THE SWEETEST THING

Oh Be Silly

2012-01-31T11:24:00.000-08:00

Loved this weeks theme!

I especially love the look on Beatrice's face.

She is convinced they are all nuts.

See lots of other silly pictures over at I Heart Faces.

One Way My Kids Are Better Then Me

2012-01-30T10:34:00.000-08:00

Waiting for the spelling bee to start.

Justice was excited and a wee bit nervous. I do not blame him! There is no way I would have been willing to to get up in front of that many people at his age! No. FREAKING. Way.

He was really fantastic and composed. I was so proud!

Typical face in our home. Bwa ha ha ha ha ha

Justice made it through 8 rounds of the Spelling Bee. Into the top 8!!! Yeah!!

There were participants from grades 3-8 so getting into the top 8 was super for his age. We are proud of him. Guess we need to get cracking for next year.

My other 3 were spectacular for the two hours of the bee. Beatrice demanded pictures be taken. I am raising a diva. Who would have guessed?

We Cannot Be Friends

2012-01-29T08:35:00.000-08:00

My friend Nicky made truffles for the baby shower she hosted yesterday. They were delicious. They also gave me the proof I needed to know, for SURE, that chocolate and I cannot be friends. I have been trying to pretend I never read that chocolate is a trigger for migraines. What is that about? I mean really? Stupid migraines suck all by themselves......it is not nice at all to drag something tasty into the mix. Ah well. I have heard menopause ends migraines for some women so I have THAT to look forward to. I can always continue chocolate consumption at that point right? ha ha ha

he he he....lederhosen.

2012-01-28T13:56:00.000-08:00

Baby Shower Crafting. Too much fun!

Beatrice Update

2012-01-26T04:16:00.000-08:00

The blog has turned into all Beatrice all the time. That is what happens when you have so much time with momma I guess.

Beatrice has been with us now for 10 months. She has been in preschool three days a week for the last 4 months. They were worried that she never actually talked. Really worried. I even showed them videos of her just so they would not worry.

I explained that she did that to her foster family and to us as well. She will not speak until she feels okay about you. When she finally decides you are okay she doesn't stop talking.

Luckily for all her teachers and classmates she has finally decided they are acceptable and the words have not stopped since. I had warned them that maybe they should not wish for it. te he.

She is doing very well all around. She is now happy to play with her siblings rather then just hang out with her boring parents. Her favorite things to do are play cooking with Tristan, play babies (or momma and baby) with Mihiret and read books with Justice. I cannot even tell you how many times she has lectured me for answering her momma call when she was meaning it for Mihiret. "No momma, you no momma, Mihiret momma". So so sorry I cannot differentiate between play time and real time girly. I apologize. Stinker.

Her language is right on track. She is growing out of all her clothes and her shoes. She is trying to convince us that she can in fact live on popcorn, chips and candy. She is very frequently disappointed that we do not agree with her nutritional plan.

Beatrice is dynamic, outgoing, opinionated (really....because why would we ever have a child who was not?),LOUD, smart as a whip and sassy as all get out.

She is doing beautifully and we cannot wait to see what her future holds. In the meantime we are enjoying her toddlerhood. The little things that I am sure we will miss as our kids grow.

I Heart Faces- By The Book

2012-01-24T09:48:00.000-08:00

Oh goodness. I cannot WAIT for the weather to warm up! In the meantime I am doing my best not to suck at taking pictures indoors. Also I have think I am in need of something with more options then I-Photo . Leaning towards Photoshop Elements. Any advice is appreciated

The challenge this week was titled: By the Book

So I set Beatrice up on top of the GIANT book full of her adoption paperwork. We are almost DONE! This one was done by the book and it is about to be IN the books as well.

Happy Days my friends! Happy indeed.

Girly Stuff

2012-01-24T08:05:00.000-08:00

She demanded a new "flower" to match her Uganda skirt.

Did not turn out too bad for winging it.

Verdict Is In...

2012-01-23T13:56:00.000-08:00

She is stuck with us now!!!

Woo-Hoo!!!!!!!

In an hour.......

2012-01-23T12:39:00.000-08:00

We will either post the sad third time was not the charm picture.

Or the Woo-Hoo! This kid is stuck with us for real now picture.

Counting down.

