Lauren did great at church today. She was just tired enough from being woken up from her nap that she sat quietly through Sacrament Meeting! Then Brad took her in to try out the nursery, staying with her since she still has a couple weeks until she's 18 months. I thought she might be a little shy, but she just jumped right in with the other kids and had a great time!
She is such a joy! Each day she shows us something new about her little personality, and each day we fall more in love with her. Her giggles, her little songs, her constant gabbing, her sense of humor...I could go on forever!
I'm so proud of Tyler. He is such a good big brother, playing with Lauren, and helping her, and laughing at her. He has little moments where he shows a bit of regression (wanting to do things that she does, demanding a little bit more attention), but overall I think he's handling it really well. It's got to be a little bit hard after 4 1/2 years of having Mom and Dad to yourself to all of a sudden welcome a little toddler into your family circle, but he's been very gracious and I think he's really excited to finally be a big brother like all his friends.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Who could ask for anything more?
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
My Mom:
Always good for a laugh and a hug.
A beach lover--as long as she doesn't have to cook in the sand!
Taught me to read, and taught me through her example to LOVE reading.
A nurse at heart.
A good sport.
Whopper Lover!
Can put up a tent with the best of 'em.
Always a good crowd.
My nurturing, unconditional, always-there-for-me friend.
What a crazy week! On Wednesday, May 20th we got an email letting us know that a birth family of a cute 16 month old would like meet with us. On Sunday, May 24th we went up to Austin to meet sweet Lauren and her family. On June 1st, we brought her home with us!
What a blessing she is to us already. We can never thank her birth family enough, and hope they know of our love and gratitude.
After the placement, we went to eat at a Bar-B-Q, and she scarfed down sweet potatoes, brisket, rolls, mashed potatoes, and macaroni! Good eater!
When we lived in Utah, we loved using our Entertainment Book coupons to get buy-one-get-one-free meals. (We have one here in San Antonio, but don't use it as much because the town is much bigger and most of the coupons are for really far away). Anyway, while we loved it, often times we found the places shut down. Sometimes we left feeling like we got a little bit of food poisoning. We would joke that if it wasn't owned and operated by immigrants, they didn't have their children watching TV in a corner, and we weren't the ONLY patrons in the establishment, then it wasn't for us!
Well, I just found a website that would have rocked my Utah world. It's a direct link to all the Salt Lake Valley restaurant inspections. SERIOUSLY! I just quickly checked out some of my old faves...Cafe Rio, for the most part, does okay, but NEVER go to the one on Fourth South. Really bad score. Su Casa on State Street, by our old apartment (TJ, I hate to say this, I know it's one of your faves) not so good, either. Cucina Deli on 2nd Avenue, fairly good.
What's cool is that you can read what each violation is, and how serious it is. What I saw a lot of in my short search is a LOT of dirty ice machines. Ewww....that grosses me out.
Anyway, if you've got a little bit of OCD in you, like me, this will probably not be very good for you. Thank goodness I didn't know about this when I lived there! Hopefully Texas inspections aren't so readily available.
My friend Caralee posted this inspiring video on her blog, and I've practically been stalking her site as I watch it over and over again. It is so inpsiring and comforting, and it has changed my thoughts and prayers. I liked it so much that I looked up the whole talk it was taken from. Here's the link. Enjoy.
Warning: There will be spoilers here. If you want to read this book, don't read this post.
I'm sorry, but I have to vent. I put a good amount of time in this book. It's long--over 350 pages. It started off slow, but I got into it as I met the characters. I felt for the protagonist, a single mom who started her own knitting/yarn shop in Manhattan. I liked the mix of ladies that made up the Friday Night Knitting Club. All was happily rolling along until BAM! The protagonist got cancer. Great, I thought. I don't need this! So I skipped ahead to the back of the book (does anyone else ever do this?), just to make sure she was alive at the end. I didn't want to know all the details, I just wanted to see her saying something on the last page, so I knew she was alive.
Well, guess what? She wasn't! The author killed off the protagonist!!! I HATE THAT!!! I don't read books to learn about death and dying! There's enough gloom and doom in real life. How dare she get you all warm and fuzzy and then just do that to you? Why would I want to read that? I mean, sure--I can handle a supporting character every once in a while biting the bullet. It happens. I don't like it, but I wasn't too invested in them, so it's okay. But the protagonist? COME ON! It's just cruel. I feel manipulated.
I guess I'll just have to stick with Mary Higgins Clark. Her protagonists never die. They always are in some great danger, and always the new romance partner finds her just in time. Love it! Nice and predictable.
Anyone have any favorite books where the main character DOES NOT die?
This last week has been so crazy busy that I didn't get a chance to blog about my sister and her family coming out to visit last weekend. For their spring break they flew out to San Antonio, then left for a Carnival Cruise out of Galveston, TX, and came back for a few days of touring San Antonio. It was great fun! Hopefully next time we'll be able to go on the cruise with them!
SusieQ still with her Mexican braids, with Hank and JJ on the trolley.
The children sitting on the exact cannon Davy Crockett used in the fight at the Alamo.
