What's missing...

My refrigerator reminds me of what is missing....

Girl's Day Out...again

yes I do believe we are making a habit of this... downtown girls!

 

 

 

Off to the Children's Museum to explore Peru this month. Izzy had to bring our friend Alpaca with us. He is originally from Huanaco, Peru...a gift from our sweet friends The Smiths.

 

 

Then we just had to stop at Paolo's for gelato...umm! Lemon gelato..oh my!

 

 

Happy Father's Day....to the best dad in the world

Poe

I loved to read Edgar Allan Poe in school. You know when you're a moody teenager he seems to fit the bill for odd literature that somehow sums up how you're feeling... misunderstood! Who understands teenagers...who understands Poe? Well, I've had to recently give my girls a taste of Poe and I have to say they don't "get" him. In fact, Izzy was a little disturbed by his poetry. Why in the world would I be introducing my girls to Poe at such a young age you ask? Well, our new library is the Edgar Allan Poe library on Sullivan's Island and he is all over it. Ravens on the wall...etc. The library is housed in a former Spanish-American War four-gun battery. Poe was stationed here as a private in the Army in 1826-1827. He used Sullivan's Island as the setting for his famous story "The Gold Bug". It's definitely an unusual use of a former military facility and my girls LOVE it. Can't say that they LOVE Poe yet though. Maybe they never will...we'll see.

 

 

 

 

 

Jacks

Remember Jacks? I love Jacks. The only thing is they are huge now. I guess the little metal ones were a choking hazard. It's funny how my generation was apparently the guinea pigs because everything for my kiddos is much safer : )

This is how we pass the time while getting "leggie" fixed for the third time this week...

poor leggie : (

The artist of Isle of Palms

This boy...

I don't always have the words to express how I feel about this little guy. Sometimes because I'm overwhelmed with emotion for him....and sometimes,  well sometimes he's a bit naughty and I find myself speechless then too !

 

 

 

 

 

and I gotta say...he's pretty stinkin cute !

The beach

The beach has always brought us such joy.  Just being there stirs something in us.  It reminds me that He created this for His glory and by His grace I get to enjoy this. Wow!  His blessings abound....

 

We discover His creatures daily

 

 

and we bask in the glow of His goodness

 

 

some of us appreciate it a little differently : )

 

 

 

It's still a treasure to all of us...

 

 

 



Proud to be her Momma....can't take any credit though. She is all HIS!

Beach livin...

We moved on June 1st. I guess that explains where I've been and why I've not blogged. I'm completely in love with Isle of Palms and I'm completely over moving! Prayin that we are here for a LONG time : )

 

 We prayed to be closer to the beach and closer to Rob's work....and Ephesians 3:20-21 always came to mind when we did; however, we really didn't think we'd be a block from the beach.

That is what I call "immeasurably more"... for sure!

 

So what do I love most....

 

Well other than the beach itself, I absolutely love that I don't have to drive to the beach. I just load up the beach cart and roll...

 

 

and Josiah rolls too : )

 

and I absolutely LOVE having an outdoor shower...

 

 

I never dreamed there would be a day that I wouldn't have sand in my car or my house. 

 

God is amazing!

 

Loved...

I love you too....

It's the little things that make my heart smile....

 

 

 

 

 

like waiting on Daddy to come home from work

 

 

 

and playing in the rain....



Painted Lady's

For the end of the school year science project we decided to get a butterfly habitat and some catipillars and watch God do His thing. All I can say is Wow! I was just as blown away if not more than my kiddos.  I always marvel at how God creates but this was really breathtaking to witness.  We will definitely do it again.

One thing we didn't consider...the cats

 

We had some stalking....

 

 

Another thing I didn't consider

 

 

 

 

a little birds and bees with the butterflies.... I had to explain that!

 

But it was all worth it...

 

 

 

 



She did it...

Ever since Izzy had her ears pierced this little one has wanted to do it, but was a wee bit nervous about it. Well, almost two years later she was ready...

She definitely does things in her own time

 

 

and most definitely marches to the beat of her own drum....love this girl!

 

School's Out For Summer

I can actually hear Alice Cooper screaming in my head....Ah ! I never thought I'd be happy about that, but I am : )

This year was not the easiest and I'm guessing it won't be the hardest considering I taught 1st and 2nd grade. Things are bound to get harder.  I guess what made it tough was new child, moving, new job, new life....etc!  Adding Josiah to the mix was interesting, but by the end we finally got in to a groove. Yes, it took all school year to get there!

