The Barbee Family

3 years for Andrew

2012-01-24T05:02:00.000-08:00

Andrew has been home 3 years. Part of me can not imagine life without Andrew. He brings so much energy to our lives. He still loves to play and run. He would have mom and Dad throwing football, playing basket or playing tag all the time if he could. But he is also reading and absorbing so much. He is still a pleaser but is learning to stand on his own. We are encouraging his Ravens fandom in Steeler country. He still plunges ahead and thinks later but he is learning to take responsibility. He can be kind and thoughtful. He wants to fix things. Lately he has been saying he wants to be a football player when he grows up. We will see.

I thankful for God's amazing gift to us. Our family would not be the same without our Andrew.

Recipe

2012-01-19T05:38:00.000-08:00

Sometimes there is a recipe that looks really easy and quick but an ingredient can't be found. So the result is something that takes a little longer but is just as good. I couldn't find the pre-made beef tips with gravy. I am going to post the link to this recipe the way it was originally and it looks like it could be made in about 10 or 15 minutes. It says it feeds 3 but the version I made easily feeds 4 to 6 depending on the amount of rice made and other sides. So here is the link http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Mushroom-Beef-Tips-with-Rice .

Amanda version Mushroom Beef tips

3 cups cooked rice
1.5 pounds beef pieces
2 cups beef broth
1.5 cups water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups sliced mushrooms
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup sour cream

Place the beef pieces and beef broth in a slow cooker on low for 4 to 5 hours. Then combine cornstarch and water and add to slow cooker. Increase the temperature to high. Let cook a half hour or until the gravy is thick. Once the gravy is thick. Saute mushrooms in butter for 2 minutes then add gravy mixture to skillet. Mix together. Add sour cream. Serve over the rice.

In the original recipe they kept some of the mushrooms separate - I did not but you are welcome to do it. It would probably look prettier.

By doing this in the crockpot/slow cooker I was able to leave it and not fuss with it and it is super moist.

One Evening...

2011-12-22T16:50:00.000-08:00

One evening I walked up the stairs to find this. I just had to take a picture before I moved him.

A trip to NC

2011-12-21T16:40:00.000-08:00

We were able to head south for Thanksgiving with Perry's family. So we decided to check out the NC transportation Museum in Spenser. It was a chilly but nice morning.

Of course the toy train set was a big hit. They also enjoyed checking out the different trains in the roundhouse. They got to see a engine turned on the turntable.

We also enjoyed a short train ride.

Perry and Andrew on the train.

Pumpkin Painting

2011-12-20T16:35:00.000-08:00

We had a low key Halloween. We did some pumpkin painting. The boys had a great time.

They were super proud of their painting. We then set them outside.

Perry and I got in on the act.

October Snow

2011-12-18T16:21:00.000-08:00

The earliest I ever remember it snowing enough to make a snowball was at a youth retreat in the last weekend of October. Well that has been beaten and it was so much more. It was a great heavy snow. This means it is great for snowmen and snowballs, however it increases the risk of power outages.

The boys spent hours make snowballs. They at last count had 23. When the rest of the snow had melted we had an Easter Island of snow balls for several more days.

Mount Vernon

2011-12-16T16:12:00.000-08:00

We made a Sunday trip down to visit Jill and Amelie. We throughly enjoyed our time at Mount Vernon. They were having fall fair days. We had a horse drawn hay ride, toured the home, enjoyed the hay maze. Tryed to do some games. They had a special map for kids and Andrew loved it. Also enjoyed some indonesian food and get into Amelie's toys.

A few days later Aaron wanted to know why all the other presidents didn't live there.

Yes I can still type

2011-12-14T16:12:00.000-08:00

Just after school started we made a trip to Pittsburgh. Aaron, Grace and I met Bradley and he then came to the Cove for the week.

Checking out the animals.

Our two polar bears.

Experiment

2011-10-28T06:29:00.000-07:00

The other night I tired this and it came out great. I made peanut butter and banana french toast. It was amazing. I had leftover rolls.

Take bread and make a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Note I did make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich too but I thought the banana was better. Coat with egg and milk mixture ( 2 eggs and about 1 cup of milk for my family). Then grill and serve with syrup.
Amazing. So easy and so good.

One Step Forward

2011-09-21T18:44:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since we have had an adoption update but with my new slimmer sleeker husband we have made a step forward. Since April my husband has faithfully been controlling his portions and exercising on the Wii. With this persitance he has lost 30+ pounds and two pants sizes. Well with this information forwarded to the Philippines we have been approved to move forward with the adoption. ICAB the philippine agency that approves adoptions has said our paperwork is good to go. So we are officially waiting to be matched with a child. The average wait right now is 20 to 30 months so we will see how it goes. Thanks for your prayers.

Tip

2011-09-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I have had a vase with a candle in the bottom of it for a long time. I had almost concluded that I was going to have to throw it out. You can't put it on the stove to melt or the microwave. I couldn't light the wick. I had tried chiseling it out nothing. Well I thought I would try one more thing... and it worked.

Take a quart canning jar fill it 3/4 full of water and microwave it till the water is boiling. Then set vase down in it. Five minutes later candle slid right out.

Once in a while I succeed.

Little Red Hen

2011-08-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

Before I get started I "upgraded" the blog so you have to hit more to get all of the pictures.

Now to the story of the Little Red Hen...this is a story you have probably heard. The little red hen keeps asking people to help her and everyone kept saying no. So she and her chicks plant the corn, take care of it and then pick it and eat the good results. When the rest of the animals come and ask for some she says no.

So as worked on corn we talked about this story. Well everyone helped with this corn and we are enjoying the good eats. Mom and Dad planted and all of us have picked it even the boys. This is last Sunday. The boys shucking corn and racing mommy and grandpop. With the game they stuck with the job really well and didn't complain.

By the end they were doing great even getting the silk. I was able to freeze almost 20 quarts of corns and 15 bags of small ears to cook later.

Thanks to all the hens that helped.

Fruit Punch

2011-08-25T17:29:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to put this recipe up for sometime. I was asked to bring punch to a school function in May and this was a hit. Super easy. It should be noted I got it from allrecipes on line and I used Passion/Orange sherbet from the schwan's.

Fruit Punch
64 ounces fruit punch
64 ounces pineapple juice
2 liters ginger ale
1/2 gallon sherbet

Mix together everything but the sherbet scoop on top. After ten minutes gently mix and serve.

First day of school

2011-08-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

Andrew has been counting the days till school started. He has a new teacher and a couple of new students. He wanted to wear his new soccer shirt and take soup for lunch.

The official silly picture. I can't believe that my boy is in 1st grade.

Well that leaves Aaron and I on the home front. So he helped cut up the last of the green beans to be frozen. I know that we will soon find our rhythm. The house is much quieter but I accomplished a lot today.

What Do you do While you wait?

2011-08-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

What do you do while you are waiting to adopt?

The magazines tell you to go ahead dream and do something. Some people fix up the nursery which we did a little. Some shop and others find something else to do as they wait. Well I am going to confess to something that I did with Aaron but didn't tell anyone and I have started doing with our 3rd. Andrew was super quick so I didn't do it with him. I let my hair grow out. This didn't mean that I didn't get it trimmed from time to time. After Aaron got home I got it chopped. I found it therapeutic. I was able to physically mark time. So I have begun again. I am not promising that I won't get frustrated at some point and just chop it off. So as I wait...it begins to grow again. This adoption is to be a slow process so I don't know when the time will come. But for me this is how I wait.

Zucchini - More Zucchini

2011-07-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

We have zucchini everywhere. So in an effort to use some zucchini one night I created this. Andrew loves potato cakes and both boys like zucchini.

Zucchini Potato Cakes

1 medium to small zucchini shredded

1 packet of instant loaded mashed potato mix

1 cup of bread crumbs

Make instant potatoes according to directions. Stir in zucchini. Make into cakes and coat with bread crumbs. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Makes 8 large cakes.

Note: I have made potatoes with plain potatoes then just load them the way you like them. In the Barbee house than involves cheese. If no bread crumbs grab a little food processor and a couple slices of bread. Instant bread crumbs - season if you like.

Finally Aaron's Birthday Pictures

2011-07-24T05:23:00.000-07:00

I am finally posting pictures from Aaron's birthday a month plus later. He wanted cupcakes this year so we went looking at pictures on the Internet and he liked these. They were very easy. Remove cupcake paper set on top of gummy worms and ice. I let the boys ice them and cut apart the gummy worms. If you want longer tentacles use whole gummy worms. Use candy or icing for the eyes.

This is the finished project.

Aaron loves cards but sometimes in the mdist of all the presents they get lost. So this year we had them open them first. He squealed with delight with each one and wanted them read.

We went swimming for Aaron's birthday.

And presents of course.

Summer

2011-07-13T17:38:00.000-07:00

Yes we had a great vacation but most of the time has been spent at home. And as you can see from the pictures we are pretty low tech. Have done some Bible school and a little with the grandparents on both sides but overall just staying home. The slip n slide provides fun for both boys and cars.

Perry cooking marshmallows at a picnic.

Andrew helping make strawberry jelly.

Boys dressing themselves for church. Notice the ties.

Wrestling with Daddy.

Asking to wash cars.

I did make a camp run. I am tired but appreciate more how much work goes into this. Enjoying my garden. Life is about the simple things.

Our other adventures in vacation land

2011-07-04T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well besides waterfalls we checked at the Crayola Factory at our friend Becky's suggestion. The boys loved it. Basically they show you how they make crayons and then let you play with all the other crayola products. Upstairs they have a kid friendly museum. We spent a good part of the day there. Here are the boys using chalk.

Glow in the dark pens.

The boys in the train at museum upstairs. Which was about the railroads and canals in Pennsylvania.

