Small Things

Olivia and I spent the morning at the pediatrician's office. Unfortunately due to illness and other priorities she still isn't fully caught up on her vaccines from China. Today was two down and two more to go!

After leaving the doctor we had about twenty minutes to kill before picking Brooks up at school.  I decided to stop at a little park for some play time.  As Olivia ran through the gates, I suddenly realized the last time we had been to that park was two weeks after we got home from China. Kyrie's class was there in a field trip. 

At that time, Olivia was mostly in her ergo or in my arms.  When she did get down, she couldn't even navigate the small toddler slide without help. Today, she ran around like she owned the place.  

It's moments like these that make me realize just how far our little monkey has come.  

                        

                        

The Great Southern Snow Storm of 2014

Since moving to the Carolina's nine years ago we have never had more than a couple of inches of snow.

 Starting last Tuesday, the snow started and didn't stop until well into Thursday afternoon.  Altogether we had about 10 inches, three and a half snow days off school, three very excited children and two worn out parents.

At 1:00 pm school was called and by the time Kyrie got off the bus their was a nice dusting of snow on the ground.

The kids couldn't get outside to play fast enough.  Brooks and Kyrie were anxious to build a snowman and much to their dismay, Olivia preferred knocking it down.

We made so many memories with hours of sledding, snow man buiding and a huge family snow ball fight.  The were worth every second of "my toes are cold", "I'm bored", "I need a snack" or "when can we go back to school?" that multiple days snowed inside can do to you.

By the end of day 3 the mommas were DONE.  We sent the kids out to sled on their own while we made Snowrita's.  YUM!

Snow Beauty

Kyrie is my only child who doesn't mind having her picture taken.  She and I took advantage of the little ones napping and walked out to the woods behind our house in hopes of capturing some of the first flakes to fall during our crazy Southern Snowstorm of 2014

Love this sweet hearted little girl who finds joy in such simple things as a few snow flakes, her dog, and her mama with a camera.

Created For Care

Many months ago I set my alarm for midnight and along with a handful of adoptive mama friends signed up for the Created for Care Conference.

I went into the weekend excited to get away, spend time with friends and meet friends who I had until then only known through face book.  My expectations were low thinking this would be another opportunity to hear about attachment and the typical adoption topics which truthfully we aren't struggling with at this time.

Boy was I shocked!  God met me right where I needed him. 

The retreat was based on this verse.

It spoke wonders to my soul. 

Quite honestly I went into the retreat feeling a little terrified that I would hear God tell me we were being called to adopt again.  But, I heard the complete opposite.  This is our season of rest.

After two moves, building a house, adopting, transitioning to a family of five, the start of kindergarten, going back to work in a larger capacity than I have in awhile and dealing with a lot of illness, I am gladly seeking rest.

I am choosing to focus on this verse as well as the many lessons that came out of the teachings of Beth with Back2Back Ministries

Every detail was put together perfectly including these table decorations complete with family photos.

My roomie and I.  She guided me so sweetly through our process as she had gone through it a year before.

My local adoptive mama friends.  Don't know how I could have survived the past couple of years without them!  We share the same heart!

Who says you can't have real friend on the internet?  These are all ladies who traveled for their kids around the same time we did.  We "held hands" each step of the way from paper chasing to transition home and beyond.  So happy to finally meet in person.

Over the weekend I kept hearing the same thing as we talked, laughed and cried together.  "It's so nice to now have to explain yourself.  We all just get it".  So very true.

I am so thankful for the volunteer mom's who put on this retreat each year.  What a fabulous ministry it is!  I am already anxious for next year.

Gong Hey Fat Choy

We had a fun time celebrating Chinese New Year.  The kids woke up to red envelopes with the traditional money inside and we read a story about what Chinese New Year means.  They passed out envelopes to some of their friends to teach them about the New Year.

Olivia, Brooks and I went out to lunch with some of Olivia's friends from China.  It was fun to dress her up in her silks.  Unfortunately Brooks played Ninja in his silks one to many times and they are ripped to shreds so he had to make due with his Dragon shirt.

Olivia needs some Vivian in her life.  Vivian is a cautious and neat child who balances out our reckless hurricane of a child.