For Izzy..multiplication was not fun, nor was spelling : ( but she rocked everything else. She just blows my mind some days. She's reading like crazy and a huge unsuspected blessing this year: Creative Writing. Wow! Let's just say she might be doing more than just illustrating books one day.

For Mari...it was all fun to her. She just loves school. Nothing really bums her out...yet!  One major accomplishment...cursive handwriting. For a girl with half of a hand she writes better than most kiddos her age. It was a goal from the beginning. She didn't say it to me ever, but I knew she was going to conquer that this year and she did. AMAZING that girl. And also reading like crazy right along with Izzy.

I couldn't be prouder of these girls. So blessed to be their Momma and their teacher.

We are starting our summer reading program called "Girls Who Rocked the World"

It all started with this book...

 

 

and I decided there are so many amazing women that made such a significant difference in this world that I had better start telling my girls about these ladies now....it might take a few summers : )

 

So we are beginning this week with some juvenile fiction just to get our feet wet:

 

Katie Woo

Fancy Nancy

Cora Cooks

Grace for President

 

Then we are going to alternate between real life amazing women like:

 

Clara Barton

Corrie ten Boom

Helen Keller

Mother Teresa

 

I'm so excited to do this with them. They are at such a great age to really embrace it.

 

Izzy has flip flops that say "Girls Rule" and it always makes me smile when I see them.  Not because I think girls rule anything, but because she was born of a country that is so contrary to that thought and her reality is that she is an incredible little girl that feels pretty special to be a girl....and that I absolutely love!

 

So here's to a summer of amazing ladies! Both fiction and non fiction.

 

 

I miss my kiddos : (

 



Uniting with my Boy

Uniting with my Boy - 1 year Gotcha Day (through Daddy's eyes)....

I knew I was on a mission...on a holy mission from God. I was in China alone, as the ambassador for our family on the journey to be united with Josiah...

As I walked through the streets of Wuhan, in the Hubei Province in China, on the day before I was to officially and tangibly become his Dad, I experienced a peace that surpasses all understanding! I knew our lives were about to change again with this addition to our family, but the calm was there...God all way!

The ride to the official meeting place was surreal. It was our driver, my translator and myself. It was exciting but rather quiet. As we got in the elevator I could not have realized what would be waiting for me as the doors opened...

As the doors opened (I was expecting to go from the elevators perhaps down a hall and into some room or lobby) I saw a small boy leading a man around in circles...he had wild hair (for a Chinese kid) and was kind of being goofy in a playful way. I heard my guide/interpreter ask the man something in Mandarin and she looked at me and said this was Jian Guo, my son. See, I didn't even recognize him right then and there.

 

 

It was all so surreal that it took me a few seconds to let that sink in...I think I was in shock. When I called his name he came to me...and then it happened, that moment when the absurdity of that kind of union (two seemingly strangers meeting) intersects with this crazy outpouring of God's grace! And in an instant Jian Guo, held my hand and led me around the floor of this government building. He got in my arms and became one with me...

I'm not saying that we didn't have a few rough patches those first few hours, days, etc...because in fact we did...and still do. What I am saying is that the ground that we walked on for the rest of the days of the trip became holy ground. The bonding process began and the sweet connection of a father and his son was cemented. I learned to love feeding him, dressing him and caring for him. It was the hardest thing I have ever done but I know it was also one of the most holy of times for me...

I love my little boy...I love him so much. I don't understand his needs perfectly. I don't understand how to meet his needs always. I know I am his Dad. I know he is my son. I know he loves me...and he knows I love him. That's all we need...

 

And he will know that all of this is possible because, God first loved us!

Five Years home....Happy Gotcha Day

 

My dearest Bella,

You are a light that shines deeply into my soul every day. Your love tells me that I am a great Momma even when I know that’s not true. You remind me daily that God is at work always in our lives and that He heals the broken hearts of this world. You are proof that He is what makes a family and nothing else does. Your smile makes my heart leap and your joy is my joy. I will never forget Mother’s Day 2008 when the Lord ushered you into my arms.  It will always be the beginning of a wonderful journey my sweet girl. I cherish every moment I have with you….one of the greatest blessings of my life.

Love,

Your Momma by God’s grace

 

I don't know how the time has gone by so fast....from this sweet face that I first glimpsed in June 2007



to this precious girl that changed our lives on Mother's Day 2008

 

 

 

 



to this beautiful young girl that is not only changing my life but changing the world

 

 



I love being your Momma sweet girl...can't wait to see what God has in store for you.