This moth took up residence at our condo door for a day. We saw deer, raccoons, birds and squirrels. It was nice to comeback to a place where there was room for the boys to move around. Grandpop took Andrew up to the little mini golf course every morning so we could sleep in. I could just hug him. Of course some serious swim time happened. That was the one thing my boys wanted to do.

We went back out to see Uncle Gabe one last time and checked out a children's museum and a park. The children's museum was a converted warehouse but they had done a nice job with the space they had. The boys had a good time.

Riding in the airplane.

There was a small train set. Musical instruments. Activities to try.

Andrew painting.

Aaron's BushKill Adventure

2011-07-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

As you can see Aaron did recover from his bellyache and was able to have his own adventure. We only did the medium trail but that was enough.

He really liked where the falls made piles of bubbles that looked like dishwashing soap. Aaron took this picture with a little help.

A family bought tickets right before us and their son Aalf was nearly the same age as Aaron. We ran into each other on trail and enjoyed a nice visit. They were from Connecticut.

So if a good thing can come of being sick this was it. Both my boys had a great time and one was not complaining he was tired and the other wanting to know why we had to stop.

Andrew's BushKill Adventure

2011-07-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

You can't go to the Poconos without going to Bushkill Falls and climbing the Delaware Water Gap. We decided that the boys were not ready for the Gap climb but we did do BushKill. It was less than 5 minutes from our condo. Not totally sure why but Aaron got a bellyache that morning and threw up. So Andrew got to do Bushkill without brother. Which turned out to be a good thing because they were able to hike longer and farther this way. For those who are familiar with Bushkill they did the Red Trail this is the longest and most difficult. But I am told they had a great time.

Andrew's first millipede.

Daddy and Andrew resting on the trail.

One of the falls.

Abuela and Grandpop on some of the walk ways. A great morning was had by all.

Waterfalls

2011-07-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

Being in the Poconos we did the waterfall thing. I was amazed at how much water was there. I know that sounds crazy but some years certain waterfalls are just a trickle. This fall is called silverthread. Which is usually right but this time it could be called silveryarn. It was beautiful.

This is Dingman's fall. If you are looking for an easy hike to a waterfall this is it. It is also free because it is a state park.

Aaron is impressed.

This is not the best picture but it is taken by me at the bottom of falls of the rest of the family at the top. They wanted someone to wave to at the bottom. By the way they climbed 200+ steps to get there. For the more adventurous you can climb the steps but you don't have to climb to enjoy the falls.

This is Raymondskill Fall. It is also free little more up and down hike but very nice. Once again it had so much water that at one spot it was a 3 stream waterfall.

From my childhood I do not remember the fence. As a parent I am thankful.

The falls.

Between the upper and middle falls. The boys seemed to enjoy the exploring part of the trip and seeing all the water.

Uncle Bob's Cabin

2011-06-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

This cabin belongs to Grandma Graffius' family (Bedi). It holds many memories for me. Mom and Dad were debating whether they could find it or not when we went to visit the Poconos. With a little help from Uncle Bob they found it. We enjoyed a short visit here. We almost didn't recognize it with out the big rhododendron in front. The river around back holds many memories. Hours spent fishing, swimming, and throwing rocks. We did this with cousins (Scott and Steve). I also remember coming with our youth group for mini youth retreats.

I remember eels being caught and cooked. Though I can't remember if I ate any. I remember getting the bed in the bathroom cause I was the only girl. Once and awhile being the only girl has perks. I remember going to waterfalls and wondering if we would fall off. Of course I wouldn't concede to the brothers and cousins I was scared. I remember climbing the Delaware Water Gap. I remember Grandpa teaching bible lessons. I remember Mary Ellis cooking for the mini retreats. I remember Kristen reading a scary story and scaring us all. I remember so many things. Now I will remember Abuela teaching my boys to skip rocks. I will remember Andrew thinking it was an adventure to look for certain landmarks as we looked for the cabin.

Thanks Uncle Bob and family for sharing this cabin in the past with us. It was good to remember.

Funny Sign - At least to me

2011-06-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

Perry and I got a kick out of this sign. Maybe because we are pharmacists. So what week do you want to book your Flu? I think I will pass this year.

To New York City

2011-06-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

We headed out to vacation the Sabbath after Andrew finished school. On Sunday Uncle Gabe bravely took us country folk to the big city. Here we are waiting for the train. Andrew and Aaron enjoyed the trip but I think they liked train ride the best. Andrew excitement even made the stoic city folk smile on the train as he told Uncle Gabe about everything that passed. And asked a million why questions. Here is a picture taken by Andrew of a passing train. He also liked the subway.

Besides taking the train we also visited the aircraft carrier Intrepid. And central park. We also had New York Pizza and some good Baklava. Gabe had lead us to a part of Central Park that had a playground and rocks to climb on. I should note that we wore shorts and it turned out to be pretty cold. We end the day at a great restaurant Gabe picked out in Newark. Such a good and patient Uncle Gabe.

Boys checking out some of the interactive things at the aircraft carrier.

Does he looked injured?? :)

Waiting and keeping warm. Thanks Uncle Gabe for being our fearless guide.

The Last Day of School

2011-06-25T12:27:00.000-07:00

This is Andrew on his last day of school and with his summer cut. He was very excited to being done and going to first grade. He finished May 20th. The kids did a mini program for us that included music, the pledges and marching in and out.

Mrs. Mack his teacher giving him the awards he earned. Things like Super Reader, Art Award, Book It, etc.

Mrs. Holiday the Principal giving Andrew his diploma.

The graduation party afterwards. It included cake.

I am incredibly grateful to Mrs. Mack and Mrs. Fochtman for their patience. They focused Andrew's energy and taught him to read and do math. Also learning to work with others and all the things that go with going to school. Thanks.

2011-06-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

Well And+rew got a bicycle for Christmas. We got training wheels but they wouldn't stay in place and Andrew wouldn't balance on his own. Well this is the result of some practice.

A trip to the Zoo

2011-06-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

I am so far behind on this blog but during Easter Break we hitched a ride with dad to work in Greensburg and kept going on to the zoo. I have not been here that I remember and Andrew last trip here was with his Dad and Grandpop as he was beginning to understand English. On this trip he and Aaron gave all the passersby a running list of what was going on and what was there and why.

Aaron is actually looking low to get a better view of the animals. He was all about the monkeys and gorillas. The zoo part was nice but it was the aquarium was the nicest. And had some unusual animals.

The boys still pretend to be sea otters when they are in the water.

We had snacks for lunch. We didn't get to the reptiles so we will have to go again sometime.

Proud of my hubby

2011-05-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

As I posted earlier, Perry has been asked to lose 24 pounds. From the US perspective this seems crazy. But to the rest of the world where health care is hit or miss this weight loss means that he will live longer. Why am I proud of my hubby...many reasons but specifically he has lost almost 10 pounds and he is doing it the right way. He is faithfully exercising on the wii every night and is doing portion control. Not easy but he is doing great. Now if I could do half so well.

Spring Concert

2011-05-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

At the little school that Andrew goes to they have a Christmas and an Easter program that is mostly music but also includes some short skits. At Christmas they only had the preschoolers and Kindergarten do 1 song. This time they did a bible verse John 3:16 and 3 songs. The music teacher had done a great job with them.Getting ready to begin singing. Andrew is in the back row. Mom had Andrew do 2 out of 3 songs at church and say John 3:16.

Well this proud momma is done bragging on her boy. One of the teacher told us Andrew doesn't do anything slow...run, read, count or play. That about sums up Andrew's year. He is soaking in the learning but he plays just as hard. Thanks to all the teacher here and around the world who help our children learn.

Gotcha Day

2011-05-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

Aaron has been home three years today. I can not begin to imagine life without him. I am daily thankful for the gift his birthmother gave me and love given by his foster family aka Guatemalan Oma. Life is full of so many things. In honor of his Gotcha Day we had enchiladas. I was given a recipe for red enchilada sauce. It is sooo easy I am not going back to the can. My dad started the tradition of ice cream cake so of course we had to have one. Balloons rounded out this event. Needless to say we ate well.

So who is this boy that 3 years ago on April 2oth changed our lives. He is extremely mellow and goes with the flow. He will try anything brother does but watches to see how it works first. He loves to sing, be read books, his tricycle, animals and talks a blue streak. I think this is because he is trying to get a word in edge wise with his brother.

I don't know what God has planned for him but I know that God can use him. He wants to fix peoples and dogs ouchies. Maybe I have a doctor or vet on my hands I don't know and that is okay. I don't know where life will take us but that is okay.

A trip to Children's Museum

2011-04-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

A month or so ago...Perry and I had to be fingerprinted. So we thought that it might be fun to use our Children's Museum pass again. So we pulled Andrew out of school for the day. He was intially not thrilled that he was missing school but ended up having a great time. It was also a whole lot less busy than last time and this made Perry happy. We were able to check out the water room. Andrew enjoyed the fact mom ended up wet. I miss calculated what the pipes would do. Since there is no photo evidence we will pretend it didn't happen.

Aaron once again enjoyed making the parachutes fly by turning the wheel.

Aaron and I going down the slide after said parachute.

They had made rockets for the room about air and flight. This Andrew shooting one. So much fun you might forget that it is educational.

Here are the boys in a wind tunnel having a blast. We ended the day with a trip to get fingerprinted and dinner at the Bedford Dinner. A good day if I do say so myself.

Easter

2011-04-24T11:22:00.000-07:00

Here are the boys walking home from church Sabbath afternoon. We enjoyed a great service of music by the choraleers. We also had sabbath lunch at the yellow house as it has been dubbed by the boys. As usual way too much food but good eats. It has been fun to see the boys think about and consider what Jesus did for them. Sometime they miss the mark and that is okay. Like Aaron praying that Jesus' sin would be forgiven. Other times hitting it square on the head. With Andrew saying. Jesus is heaven and He takes away the bad things we do.

