No Small Feat

Breakfast of Champions!

Okay, okay... you twisted my arm.  Here's what she's wearing today:

Pretty in Pink

Can you believe our little girl was ALL dolled up today in this absolutely precious little get up and spent the entire afternoon in the ER?  Relax, everyone is okay... it's just that the International Man of Mystery got seriously sick upon his return from India and rather than getting better in the last few days he has been getting progressively worse.  His doctor sent him to the emergency room for testing after seeing him this morning (words like "malaria" were being thrown around.  YIKES!).

Thankfully the preliminary testing for that came back negative and we'll know for sure tomorrow.  Oh and the doctor did instruct me to monitor him for any "mental status changes."  Hmmm...?!?!?!

(Our little man got off easy... he was in summer camp all day jumping around with his friends and chillin' out poolside ... )

Just a couple of kids... :)

Our daughter is coming out of her shell more every minute and is warming to the idea of having a VERY energetic little brother.  Last night after dinner we took the kids to the playground, known around the world as the place to go for kids to forge bonds: 

 

Clothes Horse

This post could very well be titled the kindness of strangers (family and friends).  On the eve of our daughter's arrival our friend Cheri came over with not one, or two but FOUR huge boxes and bags filled with gently used clothes (and coats and shoes...) that she collected from her incredible friends! Really nice clothes, too!  I was so overwhelmed by the sheer volume of items and the immeasurable kindness of these women who don't even know me.  To give you an idea of just how generous... this picture does not show the two large storage boxes and FIVE drawers filled with clothes.  Also, it must not go without mention the kindness of our family and friends who have given us gifts for our sweet girl -- precious clothes, pajamas, DVD's and more toys than a girl could ever ask for. Okay, so here is what you really want... pictures of her showcasing a few outfits:  

Home (after 8 months, 1 week and 6 days).

I am just stealing a moment to report that they are home and doing well; just very jetlagged and sleeping.  Our daughter is a little overwhelmed and very tired.  Our little man is VERY excited to have his Daddy home and remarkably he is also sleeping.  Sense a theme?  I do:

G'night...

(Yes, I will post pictures tomorrow.  I promise). :)

Very Superstitious

The last time the National League won the All-Star Game was in July 1996. At the time I was still living in New York and I moved south a month later.  Interestingly enough the National League has lost every All-Star Game to the dreaded American League since 1997.  So as I sit in my house in the south on July 16, 2008 having watched the National League blow their lead and ultimately lose to the American League again (and, with it, homefield advantage) I am feeling somewhat responsible for all of this and I can't help but wonder, am I supposed to move back to New York?

 

.... you know, for the good of the game?

AHOPE for Children

AHOPE is an orphanage that provides medical care (and loving care) to children afflicted by AIDS in Ethiopia while they too wait for their forever families.  They are now speading the word through commerce, which is a great way to raise much needed funds (100% of the proceeds goes directly to AHOPE) and also creates awareness.  Please visit them by clicking here (more items will be added):

Let Sleeping Dog (er, boy) Lie

When the hubs woke up at 3 in the morning due to the glare from the hall light coming in through our opened bedroom door he got up only to find this precious package outside the door:

Officially a little brother...

Since our India blog is private I wanted to publicly share that on this day -- our daughter's sixth birthday -- we received word that we PASSED COURT and she's officially cleared to come home.  We are expecting her to be in our arms forever in a month.  Her little brother has been taking pictures of her and bringing them to his room and asking about her A LOT so he's going to be THRILLED when we share the wonderful news with him tonight.

Thanks to everyone who checks in on us and who have prayed for us.  I know He has heard them and He answered my prayer (that we receive word by her birthday) very specifically and for that I am so very grateful.

Boys will be boys...

Our friends Misty and Thomas came over for dinner tonight and brought their awesome boys Julian and Luc.  We love being around this family and our little man LOVES playing with the big boys.

 Trust me, they weren't still for long...

 Looking for bats in the sky....

Boy, can he fly...

 

His new friend, the snail...

Cool personified...

Oh, deer!

Today we went with a bunch of friends from our Ethiopian Adoption Group to the petting zoo.  It was a really cool place that brought a whole new meaning to the word interactive.

  

By the time we were done our son was long-past done and didn't even make it out of the parking lot:

World Refugee Day

To get involved, please visit: www.unhcr.org

Father Knows Best

The title of this post is my gift for Father's Day to my husband as it isn't often that I admit he (usually) knows best . . . my husband is an incredible father, teacher, leader, giver of love, and provider of structure for our son.  He is a man of strong conviction and personal discipline, yet he maintains an incredibly gentle spirit and displays a heart full of love for his family and for God.  All of these things (and many others) my husband offers our son by consistent example teaches this sweet little boy how to be man, a caring citizen of the world and a fully loved child of God.