Third Time Is The Charm?????????

2012-01-22T16:18:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is court attempt #3. Hoping it is a good one!

One Year Ago Tomorrow!

2012-01-21T13:08:00.000-08:00

I was messing around online and came across this photo.

Two days later we were chosen to be her family.

The rest is sweet history.

Slacking

2012-01-20T13:58:00.000-08:00

My Precious! Finally complete crochet quilt.

2012-01-18T05:02:00.000-08:00

The completed project.

The people close up.

The view of the back for my friends that crochet.

My attempt at hair on a couple of them. Te he.

Finished blanket with the art that inspired it.

Still figuring out the best way to auction it off so we can send more kids to school in Ethiopia and Uganda. Stay tuned. I am sure I will get it figured out soon.

That Is What Complaining Will Get You!

2012-01-16T11:30:00.000-08:00

I did Beatrice's hair first yesterday. I just did basic two strand rope twists. I figured they would last 4-5 days and then I could figure out a different style. She had other plans.

She was fine with it until she saw Mihiret's finished hair. Then I got "mom I no like my hair I want Mihiret hair". I told her hers was fine. We all went to bed.

First thing this morning "I no like my hair", "do my hair momma, Mihiret hair"

Whatever kid. I will do your hair if you really want to sit and have it done. LOL. About 2 hours into it she had had enough. I told her to sit and let me finish what she had demanded I start. te he

She is happy with the results and I am going to bet she will not demand I redo her hair the day after styling again any time soon. Ha!

You Know What Makes For Happy Parenting?

2012-01-15T12:03:00.001-08:00

When you daughter asks for her hair to look like her friends at school and you can say yes.

I knew being in a more diverse environment would be good for M. I just did not realize HOW it would impact her everyday. Happy girl!

Frosty Morning

2012-01-14T03:14:00.000-08:00

Still no winter....

Laptop Thief

2012-01-13T02:04:00.000-08:00

Someone....not naming names here.....has been yoinking the Mac because she is enamored with Photo Booth. She has not realized that she leaves evidence behind. ha!

Practice Baby

2012-01-12T09:39:00.000-08:00

My first attempt at taking pictures of a wee one.

Such a beautiful baby. Love it!

My Other Favorites 2011

2012-01-10T07:38:00.000-08:00

Favorite Photo 2011

2012-01-09T00:38:00.000-08:00

I Heart Faces is hosting a challenge for favorite picture of 2011. I had a really hard time choosing just one picture. I have several favorites of each of my 4 sweet subjects but this one just makes me smile every time I see it.

Looking forward to learning more in 2012!

Baby Face

2012-01-08T16:07:00.000-08:00

Girl with the I-Phone. I totally dig it.

Smarty Pants Bee

2012-01-06T11:26:00.000-08:00

Take Two: Shake It

2012-01-06T03:51:00.000-08:00

Mihiret teaching Beatrice her hula tricks.

Simply M

2012-01-04T08:23:00.000-08:00

6 Months Into The Project- Still Plugging Away!

2012-01-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

I was inspired by this painting from PCA.

My second, non-colored, much altered sketch for the crochet quilt.

The body of it is finally complete!!

Weaving in the ends and finishing the border.

I am hoping that I can raffle the finished product off when I am all done. Really hoping I can make enough to send at least one child to school. Anyone have any great ideas on how to go about that? LOL

Celebrating It Right!

2012-01-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

Germans have a GOOD TIME on New Years! We loved everything about it. Just solid fireworks coming from all sides for 30 minutes. It is really fun for Lindsay and I since we grew up in a state where the idea of a decent firework is a sparkler mixed in with an occasional colored smoke bomb. To set off giant ones without the risk of being busted by police is good stuff for sure.

Afterwards we had champagne and sparkling juice and welcomed 2012.

Hoping it is full of adventure, growth and happiness!

13 Sweet Years

2012-01-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

One HELL Of A Year!!

2011-12-31T07:49:00.000-08:00

Learning About Beatrice

Finally On Our Way to Germany

Meeting and Gaining Legal Guardianship of Beatrice

Back To Pick Up Beatrice

Family Complete!

School Is Out and Remembering Toddlerhood

Enjoying Summer and Talking About Adoption

New School Year and a WEDDING!