He is risen. Hear the bells ringing he is risen from the dead. Alleluia.

The Good News and the Bad News

2011-04-13T16:06:00.000-07:00

This is an adoption update. I know it has been a while and it will probably be a while again before we have another. The Good News... 1. We had all the paperwork into the Philippines. The government agency (ICAB) that reviews it has done so. 2. The US government has fingerprinted us and approved our request in theory to adopt again. 3. I have found easier to be patient than I thought it would be. 4. The boys are excited about having a new sibling or two and are okay with it taking awhile. 5. ICAB has only requested one additional thing and we have been told by the caseworker that they generally make all their requests at once. The Bad News.. The one request made was to ask Perry to loss 10% of his body weight approximately 24 pounds and have some tests done. The Tests are not a big deal and we figure that they will all come back fine however the 24lbs are going to take awhile. The agency is going to advocate for us but we will see. This could put our case on hold until he reaches that goal. So pray that Perry can start losing the weight quickly and healthily. Pray that ICAB will show mercy and not hold our case until all the weight is lost. So there it is.

Happy Birthday Perry

2011-04-04T05:13:00.000-07:00

Today my handsome husband turns 34. I can hardly believe it. It seems that we were just dating and newlyweds just the other day. But we didn't let that prevent us from celebrating. With Uncle Jim cooked and cut steak. We consumed way to much. The boys helped me make Daddy a cheesecake. They were so proud of themselves and Aaron ate two slices. The boys have also wrapped a selection of their favorite toys to give to daddy. That event is happening today.My husband is an amazing guy. He brings home the bacon. He helps with the boys. He is kind and thoughtful. He loves to play and laugh(belly laugh). He is a man that desires to bring glory to God. He is God's gift to me. I love you and happy birthday.

When God is Sovereign has to be Enough

2011-03-31T18:15:00.000-07:00

This post is result of a mix of experiences lately and a recent lesson from Job in Sabbath School class. We were looking at Job. Job starts out with Satan and God discussing Job. God says Job is a righteous man and Satan says let me have at him and see if that really is the case. And Job does well despite losing everything. I mean everything...family, stuff, friends and health. Through it all he doesn't waver in his faith. At the end he does ask God for an explanation of why all this happens. We as the reader go that is obvious but God doesn't give Job the answer we expect. He spends the last chapters of Job reminding Job that He is God and sometimes only He gets to know why. Basically the only answer Job gets is I AM and that is enough. God does bless Job and Job is okay with God answer. This hard for people to accept that God is in control and sometime this side of heaven we just don't get to know. But like Job and God's answer to Job we can hold on to these facts. God made the universe and is in control of the parts that I don't even know about. And if this is so God is control of the parts of my life that I don't understand. God knows the beginning and the end and He knows my beginning and end. He knows the why and how things happen. I must learn to say as Job did "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted". This is not an easy place to come to be but it is a place a peace. So how does this relate to me and coming to peace with that fact that God is Sovereign and that is enough. I would define Sovereign as in control of all things and knowing all that has happened, all that is happening and all that will happen. It relates back to my journey through and my life with infertility. I can not explain why some couples suddenly get pregnant. Some who have not had treatment and others that have. Is it possible that I could get pregnant. Yes. Is it probable. No. If I would get pregnant would it be a God thing. Totally. However if I never get pregnant that is okay. Because the same God that could make pregnancy so may choose not to do it in this case. And that is where the sovereign thing comes in to play. I love my God even when I don't get the answer I want. Does God prohibit the questions. No, look at Job and Psalms. But if Job teaches me nothing else it is sometimes it just has to be enough that He is God and that He loves me. So what is my answer to my life with infertility, God is Sovereign and that is enough.

Crepes

2011-03-03T04:48:00.000-08:00

Anyone that know my husband knows that his pancake preference is of the thin variety. I grew up with pancakes that were thick and fluffy so the thought of thin pancakes was silly. However, my husband loves crepes at the restaurant. So one night armed with cream cheese and sour cream filling and fruit to put on top and the middle, I made my first crepes. I just used the better homes and garden recipe and directions and they turned out fine. My husband said that they were good not quite the restaurant but I could make them again.

A couple of silly songs from A & A

2011-02-17T12:29:00.000-08:00

This is a silly song compliments of the boys. They sang several but this is the short one.

Cupcakes for School

2011-02-12T18:23:00.000-08:00

Andrew's birthday falls two days after Christmas so bringing cupcakes to school for his birthday is not possible. He still wanted to do this so we talked and decided that doing it for his Gotcha Day might be a good option. We did talk to Andrew that doing this might make the kids ask him some questions and he was okay with it. So then we had to decide what kind so he and I went Internet surfing and here is the end result. The boys colored butter cake batter and then put a scoop of each color in the cups. They really turned out fun. This was really easy and the boys thought they were big stuff.

On to decorating, we went. We had picked an idea from this website http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/z-is-for-zoo-cupcake-686599/ As you can see our version isn't quite the same but it was easier and didn't involve candles. I did try some with the pretzel sticks standing up. It worked okay but not great. The boys still had fun. We then brought them into school. Andrew was thrilled.

January 23rd Gotcha Day

2011-02-09T10:48:00.000-08:00

January 23 was a very important day in the Barbee house. It was 2 years ago that day that Andrew came to be with us. We were in Seoul South Korea and the Chinese New Year was about to begin. Oh how the time flies. I have a hard time imagining life without my energetic 6 year old. Who would believe this reading boy didn't know anything but the ABC song. I would say the only sad thing is that when he watches Pororo now he doesn't understand the words. He still likes it though. I can not imagine life when he becomes a teenager because he already can out eat Perry. On the other hand, he burns every ounce of it. I am thankful for a teacher that took the time to figure out how to motivate my boy. He loves to please but sometimes struggles because sitting still requires a serious amount of work.We are blessed to have some baby pictures of Andrew so I thought I would share one. Who is this boy now. A boy who truly loves to run. A boy who tries to slid down the hill standing up on the sled. The boy that wants to rescue his brother from trouble but also can do some serious teasing. He brave and scared all at the same time. He doesn't know a stranger and informed me the other day that he wanted to be a fixer when he grew up. He still loves anything on wheels especially cars and trains and motorcycles. He loves to play Wii with his Dad and wants a running explanation of who, what, when how and why.

I love him so much and God has blessed me beyond measure.

Visit to great Grandpop

2011-01-25T05:30:00.000-08:00

Right after Christmas Aaron and I headed out to Wisconsin with grandpa and Mr Verne. Mr Verne visited his sister and we kept going to Whitewater. We had a great visit with great grandpop. Hopefully we didn't work him too hard. Aaron sweet talked all the ladies in the home. As you can see from the picture they were bringing him stuffed animals pictures and he was flirting away. We also got to go see Grandma Lorna each evening. Great Grandpa made the traditional sauerkraut and hot dogs (sausage) for the new year. We also celebrated his and Dad's birthday with a slightly delayed dinner out.

Here is Aaron with great grandpa.

A good visit. Thanks for letting us bring craziness to your house great grandpa.

Andrew's Birthday

2011-01-16T18:56:00.000-08:00

Andrew's Birthday falls two days after Christmas so it makes it hard to make it seperate but we are working hard at making that happen. So on the 27th we packed Mom and Dad's mini van and headed to Pittsburgh. Yes this sounds strange but there only so many indoor things to do and I am not ready to do the Chuck E Cheese thing yet. Anyway we picked up Miss Grace and her great nephew and began an adventure.
We went to the children's museum in Pittsburgh. It was amazing and the boys had fun however two days after Christmas it was crazy busy. Note Perry does not like crowds. Boys were not phased - if I was a home schooler or lived close this could be addictive.

This is a two story climbing area. They came back to this over and over again. Reminded me of a hamester cage.

Aaron and Bradley trying out the bubbles as the lights changed colors.

Perry helping Andrew make a parachute for the air vortex they had. The parachute went up and out of the tunnel and fluttered down.

The boys building. This room also had car racing, ball rolling thing and its own parachute and retrival system. Overall the boys had a great day. There was rooms with slides and gravity lessons. A place where the boys could dance and see their moves. Just so much fun. They all napped on the way home if that gives you an ideas of how hard they played. The day ended with Andrew's cake - he requested a pink cake so it was strawberry and some pink icing and cars of course. Happy 6th birthday my son.

Christmas

2011-01-11T18:41:00.000-08:00

A Graffius family tradition is sandtarts. So Aaron and Andrew are helping to continue the tradition. The cookies were not perfection but they were made with love. We began festivities on Christmas Eve with a Christmas Eve Service followed by stocking opening at the grandparents. Christmas morning the boys opened one present and we headed off to church for a very nice service. It included music and instruments and the retelling of the Christmas story. Then it was off to lunch at Papa and Nana's. Aunt Cindi was not able to join us but she was there in spirit with her Christmas dishes and table clothe.

The boys enjoyed serious Uncle Gabe time.

So the Christmas present opening began in earnest after lunch.

The boys had a great Christmas and a couple days later we ended our celebration with a visit to Papa and Nana's to play chicken tracts. It had been delayed due to my cold.

Andrew's First School Program

2011-01-10T18:14:00.000-08:00

Well in early December Andrew had his first school program. The kindergarten and preschool only had one song but they were enthusiastic. The pictures aren't great but you get the idea. The elementary did a short play and the high school did singing and readings and a signing song.

I got the music and Andrew did this song at church for Christmas. A very nice job and a proud mama.

The first Snow of the Season

2010-12-18T12:16:00.000-08:00

This was our first snow. The boys were so excited to get out and play. They played on the deck even before the grass was covered. We got a call from Grandpa Barbee telling us it was already snowing there. I think they got more intially but ours still hasn't melted. The wind blew so hard the night before it took out the slide.

