My China Journey to Miah

2011-12-09T18:00:00.000-08:00

2011-12-09T14:07:00.000-08:00

Long time since the last post... Miah with her hair in a special up do!

Been a while

2009-10-13T19:04:00.000-07:00

Wow I really am behind on this blog! Truth be told I got going on facebook and caught up in my scrapbooking. I know no excuse and to my two fans out there I am really sorry!!!! Ok Ok so your not my fans... yeah you only come here to see pictures of the kids. Well the kids are doing well, James is off to a rocky start in third grade, but has a great teacher and a new attitude so all is well on that front. Miah is in gymnastics and has her first meet next month. I think I am more excited about it than she is.They are both going all the time! Miah has learned her abc's and how to spell her name and now she spells everything...MIAH spells Mommy.... MIAH spells dog... MIAH spells.... Cookie, and so on and so on. She is singing ALL THE TIME too, and it is not a little quiet song that is pleasing to the ear. Nope not my Miah, in the middle of Wal mart she feels the need to belt it in super soprano for all the hear and cover their ears. Don't get me wrong she sings well and on key but Lord help me the child sings so high that it hurts! We are also at the age where I have got to tell her at least twenty times in a span of a few moments to PUT HER DRESS DOWN!!!! I so sound like my mom. James is really into transformers and calling his friends and not so much into girls or homework. He has really been trying me with this homework thing and in his defense the school has been sending him WAY TO MUCH homework to do. Yeah when you have a conference call with a teacher and they tell you that they are dropping a whole subject off the homework list do to parent complaint, you know you were not really going crazy. Ok now I know what you really want to see are the pictures so enjoy and I will try not to wait several months to post again!

Been a while

2009-07-16T15:41:00.001-07:00

The first glimpse of summer. Love to see the kids in bright colors.

Here is my little man at his field day that miah and I attended. We all had a blast and James did great! I love watching with his class mates and seeing how far out of his shell he has finally come.

"Let me just pose for you a moment.

This is one of my current favorite of Miah. She was really putting on the faces for me... My Drama Princess is fit to act!

James is one of the most blessed little boys ever... A week before his birthday Randy and I decided to give him Randys Star Wars collection of figures and toys. The collection was two large tubs full that took Randy a few years to gather and they were all still in the package. James was overjoyed and it is several weeks gone by now and he is still opening the figures. We let him have five a day.

Miah is growig more and more every day. I love watching her bloom but the attitude she has as of late is one I can really do with out. She has figured out the word MINE and she usese at least twenty times a day. On the other had she can be very loving when she wants to.

These two are starting to learn how to play together but most of the time they spend their time picking on each other and driving me crazy. When they want to they can be very loving with one another!

These two pictures were taken on James 8th birthday(7-9) ...EIGHT!! Where did the time go??? One miniute I am holding him and changing dipers and the next thing I know He is headed into third grade and talking about girls calling him cute.... Yes I did write that.... girls calling him cute!!??!!

Happy Fathers day to the two best Dads I know

2009-06-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

Today was a wonderful day. I set my mind on making memories today, I do not mean trying to force a special moment or steer the day in what I thought would be a perfect fathers day. No instead I watched, listened, engaged, relaxed and just took it all in. Seeing the little things and capturing the sound of my fathers voice, the look of his smile, the smell of a home cooked meal made with love for a dad who will hardly even touch food. My heart swelled when he ate not just once but twice today, a small victory for some but for me it was a huge success. My memories of today will be some of the most precious and treasured for the rest of my life. Daddy picked up his guitar today after almost a year of not playing, and he and my brother played together and I sang with them like so many countless times before, just grateful to have this one last chance. I never thought he would pick up the instrument again and really neither did he, but today it was like old times and I did not take it for granted. It will more than likely be the last time and I would not take all the money in the world for what we shared today. My dad got to show off his grandchildren to his family and I watched the pride in his eyes as they gave the kids great praise and fawned over them. I heard laughter as daddy took in Miah being a ham and leaned in close to hear a conversation between him and James. Dad talked of days gone by and he talked of things he needs to do and I listened hanging on his every word. We took family pictures and a few candid shots. Dad dozed on and off on the couch, never complaining from the obvious pain he was in. He rallied for us today and gave it all he had and with out having to say the words I knew how loved I was and am by my father today. He told me he was proud of me and of my family. He smiled at me, hugged me and said he loved me. Today was a wonderful day.

Altering a photo... We Picture This

2009-06-17T15:19:00.000-07:00

I had such fun trying out this altering a photo. I have really only recently learned the very basics of PSE but with this challenge I really started to learn some new things and that the web has loads of info and tutorials. I really liked Miahs skin tone in this picture right out of the camera but the bricks were drowning out the tone I was looking for so I used texture for the first time and then I added more texture on top of that! I made a 2nd layer of my original photo first and added the textures next one on top of the other. Then I erased and blended the section of photo with Miah so that the texture was only in the background. That is it. Seems like so much technical stuff but really once I started it got easier and I am loving it! The picture was taken with a NikonD 40 in early evening light with cover on Portrait setting.
Thank you so much for looking and please be sure and check out the wonderful work and other entries you can get there by clicking the We Picture This link above. Oh and as always if you click on the pictures above the will enlarge for you.

This is Miah my DD.

Time

2009-06-04T04:45:00.001-07:00

Time is a funny thing. Some days you just want it to hurry up and fly by so you can get to that next big thing. You know the one your whole life hinges on... waiting for your wedding day, waiting for your child to come home, or the next holiday , vacation or day off. It is normal and every one I know wishes time would speed up just a little once in a while. Now I would give almost anything for time to stop. Right here and now and never change. I wish with all my heart I could go back in time and warn my family that I could somehow change what we are facing now. I look at a carton of milk and the expiration date makes me sad. I think about James going into third grade and how quickly this summer will fly by. That alone sends me into a deep dispare. I hate seeing movie trailers that say come in blah blah blah. They all remind me of the one thing he does not have enough of TIME. We all face the truth that life is short and we all must take a final breath at some point in our lives, but for most of us we flash on the thought and then shake it off feeling that, that day is a long way off in our future or we say You never know when so why worry about it. What if you did know or you were given a time line... How would you view time then. That is where I am at, viewing time as the enemy who will very soon take my daddy away. He is only 56 and yet ...We are not promised tomorrow.
My dad is really sick and it is that ugly word so many of us have heard to many times, Cancer. Lung cancer to be specific and it is in stage four meaning it has spread through out his body. We are told that with out Chemo he has two to four months to live and with treatment we may have him for ten to twelve months if his body can handle it. Every breath he takes is a labor for him and I haft to tell you even though the signs were there early my dad just pressed on and continued to work hard not telling anyone the amount of pain he was in. Just a good ole boy doing what he needed to do for his family. In fact he had a heart attack and did not tell anyone and due to lack of insurance he never sought medical attention. DAD!! My dad had several sever attacks at night where he thought he was dying before he allowed my mom to finally take him to the doctor. He has lost his strength fast, in a matter of a few months his weight dropped over 50 pounds and still he was giving it all he had.
Now what, how do we get through this. I know we will and we will make the best of all the time we have. It hurts, it sucks and I hate it. I do not know how to tell my son or daughter, what is the right thing to say and when to say it. Time... I need more ... He needs more. I love you daddy and I am so very sorry that you are facing this horrible thing.

Reflections... I heart Faces

2009-04-28T17:58:00.000-07:00

So Last Night James lost his tooth!!! This is such a big deal for us as it has been over a year since he lost his first bottom two front teeth and this tooth has been wiggly for over six months... go figure. Any way this is James checking out the new look and I could not help but capture it. I angled a second mirror behind him to get multiple images, and used him as a shield from showing me in the shot. If you want to see more great photo be sure and click on the button up top... it will take you to some great talent and really fun photos!

self-Portrait

2009-04-20T06:04:00.000-07:00

This week at Iheartfaces the theme is self portraits. Well I went for it and took lots of close up pictures of me right after I had been crying my eyes out. Yeah not so glamours, but I am going to scrap this later and the story behind my crying is what I wanted to capture. I had been watching a show and a father and son had passed away due to tragic events. This type of thing brings a flood of emotion to my heart and I start checking on my children and telling Randy over and over how much I love him and that I never want to lose him. I am sensitive that way, as I am sure many other moms are, but for me I take it on with such a heavy heart that I grieve as if the lost ones were mine. Randy does his best to sensor me from things that will have me in emotional over load , but there is always something he missed bless his big heart! Any way I want to scrap about that and how it is part of who I am and that it makes me want to keep those I love close to me and never miss the chance to say I Love YOU!

This picture was taken in Manual Mode... Not so easy when you can not focus! Also the only editing was black and white conversion and leaving my eye blue... all other personal flaws in all their glory are present! Thank you for looking and please be sure and check out the other really awsome photos at I Heart Faces... You can click on the button above, and as always if you click on the picture it will enlarge for you to see better.

Daughters

2009-04-15T05:20:00.000-07:00

The mamarazzi blog theme this month is Daughters, and well that happens to be one of my favorite subjects to capture... My daughter. I am still just a fledgling at taking pictures but I did try Manual Mode on the top photo I wish I could give you all the details, but try as I might I can not seem to figure out where to find it. I can tell you I use a Nikon D40 and I used the 18-55 mm lens. The bottom Photo is a picture of my daughter and my best friends daughter and I love the way Bree's eyes just pop. This was taken with the girls sitting in the open door way with the bright light not quite reaching them... also in Manual Mode with the same lens.

If you want to see more amazing and very talented mamas please click on the above button and I promise you will be amazed. Thank you for coming by.

Oh and as always if you want a better look at the photos all you haft to do is click on them and they will enlarge.