Family Visits and Halloween

Thanksgiving and A Little of France

4 Years of Mihiret

Summing up the sheer craziness with pictures and random well read blog posts from the past year. Happy New Years Everyone!! Hope it is amazing!

Court Round Two: No Go

2011-12-30T13:36:00.000-08:00

Beautiful pouty face.

This is what we think of lousy court date #2

We are disappointed. Very disappointed.

Not sure when we will be given another court date.

The good news is that in the meantime Beatrice is spending each day with her family and someday the state will make it official.

Rocking The Colors of Uganda

2011-12-29T12:50:00.000-08:00

Can you even stand the beauty?!

Checking For Her Feet

Twirling this way..

...and that way.

Enjoying Herself Immensely

We ordered skirts from Village Thread for the girls. They both were excited about their new clothes but Beatrice is officially in love with her twirly skirt.

4 Years Ago We Learned About Mihiret

2011-12-28T08:08:00.000-08:00

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.

A Favorite

2011-12-27T02:40:00.000-08:00

Puss

2011-12-26T14:29:00.001-08:00

Be Merry

2011-12-25T13:16:00.000-08:00

I took one little picture this morning and not another all day.

Grateful and content with our little family today.

"Happiness is the soul's joy in the possession of the intangible."
~William George Jordan

HAPPY HAPPY To You and Yours!

2011-12-24T12:39:00.000-08:00

Goobers

Ah. Moving Toddler.LOL

Thanks for the great shirts Papa Dave.

Wishing everyone all over the world Happy Holidays!

There is Hope!

2011-12-23T11:50:00.000-08:00

We are celebrating! Hope for more news soon.

Bedtime Is Practice Time.

2011-12-22T14:29:00.000-08:00

Studious Justice

Sweet Mihiret

Content Tristan

Opinionated Beatrice

Calvin Inspired Homemade Ornament

Beatrice's Uganda Ornament

My parents gave me a 50mm fixed lens for my birthday.

It arrived yesterday and I busted it out and played with it today.

It is going to take some practice and I KNOW I am going to love it.

Thanks mom and dad!

Ah Brothers. Fighting on Film.

2011-12-22T04:21:00.000-08:00

Gearing up to begin the snowball fight.

Letting it fly.

Getting ready for some payback.

TRISTAN! Run with your head up! Watch where you are going!

Justice taking advantage of his brothers head being down with a fancy spin move.

Whammo!LOVE the look on Tristan's face on this one.

FInally he gets one back at his brother.

Snow Angels

2011-12-21T13:50:00.000-08:00

Sweet sisters.

Mihiret making angels.

Beatrice refused to believe that she should make angels on her back.....so it was face angels for her!

JOY!

2011-12-20T12:49:00.000-08:00

With the proper clothing the snow has brought our little warm-weather loving Ugandan a particular sweet joy. LOVE it!

Keeps You Toasty

2011-12-19T12:58:00.000-08:00

Sweet Lindsay keeping me warm with delicious Gluhwein.

The children, without any hope of Gluhwein, wore many layers of clothing.

Christmas Market in Kaiserslautern was fun.

Sweet Performances

2011-12-17T15:24:00.000-08:00

Mihiret's class had a potluck and then sang songs for the parents.

It was lovely and she was so excited to show off her sister.

The next day all the 2nd graders did a big performance for the parents. They did a great job and their teacher chose sone holiday songs I had never heard before which was a fun surprise.

Mihiret is blocked by the teacher in all my pictures...boo. Tristan is in yellow (next to the boy in bright yellow) in the second row left of the middle.

We love that they are in this new school which means Lindsay can take a short break from work to walk over for these fun events. Everything is so much better then last year. We are thankful for it!

A Parental First

2011-12-16T14:47:00.000-08:00

For the first time in my years of parenting one of my children wanted to meet Santa.

I was so surprised I did not even know what to say.

We are not big on pushing Santa in our home and I cannot imagine that the kids have filled Beatrice's head full of Santa stories already.

Whatever the reason when Bea saw the big man sitting in the BX she slid right out of her stroller and marched right up.

She did not ask for anything.

She just smiled and seemed to think the whole thing was a hoot.

Mihiret went for sister support only (her words) but she was being very cute too.

We did not expect to add another toddler to our family but days like today remind me how FUN this age is.

