Faith, Hope, & Love

Things went a-fowl ;o)

2012-01-24T17:43:00.000-08:00

Little man and I were upstairs, he was being attended by my digital nanny, lounging across the my bed and watching Pooh Bear. I was taking the opportunity to bathe my stinky self, at way too late of an hour to be considered morning or socially acceptable ;o) All of a sudden, I had a two-legged visitor race in holding his brother's beloved angry bird. You know where this is going, right?....well, I did. My mind screamed, "Oh NO!" while the negotiations started pouring from my mouth. Little squirt smiled at me with his devilish grin. I'm sure in his imaginative vision, I had already sprouted a piggie snout and was looking green (although the green perhaps didn't take too much imagination). His launch lever pulled back, aimed, and I heard a, "heehooooooooo," as a plush, red angry bird went soaring towards the wall, ricocheted, and headed straight for the wet zone. I reach out a way-too-shampoo covered hand just in time to save the disgruntled winglet from plunging to it's saturated doom, only then to discover that I had thoroughly coated the thing in soap suds :o( I quickly finish up, tell E NOT to say a word to big bro, and began attempting to wash away the evidence. The darn thing is now soaked and there I stand, in the bathroom, hair dryer blowing, when I hear baby bird tauntingly hollering over the landing...."J, J!!! I wet your Angry Bird!!!"...Oy veh...no!....I hear J's panicked voice moving towards me while a choked cry calls, "MOM, MOM! Did E pee on my bed!!!!" M, in my best smile-while-you-speak Friendly waitress voice: "No J! Everything is fine, don't worry." J: "But MOM, E said my angry bird is wet!?" M hair dryer still in hand, still trying to dry the evidence, "Oh honey, it's fine!" J: "But mom...." Sigh....simply busted....

Thank goodness his red tweet re-fluffed to perfection, smells rather fresh too ;o)

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." Psalm 139: 7-10

Mr. Giggles & His New Dig

2012-01-12T23:24:00.000-08:00

Well if you read my previous post, these pictures will come as no surprise :o)

Last night daddy walked in the door at 7:30pm and received a very large honey-do request.
Somebody was thrilled!!!
Somebody was not ;o) Heehee....(at least not with the camera)
The only downfall was come 10:00, the ceiling above our heads was still thumping. D laughed and said, "It's a new experience, he'll tire out soon."
10:30...thumping
10:45....more thumping
11:00...pooh bear music is now pumping and upon opening the door, a very tired (and much dismayed!) mom discovered the nightlight off, room light ON, blaring tunes, toys everywhere, and a squealing with glee, jamming, little rebel!
11:15...room picked up, tuck-in take II, faint music, (a silent prayer begging for sleep!) and thankfully....
11:30...blessed silence
It was a long morning...followed by a very long nap ;o)
"In vain you rise early and stay up late," Psalm 127:2
heehee ;o)

The beautiful moment turned...

2012-01-11T18:11:00.001-08:00

I was awakened this morning by a dull bang, quickly followed by a squeaking door and a faint thud-thud-thud heading my way, and as I lazily struggled to fully claim consciousness, the sweetest little angelic face appeared in my vision. "Mommy! Mommy, I'm awake!" The corners of my mouth started to lift into a smile just seconds before the full impact of the scenario struck. J was still in bed, D was at work, and E, E was hovering over me, sweetly (and way too proudly) declaring how he had climbed out of his crib, "All by myself!"

Oh dear....

"The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love." Psalm 103:8

Celebrating Jesus :o)

2012-01-11T17:52:00.000-08:00

Ramblings of a tired housewife....

2012-01-10T23:57:00.000-08:00

Everytime I turn to our blog, I am a bit overwhelmed by how much time I have left slip by and where to begin. So much I have wanted to preserve, yet so much has passed by, and even some already forgotten. Smiles and tears, laughter and challenges...it all keeps racing past so quickly!

The boys are great :o) We had a delightfully, restful Christmas. D took off a week and was able to tackle quite a large chunk of his distant learning work for the military. The boys, of course, were overjoyed and totally spoiled by all of our loved ones on the mainland. We received the outrageous blessing of four free tickets to the Hawaii Bowl game Christmas Eve with good friends (J was overjoyed and on ESPN, E was thouroughly unimpressed and slept half the game ;o). All followed by a wonderful Christmas morning and a great evening with friends.

Unfortunately, the sun eventually set on our little holiday, but life has gently ebbed back into our normal rhythm of school, homeschool group events, J's science class starts this week, hockey soon, and this mom is slowly getting re-organized to tackle it all :o)

Anyway, goodnight room, goodnight moon, goodnight cow jumping over the moon, goodnight light and the red balloon...... (M.W. Brown)

"In peace I will like down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8

My Handsome Boys

2012-01-10T16:37:00.000-08:00

"But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord's praise, for he has been good to me." Psalm 13:5-6

St. Nicholas

2012-01-10T16:32:00.000-08:00

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers the moon and the stars, which you have set in place what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?" Psalm 8:3-4

Christmas 2011

2011-12-09T00:18:00.000-08:00

'Twas just weeks before Christmas...
and all through the new house

were glimpses of messes
made by my small elves.
The stockings were hung from the stairwell with care
with the hopes that tomorrow, E'd still leave them there.The elves have been busy; they boarded a train to take in the climate and rugged terrain ;o)
There's been hockey
and hiking
and fun times with friends.
We're struggling to get winter thoughts in our heads.
But as we sip our iced coffee and soak up the rays,
we ponder how blessed we are each of our days,

with a wonderful FATHER, and family, and friends

a SAVIOR who loves us and took all our sins,

that we may know HIM in every which way

and live in His mercy, love, blessings, and grace.

So as I write this small note, there's a wish from afar,

that hope, faith and love are filling your hearts.

That your homes will be filled with peace and good cheer,

and oodles of blessings throughout the next year :o)
Merry Chistmas!!!

A small piece...

2011-12-06T22:47:00.000-08:00

......of perfection on earth :o)

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?" Psalm 8:3-4

Hale Koa Luau

2011-12-06T21:47:00.000-08:00

With Grandma :o)

"Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore." Psalm 125: 1-2

Borrowed Memories :o)

2011-11-19T20:05:00.000-08:00

Pics taken by my mom on her last visit.

It was such a wonderful trip and we miss her greatly.

E's Woody Pose?

Thinking the wrong child is catching the ride ;o)

(E, tells us what he really thinks about posing for pictures *wink*)

Enjoying the neighborhood pool and Grandma loving HI weather in October!

Attempting to make Grandma feel at home with our winter coats :o)

Notice the helmet strap is in his mouth....he is imitating brother's mouth guard ;o)

A sweet friend gave this little outfit to E :o) Needless to say, he LOVES it!

"Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord." Psalm 27: 13-14 NLT

An Amazing Tale

2011-11-17T18:57:00.000-08:00

Several months back, one of our friends shared with us that his brother's job was taking him to Ethiopia! Of course, that one simple word always brings a twinge of joy to my heart and I jokingly inquired if he could perhaps do a bit of shopping for us. You see, our one regret on our journey to bring E home was that due to military restrictions, D was granted last minute permission to travel with strict guidance and restrictions. Shopping unfortunately, was not on the list of approved activities and D wasn't about to let me out of the hotel on my own (or more likely was the case, leave him alone with our hysterical new son! *wink*). So due to this, we were unable to purchase the one treasure that I was really hoping to find, a traditional Ethiopian outfit for our little boy.

I lightheartedly shared this with our friends, but also shared that I knew that would be a huge request. Well months later, my beautiful friend handed me a package that had traveled many miles and brought with it much emotion.

Not only did her brother-in-law deliver her this amazing gift, but he also delivered an incredible story of love.