I heart Faces Entry Amateurs Entry

2009-04-14T05:29:00.000-07:00

Miah really had a blast this year with three egg hunts, but the one at my parents home was by far the most eggciting! Now that she understands what is in the eggs and that if her brother gets to all of them first she won't get the prizes, she is getting in the game and really going after them. So fun!!!
If you want to see more great shots of Easter fun or Spring shots please be sure and head over to Iheartfaces

Secrets

2009-04-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

In a moment they will be grown and I will miss this.

I heart Faces Entry

2009-03-30T05:48:00.001-07:00

I am just learning about photography and how to utilize my Nikon D40, but I could not help but add this picture to the I Heart Faces blog ... Miah Pouting for the camera is nothing new but this shot of her hamming it up just a bit just tickles me! Want to see more great faces???

You should take the time to look at all the wonderful pictures there and such awsome talent. Thanks for stoping by!

Black and White photo

2009-03-21T06:31:00.001-07:00

This is my new favorite of Miah... that is until the next time I take a few pictures! I added this to a like with some really awsome pictures at...

Please stop by there and take a look, and in the mean time I hope you enjoy this picture!

Gotcha Day!!! Two years!!!

2009-03-05T05:51:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share a LO I did (digital) for Miahs secound Gotcha day which is today...YEAH!!! We are so very blessed to have this beautiful little girl in our lives and greatful to China for allowing us to raise and love her. She is everything we could have asked for and so very much more, God truely did bless this family with Miah! I have used a kit by my friend Kelly and if you would like to use it she has it put up on her site as a freebie with lots of others freebies that are just wonderful so be sure and check it out...

Gotcha Day... Two years!!! 3-5-09

2009-03-04T06:26:00.001-08:00

Photos taken yesterday and today

2009-02-26T12:40:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Blogging Bum

2009-02-19T06:50:00.000-08:00

Ok I am so sad to see that my challenge to my self went by the way side when it came to blogging! It seems that in the midst of all the drama with James and then Miah being sick , Re being sick, and then me being sick I just totally lost site of that goal. Oh well maybe I will try it again soon.

However I have been keeping up with my scrapbooking goal and have a few more to add here today and it will almost get me to my goal of 10... Enjoy!

Day 5&6: Drama... No I mean Trama & LO's

2009-02-04T15:34:00.000-08:00

Day 6 First... I am working backwards here! So as you can see by the pictures I have been working on my LO challenge to myself... and I have even had a friend join me!! So make sure you check out Robin and her LOs as well. Ok here are three more LOs and then there is one not posted here since I went out on a limb and entered it into a small contest here... On the Hop. That brings my total to 6 so far and look I am only on day 6!!! I think I am going to make it!

LO 1: This is not my favorite, but I decided to go ahead and keep it.

LO2: This is James at three 1/2 and dancing his little heart out! Simple design but fun!

LO3: I really love the b/w and Color Photo together and this is so easy to do, Just print your photo the same size in color and b/w then crop the color photo, and add to the b/w!

Day 5...

BEEP BEEP BEEP

We interrupt your daily life with an emergency broad cast.... Thunk ????

MOMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

My heart stops in my chest. It is the moment you know your baby is hurt. Not just the "My sister hit me" or the " I skinned my Knee" kind of hurt, but the really really I am in PAIN kind of hurt. I literally can not tell you what I was doing at that moment, all I know is that I ran from the kitchen in time to see James running into the living room with a look of pure pain and horror on his face. This is when mere seconds seem like hours, the moment between where your mind runs wild with what it could be and the reality of what really happened. Asking a child anything when they are really in pain is like talking to the ocean... Lots of noise but no sense. I finally got that he had hit his ear, I mean the fact that it took all of one second to See that it was already swelling was enough to get me going. So I went to hold him and he was just so confused on what he really wanted that he would not let me touch him ( be still my heart) he asks or more chants " just give me my blanket " a few times. So I rush to get it as at this point I will do anything to comfort my baby! As soon as I come back around the corner to see James I knew it was going to be a trip to the ER. His ear was flowing blood and at first I thought it was from inside. He would not let me look at it closely and did not really want the blanket at all. James was in so much pain he really did not know what he wanted. Thus he began to wail for daddy... another heart breaker, and I softly talk him into letting me see what is wrong and lead him to the kitchen for a towel for his ear that is getting blood everywhere now. Finally after much debate I see that his little ear has been split almost all the way through and the cartilage is sticking out... (EWWWW) After a few rushed calls to his daddy and a quick stop to drop Miah off at her Aunts we were on our way. We went to an Urgent Care Clinic, but just a side note here as we now know that can not help you if there is cartilage involved. So we were sent on to the emergency room where they called in a specialist to fix James up. He was really great through the waiting and most of the stitches, but when the Doc went to numb his ear James pulled the needle out and was strong enough to keep his daddy and the Doc from keeping him still. Eventually the Doctor talked him into relaxing and the stitches, four in all, were put in place. James is ok and seems to have no pain in his ear,and the stitches come out Monday if all goes well. I am however suffering every time I hear the slightest bump and I am finding that I say be careful about ten times an hour. Here is a look at his stitched up ear.

Day four: Just my Luck

2009-02-02T06:26:00.001-08:00

Why is it every time I find a product I really like there is always a hang up?? Guess that is just my luck. Miah will turn three in a few weeks and I have been planing her birthday party and trying to get her a few gifts ( even if I really can not believe she will be three already!!), I say trying to get her a few gifts because I have had the most aggravating time finding what I want!
First of all we are getting her a power wheels, but DH is very picky and has certain ideas as to what she should have. After much searching, deliberating and me getting worn out we came to a decision on this cool Pink Barbie Kawasaki four wheeler that according to Wal*mart is only available at their online site... it is an exclusive to their store. Ok I can deal with that, I mean they do ship site to store with no additional charge and I do not need the product today so I can handle that. So I am all ready with CC to purchase said item, I mean it only took a couple of weeks to find something Randy would allow and wouldn't you know it there is no such item listed on the online site! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! Let me just say " Not Happy". Well to cut a long story short I did a lot of web searching and a lot of phone calling. You know the kind of phone calling where one company (F*isher Price) tells you to talk to the other company ( W*almart) as they have the contract and then that company (W) tells you to speak to the first company as they make the product ... Round one....2...almost three but I decided that I was done!!!! So a few days go by and I decide to look at the products from W online one more time to see if just maybe I can convince Randy to go with another toy when low and behold there is the coveted item in all its glory on the site and in stock.... Go figure! Well that items has been safely ordered and now I am in yet another hassle with yet another product from FP. I want to get Miah the Cool School system to reinforce her learning of numbers letters and shapes but the software I want to go with it is NO WHERE TO BE FOUND! GRRRRR
So if you happen to come across Cool School Sesame Street software Please give me a shout out!! I have searched every nook and cranny of online and not a title to be found. Oh well that is just my luck!

Day Three: four Things about me

2009-02-01T17:58:00.001-08:00

Well It is Sunday and as usual this is a busy day in the morning and a Lazy afternoon. I have decided to list four things about me for this post... Just for fun, and the fact that I am trying to stick to my thirty days of blogging.

1. I love to sing, and am always humming or singing some song. However one of my favorite things to do is belt out a tune while I am cleaning house. When I say belt out, I mean singing with all my might at the top of my lungs with all the soul I can muster. Well this has been fine for a very long time... Funny how kids change EVERYTHING... So there I was minding my own business singing my song as I loaded the dishwasher totally unaware that my son has decided to play in the back yard with a few of his friends ( with his dads permission). I am going to town dancing and just being in my zone when I hear snickering. Hmmmm, so I turn and five pair of eyes are watching me intently. BIG SIGH HERE! Caught in mid step of what I call dancing and my song abruptly ended I realize that to my seven year old son this if the funniest thing ever. Now mind you he has seen me do this a million times, but to get his friends in on the action of his crazy mom was too cool. GREAT!! Oh by the way they love my singing... my dancing, not so much!

2. I love to read, I read as much as I can and have been known to go through a entire novel in about four hours. My all time favorite next to the Word is Anne of Green Gables. Some new books I really like include the Twilight series and by the same author Stephenie Meyer The Host... that book is a real mind bender and I loved every page. I also enjoy the Eragon series and the Summer Hill books about a young girl who live just outside of an Amish community.

3. Scrapbooking is a passion as well as a therapy for me. I find it to be relaxing but more than that it reminds me of why I love my family especially if I have had a hard time with one of them or just a bad day in general. It is my moment to tell the story and to show the reasons why I love my family, how I love them and that I will always love them.

4. I hate doing laundry. I know that I have heard from several friends and relatives that if I would just do a load a day I would not have such a mountain all the time. I have tried this and it just does not work for me. If I could just get the task done it would not be such a big deal, but since I haft to wait for them to wash then wait for them to dry then fold and at last put them away, I just get wrapped up in other things and by the time I get back to it I am to tired to mess with it. Yep I hate laundry.

Day two: Cleaning House

2009-01-31T11:37:00.000-08:00

I made it! Not really much to post today as I am in cleaning mode and must take advantage of that while I can, but first I wanted to recomend a really great movie that is just now out on DVD...

It is called Fireproof and let me tell you it has a wonderful message. If you have time to curl up with your honey for some popcorn and a show this one is worth the time!

And now for the cuteness... then off to clean,

Can you belive the weather... One day it is all sunny, then all ice, and now all sunny again talk about chaos! Here is my guy enjoying a warmer day!Miah is also enjoing a bike ride... Finally almost a year later she can reach the pedals!

Day One: Battles and LOs

2009-01-30T04:52:00.000-08:00

I am off to a good start. Day one of thirty and here I go...

