Wordless Wednesday

Happy 5th Family Day!

Yesterday was Twinkletoes 5th Family Day.  However, we are celebrating tonight as Mommy got a little mixed up with dates!  Family Day is the anniversary of the day we received Twinkletoes in Korea.  The day we became a family.  The day this sweet beautiful baby girl rocked our world and taught us a whole new dimension to parenting!  Being an adoptive mother is wonderful, challenging, and humbling.  Here are some pictures from our first day together 5 years ago:

Twinkletoes - you have been a gift to our family.  I can't imagine life without you.  I am so thankful to your birthmother for choosing life and for the foster mothers that cared for you your first months of life.  I pray I can be the mother you need as you grow into a beautiful young lady.  I know we have many ups and downs ahead of us as we walk the uncharted waters of the years to come.  Today when I told you it was your family day - the day we received you in Korea you shouted with a smile of anticipation, "Do I get to go back to Korea?"  I pray someday that we will be able to take you back to Korea and help you fill in the areas of your heart that feel missing.  Until that day I pray that the Lord will help you to see the gift of love and family you have here in our home. 

It was so much fun to sit with you on my lap and look through the pictures of our first days together and pictures we have of the place where you were born.  I know it doesn't mean a lot to you now, but I know it will someday.  I am so glad we had the opportunity to capture those memories for you.  You loved to point out every picture that I was holding you in.  We have grown so much closer this year and I am so thankful.  We had a rough couple years on the get go - especially after moving to Texas.  I really think it scared you to have so much change so fast.  I pray you know our love for you is so strong and will last through every up and down this life can throw our way.  Every time you give me a kiss and tell me you love me - I feel so warm and giddy inside, amazed by the miracle of love forged through loss.  

Tonight we are going to celebrate.  I will make one of your favorite rice dishes for dinner and we will try to use our chopsticks - although your not sure you want to.  It's not authentic Korean, but it's your favorite.  I hope I can learn to cook more traditional Korea dishes and incorporate them into our family fare.  It's my goal this year!  We will then go to a play together as a family and then out for dessert!  We love you Twinkletoes!!

Grocery Shopping - Uggg!

I am so tired right now I can hardly move.  Is that normal after grocery shopping?  It is for me.  I have to admit I greatly dislike grocery shopping and I put it off as long as I can.  My wonderful dear husband will often run and pick up a few items that are needed on his way home from work, but I know that we end up spending more money when we go to the grocery store multiple times a week.  It has always been my goal - dream - to be one of those moms who plan out their meals every week, make their grocery list, clip their coupons and do their grocery shopping on the same day every week.  Of course, not straying from the list at hand while in the store. Oh, what a dream!

That has not become my reality - as often as I have tried to make it happen.  Honestly, since coming home from Korea in May - yes, 3 months ago, I have only gone and done two major grocery runs.  That is when my cupboards are so bare - everyone is complaining and I'm really struggling to figure out what to make for dinner.  I will interject here that we are part of a fruit/veggie co-op, so every two weeks we do get an overflowing basket of fresh fruits and veggies.  Often, this wonderful delivery gives me just the excuse I need to make it a "few" more days without the dreaded grocery shopping.  We also have a deep freezer in the garage - so I can stock up when I do go, so the essentials to make a meal I usually do have on hand

Today's grocery trip was quite an experience as it was my first large grocery run with my newest son.  I usually try to go grocery shopping by myself or possibly with one of the older kids.  This is probably one of the reasons why it's difficult to find the time to get to the store as well.   However, today I had the joy of grocery shopping with our newest son Bumble.  Wow - what an experience!  I'm sure his presence at the store with me is partly responsible for my current state of exhaustion.  Let's just say everyone knew we were in the store.  I decided to go to the commissary on base as we had to go on base for some medical tests this morning anyway and it saves us a bit of money.

Bumble's two favorite things to do are to eat and to empty/clear things and throw then on the floor.  Not a good combination with grocery shopping.  As I put items into the cart, Bumble would decide he wanted some of it.  Now Bumble's communication is a bit difficult right now to say the least.  In fact it's one of our biggest hurdles.  So, often Bumble let's me know he wants something by letting out a high pierced shriek.  Then if he does not get what he wants he begins to fuss increasing in volume every few moments till he is full out tantruming.  He is very persistent.  Well, obviously he couldn't have everything he wanted.  I did open some baby rice crackers that he liked and munched on happily for a few minutes until the next item came into the cart that caught his attention.  At this point he would drop - or more like throw - his cracker on the floor.  As the cart became fuller he decided he wanted to "sort" through it.  Everything within his reach was quickly dispensed with once again onto the floor.  Oh we got the "oh, isn't he cute" looks, the "I'm so annoyed by this screaming kid" looks, and the "I feel sorry for you" looks.  I also had a few dear women who would try to talk to him in a sing-songy voice, which often would make him more upset.  Eventually a box of raisins did detour him for the last 20 minutes, just when I was ready to give up. I quickly finished loading my overflowing cart!