I am taking the time to cherish every little kid moment of this last little child of ours.

Picture Explains It Better Then I Ever Could

2011-12-16T10:30:00.000-08:00

This shows just how strong our winds have been the last few days. It has been an adventure!

Come On Already

2011-12-15T02:36:00.000-08:00

We need SNOW!

The driving rain and wicked fast winds are super but I have this really cute snowsuit here and a little girl who has never seen snow and does not seem to understand why it is cold.

Not to mention that a certain daddy has promised his children a white Christmas.. ha! They are never going to let him hear the end of it if it does not happen.

Unexpected Outcome For Court

2011-12-13T06:57:00.000-08:00

Our state court date did not go quite as expected.

We have a lot of people to talk to as we work on getting it straightened out.

I think this look sums up how we feel about being delayed. LOL

Little bumps.

Good news will come eventually!

Rediscovering Her Faith

2011-12-11T14:02:00.001-08:00

We were told a story:

About a little girl who was prayerful. She would remind her family to pray before meals and would stop the children in the village from their playing and demand that they pray with her.

Her leadership in full force.

We are working to help her rediscover her faith because it has proven to be so very important to her. She has settled in this last two weeks and seems to be happy and at peace in church. We are happy to support whatever path she chooses.

It is a good thing.

In The Mail

2011-12-10T15:30:00.001-08:00

Pinteresty Week

2011-12-09T11:31:00.001-08:00

I wanted to try a basic photo canvas but they did not have any small ones at all so I attempted one giant one. It was a lot of fun to make actually and I look forward to trying another one at some point.

Cute homemade ornaments. We only shattered two of them in process. One dropped by a child during painting and the other shattered by me when I was not paying close enough attention while opening the window where they were hanging to dry. Nice work momma!

Then we tried three different recipes. This one was the winner. Buffalo Chicken Wraps. We also tried Artichoke Chicken Lasagna which was excellent and the kids loved it. We also tried a Quinoa and Corn Salad which the kids thought was terrible but Lindsay and I loved! We will be making it again regardless if the children's objections...ha!

WW- Cutting Skills

2011-12-07T10:21:00.001-08:00

Sweet German Holidays and the Sucker American Parent

2011-12-06T15:57:00.001-08:00

As Tristan walked into bed he told us ALL ABOUT the German celebration of Saint Nicholas Day they learned about in school. Then with hope brimming over in his voice he let us know that he was going to set out all his siblings shoes because they had been good kids and they would be filled with treats.

I appreciate that the teachers are having them learn these fun tidbits about their host nation but in cases like this one it would be super awesome if they clued the unknowing American parents in on the traditions as well...ha!

We do not have any treats in this house! If we do Beatrice can sense them from 2 floors away and makes sure they are properly disposed of in her sugar loving belly.

What are you supposed to do??

I found unused gift bags from a birthday party for one of the kids and busted those open. I tossed the candy in them out since I am fairly sure the gift bags were from Tristan's 5th birthday party...bwa ha ha ha ha. I found a couple packages of other party favors I had purchased on super clearance before I left Target and then thanked my lucky starts I had purchased that one box of candy canes at the commissary the other day (without the kids present).

Then after the shoes were filled. I sat down to actually learn about the holiday myself. Looking forward to being prepared for it next year!

Decked It Hard

2011-12-05T14:33:00.000-08:00

Getting the lights ready.

She was initially not sure what to think of the whole thing but then she got into it! She usually placed at least three ornaments on every branch and then became enamored with a Winnie the Pooh ornament that moves.

Getting this one to allow pictures is becoming increasingly difficult. We still have 2 1/2 years until he is a teenager too! What will this mamarazzi do???

Checking out her handiwork. Such a beauty.

Cheeser.

Putting the finishing touch on the tree.

Notice how the clothing went steady downhill as the pictures progressed? That is what happens when bath time and tree decorating coincide. Maybe next time I will remember to ask them to wear non-motley crew jammies...ha!

LOVE it! Beatrice thinks this whole tree thing is fantastic. We are looking forward to our first holiday season as a family of 6!

Dancing Queen

2011-12-03T14:10:00.000-08:00

This child loves being the center of the universe. What a silly girl!