I am up or at least I think I am up in time... Until I realize that the alarm clock has never gone off and it was a dream. I just hate that , now I am in a rush this morning and have the jitters since I jumped up as soon as I saw my rebellious clock reading thirty minutes later than I thought. My son is NOT a morning person and so I must tread lightly to avoid a fight and rushing him is OUT of the question or we are talking total melt down mode, and I have not got the patience nor the time first thing in the morning for that. So the balancing act begins.

It took me a while to figure out that when mom my told me to "pick my battles" she was right.

I mean I am the mom and he is the child so he should do what I say right?? Well just because he should does not mean he will . In fact just like every child he has his moments and refuses to listen or be obedient, so I am learning to read HIM and make sure I do not start a fight over the small stuff that really is not that important. In other words I try not to set him up. This has been hard for me, when I was little I was a very compliant child. I never asked why and rarely tried to go against anything my mom said. I hated conflict... still do, and I was trying to parent James in that way ... expecting him to be like me and just do what I say. He is not me and I can not parent him the way I was parented... Wow, as a parent you must be flexible... You know "pick your battles".

So what might that look like? For starters, if I am in a hurry in the morning I let James make a choice on what he wants for breakfast instead of just choosing for him like usual. See in this home you eat what you get and are happy to have it or you do not eat. James will not eat if he feels rushed in the morning. BIG BATTLE! To me it is not worth fighting him to eat what I give him first thing in the morning if we are in a hurry so if I let him choose then he feels empowered with the choice and does not fight me. I feel that he has a good start to the day and a full belly. WIN, WIN!!!

I know, simple concept huh?? Well it took me a while to figure out that parenting can be flexible and still have structure. Do not get me wrong, I am not a drill Sergent or anything like that, but I did feel like if I did not have complete obedience I was doing something wrong or that if I do not nip it in the bud now that as he became a teenager he would never listen to me. I know now that listening and watching his needs and learning style gets me far greater respect with him and then when it is time to put my foot down he knows that I mean it. We still have battles but they are ones that I feel are important life lessons. Weather he has oatmeal or a cereal bar?? That is not as important as weather he has a decent breakfast to get him through the day.

Now for my secound goal... I finished not one but two LOs yester day!!! So fun!

This is my mom and Miah and some of my favorite pictures! Here I sanded down the pink paper to give it an uneven rough look... Great for taking out a little frustration!

This is James in January of 05! Just 3 1/2 years old... My little buddy!

Going on

2009-01-29T04:49:00.000-08:00

Well here I am again posting for the first time in a long while. So I thought I would challenge myself... For the next thirty days I plan to blog once a day. Now mind you it may not be note worthy to any one else but at least I will be blogging and hopefully get myself back in the habit!

So today I am blogging about scrapbooking and another challenge for me to complete... I want to get 10 pages done in the next thirty days and boy that is going to a hard one for me. So here I go .... Oh but before I do let me leave you with a picture of my darlings!

With the little snap of actual winter weather here in Tx and no school my two kidlets have had some extra playtime together and I would haft to say that a great deal of that time I am wanting to pull out my hair as they scream, fight, chase each other around the house and are just generally loud and bouncing off the walls. However the little moments like this cuddle session make it all worth it and bring the biggest smile to my face. James invited Miah to get a little warmer under his coveted blanket as they watched a little tv together. He almost could not get her close enough.... How darling are they!!

Now on to scrapbooking, I have let it get way out of hand. Yep I am so far behind that I will never get caught up if I try and do it the way I had my mind set on doing it. So I am changing my strategy.... I am going to go back and scrap at least one page from each month of the last several years for James and the last two years for Miah. Instead of trying to scrap every thing I will limit myself to my favorite photo or to a special memory for each month up until now. Seeing as I already have some pages done for certain months I am not going to allow them to be placed in my catch up.... No I am starting two new chronological albums for the kids and when they are done I will just add on from there. Now I know me and I LOVE to scrap my latest favorite photo so I will allow myself to do one "new" Photo for every four older Photos and that will keep me motivated. So here is hoping my challenge will get me started in the right direction and I will keep you up to date on how well I do... till then here is one of my latest pages....

Craigs List Post ** Blog friends Please Excuse

2009-01-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

This is a post I am doing on Craigs list to try and unload all of Miahs old clothes as they are taking up to much space!!

Need a new wardorobe for your little Princess, but not wanting to pay an arm and a leg... This is for you.There are 87 pieces of gently used mostly 18 month (eception would be one or two 12 month gymboree items that will fit an average child wearing 18 month clothing) clothing. Dresses, overalls, Shorts, skirts PJs and shirts, it is all here and Brands are Gymboree,Childrens Place, Oshkosh, Old Navy, Carters,and then a few from Kohls, Target and Walmart. Not all items are shown in the pictures... They just would not fit but they are pants and Pjs. They come from a smoke free home and I am willing to meet you in Little Elm or Frisco if need be. I accept CASH only, NO exceptions, Please do not ask. Also my price is FIRM, you will be getting a great deal as each piece of clothing comes in at .58 cents each.If you are intrested and/or have any questions please contact 99999999999. Thank you for looking.
To get a better look at the clothes please go to http://www.miahmiahmiah.blogspot.com/

Referral Day Two years come and gone

2009-01-03T11:11:00.000-08:00

Two years ago today I sat with much anticipation for the call of a lifetime. I remember clearly all the hope and dreams that hung on that call and what is more what that call would mean. After waiting almost two years I would finally know... Know who my daughter was, where she was and what she looked like. It was the most important phone call I have ever received!!! The moment I heard the words " You have a daughter" my life was changed forever. Now as Miah is sleeping in her room it seems like the wait was just a dream and the pain of it has gone, BUT I know that there are many moms and dads who are just barley hanging on with the wait. It has gotten longer and longer and the finish line for them is ever changing and more often than not getting further away instead of closer. My heart and prayers are with you and I want to encourage you to hold on. The day WILL come and your phone WILL ring. The pain of the wait will someday be a distant heart ache and you will be taking pictures and changing diapers, fixing up boo boos and reading stories to that little angel your waiting for now. I remember seeing Miah for the first time and boy was my heart stolen then, funny thing is now she stills it on a daily basis and I am amazed at all the wonderful and not so wonderful things this little girl can come up with. She is really a treasure and OH SO WORTH THE WAIT! This was taken a few days ago.... My little Fairy tale come true!

Here is the first photo I saw of my darling little angel!

Happy New Year

2009-01-02T09:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning came and went in a flash. I loved seeing the kids so excited and having a blast. Miah really had it down this year and not only did she want to open all her gifts, but mine as well, such a huge diffrence from last year! We spent the morning with the kids and then took off traveling to grandparents houses. It was a very busy day but a great one! Hope your holiday was as nice and We wish you a very happy new year too.

Christmas Time

2008-12-07T14:54:00.000-08:00

Well Thanksgiving has come and gone and it seems like time is flying by as usual. I am all excited this season waiting for Christmas. My home is decked out in old and new trimmings and the kids are already trying to get into the ton of gifts wraped and placed under our new tree. I started the shopping and wraping early this year and now I am having trouble not buying more things! I love Christmas... I see it as a romantic time of year. More than likly becuse Re and I were married on the 19th of December. It is magical to me and I love seeing my kids glow with excitement and teaching the true meaning of the season. They are such a joy to behold with the twinkle in their little eyes! Here are a few Pictures from our start to the Holiday, and may your days be Merry and Bright!

In the Red

2008-11-12T04:43:00.000-08:00

Miah is a girly girl... All the way, and I love that about her. She will sit for an hour and let me do all kinds of fun things to her hair with out complaint. Once in a while she will ask "are done yet"? and I will say "nope" and she will just smile and say "Tay". It is without a doubt a dream come true for me. Dress up and shoes are her favorite play things and the word pretty is heard several times a day in our home... SOOOOO FUN! Now the down side, all be it a small one is this....

I swear I was in the next room and this took her all of three minutes to do! I thought she was going to the potty and was trying to see how well she did on her own. So hear rustling around and call her to me and she will not come... I guess she was trying to finish the job. So I called again and this time she came running with the biggest smile on her little face and shouted "Pretty". Insert Groan here, do you laugh, scream , cry or just nod your head at this point... To be honest I think I did a little of all of that. To her credit all the mess was on her feet with very little on my floor and none of it made it onto the carpet. My little stinker!
On any given day this is what you might find Miah in. That or a Princess Dress or any "Fancy Shoes" she can find. I really do LOVE this and am in no hurry for her to ever grow out of this stage!

New Scrap LO

2008-11-02T19:02:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share my latest SB page... I so love working with the colors in this photo and playing around with diffrent styles. Thanks for looking!

Candy Time

2008-10-31T20:48:00.000-07:00

Thought I would share a few Photos from our fun candy time .... And now it is November.... Wow time sure does fly!

The Patch

2008-10-27T05:25:00.000-07:00

I love the Pumpkin Patch!! This year was our 5th trek to the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch... WOW! The first year we went I told DH that I wanted to make this a tradition and now with five years under our belt I would say we are off to a good start and the wonderful part is that James LOVES it and starts looking forward to it in July and August. Out of the blue he will just start sighing and asking when is it time to go to the Patch. Miah had a great time on her secound trip and I think she too will be looking forward to next year and all the fun we will have. Happy Fall Ya'll!

Dress up time

2008-10-22T05:59:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

I got this little outfit for dressup time and Miah just loves it... I think she is pretty darn cute in it too!

My Before and After

2008-10-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

Before I knew life on my own there was my mother. My anchor in life and a constant reminder that I was very loved. She held me, fed and clothed me. She protected me and gave me room to fly. My mother was and is a friend to me when I needed one, a role model and drill Sargent if she needed to be. Most everything I learned in life came from her.