Of course I get to the check out and realize I left my military ID in the car.  Oh boy!  What a blessing that the checker turned the screen and allowed me just to type in our ID code without my ID.  One of the other blessings of the commissary is the baggers who bag the groceries and help you load them into your car.  Of course, collecting, purchasing and getting the groceries into the car is only half the battle.  I arrive home to five hungry mouths who want to sift through all the bags to see what goodies have come home, while I try to organize the fridge and pantry to make space for the abundance of food that has been purchased.  Since I don't like grocery shopping, I have a tendency to stock up when I do go!

Well, now we have full shelves in the pantry, refrigerator and both freezers.  The kids are happy, I have many choices to make for dinner and I don't have to go to the grocery store for at least another month - right! Maybe I will try and do that meal planning next time!

Jammer's "Golden" Birthday

This post a s a little belated as Jammer's birthday fell in July but better late than never! It's hard to believe that Jammer is now 12 years old.  Only one more year till he's a teenager.  He has grown up so much in the past year, becoming a young man before our eyes.  I think his shoe size has gone up 5-6 sizes and he has shot up at least six inches, while his voice has dropped an octave.  It's getting difficult for him to hit the falsetto notes that the children's choir director at church wants him to hit.  He is also growing in responsibility as the oldest son in the house.  He has taken on babysitting his siblings - although he often wrangles Runner into accomplishing many of the tasks that need to be done.  They make a good team though!  He had his first dog sitting job and has learned how to mow the yard -definitely the mark of coming of age.

On the night of his actual birthday - his golden birthday - we gathered as a family for his favorite dinner, none other than homemade Macaroni-and-Cheese.  This has been his birthday dinner request for as many years as I can remember.  You may be asking, "what is a golden birthday?"  Your golden birthday is the birthday where you turn the age that the day of the month you were born on is.  Jammer turned 12 on July 12th - his golden birthday.  All the kids reminded us several times that it was Jammer's golden birthday coming up - it had to be special!  At our family birthday dinners we get to honor the birthday boy or girl.  When we honor someone we go around the table and share something we appreciate most about him and/or a virtue we have seen evidence of in that person over the past year.  Often from the younger crowd we get the line, "he's a good brother because he plays with me."  They are all growing in learning how to honor their siblings.

It was fun to reminisce about the night that Jammer was born.  How I was told in the hospital that I was in false labor and sent home.  Jon did not want to be sent home again so he wanted to be sure I was in labor.  After we were sent home the same "symptoms" persisted through the night and into the next day, but he was convinced I wasn't in labor because that is what the Nurse told us.  Being our frst child, we didn't know any different.  However, when my whole body started shaking, Jon decided to call the nurses line and they said, "Ok.... bring her in."  I couldn't even sit through the 30 minute car ride to the hospital.  I was banging the door yelling, "Get this baby out of me!  If this isn't labor I don't want to go into labor!"  It wasn't the serene picture with soft music and candlelight that they taught you to picture in the Lamaze class!  We arrived at the hospital to find I was 9 cm dilated and after about an hour Jammer was born.  I was so elated and then I fainted, Jammer in my arms. Thank goodness Jon was at my side and caught him as he rolled off my chest.  I was only out for less than a minute, my body had just had enough after 25 hours of labor!  We were so excited to be parents.

After dinner Gabriel got to open his gifts from us and his grandparents.  Jammer is a big music guy - he's usually either listening to it, downloading it, playing the piano or guitar, or composing his own on the computer.  He has had a guitar for a couple years and has taught himself a bit but we gave him one month of guitar lessons for his birthday (I got a GREAT deal) and a Karoake machine with lights for him to do his "concerts" with his siblings and friends.  Here is a picture of Jammer and Runner giving it a whirl:

Since it was Gabriel's golden birthday, we said he could have a party this year and he decided he wanted to have a family party.  He didn't want to just invite his friends but the families of friends that we have.  We have a wonderful community here and have been blessed to have great friends.  We decided to gather up at the pavilion at our neighborhood park.

So we started off with football......

While the little ones enjoyed the playground and Jon, with the help of some of the other Dads, grilled....

We then gathered to eat while being serenaded with Christain music, sang on the Karoke machine....

As it is usually at least 100 degrees in July in Texas, we were pleasantly surprised by a much more bearable low 90's with a nice breeze.  However we were all still quite warm.  So it was a blessing that we were able to rent our neighborhood pool for a very reasonable price from 8-10pm. So we capped off our night with a dip in the pool....

And of course then there was the clean-up.  You see how the camera has changed hands.  Hmmmmm...

Overall, I think a fun night was had by all and it was a wonderful celebration of the life of a very special boy.  I'm trying to slow down and enjoy every moment with Jammer, as his days of being a "kid" are quickly passing.  I enjoy watching him grow and mature and I enjoy his laughter and humor....well at least some of the time...come on 12 year old buy humor is a bit difficult to always embrace.  He is now on a quest to compose a video for Funniest Home Videos.  I enjoy the deeper conversations we are now having as he gets older, but also the fact that he will build legos and play with Peanut.

Happy Birthday my dear son....another year under your belt, another year towards growing into the man God is calling you to be.  It is so exciting to watch and to be a part of God's great plan for you.  We love you!