Birthday Party Wishes

Thank you to my sweet and generous friends, Elissa and Denise who let me use some of their great images for the slideshow.

These are my two favorite images from the party.  

P.S.  I think today is the last day to bid on Kate's crib bedding.  Go here to bid it up and raise money for life-saving surgery for an orphan in China.

Cupcake

For Miss Kate, it really is all about the cupcake.

I am exhausted.  

More to come.

Thanks E!

Somebody teach that girl some manners!

Thankful Thursday

Miss Kate Emerson's 2nd Birthday Splash Party is tomorrow morning so I am tres' busy getting ready but wanted to quickly let you know about two families that have been united in China this week.

Sharon is a  fellow blogger friend and such a sweet person. She and her husband are in China now with their new daughter, Bailey. If you have time, go read about their journey. Here is a photo of Sharon and Bailey:

Also, congratulations to our good friends, Karen and Doug!  Karen is also in China now and has had beautiful Becky for a few days. We are so thankful that everything is going well for both of these families.  Forever families are such a blessing. I am so thankful that Karen is allowing me to share their blog.  Please pray for Becky as she adjusts to her new life.  You all know how tough that first week can be.

Introducing the beautiful Becky!

Another very special family is celebrating the anniversary of their Forever Family day today too!  Go wish them a special day and see the beautiful page that the Pixel Fairy Princess created in honor of her daughter.

Miss Kate seems to have a little cold or runny nose----which is par for the course given this is her big week (party and birthday). Thank you Staci for her "beauty kit" (yes, I gave it to her today to keep her busy).  She loves blow drying her hair!

Kate just woke up and has obvious bed head...so this beauty kit came just in time;)

Mirror, mirror in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?

Meeting Blog friends at the park

A few moths ago, Jennifer e-mailed me asking for some help on her blog.  I gave her my phone number and told her to call and I would help her out with the background paper.  When I saw the caller ID, I realized that she lives where my friend Staci lives. Jennifer has the sweetest Southern accent you have ever heard. We talked a little bit and I have followed her blog ever since.

When I knew we were headed to her neck of the woods, I asked if she wanted to meet up with us.  So, last Saturday, I took the peanuts to a park near Staci's house to meet Jennifer and Landree.  Landree is about the cutest thing you have ever seen!  I loved talking to Jennifer and seeing Kate and Landree play together (although they were a bit independent).  Jennifer is kind and sweet and thoughtful and pretty (she was a beauty pagent queen) and easy to talk to (even if she is much younger than me;) I really enjoyed meeting them. I put some photos in the slideshow but wanted to post them here too.

I told you she was adorable!

See you next time, friend.

"Strangers are just friends waiting to happen." Rod McKuen

Memorial Day Weekend

We had a GREAT time with our friends this weekend.  Our weekend included swimming and ice cream trucks and playing at the park (and meeting them--which we LOVED) and roasting marshmallows and making s'mores.  We sat by the fire listening to music and DANCING!  We even had a sitter one night and got away from all of the kids! Everyone played beautifully together and it was simply PERFECT!

 

Enjoy the little things.  For one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.  

Author Unknown

I saw this quote this weekend and it REALLY spoke to me.  This weekend was full of wonderful little things!

Thank you for all of the supportive comments y'all left.  Yes, I did get a rude comment and I refuse to acknowledge them anymore.  I am done apologizing here.  This is who I am.  If you like it, feel free to stay.  If not, click away.  

Also, several people have e-mailed to say they cannot see the blog since it has been changed.  Debbie and I are working on this but since we can both see it, we don't really know if/when it is fixed.  If you can see it now and could not before...let me know.  I hope we get it straightened out soon.

Judgement

I apologize that my last post included both my Thankful Thursday list and a prayer request for the Chapman family together.  I had already written and posted my list when I heard the sudden and devastating news.  I was having problems posting to blogger and figured it would be better to add it and ask for prayers than to do not anything at all.  It is really easy to judge when you don't know the whole story.  But honestly, I was trying to be kind.  

Please keep the Steven Curtis Chapman family in your prayers. Their youngest daughter (who was adopted from China) died yesterday in a tragic accident at their home. This family has done so much for International Adoption and he has touched so many with his Christian music. My heart is breaking for this family. You can read more about it here and see a video of Maria. You may also leave a note of condolence for the family.