Once we had a little more snow the boys did some sled riding.

Andrew has been trying to do standing sledding. He talked Uncle Gabe into trying this past weekend. Gabe survived without major injury. He has a lot further to fall than Andrew.

Well if it doesn't get warm we will have a white christmas.

Simple Craft Idea

2010-12-16T11:59:00.000-08:00

I had two boys on a rainy day and they need something new to do and this is the result. I took pipe cleaners and what they call pony beads and had the boys string them. I made a loop at one end so they could be an ornament for the tree but they could become bracelets necklaces etc. I found the pipe cleaner easier for Aaron to thread than traditional string. We then bent them into shapes.

The result entertainment that made Christmas ornaments.

Thanksgiving Part 2

2010-12-15T11:47:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed thanksgiving part 2 with the graffius and bond families. We had a little bit of a rough start when Mama ended up with a sore hip and Uncle Joel got called back to Florida. However we went on to a have a good thanksgiving. We enjoyed the fact that David and Kim came up with Anthony and Sophie. We also had a friend named Verne with us. We took sometime to say thanks for the good things God has done for us. Due to Mama's hip we ended up at the yellow house the church uses for fellowship and bible study. It worked out great. Here are the kids playing before hand.

Andrew showing off his thanksgiving hat. He made it in school.

As usual I failed to get a picture of the actual feasting but here is a shot of the clean up. We also got in a hand of cards before we were done.

Barbee Thanksgiving

2010-12-14T11:10:00.000-08:00

We had a great visit to North Carolina. I got to check out the new place that I had been hearing about. We also enjoyed seeing the extended family. As usual I forgot to take pictures of the actual event. The boys had a great time with all the space. Aaron found it to be great fun to get in Lucy's cage. As you can see Lucy is not convinced.

Andrew thought that he should give it a try. As you can see it is a little cozier for him. It is hard to believe that in less than two years he has grown 5 inches. I am having fun trying to keep him in pants that fit.

Perry's family was great about giving Perry and I a chance to rest. I also enjoyed doing a little shopping with mom barbee. It was great time and too short as usual.

We eventually had to head north. The boys did well but we wish for a telaporter. 8 hours in a car is a long time for a 3 and 5 year old.

A trip to JB Tree Farm

2010-12-01T11:04:00.001-08:00

We occasionally do an outing with the Cove Adoptive Family group. We loved this one. One of the things that I like about Cove adoptive families is that my boys can look around and see families where other kids don't look like their parents. Also it is nice to hear each others story because each is unique and the reasons for each is special. Some families adopt domestically and some internationally and some from the foster family and some from private adoptions each is perfect in its own way. Anyway we went up towards Huntington to this tree farm. It was wonderful and I appreciated the fact that it wasn't haunted...I have a boy who gets scared of cartoons.
The kids got to roll and play with pumpkins while we waited our turn for the hayride.Some were heavier than Aaron could lift but that didn't stop him from trying. He usually decided that rolling was easier.Here is one of the hay wagons in front of us. We drove along the roads between the Christmas trees Here we are riding along in the wagon. Mom came along to help me out and make life easier. Thanks mom.

They also had two reindeer you could pet.What trip to the farm is complete without climbing in the hay. This place had a little tunnel for the kids to crawl through. King of the hay mound...

There is also a giant corn maze but we settled for the kiddie version which Andrew went through several times. All in All a great time with great people.

Baseball sort of...

2010-11-14T11:24:00.000-08:00

This video which is sideways is an afternoon. It was spontaneous fun which makes it even better. This baseball with a bouncy ball and oil funnel and a three old pitcher. Also dad and mom enjoying the silliness.

Psalm 139

2010-11-03T19:01:00.000-07:00

I am a momma in happy reflection at the moment. Andrew was asking a lot of questions about how God could see everything? He is also into playing hide and seek and wanted to know if he could hide from God. I said no of course but I said that the Bible in Psalms tells us that there is nowhere we can hide from God. I ask Andrew if he wanted me to show him. He said yes. So after reading from his Bible story book, we got out the Children's NIV(I think they have changed the name recently but you get the point) and turned to Psalm 139. I read it to him and he thought it was amazing the places God was able to know where we were. When we finished he asked if we could read another so we did we flipped the page to 141 and it was titled for us A prayer for Safety so we read that as our prayer. A pretty awesome way to end a good day.

Thank you God for little boys who ask questions and may my prayer be that I can give him the answers that lead him to You. Amen

In Honor of Cafeteria Ladies

2010-10-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

About a week ago I made a food that reminded me of my 12 years of eating cafeteria food. I don't know what most of your experiences were but mine was good. Our cafeteria ladies cooked real food and cared about the students. As a child I ate breakfast school cause you could have pancakes, french toast, eggs or cereal depending on the day. Not only that but before the schools combined if you ate the two pancakes you were served you could come back for a 3rd. Also you could ask for double open. We weren't charged extra. They knew some kids liked Peanut butter on their pancakes and they would have some out. They did the little things they didn't have to do. The head cook at our little school was Mary Ellis who has passed away many years ago at this point but my good memories are linked to cafeteria ladies that cared. Later when the schools combined we were convinced that on the days that Mary did not serve that the food was better because she had cooked it. Probably crazy but if nothing else we knew she cared.

But what sparked this memory was chili. I know that sounds strange but at our school you could have your chili with or with out rice scooped on the bottom before the chili was put on top. I suspect that this was a way to make the chili go further but it tastes great. Now my 5 year old wants rice with his chili. The other distinct food memory was cinnamon roll day which is probably not allowed anymore. But on the day that ham green bean and potato stew was served(yes this is regional), there was always homemade cinnamon rolls with sticky icing not the white stuff. This only happened every couple of months. It only got better. The next day if you ate breakfast you got the rest of the cinnamon rolls. I am sure that schools now have food catered in but I would not trade the love and the care that went into the food for all the premade pizza in the world.

So with this blog I want to say thanks to all the people who work hard in non glamorous jobs that make a huge difference. Cafeteria ladies are the best.

Getting Ready

2010-10-16T12:33:00.000-07:00

I am sure every family has their getting ready for school routine but here are a couple pictures from ours. Aaron wants to go to school so he and I have school on days that we don't go swimming and sometimes we have it more than that. He is beginning to recognize his letters and loves to color and trace.
The deep thought of the last couple weeks is this. Mom I have two heads. What says mom. Aaron says I have a head and a forehead. Can't argue with that to easily. He is pretending some now and he says he has a teacher named Mr Rouseo and kids which vary but sometimes include a Micah and an Abigail. Also he is trying to figure out why Anthony doesn't always live in the apartment of Aunt Cindi's. Andrew is still loving school. He is beginning to recognize words. They are doing phonics so our magnet letters on the fridge have found new life. We have also started Book it. Don't know if this is a regional thing or not. But the child is read to or reads a certain number of books. The number assigned by the teacher and they earn a certificate for a free personal pan pizza at Pizza Hut. So we have begun that adventure and he likes it. Movies still make Andrew nervous - he said he asked the teacher to turn off the Lion King because he was scared *note even so veggie tales scare Andrew*. We have parent teacher conferences in a couple of weeks and it will be good to get the teachers perspective on how he is doing.

Wednesdays are chapel day and Andrew must wear a shirt and tie. It is really hard to find short sleeve dress shirts for little boys but we succeeded.

Announcement

2010-09-30T09:38:00.000-07:00

Queue music...Announcements announcements what a horrible way to die, what a horrible way to talk to death, what a horrible way to die, announcements announcements...

On a serious note about 5 years ago we started this blog to keep people informed about what was happening in our adoption of Aaron. Since then we have brought home two boys that have changed our lives forever. And this is a good thing. So we have decided to do it again.

We have decided to go to the Philippines for our 3rd adoption. When we began to look again we initially thought we would go where we could ask for a girl. The more we got into the more Perry and I felt we were to go to the Philippines. Why this matters is in the Philippines you can not declare gender. So we could be adding a boy or girl to this adventure or maybe even a sibling group. Our one request is to maintain birth order which we did not do last time.

Why announce this today. Well today we sent in our Dossier. For those who are unfamiliar with the process of international adoption. This is a large amount of paperwork that has to be done and then you begin a period of waiting. You are done with the part you can control and must learn to trust others to take it from here. With Aaron it was almost 2 years and with Andrew it was only a few months. With the Philippines it somewhere between 18 months and 3 years generally. So it may be a long wait but we feel this is right for us.

So what do the boys think. Andrew said we should have 5 more but doesn't want another Aaron. I take this to mean he wants a sister. Aaron likes the idea but wants to know how long. To help Aaron get an idea we use kindergarten. Aaron knows he has to 5 to go to kindergarten so we are telling him his brother or sister will probably come when he is ready to start school. Andrew wants to make sure the house is big enough. I think this might be due in part to Grandpa Barbee getting a new house. Andrew wanted to know if we have to get a new house to have a new brother or sister. We answered no but he now wants to know where Abuela is going to sleep. Our present spare bedroom is called Abuela's room because Abuela has sometimes slept there.

So we begin again. I don't expect this process to be fast. I must reset my mind because Andrew was so quickly. So I must learn once again to be patient and trust God's timing. So adoption updates will probably be infrequent but we just wanted to share our big day.

We begin our wait...

...Announcemeeeeeents.....

This and That

2010-09-14T17:03:00.000-07:00

We have been working on finding a routine. I think that we are getting close to finding it in a new year. Aaron has started back to swimming and I am actually getting more of my house work done. Andrew is loving school. He is taking soup everyday and still likes his pink lunch box. He likes school but when ask he usually tells you about recess and lunch. Every weekend he asks when he can go back to school. At least for now this is the match for him.