After I had moved into a life of being an adult and many years of waiting and longing, along came my daughter. I want to be an anchor in her life and a constant reminder that she is very loved. I will hold, feed and clothe her. I want to protect her innocence and give her room to fly. I want to be a role model and drill Sargent if I need to be... I want to be a friend when she needs me to be. I want to teach her many things in this life, but most of all I want to love her.

My before and after, My Mother, My Daughter.... what blessings they are to me and how sweet is it to be in the middle of such love! More than anything I want them both to have a very special bond, to be close and learn from each other... there is a quote by Charles Dickens: "Nature gives to every time and season, some beauties of its own." I must say that this is so very true and never more so than when I look at my Mother and Daughter together.

Love My Dad

2008-10-02T16:58:00.000-07:00

These Are a few pictures of my family... My dad, Mom and DH! I had a chance just to shoot the camera with some results I love.

My dad has changed a lot in the last few months and is not as young as he use to be. I know he is not feeling really great and I just keep thinking about how quickly we lost Randys dad. Now all the time I have with my dad is Presious... I do not want to take one single moment for granted and I soak up all that I can when I am with him. I love you dad!

Time moves so quickly and life just flys by... Don't wait to say I love you. Don't hesitate to make that call or say what is on your heart. Tommrow is not promised, Live in the moment God gave you today and Love now.

Learning to do word art

2008-09-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

Wow I learned a new trick today!!! I can make word art! I am trying to figure out how to share it and when I do it will be free to you too!

Tricycles and "NO"

2008-09-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

It is a fact of life... They will grow up. No matter how hard you wish for them to stay little, time marches on. Now we are in the stage of Tricycles and "NO!"s. With all stages it has it wonderful moments and its "let's just forget that ever happened" moments. Half way through the "2"s and I am telling you when they called my daughter spicy they really had no idea how right they were. I would not wish this time away for the world, the cute things she says and the funny little quirks that only two year olds do,, keep me in stitches. However I must admit to being at my wits end at some point in every day with the tantrums and whining. They say you can gauge how your child will be as teen when they are in the 2s&3s. HELP ME!!!! Moody, Yep that is what I am in for with her.... Loving, Loyal and down right MOOOOOOODY! Well in a blink it will be on to the next stage so for now I am will embrace this too and see if I can buy a few wits on E@@bay.

New Kit

2008-09-15T19:39:00.001-07:00

Wow, what fun is it to get something new?? Well my friend Kelly at Caffeine Created Designs has a new kit out and even better than that it is free! Please check it out and help me keep her cranking out the awsome work. Now for my take on the beautiful kit.

Please note credit also goes to TaylorMade for the Original Word art and Carrie Stephens for the Design Sparkels.

China Sisters

2008-09-11T19:18:00.000-07:00

Well I am getting the hang of this digital stuff and I can tell you the sky is the limit... I just need to learn the basics! I made my first word art... ok really it is just the title, but hey I will get there. and the flowers are all mine too and so fun to do!! Maybe I will do a kit someday.
Now the photos are of my dd China Sisters and this is my current project, I am making an adoption book for Miah that I plan to print out for her to look at when ever she wants.

***

The papers here are more from my Friend Kelly... Be sure and stop by and check out the kits she has waiting.

More Digital Art!!!

2008-09-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

Wow this digital scraping is just as addictive as paper!! I made this LO in an hour, which for me is rare!! This kit is awsome and made by my friend Kelly over at Caffeine Created Designs she has several freebies so if you find the time please check them out!!**** Thank you Kelly for the great Kit!!!

Oh and by the way this is my DS at about 18 months old, it is so hard to belive that he is now a 2nd grader!

Going Digital

2008-09-09T10:37:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to do digital LayOuts for a while, but had no really friendly program... Till now!! Photoshop Elements 6 and a few free digi kits and I am on my way. What do ya think??

New Pictures

2008-09-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

I took these pictures of Miah this morning and I can hardly ignore the little lady she is becoming. I am amazed at how fast time is flying by now and that she will be two and a half in two days.... Where did the time go???
We are all most completly done with potty training Big YEAH there and she is talking more and more like a big girl every day. Her favorite things in the world are that lovie and all things disney Princess! Dancing and gymnastics run a very close second, not to mention her new dare acts!

COntemplate

2008-08-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

2008-08-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a long while since I have sat down and really posted anything here. Life has just been moving at a faster pace as of late and well I guess I have been living it away from the computer. I am putting this up for a few of you who still check in from time to time to say Hi and let you know we really are doing just fine. Both Miah and James are growing more and more every day and well they are also finding it most fun to drive mommy up a wall!!!! No really they are doing great, James is starting secound grade in one week and I am looking into putting Miah in a dance class or some type of Gymnastics program if I can find one around here. Miah is potty trianing now and let me tell you I do not care what anyone says I think Boy are way easier to train. She is just all over the place about going to the bathroom and we have a long way to go yet, but I know she will get there and surely before kindergarten. We just got back from a dream vacation at Walt Disney World and loved it!!!! James rode so many rides I never thought I would get him on and Miah could ride almost every thing and they both did great. The best moments were the little unplaned things that I will never forget and meeting the charecters... Both kids were just lit up to see the Mouse! I am putting up a few pictures and I hope you enjoy! Bye for now

Just saying we are still here and ok

2008-08-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

All is well

2008-07-15T20:58:00.000-07:00

I know I have not written in a long while, but we are all doing well. Just busy with summer here and life. I hope to start picking up with the blog again soon, but until then I will leave you with a new scrap page... Hope you enjoy!

2008-06-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share what I have been doing as of late... Scraping!!

The top page is from a couple months after we got home, the two middle ones are both from gotcha day and the last one is from just the other day, my little angle or is it ham???

Happy Mothers Day

2008-05-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

I want to wish all the mothers who are or will be a mommy a very Wonderful Mothers day!

These are the reasons this day is MY day too... LOVE them!!!

Got Spunk

2008-04-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

Ok I must admit this is one of my most favorite pictures of Miah. She is eighteen months here and already her "tude" is shining through. I could not help but share this.

Princess

2008-04-18T06:47:00.000-07:00

What could be more fun than a little dress-up session? I think I have waited my whole adult life to be able to play dress-up and that day has finally come!! So much fun and I am loving every min. of it.

Beauty

2008-04-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

Finally getting around to scrapping a few of those winter pictures... This is one of my favorites!

Hopping into spring

2008-04-10T14:33:00.003-07:00

My budding artist, Miah really enjoys coloring and I can usually get a good twenty Min. break while she does.
Here are my two fur babies Cinder, and Sugar at their favorite pass time.... Watching for Crumbs
My handsome Brown Eyed Boy
You will never guess what she is doing here... Scroll down and I will fill you in a few Pics down.
Ok so she is not suppose to be on this but if there is one thing this little chicky is it would haft to be determinded

Can you see what she is up to yet??

Chasing FROGS!!!! UGH... Oh well it may not be clean fun but it is good fun!James found three frogs and has neat names for them all, I think this was HopOH!My girl is just not afraid at all and a little dirt never hurt as far as she is concerned. I do admit when she is done with the dirt you really can not get it off fast enough but until then she is a regular mud buddy.

It has been a while since I have posted here but we are still kicking. The kids have been keeping my busy and I was gone on a women's retreat. James has started a new season of baseball and I am looking for some type of dance or tumbling class for Miah ( can not seem to find one yet for under the age of three). Spring has come full force in our little corner of the world and taken out our back fence, not to mention left buckets full of mud that my two little .... cherubs find irresistible. I am planning for a trip... Really it is a Dream Come True!!! I get to take James and Miah to Walt Disney World and I am overwhelmed with the wealth of things to do so I am trying to research on planing an itinerary... any input would be greatly welcomed! Randy's job is sending him to a confrence and then he will take a few extra days to "play" so all in all we will be there for ten days, the great part is that they are paying for his flight and food and they are footing the bill for the hotel all but the last two nights. From what I understand it is a pretty nice place to stay and is on the resort... It is the Dolphin hotel.

Any way I thought I would post a few pictures as I am sure that is really why you stoped by. Hope your spring is starting out great!!

Happy Easter

2008-03-22T19:59:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Easter a little early this year... Kind of ironic seeing as it is already so early. However it is due to rain and storm here in Texas so we had a wonderful dinner with family and the kids hunted eggs. The had a great time and I loved watching them. James is getting really quick and Miah is picky... She likes certain ones and that is that!

They will get their baskets tomorrow and we will talk about the true meaning of Easter and do the egg hunt with eggs that tell the story of Christ and his Resurrection. We attended church tonight and had a Praise and Worship service ( I am a worship leader) it was wonderful and I really am thankful for the cross. How amazing is my God that he would allow his only son to die for me and how Great is my Lord that he chose to die so that I might live.... Thank you Heavenly Father. ( not sure what I am talking about?? got questions?? feel free to ask)

Be sure to check back, I have zoo and snow pictures to post that I am way behind on. Happy Easter!!

Child of Mine

2008-03-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

Child of Mine

Your beauty is as radiant as the sun coming up at first light touching all that it sees with warmth and golden caresses. You shine my little one from the inside out and you take my breath away with the very tenderness of your being. I am blessed to know you and yet even more so to love you. How is it that I was given the wonderful task of being your mother, how is it that I can call you Child of Mine? Joy, so full that all the containers in the world could not hold it is what I feel when I call you my daughter, so much am I in love with you Child of Mine. Your laugh is like the most beautiful waterfall, rushing out and embracing all that it touches. Smile and I am blinded by the pure innocence behind it. Cry and I can hardly bear the thought of anything causing you pain. To protect you and keep you from harm is my wish and I try diligently to do so. I love you, Child of Mine.