Steven Curtis Chapman and his daughter, Maria.

So Thankful!

The doctor called this afternoon to report (after 3 weeks-- thank you very much!) that Kate's EEG was normal!  Thank you, God.  And thank you all for the prayers.  We are likely going to do an EKG next month because heart issues can also cause the episodes that Kate experienced but for now I am very thankful!

I am thankful to my good friend, Debbie for giving my blog a facelift.  I LOVE what she has done so far although she says there is more to come:)  I am grateful for your friendship Debbie!

We are thankful that our friend, Karen will meet her daughter in China in a few days.  I am so excited to be updating Karen's blog for her while she is in China (if needed). I will be glued to my computer waiting for photos of the Gotcha moment!!  We are so excited for you, Karen and Doug.

This is just weird and I must share...I ordered a pair of sandals (the cutest things ever!) for Kate at about 4:00 p.m. yesterday on-line from Zappos.  They were on my front porch by noon today!  Isn't that AMAZING ?!  And I did not even pay for overnight shipping! They arrived in 20 hours!

I told you they were the cutest!

We are heading to South Carolina to visit our great friends this weekend.  I cannot think of a better way to welcome summer!  The adorable little guy holding Kate is my Godson (I love you Matthew!) and his parents are Kate's Godparents.  We love this family.  Our kids get along really well and the adults have a great time together too.  We met when our oldest children (who are the same age) were about one and in Gymboree.  We have been the closest of friends now for 10 years.  It will be a little crazy with 7 kids (and a few dogs) running around but I know we will have a blast. This photo is from a visit with them last summer.  Can't wait to see you Staci!!!!!

We even plan to meet up with this family while we're there.  

I really like both Davids and cannot wait to see who wins American Idol in a few minutes!!!

Happy Memorial Day!

Issues, anyone?

When I went to tuck in Harry last night, I saw this sign on his bedroom door.  It says, "Half price issue solver.  Come now.  And rocks on sale!"  I laughed so hard.  Harry told me that he was one of those guys who tells you to lay on the couch and you tell him your issues and he solves them (maybe he'll follow in my footsteps).  So, he sat on the top bunk, I lied on the bottom bunk and I told him my issues.  He was GREAT!  I have another appointment tonight!

P.S.  I do find the sign interesting for so many reasons but ironically, his two chosen professions mirror ours---Dave is a geologist (the rocks) and I am an"ishue solver."  Harry really wants to earn some money.  Sunday, he scrubbed all of the kitchen baseboards.  I like this job better.

Lost

When I switched from a PC to a MAC, I lost all of my e-mail addresses.  I know I owed e-mail responses to some people and there were at least 3 people (Lea, Kate and someone else) I was going to send quilt squares to.  I do not have addresses, phone numbers,  and e-mails as many were stored in Outlook Express which I do not have anymore.  So, if I owe you an e-mail or a quilt square, PLEASE e-mail me and let me know.  I do not want to be rude to anyone.  I just have lost all of that information and I cannot remember.  Also, if we used to e-mail, please shoot me a quick e-mail now so that I have your e-mail address. I apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you!

On a separate note,  I link to all sorts of inspiring people.  Please know that just because I link to someone does not mean that I necessarily agree with (or even know) their political or religious beliefs.  I try to be very accepting of all people and I am proud to live in a country where we can express our beliefs.  I am truly sorry if people go to a site from here that offends them in any way. I would never want that to happen.

Memes

This post is SO long.  I have two memes to catch up on...

I was tagged by Stefanie to do this meme:

Favorite person (outside of family):  Oh my! How can one answer this without hurting feelings....you know who you are--you favorite person, you.

Favorite food?  I love food.  My newest favorite food that I just discovered is Thai fried rice with chicken.  It has this grilled flavor to it and it has a Mediterranean flair too.  It is delicious!

Quirks about you?  See the meme below...so many!

How would the person who loves you the most describe you in ten words or less? A direct quote from the houseboy..."Quirky, particular, clean, conscientious, principled, spiritual, oh so Kimmy" 

Any regrets in life?  Not really.  I don't look back too much.  Maybe that we started the adoption process earlier so there would be less of an age gap between my peanuts.

Favorite charity or cause?  Anything that has affected people I love.  We regularly donate for Parkinson's, MS, breast cancer, orphans.