One of the kids in Aaron's swim class is Andrew. I introduced the boys and Aaron on the way home informed me that he wanted to keep the old Andrew. This led to talking about the fact Andrew would always be his brother and other Andrews would just be friends. Also he is telling everyone that when he is 5 he will get to go to school.

We have been talking to the boys about things on TV that are pretend especially cartoons. As result Andrew was watching a car race and said it was pretend. We then had explain that this was real because you could actually go to the place and watch it and it just wasn't on TV. Andrew was not convinced.

Both boys have had headers recently. Andrew joined the fun with a fall. Somehow managed only to scrap his forehead and lodge a small stone in there for good measure. Perry successfully removed it and after convincing me that no stitches were need, it has healed nicely.

So this is this and that from the Barbee house.

Part 3

2010-09-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

We checked out the Aqurimum. Here is Aaron checking out the sea lion. We did do one day at the amusement park. Aaron loved this ride and was allowed to go by himself since he was big enough. He wanted to try the roller coaster like Andrew but was too small.

Both boys loved the bumper cars and Andrew was allowed in the "big" ones with and adult. As you can see I am the passenger on this ride.

We ended the night with fireworks which Andrew loved and Aaron thought were loud. We had visions of the boys sleeping in the next morning. Nah...

We ended the week with two visits to Uncle David and Aunt Kim's. We were glad to see them and the boys were so excited. We checked out Uncle David's work one day and the boys had fun running airplane to airplane. Yes this was a mommy plot to burn energy. We enjoyed some pizza back at David and Kim's. The next day after a traffic delay we had a whirlwind trip to the zoo and a picinic. It ended with a trip for ice cream. Grandpop would have been proud.

To end the retelling of vacation here is Andrew on one of the rides. He loves rides and the shows as well. Uncle Gabe in a few years we are going to need you to take this boy upside down.

Part 2

2010-09-07T16:46:00.000-07:00

The next few days we checked out some sites in Norfolk and at Jamestown. This is Andrew at the Nautilus trying to steer a boat. We also took a two hour cruise but we didn't end up on Gilligan's Island just back where we started.

The boys on the boat. Aaron napped through a greater portion of the cruise. Uncle David waved to us from work. Andrew was thrilled.

As I mentioned earlier, we made another visit to a historical site at Yorktown. The boys enjoyed the boats and watching how they made canoes. It was a nice morning. It should be noted both boys were free at the historic sites and Perry and I got a reduced rate for doing both.

We only ate out one meal a day so we tried to avoid fast food. But we also wanted kid friendly. This was a place called Jungle Jim's. The food was good and the boys got a kick out of their menus.

Besides site seeing the boys enjoyed swimming. We probably could have done nothing but swim and they would have been happy. Oh yes and play at the parks around the place we stayed.

The Last Trip of the Summer Part 1

2010-09-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

We began our last trip of the summer in Williamsburg, VA. Perry and I got up at O dark 30 and drove to make the trip easier. We arrived at Yorktown on Sunday afternoon. We thought we would try the history thing and if it was a wash we would know better for the rest of the week. It did work but it should be noted if you want to leisurely read the signs or really teach history a 3 and 5 year old only get so much. It did work and we later checked out Jamestown later in the week. It should be noted that August was game in the colonies. Andrew especially liked trying the games. Aaron and I having a snack before going in to the park.

Teaching how to shoot a canon. They asked Perry to take Aaron off his shoulders. This turned out to be a good thing because Perry jumped when they fired the canon.

One of the things Andrew enjoyed was following the paths and counting canon at the different points. These were embankments made for the defense of both sides.

Andrew getting to hold the musket. Overall an enjoyable start to the holiday.

School Update

2010-08-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

Andrew is still unable to contain himself with excitment for school. He asked Sabbath when he went back to school and wanted to know why he couldn't go Sunday. He is liking school. He is having to learn to stay quiet for longer periods which is going to take sometime getting use to doing. He has made friends - it took all week to learn one girls name. He is taking his lunch to school. He is still taking soup which I thought would end after the first day. However, when he took rice he got mixed reviews so it may be a while before he tries that again. He is sleeping like a log at night and has already had homework.

Pray that Andrew continues to adjust and love school.

Some Summer Fun

2010-08-29T17:43:00.000-07:00

These are someways we entertained ourselves this summer. Andrew is combining to of our favorite activities. One is running through the sprinkler and two playing in the swimming pool. Andrew enjoyed this. He called it being in the rainforest. Yes he is watching quite a bit of Diego right now. Here are two pictures from Bradley's visit. He has moved farther away but cam in to Aunt Grace's for the weekend. The boys are combining their two interests. Andrew's love of anything with wheels and Bradley's love of animals. They had a large set up going by the time they were done.

This summer we also did a good bit of park playing. We also made one trip out to Martinsburg to swim this might have been a mistake. Andrew keeps asking when are we going back. The boys have also helped me pick vegetables and weed the garden which still has way to many weeds. They also love to "wash" dishes. We also take walks down to the stream to see if there is any water and pick walnuts to throw in the water. Overall a great summer.

Water video

2010-08-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

As I noted in the last post the boys loved the water at the zoo. This is Andrew running through the water and Aaron in the background checking out the big water ball. Aaron also joined in the the water running but not in this video.

Catching Up

2010-08-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

Well I will start with the weekend of July 16th we headed to Virginia Beach for a very important birthday. It was Anthony's 3rd birthday. So the boys, Grandpop, Abuela and I headed south. The plan was for a trip to the zoo and a party after nap time. So here are a few pictures from the adventure. Anthony opening up presents.

One of my boys favorite parts of the zoo.

The whole crew checking out the reptiles which is one of Anthony's favorites and we got to see an armadillo actually moving. The boys loved seeing the animals even though it was a warm day.

Here is Aaron checking out the snake. Speaking of Aaron he completed his trip to Virginia with a trip to the emergency room. He fell off the bed as I was moving the table away that we had used the night before to keep him from falling out. I sent Andrew for Grandpop and Abuela. Then we made a plan - Abuela and Andrew to see Anthony again and Grandpop Aaron and I to the hospital. Aaron was such a good fellow. They were even able to use little band-aids and glue on his cut instead of stitches because he held still so well. I should note this was a children's hospital as it turned out. They had someone come in and show him what was going to happen and he got to practice on a baby doll. He also managed to charm a blanket, ball and sticker out of the lady that came to help. He now sleeps with the blanket. It was made by a lady name Georgina and a group makes them for the kids. Now he is all good except for a little scar.

The First day of School

2010-08-24T10:57:00.001-07:00

Well the day has arrived. Andrew was so excited this morning. I was excited for him but part of me - is going no not my baby I have only had him a short time. I am also hoping and praying he is going to adjust to the structure and still love to be there. I am sure that some of you noticed the pink lunch bag. I let him pick and this was the one he picked. I am hoping that it doesn't get him teased but the boy loves pink. I have a back up plan if it does. He also wanted to take soup for lunch we will see if he is still a soup guy when he comes home tonight after comparing notes with the other kids.We had also been getting ready for school by eliminating nap time for Andrew and making his bedtime earlier. He didn't object to either though he has still taken a couple of naps. We may have to go even earlier to bed; we will see how that goes. Grandpop and Abuela came over to wish him the best on his first day. The school van picked him up a little before 8 AM and is supposed to bring him back about 3:15PM.

My house is suddenly very quiet. Aaron and I enjoyed playing with playdoh this morning and I was able to get the dishes cleaned up and the kitchen floor mopped and the wood floor swept. I feel like I have accomplished a ton and Aaron and I went down and played in the graveyard for a little bit. (No I am not crazy there is a walnut tree in the graveyard by our house and the boys love to collect walnuts and throw them in the air and we also like to go look for letters in the graveyard). Well huge change in the Barbee house I will keep you posted as everyone adjusts.

Change

2010-08-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

Yes things are always changing. I know this but it has been on my mind lately because Andrew is about to have a big change in his life. It will also be a big change in mommy's life. Andrew is going to start kindergarten. After a great debate last year we opted not to do preschool. I don't have any regrets but I know that there is pressure both ways. It was this pressure and the unusual experience for me of working on the same day with Perry that has brought together some random thoughts and experiences.

The first reflects back to Perry and my journey through infertility. My parents have a dog called Tina. She is a golden retriever and Goldens have a tendency toward tumors. When these occur each family must decided what they are going to do. They may leave them go; or they may have them surgically removed knowing they may come back or they may opt for chemotherapy or radiation. As you read this you may go I know what we would do and how far we would go. However you may talk to someone else and they would say your crazy I would do this. At some point which ever option you choose you as a family will say this is enough we are done. This experience made me look back and reflect that this was how it was during our treatments and the decisions we made along the way. We had several options and many people had opinions on what you should and would do. We made our choice and there came a point we knew we were done. It wasn't an easy decision but we knew it and it was okay. Where that point is for every family is different but it doesn't mean you wanted it any less. Just as the choice you make for your dog doesn't mean that you don't love it but you know when you are done. I should note Tina had a tumor removed and she is getting better day by day. What happens next I don't know but right now she brings joy into my boys lives and I think that they keep this 11 year old dog young.

The other big thought was brought on by a day when both Perry and I worked all day. Miss Grace and Miss Katrina watched the boys and did a great job of course but it got me to reflecting. It made me ask what was I missing. I am blessed and spoiled by the fact that I can stay home with my boys. Many do not have this choice. As much as I asked questions I still felt like I had missed something. It made me understand a little more why some choose to homeschool. When Andrew comes home from school no matter how many questions I ask I can not have experienced it with him as much as I may want. Because we have made the choice to send him to kindergarten this mother must learn to adjust to change. I must learn a new way of being in his life. Aaron will go back to being an only child during the day. I think he will like it but I think that it will tame Aaron's adventurous side in his attempts to keep up with brother. I look forward to learning new ways to lead and guide my children.

