Gotcha!

We attended a great celebration for "Gotcha" Day! We joined lots of families to celebrate adoption! Cupcake was the Guest of Honor this year! It was a lot of fun including deep-fried turkeys, a hayride, and volleyball! It was a great evening that ended in a diaper-explosion! This only added to the memory! We were thankful to finally be able to enjoy the celebration of an adoption, personally!

All before the bell rings!

We've been packing in the fun before school starts! This Summer rocked and we made so many great memories! But, I think we're all looking forward to a more structured schedule.

Okay, maybe not Supergus. He said today, "I don't want my Summer vacation to end..." I assured him that if he puts in a whole year of school, he'll get to do it all over again~probably minus the globe-trotting." He informed me we are going to Russia next Summer. Does he know something I don't or am I still jet-lagged and hearing things?

Supergus is playing soccer this year, too! So, add that to church events and cub scouts, we'll be far from bored. Cupcake is also keeping us on our toes and will be walking very soon! She sometimes crawls faster than we can catch her!

When the kids aren't keeping us running, the garden and canning/freezing is on our agenda. That, and fixing that blasted tractor that eats belts for breakfast and loves to scalp the yard~demands our attention! It's just jealous because the duct-taped, wheel flying-off, choking to its death push mower is nearly dead and we had to resuscitate it a few times this week. Sibling rivalry or mower envy? We're not really sure.

At least the dog is laid back.

It's been a great Summer and I think by this time next week, Super Daddy and I will crash on the couch and smile at each other saying...

"Wow, what a ride!"

Splish Splash!

Thanks to a very nice friend (thank you!!), our kids had an afternoon of fun in the water!

The pool was only inches deep, but the fun was unending!

It's a fort, I say!

SG spent the afternoon building forts. More pillows! We need more pillows! Whoa, that's too many pillows! He even took books and a flashlight inside! Hours of imagination fun! He was impressed his Mama remembered how to build one! One point for Mommy!! Yeah!

This Sucks!

Our baby girl learned to use a straw!! Yippee!

3 teeth and now this? We are so proud!

Way to go, Cupcake!

Ahoy Matey!

The family decked out in Pirate gear and took on the local Pet Parade! Super Gus got a dollar for entering and a free HUGE ice cream sandwich as his prize! Lucky! Everything from horses and chickens to rabbits and webkinz were entered! We were in front of a very well behaved stuffed puppy! It was a great night! Gidget Puppy says it was "ruff!" being around all those other doggies and not getting to play with them!

Enjoying some time with Granny Moo! She is really checking out her new toy!

Little Drummer Boy

Super Gus did a great job drumming in the parade!

The fire truck sirens were so loud behind us, but the drums kept us in step!

Great job Super Gus!

Family Fun!

We had a good week visiting with our extended family! Grandmama and Aunt M. came for a visit, bringing along my two beautiful nephews!! We got to enjoy a day at the lake and several other days we played indoors due to the rain. Our train set and cars got quite a bit of play time! SG thought it was fun to play with his cousins and all the toys in the basement together!

We tried to have a cookout, but the rain drenched the fire so we had hot dogs on the stove instead. The "picnic" was still a lot of fun. It even became too wet to enjoy the Outlet Mall. So, we stayed indoors and made our own entertainment!

We even spent an evening at a parade! The kids loved it! Older cousin, Mr. Wheels, who is 3 LOVED the firetrucks and ambulances! It was very exciting and the kids got lots of candy! The sirens were very loud! Cupcake took it all in, mesmerized. SG was an expert candy grabber! Mr. Wheels and Bears had such a nice time too! It was a great night!

Cupcake thought her cousins were very interesting and spent a lot of time playing with them. She studies people so much when she is getting used to them. She was very unsure of Aunt M's pretty red hair. I don't think she has ever seen red hair before. It didn't take her too long to realize they were family.

She really liked playing with younger cousin, Bears. He thought it was fun to pull on her clothes as she crawled by! She didn't let it stop her from traveling however, she just let him pull off the clothes and kept going! It was very cute! She doesn't let much stand in her way when it comes to moving!