Favorite blog recently?  Oh boy this is tough...for spiritual inspiration I read Bring the rain. This family has recently lost their baby daughter.  Angie (the Mom) writes about her grief and her pain and her faith with such beauty and honesty.

On a lighter note...  for witty humor and fun I have recently discovered Classy Chaos.  

Something you cannot get enough of?  Sleep.

Worst job you ever had?  I think I have liked every job I have had from waitressing and bartending to being a receptionist in a hair salon (college jobs) to being a professor and marriage counselor.  The most challenging and rewarding job though has been being a Mom.

What job would you pay NOT to have?  I could not be a nurse. I cannot clean up bodily fluids.  I gag.

If you could be a fly on the wall, where? I don't think I would want to be.  I am probably better off not hearing things that aren't meant for me to hear.

Favorite Bible verse right now? Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.  The the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ, Jesus. Phil 4:6-7 

Guilty pleasure? Shopping, blogging and chocolate.  Although the hubs just put me on strict "no shopping orders."

Got any confessions? Yes, I am letting Kate watch "Super Why" on PBS while I type this.  Now she is napping and each kid and my husband keeps trying to interrupt me---Bad Mom!

If you had to spend $1000 on yourself, how would you spend it?  Spa day with a favorite friend!  I love relaxing with a friend and as Moms it is something we rarely get to do!

Favorite thing about your house?  Oh this is so tough because I designed it and chose every detail!  I LOVE our wide plank walnut floors and I love our light fixtures.  I lovingly chose each one from all over the place and had them shipped to our builder.  He did not like that.  I also love our crystal doorknobs.  They are very old fashioned.

Least favorite thing about your house?  Our mudroom is tiny.  I know I am lucky to have a mud room but it is a constant mess because it is too small for our family.

One thing you are bad at?  Oh I can name so many.  I cannot draw ANYTHING at all.  I stink at sports.  I can do things like ice skate and ski and gymnastics but do not put me on any "ball" team.  I am the WORST!

One thing you are good at?  I think I am good at marriage/parenting coaching.

If you could change one thing about your circumstances, what?  I wish I knew if a certain move would be good for our family or not.  My hubby likes to move.  I like to stay put.

Who would you like to meet someday? 

What makes you feel sexy?  A night away with my husband.

Who is your real life hero?  I really admire two friends right now who have faced incredible challenges.  One is Lauren who is a wonderful Mom with a son in heaven and she has been such a spiritual inspiration to me.  She and her husband leaned on the Lord so faithfully in their most difficult times.  And the other is a friend (KE) who is dealing with a very serious illness with her son.  They both seem to have incredible strength, faith and wisdom.

What is the hardest part of your job?  Meeting each of my children's needs and having energy left over for anything else.

When are you most relaxed?  When all of the kids are in bed.

What stresses you out?  the unknown, messes, and chaos.

What can you not live without? way too scary to even consider.

Do you agree with the recent article that blogs are authored by narcissists?  No.  I am sure some of them are narcissists but many of us are documenting memories for our kids or finding support from people who are experiencing similar things (caring bridge).  I began mine to share our journey with family members.  I had NO idea anyone else would ever even find it.

Why do you blog?  to preserve all the little moments for my kids.  It is much easier than getting out the scrapbook stuff.  Also, it is a creative outlet for me and I feel like it might be one thing I actually finish in a day.  An extra special reward that I never expected is the understanding, support and friendship I have received from other Moms!

Who are you tagging?

New/newer bloggers-Erin

and Clare

Bloggy friends-Leslie

 and Connie

Bloggers you'd like to get to know better-  Glinda and Sara

Bloggers who you don't think will respond but you hope will-  I am actually changing this to  "Bloggers who I REALLY hope will do this because I love them"---Denise (because she is so busy..and I totally understand if you can't) and Nikki

Rules:

1. Answer the questions.

2. Link back to who tagged you.

3. Tag 8 bloggers in  the above categories to do the same.

Lisa also tagged me for a meme (like a week ago or more--I am very lame at these). I am supposed to list six unspectacular quirks about myself.  As I have mentioned my quirkiness before...I could do these memes forever.  Even my hubby described me as quirky above.