Finally I must brag on my oldest son. And also thank the Lord for his Sabbath school teachers. We had taken Tina to the vet and in his office the vet has a Noah's Ark border. The vet asked Andrew if he knew what this was. Andrew told him that God told Noah to take two of every animal into the ark. I then prompted what happened next - Andrew responded it rained and God said he wouldn't flood the earth again. The vet then asked is your husband a preacher and I said no he is just a pharmacist. To every teacher that wonders if your children are listening they are. Keep telling and teaching the stories it is worth the effort.

This was great and it was easy

2010-07-29T11:40:00.000-07:00

This week I have been on a crock pot kick. Monday night's was okay but not great. Tuesday's was a hit. I should say that this recipe is to feed 6 t0 8. It feed my family of four with only enough left to make one more fajita.

Fabulous Fajitas Recipe Taste of Home Recipes:
"Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds beef top sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 large green pepper, julienned
1 large onion, julienned
6 to 8 flour tortillas (8 inches)
Shredded cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream, lettuce and tomatoes, optional

Directions
In a skillet, brown steak in oil over medium heat. Place steak and drippings in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Stir in the lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt, chili powder and red pepper flakes.

Cover and cook on high for 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is almost tender. Add green pepper and onion; cover and cook for 1 hour or until meat and vegetables are tender.

Warm tortillas according to package directions; spoon beef and vegetables down the center of tortillas. Top each with cheese, salsa, sour cream, lettuce and tomatoes if desired. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 263 calories, 10 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 47 mg cholesterol, 415 mg sodium, 23 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 20 g protein"

Camp Joy part 2

2010-07-24T17:24:00.000-07:00

Well I have told you about the staff here is the camp in action. We enjoyed swimming, lessons and activities centered around the the theme of a Knight's Tale. Our theme verse or knight's code was Micah 6:8 and we also had lessons on following our leader and feasting with our Lord. Here we are listening to Ethel Barrett's version of John Bunyan's Holy War. Here's our campers.

Bryan bravely leading games in the hot weather. We and the freezer pops got friendly.

Our Banner for the week.

Crafts

It was a busy and a fun week with lots of tired staff and I think campers too.

Camp 2010

2010-07-20T18:17:00.000-07:00

Camp begins long before it actually happens. After a little time I agreed to direct camp for our Junior/Middler camp. One of the most important things you can do is put together a great staff. I was blessed with a great staff. God puts the right people together to do his work. So here is our staff. I should note I don't have a picture of Pastor Dale or Janet but they made our trips to the swimming pool possible and trust me when it is 90 plus this is very important. Miss Susie who was one of our teacher and group leader and all around encourager.

Bryan the Nubby to the job of being a counselor but a long time camp enthusiast. He did a great job. He was in charge of a work group, recreation and helped in many other ways.

This is the two Amandas. I have had the pleasure of working with Miss Amanda before and she did a great job this year again. She has a gift for working with kids and she has an awesome name.

Miss Peggy was our cook. She put up with our crazy requests and encouraged us to visit the oldest 5 and dime store in America. It happens to be in Harrisonville, WV not far from where we take our kids swimming. No camp happens without the cook.

Finally our camp Pastor Chuck (I worked very hard to remember not to call him Chuckie). He was a great teacher and leader of vespers and music man. He worked hard and put up with all the other assignments I kept giving him and by the end of the week had been dubbed PC3. He is following in the footsteps of PC (Pastor Chuck Graffius) and PC2 (Pastor Chris Mattison).

I was taught by a wise man to put together a good staff and let God use them. And God did use them and me to make a difference in our campers lives. I am just grateful for the opportunity I have had to work with these men and women. I am also grateful for all the men and women who have taught me how to have a camp. I can not name them all but here are a few - Pastor Don Richards - involved in my first camp as 2nd grader. Pastor John Camenga - one of the first I served under as a counselor. My SCSC experiences that included - Pastor David Thorngate and Christina. Pastor Robert and Lana VanHorn. Also working with Marissa VanHorn on her staff. To Mom whose passion for reaching kids for Christ effects how I look at them. Uncle Larry for importance on Bible memory work. I know there are so many I could name but these are a few.

And finally to Grandpa Graffius, it was under him I experienced camp. My understanding of what a camp experience is to be like was shaped by him. I had the joy and pleasure of directing a camp under his guidance and it was a pleasure to learn from one who was and is passionate about camp and God. He taught me to plan for spontaeous moments (like permission to soak the director if you can), to tie all things together to teach - even meals can teach. And finally to teach the word with love and passion. Thank you grandpa for all you have taught me.

Aaron's Birthday continued

2010-07-19T18:06:00.001-07:00

As part of Aaron's birthday festivities we went to Legion Park with Anthony, Sophie, Bradley, Nathan and Philip. The kids played and we had cupcakes and koolaid. Aaron thought this was a great birthday. The older boys with Miss Grace.

The birthday boy.

Sophie deciding what she thought of mulch.

Cupcakes and goodies.

The three boy cousins playing the pipes. When all is said and done. A great birthday.

Aaron's birthday

2010-07-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

I am finally posting some pictures from Aaron's birthday a month later. For his birthday we went and had quality time with papa and Nana before the days big events. Abuela watched Andrew so he was not heart broken. So here is a little random video from that morning.

Also I made a cake using a picture I had seen in Family fun and this is the result. I was quite happy with the result and there was no cutting to make a fancy cake it is just a 13 by 9 inch pan.

Hershey

2010-07-12T18:26:00.001-07:00

I am very slow to post these pictures but here are two from Hershey Park. June 8th we took our teenagers on our yearly trip to an amusement park. They had a good time and Perry and I managed not to get too sick on the rides with Andrew. This is a picture on the free ride at hershey of the chocolate factory which includes a snack size candy bar. Andrew rode twice.

Here's the crew.

The others

2010-06-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

I am blessed to have both family and friends in my boys lives. They spend time with them and introduce them to many things. They also spend time with them and build relationships that cross man generations. I am thankful for this gift and for the patience they show my boys. For the last two years Uncle Gabe has taken Andrew on a canoe trip. This year Gabe's friend Jeff provided a second form of entertainment. Which was a fishing rode. I understand that the hook nearly took Gabe out a couple of times.

I am grateful for the time that Uncle Gabe makes for my boys. He not only gives them gifts but much more than that he gives of himself. Here he is playing checkers.

Andrew is not much of a sitter stiller but he does like to be read to. Here he has ask Papa to read to him.

Here is grandpop teaching the boys to sword fight. He also continues to play tickling machine and give tickle hugs. These hugs are ask for by name.

There are others as well that are not in these picture. They include people like Miss Grace and Aunt Cindy which bring candy and spoil them. They are Abuela that helps them make special father's day cards. They are the teenagers that take the time to give too young boys attention. They are so many. Thanks to the others.

Memories

2010-06-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

Most of us have activities or smells that make us think of childhood. Or an action or event will remind us of the past. One of those memories for me is dad and gardening. My dad loves to garden and I can remember helping to plant flowers or vegetables. I can also saying I would never pick another strawberry or pull another weed and yet I do now and enjoy it for the most part. A couple of these pictures are almost exact replicas of ones that are found in mine and my siblings scrapbook. Well my dad now known as grandpop is passing on his love of all things growing to my children.So here are a passing on of a gift to the next generation.

Have you ever said...

2010-06-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

I have been pondering this post for a while. I was torn as to sharing this story because even though it happened in public it was very personal. But I have decided that it might be useful to others and give a perspective that is not often considered. Now with all that being said let me add one thought before I tell my story. One thing that you read about and learn about in adoption is the child's feeling of loss. Usually it is in reference to what he has lost - birthparents, pictures of early childhood, not looking like his parents, or a cultural heritage. This story is about loss but it is a little different.

As I have mentioned before Andrew is easily frightened with people leaving and wants to know where people are at all times. This fear has reduced but has not completely gone away. He no longer walks down the hall at night to make sure we are there. So we are very careful to tell Andrew what is happening and when it is happening and that we will be back.

With this background let me begin. Have you said to your child when they won't come...If you don't come I am leaving. Maybe you haven't but someone in the mall has or at restaurant has. It is a threat that most parents would not dream of following thru on but is often said. Well we were playing with a friend in the Burger King play area. There were a couple of older boys there with a mom and a dad. Dad says time to go and walks out to the car. Leaving mom to get the boys. Mom begins to tell the boys to come and they refuse. She then makes that famous threat. If you don't come I am leaving. In a flash Andrew is in front of the door telling the mother she can't leave. (At one point in Andrew's life he would have been in tears but this time he is in front of the door). I am sure the mother is thinking this child has lost his mind - I am not leaving my kids I just want them to come. Andrew is thinking You can not leave your children. At this point I tell Andrew to come and repeatedly reassure him with Mom is here and this woman is not going to leave her children. He steps away from the door and I continue the reassurances. The older boys do eventually get off the play area and go with the mother. Afterwards Andrew returned to playing with his brother and Bradley.

So why do I tell this story? Here are a few of reasons.

1. I have always read about a child mourning his loss but Andrew projected it on to these children. He was from my perspective trying to prevent someone else loss. It is not something I have read about so I wanted to share it because there could be another mom who might have the same experience and may be able to handle it better or at least be prepared for it.

2. It shows in a strange way how far Andrew has come in my opinion. I am by no means an expert. He wasn't worried about his loosing his own parents but wanted to protect another. Not so long ago there would have been simply tears and not sure what to do. He had figured out something positive and proactive to do to prevent what to him was a serious problem.