Look Who is Two

2008-03-07T06:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Miah!

Two years in one little life and yet she has been through more change and drama than most will see in a life time. As I sit and type this I am filled with mixed emotions and scattered thoughts. I am thrilled to celebrate Miah turning two if not a little sad that the baby stage is quickly making an exit. There are so many exciting things going on with her right now and she is just blooming in a whole new way. Lets just say a parrot has got nothing on Miah and if you do not want something repeated then do not say it in front of her LOL! She is loving and giving so much more lately and it is a joy to see. My thoughts turn to China and a mother who made a choice that brought my daughter and I together and I wonder if she knows. Is there any chance at all that she may have a clue that this beautiful child is half a world away being loved and cherished every moment. In my heart I hope that she has peace and if nothing else a mothers intuition that the baby she left wrapped in nothing but a quilt and placed in a cardboard box on a busy sidewalk is in fact a healthy thriving little girl who is loved. Then I think of the foster family who loved her for several months and then gave her back days before her first birthday. Do they know what a gift they gave her. She came to us with the ability to attach and I know that she was well taken care of, you could just see it in her eyes. I will forever be grateful to them for making a choice to open their home for my child. I wonder about the person who found her that cold morning and I am grateful to them and to the orphanage who took her in. So many hands placed on a little life that held a place in her destiny if you will. I am so very grateful.

One year ago today we walked through the doors of the Dianjiang SWI and were greeted by the staff with smiles and open hearts. We toured the facility and saw other little ones waiting for their forever families and the nannies who were dedicated to them. I took pictures and video and I stood in awe that this was my daughters home for most of her little life. In fact as I stood there is weighed heavily on me that a year to the day had passed since she was brought here. How strangely wonderful that we would have the privilege of visiting this very place on her first birthday. They surprised us with a beautiful cake for Miah and had Randy do the honors of cutting the cake and seeing that every one had some as is their tradition in China. When we left I was overwhelmed with emotion and yet so very very glad to know that my daughter would not haft to spend the rest of her youth in a SWI. On the way back we were given one more wonderful yet sad gift. Our guide took us to Miah's finding spot. I can not tell you how it feels to stand where you know your child was placed venerable and with no way to help them selves, the questions flood your mind and to the why, who, and hows of that moment, that choice that was made. I knew even more so that the woman who left my daughter was very probably thinking of her this day, the day she was born, and I was standing in the spot she had placed Miah. I remember looking around wondering if just maybe Miah's birth mother was somewhere near by. Did she come to this very spot today to feel close to that infant she chose to leave? This like so many other things in Miah's first year of life I will never know. I am grateful to her, this woman who brought Miah into the world, so very very grateful.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-03-04T06:46:00.001-08:00

I can hardly believe it has been a year, but with the leap year in account this day marks one year from the moment I first held my daughter. It is amazing to see all the changes she made in a short time and to see her personality emerge. I am awed every day by this little spit fire that has us all wrapped around her little finger. She came into our lives with a curious stare and as is to ask us if we were going to treat her like the princess she is and she has lived up to that stare every day. Thank you China for one of your most precious gifts a daughter. There are so many things I could say and want to say, but I think I will leave you with the pictures and spend this time with Miah, my beautiful China girl!

Up to

2008-02-21T09:52:00.000-08:00

James had his First Grade music performance and boy did he look handsome! He sang all the songs and was on the first row so we could see him really well. I could not get over the fact that he was really singing and doing a wonderful job. GO JAMES!!
We did have a little something for the kids on V. day just to see the smiles on their little faces!

The weather like usual here in Texas has been great one day and crummy the next so we decided to take advantage of the sunshine and play in the back yard.

Back

2008-02-14T11:10:00.000-08:00

Back to my hobby! It seems like I have been away from my scrapbooking forever and I am so glad to get back to it. I would like to say that it was just time that kept me away, you know being to busy, but really I was having a few problems. See I have a few health issues that when I take care of them are no big deal and easy to control, but when I don't every thing gets out of wack. Well I needed to have a real big wake up call and I did so now the moody blues are on the way out and I can focus on the little things I love again. When I would sit down before I would feel agitated and not creative so I would sigh and just leave it undone. That was not like me and there were a few other signs as well like getting angry over little things or being in a hurry to get no where. Oh and then there was not wanting to get off the couch. Yep I was depressed and it showed. Now I do not take meds for depression, I do not need them really. What I did need was to recognize that my health is important and that I can not live in denial or try and wish it away. I am a diabetic, plane and simple and it sucks. Really really sucks, but I am blessed in that right now all I need are a couple of pills some exercise and to eat right to make me feel better and to live a long and happy life. I was angry, and hurt. Why would God let me be this way? I do not know, but I do know that he did not leave me and he does love me and some day I will understand his plan, and in the mean time he has given me the tools to overcome! I have so much to be happy about and it is time I get back to being happy... Watch out world I am back and stronger than ever!

2008-02-11T05:24:00.000-08:00

Our first Chinese New Year as a family was very simple and to the point. We dressed up and went out to eat at our favorite Chinese restraunt and the kids loved being in their new clothes and trying out a few chinese phrases on the wait staff who ate it up. Next year we hope to join in on a few more activites , but I think for our first year we had a great time. Enjoy the pictures.

Little Miss Avery

2008-02-05T04:46:00.000-08:00

What is the next best thing to getting your own refferal?? Watching people who are over the moon special get their refferal of course!

Robyn and Paul, words can not express how truly happy I am that your day has finally come and now you are on the last leg of this journey and about to start a whole new one. Your little Avery is such a beautiful child and I know that you are going to be "rockin" parents for her. I can not wait to meet her and I am praying for a safe, filled with adventure trip to China for you. May your TA come quickly and your plane fly swiftly!

Now if by some chance you out there have not seem Little Miss Avery, your missing out and you should go directly to see her! Make sure you give a shout out to her parents as they deserve all the love... They have waited a long time for this day.

bubble fun

2008-01-29T07:35:00.001-08:00

It was a sick day for James, but Miah was loving that as she had a playmate all day. Not to mention he is the best buddy a girl could have. They had a wonderful time with bubbles and I am still learning with this camera, so it was fun all around. Even with two fevers and a lot of snot

Randy and the camera

2008-01-27T14:41:00.000-08:00

I thought I was the budding photographer at our house, but it turns out Randy is not to bad himself. I asked him to take a few shots of me since I am rarely on the right side of the camera, and he did a great job. I hardly ever see a picture of me I can stomache, but he had two or three that were not so bad. Oh and since I know you really came here to see the kids there is a shot he took of them too!

Saying Goodbye to Gram

2008-01-22T05:11:00.000-08:00

Virginia May.... Beautiful, Loving, Precious, Sweet, Kind, and so much more. My Grandmother was a true Lady and it breaks my heart to haft to say goodbye to her. She left this world in peace on January 19Th and tomorrow we will say goodbye for the last time as we lay her in her final resting place. She will be forever missed.

Gram,

I am thankful that God gave me you as a grandmother. You always knew how to make me feel like I was special. Your love for me was always so evident in your smile and the way talked to me, unconditional and I knew it. The things that you taught me with out preaching at me are lessons that I have come to cherish and am grateful to learn. Your love of reading and Vick's( smile), a REAL coke poured into a glass, these are all things that I love too, because of you and I will always think of you when they are near. There are so many more things I want to tell you and there were never enough I love yous even if we said them a thousand times. I do Gram I love you so very very much. I miss you already, the world is missing an angel that God has reclaimed, and I am missing a very bright light in my life. I promise that you will shine on in my heart, I promise to tell my children and grandchildren all about you and what a wonderful person you were. I love you Gram....... Goodbye for now. Stacey

New Camera BandWagon

2008-01-16T12:10:00.000-08:00

I have been a shutterbug since the day James was placed in my arms and I have not looked back since. When he was a little over a year old I went digital and I must admit it is a wonderful thing with instant gratification that I love so much. I also like that I can take tons of pictures and get just what I want... Most of the time. I am a long way from being really good and just barley scratching the surface with ok, but I want to grow. I am looking into taking classes and I took a giant leap and bought myself a Digital SLR . I did a lot of reasearch, but what I found most helpful was other adoption bloggers who have also bought new cameras latley and SHE really caught my eye with a few photos and after really looking at all the pros and cons I bought the same one and I LOVE IT!! It is just right for a beginner that wants to really learn about photograpy or even some one who just wants to "point and Click". It has a great learning curve with room to grow, and since my kids will only be little once I look at as an investment. I will tell you I did not buy this in store. I got it online with a huge bundle package and paid a few hundred dollars less so if you are looking into getting one too drop me a line and I will be happy to tell you where I got it. Now for the fun part.... Pictures!!!

Miah talking to mommy

2008-01-14T13:18:00.000-08:00

Is she not the cutest thing ever!

22 Months

2008-01-07T09:52:00.000-08:00

It is so hard to believe that we have been the proud parents of our Little Miss Miah for 10 months now, and it is even harder to believe she is 22 months old today. She is just a little ray of sunshine where ever she goes, always smileing and laughing for us. Right now in her life the "fun" thing to do is mimic the ones she loves. This especially means James, and that can be super cute or just down right frustrating! Miah is really starting to speak here and there and is now putting two words together on her own. She loves to dance and I have started to see some real potential there, it is the way she moves and that she keeps the beat. Her Lovie is her best friend in the world and she is never to far from it, and her cutest expression is the way she says "Owie" I will try and catch that on film cause it is darn cute. Every day brings something new and I am so blessed to be the one watching her discover it!