1. I hate to call people.  It is really a problem.  I will talk on the phone forever but I am awful about dialing a number.  I will procrastinate about placing a call for weeks.  It really is a wonder that I ever accomplish anything.  It does not matter if it is my BFF or the dentist.  I just hate to call people.  My longest and best relationships have been with people who call me.  I really do not know why I am like that. 

2. As a kid, I loved orange sherbet with hot fudge (so weird).

3. I only buy white sheets and white towels for the grown ups in our house.  I love crisp, white sheets.  I must share an incredible shopping tip here.  I found amazingly high quality Sferra sheets at Tuesday morning recently.  I am a bit of a sheet snob but good sheets are very expensive so I was thrilled with my bargain!

4. I go to one hairdresser for my highlights and a different one (at a completely different salon) for my haircuts.

5. I can make a meal out of red hot blues tortilla chips and some stuffed olives (black olives with feta).

6. I am a horrible typist!  I mean the worst.  I hunt and peck and I make tons of errors.  I am a good speller though.  So, when you see my errors they are likely typos and not spelling errors.  I do spell check but if I have added photos, it messes up (reads the codes).

I am supposed to tag 6 people for this.  I tag Tracy, Rachel, Dawn, Christy, Melanie and Heather.  Okay no more memes for me for 6 months!!!!  I am memed out again!

I had a great time with my best friend from college and her four kiddos! Marianne and I stayed up really late watching "27 Dresses" and talking. The kids all played really well together. Kate developed quite a crush on Sam! Here is a collage of her beautiful children!  I really want to brighten up a few of the pictures but I am having trouble importing photos from iphoto to my newly uploaded PSE for Macs.  Help, anyone?

Thankful Thursday

We have been so busy around here having fun with friends but I want to take a few minutes to count my blessings....

I am incredibly thankful for my health.  I went to an annual charity luncheon today to help raise money for MS. This luncheon is so emotional for me every year.  As I have briefly mentioned here, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis for about 7 years and underwent countless MRI's, spinal taps, and harsh treatments.  I lived in a lot of pain and spent years wondering if I would ever be able to take my kids to Disney World (because of all of the walking).  In fact, it was ultimately this horrible diagnosis that led us to adopt Kate.  It appears that I was either misdiagnosed or I have been in remission for a very long time now and for that I am so thankful.  

I am thankful for the wonderful play date we had this week.  We had a scheduled play date with Maggie but then some friends called and we invited them to join us too.  I have 5 little girls jumping on Kate's bed and swinging on the porch swing.  It was pure bliss.  Plus, between the 3 of us, we got GREAT pictures.  I have not had time to do much with mine but here are a few.

I am so thankful that our family is going somewhere very special this summer (I'll share later). I have not flown in  about 9 years and I have been praying and searching for the strength to do so.  I am thankful that Harry and his class prayed for me to be able to fly and I felt God's hand telling me that I can do it!  I still need prayers though. My fear has been very big.

I am thankful for all of the wonderful friends that I have in my life.  I truly feel wrapped in friendship sometimes.  In fact, my best friend from college and her 4 kids are coming tomorrow for a sleepover!  

I am thankful for the prayers and inquiries about Kate's EEG.  I have not received the results but I did ask the doctor about them the other day.  He said that they often take 2-3 weeks to get back.  I asked him if that meant that "no news was good news" and he said unfortunately no. It just takes a long time.  They are very busy at our neurology clinic.  As soon as I know, I will let you all know.

I am thankful that one of my friends asked me to photograph her daughter.  I had the best time taking her picture and I think I got a few good ones.  I really want to become a better photographer and I know I need lots of practice.  Thank you friend for letting me do that tonight! 

I hope you all have a lot to be thankful for too!

My friend took this one on the swing.

Not sure why but they all wanted to jump in the crib. Maggie was the only smart one that stayed away! I have never allowed this before but it was very funny!

My very talented friend, Karen took this one above too!

Sharing (pretend food) with friends.

Here are a few of my favorite shots of my friend's daughter from tonight. I still have not installed Photoshop on my new computer, so these are pretty much unedited.

Sorry for all the pictures.  I just LOVE photos!

Kate's Bedding is up for Auction!

This lovely woman  (my good friend) is trying to raise money for orphans in China who need surgery. This cause is so near and dear to my heart because I have made many friends who have adopted children with special needs from China. Daleea contacted me about a donation just as I was trying to decide what to do with Kate's crib bedding. I LOVE this bedding but it is too big to keep.  So, I am keeping the blanket that came with it but I have donated the bumper pads, dust ruffle and sheets (and bought a new one to donate).  This set was custom made by New Arrivals and the fabrics are no longer available.  Everything has been cleaned and it is in perfect condition.   