One day we went to a little amusement park in a town called Seguin. Here Brad, Reed, and JJ are racing to the top of the rock wall.
Even Tyler braved the rock wall!
Uh-oh. I'm afraid this picture could be used as evidence if the Amusement Park knew about it. You see, this is Brad and Hank racing down. You can see Hank lying down on the slide. He's not supposed to do that. At the end of the slide, Hank had a lot of momentum. Although Brad still won the race, Hank didn't actually stop when he got to the end of the slide. He kept going. Over the green carpet, and through the gate. In fact, he shattered the gate. The hinges were blasted to pieces. It was quite amazing to watch. And he was a little famous that day among all the workers.
Ty, Montana, and Hank get ready to go high up in the air and be dropped--over and over again. This was Ty's favorite ride. He loved the butterflies in his stomach.
SusieQ was just happy to bask in the sun. I guess it has been a pretty cloudy spring up in the Northwest.
Is it kinda strange that I actually feel sorry for people who don't have adoption in their lives?
I know it seems strange, but being in an adoption where everyone involved has the best interests of the child in mind cannot be beat!
Look at this happy little boy. He has so many people that love him, and he knows it.
The above picture was taken this morning, just before TJ (Ty's birthmom) and Donn (TJ's awesome husband) had to go. We spent an incredible weekend with them playing, reading, talking, eating, touring, laughing, and loving.
My heart is so full today--grateful for this wonderful young woman and her supportive family who gave us a gift we will never be able to repay, and grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who has turned all our sorrows into hope, and pains into joy.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
I'm stealing the following link from my friend Lindsey at the r house.
It reminds me of this day...
...and why I love Ty's birth family so much. I think birth families sometimes get a bad rap. People judge them and wonder how they could do that? Wonder if their hearts are made of stone. No, just the opposite, in fact. These are the brave people that do the hardest thing on earth to do, all because of true and pure love.
Click here to see the truth about adoption and birth families.
After you watch, you'll understand why we're so excited for Ty's birthmom to come visit us next weekend!
In Primary this month we're learning a song about being a builder.
The words are as follows:
I am a builder working each day To build my family. And I will do the best I can To serve them lovingly. I am a builder growing so tall And learning every day To speak with kindness in my home, To help at work and play.
My Heavenly Father sent me here And he knows I can be Strong and righteous as I build My eternal family.
I am so blessed to have grown up with a very special builder in my life. He literally built the house that I grew up in with his own hands.
Under construction, around 1976
I felt so safe in this house. I was always so proud to call it home.
But so much more important than its physical construction is the building that went on inside its walls: half-awake scripture studies; piano recitals and dance performances; Father's blessings; basketball hoops and tetherballs hung from the ceiling for easy practice; heartfelt and understanding discussions; prayer, prayer, and more prayer; yes, some forced Johnny Mathis listening and Lawrence Welk watching; hard work and early mornings; apple peeling and coring; picture-taking; celebrating; schoolwork-helping; family-history digging; and so much more!
Thanks, Dad, for not just building our house, but--with Mom--building our Eternal Family.
I love you. Happy Birthday!
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Our Scout Troop had a big yard sale today in the church parking lot. Brad got up at the crack of dawn to help out.
As they were sorting things, Brad saw what looked like Mosquito Netting. He asked Sister Robison, who was in charge, where to put the netting.
She was a bit busy, and without looking at it she said, Sporting Goods. So off Brad went to put it in Sporting Goods. On his way over, she actually looked at he was holding.
"Tulle," she said.
"What?" Brad asked.
"Tulle."
"Tools? Okay, I'll put it by the tools."
"No, it's tulle."
"Huh?"
"It's fabric. It's called tulle!"
I guess it's pretty obvious I don't do much sewing around here.
I was tagged by my SIL Rebecca (her blog is private, otherwise I would have linked).
Seven things I can do: 1. Find a good deal. 2. Create a meal out of random ingredients in my cupboard/fridge. 3. Tell when American Idol contestants are off pitch. 4. Laugh at myself. And my husband. 5. Parallel park. 6. Sightread well enough to play most hymns on the piano. 7. Find my way without asking for directions. (It may take a little longer, but I eventually get wherever I want to go!)
Seven things I can NOT do: 1. Enjoy baking. 2. Roll my r's. 3. Kill an animal. (I can do bugs, but I hate it.) 4. Keep my car clean. 5. Stop my backseat-driving tendencies. 6. Live without air-conditioning. 7. Be a morning person.
Seven things I say the most: 1. Hoo-da-lolly! 2. I Wuv Woo. (Click here for the story) 3. Feel free to come out when you're acting sweet. 4. I can't hear you through all that whining. 5. Okie Dokie Hokie Pokey. 6. If you can hear me clap two times. 7. Oh man!
Seven goals I have: 1. Keep up my exercise routine. 2. Achieve our financial goals. 3. Improve as a piano teacher. 4. Remember all my primary meetings! 5. Listen more, advise less. 6. Attend temple more. 7. Get over phone anxiety.