He had shared our adoption story with three of his Ethiopian co-workers and asked them to help him find an outfit for our sweet boy. All three came back with an outfit, as a GIFT, for our son. They shared that they wanted this precious child to have a special gift from his homeland.
I cherish each outfit, but even more, I cherish this story of generosity and love from the people and land that will always hold a piece of our hearts.
(Thank you J.E, J.E, & A.E for providing us with this incredible story to someday share with our E.)

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sin. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 4: 9-11

Celebrations

2011-10-03T23:33:00.000-07:00

D's B-day :o)
Followed by my B-Day :o)
But best of all....
...a whole day of celebrating our precious baby boy. Who is barely a baby anymore! We made the mistake of telling him that we were going to take him to Chuck-E-Cheese for his birthday. Learn from my mistakes....NEVER TELL A TODDLER with no concept of time, that there will be a mouse spotting in the near future. ;o)

But, finally, the most magical day of all arrived! The day he knew and had declared to Grandma, "Amma, Amma, I oh to Chuu-E-Cheese aper Jesusss Ous on E. earthday!" He raced in the restaurant with wonder and joy, donned his official Birthday Mouse hat with delighted pride, raced around spending tokens like a gambling maniac, and....

.....totally dissed the dancing mouse!

But that's alright, who needs a life size rodent when there's pizza to eat :o)

I love catching these moments, that for many years lived only in our daydreams. J's such a great brother! (Most of the time. *wink*)

Silly Boys :o)

A perfect day celebrating our precious boy!
"The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me (E!) ; your love O LORD, endures forever-" Psalm 138:8

Facebook Tidbits & School Pics :o)

2011-09-23T00:03:00.000-07:00

D: E, you are AWESOME! E: NO! I'm niiiiiiiice...and awesome.Now I've lost him....we're sitting at the counter doing a lesson on past and present participles....the dual working mama brain hears grunting in the background, while the other half is working on an example, and what literally flows out of my mouth while turning to look over my shoulder, "So you will label this PP, are you pooping?" The 10 year old falls off his chair and is rolling on the floor laughing and I'm tossing my pencil in the air...9:43am...E: Mommy, mommy, I hit J! M: Put your water down and go sit on the bottom stair. E: Oh, OK! (Skips away happily & sits down.) E: I love you J, I love you Mommy. Hey Hey Mommy, I hit it J!" (Oh dear....)
J is cleaning up pookies cage and singing, "Oh, yay, tonights gonna be a squeak night, tonights gonna be a squeaky night, oh yaaaay." :D
So the piano which is ALWAYS there, ready and waiting, is in use....so of course little man decides that this is THE hour, HIS moment for composing a masterpiece. Parental unit two cuts off her mini-Mozart, mid bee-line and explains that this is J's time to practice. Mini-Mozart after displaying his artistic passion in totally the wrong manner, gets sent to the cool-it stair. Three minutes later Mozart is once again bee-lining and parental unit using her best display of stern-mommy, issues forth a, “Do NOT touch that piano!” Mini-Mozart pauses. He walks up to the side, mere inches from the piano, standing as straight as can be in mini-soldier fashion he faces his symphony destroyer. There is a long pause as he stares into her eyes with a calculating, ever so thoughtful look…..then, out of the corner of her vision she sees a tiny little digit pop out at a 90 degree angle….stretches towards the piano in the most secretive of manner and POKE. We are at hockey in the midst of an intense game. The referee is temporarily distracted with some sort of issue on the sideline, while the kids are lined up at center ice with J awaiting the drop....all of a sudden I see my boy's shoulder twitch, then the other, it moves to his knees and with in seconds, he is full out in-line dancing. The groove was obviously contagious as his teammates joined in the ruckus, some moon-skating, J moves on to doing the robot....the opposing team joins in....heehee, hilarious!!!
Oh dear...E just zoomed by me on his little balance motorcycle, hot on Bella's tail, and shouting Yee-Haw :-OSo proud of J :o) He decided he wanted to earn more money, gathered and priced his old toys, made signs, and is now out there shmoozing his way through his sales. :o) E: Daddy, carry me downstairs, Me: You can walk down the stairs, I know you can! E: But, Daddy, I'm too little! Carry me, pwease! Me: E, you're not too little; you're a big boy. E: But, Daddy, I'm too big! Carry me, pwease!Hey Mom, when you and dad dated, did you ever go to a movie? M: Yes J:Did you ever kiss in the movies? M (what!?): Why do you ask? J: Because kissing at the movies is one of the most romantic things in history. (Inside m's brain: Child you are never going on a movie date!) Last night D & E ran to the store to buy a battery. When home again, E raced up to me with a beautiful arrangement of Daisies (my favorite) and said in the cutest little voice, "Here Mommy, I love you!" Ah, be still my heart :o) (D in the background, "way to take all the credit!") Love my boys :o) J, does something hysterical....I start cracking up....he pauses, looks at me with concern and says, "Wait, you're not going to put that on facebook, are you?!" ;o)
I just gave a 2 year old a fly swatter and told him to, "go get it!" He's now in the background swatting away and shouting, "I see 'im! I see 'im!" & "Hey fwy! Where are Yooo?"

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:9

July...August...

2011-09-17T00:22:00.000-07:00

....what it's already September?! ;o)

Hmm....well perhaps it's about time I post a few summer pics then...see what happens when one lives a life without seasons :o)

Life on the lanai....
Three weeks ago we had to say goodbye to our fabulous lanai and beautiful backyard jungle....
....but in it's place we were blessed with a beautiful new home, much closer to D's job!
It's a tad smaller and a tad less Hawaiian....but we are all LOVING it.

J already has a best bud and loves his new stomping grounds :o)

E adores his new Buzz and Woody room....plus the gate-less freedom he can have in his "new house."

And ALL of us love that we are now seeing D on a daily basis!!!!

Daddy time is priceless!

So with school starting August 1st...

moving ourselves....

and trying to keep up with our normal, everyday lives....

it's been a full (but blessed) season :o)

(E LOVES his Auntie C!)

(E's many peculiar ways of watching cartoons *wink*)

North Shore

" And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

Out of order.....

2011-08-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

Our lives are temorarily out-of-order due to a move :o) A very good move....but a crazy one :o) To be continued when sanity returns..........

Love M~

Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve

2011-07-17T17:41:00.001-07:00

Saturday, J and I went on a fantastic Mother/Son adventure. It has been a while since I had some special one on one time with this precious boy and I was missing those illogically silly, yet super fun, uninterrupted conversations one can only hold with a tween. I allowed J to pick our destination and threw out swimming with dolphins, paddle boarding, hiking.....within the limit of reason (ie. mama's feet do not leave the elements that make up our earth's surface and I absolutely REFUSE to climb in a sharks cage) the choice was his :o)

He requested that we go snorkeling at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve :o)

I did a bit of research and learned that for water clarity (as well as parking!) Hanauma bay is best visited in the early morning. So at 6:30 we hopped in our already packed car, hit the golden arches drive-thru and headed east :o)

(Quirky HI note: One can actually order spam and rice for breakfast at McD's, not our dining dream, but....)

Once there we got our tickets, were shown a short safety film (which included a lovely shot of a fanged eel aggressively darting from within a hole, eek!), and then started our hike down to the water.

This was our first time snorkeling in a real reef and oh my! It was incredible!!! I can honestly say that I haven't enjoyed an activity this much, since my horse back riding lessons in IL. It was breathtaking and beautiful!

I will confess that there were some unnerving moments. Instances when the current was a tad stronger then I would have preferred for J. Spots where the coral was a tad too shallow for comfort (after that eel shot!). Plus one disturbing encounter with a rather grumpy looking and extremely large fish, who obviously hadn't been properly educated in the etiquette of personal space ;o) But overall, amazing!