3. I also tell this story to show that for some people what appears to be an idle threat is real. So choose carefully the words that you use when you want them to obey. Don't feed on fears to get what you want. And at least in the eyes of my child this is very real - is what you say real. Can you deliver on your promise or would you even want to?

So if to no other child than mine I am leaving without you is real. But also to my child the words Mom will come back are also real. If my words can be real imagine how much better Jesus' words are in John 14:3 "and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am". God words are trustworthy even when ours are not. If He says he is going He is and if He says he is coming back He will.

An Experiment

2010-06-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

This is the result of a request from my son Andrew. It worked but not perfectly. He asked for cookie eggs so I pulled out a couple metal cookie cutters and dropped the eggs into it. I learned in to process. The hotter the skillet the less running of the eggs. This is the result. I sprayed the cookie cutters the second time and it stuck less but I didn't wait long enough to try to flip it. So it ran instead of staying in place. I would try it again some time.

Helpers

2010-06-02T18:50:00.001-07:00

Aaron and Andrew love to help. I am going to hold these pictures for blackmail when they are teenagers and say they don't want to help. I also wonder if this is considered child labor when they volunteer. Andrew enjoys the DVD called Auto B Good and in the show the car rusts because he doesn't get clean. So to add to his car obsession he now wants to keep the car as clean as possible. He is always asking to go to the car bath (car wash) so this day he asked to wash it himself.

Aaron getting in on the deal.

A quick Recipe

2010-05-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

This was a hit with all my boys and it was easy and quick. It doesn't have a name yet but they were asking for more.

25 uncooked shrimp
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup apricot preserves (I use sugar free)
5 skewers

If your skewers are wooden throw in water to soak. Peel the shrimp and turn on the grill. Mix together soy sauce and preserves. Skewer shrimp and baste one side with sauce. Place on grill and baste other side. Cook approximately 3 minutes and flip. Baste again. Make sure shrimp is white all the way threw. Serves 4 in theory but my boys wanted more.

I served with broccoli and sweet potatoes candied on the stove.

Onward to North Carolina

2010-05-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

From Virginia we headed south to North Carolina and stopped to visit friends in Raleigh. It was enjoyable and allowed the boys a car break after 4 hours. That night we went further west and arrived in Salisbury. We had an enjoyable three days. The weather was warm and the food was good. This is a couple of pictures at the farm. Perry's grandfather plays guitar and a little fiddle and was encouraging the boys. The boys music left a great deal to be desired but a good time was had by all. I was able to watch Uncle Jonathan in a school play, enjoy good eats and visit with family we hadn't seen in a while.

Sophie and Papa's Birthday

2010-05-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

Kim did an amazing job on this party even coming up with a really nice present for Papa. She put together a scrapbook of all the great grand kids even the ones in Germany. She also had Papa cookies made and made both of these cakes. It was great fun. Sophie was quite civilized in her cake eating. She began with a finger and worked her way thru the center.

The boys enjoyed playing in the water. We had told Andrew that he had to wait to get in until we had finished eating and had cake. Andrew's solution - I don't want cake can I get in now. To which we informed him he had to wait till the grown ups ate cake. As you can see we did eventually let them in the water. Wonderful fun on a hot day.

Birthday present opening.

The end to a very nice a day. We were walking back from supper. Both boys up on shoulders they were loving it. It should also be added I have no pictures but Uncle Gabe went swimming that night with boys at the pool. They loved it and slept well.

Cheap Entertainment

2010-05-12T19:01:00.000-07:00

This is a fun video a water ball fight that broke put because mom was encouraging the boys to throw the ball to her. This is the result and Uncle Gabe even got into the action.

Busch Gardens

2010-05-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

Our trip South began a day earlier than planned. We had intended to come down to Virginia Beach late Friday night. But after talking to Mom and Dad we decided to come a day early and go with Sophie and Anthony to Busch Gardens. We took in a show or two. Funky Physics even held the interest of the 2 year olds but I don't know how much physics they learned. They liked the flying objects. Grandpop took all the boys on the sky tram which Andrew had dubbed the airplane. After a while we took the littlest ones home for food and sleep and Grandpop stayed on with Andrew who was definitely still going full speed. I returned with Aaron(Anthony was still sleeping) and here are a few pictures from the return trip. Riding the train with two tired boys. The first thing we had to do when we got back was ride the log in the water(plume ride). Andrew had already ridden it 3 times.

We tried this kiddy ride with Aaron. Andrew had ridden it earlier and liked. Aaron decided that this ride was not for him. Andrew also liked the kiddie roller coaster.
This was more Aaron's speed.

Overall a good time was had by all.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T18:39:00.000-07:00

Today for me was a wonderful a day. It began with the church men making breakfast with made to order eggs along with pancakes, fruit and bacon. It was followed by a lovely card and enjoyable time drawing pictures with my boys. This day was not totally a day of leisure but did involve me getting to go grocery shopping childless. Perry helped me do some major cleaning that was helpful and I was able to do some paperwork. So overall a really nice day.

Tina

2010-05-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

Tina is Mom/Dad and Gabe's dog but when they are out of town Tina joins our family. The boys love her but I am not sure how much Tina loves them. They run her around and around outside and wonder why she wants to stop and rest she is only 9 years old(they tell me that is old in dog years - She has the gray hair to prove it). They also love to cover her in blankets and see if she will walk around. She is very tolerant. The boys on the positive love to fill her water dish and pet her. And Aaron if I let him would even share his food off the spoon. We however frown on this due to sanitation issues. Tina will be leaving us soon and will spend the month recovering but until then she adds to adventure and the fun at our house. We do like having her here unfortunately she can't tell her parents if she liked the babysitter or not.

Reflections

2010-04-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

I thought I would take a moment to count my blessings and also be truthful. This past weekend has been rainy so the boys have been stuck inside so it has been a little more of an adventure.

Truth:
1. Aaron is not perfectly potty trained but I remind myself that he is now telling me he needs to go even if it is not quite soon enough. We have not even attempted nighttime.
2. Aaron does not always sleep through night and can be quite whinny at times. Whinny is often linked to how tired.
3. I wish that everyday was sunny because letting the boys play outside is so much easier than having them in the house.
4. I am not always as patient as I should be and sometimes I want to be quite selfish and have a long extended me time which is not always possible which then makes Mom (me) grumpy.
5. I probably let my boys watch too much TV.
6. I have not mastered the boys talking/fighting while mom is on the phone. (Yes follow thru - I know).
7. Yes my boys do fight and are not always perfect.

Now to counting my blessing
1. I have a husband that is very helpful and patient.
2. I have boys that will eat just about everything
3. Andrew is soaking up learning like a sponge.
4. Andrew asks to pray and at lunch today after telling God about everything that he had done so far - he thanked God for taking care of him when he was good and bad.
5. I have boys who love to give hugs and kiss
6. That m boys are learning to help and volunteered to help me clean this morning and informed me when we work together it is better and faster.
7. Thank God for loving just as I am good and bad
8. I could continue to count my blessings but Andrew's nap time is over.

April 20th

2010-04-27T11:49:00.001-07:00

April 20th was Aaron's Gotcha Day. It is hard to believe that Aaron has been hear 2 years but it is harder to imagine life without him. Aaron came home at 10 months old and changed our lives forever. He is a different cat than his brother but wants to do whatever Andrew does. When Aaron came home Mom and Dad had an Ice Cream Cake from Meadows. It has become a tradition to have an ice cream cake. This year we ate at the Meadows. It was still so frozen that Uncle Jim had to use some serious muscles to get it cut. Note to self let thaw a little before attempting to cut. We just have cake and the boys love helium balloons so that is what we do. Simple but lots of fun.
This years cake had blue icing - can you tell.

Here is to a life more full because of Aaron and a grateful mom who thankful for the gift.

Playing with Bradley

2010-04-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

Bradley is the nephew of Miss Grace and once in a while he comes and spends the weekend out in the country. When he does, the boys enjoy playing with each other. So here are a few pictures from this weekend's adventure. My boys love to go to any park and have dubbed the park by Old Fort Bedford - Snake Park. It runs along a good size stream and they had a wonderful hour throwing rocks and playing with stick. Once again I ponder why I buy my children toys.

Boys and slides are a combination that provide hours of pleasure and heart failure to mothers. The other day my boys were jumping off the back of our slide till mommy saw what was going on. At the park the boys went down on their belly, backwards, forwards and any other way they could come up with. They also came down with all three of them on top of each other.

A good time was had by all.

A tip from a magazine

2010-04-19T18:07:00.000-07:00

When we colored eggs this year I tried something new. This had been suggested by a family magazine that we get and it is to prevent the cracking of the egg while coloring. You slide the hard boiled egg into a whisk and then let go at it. You don't have to worry about it falling off the little wire thing or having to fish it out. The pros were that it did prevent the egg from cracking and it let the boys be more independent with the dying of the eggs.

The cons were that it made the potential for spilling increase as the boys pulled them in and out. The second is you can only do the number of eggs as there were whisks.

I would definitely use them again but understand that it doesn't remove all risk.

Just have to Smile

2010-04-18T17:57:00.000-07:00

Unknown to me, mom had done a lesson yesterday in children's church about how God loves us all and made us different. So yesterday afternoon during nap time Andrew says, why is your hair curly. I am thinking ah this is an easy one - God made it curly. He continues to look at my hair and then ask why do you straighten it. Good question Andrew. Just have to smile.

Later that evening while Perry and I were enjoying a date night. He was playing with his friend Bradley and he touched his hair. Andrew then says your hair is different than mine but that is okay.

It is amazing how much kids process and I think that Andrew had learned the lesson and mommy is now pondering why do I bother to straighten my hair.

I must add a story from my husband that just occurred. As he walk back upstair by Andrew room, Andrew says Is God watching and Perry says yes. Then Andrew says is He in the hallway...how do you answer that. Perry's response God is watching us night and day. Just have to smile.