I know that FB is getting most of my deeper thoughts lately.....but hey....the fluff it pretty CUTE!

One For The Doubters

2011-12-02T09:54:00.000-08:00

When she is actually quiet.

No one believes she speaks when she actually talks almost non stop.

She is chatty and LOUD.

She has also taken to loving books which makes us happy happy.

Enjoy.

World AIDS Day

2011-12-01T04:10:00.000-08:00

One year ago today in a little village in Africa a mother lost her fight with AIDS. The impact on her family, her village and her children is tremendous and ongoing.

She is far from the only one. Some estimates place the numbers at 1.8 million people a year dying due to this disease.

1.8 million families, villages and children impacted every year.

While in Uganda we witnessed the devastation this disease is having on the people.

In our daughter's village the middle generation is missing.

Grandmothers are raising their grandchildren. Grandchildren that are often infected with the very thing that took their parents from them.

The HIV rate is estimated at at least 60% in this one village. It is such a staggeringly high number. SO high it almost makes you believe that it can never get better.

Then you have the privilege of meeting someone like Mama Florence. Doing the VERY best she can with minimal supplies to deliver healthy babies to mothers with HIV. She is the first line of defense and making a huge difference.

When we were in Ethiopia we visited AHOPE For Children. Standing in the gap for the children who have lost everything and giving them hope of a better future.

We can all have an impact on this disease through education, support and advocacy. We can support the people on the front lines like Mama Florence and AHOPE. We can share our hearts with our neighbors. We can lend our voice to big campaigns like ONE. Add a digital quilt square to show your support for an AIDS free generation by 2015. I invite all of us to work towards the goal of a generation born free of HIV. That would be truly beautiful.

WW- First Glühwein of the Season

2011-11-30T08:11:00.000-08:00

Tougher Then Expected

2011-11-29T05:17:00.000-08:00

Capturing the drama of the fog that envelops our village was tougher then expected.

I also realized I need to learn more about the macro setting on the camera because I did not do justice to how cool all the giant mushrooms were.

Still learning every day!

Trying a New Style

2011-11-28T13:39:00.000-08:00

Back

Top

Cheese

I tried this style of twisted back yarn extensions (pictures on how it is done here) and I am super pleased with how it turned out. It was a bit slow going since you have to twist some of them the opposite way that feels natural but hopefully it will get faster with practice. In the end as long as Beatrice is happy so am I. : )

Butterbean Babies!

2011-11-27T13:21:00.000-08:00

We just ordered a baby from our friend as part of their fundraiser push to get their baby Bee home! She is cute a a button and needs a momma to fatten her up soon.

The dolls are $20 for the baby by itself and $25 for the baby with a blanket. Mary (Bee's momma to be makes them all herself).

Mary has lots of different fabrics if you want something specific. If you are not friends with her on FB you can always e-mail her with your questions or more specific requests.

I have added her paypal button on the bottom of the blog and you can also check out her family blog here.

About Half Way

2011-11-25T14:41:00.000-08:00

Half way done with my first crochet quilt. There are so many ends to tie in....ahhhhh! I am super pleased with how it is turning out.

When She Is Truly, Deeply Thankful

2011-11-23T12:45:00.000-08:00

Mihiret and her Thanksgiving Project.

Here is the thing about her piece. The #1 thing she is thankful for is food. The rest of the family and the cat rate in there as well but this child is deeply thankful for food to eat. Every. Single. Day. She has not gone without for years now but she still remembers when she did.

I grieve for the hunger children are experiencing every day and hope that we can all remember to be thankful for how lucky we are much more often.

Then we get Tristan's masterpiece.

My sweet boy who did not understand jokes until about 18 months ago comes home with a Luigi Hat wearing turkey claiming to be a chicken and asking not to be eaten. LOL LOL. He is pleased with himself. I am in love with his budding wit.

Our Ode to Shaun the Sheep

2011-11-22T10:29:00.000-08:00

Little girl is thrilled. THRILLED! LOL. A little organza and a sheep button are all you need to make a Shaun the Sheep fan happy. Who knew?

