Monday, June 29, 2009

Well we are home. We got back Thursday night and then Jeremy got back Saturday night. He had a wonderful time and wants us all to go back next summer for a few weeks. Well we still do not have internet at our house so I am at a friends house and using her wireless for a few minutes. The kids are doing great. They are still recovering from the trip and being away from home. Well I will write more on Friday. Here are a few pictures of the kids from the last few days.

Thursday, June 25, 209

We are heading back to TN today. It was really nice being home for a few days. I cannot remember the last time I was home when it was not a holiday. We are leaving in a few hours and then we are stopping in Sesser, IL to get the kids pictures taken by Jessica Hollis Photography. She takes amazing pictures and I am very excited for her to take the kids pictures. I am a little nervous since we will be traveling 4 hours before we get to her. I am also not sure what Chloe will do. She still is my smiley little girl but she has been making these weird faces when I am trying to take her picture. I think she is trying to say cheese and it just looks like she is mad or something. Jessica took our wedding pictures 9 years ago and I think it is neat my kids will have their pictures made by her too. Anyway, the kids have been really good this week. They all slept good every night and have played well together. Sam is not quite ready to go home. He said this morning, "Mom I am not excited about going home." He is ready to see Molly but I do not think he knows we will not be seeing her until tomorrow. I also talked to Jeremy a few minutes ago. I have not talked to him since Sunday. They were on a bus heading to visit a volcano. He will not be home until late Saturday night so it will be a little weird being home two days when he is not home. Well I better go. I need to get the van packed up. I wanted to post this morning because I am not sure when I will be posting again. A few days before we left our Internet connection was having some problems so we are thinking about switching our cable and Internet to a different company. I am not sure if we will have Internet when I get home and I do not know when it will be switched. So if I do not post next week that is the reason and will post again when we get it fixed. Well here are a few pictures of Chloe opening presents and having some cake. She was a little unsure about what was going on. We are planning on having a party for her closer to her birthday and I am a little worried about Emma. She has not been responding well to Chloe getting presents. Chloe got a Dora chair and a Dora phone and Emma was not happy.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

We are still having a great time here in Illinois. Monday night my mom and I went shopping for a few hours. Tuesday I worked until noon and then came back to my parent's house and put the girls down for a nap. Last night we went shopping again and we went to my favorite pizza place, Monical's Pizza. There is not a Monicals near our house so we love going there when we are home. Today I worked until about 1:30 and then came home and got the kids a bath and the girls are taking a nice nap. Tonight we are having a little birthday party for Chloe with my parents (her birthday is July 8th) and then we have church tonight. Here are a few more pictures from yesterday and today. The pictures of them outside were taken in my parent's neighbors yard. We took the kids over to the neighbors house so she could see the kids and her backyard was just beautiful. The other pictures are from today at work.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Monday, June 22, 2009

Well we are in Illinois. We arrived last night around 9:30. We had a really great trip. I think I mentioned that my nephew Kraig came with us and he was such a big help on the trip. The kids were up late last night but slept pretty good once we went to sleep. Chloe woke up at 6:45 and then we all got up and went to work at my dad's business. Those of you that know my parents can just skip over this but for those who do not know my dad owns his own business called Douglas Net Company. He bought the company when I was a little girl and we grew up working in the factory. They make fish nets and many other products (check out www. douglasnets.com if you want to know more). My siblings and I worked there every summer but I have not worked there since I have been married. My dad is swamped right now with business (which is really good) and I need a little extra cash, so I worked today and the kids came up there with me. The kids played in empty boxes most of the morning while I worked. The girls took a little nap in the office and Sam helped me package one of their products. The kids behaved really well. Sam and Emma took turns riding this little bike that belonged to my nephew Kaleb (who will be a senior this year). After lunch I tried to keep the girls in the office but they kept peeking at the door. We got home a few minutes ago and are about to get cleaned up from the day and get supper. Well here a few pictures from today and one picture of Sam and Molly from Saturday that is just too cute.