What a diffrence a year makes

2008-01-03T04:41:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of "THE CALL"

First of all I want to say Happy New Year!! Also congratulations to the new mommies and daddies who just received referrals yesterday and today.

As I sit here this morning my mind clearly goes back to a year ago today and I can still remember the tension and excitement in the air. It was our turn, finally. Today was the day we would see our daughters face for the first time and there were no doubts as we had just missed the cut off the month before. I was up early and scouring the Internet for any glimpse of news and the day seemed to drag by so slowly for me, but our moment did happen. This is the first glimpse we had of Miah. Later I wrote down all about that day here " The Call". It happened and now time seems to be flying by so fast that I can hardly keep up. A year ago today one part of our Journey ended and another part began, the best part, knowing our daughter, if even from a distance in the beginning. This past year brought so many things to our lives, and it all started with that call. Thank you China, for one of your daughters. She is the most amazing little girl and we love her so very much. We will always be grateful that we were chosen to be her parents and family.

Pictures as Promised

2007-12-28T20:16:00.001-08:00

Here we are about to begin our Christmas Eve traditions, the ones I started with James on his first Christmas and now we get to share with Miah.... Time for Jammies!
After getting them in Matching PJs (how CUTE!!) They each get to open one gift and this is Miah's first Christmas present ever ... It is a Barbie magna doodle board. She would tear one little strip of paper and then hand it to me and then another little strip. By the time it was all said and done I was ripping into them for her.Ok I hate posting pictures of myself, but I will sacrifice for this one. Randy and James had gone shopping for a few last minute items and Randy comes home telling me that James had talked him into buy one more gift for me and that it was to be my Christmas eve gift. James was so excited about me opening my gift that he went on and on about it and was not even concerned with what he would get to open at all. Well I am not a big sponge bob fan at all so you can see by the look in this picture I was VERY surprised at the gift my son HAD to have for me. James laughed so hard and was as excited as I have ever seen him when I opened this up and Randy told me that these were to be my Christmas PJs and I was to go and put them on right now. Yep I wore Bright Yellow and Neon Blue Sponge Bob PJs for my son and he loved every second of it.
Miah gets to help leave milk and cookies for the first time ever, and James insisted the milk be chocolate this year so Santa could have something different. He is so thoughtful.
After the kids as safely tucked into bed and fast asleep we took all the gifts out from under the tree to put them in groups so we can have all the kids gifts near the front of the tree. Now during the month leading up to Christmas I try to keep anything for James well in back of the tree and out of reach, but this year while I was away shopping and Randy was working from home it seems that James found an opening to go digging under the tree and proudly told me the exact number of gifts that were under the tree for him..... Ok not good!! Do you see all the gifts in the pictures.... Well he had to dig through almost all of them to get to his. Little stinker!This is what my little darling woke up to this Christmas.

Miah appears to be first in the picture, but the real story is that James ( after me calling his name a few times) came down the hall first and ran to bury is head in the couch for a few more seconds of sleep. We can have none of that ... not of Christmas day. So I send him after his sister, who would usually by this time be up and yelling for anyone to take her gate down, but wouldn't you know it that when I want her to get up early she can not be bothered. IT took James a few tries to get her up and then she was running down the hall to me. Here is James with all his loot. Such a happy camper was he!Miah had her fair share too. Near the end of opening gifts she got real mad that every time she got a present open we seemed to take away and MAKE her start all over again. She just wanted to play with what she had and why should she open any thing Else if we were just going to take it.Other than my daughter, I would haft to say that this is the most wonderful gift this year. It is one of the most beautiful, heart wrenching pieces of art I have ever seen. I was so taken when I saw it that I cried. Miah also loves it and seems to be very possessive of the book.

One last little story of the day though I could tell you many, but this one takes the cookie! After opening the first round of gifts,and before our families arrived I put Miah in the highchair for a little breakfast and then went to check on James. Randy and I both were walking into the kitchen when we were stoped in our tracks by the sight before us. It seems Miah was not happy with Cheerios and decided that the foil cover close to the chair look far more interesting so apparently she helped her self at 6:30 in the morning to the cookie plate. When she saw us she beamed with pride at her accomplishment and was delight that we could join in on her fun. It is a moment I will never forget... To CUTE!

All and all our family had a wonderful Christmas and we are so blessed to have them both home, safe, and sound! Miah's first Christmas was a hit and all of our family was here to share it with her and you can not ask for more than that.

Christmas Time

2007-12-26T07:33:00.000-08:00

This Holiday season has been a whirlwind for us and one that was both wonderful and a little hectic. We did a lot of fun things, but also missed a few things I would have loved to do. However this year we were all together and that was what matters most! Here are a few bullets to our December Extravaganza:

** Papa's Birthday....YEAH!!!

** James lost his first tooth!!

** Mommy lost a crown.BOO!

** Miah put two words together all on her own!

** Uncle Shane had a Birthday!

**James lost a second tooth... to funny!

** Mommy got a new car and said bye bye to the van.

** We celebrated Christmas by hosting the Little Ladybug party with a few of Miahs China sisters.

** Miah saw Santa for the first time, and was not really to thrilled,but survived.

** James asked me for the first time " Is Santa really, really real mama?" I wanted to cry but Randy and I always agreed if he asked we would not lie. Funny thing is even after telling him the whole St. Nick story and explaining what a tall tale is James still made his own choice to believe, and we told him that was OK!

** Randy and I celebrated 14 years of marriage, and I can still say that I love this man with every ounce of my heart. I also learned that you can FALL in love all over again even after being with someone for this long, and it feels really good!

** We hosted Christmas at our house this year and it was WONDERFUL! Miah's first Christmas will defiantly be one that I will always hold dear to my heart. Both of my Children were more than blessed with gifts, but more importantly with the love of family. When I asked James if he had a good Christmas last night before he went to bed he said yes. Then I asked one more time what Christmas was reall about and this is what he said...

" Its about family, and it is Jesus' Birthday. Mom it is about presents too and Jesus." Then he looked at me real serious and said" Really mama it IS about family TOO, you know being together?" I looked at he and told him that was right and then he hugged me real tight and went to bed. As a mom I will always hold that close to me, and as an adoptive mother it struck me even a little closer to home. Family.... I belong.... I am wanted, loved and needed. That is what I heard in my beautiful sons words and that is my wish for all the children of the world.

I will post pic. later. Merry Christmas all.

Start up

2007-12-04T15:59:00.000-08:00

Read all about it at the bottom...

Well I have been talking about it for a while now with friends and I have many ideas in my head, but now I actually have the Pilot product. My Sister in law and I are starting a home based business making boutique overalls, pants , and outfits. We will also have a line of bows to match and other little item here and there. We are working on the website but I wanted to get a little feed back here so if you like what you see please drop me a line.... Oh and if you are interested in buying an outfit like this one just let me know. Here is my darling little Model .... Miss Miah.

Catching up again

2007-12-01T20:18:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone and now it is the first of December. I was thinking about a year ago I wrote a post thanking those who were waiting for Miah with us, and now she has spent her first Thanksgiving with them so I thought I would share a few pictures, better late than never.

Nene and Miah are good to go with a sippy and snacks they can have a ball.

Well I guess if we haft to have a weird face in the picture at least they were all on the same page!

Ok this one is a little better!

Hey I do have happy kids.... Laughing at PaPa is so much fun!

Miah Is Singing to her Papa.... SOOOO CUTE!

Little Artist and Homework

2007-11-16T05:09:00.000-08:00

There are new things happening over here and to me it is a wonderful thing! First of all Miah is really beginning to talk. Words are popping up all over the place and I could not be happier. I was really worried for a while about her speech as most things she says sounds like she has a mouth full of marbles. Now she still has a few words I can not understand, but there are so many new things she is saying that are really clear and real words not to mention very very cute! Mr. James is taking off reading, I mean it was like a light went off in his head and we have an emergent reader in our home. Love it!! Another new thing for James is homework, well ok sort of new, but not fun. We are really trying to get him started on good habits for homework as this will be a constant in his life for the next SEVERAL years and it is a must that will not go away. He is not thrilled about it and is fighting us really hard right now, but I know in time we will get it all worked out. I do try to make it fun where I can, but the truth is there is just only so much you can do with it all. James is doing great in school... almost all A's he has one B that I do not agree with but can do nothing to change as it is school policy to give them a B if they are on level with reading, they must me above level to get an A. He should get an A this six weeks, we will see.

Miah has learned what coloring is all about. My little angel is a budding artist with a flare for the dramatic. We had a great time the other day just playing around with colors enjoy the pictures.

Sweet Sleep

2007-11-12T09:50:00.000-08:00

Miah is learning to sleep in her toddler bed. Well actually she has really loved taking her naps there and we have put her to bed at night in the bed and she falls asleep pretty easily, but we need to get a gate before we allow her to sleep the whole night through just in case she wants to get up and roam the house. I do usually let her make the choice of where she lays down and she loves the big girl bed... So I guess it is almost time to say bye bye crib. Here she is in all her glory in her big girl bed.

Eight Months

2007-11-05T07:22:00.000-08:00

What was that mom?? Eight months with you and daddy???
Yeah!!! Below is a picture with Miah and her referral photo, in fact this is the first time she has really seen it.

Has time really gone by that fast? It seems like yesterday I was marking the days off the calendar with a longing sigh just to see my daughters face. Now I am cleaning that face and loving every smile I see on that face too! She is amazing and every thing I dreamed of, no she is much much more than I hoped for. These last eight months have flown by and we have watched her bloom and grow, discover herself and the world around her, and begin to love and be loved with out fear. Miah has gone from not being able to roll over to walking, running, dancing, jumping and wiggling all over the place. She has gone from cooing to singing and talking. Her personality comes out a little more every day and I will warn the world she is a spit fire, my girl will take the world and tilt it on the side. I love you Miah, you make my heart so very,very glad!