We were thankful for the excellent advise to go early, as the beach did get extremely crowded as the day stretched and our later swims yielded only a small portion of the exotic beauty we saw on earlier dips. But by later in the morning, our kickers were spent and we just enjoyed warming ourselves in the sunshine, while J built a sand kingdom masterpiece :o)

At noon, we packed our bags, began our hike to the top of the crater and visited the little snack shack for some yummy Hawaiian style fare.

It was a perfect morning with my wonderful treasure :o)

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

Wordless Wednesday :o)

2011-07-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

Wisps of Extrodinary

2011-07-11T18:27:00.000-07:00

Adoption

In the idealist view we see a loving family, a lonely child, a perfect combination that when brought together equals a joyful bliss for all involved. A fairytale come to life.

But the reality is that as beautiful as adoption is, it can be really hard at times. Rewarding, but yet discouraging. Joyful, yet heart breaking.

Our little one came home grieving immensely. He was full of anxiety, anger that would manifest itself in hitting, screaming tantrums, and an extreme need for control. He was confused, scared, insecure, and hurting. The first few weeks he would not let me put him down and was constantly just drenched in sweat, his anxiety was so great....it was heartbreaking. We felt helpless in our ability comfort, soothe, heal him.

A year later. We have an adorable little boy who is secure, silly, boisterous, confident, outgoing...a joy :o) But we are still coping with an extreme need for control, which often manifests itself with an explosive temper. Knowing my goober and loving him. I know where this need comes from, I know where he has been and I can see beautiful glimpses of the leader he will likely be someday, when he has the wisdom to contain his passion. But there are times when this can be discouraging, weeks where the tantrums just seem greater, the hitting begins again, and it just feels like we are going backwards. It's a humbling experience when you're getting pummeled by your two year old while trying to buckle a safety belt in the grocery store or your child flies into a rage because he must hold a hand in a parking lot. These types of behaviors are frowned at in society. It's humbling when instead of firmly disciplining you have to meet these behaviors with gentle calmness, because you know your child will fly into a heightened anxiety if you don't diffuse gently. But while you are doing such, you have kind strangers jumping in to scold your child, because they feel you are needing assistance. It's easy, when your struggles are so publicly frowned upon to look at other families, even adoptive families, and feel like you are somehow failing. This was my week. A week where the tunnel vision of the struggles, was hurting my heart, because I was forgetting to see the full tapestry of our year. The distance the Lord has brought my precious boy and the tremendous miracle that has been transforming him.

Our church has been doing an awesome series this month on living an uncommon life and at one point the pastor asked, what would Jesus see when he looks at us. Would he see a common person doing common things or would he see a person who is uncommon doing extraordinary things.

Whoa!

I held the tears in, but it was as if Jesus had just reached down and given me a great big hug.

For in the midst of the feeling of failure and humbling, disapproving glances....just maybe, my Savior is looking on with a smile and seeing the uncommon.

(I am sharing these thoughts and feelings in the hopes that they may help and possibly encourage the other adopting families, who I know read this blog. Sending prayers and love out there to all who are traveling this wonderful (even when challenging) adoption road.)

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for the orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." James 1:27

Buzz & Woody

2011-07-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

I readily admit to having a rather simple sense of humor....but this truly left me chuckling :D

"A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face....." Proverbs 15:13

Trains Trains Trains :o)

2011-07-09T17:14:00.000-07:00

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials or many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." James 1:2

Sharing Paradise

2011-07-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes

Along this crazy military road we travel...

Sometimes

The Lord brings into our lane people that for a brief distance, like motorcyclists on the highway, travel right there along side you, regardless of the weather, the grade, the potholes...

And Sometimes

Although orders arrive, the road narrows, splits, and forces you to wave an emotional goodbye...

Sometimes

You can do so knowing that those riders weren't just brief blessings in your life....

Because somewhere along that road, they became family :o)

(Pics from our wonderful visit, with John, Aimee, & Beki)

Parent's Night Out :o)

Sweet Beki babysat the boys, allowing the four of us to go out for dinner at Schooners, overlooking Pearl Harbor....followed by dessert at Zippy's :o)

(Thank you J,A, & B, for this wonderful evening!)

We visited several of Oahu's beautiful beaches, took in a couple gorgeous sunsets, hiked the Makapu'u lighthouse trail, the boys geocached and the girls had a fun night at the movie theater :o)

So thankful that Aimee was WAY better about taking photos then I.

Not to mention that she is a professional photographer, so they are all gorgeous!

E preferred wrestling to dinner ;o)

Queen Ann's Revenge/ The Black Pearl & a handsome 10 year old :o)

Not at all impressed with the 'piwet' ship....but very content with his apple :o)

Swimming at Sunset

Already missing them.....

(Love you guys!)

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." Hebrews 10:23-24

Paradise Cove

2011-06-22T17:26:00.000-07:00

There was no distracting E for a photo. He was handed an enormous wooden stick to play with and there was no WAY he was taking his eyes (or hands) off of it! ;o)

" But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'" 1 Samuel 16:7

Stolen brew....

2011-06-19T18:07:00.000-07:00

I saw a movie recently.

It was a documentary that has totally changed my entire perspective on coffee drinking and sparked a passion to share my new knowledge with others.

The movie was called Black Gold and you can order it through netflix. The film was based out of Oromia, the region of our son's birth and it left me with a bruised heart for the farmers of this region. It focused on the coffee industry and how the western civilization is basically robbing the poor (my words, they used much more politically correct examples) through purchasing coffee through fluctuating market values. Because coffee is not being purchased through fair values, farmers, who are already struggling, cannot profit off their crop. Their families cannot afford to send their children to school, provide medical care, or even feed them in some situations. While coffee drinkers are perusing their grocery shelves for the best bargain on their favorite flavor options, they are unknowingly, basically robbing families in third world countries who are struggling just to survive. I was unknowingly robbing these families :o(

Thankfully the solution to this one is very easy!

Buy Fair Trade Coffee, only.

AND

Pass along to your family & friends to do likewise.

Thanks Friends :o)

Phew....and now that I got that off my chest :o)

Beautiful Bellows.....

"They only asked us to remember the poor- the very thing I also was eager to do." Galatians 2:10

Sons

2011-06-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all the amazing Dads out there! :o)

(And Dads to be, too!)

"...what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul..." Deuteronomy 10:12

Photo Theft....

2011-06-17T17:21:00.000-07:00

Busy, Busy, Busy :o)

Busy chasing my boys through the sunshine.

Busy spending a whole lot of time with first my mom and then some dear friends from IL.

Busy learning new sports, swimming, snorkeling, racking up the prizes with the local library.

So far summer has been very good to us :o)

Below are some pictures that I stole off my mom's camera card :o)

E's first trip to Chuck E Cheese :o)

Sure didn't take long to move from leery to baby gambler ;o)

Grandma's first Luau :o)

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15: 13

Makapu'u Point

2011-05-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day

The Day I Married A Soldier

13 Years later :o)

Oh, the hair!!! I'm soooo going to hear a big Maaaa!!!! Over this one :D

Little man was bored to practical tears by this point! The only thing standing between contentment and total meltdown.... a bag of veggie straws ;o)

Beyond Blessed :o)

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Psalms 19:1

A Riddle ;o)

2011-05-28T22:43:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you cross a really active toddler, beautiful scenery, and the desire to capture a family photo?

Some behind the scene shots of our (attempted) family pic :D

1. Resisting Capture

2. Extreme Wiggling

3. Toddler 3: Mommy 0

4. Smile for Grandma...um sweets, Grandma, over there....

5. Cute...Semi Cooperative....OK, turn those eyes E, Grandma, look at Grandma

6. Eyes good, Face Squished, parental smiles starting to look plastered

7. Baby trying to convince family members that there is more adventure, if we take this show off-the-grid and into the landscaping.

