for a very long time. You see, I have this thought that because of the way things have turned out and me needing to work (even though it is daycare in our home) that my children are being sacrificed, I wanted them so badly and then they get a second rate life. But my husband thinks that they are okay and thankful to be with me...even though I have several other little ones to care for at any given time. And that means everything to me!

I know it is on a tangent yet again, but when you start thinking about being thankful...things just start rolling in your mind. But today, I am thankful for the 3 beautiful cards that came on a day that I used to ignore...a day that even hurt to send my own mother a card...a day that now I can be included in. I was able to stand up in church with the other moms and have my two beautiful children bring me one red rose from each of them! Oh how wonderful! For this, I am THANKFUL!

Mothers Day Photos

Every year around Mothers Day I try to get the kids in for 'together' pictures. It is more and more fun as they have personalities all of their own and the photographer can capture them so well. Miss Tiffany has taken several of our pictures now and is the only person I will allow to take them if we use Wal.Mart!Silly Princess!See how Boo is doing so well, and Princess is something different in each one...shy here (not so much!) I like this one A.LOT!LOVE.IT!They look so sweet, don't they?A pretty PrincessYou ask for a smile...this is what you getAnd a nice one of the boy! He always has his hats sideways or backwards!And my very favorite of them all! I is so....uh, them!

That is it for this years Mothers Day shoot...I am so happy with how they turned out! Now I cannot wait to get them back (so glad for the CD's you get that day!)

Saying Good-Bye

We always enjoy when Grandma Pancakes comes to visit us, and it is always sad to say good-bye! She left Sunday and the kids were all dressed up to see her off!They kind of love herLots'n lots! Blowing kisses
Waving bye-byeBoo signing 'I Love You'Watching until the car is out of sight...the Minnesota way (I know we don't live in MN, but I grew up there!)

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MOM/GRANDMA PANCAKE! WE LOVE AND MISS YOU AND CANNOT WAIT TWO MORE WEEK TO SEE YOU!

Rcital Day

We were kind of rushed because of the wonderful morning we had with Grandma Pancake...we shopped and just had a fun morning. Of course this was not the plan we had, we originally thought we were going to get a day with Daddy and Grandma...but instead Daddy had to stay home and babysit the plumber. Grandma made one trip to Burger.King to use the bathroom and that was enough for me so we went shopping!

When we arrived home it was a quick lunch and off to bed for naps, no crabbiness allowed tonight! We still ended up waking Princess up from her nap, but we let Boo do it so she usually takes to him better. We then went into fast mode, getting her hair done, then her make-up...and of course she had to try it herself!And then help Mommy too~She was not so happy when I told her that we were going to the same place and Daddy was going to drop her off with her dance class then we would watch her dance...She was kind of upsetThis is Mommy telling her to be a big girl and cut the attitudeI didn't get a picture of her ballet routine (but she did go out on stage for it) so this is her tappingShe and Miss Lainey tried to steal the show with their funny faces at each other! Miss Tailee is the other little one in the picture and she was FANTASTIC!More faces from Miss LaineyWhen the recital was over we went to Apple.bees with our friends M&T G, and L, C, & S H with joined us as well! After supper we invited everyone back to our house for cake and boy oh boy was Princess more than excited to FINALLY get to eat that 'Happy Birthday Cake.'Boo waiting for his snack (since he cannot have cake he got chocolate Rice Cakes)Enjoying every little crumb"All Done!"