First Trick or Treat

2007-11-01T04:54:00.000-07:00

We had the best time last night! James and Miah came home with a boat load of candy and smiles.I was so surprised at how well Miah handled it all, she was actually pulling me as hard as she could to walk faster and then would try the best she could to stay up with James. James was a great big brother holding her hand and making sure she got candy, even to the point of taking candy out of his pumpkin and giving it to her...SOOO SWEET!! He held her hand and protected her from the sometime swarm of kids to the best of his ability ( mommy had to step in due to rowdy children, but that is ok)always looking out for her. We got Miah to say trick or treat and it sounded like twww teeee just so darling. I think the best part was when daddy showed up, even if he scared the wits out of me. We did not think he was going to be able to make it and while we were walking, Miah who's hand I was tightly holding was suddenly jerked away from me and I was caught by surprise and ready to kill some one when I turned to see Randy grinning from ear to ear. NOT FUNNY! Oh I wanted to do some damage to him for scarring me so. All in all Miah's first trick or treating went great and James in now the owner of not one but two huge stashes of candy with a little on the side for sister.

Swing.... Wordless Wensday

2007-10-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

Swing baby Swing.... As high as you can, never be afraid to enjoy the momentum. I love you, mommy.

I love that Miah has no fear, she loves to go higher and higher. In the picture up top every thing is in motion except for her face( click on the picture to get a better view) which shows the sheer joy of the wind in her face. You go baby!!

Wordless Wensday

Carving a pumpkin

2007-10-29T20:12:00.001-07:00

Are you kidding me mom, I do NOT want to stick my hand in there!!!!
EWWWW, Sticky Stuff.... Ok I touch one little seed, but that is ALL!
YEAH gross stuff to play with.... OH MIAH.... Hehe!!
What a great job James! ( Daddy did all the carving but James was a wonderful supervisor and gave great instructions!)

What fun it is to get a squishy with our hands...or not! This was another first for our little Miss Miah and boy did I have fun, I mean did THEY have fun. We went with a simple pattern this year, but the best part was trying to get Miah to put her hands in the pumpkin. She was having no part of that and would hardly touch the seeds I pulled out. It took a while to convince her it was ok, but I have got to say she want not at all impressed with the sticky squishy stuff at all. James on the other hand could not get enough and offered to help with sisters pumpkin too. He was all about the experience and loved every second of the gooey mess.

2007-10-27T22:06:00.001-07:00

The Beauty that you are .... Miah

2007-10-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wensday with Five Minutes for Moms.... Check it out!

My kiddos

2007-10-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

A loud screech tests the strength of our glass windows, as my son darts down the hall with a flimsy white cloth. The ever coveted lovie is waved like a banner from his hands and his smile says it all.... I am bigger than you are. No matter, Miah has learned that this ear piercing sound will have mama running with panic to ensure her chicks are ok and all limbs accounted for. It does not hurt to know that the moment mama sees big brother with said lovie he will inevitably get a tounge lashing and the prized item will be returned. Now this happening once a day would test any ones mommy, but this happens no less than two or three times a day. Oh happy happy, joy, joy! To be fair Miah gets James only she is not so sly about it, nope she just walks up and clocks him in the head with a wooden block. The blow this week was hard enough to send my six year old into a total melt down and he still has a very sore spot on his head. I have found my self telling them to cut it out or I will stop the car, and on countless times told them to be nice to each other.... They are without a doubt brother and sister with all the ups, downs, and sideways antics they can come up with, but I LOVE IT, even when I want to crawl up and hide from it. Because when it is good it is really really good and the love they show each other is a once in a life time kind of thing that only siblings could share. When it is bad it is very rarely really bad and only boils down to child's play. The age difference between them is a blessing and a challenge all at the same time, but I would not change a thing and I am so grateful that they have one another. Enough rambling... here are a couple of the really good times ( which is what we have most of the time) of James and Miah today just hanging out waiting for me to go somewhere else with me camera.

Peas Please

2007-10-18T05:11:00.000-07:00

I do try to feed my kids healthy food, but I admit that I have run out of ideas on what to give them for snacks due to the age difference I can only give them certain things that they can both eat. SOooo I did what I wanted and gave them peas. Yep I feed my children peas like I would feed them popcorn and they loved it. These were frozen sweet peas that I covered with water and microwaved for three min. cooled them down and then in a blink of an eye they were gone. The kids devoured them like candy and then wanted more. Hmmm quick, easy, and good for them, add to that no begging at dinner time to get them to eat veggies and we have a winner!!

My Favorite Time of Year

2007-10-14T18:30:00.000-07:00

It is my favorite time of year.... Holiday time!!! To me the season of fun, laughter, and family begins with a trip to the pumpkin patch, and this year my heart is so full. The last two years I said that Miah will be here next year, but this year..... My baby girl was the cutest pumpkin in the patch. Oh course her big brother was the most handsome!

I had the best time today watching Miah soak in the atmosphere, she loved every second of it. With that being said it was really difficult to get pictures, she just wanted to go,go,go!! James also had a great time, you know catching bugs, trying to destroy a pumpkin or two. Not to mention chasing little sister and riding a few rides. This is our fourth year at this patch and I have got to tell you it is the best one I have found. First of all it is free, the rides and bounce houses are free to do as well. They have vendors with reasonable prices, but you can bring a pick nick lunch if you like and eat at one of the many tables provided. Really if you choose not to you could go all day and not spend a dime, but I personally love to buy the tiny pumpkins for the kids to carry around the house and draw happy faces on, and I love kettle corn... SOOOO GOOD! What I love most is the family fun, we all can do this together and enjoy each others company, throw a little hay around and take a few pictures (if you can catch them), these are the memories I want my kids to have, the moments where the rest of the world goes away and we are just us.... Having Fun! Enjoy the pictures and if you can find a few hours to visit a pumpkin patch.

THE END!!

Catching up

2007-09-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

Wow so much time has passed since my last post. Well I guess that is just life for you... So I will get on with the real reason you stoped by today and just post a few recent pictures. Oh and by the way the kids are doing great and thriving if not driving me crazy... Just kidding, enjoy the pictures.

Miah has figured out the camera thing and now she does this little pose for mommy all the time!Getting these two to play together is not always easy, but they both love to build things so bonding over blocks it is.I am amazed at how quickly Miah is growing and changing... She has finally started to say a few words in the last week and every once in a while she will yell out TADA and stick her hands in the air.... SOOOOO CUTE!This is James studying. Yes with side walk chalk, what a great way to get the spelling words memorized, and apparently it works as he has made 100 or more on each test. GO JAMES!!Here we are at the state fair. We had a great time and Made sure that both kids got to do all the "MUST DO" things on our list. Miah was a real trooper for her first trip to the fair and even had a bite of a Fletcher's corny dog.

Remember

2007-09-11T05:06:00.000-07:00

I Remember. My thoughts and prayers are with those who were there,or lost a loved one on 9/11. I stand with others on this day for our country ready. Ready to move forward with out forgetting the past, ready to say no to terrorism and most of all ready to live with out fear. I Remember.

Miah Gets a Kitchen

2007-09-09T14:08:00.001-07:00

So I am loving the word FREE... My neighbor was getting rid of a Step 2 kitchen and I said I wanted it for Miah and how much did he want for it? Well his daughter had drawn on it with crayola and put stickers all over it , along with pen marks and silver nail polish so he said I could just have it. Ok sounds great to me and Miah would never even know the diffrence anyway. So Randy brought it home last night and I went to work this morning on it and let me tell you I just love a product that works. This thing look brand new out of the box and it was FREE!!! I used Mr. Clean Magic eraser on the crayon and pen marks and they came right out... got to love that. Then I used finger nail poslish on the silver marks, again they came right out. Now the stickers took just a little more time, but with goo gone they were no match for my elbow grease and are not just a distant memory as well. This toy I have seen on ebay and craigs list going for 40 to 60 dollars used and not even close to this condition, so let me just say a big Thank you Dave!!

Here is Miah loving her new Kitchen that was FREE!!

Time has flown by and Miah has been with us six months today!

2007-09-05T21:14:00.000-07:00

The last six months have been more wonderful than I could ever discribe. I am one blessed mommy to know that this little girl is mine for a life time. Enjoy a look at the first six months with Miah.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

What it Takes For Miah's Hair

2007-08-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

So I get comments all the time on how cute Miah's hair is or how pretty and thick it is. I do agree but to be honest it takes some work to tame it every day, but it is sooooo worth it. I am blessed in the fact that she will leave in the bows for the most part, and it is not to difficult on most days to get her to sit still as long as I have a diversion for her. Here is how I get it done... First I put her in a place where she can not get down, most of the time it is her changing table, but sometimes it is the highchair. Then I give her a distraction like a tissue to tear up and she knows she can only do this while we are putting in the pretties, or I give the child shoes to love on and I do mean love on as Miah ADORES shoes! Then I keep a handy spray bottle near by as I MUST have it for her hair on an unruly day if I am not giving her a morning bath. Then I go to work on her head talking to her and telling her how beautiful she is and how cute this looks and so on till we have success. Here are a few pictures of the before and after and a few dews too!

Here she is first thing in the morning and none to happy to have me snapping a photo of the lovely bed head instead of picking her up right away.

Now we have a winning smile as she gets her mop washed and she get to make a few splashes.... another of Miah's favorite things to do.

Here we are all dry, combed and gussied up for the day. See not to bad to tame the hairy beast that sits up top my darlings head.