8. Baby capture attempt #70, Everything is failing at this point.

9. Baby 97: Mommy still 0, but must agree, the grass was very nice

And then there was one.

Praise God for creating the inventor of the DSLR :o)
This has been a wonderful and emotional weekend for our family. A year ago, this weekend, Grandparents were rolling into town, D and I were weighing suitcases, and on the 29th, we boarded a plane. On the 29th, we flew into Addis Ababa during the blanket of night and knew that our son was asleep in the city below us. It was an unreal feeling. An amazing feeling. A miracle really.

This year has been one of such amazing growth for our little one in every aspect. It wasn't an easy year. Toddler adoption is tough. These little ones come home with emotional turmoil, a great need for security, and some intense struggles with control. But, it's amazing what time and love can accomplish! E has grown into such a happy, confident, and fun little man. His sense of humor is hysterical, his compassion intense. He is our treasure. Two amazing sons. I am one blessed mama! :o)

"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever." Psalm 30:11-12

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-25T19:09:00.001-07:00

Easter & More....

2011-05-03T23:02:00.001-07:00

It is evening here in the Aloha state and my eyes are in battle with my brain, to stay open...but I am so far behind with this little family journal, that the brain...must....win.....

We are doing great!

J is busy wrapping up school, finishing up his last two weeks of soccer, and spent the evening at the roller hockey rink with his dad, getting signed up and fitted for skates and gear :o) He has never played organized roller hockey, so this should be fun and interesting! I am so looking forward to watching him give it a try :o)

E continues to shock us, on a daily basis, with how clever he is! This past month has brought an explosion of vocabulary. He continues to amaze us with his reasoning and mechanical abilities. Not to mention, his witty little adult-ish ways....can you believe that he has replaced the word, "Up!" which was always barked out as a command......with "Hug, Hug" fully accompanied with eyelash batting sweetness! Yeah, there's not a woman out there that he can't sucker with that one! :o)

D is still super busy with work, but we see a glimmer of hope in the future, that there may be some positive changes on the horizon. On the more enjoyable side of life, he recently was able to play in an senior hockey tournament. His team was horrible! But as a goalie, he was in heaven, as it left him getting pummeled with shots :o) He loved it and the boys loved watching Daddy play.

Myself, I am great! Looking forward to summer break and a lot of beach time with my boys. A couple months ago, I joined a woman's group with our church, which has been WONDERFUL! I love the beautiful woman that the Lord has brought into my life. Life is so much sweeter with amazing friends.

Anywhoooo.....I hope all who peek at this are having a beautiful week!

My three handsome guys :o)

Heehee.....I love this shot...wonder what was being plotted behind that serene expression ;o)

A very dear friend, sent this t-shirt to E :o) So true!!!

"J, you tire, you tired J?"

Reading to his Elmo puppet :o)

Helping mama make dinner :o)

School Time (J wants E's curriculum *wink*)

'Speechless' ;o)

"The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith." 1 Timothy 1:5

Forever Family

2011-04-21T23:09:00.000-07:00

Our Precious E,

A year ago today, an Ethiopian judge, whom we never had the privilege of meeting, gave to us the most precious gift a man could give....he granted us the freedom to call you our son.

I will never say this was meant to be, because I don't believe any loss and tragedy to be a part of God's plan. His perfect plan, which was forever altered when sickness, sin, and death entered this world, would have been for you to be raised in the loving arms of your first parents. But, I do believe, that the Lord in his infinite wisdom knew, that this beautiful brown eyed boy, born in a foreign land, would need us, almost as much as we needed him...and that it was through His infinite mercy and love, which allowed our two valley paths to meet.

I will forever praise God for bringing you into our arms. For answering our prayers, for drying every tear, and allowing us this undeserved gift of watching you grow. You have changed our lives forever and filled our days with so much laughter and joy.

Some families choose to celebrate the day they physically met their children as their "Forever Family Day." But although you weren't placed into our arms until May 31, 2010, we have decided to celebrate April 21st instead. The day we knew without a doubt, that you were finally coming home....

So happy 'Family Day' our precious little goober!

We celebrated by doing all the things you love :o) Watched Little Einsteins over breakfast....

Headed off to "Hawaii"......Your word for beach :o)

Had fun in the sun watching you splash around in the surf, while your big bro mastered the art of snorkeling :o)

We went out for pizza....

....and spent a lot of time thinking about and rejoicing over how insanely much the Lord has blessed us this past year.

We love you E.

We love you J.

"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever." Psalm 30: 11-12

Perfect Fit :o)

2011-04-12T01:24:00.001-07:00

Somebody got a new table and is LOVING it :o)

Mr. Silliness Incorporated, complete with Daddy's socks and his goofy grin :o)

If you look closely, you can see poor J trudging away at school in the background....

This child has a million dollar smile and an even better giggle :D

"A cheerful look brings joy to the heart..." Proverbs 15:30

Glimpses into E's world :o)

E is in the front room having an argument with baby signing time over their offensive suggestion, to use the word sorry :o) The song is singing about when and how to use it and he's shouting back, "no, no, nooo!!!"

Little boy in his car seat, holding two matchbox cars: "Boom, ouch ouch ouch (while rubbing his own leg), oh sorry, thank you, vrooomm (car flying), mine mine mine, beep beep, boom...."

Sharing a pillow on E's bedroom floor as a prequel to nap time, when my eyes fly open with a jolt at the realization that I was the one sleeping! A turn of my head revealed a silly grinning face, who was apparently finding this amusing!

E, sitting on my lap watching Toy Story, when he notices his feet are bare (yes, he still has shoe attachments). E: "Mama, mama shoos." M: "Do you want black or blue shoos." E: "Black!" M: "They are upstairs, I will go get them for you." E: "NO, STAY!" (E turning and pointing at J who is sitting next to him: "J! Shoos! GO!" M: "J isn't going to go get your shoes! I will go get them." E, now giggling while giving his dog signals: "NO, Mama STAY, J! Shoos GO! Go J! Shoos!" Needless to say, a mother went and got her bossy child some shoes...the elder son rolled his eyes.

D was a sweetheart and let me sleep in this morning. When I stumbled down the stairs at 7:20 (yes, that is sleeping in here), E was happily sitting in his highchair eating a huge bowl of British Trifle! As my eyebrows raised, my ears heard, "It has lots of fruit in it." I guess at least it wasn't chocolate cake, but.....

In the car driving, when J swallows wrong and starts coughing....E in the middle of a grumpy spell, instantly pauses, looks at his big bro with huge, worried eyes and says, "J Otay, Otay J, J OK?!" Lesson learned: 1. E has a deep level of compassion for his big brother & 2. His tantrum was a fake ;o)

E wearing his little backpack, gruntingly drug D's super heavy pack across the living room floor to D, insisted he put it on, and then they both sillily came skipping over to me. M: "Oh E, you have on a backpack just like Daddy!" E scowls, "Too ME!" Haha...guess I needed to switch around my wording :D

Love how verbal E is becoming. Just not sure I ever want to relive his pointing at the bag of peanuts for sale in UPS while shouting in an incredulous manner, "Mama!! Mama!!! Poopoo!!!! Poopoo!!! Mama Poopoo!!!" The more J and I tried to correct him, the louder and more adamant he got!

Boats Afloat :o)

2011-04-12T00:47:00.000-07:00

J has been taking an awesome science class in town. He is absolutely loving it! (And I am loving being able to pay someone to do all the messy experiments elsewhere! *wink*)

A fun little boat project the kids had to create within certain dimensions :o)

Looks good :o) "A wise son brings joy to his father....." Proverbs 10:1

Glimpses into J's world :o)

D and J went to see Diary.... on Friday. Apparently there was a scene where the one boy was trying to "press" the numbers on a rotary phone. D said, J started giggling, leaned over and whispered, "The phone is broken!!!"