I also want to say a word of thanks that Jeremy and the rest of the group landed in Costa Rica this afternoon safe and sound. He called me a few minutes ago but I will probably not be talking to him much this week. Please pray for their group this week.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Well there is not much going on here today. I went to Curves this morning and now I am trying to finish up getting packed for our trip to Illinois and get the house cleaned. It is really hot here today so we are keeping the kids inside today. Jeremy and I are going on a date tonight so that will be fun. We are going to see the movie "The Proposal" that comes out tonight and get something to eat. Janna is coming to watch the kids. The kids are getting excited about our trip to Grandma's house. Sam and Emma keep putting toys in their backpacks thinking they are taking all that stuff on the trip. I have to keep sneaking the things out of their bags. Sam is starting to play cowboy again and he wanted me to video him telling a cowboy story. It is so funny to hear him say "howdy ya'll". Emma is doing better on potty training. She does so much better when we keep a pull-up on her. If we put underwear on her she has more accidents, but she is staring to get the hang of the potty training thing. Chloe is still being Chloe. She is sweet and is trying to say new things even though she still refuses to say "dada". Well I better get going. I need to get the gang some lunch.

Sam telling a cowboy story

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Yesterday was a pretty busy day and I did not get much done around the house. Yesterday morning I went to Curves and then went to the store for a few things. After I got home we took the van in to get serviced. We got home and the girls got a nap and then we went back to pick up the van. I was panning on coming back home before church but our power went out and so it was pretty hot in the house. We ended up going to church so Jeremy could work on some stuff and then we went to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant. We went back to church and had church and then the excitement began. It was really cloudy and rained on and off during church but not a big deal. We (the youth group) meet in the basement of the parsonage so when we were done I headed up to the church to get the kids. I am at the door and my friend comes running up to me telling me that a tornado has been spotted in the area and we need to head to the basement. As I stated yesterday, I am TERRIFIED of storms but thankfully we were at the safest place I could imagine for a tornado. Our church basement would probably be safe as a bomb shelter too. I was a little worried because Jeremy and some of the teens were still in the youth room. Thankfully they were in a basement too. We waited in the basement for a while and then came back up to leave but when we got outside it was still storming really bad. Somebody called the church and said another storm was right on top of us and another funnel cloud had been reported, so we headed back downstairs. We waited a little longer and then the storms finally passed over. We got home pretty late so the kids were exhausted. The girls just woke up a few minutes ago and Sam is still sleeping. We do not have a lot of plans for today. I am going to exercise in a few minutes and then I need to pack and clean. This week is getting away from me so I better get moving. Here is a picture of the kids on Monday (before Sam's haircut). I wanted to post it so you could see how tall Sam is getting. The other two pictures are from Sam and his Gotcha Day cake.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

We had a pretty eventful day. I got to sleep in this morning and it felt WONDERFUL. After I got up I started cleaning the house and getting the laundry done. Unfortunately it does not look like I did anything to the house. After lunch and the girls nap we decided to go to the zoo for a few hours. We have not been in awhile so we thought it would be a nice treat for the kids. We were almost to the zoo when a warning went off on the radio saying that a severe thunderstorm was issued for the counties around our house. I did not think much of it until I realized that Molly was outside on her tie out. We got to the zoo and we walked around and the animals were quite active. We were there about 30 minutes when we heard someone say something about a tornado warning being issued. A few minutes later the tornado sirens started going off. OK so I am TERRIFIED of storms. I try to stay calm but my insides just start to freak out. We headed for the exit and when we got to the parking lot the sky looked horrible. I have never seen such ugly clouds in my life. Jeremy being the calm one decides we need to get it the van and leave (WHAT?). The storm was still north but that was the direction we were heading. We started driving out of the zoo and the winds were picking up and the sky started getting darker and more creepy. We decided to go to the Wal-Mart down the road and wait for the storm to pass. We waited about 30 minutes for the tornado warning to expire. We got home about 4:00 and thankfully Molly was OK. After we got home Jeremy went to our friends house to help her get her table and umbrella out of her pool. We just finished supper a few minutes ago and I am going to attempt to get the house picked up AGAIN. Tomorrow we have to take our van in to get the air fixed. We had to do this last summer too but it is a pretty easy fix. Well here are a few pictures from yesterday.