Pictures

2010-04-12T16:42:00.000-07:00

I have had these pictures for a while but have not posted them. We had Laura Saville take pictures of the boys instead of the traditional Sears/Pennys adventure. It was much easier for us and more fun for the boys. These are only a handful of the wonderful pictures she took. These were taken at the Roaring Spring Dam. She has a website - savillephotography.com

This is so Andrew wanting to see everything and take it in.

I like this black and white picture even more in color. It isn't the traditional family picture but it is amazing.

What boys and even big boys don't like trees.

This is classic Aaron.

Easter

2010-04-07T11:08:00.000-07:00

This delinquent mother failed to take any pictures at Easter but it was still a very nice Easter. Let me say that it has been wonderfully warm the last week and so we have been outside as much as humanly possible. But we enjoyed a nice communion and foot washing service at the church on Good Friday. Followed by a very nice Easter Service Sabbath. It was a good opportunity to reflect on what the Lord has done for us. The boys learned a couple songs for Easter and have been singing them all the time. Easter Service was followed by a fellowship meal which was wonderful and that night we had an Easter dinner/Perry birthday dinner. Perry had to work Easter Sunday and his Birthday. So our Easter dinner was a little unconventional because Perry had requested steaks. So Uncle Jim began to cook away and we all enjoyed the fruits of his labor.

Silly Song

2010-03-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

The boys love singing though they don't always do it on demand but I did record this version of Deep and Wide on a rainy afternoon. Right now Aaron loves the Hokey Pokey, Father Abraham, and The Saints go Marching in to name a few. Andrew likes the CD - The Amazing Book. Think Psalty the Song book. To get the idea.

Trains

2010-03-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes rainy days feel like forever. You don't want to run to the local indoor play area and buy fast food to justify being there. Well this is one rainy day that turned out going quicker than I had feared. The day included playing a couple of games and an afternoon spent in part building and playing with their train track. This is definitely one of Andrew's favorite things and when we added the zoo and barn as stops on the railroad life was grand for everyone.

Ready to be Out

2010-03-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

As you can see, we were so ready to be outside that we didn't wait for the snow to go. We went to park with snow on the ground and the boys ended up having a great time. These pictures are from our back yard. A little muddy but a lot of fun.

This was fun

2010-03-19T04:51:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from a magazine that I get every month. I made it for teenagers that come over every other week. I figured they would eat the chocolate cake and leave the fruit but they surprised me. They ate the fruit and the kitkats. This is is just two round chocolate cakes covered in icing. Then use kitkats to make basket and top with fruit. Then pour melted apricot preserves over the fruit. The boys helped and it was easy. I might try another cake after this experience.

Reflections on a year with Andrew

2010-03-17T11:57:00.001-07:00

It is hard to imagine that a year has come and gone with Andrew. He has changed our lives and made it better than we could have ever imagined. So I thought I would reflect on the changes to our life and to Andrew's in the last year. The first and the most obvious change is that when Andrew came home he knew the ABC song and that was it. I am sure it was scary to only hear sounds that didn't make sense. Now Andrew answers the phone with permission, talks up a storm and loves to count and identify letters. A few weeks ago he asked to make a grocery list. He wrote it on his own with me giving him the sounds it included OJ, yogurt, bananas and hot dogs. Also as we rode to Nebraska and Andrew ask why and how far a million times we played counting games and letter games. It is hard to imagine a year ago there was only the ABC song. He sang before he spoke and now we think about verb tenses and pronouns. Oh how a year changes things.

One thing that most people don't know is that Andrew was deathly afraid of dogs when he came home. So scared that as we would drive down the hill to my parents that he would start crying. To some extent he felt this way about cats but not to the extreme of dogs. So we began what we jokingly called dogie therapy. Thankfully my parents/Gabe's dog is one of the mellowest dogs known to man. So we would put up the baby fences and put Tina in the living room. Aaron loved the dog so we would put Aaron in with Tina and then hold Andrew in the kitchen so he would be safe. With time he progressed to sitting by the fence and then petting and finally spending time in the room with Tina. Now we have the other problem. He thinks all dogs are friendly and should be petted and played with of course. The Lord is good. This was a very serious fear and I do not know if we would have aggressively addressed it if no one in the family had had a dog but they did. Andrew not only had to deal with a new home but face a big fear. Also Aunt Cindi's dogs helped with dogie therapy too.

Andrew introduced cars to our lives. Aaron was pretty neutral in the car department. Aaron liked to be read books and play with animals and musical instruments. Andrew loves anything with wheels and he wants to know how it works. As he learned to talk road signs and directions were some of his first clear communication. Ask grandpop about his back seat driving. In this vein he loves directions and seems to have a gift for maps and understanding them. At least one member of the family won't get lost.

Andrew from the moment he stepped off the plane accepted Aaron as his brother and Aaron didn't feel threatened by the new sibling. Life got louder after Andrew came home. He is a mover not a sitter generally. Andrew loves to play chase and be outside going and going. Great grandpop made his day by allowing him to drive the cart and Mr Bob has taken him on tractor rides. As we speak he and daddy are riding the lawn mower. Aaron is an observer and Andrew is a doer. Aaron is more willing to try new things but Andrew is more willing to meet new people.

Andrew wants to be funny. I don't know if this is from all the Muppets we watch or not. I suspect when he gets a better grasp of the English language we will be listening to lots of jokes.

Andrew loves to play chase and ride his tricycle. He loves hide and seek and any excuse to hit or kick the ball.

I could spend hours telling you of the changes he has brought but most of all he has filled my heart to over flowing again. It was full when Aaron came home and yet it is fuller still now that Andrew is home. God chose him for us and daily I am grateful. I am thankful for foster families that loved him and prepared him to come home. For caregivers in his life. I am grateful that his birth mother made tough decision that has blessed me beyond measure. I love him so much and he is mine. By no means is everyday perfect but Andrew with all that makes him unique is perfect for me. I love you.

Note the picture of Andrew is in traditional Korean attire that was given to him by his foster mom(Korean Oma). It is to be woren on special occassions such as birthdays and the chinese new year.

Valentine's Redone

2010-03-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

It should be noted that my husband a week after Valentines arranged to have a valentines redo. We had a lovely Valentine's breakfast and I was able to go grocery shopping childless. A true pleasure. But I must tell a story on Andrew. I usually take Andrew with me to the grocery store. Well the other week he asked to make his own grocery list. So with my encouragement he wrote all the words on his list it included bananas, hot dogs, orange juice, and yogurt. So when we went to the store Andrew got the things on his list and I got mine. A lot of fun me and him. I am not always this patient but it was enjoyable. Thanks hubby for a nice Valentines redo.

Seaweed

2010-03-14T18:47:00.000-07:00

Seaweed is one of Andrew's favorite snacks from Korea. I am sure that he had others but this is one that his foster mom told us about. With the help of a friend that lives near an international food store we are able to get it. One of things I enjoy is the fact that my boys are exposed to many foods. So I have boys that like Asian food and Latin foods and noodles in all forms. I don't think either of them have met a noodle that don't like. Anyway Aaron has joined the seaweed eating party. The truth is that I don't like it at all but I take my thank you portion and now both boys love it. So this is a seaweed snack.

Yes we are still here

2010-03-13T18:19:00.000-08:00

Yes we are still here we have neither been snowed out or flooded out though this year an attempt was made. We have had a very busy month so I hope to catch you up in the next few days. These pictures are from the last time that Uncle Gabe was in. He brought his snow clothes so he could go sled riding with the boys. Isn't he sweet. The boys loved it; note the favorite position of Aaron. No wonder Gabe was sore after this adventure.

Gabe and Andrew racing. Andrew tells me he went the farthest.

Sled was a little small for Gabe. Thanks again Uncle Gabe.

Valentine's Adventures

2010-02-15T10:54:00.000-08:00

Perry and I had a very memorable Valentine's day (note I didnot say romantic). My husband had thoughtfully arranged for a babysitter for us to have a Valentine's breakfast. Well at the expected time we got a call from the babysitter's husband saying she was stuck in the snow. So off we went to dig her out. We took the long way around and got to her. We(I am using we loosely here - perry and dad did most of the shoveling). By this time there were several more people stuck so we stayed to help them. Then we finally decided to move on out and guess who was now stuck due to the wind blowing the road shut. So another half hour later and a very cold husband we were out with the help of a nice tractor and a fellow named Jim. Needless to say we didnot go out for breakfast. We tried. This was the second time for Perry this week dealing with snow banks. He considering recanting his statement that he likes the snow.

So we stayed in the rest of day. A good day was had but nothing like had been planned. Instead my hubby gave me a couple of hours upstairs to work in peace on sewing projects. Yes, I was thrilled - we now have several knee holed pants made into shorts, shoes fixed and holes repaired.

It should also be noted that my husband kindly turned around my car while the snow was deep so I didn't have to back up. Did I mention I hate to back up in snow. Thanks for the little things. I love them.

Let it Snow

2010-02-09T18:49:00.000-08:00

As I type this we are expecting more snow, but this is the result of the Sabbath Snowstorm. I hope that this picture gives you an idea of how deep it was.

Andrew on top of the dug out driveway.

Andrew on top of the mail box. Yes the snow is up to the bottom of the mailbox.

Let it snow!!!

Hot Chocolate

2010-02-08T18:28:00.001-08:00

This past sabbath we had a snowstorm. We had between 18 and 33 inches. The boys have recently been introduced to hot chocolate. So this sabbath morning we enjoyed a treat of sweet rolls and hot chocolate. This was followed by major digging of snow. Andrew wanted to stay outside all day. The evening before we made Andrew and Aaron's first snowman. They named it Tia. Tia is a young lady that occassionally watches the boys. Andrew then proceeded to run her over. We will have this.