Here we have one of the first attempts to do real pony tails.... Her hair is just a little to short in the back so.....

We improvise and do a couple of mini ponies to get the desired effect

And this is one you may have seen before but worth posting again if you ask me cause she is so darn cute!! Here I put in 6 or 7 little ponies on the top of her head and let me tell you she loves this. She will touch her head and shake it and pat it, then she prisses around like she knows she is the bomb. My little girl loves to be dolled up!

So now you have the scoop on what it takes for Miah's hair. Don't you know I love it!!

Still Here

2007-08-21T06:17:00.000-07:00

Wow it has been a while since I have posted. Well we are still here and kicking. Things are kind of like a hail storm around here, just about the time I think every thing will be ok there is another strike of lightning and here we go again. So I will leave you with a quick note saying we are ok but could use a little prayer if you have the time. I guess I will leave you with a few pictures too since I know that is why you come LOL!

I finally got around to getting this picture scraped... I drew the flowers cut them out and water colored them... So much fun!

This is a show down.... Who will win the battle of getting dressed????

I just love this picture.... Sweetest hugs in the world!

Five months and a day

2007-08-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

Well it is hard to believe that five months and one day ago my beautiful daughter was placed in my arms. What have I learned since then? Well a lot actually but most of it has been fun and exciting, like she is so smart and funny. She makes the cutest little faces when she is really happy and she wakes up in such a good mood. I have learned that being a mom to two kids can be so rewarding, when you see them bond and learn to love each other. I am so grateful that I can be a mother to this little girl and the best part is the way she just fits. In my heart I know that God kept his hand on Miah while she waited for us and that we had to wait just for her. She is the perfect match for our family and I could not imagine this family with out her in it!

Today

2007-08-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today... Today I will embrace my world. Today I will see the little things and I will cherish them. Today I will breathe in my children just a little more, and I will see the innocence in them. Today I will love my husband because he is a blessing , and I will notice him in a renewed way. Today I will look for the good in things and ignore the bad. Today is a day that I will enjoy and hold dear simply because I can.

No one knows what tomorrow may bring and I have been letting the days fly by without really even experiencing them. Always looking for the next big event there is to have or the next holiday. Life happens while you are busy making other plans they say and oh how true it is. I want more and the funny thing is MORE has been there all along and I have chosen to just ignore the opportunity that was there to engage freely in the joy that is life. To busy being annoyed by the little things and to lazy to care. No more I will embrace this life and live. Live with a purpose. Praise God he has given me that purpose!

Why the sudden reality check? Well really it is not sudden to me, it has been coming for a while now but I wanted to write it down. The truth is it is even more pressing to me now because my Gram is back in the hospital. She has now had a major stroke and the woman who was telling me stories of her childhood while I listened engrossed in the past, is now unable to move the entire left side of her body and speaks with a slur. SO unfair this terrible thing that has happened and now we must wait to see if she will gain back any of her functions. It hurts me so deeply to see her in pain. To know that her mind is still very sharp but that her body rebels. My Gram is me and I am my Gram, two peas in a pod and so very a like some times it is scary. I hate this with such a passion, but the only thing I can do is pray for her, that and choose to live. Live my life to the fullest and not take one little blessing for granted.

Please keep my Gram in your prayers.

Funny Face

2007-08-02T07:25:00.000-07:00

Oh my little funny Faces how I love you. You make me smile so many times a day. You are both the joy of my life, always keeping it real for me. Thank you my sweet darlings for just being you, so innocent and full of pure life. Mommy loves you both!!

Update: Gram

2007-07-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

My gram had surgery today and is stable. If all goes well she should be home in a day or so. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

Please Pray

2007-07-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of four generations. My grandmother, my mother, me and my daughter. I am asking for prayer for my grandmother who is currently in the ICU at Baylor Hospital. The doctors do not really have a clear picture yet, but my Gram is having a hard time. Please keep her in your prayers. Thank you so very much.

BLoggy Giveaway Cool Goodies Part 2

2007-07-24T06:09:00.000-07:00

****UPDATE****
I have picked two winners and am waiting on a response from them. I will post who they are as soon as they acknowledge my emails. I for some reason they do not respond I will choose alternates this Wednesday. Thank you all for your wonderful comments and support!

This is so much fun that I thought I would add a little more to give away... Please,Please,PLEASE make sure you leave an email address or a blog site where I can contact you... If you have a blogger ID but not a blog make sure you have your profile set up to allow others to see your email address. There are several people who left comments yesterday and I have no way to contact them...so sad. So please be sure and check. Ok now on to the goodies. I have hand made 6 simple cards for you. I love to have a few extra cards ready at any time so that I am not scrambling to make something, and now you can have a few too!

There are two thank you cards, one thinking of you card, one happy birthday card and then the last card says smile and you could use that for lots of reasons. Now all you must do is leave a comment and I will draw randomly on Friday at 8 am. Good Luck!

Oh and if you have not already done so click here and enter that give away too!!!

BLoggy Giveaway Cool Goodies

2007-07-23T06:54:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to my blog... I am a stay at home mom of two great kids, an avid reader, scrapbooker, and photo bug. Thanks for stopping by!

If you have not been to Rocks In My Dryer yet you need to go and check out all the cool links for this Bloggy Giveaway, but before you do please check out what I have dug up to give away.

To start with I went through my stickers and thought I would share what I have in abundance. I am also adding in this cute mini album that is just perfect to fit in a purse or to give as a brag book for grandma. It will hold wallet size photos.

In order to win all you must do is leave a comment, and make sure I can get a hold of you by email or by blog. I will do a random draw on Friday morning at 8am and post the winner on this blog as well as notify you. Good luck!
Oh and do check back as I will be adding to this list through out the week. Thanks again for stopping by.
****UPDATE**** Be sure and check here for my other give away!

A few of the good ones

2007-07-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

BLoggy Giveaway

2007-07-19T07:08:00.000-07:00

This seems like a whole lot of fun so I too will be participating! One of my most favorite things is to give to otheres and what an easy and intresting way to do it while meeting others in the process! This will happen on July 23rd so be sure and check back!

Wordless Wensday: Not In The Mood For Photos

2007-07-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

Something New

2007-07-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

Well I thought I would try something new so I am looking on line to get reviews from other moms like me and I love it. They do the research and I reap the benefits, one of those sites is Mama Speaks this is a review blog and worth the time it takes to check it out. I came across this due to a contest at Adventures in Babywearing, Oodles at Kangaroodle. Kangaroodle is a great place to shop and I have really enjoyed browsing... Now if my wallet was as big as my wish list!
So if you have the time check it out.

In other news I wanted to share that yesterday was a terrible no good day!! Do you ever wish you could just rewind and live that moment over again?? This was NOT one of those moments!!!! We took a two hour drive down to the lake in order to celebrate James' birthday with his grandma Linda who could not fathom him not having a birthday party. So she bought him a cool spider man cake and all the trimmings and took us all out for Chinese food, which should have and would have been a great time.... However James, who woke up that morning with just a few sniffles from allergies, was progressively getting worse on the ride down and by the time we got there he would not lift his head up AT ALL. So we give him medicine and hope that feeding him will help and off to lunch we went. Where my darling little girl decided she did not like James getting all the attention and that EVERY ONE else had a better plate of food than she did. So she screamed, and screamed and threw food and well screamed some more, while all the good folk of the small town shook their heads at us. James refused to touch any food at all and laid his head on the table only to look up under the strictest request. Well about twenty minuets in to lunch I could take no more of the screaming nor the shaking heads , and I took Miah out while the rest of our group gather our belongings and paid the bill. Upon returning back to Linda's home we tried to get James excited about the cake and gifts but the poor guy could only muster a half hearted attempt and really would have rather just taken a nap. We cut our visit short and headed for home and on the trip Miah had decided that the car seat was not her friend and she was anything but happy. You guessed it she screamed most of the way home until I gave in a put a movie on just to keep my sanity in check. I know now that she too was coming down with a cold and what I thought to just be allergies with James is, well , more than that and he is currently running about 102. The real kicker here is that after that horrible day whit my two cherubs being out of sorts we get home only to realize that in all the rush to get out of the restaurant my purse had been left behind... GREAT! So now we are trying to figure out the least pain in the rear way to get it back. Oh yeah and I also went to my neighbors Once Upon A Family party where the hostess proceeded to be really rude to me, just par for the course I guess. I must have had a label on my head yesterday that said beat me while I am down. Ok I guess I will stop venting for now, but I will post pictures of our pitiful adventure yesterday later on.

Going on around here

2007-07-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

Is this not the cutest scene... Apparently I was not getting Miah's dinner to her fast enough so James stepped in. It got really quiet so I looked around the corner to find this, and as any good mom would do I grabbed the camera :0) Sooooo CUTE!
Miah got a new doll. All the ones she currently have are just a wee bit to big and she ends up dragging them by the hair and sounding as if she is out of breath even if she loves them to pieces, so I got her this tiny cabbage patch and she loves it.
This summer has been unusually wet. In fact it has not been this wet since 1913. Well along with all this water are a few great puddles.... Seems Miah found one! No really we let her explore with her big brother and they had a blast, she just came out a little more wet than he did. I guess that happens when you are closer to the water.
See all the pretty pig tails?? This hair dew is much more darling in real life . She loves it to and takes great pleasure in touching them and shaking her head, she is my little girly girl.
Try as I might I can not keep her out of the dogs cage. We are taking care of a golden retriever for the week and her cage is smack dab in the middle of my living room and that means Miah thinks it is fair game. I keep our two dogs cage in the bedroom and she loves to get her little hands on it but most of the time she can not get to it so this cage has been to much fun for her.

That is what is going on around here the last few days.