J: "Ugh, I forgot to do my April Fool's Day joke! I was going to put ketchup on my bed, fire my nerf gun, scream, and hide!" (Um....remind me in a year to have a little pep talk about food products in bedrooms!)

J: "I think I just burped inside-out."

J was in a silly 'only in HI' mood yesterday, so we made a game out of it. J: "You know you're in HI, when there's shirtless people in Target." M:"You know you're in HI, when there's a pick-up bed full of 7 year olds, speeding down the highway in front of you." J: "When you see 6 surf boards squished into and hanging out of small cars." M: "When soccer games are played to the tune of multiple ukelele's." J: "When there's dozens of people doing hula in the park." :o)

While driving I overhear J instructing E in the backseat, "E, if you see a cute girl in the nursery on Sunday morning, be sure to go "Rrrooowwl!" E thinking this is the funniest noise ever, immediately starts repeatedly "Rroowwwling!" Oh dear :-?

The first morning chirp was for Mama, but I went from groaning to giggling when the second, third, and fourth ones were for "Jaayyy." The smile only grew when excited big brother scooped little man out of his crib, snuggled him, and then sat down to read a morning picture book :o) Brothers.....

USS Missouri

2011-03-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

So back in February, my girlfriend C and I got tired of the tween-attudes, the eye rolling, the occasional nose picking lectures, and decided to enlist our children in the United States Navy. The plan was going beautifully until, it gobbled up poor C in the process, landing her in a coffin like bunk, sloshing her way to breakfast in the rain, and nursing the headache that a room full of high pitched little voices can initiate. So after a firm 15ish hours, I called the recruiting office, explained that we may have, err, ~~lied~~ accidentally exaggerated about their ages on the enlistment forms, and begged for an honorable discharge. (Well, C's was dishonorable, but we're working on that....there's something kooky about the Navy talking to the Air Force, and finding a past history of bribery & cookies....it's a mess, but um, well....let's move on.)

Our little sailors happily heading off on their big adventure among the Mighty Mo :o) Still smiling :o) We had them convinced this was a homeschool field trip ;o) OK, I will confess, at this point I was getting a tad choked up :o( Be safe, be careful, go slowly down steep stairways, stay with your group, don't even THINK about pretending to fall overboard, try to learn something, brush your teeth, and whatever you do, don't: press buttons, open hatches, climb rails, break things, or any other behavior that may result in your taking a night swim or a bill larger then your college education...phew :o) Bye boys....sniff.... On a serious note, the kids had an incredible time and D and I were so grateful to the gal who arranged this and my beautiful friend, who chaperoned this activity, so that we would feel safe about our goober participating!

(Thanks C!!! Love ya!!!)

"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." James 3:17-18

A Polynesian Evening :o)

2011-03-03T23:28:00.000-08:00

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11

Waikiki Aquarium

2011-03-02T17:06:00.001-08:00

With D's Parents :o)

Frog Fish

"In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God.......Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts...." Psalm 95:4-8

Mysterious Happenings

2011-02-28T16:28:00.000-08:00

Today, the last Monday of the month, an outrageous crime was committed.

The scene.....

.....and our victim.

His feet were loosely, yet we believe deliberately, entangled in a tactile, minty twine.

Exhibit 1

Exhibit 2

No doors were opened, the window sealed, and only one witness was found at the scene. She reported that due to enclosing herself in pictured cubicle, that she didn't actually "see" anything, but reports hearing several, very faint, "oh my's." It wasn't until exciting her cubby, that she discovered the victim and his entangled-feet predicament.

Investigators are baffled???

Thankfully the victim although tangled, was unharmed and still smiling :o)

"..the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times." Psalm 12:6

Paradise Captured :o)

2011-02-27T20:40:00.000-08:00

Bellows Beach Park, Oahu

(Heehee...I had to include this one! Pretty much sums up D's time here *wink*)

"I have summoned you by name; you are mine." Isaiah 43:1

Morning....

2011-02-23T16:54:00.000-08:00

It starts with dragging myself out of bed to the sound of the chirping human alarm clock.

I stumble through the house, attempting to awake and meet the needs of little people, a WAY too alert dingo, gray fuzzy creatures.....

Early morning mission complete and successful, I shoo the boys toward the awaiting coach in order to drop off a document at the court house.

The court house.

People are crazy at the court house! Perhaps it's the mixture of "non-guilty" criminals, non-criminals in conflicts, nervous people who don't want to be near the criminals, but I just need the family court section. Easy, get in, drop off an envelope, and escape the madness; hopefully without having to take off three pairs of shoes for scanning. Easy right. No, not easy. Ever try to compete for parking spaces with a bunch of aggressively nervous crazy people.

But after 15 minutes, we met kindness, in the form of an older gentleman and completed our mid-morning mission.

UPS.

This one I was looking forward to. Sending off J's standardized tests. Such a sweet little bon voyage to have them completed and airborne. I'm two words into my directions when a sweet panicked voice starts chirping, "Mama!!! Mama!!!!! Mama Poopoo!!!!! Mama Poopoooo!!!! Poooopooooo!!!!" My eyes take in my extremely animated 2 year old pointing and dancing about in front of a large bag of packaging peanuts. OK, slightly amusing, but poor J is mortified and overworked UPS lady is not smiling, so we try to explain....well that only produced a louder description of the peanuts. But I do believe it may have accelerated our service a tad.

Home.

We return to routine. J's doing school, I'm playing with E. Dirty Diaper. Thoughtlessly taking care of this task when my youngest grows quite distressed over what will occur if his Woody doll has to go potty. Distressed! Granted sure, I wouldn't want to sleep with a diaper-less E either but.....

So Woody is now sporting a blue paper diaper. Mission complete and child is happy.

It's just past mid-day and I just can't help but wonder.....

Was today the wrong morning to try to give up caffeine?

"One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving." Psalm 62:11-12

Whale Watching

2011-02-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

So much time has passed since I actually sat down and wrote a blog post! And so much of life has been lived in the meantime that I have no clue where to begin!

Our little man turned double digits, D's parents spent 3 memory-filled weeks loving on our two little people, work has been crazy for D, J's athletic schedule has been crazy for me ;o) , we have added an amazing Science class to J's weekly extracurriculars, which has led to a weekly (& fun) date of Costco and pizza for E and I (as it's right up the road from J's class), we tried out a new church last weekend (for J, with a really great Children's program) and all, to include E, loved it! There's been Birthday and Super Bowl Parties, Beach time with our BFF's, vet appts, Dr. appts, annual Iowas, (err....too many trips for boba milk tea), Daddy/E day at Wet & Wild, Mommy/J movie date, sleepovers on battleships, splash time at the baby sprinkler park, seriously not sure which way is up, down, and my calendar is an inked out mess....but, boy, do I love my boys. They are turning my hair white and making me feel every second of my my 34 years, but I love them :o)

Some pics from our cruise on the Star of Honolulu with D's parents :o)

(D took the double tail shot! I was so excited to open the folder and see he caught it! And with a manual lens to boot!)

Some J'isms from this last month: Exasperated Child: "I hate it when mom goes through these healthy phases!" Confused mom to husband, "I go through healthy phases??" Husband, "Yeah, ever since 1997, I keep waiting for you to grow out of it." :D

J: "I know what I'm going to save my money for next." M, "What?" J, "A female chinchilla!" M, "Well, you'll definitely get your money's worth!" We're both chuckling when a certain man's voice drifts into our conversation from another room, "OH NO HE WON'T!" :D (D doesn't like our rodent.....)