Monday, June 15, 2009

We had a pretty good day. The kids slept until about 7:30 and probably would have slept longer if my dear Sam had not wet the bed. Jeremy and I are taking turns sleeping in this week so today was his day to sleep in and tomorrow is my day (Yea!) I planned on getting all the towels and blankets washed from the trip but I had to get the sheets cleaned first. After Jeremy got up we all got ready and went up to Vandy to visit Papaw Stacks. He is not really our papaw but they are a very dear couple that has been great friends with Jeremy's family since he was a little boy. He and Mamaw are very dear to us and our kids. Papaw fell and broke his hip a few days ago and had surgery yesterday. Because of his age and health they were not sure how the surgery would go but he did really good. He grinned from ear to ear when he heard Samuel in his room today. Sam and Emma made him a card last night and they were so proud to give it to him. After the hospital visit we went to eat lunch and then we went Target and Old Navy. Jeremy is leaving next week for Costa Rica and so he needed a few supplies for his trip. On the way home we stopped at Jennifer's house to get Sam his haircut (picture tomorrow). After we got home I went to Curves to exercise and then came home and made supper. Thankfully we were given some chicken that was left over from church yesterday so I made that and few sides. Well I better go. I still have so much to do around the house. Here are a few pictures from yesterday. 

Happy Gotcha Day!

I know that we all celebrate Mother's day in May every year, but when June 14th rolls around I feel like it is really Mother's Day. Four years ago today Jeremy and I boarded an airplane to Detroit and we were handed the most precious gift we had ever been given. The impossible was made possible, we were parents. The joy that filled our hearts four years ago has only grown more and more as we watch our Samuel grow into a little boy. Samuel has changed so many lives in just the few years we have known him and I believe that he will continue to change the lives of those around him. Most of you that read my blog have the privilege to know Samuel and so you already know the things I am about to say and I am sure you agree. Samuel is a very special boy. He is definitely a boy and so he has his moments of disobedience, but most of the time he is very sweet. Sam is kind and tenderhearted. He looks out for those around him and he is very aware of those who need help. To know him is to love him and I am very humbled to be his mother. There are a lot of people that make comments about what a good thing we are doing by blessing our children with a home and I always respond with the fact that my kids have blessed my life more than I could bless them. I am the one who has gained so much through the blessing of adoption. Just a few funny things about Sam. There are few words that he gets mixed up these days, he says "parking lock" instead of parking lot and he says "sunscream" instead of "sunscreen". This morning I was getting ready and Sam came in the room to show me that he had gotten ready all by himself. He then says, "Mom, when I get bigger and bigger I am getting myself a credit card and some car keys." I am not sure where he heard about a credit card but we had a good laugh and then we were a little frightened that he is already taking about that stuff at the age of four.

Well we have had a great day. We just got back from swimming and then we are having some cake for Sam. Tomorrow Sam is getting a haircut and then we are going up to the hospital to see a dear gentleman who had surgery today. Well here is a picture of us four years ago, our first picture of our little man, and Samuel today. 

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Saturday, June 13, 2009

For our first night home after a long week the kids actually did great. Chloe was a little difficult to get to sleep but Sam and Emma went right to their beds. I heard Emma crying at about 2:30 and she was standing in the living room. I think she was really confused about where she was. I got her a little drink and then out her back in the bed and she fell back asleep. I went in to check on Chloe and she had flopped to the end of the bed so I put her back on her pillow and covered her up. The girls have been waking up at 6:15 every morning while we were gone but they slept until 7:40 this morning. They have eaten breakfast and are now playing with their toys. Jeremy is not feeling well so I am letting him sleep and then I think I am going to exercise. Tomorrow is Sam's 4th Gotcha Day so I think I am going to get a cake for him. We have Homecoming at church tomorrow and then the teens are getting together tomorrow afternoon. 

Well here is a little more about our trip last week. We went down to Columbus, GA to help with a FWB home missions church that was started just over a year ago. We ended up having 60 people on the trip that came from three different youth groups. Everyone was split into families and each family went to job every day. Three families stayed at the church and put on a VBS for the mission church. One family (which was made up of all guys) did some construction around the church. My family and two other families went out into the community to help at different organizations. We went to the Rescue Mission on day and then our family was sent to an organization called Open Door Community. At Open Door we sorted clothes and shoes into separate bins. I posted some pictures from that place below. We had a carnival Thursday morning and then we headed to Atlanta to stay the night at a hotel. We had been sleeping on air mattresses on the floor so we were all ready to sleep in a bed. Also while we were in Atlanta my cousin came over to visit with me. I had not seen him in over 10 years and it was just so nice to catch up with me. As I said before it was a great week. I think though it was also one of the hardest mission trips emotionally for me. There was one little issue that seemed to affect me more than the others on the trip and it intensified a personal burden that I have right now, but that is OK because the week also helped me. We met many new friends and we plan on working with the other youth groups again next summer. Frank and Jennifer brought their two girls so Sam and the girls just played and hung out all week. I was so proud of Sam. The first picture was taken on the way to Atlanta on Thursday and you can tell just how exhausted my little man was. Well I better go I still have a ton of laundry. We are leaving next Monday for Illinois so I am thinking about washing the clothes and putting them back into the suitcase. 