Seven reasons I fell in love with my spouse: 1. Spirituality--I met him on his mission and was so impressed with his faith, dedication, and obedience. 2. Kindness--he is so nice to everyone he meets. Not judgemental. 3. Didn't play games--he came right out and said what he was feeling. 4. Cutie Patooty. 5. Open-minded and spontaneous--he's up for just about any challenge or adventure. 6. So good with kids. 7. Treated his mom and Grandmas with respect--I knew if he did that, then he would be that way with me and teach our sons to be that way, too.
Seven thing I love to eat: 1. Hawaiian food: teriyaki chicken, rice, macaroni salad 2. Cafe Rio Pork Salad 3. Twix candy bar 4. Avacado in any form 5. Cilantro on anything 6. Chocolate chip cookies 7. TCBY white chocolate mousse flavor
Seven people I tag: 1.You 2. You 3. You 4. You 5. You 6. You 7. You
1. Texas in February. LOVE IT! Sunshine, low 80's, breezes, NICE!
2. A Brand New Year. My cousin Sara has talked about it on her blog, but I cannot listen to it or watch it enough. It is so positive, it just makes me so happy! Especially the song Say Yes. I cry EVERY TIME I watch it, and I smile and dance every time I listen to it. You can download it for free, so we just put it on Tyler's MP3 player, and I LOVE that he loves it. Some of the words in the chorus:
"If you feel like all you say is "no," don't let go, 'cause we will reap exactly what we sow, and when we say no, then we say Yes, yes, yes to happiness and we say yes to freedom and yes to hope and yes to every thing good that we know. Because we're tryin' hard to do what's right means we're gonna have that much more fun tonight. We only wanna be our best, so we say YES!"
3. YNAB Pro. (YNAB stands for You Need A Budget) My blogging friend Emily has blogged about it from time to time, and we finally checked it out, and it's definitely worth every penny! (You can get a 10% discount code if you Google it) Anyway, it's this awesome software that is better than any I've seen. Everything I've ever hated about other budgeting software is taken care of with this. But it's not just software, it's a methodology that is totally compatible with Dave Ramsey's money philosophy. Anyway, in this tight economy, we decided it's finally time to do a better job with our money, and it's so liberating and exciting!
4. Tyler:
He's doing such a good job trying new foods now. He used to gag just looking at other foods, and would only eat a handful of different foods. So we decided he needs to try something new every night before dinner. Usually just one bite. He had to go a couple of nights with no dinner because he wouldn't try something (so hard to do!!!!) but he's really getting over his phobias, and trying new foods every day now.
The other day when we asked him to clean his room, rather than cry and protest like normal, he just sweetly said, "Any help would be greatly appreciated!" What?! Where did that come from? So cute! Of course we couldn't say no to that.
There's a country song that goes something like this," No one else on earth could ever love me--no one could love me like you." And it keeps repeating the line No one else on earth. Every time it comes on the radio, he asks, How can there be no one else on earth? There are lots of people on earth, Mommy! She's so silly saying there's no one else on earth!" I just think it's cute.
5. Brad: We've been married almost ten years, and I just realized something: If my toothbrush is not a "girl" color, like pink, purple, or yellow, then it is in danger of being used by him! How many times have I unknowingly brushed my teeth with his germs on my toothbrush?!? It just doesn't seem to bother him, and he says he gets confused when we have similar colors, or if I have a boy color. So funny to me!
6. Pandora. You can go to this site and choose artists you like and they will make a "station" out of similar sounds and artists. It's all based on this in-depth analysis called the music genome project, where they disect different elements of the songs. It's pretty accurate!
7. Amazing Race. Love this show, even in its 14th season. This one's challenges and racers are especially good, I think. The cheese challenge had us rolling on the floor! Especially when Luke, the first deaf contestant (he's awesome!) fell down the hill! Enjoy:
Have you heard of the book, Flat Stanley? It's where a boy gets smashed flat and realizes that now he can go anywhere in the mail. Apparently it has become a favorite Social Studies assignment among elementary school teachers. I remember the first time I heard about it was when my nephew Reed had to send Flat Stanley somewhere. That was when my parents lived in Africa, so that was pretty cool! Well, the parents no longer live in Ghana, so I guess Texas was second place when my niece Emma had to do the assignment. But we treated Flat Emma pretty well! Here were our adventures:
We took her to see the Texas State Capitol. Following the trend to make everything a little bigger and better in Texas, the Capitol was built to be 15 feet higher than the national one in Washington, D.C.
Back in San Antonio, our first stop was El Mercado, or the Mexican Marketplace. Flat Emma jumped right in and grabbed a little instrument to join in with the Mexican band playing.
Next we took the trolley to the other side of Downtown. She was a little nervous to be without a seatbelt.
We are the "Alamo City," so of course we had to take her here. She was very respectful during the tour. Not even a peep.
Lastly was the Paseo del Rio, or Riverwalk. She almost fell in, but we caught her. Phew! That would've been a little bit embarrassing, jumping in to save a paper doll!
Hopefully next time some real people will come to S.A. We'd love to take you on the same tour!
Is that what you do? So do I!! 
Is that what you do? So do I!! 
Do you play in the water?
And soak up the sun in the sky?
Is that what you do? So do I!
