Thursday, February 3, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
A Double
A double snow day that is... and I'm in heaven! Another day of all of us home. Another day cozy with the fire on. Another day with no where we have to be. Another day with tons of time to just be together. Another snow day. Another gift.
Today I spent a lot of time doing one "nesting thing" I love... organizing! I love a cleaned off desk, always has to be that way otherwise I feel out of control. I love organized clipboards. When I'm all organized my mind can rest enough to play "Candy Land" for the tenth time in one day.
Reading like crazy in front of the fire while her little sister naps... ahh!
Today I spent a lot of time doing one "nesting thing" I love... organizing! I love a cleaned off desk, always has to be that way otherwise I feel out of control. I love organized clipboards. When I'm all organized my mind can rest enough to play "Candy Land" for the tenth time in one day.
Reading like crazy in front of the fire while her little sister naps... ahh!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Turning the page
I love pretty calendars. I still use a "real" one instead of the computer and phone. Crazy, but I love it. And I love turning the page to a new month. Just when I can't look at January anymore...
And of course a wreath
It was a cozy kind of day. I love Snow Days. I love the slow pace the staying inside, the cooking, both girls home with me... ahh! I think we might be in store for another tomorrow!
And little bits of Valentienes Day are beginning to show up all around our house. I always start with books... baskets of them scattered all over the house, books stood up on stands, books everywhere!
And of course a wreath
It was a cozy kind of day. I love Snow Days. I love the slow pace the staying inside, the cooking, both girls home with me... ahh! I think we might be in store for another tomorrow!
Monday, January 31, 2011
My Kinda Weekend
Oh yes, it was my kinda weekend! With a bit of this...
and a lot of scrubbing power from Scott (he wouldn't let me take pictues of him), and our huge wet/dry vac all of our stair carpets are squeeky clean! Been meaning to do this for so long. We're so glad we did. Can you tell me how they can get so dirty when we don't wear shoes in the house? Beats me! Two days later and the stairs still make me smile.
I remember reading a Christian Marrigae book together (before kids... lots of time) and it was on the Five Love Languages. Mine has always been and will always be "acts of service". I'm much happier with scrubbed carpets than shiny jewlery. I say he's lucky!
Anna had her first sleepover with her best friend.
They all look so tired, it was way late! Not a great picture but I don't care. I love the look on Anna's face. Pure contentment. She looks happy, safe, and loved. Oh how we have to work on that with her every day.
Abigail was pretty smitten with the idea of her sleeping over too! She insisted on pouring a glass of water and leaving it for them on Anna's dresser before she went to bed.
A bit of chocolate cake, great dinner at my parents, busy but fun!
and a lot of scrubbing power from Scott (he wouldn't let me take pictues of him), and our huge wet/dry vac all of our stair carpets are squeeky clean! Been meaning to do this for so long. We're so glad we did. Can you tell me how they can get so dirty when we don't wear shoes in the house? Beats me! Two days later and the stairs still make me smile.
I remember reading a Christian Marrigae book together (before kids... lots of time) and it was on the Five Love Languages. Mine has always been and will always be "acts of service". I'm much happier with scrubbed carpets than shiny jewlery. I say he's lucky!
Anna had her first sleepover with her best friend.
They all look so tired, it was way late! Not a great picture but I don't care. I love the look on Anna's face. Pure contentment. She looks happy, safe, and loved. Oh how we have to work on that with her every day.
Abigail was pretty smitten with the idea of her sleeping over too! She insisted on pouring a glass of water and leaving it for them on Anna's dresser before she went to bed.
A bit of chocolate cake, great dinner at my parents, busy but fun!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Just a Glimpse
Abigail has Eosinoshilic Esophogitis. We are so thankful for her amazing doctor and her wonderful progress. Although her diet is very restricted and she is still supplemented by formula she doesn't have to have a feeding tube. This is not Abigail in it, but it's just a glimpse.
Just a Glimpse (just click on the link, volume on) *make sure you scroll down to the bottom of my blog and pause the blog music so that you can hear the video
Still sleeping after her last endoscopy.
Just a Glimpse (just click on the link, volume on) *make sure you scroll down to the bottom of my blog and pause the blog music so that you can hear the video
Another, again
Next week Anna's going to wake up and say to me, "mommy, isn't it a snow day? We haven't had one in a 3 days!"
I know we'll be going to school in July or something but for now I'll take the slow mornings of a snow day and just playing inside.
Snuggling on a snow day morning.
Taking advantage of a lot of extra time on a snow day.
Don't you wish that they made a purple fleece dress in you size?
It's her favorite and so snugly...
Happy Friday everyone!
I know we'll be going to school in July or something but for now I'll take the slow mornings of a snow day and just playing inside.
