Friday Faces

There are lots of kisses in our house!

“Happiness is like a kiss...you must share it to enjoy it.”

Chad kissing Parker and Ian kissing Livia

Ian getting kisses from Great Aunt Deborah

There is also lots of silliness!

“Silly is you in a natural state, and serious is something you have to do until you can get silly again.”

-Mike Myers

OH, I almost forgot to share that I won an awesome raffle prize!  A week in Destin, Florida!  With the original $1500 raised plus the $3560 fom the raffle, Megan Terry raised $5060 for Haiti and the D.R.C.!  Thank you so much Megan for all your hard work!  This will buy a lot of food!

I would like to also say a BIG THANK YOU to Veronica Caldwell who donated the condo.  Here are the links to her properties.
http://www.vacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/38065.html
http://www.vacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/536.html
http://www.vacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/2569.html

Wednesday's Weekly Wisdom

First bit of wisdom today is for you!  Go and check out the Terry's blog.  You have only a few more hours to buy raffle tickets for a chance to win a week on the warm, sandy beach of Destin, FL.  Don't we all want that about now?  We also all want to help Haiti and the orphans of the D.R.C.  All the proceeds go to help them both!  A win, win situation! 

Maybe I should change the title to Chaddy Wednesdays!  I think Wednesday's are just going to be Chad's day!  He is just at that age were he is learning so much!  This week he learned how to open doors.  He so very nicely lets our cats in the house.  Unfortunately, they are OUTSIDE cats!  And Sunday, I sat on my hubby's lap for a little kiss, when I realized it was really quite.  I jumped up and found Chad standing outside on our deck in a diaper and a Colts t-shirt (GO COLTS!).  Yeah, I think I am going to be up for the mother of the year award!   So, all doors in our house now have to be locked.  This is hard for us country folks to remember.  We never lock our doors.


Chad also learned how to "pee-pee on the potty."  I am totally following his lead on this.  I wasn't planning on doing this for awhile, but he is going full force.  He still goes in his diaper, but most of the time he comes running with his shirt tucked under his chin, trying to pull his pants down as he tells me "pee-pee on the potty!"  So, we both run to the bathroom and he "pee-pees on the potty."  We wash our hands and then......comes the best part.   He puts his hands up in the air and pumps them up and down, while chanting, "GO CHADDY, GO CHADDY!"  We leave the bathroom giving each other a high ten!  Don't you wish you got that much energy from using the bathroom!

I know when my kids are older they would be mortified if they saw all of these pictures of them on here.  But I am betting this will be old technology that just the "old folks" use by the time they are old enough to care. 

We also learned today that Livia will be having her Adenoids and Tonsils removed on February 16th.  I learned that apparently her throat has been hurting her a lot worse than I had thought.  Her birthday is on the 22nd.  Not wanting her to be sick on her birthday, I asked if we could do it the day after her birthday.  On the way home she asked if I would call and make it as early as possible because her throat was really hurting.  This is a big change of her attitude!  Her best friend had her tonsils removed and Livia heard horror stories about it.  So, she has been really upset with the thought of getting them removed. 

After waiting an hour and half, the doctor walked in looked at Ian and said, "Where is he from?"  Then quickly asked,  "He is adopted, right?"  I really wanted to say, "No, I gave birth to him,"  but didn't.   Then asked if I was a Christian.  I answered, "Yes."  The whole time thinking this is none of his business!  Then continued to ask if I was a practicing Christian.  It was just bizarre.  As if that was the only reason I would adopt a black child.  It was just one of those weird conversations that would not have happened if I had adopted a white child.  Today, I  learned that even professionals aren't so professional (wait a minute, actually I think I learned that along time ago, but was just reminded of it again today).

Friday Faces

The boys all took a bath together for the first time in a long time.  Could it get any sweeter than this?  I had to get the camera out!  Parker agreed after he made sure all shots were going to be above the waste : )

Livia stayed all night with her sweet little friend Harli and they did a play "photo shoot".  I thought I would take advantage of all of the pictures of my beautiful little girl.  I still like to think little, anyway.  She is growing up so quickly!  Not quite grown up for all that make-up they used though!

P.S.  You still have the opportunity to win a chance for a free vacation on the beach in Florida, while helping the Haiti and the orphans in the D.R.C.!  Go visit The Terry's and buy a ticket or two or three or more!!!!

Wednesday's Weekly Wisdom

With four kids in our house and with two being under the age of two.  There is alot of learning going on in this house.  Sometimes it's amilestones, like first steps.  Other times it is just plain funny.  So, I've decided to try and share some of this wisdom weekly. 