Driving: And it went something like this....J, "Look mom, that guy must be Italian." M, "Oh really, how can you tell?" J, "He had an Italian flag on his pants...(pause)...and a US flag." M, "One of each or tacky all over?" J, "Tacky all over!" M, "Hmm...is that why you think he's Italian?" J, "Well, that and he had a thin mustache." Oh, the reasoning :D

And some recent E'isms: Reading J a history book when out of the corner of my eye I see a little person bee-lining for the living room with a looonnnnggggg stream of toilet paper trailing from his hand. I do a double take and call E! He turns and my eyes widen as I take in his drenched, stained shirt. I follow into the living rm. and see a similar shade of liquid running down the half wall. LOL! He spilled, had a clean-up plan, and was busy executing (w/ tp!)! Goodness, I LOVE this child! :o)

Changing E's diaper after nap time: E grins, starts giving me two thumbs down and a, "Boooooo." Me, "who taught you that?!" E, happily says, "Deay! Boooooo (thumbs and all)" Nice. If you haven't guessed, Deay is an E-ism for J.

And although we still seem to have problems prounouncing words such as sorry, E, you all will be glad to know can clearly declare "fumble!", "football," and "He scooorrred" and uses all correctly. Hmmmm ;o)

"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up." Proverbs 12:25

Pics from Grandma's camera.....

2011-02-17T17:10:00.000-08:00

.....of our visit to Dole and the Bishop's Musuem :o)

"A man's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?" Proverbs 20:24

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-03T00:02:00.001-08:00

My J

2011-01-28T23:42:00.000-08:00

Ten years ago today I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.

Through the years he delighted us with his exuberant joy for life.

His incomparable goofiness :o)

He's smart, athletic, kind, & fun :o)

He loves the Lord.

He's not had an easy year.

We asked him to give up his home and his friends.

We asked him to share his parents.

We asked him to attempt unlimited patience and learn to love unconditionally....even when that love is not being returned.

My beautiful son, we have asked a lot of you this year. There are times when we stretch you past your ten years, there are times where it feels like the pressure of life's molds are more a sacrifice then you want to give. But, I have watched your moments of mercy. I have have seen you offer grace. I have seen the moments where you have shown love, only to be rejected. I have seen many beautiful moments and my heart has practically burst with pride with each one.

I love you J and I hope this next year brings healing to your heart, joy to each day, that God will continue to grow your love for others. I pray that you will grow closer to your Lord with each step, that you will feel the Lord's presence wherever you go, and that you never doubt how much the Lord and your father and I love you.

Happy Birthday Sweetheart.

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man." Proverbs 3:3

Athletes

2011-01-07T22:22:00.000-08:00

Our summer, turned fall, and now winter in this land of endless sunshine, has found us spending quite a bit of time on the soccer fields. With the lack of competitive hockey, J has really thrown himself into the game and has been diligently working hard with the hopes of playing on the select level. He has been blessed to receive some awesome goalie training (a position he is very interested in playing) and has finally been officially invited to join the team as an alternative goalie & striker. We are so proud of how hard he has worked to achieve this!!! It's a much higher level then what he's been accustomed and he's been warned that his field time will depend on his performance and must be earned, but he is handling that knowledge with maturity and is just excited to do his best and be a part of the team :o)

Our smaller athlete is doing great as well. His soccer dribbling and dramatic imitations I dare say are beyond comparable to anything ever seen before. Adding to this, Santa was so kind to give him a matching pair of the much coveted goalie gloves that his brother wears and last weekend found him on the sidelines loudly cheering, clapping, and making a few saves of his own ;o)

Then there's E's indoor kitchen hockey which he just excels at in both skill and accessories ;o)

You can't read the shirt, but I think it says it all: "Most Adorable Player" :o)

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, ..." Ephesians 1:17-18

Christmas in Review :o)

2011-01-02T22:16:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, Christmas held a lot of firsts for our family this year. Our first Christmas in HI, our first Christmas as a family of four, our first Christmas of being able to watch our precious boy experience HIS first :o)

God has blessed us. He has made the impossible, possible, and we are so thankful.

Our first ~~of many~~ tree lesson :o)

"WOOOOW"

"I like this one, and I'm just going to hold it, and love it, and continually remove it from the tree, if you take it away from me!"

"But I guess I'm willing to swap for the real thing."

Handsome Boy :o)

(Note to mom's of 9 year old boys....J is seriously addicted to these books!)

J worked hard to earn his own shopping money this year and was so proud to be able to truly choose, purchase, and give gifts this year :o)

E, totally ready to be done with the whole gift scene. I think he would have been happier if we had just given him a gift a day until running out.

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done." Psalm 105:1

Christmas Eve

2010-12-25T21:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas afternoon found us cruising along the North Shore, for a trip to the Polynesian Cultural Center.

D and J had been here once before, but this was my first visit....GORGEOUS!

My photogenic crew ;o)

We took in a show in Fiji, where E kept a suspicious eye on the center dancer for the entirety of the presentation. (He did have some rather ~~creepy~~ intense facial expressions during the performance.)

J learned how to make a fish out of coconut leaves.

While E had blast playing with the leftover blades.

The fish were then put on rods, so that the children could literally cast and reel them back in :o) The kids loved them!

Afterwards we moseyed through Tahiti, sampling a bit of coconut bread before finding a comfy nook along the water to watch the "Rainbows of Paradise" show.

Someone was more interested in casting the fish, that one of the gorgeous Tahitian gals made for him :o)

After the canoe parade, we ended our afternoon with a ukulele lesson before racing back to the car through one of Hawaii's many sudden rain showers :o)

The drive home was a bit drippy, but gorgeous nonetheless :o)

Our evening ended with a tasty Outback dinner and a wonderful candle light service at church. All in all, a wonderful day of family and fellowship time, counting our blessings and being so thankful for the freedom we have through Christ's love and sacrifice for us.

I hope all who read this had an absolutely wonderful Christmas!

Love M

"The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-" John 1:9-12

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-22T17:33:00.000-08:00

Bishop's Museum

2010-12-20T15:29:00.000-08:00

Life has been busy and the weather beautiful here on our little volcanic rock. As Christmas is quickly approaching, the boys and I have been kept busy with all the preparations and activities surrounding our favorite birthday celebration :o)

Last weekend found D taking a whirlwind, wintry (work) trip, traveling from the Pacific to MD, CA, and then back to HI. While he got reacquainted with his long johns and jacket, the boys and I bounced from soccer, hockey, a birthday party for each, church, & our Ohana Group. It was an exhausting weekend for all of us :o) So this weekend we recouped with an outing to our favorite lagoon for some much needed fun in the sun. Honestly, as I sat on the beach and pondered all the snow filled facebook posts I've been reading recently, I couldn't help but feel like we live on a different planet!

Some pics from our visit to the Bishop's Museum this morning :o)

It seems my children can 't do anything the normal way! They were literally wrestling their way down the slope with J faking being thrown and E cackling loud enough to wake the dead! There's days when my quiet, behind-the-scenes self can't help but wonder at God's sense of humor, giving me these goofy, LOUD children to mother :o)

He only pushed this glowing light button about 100x :o)

Recent J'isms ;o)

Mom driving on a congested, fast paced, 11 lane highway. 9 year old boy in back seat..."Mom, if you look towards the harbor after the apartment buildings, not the super high apartment buildings, the kind-of medium apartment buildings, AND squint, for a really quick second, you can j-u-s-t barely see the Arizona Memorial in the harbor!" Boy 5 minutes later, "Mom, did you see it?!?" Mom, "uh, no."

PG-13: Mom, "Goodness J, I'm sorry, but it appears Bella left the biggest pile in the backyard that I've ever seen her make!" Boy, races to the window to glance at two rather large mounds about a dogs length apart, "Nah, I've seen bigger." Now both at the window... Mom,"But J, those came at the same time!" Boy, looking mortified and very confused, "You mean one came out her nose!!!"