The bumper pads are very thick and cushy.  They are pink and white toile on the outside and white popcorn chenille on the inside.  The ties are pink and white gingham.  

The dust ruffle is pink and white gingham and it has an adorable daisy trim on the edge.

Beautiful baby and matching dress not included.

To bid on the bedding or to check out all of the GREAT donations (my very talented friend, Debbie has donated a photography session!), 

click here. 

Heavy Heart

I am so sad about all of the natural disasters that the world has faced this week.  It has been a week of cyclones, tornadoes and earthquakes.  Our family is praying for everyone who has been hurt in any way.  I am especially upset about the horrible loss of life in China, the birthplace of my daughter.  This country allowed us to give Kate a home and I want nothing but the best for its people. The death toll and the destruction is simply staggering.  Although the area that was badly hit is not where Kate is from, I have wondered if she had relatives there.  One special friend of ours is from Chengdu.  

Please pray for all of those affected by this horrible disaster.  If you feel inclined to give, you can click to donate to the Half the Sky Earthquake Fund which will specifically help children and those orphaned by the earthquake. To my good friends and family who are thinking about a birthday gift for Kate in a few weeks, I can think of no greater gift than to help out a child who really needs it.  Kate does not need one thing.

I have been blessed!

This was truly one of the best days with my family in a long time.  Dave and the kids let me sleep extra long and then they paraded in with a tray of coffee and lovingly hand made cards and gift.  Will and Harry both made me pins that I wore to brunch.  I know all the other Moms were wondering where I got such beautiful pins;)

We took some photos on our new porch swing which was what I wanted for Mother's Day.  We had one in Houston (below) and I have wanted one here for about 3 years.

Look how little Will and Harry are in this photo!

Then we had a fabulous brunch at our favorite inn.  Everyone was so well behaved and they had my favorite champagne!  After brunch, we walked around the beautiful grounds and I took some photos.

We were all in a "food coma" (Will's term) so we snuggled up on the couch during Kate's nap and watched Alvin and the Chipmunks.  It was so nice to spend that time with Will and Harry.  Kate does not sit still for movies so it was the perfect thing to do during her nap.  Then, the most talented house boy whipped up a delicious dinner of beef tenderloin, rosemary mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus and sourdough bread!  It was so good.

Our friends did finally arrive and we got to spend a great evening and some of the morning with them. We had a great time staying up late and catching up.  It was good for them to see Kate because they leave May 23rd to go to Guangzhou to get their daughter!

I attempted my first video on the mac.  I know it is rough...but I love it.  The song could not fit the day more perfectly.  The words reflect every detail in my heart...she even sings about sitting on her front porch swing!  I am so blessed.

The quality of many of the photos is really diminished in the video, so here are a few of my favorites! 

Naga-waze

In January, Will and Harry began Judo.  We really limit our children to the amount of activities they can participate in at one time because we think that they need down time.  We also think it is incredibly important to have family time and dinner every night.  So, our boys have to really think about their choices and weigh their options. Well, from day one, they fell in love with Judo.  And they are quite good at it.  They have never once complained about going and they ask to go to extra sessions on Saturdays.  Today, they tested for their first promotion.  I cannot tell you how proud I am of them.  They worked so hard and they performed beautifully.  I actually was teary eyed watching them.

I know this one is totally out of focus but look how happy he is!

Harry was simply radiating JOY when he finished!

Will

Will did an amazing job!

Kate played and cheered her brothers on.  She LOVES going to Judo!

I am afraid she is going to choose it over the ballet I want to choose for her!

I am so proud of you Will and Harry.

The title of this post is a little family joke.  Naga-waze is the Japanese term for the Judo throws.  Whenever Dave and I are having a friendly bicker, we say...watch out or I'll naga-waze you:) It immediately makes us both laugh.

Unfortunately, our friends who were supposed to be visiting this weekend had their flights cancelled due to mechanical problems.  We are so sad that they will miss our special Mother's Day activities.  But hopefully, we will still get to see them late tomorrow evening.  

Happy Mother's Day to everyone!