Yesterday, I was reading a blog of a MCC representative in Kinshasa.  We  have became good friends with both him and his wife.  While reading, I learned that apparrantly there is a World Toilet Day, which took place on the 19th of November, as it does every year. The Kinshasa newspaper gave three full pages to the theme, including more history than you need to know about toilets and photographs of some of Kinshasa’s choice installations.  Toilets are a big luxury in Kinshasa, I've witnessed that most people use the ditches that run along the streets.  Thankfully, I never had to resort to that.

Ironically, this is what Chad learned, I guess you can decide whether this is a milestone or not.  While I was running water for the boys' bath, Chad learned that bath toys work just as well in the toilet!   He sure was happy about it too!  Yes, sometimes we learn those things that we just shouldn't learn.  I guess no harm was actually done and I should be thankful that we were planning to take a bath anyway.

A Week At The Beach Anyone?

One of the awesome ladies I've met in our adoption process is Megan.  She will be going to the D.R.C. to finally bring baby Miles home soon.  She has raised lots of money for the D.R.C. and is continuing to do so for the children of the D.R.C. and of Haiti with this awesome raffle!  This is taken straight from ger blog:

"Who wants to spend a week at the beach? (Me! Me!) Who wants to help the earthquake victims in Haiti? (Me! Me) Who wants to help the children in orphanages in the Democratic Republic of Congo? (Me! Me!)"

Of course we all do!  So go and visit her blog and buy yourself a chance to win a week in a 3 BR condo right on the beach in Destin for only $10!

Yes, We Are All Still Alive!

Yikes!  It has been over a month since I have updated my blog with information about my family!  Can be overwhelming to try to get caught up.  So, I decided to just look through my photos and pick out some of my favorites.  Please excuse the large number of photos.  We've been really busy!

I am embarrased to say this is our FIRST and ONLY family picture.

Poor little Ian, wanting to go join the crowd......

in the nice warm hot tub!

Wasn't enough water for us.  We went and visited the indoor waterpark.

The kids were in a Christmas Play at Church. 

Yes, that boy yawning through the play would be my son Parker.

We celebrated CHRISTmas with lots of family.  Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of all of these wonderful people.  But here's a few.

We have visited great-grandparents

Santa brought us all new rides!  Chad and Ian got the new rides below.  Me, Livia and Parker all got new bikes!  Jamey got a pull behind cart for the boys.  Sounds like I need to be getting back into shape!

Chad played a lot of dress up! 

He actually found these and suprised us coming around the corner looking this way!

 

Chad also has learned to walk (running most of the time). 

Ian has learned to crawl, pull up, and walk around objects.

Yes, I will be chasing two little runners before to long : )

And thank you great Aunt Hedy for the cute outfits!

Chad and Ian saw their first snow!  Ian wasn't to impressed.  Chad LOVED it! 

Poor little guys.  I layed them both down and put their snow suits on them.  Then as I was putting on my gloves, I realized they couldn't move at all!  It was such a Christmas Story moment.  They both were trying so hard to roll over.  It was just hilarious!

We met with some other families that have or are bringing home new little ones though Our Family Adoptions.  Below was a get together at our house with the Ott and Hall families.

We met Megan at the Science Center : )  Who is anxiously waiting to bring home baby Miles!  She is raising all sorts of money to take to the orphanages on her trip!  Check out her site The Terry's.

We also had another trip tothe Kidzone in the Science Center!

We snuggled LOTS.

And lastly I still can't believe I am sharing this, but it is just so funny.

I was cooking dinner the boys were playing with Livia in the living which is open to the kitchen, when I heard Livia scream, "MOM!"   This is what I found.....

The white cream is an Olive Oil product we use in Chad's hair before we comb it out. 

Apparently, Chad thought Ian needed his hair combed too!  I must say most of it was on his head!

Click Away to Help Haiti

I know it has been forever since I have posted!  I promise I will post later this week about the family, but today there are more important things.

As with many of you are hearts have been saddened by the earthquake in Haiti.  I pray that this will bring awareness to the world of the many hardships this country has had before the earthquake and help will finally be given.  So, today I only ask you to pray for Haiti.  Pray for all of the those babies, those toddlers, those children, mothers, fathers, grandparents  who cannot find each other, who have no homes, who have no food, please pray that they will find hope until help finds them.

In addition to all of your prayers for Haiti, PLEASE click over to this blog Watching the Waters.  Cory is a mom of children adopted from Haiti. She has compiled a long list of blogs that are pledging to give money to Haitian relief for every comment left on the blogs. No expense to you, just leave a comment and money will be sent. If you can't afford to send donations yourself, then take some time and start clicking.
 
There are also many children there who have adoptive parents in the United States.  Due to the slow paperwork process they are not yet in the United States.  I cannot imagine these parents pain as they view the news.  I would be going crazy now.  So please write to your senators by clicking here and ask that these adoptions be expedited and that these precious children be granted emergency entrance into the US.
Thank you.