Mom: "Sorry kiddo, I just don't know, your Mom is just not as smart as she wishes she was, perhaps we can ask Dad." Boy: (casually,but with thought) "Yeah, you didn't go to a good college. I'll ask Dad, he went to a good one." Err...

Latest E'isms :o)

The child toddles into the bathroom in sandaled heels, looks at his mom, and says with a mello surfer dude's slur, "Nice." Love this expanding vocabulary! (And so glad his daddy wasn't home to witness his son's shoe selection! lol)

A mom changing the garbage lets out a surprised gasp, as cold liquid splats all over her foot. She looks up to see the grinning face of a precious child two handed-ly offering her a polish mug filled with ice coffee. A smiley thank you is murmured while her eyes slowly raise to take in the Hansel and Gretel damage....

E's new favorite task is his self proclaimed position of Dog Scolder. One can expect to hear, "No BewA!" "Go, Go!" "BewA, NO NO NO!," ring out pretty much hourly around here :o)

Love my boys! :o)

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In m Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:1-3

A Pictorial Post :o)

2010-11-22T12:44:00.000-08:00

These are all photos taken by our gorgeous (and gifted!) cousin, during her recent visit.

(V we miss you guys so incredibly much! Love you oodles!!!)

E's first party invite :o)

Fun in the Sun :o)

"He covers the sky with clouds; He supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." Psalm 147:8-11

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-17T23:46:00.001-08:00

Hale Koa Luau

2010-11-16T22:53:00.000-08:00

Some pics from our wonderful night at the Luau :o) D and J enjoyed the feasting, I enjoyed the beauty of it all, and E? E danced through the ENTIRE show leaving us all spending more time watching him than the expected entertainment :o) He was just too adorable!

The two J's. One big, one little, both two peas in a pod :o)

OK Sweetie, you stand right here and smile so mama can get this beautiful background. Yes, right there.....Uh E......

Mum's so strange, why does she want me over here? Well Ok, I'm here lady. Just standing here, yes, sticking right here, tongue in cheek, no pun at all. Mom?

Uh Dad, Mom's still yapping about me staying here, and now she keeps smiling and chattering about dairy products. I'm thinking she's losing it.

Haha....look at all the people looking at mommy cooing away like a cheesy idiot. Hey, that's sort of funny :o)

OK, she said get next to J. I'm so tracking this one! See, just like brother :D

Ohhhh....now I gotcha, you mean NEXT to J!

Hey Dad, look I'm next to J, I'm smiling.

Hey J, listen to mom, she's talking about that cow product again...she's crazy I tell ya! Uh J, you're starting to look like a statue, don't you notice that mum's crazy?

Oooo now were talking, this looks like something I could throw! Finally we're finding something fun!

Uh mom, it's an onion :o( She tricked me...this isn't a ball.

Two gorgeous girls who we love and miss immensely!

Our E giggle of the week :o)

E has a little letter puzzle and for some silly reason he likes to use the letter "I" as a pretend cell phone. (Which D jokingly refers to as his i-phone) Well, every night at bedtime, D lays next to E's crib with his head on a throw pillow and does work through his phone until E falls asleep. So the other day, D was upstairs playing with E, when all of a sudden E lays down with the throw pillow next to his crib, starts scrolling his finger across his "i-phone," and then turned to the crib with a loud, "shhhhhhh!" :oD

Our J update of the week :o)

We tried a new gym class today. Our church's one is awesome, but even though there are a lot of kiddos, most of the boys are either older or younger then him and he is so hoping to find some good friends soon. So we tried a new class and he absolutely loved it :o) There were several kids that were pretty close to him in age and he was very excited and hopeful about continuing with this group. It's so hard being a mom and just wanting to fix things. We are praying that he finds a really good friend soon.

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us." 2 Corinthians 4:7

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-10T00:12:00.000-08:00

Grandma's Random Photos....

2010-11-08T22:19:00.000-08:00

....and the babe who cried poop ;o)

So the scene is set with babe in his crib and mom sitting in the corner of his room in the recliner. Tiny tot has pulled almost every stunt in his arsenal to get out of nap time when he comes up with a sure proof mommy scam. Mom in the corner hears devilish giggles, right before her eyes behold a a tiny little head with a great big grin peering at her over the edge of the crib. The child then grows VERY serious, points at his diapered area, and in a very concerned voice declares, "poo poo." Well, mom is rather onto most of his nap time games, but this one is new, so she picks him up, snuggles, and checks. Nope. But augh, he just got her! Literally SQUEALING in delight he flops back down onto his belly, awaits for her to sit back down, and sure enough minutes later, presents a VERY serious face, points dramatically, and once again voices his "poo poo" declaration. Sigh.....the check, the squealing, the child is literally cackling over this new found fake over. But seriously, can a mom ignore the call off "poo poo"? Third time, super serious scowling face, low growly voice declaration, the twinkled-eyed-I-got-her-again look, and drat, the child was for real this time! Hence proving that I WILL need to be suckered over and over again with this one until the end of time! Well, at least until the end of diapers ;o)

Some pics swiped from my mom's memory card.....

At J's gym class

Cruising :o)

Play dough and clay

Our favorite playground

Heading to the beach

Not Happy

October has been an outrageously busy month for our family. It began with a two week visit with my mom. We had a week filled with catching up on the mundane aspects of life, before being able to welcome our cousin's family at the airport. Their time with us was way too short, but was such a balm for my heart and overflowing with fun and laughter. I will be posting many more pictures soon!

Just days after our families departure, we had a surprise house guest for a couple of days. A friend of mine from IL had a loved one attempting to military hop home to Japan with her two year old son and got stuck, first Alaska and then Hawaii. Needless to say, I have no intentions of hopping after observing her struggles with canceled flights & sleeping in USO's. Just too unpredictable for my type A personality :o)

Beyond that, we are still trudging away at E's stateside re-adoption, hunting for a new social worker for our post placement, racing to and fro with all of J's activities, and just juggling everything else life presents us with :o) Just cannot believe we're already a week into November....it's crazy!

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-03T00:37:00.000-07:00

Pics taken at the Dole Plantation :o)

"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord." Psalm 89:14-15

The Homestead :o)

2010-10-21T18:31:00.000-07:00

My J
J has been quickly adjusting to life on the isle :o) He's been playing some ice hockey and we were able to get him on a local soccer team under an awesome coach. His coach works with both J's team and also a select one and has invited J to practice with both. Although it's been insane, juggling two sports and so many practices, we are so thankful as it has helped J tremendously with his transitioning to HI and making new friends. He was also invited by the select organization to participate in a special goalie training being conducted by one of the top trainers in the state, which he absolutely LOVES. He's been working really hard and has hopes of trying out for the select team come December.

Beyond the fields of friendly strife...we are loving our new church. We've been attending their Ohana (family) group on Sunday evenings which is just bursting with children, so J is enjoying his friends there. Our church also has a ton of homeschoolers (over half the children...the school districts in HI are not as strong as those on the mainland) and they all get together for a gym class every Friday, which has been oodles of fun for our boy. They are currently working on training for the Presidential Fitness award and also learning track and field from a dad in the group who coaches a local high school team.

Pics from our back yard....which we lovingly refer to as the jungle ;o)

My E

Tiny tot keeps us all chuckling, smiling, and gasping with his every waking moment. His most recent appointment with his new Pediatrician found him tipping the scales at a big 21lbs. & 31.3" :o) He's still teensy by American standards, but he's filled out, is as healthy as can be, and for someone so petite, has some incredible strength and climbing skills. (The latter however, may be the death of me!)