November 21st

2011-11-21T14:52:00.000-08:00

Selfishly Thankful

2011-11-19T10:26:00.000-08:00

Today i am thankful that 19 days into November winter has not taken hold. I LOVE having all four seasons but I LOVE my twice weekly walks with my friend in the village more. I LOVE not having to scrape ice off of my car. LOL

I am looking forward to dressing Beatrice in a snowsuit and seeing what my equator baby thinks of the snow...but I can wait for that!

Magic

2011-11-18T14:45:00.000-08:00

She can sleep standing up! I told you she was magic.

Her Resilience

2011-11-17T01:15:00.000-08:00

I am amazed and humbled by the resilience and strength my daughter has shown over the last year. She is feisty, dynamic and has that incredible lust for life only toddlers posses. I think she is magic.

I am thankful that she has spent her life surrounded by people who wanted all the best for her. Her village and family. Her amazing foster parents who lovingly guided her through her hardest days. Our families who have welcomed her with open arms.

I hope her support circle will continue to grow throughout her life and that she will always know how many people love her completely.

Finally Jumping the Border- Strasbourg

2011-11-16T08:23:00.000-08:00

Petite France

Cathedral Entrance

A tiny sample of the artwork on the outside of the building.

During the 2nd World War they had the foresight to pull the stained glass out of the building and store them some place safe.

They started construction on the Strasbourg Cathedral in 1176 and it is currently the worlds 6th tallest church. It was breathtaking. It also had an amazing astronomical clock inside. I wish I could have taken a better picture of it...it was something else. Check it out here.

Our first trip into France was incredible and we are looking forward to seeing a lot more of the country!

Just Because..

2011-11-15T06:57:00.000-08:00

...she is cute.

Getting Crafty and Big Girl Style

2011-11-14T08:26:00.000-08:00

Mihiret got her first pair of boots. Over the moon excited. What am I going to do with a girly girl? LOL

The girls hamming it up for the camera. LOL

My first attempt at an organza headband. I was pleased and the girls liked it so I consider it a crafty success!! Woot!

Look OUT!

2011-11-14T03:38:00.000-08:00

Run for your life...there is a toddler coming!!

Today I am grateful for the Sortie signs in France. They gave us a good chuckle and can be understood across all languages...LOL.

Remembering

2011-11-12T12:36:00.000-08:00

Thankful today to have access to stunningly beautiful churches to remember grandparents, a beautiful momma and the far away families we think of every day.

Twins

2011-11-11T13:01:00.001-08:00

Today I am thankful for these two together. I cannot imagine one without the other. I know that each one makes the other better. They are best friends and love each other above everyone else. It is beautiful to behold. Really beautiful.

Thankful Day 10

2011-11-10T13:21:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful that people are happily encouraging a momma to help her get her daughter home.

Check out Mary's blog and all the great things she is doing to get to her Baby Bee.

Classic

2011-11-09T14:39:00.000-08:00

Thankful for all four seasons and the kids having the chance to fully enjoy them!

They Are Awesome!!

2011-11-09T07:13:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for free education for my kids.

We had parent teacher conferences for all three kids today. They are all doing extremely well and I am SO HAPPY that we chose to get a variance to a different school this year. It has required a lot of driving on my part but it is worth it to see the progress being made. Mihiret is thriving after being stuck with a lousy teacher last year. I am really looking forward to the rest of the year.

Things Never Work Out

2011-11-06T11:25:00.000-08:00

Family Complete!

Meeting the siblings.

Feeling better about the siblings the second day.

One month

Two Months

Three Months

Four Months

5 months

6 months

Today I am thankful that things do not work out the way we had plan. If they had then we would not be celebrating 6 months together with our beautiful Bea.

Patience

2011-11-05T13:45:00.001-07:00

Today I am thankful for a devoted pet who tolerates nonsense when you can tell she really feels like clawing someone.

Thankful that I read once that small animals were great for helping newly home toddlers adjust. Fiona has been fantastic for both the girls in their first months home.

Poor Baby

2011-11-04T06:46:00.000-07:00

Beatrice may not agree.....but today I am thankful that we have access to amazing medical care. Not always easy to navigate the system but very grateful that we have such a great one to navigate!

Beatrice had 3 more immunizations today. She is going to hate all medical professionals very soon. Sweet baby.

Four Little Goofs

2011-11-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

Thankful for 4 little goofballs who make me laugh!

Style!

2011-11-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

This was finished off with a bright pink puffy jacket. Oh yeah. Rocking it!