We celebrated birthdays, too, while they were here! Grandmama and Aunt M. spoiled the kids with many nice gifts and lovely clothes! SG is thrilled with the K'nex carnival set! He put together a racecar, an airplane, and even an ax! He is doing really well figuring it all out!

It was a great visit!

Lake Day!

Cupcake is still getting used to the whole lake experience with the sun-only heated water. Super Gus, however, totally loves the whole fish swimming with you experience!

Senior Celebration!

Cupcake was the guest of honor at a reception put on by the local Senior Center! It was absolutely wonderful! We did a video presentation about our trip to China and told about some of the adventures we had. We also had the opportunity to share some of our souvenirs too! They had questions about the food and customs and the people in general.

They even showered her with a luncheon, gifts and a cake made just for her! She especially liked the balloons and we've been enjoying the beautiful fresh flower arrangement ever since! Thank you community-family! We love you!

Outdoor Fun!

We visited Granny and Pappy Moo at their campsite!

A matter of a pout!

Cupcake and SG were enjoying a day in the sandbox. Cupcake really loves the texture of it. She grabbed a handful and put it in her mouth before we had a chance to stop her and I simply said, "no sand in your mouth. - it's icky." She looked at me and then at her hand and back at me. She grabbed the biggest handful of sand she could possibly grab, looked at me, and put it in her mouth. My mommy-mean-eyes came out and I confirmed that sand was NOT to be in her mouth. She puckered up that little lip and it quivered and she looked at me then to the sand and back up at me and let out this heart wrenching cry. Wow! Mommy told me no and meant it?!? We know this is the beginning of a long story. She didn't eat anymore sand. I won...this one.

Breaking Through!

After a long night, Cupcake finally got her first little tooth! It is a bottom chomper and she thinks it's pretty fun to play with her tongue on it! She's drooling a lot and is really proud of herself (okay, maybe it was we that were proud?).

Not long after this accomplishment, she puckered up and started her painful cries again as we see there is another bottom tooth trying to come in! The doctor thought she was cutting 4 (two top and two bottom) all at once, so she's right so far.

I don't know how that smile can get any cuter?

Chores Already!?

Somehow, even though we asked our gardens very nicely NOT to grow weeds while we were gone... they still did!

*how rude!*

So we enlisted the help of our younger family members to tackle this job. We didn't get it done, but they were cute helpers! People say talking to plants helps? ~guess we'll have to talk more sternly next time?

Making Waves!

Happy Beach Baby!

Riding those waves in!

These googles are about as clean as his regular glasses. Go figure.

Love that face! She warmed up to the waves after she found she could splash!

We spent the day at the lake and the waves were huge! SG thought they were awesome, Cupcake wasn't so sure of them at first, but thought the sand was great. She's finally trying to at least touch the grass and with the sand she was delighted!

Watching SG was amazing as he faced the wave challenges so fearlessly. He's growing up so fast and it was awesome just to watch him laugh and be so confident. He'd still glanced back to make sure I was watching all the great "moves", but I'd not dare let on that I was regretting even blinking because I was so enjoying the moment of just watching him ...be...him. That smile and laugh are contagious.

Keeping an eye on Cupcake as she finds pieces of driftwood (hopefully nothing else!) while discovering sand and its treasures and another eye on SG pretending to be a World-Class-Body-Surfer-Wave-Crasher was the best way to spend a beautiful Thursday afternoon. EVER. I'm still afraid to blink because they grow up too fast...

Camera is fixed!! Just a few shots to enjoy!

If you're happy and you know, then your face will surely show it!

Marching in a July 4th parade and being this cute takes a lot out of ya!

Taking the "plunge"!

Yup! They're drenched!

Cupcake's first ride! Well, giddy-up already!

Multi-talented!

Discovering the flower gardens.

Wonderful Summer Day

Hey'ya Boo-Boo, How's about another pic-a-nic basket?!

I packed up the kids, lunches, blankets, toys, drinks, books, the kitchen sink, and a partridge in a pear tree and headed to the local park today for a relaxing day in the shade! After about 5 trips from the car to unload we were settled and ready to enjoy the day. It was worth all the effort to get to that point, too. Fresh air....Clouds.....ahhhhhh......

