31 days of January

Favorite January Photo

Looking back through January here is my favorite photo of the month.  Two of my favorite cowboys!

Sunday Snapshot

Our Sunday snapshop includes Girl Scouts cookies.  Definitely a sign of our last week!  We haven't bought ours yet but they are so tempting with all those cookies in our house.

Brianna our little seller!

Struggling and Carrots

Years ago when I started this blog it was to focus on adoption and waiting for our son to come home.  Now as  I blog I walk that tight rope of knowing what to keep within our walls and what to tell.  For some time now life has been a little rough around the edges here.  A time as has come to admit to myself that I need help and the tools I have for parenting are not always enough.

I have come to learn that sometimes kids hurt in ways that we can't understand, but in order to give them wings to eventually fly we have to get tools to make that happen.  In ways it feels like failing as a parent to ask for help and yet knowing that in the long run we will all be better off.

One of the greatest places of solace that I have found with Andy since he came home is out in the garden. He, like me, loves to get his hands in the dirt and grown plants.  Yesterday we dug out carrots and boy did we find many treasures. 

So just like the carrots we dug we will continue to dig deeper into this little boy. For he is one of my greatest treasures in life. 

For more great Friday photos click the button below to "The Long Road to China"

January Days

January days mean a lot of time inside for us.  Everyone has their own activities going during the day.  The girls finally pulled out their Barbies to spend a little time playing...they got Andy to attend their play wedding as Ken. 

I have had a little time to knit this winter and finish some long awaited projects.

Riley loves to create and spent some time making salt dough which would eventually become a cub scout project.

I bought some cherries this summer and finally decided it was time to make a pie. I am not really the pie maker of the family..that is my sisters job...but at least it didn't run all over our plates.

Katie is always creating.  It takes very little supplies to make her mind go into create mode. 

January Days..sometimes they feel cozy and some days cramped, but always feel like family.

Happy Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year from our home to yours. 

I was hoping to get both Andy and Katie in this as the Korean New Year is also happening.  Katie however has been not feeling  good and wasn't up for Mom's pictures today.  We plan to make some Chinese food this weekend and celebrate two countries that gave us so much.

Reading

Reading has become a favorite pastime to many in this family.  It has always been one of mine and now it seems to be rubbing off on others.  Watching Andy sit here and read is amazing. When he came home he could not sit, he was constant energy.  Now he is mostly energy but does sit and look at books quit a bit.  Ignore the bear in his mouth, he has a smelling sensation with them, but is one of his favorite reading buddies.

Riley may pass me up this year in pages read!  He is a book worm. 

Katie is our newest reader.  She too seems to love it.  I have to say many times a day I make deals with myself like just one more load of laundry and then you get one chapter, or just fifteen minutes and you can then clean the bathroom. To have more book "escape" artists in our house makes my heart happy!

Look at my new page on this blog..keeping track of books I have read just to see my final 2012 count.

Stock Show

A trip to the Western Stock Show. A rodeo and then some animal seeing.  Most kids did great...some liked it better than others but all asked to go again.  Some continue to play with little cowboy men.  Continually telling us we are not playing correctly:) 

Andy and nephew Sam were the most excited.  They were so cute and the goat isle held the most excitement..never mind the owner who didn't want Andy "baaaing" at her sheep! What's a Mom to do.

Gotcha Day for Miss Katie

Tomorrow is Katie's Gotcha Day. Five years home with us.  Amazing as we remember the first pictures we saw, first kisses, and all the memories we have from then on.  I couldn't wait to hold her in my arms and feel her heart to mine. 

A photo of Katie in Korea.  This was very near to the time we meet her.  She was so loved by her foster family.

Miss Katie we love you so much.  My heart and prayers will always be with your birth Mom.  You are amazing and we love you to pieces.

                                                                    Sunday Snapshot












Baby Shower Preparations

 We were helping to plan a baby shower...the girls were so excited.  They spent all week planning what they would wear.  I don't think they really got the concept of a shower but they loved the prep work!

They made if very clear this was a thing to do with just Mom and no boys were to be allowed!

They had a great time there and loved helping in anyway they could.  We even made a feeble attempt at a diaper cake:)

Everlasting Friendship

Twelve years ago we meet our friends Brian and Julie. Many years later, kids, and all of life changes still finds us with a friendship that will stand the test of time.  We don't live by each other anymore but keep in contact many times a week and look forward to our times together.  How much fun we have and how it seems like we can just pick up where we left off! CAN'T wait until we see them again!

Miss  Lauren

Miss Katie doing a lot of swimming at our "usual" hotel which is our halfway meeting spot.

Have a kid or two???

Andrew is at every event just being Andy:)

Railyn Michelle

Railyn was the last of our nieces to have her pictures take by me. I took these right before Thanksgiving and then never sorted through them.  She is a doll. Has Uncle Brian right where she needs him. 

I have never meet a child that is as easy going as Railyn is.  She might just be the definition of peace.

Terrible Two's----I think not:)

Christmas Memories

I have just now gone through Christmas pictures.  Seemed like a crazy two weeks with so much going on.  One of my favorites parts of Christmas morning crepes with chocolate!

Riley is the oldest and was the most excited on Christmas morning!

Holidays seem to be very hard for Andrew. Way to much excitement and sensory overload it seems.  This was a sweet moment with his Dad and a moment of calm.

My sister and brother in law aboard the "Santa Express" . That was a crazy experience to say in the least. 

My favorite Christmas photo of niece Railyn. 

My two sisters with the awesome hats Tam made.  We were all busy "creating" this season!

Christmas morning.  Now life is back to normal. Kids back to school today and Brian back to work.  The holidays bring their own special memories but regular life is good also!