30 Days of Being Thankful

2011-11-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

Thankful #2

I am thankful for people who have been forgiving as I struggle to regain my compassion for those stuck in hard adoption processes. I did not feel I received what I needed to heal deep hurts and so I stopped giving others what they needed too. Not super graceful. Human though....

Ohhhh. 30 days of this might get interesting!

Last Post Placement Visit?

2011-11-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

Thankful #1: 6 months of a hammy toddler face. Love it!

We have just had our 6 month post placement visit. We enjoy our social worker very much and I hope I can meet her for coffee and chatting BUT if this is the last one we need I will be over the moon! We are rapidly running out of our year to get Beatrice finalized in Nevada. Finalizing this year would be great for all sorts of reasons and we hope we can pull it off. Fingers crossed everyone!

Germans Dig Halloween!!

2011-10-31T15:03:00.000-07:00

Our little fairy girl was exhausted but still working to get candy. LOL

Getting a decent picture of this many kids is damn near impossible. Funny thing is that in every picture Mihiret is grinning from ear to ear.

The 2nd graders. Tristans costume was a hit with the older German boys! They seemed tickled to see Bumblebee. He has the most commented on costume of the evening.

The neighborhood we went to was PACKED with people! Houses were running out of candy in less then an hour...A great mixture of Germans and Americans. Although we learned that German kids have not learned the porch light is out rule of trick or treating....LOL. Happy Halloween Everyone! Hope all our friends in the US have a great time too!

Our Heart

2011-10-31T01:51:00.000-07:00

I have been silent for sometime about Beatrice's home village.

The NGO/Ministry climate in Uganda can be quite contentious and I thought it was best to let things calm down a bit before jumping in. The Awaka board members (Lindsay and I were not on the board) voted to dissolve their partnership but they are ALL continuing to work in Uganda in different capacities.

I am so grateful that the work in the village can continue without any interruption thanks to David and Lara Bishop via Craft Aid. We spent a lot of time with Lara while on our first trip to Uganda and her dedication to the village is amazing. She has been working tirelessly to raise money for another source of clean water and to complete the clinic building.

I believe with my whole heart that supporting villages like this one are the heart to significant change in Uganda. Kemmengo is missing its middle generation.I am sure it is the same in home villages all over Uganda. Grandmothers are raising their grandchildren. The HIV rate is staggering. Malnutrition is rampant and most children are not receiving any sort of education.

The children I met in the slums and in the remand centers are victims of families falling apart in the villages. The family unit failing due to disease, poverty and social norms.

We feel passionate about supporting this one village as it works towards a better tomorrow! Most of my fundraising will be local since I cannot ship things through our APO. I will let people know when there is something in the US happening that supports the village! I continue working on my crochet afghan I am making based on a painting done by PCA. I will figure out some way to auction it off one it is complete!

I will work to get everything on the new Kemmengo/Craft Aid tab at the top of my blog.

I will also link other organizations working hard for the people and children of Uganda: Amazima , Peace For Children Africa and Foodstep Uganda.

What in the World? Feeling That Year I Just Added!

2011-10-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

This place we went yesterday kicked my booty! Getting up that center tower is a lot harder then it looks and the giant bubble bouncer? Well, it was not for a lady who has a jacked pelvis due to pregnancy. LOL. The kids had a great time and they all slept well. Okay, I slept well too! Next time I go there I plan on wearing work out clothes because this place is a fun, hard on the back, workout!

PS: Justice was with us but he is like a mini-teenager and he refuses pictures more often them not nowadays.

2011-10-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

She has learned

2011-10-29T09:08:00.000-07:00

that Halloween is hard work!

Working on Catchlights and Housework in Heels

2011-10-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

Worked to make sure I had some light on her eyeballs. Learning more every day!

Came around the corner from doing laundry to find Beatrice sweeping in my size 10 heels. Bwa ha ha ha ha

also...I kid you not....she swept the pile she had gathered under the rug. Ha! I asked what she was doing putting it under the rug and she shrugged and said she was "sweeping momma", duh, you were watching me do it! LOL

Good Stuff! Edited : Post Fail

2011-10-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

I thought I had posted a great little video of Beatrice here....I guess I was wrong! LOL. It did show up on FB though so I am going to be lazy and not keep trying with blogger today. Blogger wins this round! LOL

Attempted Christmas Card and Lesson in Editing

2011-10-25T03:17:00.000-07:00

I know I already posted these pictures but when I looked at them they were so BLUE (I left one on the last post as an example)! It was a good excuse to go back in and try and change them a little bit. Looking forward to giving Photoshop a try soon but until then I have a lot to learn with the basic editing software.