We were joined by some friends and wasted away the afternoon chatting and having Cupcake snooze and play on the blanket. She really enjoyed the baby swing and SG got in a few goals with the soccer ball too! The winner between parents vs. kids is still undecided, so we'll call it a tie! Although, SG would probably disagree. Our healthy picnic was yummy too~ Sesame baked chips, grapes, whole grain sandwiches, and yogurt.

Can't wait for another day to do it all again.

Forgive the Absence!

Okay, okay, I know I haven't posted in 12 days! Let's chalk it up to "life"! We are finally back at home after a week at DVC with 4th and 5th graders! It was a lot of fun, but poor Cupcake must be thinking we LIVE in that camper! We were all struggling with boogered-up schedules and by Thursday morning I was officially wearing the "I've been hit by a Mac Truck" look due to a lack of sleep. But the kids had a great time and Cupcake really enjoyed all the attention. It was great having mother's little helpers to make it easier, too. This will mark the first year I didn't participate in bobbing for gummy worms in the jell-o pool... Or maybe I did and just wasn't conscious. The week was fantastic!

We also were very blessed by a "Welcome Home Cupcake" reception with our friends and family on Sunday. It was hard not to get teary-eyed when we realize how long the wait has been and how people really stood by us and prayerfully held up our adoption. Praise God many times over!

So, now we home finally getting settled into a more permanent schedule and routine. We're even getting to play, laugh, bond, giggle and watch Sesame Street together! In case you are wondering the letter of the day is R and the word for today is Scrumptious. I don't remember there being a word for the day when I was growing up, but what a great idea! I still have a favorite number, and it's 4 (thanks for asking.)!

I also braved Aldi's & Wal-mart with both kids and lived to talk about it. It went relatively smoothly but there were some saints along the way that made it easier. (Thank you) That and Cupcake fell asleep for most of the Wal-mart part of the trip. Being that it has been many weeks since we've gone for groceries, we decided it was time. The rice cakes, popcorn & ketchup Charlie Brown thanksgiving meals just weren't cutting it. Luckily, we had some baby food for Cupcake already stashed away in the cupboard, but for the rest of us, it was long overdue.

I hope to be adding pictures again soon. My new camera we took to China was great. Yes, was. Took it all the way around the world and it got broken last week. ~Just glad it wasn't in China when it happened. Even more glad I bought the "idiot insurance coverage" for it. I even asked....If I do anything, I mean, Anything to it, you'll replace it. He said yes. Well, by golly, I'm glad we did that. So hopefully, I'll get it fixed/replaced in the near future, 'cause I have some great shots on there! Can't wait to share them with you!

Well...it's quiet now, as both children are sleeping and we're winding down too. The sunset was gorgeous and the cool summer breeze is refreshing. I'm content. Happy. My family is Home and I'm overwhelmed by thanksgiving for it all.

.Sweet dreams.

The sounds of silence...

Well, it's after 7:00 a.m. and the little cupcake and SG are still snoozing! We put them to bed at 9:00 p.m.!! Ahhhh.....the sounds of silence....

SG had a great time at camp! He made some new "best" friends and was very sad to leave them. He filled us in all the excitement including water balloons, getting mail, and falling out of bed! Luckily, he was on the bottom bunk! He had a terrific time and is already talking about going next year. Mind you, we leave next WEEK to go be on staff at the same camp! (but it's not the same, he says.)

If you ever need a shopping deterrent, I'm willing to bring Cupcake along. I thought we'd start out small at Dollar General. Her first time in a shopping cart was interesting. Oh no, we don't like it at all! We don't like the strap! We don't like holding on, and if we don't hold on we're small enough I can slip through the leg holes! We don't like stuff in the seat with me! We have quite an arm with a box of kleenex! We don't like things NOT in the seat with us because we can't throw them! However, we do like reaching out to the shelves and dragging our hands along it! Wow, it's like dominoes cascading to the floor! Fun! All this while people ooohing and ahhhing over the new baby. Needless to say, we only bought 2 items. Oh well, there's always another day!

SD and I were happily reflecting on the "s" in kids this morning. We can actually say now, how the kidS are, let's play with the kidS, why don't we take the kidS! It's an amazing realization that there are two of them now.... we praise God for His faithfulness during our journeys.