Knowing there might be a snow day coming we fit in a play date with Anna's best bus stop friend! (Who is so photogenic, the camera begs to come out of the bag when she comes over. This is the only ok one of Anna, her friend was smashing in every single one!)
Snuggling on a snow day morning.
Don't you wish that they made a purple fleece dress in you size?
It's her favorite and so snugly...
I adore how little she looks here. I'm so glad I took the time to capture the last of toddlerhood... little feet, constant movement, and soft cheeks.
Happy Friday everyone!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Letting them be who they are
I heard a quote the other day. Something about "children are puzzles. They are all so different."
It got me thinking about my mothering. I want to mother deliberately. I refuse to get lost in the chaos of it all.
Yes, there is chaos. There will always be. But I want to figure out who these little girls are.
Who God created them to be.
I want to help them to be themselves not who I thought they would be or wanted them to be.
I do believe that it was the first lesson I learned as a mother. And quite ironically I seemed to have faced that truth that they are their own little person with my biological daughter. One would have thought that with my adopted daughter that truth would have rung free but it wasn't until the first minutes with Abigail that I knew that she was her own person.
I can remember as clear as day holding her still in the delivery room sobbing (that's a whole different post) and staring into her sweet face. She was her own little person. God had made her, not me. I was just the one blessed enough to carry her and to mother her for as many days as I'm alive. Although she looked so familiar and I fell deeply in love with her the moment I touched her and saw her face. I knew that Abigail was her own person.
Beautiful.
With Anna, that lesson I learned very slowly as the past 6 years have gone by. With Anna I knew her sweet face before I could touch her. I slept with her picture under my pillow at night and dreamed of holding her. With Anna I propped up her picture on the table when we at out. I had every little nook and cranny memorized before she was mine. (and for a different post, she almost wasn't mine when we got to China)
It got me thinking about my mothering. I want to mother deliberately. I refuse to get lost in the chaos of it all.
Yes, there is chaos. There will always be. But I want to figure out who these little girls are.
Who God created them to be.
I want to help them to be themselves not who I thought they would be or wanted them to be.
I do believe that it was the first lesson I learned as a mother. And quite ironically I seemed to have faced that truth that they are their own little person with my biological daughter. One would have thought that with my adopted daughter that truth would have rung free but it wasn't until the first minutes with Abigail that I knew that she was her own person.
I can remember as clear as day holding her still in the delivery room sobbing (that's a whole different post) and staring into her sweet face. She was her own little person. God had made her, not me. I was just the one blessed enough to carry her and to mother her for as many days as I'm alive. Although she looked so familiar and I fell deeply in love with her the moment I touched her and saw her face. I knew that Abigail was her own person.
(I do have pictures of Abigail just born with me in that moment, but I thought some cleaned up pictures would be better)
Beautiful.
With Anna, that lesson I learned very slowly as the past 6 years have gone by. With Anna I knew her sweet face before I could touch her. I slept with her picture under my pillow at night and dreamed of holding her. With Anna I propped up her picture on the table when we at out. I had every little nook and cranny memorized before she was mine. (and for a different post, she almost wasn't mine when we got to China)
(First glimpse of Anna. 6 pictures were given to us but this was the first face I saw)
And then slowly, very slowly I learned about Anna. I had chosen her name but god had created her. She was carried by a Chinese woman and not me. And although I'd be the first to tell you that that doesn't matter in being someones mother, it holds so many different lessons.
I always wanted to be a mother. I was the little girl that was a little girl way to long. I would have pushed my doll pram well into middle school if I could. I was young.
I dreamed of being a mother and I knew just what it would be about and what my children would be like. Well, not to mention that for one I had to fly across the world to bring her home, that was just the start.
I guess the point I'm trying to remind myself is that Anna is Anna and Abigail is Abigail. They are not mine. They are their own person and I need to embrace who THEY are and not who I think they should be.
Oh man, how I love my little girls, how they came into my life, and who they are becoming.
And then slowly, very slowly I learned about Anna. I had chosen her name but god had created her. She was carried by a Chinese woman and not me. And although I'd be the first to tell you that that doesn't matter in being someones mother, it holds so many different lessons.
I always wanted to be a mother. I was the little girl that was a little girl way to long. I would have pushed my doll pram well into middle school if I could. I was young.
I dreamed of being a mother and I knew just what it would be about and what my children would be like. Well, not to mention that for one I had to fly across the world to bring her home, that was just the start.
I guess the point I'm trying to remind myself is that Anna is Anna and Abigail is Abigail. They are not mine. They are their own person and I need to embrace who THEY are and not who I think they should be.
Oh man, how I love my little girls, how they came into my life, and who they are becoming.
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