Luckily I have cute kids to practice on!

They Are CUTE!

2011-10-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Day to Me-I Heart Faces

2011-10-23T10:00:00.001-07:00

I am lucky!

I have entered this photo into I Heart Faces.This weeks theme was Let Them Be Little. It just shows all of their personalities so perfectly! Justice casting spells on his younger siblings, Tristan being quirky cute, Mihiret hamming it up and Beatrice thinking they are all nuts.

Test Run

2011-10-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

Ramstein had a Halloween party today. Beatrice thought the whole things was pretty decent. LOL. It was a good test run for the rest of the week and the kids looked adorable!

By My 4th Child You Would Think...

2011-10-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

.......that I would know a big box is the best toy. LOL LOL

It Has Been Too Long

2011-10-19T13:25:00.000-07:00

Since I posted pictures of the kids....or took them....since many of my pictures stunk to high heaven! LOL

Neuschwanstein- Even More Beautiful Than the Pictures

2011-10-18T00:27:00.000-07:00

Neuschwanstein.

Just Beautiful. I do not think there is any way you could take a bad picture of this place.

My parents out on the bridge.

A view of the bridge where we took the previous three pictures from the castle courtyard.

This is my first time being in a castle in Germany that is not in ruins or had extensive reconstruction done. It is also a lot newer castle then most that I have visited so far so that may have a lot to do with it!

The artwork inside is amazing and is yet another example of stunning excess of King Ludwig II. It is one I wish he had been able to complete before his "mysterious" early death....cough cough.....murder. He even knew they were going to off him...does not seem all that mysterious to me.

Anyway. I look forward to taking the kids and Lindsay back. We are going to try and go WAY off season with the hope that the tour guides will not be so bitchy and we will not feel rushed.

My only complaint is that this is the first place I have been where they do not allow photographs inside. So the guides spend a lot of their time yelling at people who are taking pictures. Either allow photos with no flash of have people put their cameras and phones in lockers before entering. That way the guides can talk about the history of the place instead of threatening every tourist who is holding an I-phone in their hands. Maybe we just ended up on a rough tour. Others I have spoken to said that people respected the picture taking in their groups so they had no issue....they also said that if a child made even the slightest sound the tour guide would tell the parents that they were ruining everyones experience....LOL. Not sure which is worse. Yelling at everyone for cameras of telling people their kids suck and are ruining it for everyone. LOL

Nymphenburg- An Ode to Bavarian Excess

2011-10-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

A Self Portrait : )

Nymphenburg

Started in 1664. It was used by many families of Bavarian royals.

I was only able to get about 1/3 of the main building with my camera.

Great Hall

Ceiling in the Great Hall. Almost every ceiling in the building was painted beautifully.

Queen's bedchamber.

6 of the 36 most beautiful women of the day.

Probably one of my favorite parts of the whole place.

My favorite example of one of the sleighs used in winter.

Ludwig II's coronation carriage. He without a doubt had the most extravagant carriages of any other Bavarian ruler. Out of this world!

Amalienburg

Room of Mirrors

The bedchamber

Close up of the carvings.

Mom and Gail in the main room.

Magdalenenklause was intentionally built to look like a ruin.

Inside was worked with shells and pebbles.

Ceiling up close.

View of the main building from the grounds.

HB Munich

2011-10-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

Dachau 1933-1945

2011-10-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

I thought about what to write. There is nothing that can do justice to this place. I think everyone should visit for themselves. It will leave you speechless.

The quote on the wall as you walk in:

May the example of those who were exterminated here between 1933-1945 because they resisted nazism help to unite the living for the defense of peace and freedom and in respect for their fellow men.

Porta Nigra 186 AD

2011-10-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

Full view of the gate.

Grandpa and Tristan enjoying the view.

Tristan and Mihiret

Roman city gate in Trier Germany.