Friday, June 12, 2009

We are all finally home! We had a great week but I was ready to see the girls. We did so much this past week and I will share more tomorrow and maybe post some pictures. Sam did so great this week. I thought for sure he would be in complete meltdown mode by the end of the week but he was still a trooper today. The girls also did good at Gran and Papa's house and they were very excited to see us this evening. Emma is just talking up a storm and she seems to have grown up so much this week. We are all VERY happy to be home. We got home about 6:00 and then Chloe and I ran to the grocery store. I have a mound of dirty clothes and I am not looking forward to putting everything away. Well check back tomorrow for pictures and more information from our week. 

Saturday, June 06, 2009- One quick story

I know, I know, I said I was not going to post but I had to share a funny story about Sam. We just got home a few minutes ago from running a few errands and getting our car washed by our youth group. We got home and Emma was still dry from all our errands so I put her right on the potty when we got home. Chloe was needing help with something so I stepped out of the bathroom for a minute. When Emma goes potty she gets an M&M and she gets 2-3 M&M's if she poopies in the potty (sorry for the gross wording). Well Sam was in the bathroom with Emma and I heard him saying this to Emma after she went potty," Great job Emma. Now you get an M&M. But you know what, if you have diahria you get FIVE M&M's." That boy cracks me up!

Two more pictures

I know I said I was not going to blog anymore but I have had some people ask me about how Molly is doing so I thought I would post these pictures and give a quick update. Molly is still the main attraction around our house. The kids just squeal with delight when she is around. I thought I would have a hard time keeping Molly an outside dog but I have done really good about keeping her outside. We have a long tie out for her outside under some trees and she is very content out there. We bring her inside before bedtime to play with her and then she sleeps in the garage. We are still looking into and pricing fences and things like that but for now the arrangement is working. I took her to the vet yesterday and she already weighs about 15 pounds, so she is going to be pretty big. She is a really sweet dog and Sam has taken on the responsibility of getting her food and water. 

Friday, June 05, 2009

So I do not have a lot of pictures today. This picture was taken on Wednesday after we got done eating. I just got back from Curves a few minutes ago and thought I would blog a few minutes and then finish getting packed. I thought I would give a quick update on the kids.

Samuel- Sam is my big helper these days. He helps me vacuum and load the dishwasher. He helps me with the laundry and he helps me water the plants. He is becoming such a little man and is getting so excited about starting school. He plays really well with his sisters and he is just a sweetheart. He is such an encourager. He still loves to play with all his trains and he still loves to write and draw. We are still having some trouble with him sleeping all night in his bed but it is getting a little better.  A few funny stories about Sam. Sunday at church there was a little boy who just turned 2 so he was going to Emma's Sunday school class for the first time. His dad dropped him off and the little boy was just screaming. Sam looked at Gran and said, "WHAT is wrong with him?" Gran said he was just a little scared of being in a new class. Sam then replies, "I think there is something wrong with his brain." Sam also has been going with me to Curves, so the other day we went to exercise and then went to Wal-Mart. We were at the store and Sam said, "Mom are you happy I came with you?" I said, "Yes Sam I am very happy you came with me." He then says, "Well it was my pleasure." Juts too cute. 

Emma- She is still my DRAMA QUEEN but she is getting a little better. She is talking so much these days and she is always saying something that we had know idea she knew how to say a certain phrase. Her new favorite phrase is "me do". She is counting to 6 and she knows most of her colors. She is still ALL about doing what her brother does and just follows him around. I think she is going to have a rough time next year when he goes to school. The big thing going on with Emma is potty training. We have some really good days and I think she is getting it and then the next day it is completely frustrating. Yesterday she wet on the carpet four times. She gets so upset when she does it but it has not clicked yet that she should not do that. Jeremy's mom is going to work with her next week while we are gone so maybe she will have better luck. Emma sleeps pretty good at night. She usually wakes up early but goes back to sleep. She is pretty sweet most of the time but her and Chloe have a few cat fights every day. Emma is also into drawing and "writing" in her little notebook. 