He is now loving the beach and water. He fearlessly plunges in without abandonment and is usually kicking and screaming when his teeth start chattering and his mean mom hauls him back to shore and the warmth of a sun baked beach towel. He loves to dig in the sand, kick around a soccer ball, dance, squish playdough, climb up slides, and is obsessed with trying to turn anything with wheels on it, into a surfboard, be it a ride on car or a little peoples airplane. (I'm going gray folks! One tiny white strand at a time, but they are multiplying!) ;o)

He is still not using many words, but can follow instructions and understands way more then he can communicate. When he does decide to pipe up though, it always leave us chuckling with phrases such as, "Bye Guys", "See Ya", and "Oh Boy."

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But tore up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy , and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

Favorite Lil' Waterhole

2010-10-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

We are alive, well, and just way too busy!!!

Our movers came the end of September and I can finally declare that we are unpacked! (Well, unless one goes in the garage, but we are carefully ignoring the existence of that part of the house!) J for a while had either soccer or hockey filling every day of the week, not quite sure how that happened, but goodness am I glad we are down to the lazy schedule of only 5 days a week ;o) Grandma just left after a two week visit that had us exploring some new nooks of this little piece of dirt in the middle of the Pacific. Slowly our hearts are starting to call this new place home......

I hope all who read this are doing well and enjoying a beautiful Fall! Someone please enjoy a hot pumpkin latte for me, while snuggling in a soft cozy blanket with a good book.....

"Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge." Proverbs 23:12

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

A Day At Pearl Harbor

2010-09-13T23:18:00.000-07:00

Over Labor Day weekend we took the boys see the USS Arizona

It was beautiful.
As an Army wife, I cannot live these moments without thinking about the children, spouses, mothers, fathers, of our fallen soldiers.
It's hard to believe this gorgeous harbor was once met with such devastation.

Brothers

Two sons, of a soldier. While one looked with wonder at the ferry and sparkling water.... the other absorbed the history.

I hope and pray that never again will a memorial such as this one and the one in NY, ever need to be erected again.....

Lord please protect and watch over our troops as they serve both here and overseas. Please comfort those who are currently separated from their loved ones...the wives, children, and husbands, who are going through the stress of a swiftly approaching deployment...and please hold tightly in your arms, the loved ones who are left behind in the wake of loss. In Jesus Name.

2010-09-07T01:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday D!

I love you!!!!

"Love.......It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails...." 1 Cor. 13:4,7-8

Toys.....

2010-09-03T17:12:00.001-07:00

The boys have been so imaginative and wonderful in our land without furniture.

E has come to believe that the swifter is one of the best toys ever. None of us are allowed to use it in his presence without receiving a full-fledged-baby-scolding! I am sure there are even some Amharic words tossed in there for extra measure!

Baby gate boxes have been fox holes, barricades, seating, and are now taped together as a fort on the back patio, complete with a pooh-corner-style sign gracing it's door.

They love the echoing walls, wide open arenas.....
....and jungle in the back yard.
In truth, we have had some set backs with this move. Little E was doing great back home, handled the hotels like a champ, but this final move and D going back to work was the final straw. Part of me wonders if the wood floors and large empty rooms triggered some memories of the orphanage....but for a bit, we were back to the need for constant assurance, and some strong tantrums. But as we work our way through rebuilding E's security (and E is already doing MUCH better....such a resilient little guy!), I have noticed one huge positive that this move has brought, my boys are becoming brothers. They're playing together. I have more then once walked into E's room after nap time to find him already in J's arms. E, much to J's chagrin, likes to give his big brother big, slobbery smooches and zerberts. They are getting better. J is still a bit grumpy and annoyed with E at times.....E is still fighting a willingness to 'share' his mama at times. But we are seeing small glimpses of genuine love and attachment between the two and are loving watching their relationship evolve :o)

"Love is........It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." 1 Cor. 13:4

The Move :o)

2010-09-03T16:43:00.000-07:00

Still playing catch-up around here and wanted to share some pics from our move :o)

D's parents came down two days prior to send-off, to help us juggle all our cleaning, transport of the luggage, kiddos, & creatures to the airport, and most importantly pick up Pooky. Pooky, the dashingly handsome, ever so hungry, beloved little creature of J's, who is unable to board an airplane until the weather is a guaranteed below 82 degrees. Needless to say, D's mom is currently one of the nominees for national Gramma-of-the-year-award-list!
Gramma loving the time with her boys.
E. merrily welcoming each hotel guest, to happy hour :o)

Still finding a smile after a VERY long trip.

D's sponsor greeted us with beautiful Lei's....

....and a little frog for E. :o)

J was a HUGE helper while D hightailed it to quarantine to claim our pets, before it closed for the day.

At the hotel.....one, exhausted, but content boy....

.....critter, still not sure all is forgiven.....
.....our first Hawaiian rainbow....
.....and three exhausted little ones :o)
Hope you all are looking forward to a wonderful weekend!!!

D has four days off and we are so looking forward to visiting Pearl Harbor, attending what we think is finally going to be our new church family, and hopefully a trip to the beach :o)

Sending Love To All!!!! M~

"....love is kind...." 1 Cor. 13:4

Pre-move :o)

2010-08-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

In an effort to bring our little cyber journal up-to-date on all our families little adventures, I just wanted to share some of our pre-move pics :o)

The week before our move, one of my beautiful friends, took J and one of his bestest buds to a cake decorating class. The boys absolutely LOVED it! (And this mom absolutely loved sampling the creation *wink*)

(& a pic for A......E loved it too!)

The boys at our last, annual swim party with the homeschool group.

Splashing around in our favorite giraffe :o)

A rowdy game of E. peek-a-boo with wonderful friends, who love this little child more than words can express.

E's head-wear of choice ;o)

Loving Ms. Amanda's perfect gift.

Looking adorable, but yet, mischievous ;o) What are you plotting little man?? Hmmmm.....

Caught ya.....hand over the dishcloth!

The Championship Meet

This is not an easy sport and it is not something that comes naturally to J, but he worked so hard this season! We are so proud of him!!!

Saying goodbye, while the movers pack. Oh, how we miss these precious friends. The Lord was so good to us these last few years, I know he has much ahead, but it's always hard to move on.

Life has been full. We express-shipped J's curriculum here and decided to go ahead and start school, as our home is still empty and our days long. The transportation office has predicted that our belongings will be pulling into port on the 29th and they have hopes of delivering by the 15th. So we are thankful that it looks like a week will be shaved off of our wait. Our home has a wonderful screened-in porch that the owners were so gracious in leaving a patio set with! Praising God for his provisions and that we have this wonderful school spot, where J can comfortably sit and work on his studies.

We have a gorgeous stretch of beach, with no waves, just minutes from the house. I was concerned about taking the boys to the beach by myself when D is at work. But here, I can take them without fear of undercurrents and we are loving splashing around when our work is done.

Still have not found what feels like the perfect church family, but God didn't bring us this far to not have a plan. So we will stay open-hearted to the ones we've attended while we continue to look.

So many small blessings, I am so thankful that God pays attention to all the little details that I would never even think to request! :o)

I hope all is well and everyone is enjoying this last little piece of summer!

Sending much love,

"Love is patient...." 1 Cor.13:4

Current Checklist :o)

2010-08-14T21:43:00.000-07:00

Beautiful House - check

Car- check

Internet - finally a check

Registered as a homeschooler - check

In-Processed - check

Church- we think a check

Great place to swim just minutes from the house - check

Friends, Furniture, homeschool group, soccer - pending

Blessed- check :o)

Updated blog.....errrr, well......work in progress ;o)

Sending lots of love....Double Check!

"'Everything is permissible"--but not everything is beneficial."Everything is permissible"--but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.' 1 Cor. 10:23-24

Hmmm....

2010-07-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

Little one, I love you with all my heart. I truly do, but the movers come tomorrow and although I did say I had to get you packed for HI, this was not what I quite had in mind. ;o)

"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him." Psalm 127:3

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-21T20:28:00.000-07:00