Chloe- My little Chloe-Bear is just growing like a weed. She is staring to loose her little baby face and it makes me a little sad. It is hard to believe that she will be 2 next month. She has added a few new words to her vocabulary so that is getting better. She also uses her hands and other things to try to communicate to us. She sticks out her tongue and points to her mouth when she wants something to eat, which is quite often. She still tries to steal the others food when she is finished so meal time is quite interesting most nights. The other day Chloe tried to take an M&M out of Emma's mouth. Chloe is such a sweetie and she loves to cuddle. She can point to everybody  in our family when we ask her were they are. She still loves to smile and she has the funniest expressions. She is becoming very independent. She still is my best sleeper. She takes great naps and sleeps all night. She also likes to do whatever her siblings are doing. 

Well that is about it. It is going to be crazy around here the next few days so this will be my last blog for awhile. Please pray for us as we travel and please pray for me and the girls. I am really getting sick just thinking about leaving them for a week. I know I like a break from them once in a while but a week is little too long. So please pray for us. 

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Yesterday was a really nice day. Yesterday morning I went to the chiropractor for an adjustment, we went to the local pizza place for lunch, I went to get an amazing massage, and the we had youth group last night, so it was a great day. I am a little sore from the chiropractor and massage. I have been having some problems with my hip for a few months now. It has been hurting from my hip and all the way down my left leg. Well it is Bursitis. I thought the chiropractor was trying to kill me when he was working out the muscles in my leg. He showed me some stretches and I am supposed to just rub my leg as hard as I can to loosen it up. Well I need to go. I have to take Molly to the vet for some more shots and then I am going to go exercise. I then need to get back and clean and pack. Well I will write more about the kids tomorrow and what they are up to these days tomorrow. Have a great day. 

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

It has been a pretty busy morning. The kids slept until about 8:00 so that was nice. Jeremy cooked some eggs and bacon and then I went to Curves. After Curves I had to go to the post office and mail some shoes to my sister that she had left at my house. I also made a quick stop at Good Will. I was looking for some work clothes for our trip next week but I could not find any. It is hard to find petite pants at Good Will. I then went to Wal-Mart because I forgot something yesterday when I was there. Sam and I went yesterday to the store and we bought some flowers that we planted yesterday. It was so hot outside but it feels nice to work outside. The girls are taking a nap and we are planning on going swimming when they wake up. It started raining a little just a few minutes ago but we are hoping it is just a short shower passing through. Jeremy and Sam are leaving this afternoon to go to camp for the evening. Tomorrow is our 9th wedding anniversary and Jeremy has planned a very relaxing day for me which includes a massage and a afternoon to myself so I am pretty excited. Well that is about all that is going on. I am trying to get my laundry done and the house cleaned up AGAIN. Have a great day. 

Pie and cake auction

Sam and Emma from the pool party, and yes that is a pig in the picture behind Sam. The family had a trained pig that stays in their house.

Monday, June 01, 2009

We had a wonderful weekend with my sister and niece. Friday we went shopping and then had so much fun with my brother and and his family. My nephews are getting so old. It is hard to believe that Kaleb will be a senior this year. Saturday Kristy and I took Sam and Isabel to see the movie UP and it was so cute. I was not expecting it to be such a great movie. After the movie we went to a girl in our youth group's house for a pool party. The pool was kinda cold so the girls did not want to get in the water. My sister left yesterday, we had church and then we had a fellowship night and pie and cake auction last night at church. We had the auction to help raise money for the kids to go to the Nationals this summer. We actually raised the full amount which was a little over $2,000. The evening ended with a pie in Jeremy's face to the highest bidder. Several people pooled their money and let Sam bid on throwing the pie. He was so funny! Well Sam won the bid and got to throw the pie in his Daddy's face (picture tomorrow). We are glad that we do not have to do any more fundraising for that trip. Well we have a busy week planned. Jeremy is doing the music at Youth Camp this week so he will be gone every evening. We are also getting ready for our trip to Georgia. We are leaving Sunday morning but the girls are staying with Jeremy's parents so I am getting a little anxious. Well Jeremy needs the computer so I better go. He has a few errands to run and then I am going to Curves. Here a few pictures of the kids from Saturday.