A New Look

Bella has a whole new look. We both visited the salon yesterday and she came away looking ultra chic and grown up in her new do. She twirls around for anyone who asks about her hair seems pretty proud of herself. Isn't that how we all want to feel after leaving the salon?

I don't know if we will keep it like this or let it grow long again, but I know one thing. It is darn cute! Here she is, showing off via the world wide web. I didn't have to fight her at all to get her to give me this little pose.

I may have created a monster. A cute, perfectly coiffed little monster.

Sugar and Spice...

This post has been a log time in coming, but it took me over a week to really wrap my head around this whole situation. Secondly, when something like this happens, I tend to find that adequate words fail me. Here’s the scoop:

Last Friday (Aug 28), we got a call from our adoption agency. Sarah, our case worker, told us she had good news. If you read this post, you will understand why I said, “You do not!” She told us we had been chosen by a birthmom and that the baby was due on October 14^th! Wow! We are in complete shock at how quickly this is all unfolding and are so grateful for God’s hand in it all. The average waiting time at our agency is 15 months...15! We waited one. I wish I could tell you about all the ways that God told me that this baby would come in the early fall and then all the subsequent ways that I tried to deny he had said that so that I wouldn't be disappointed. I am such a schmuck and he is so faithful in spite of it.

Our meeting with the agency this last Friday told us that we would be welcoming another precious BABY GIRL and we couldn’t be more excited! Eek! Another sweet girl to buy cutsy things for! I guess we are destined to have a house full of estrogen. Luckily, my husband more than makes up for our lack of testosterone. Hmmm...maybe that’s why he had to take off for a day this weekend and go kill some sweet and innocent doves. Sorry, doves…it’s not your fault.

Some think it is crazy to be ready to have a baby in a month. I have always said that, in adoption, the shorter the time between when you find out about a baby and when you have it, the better. It is God’s mercy on adoptive parents that everything is rushed. Once I know that baby is coming, it’s mine. And, I can’t really explain how hard it is except to say that I miss being with her. It feels like a piece of our family is missing.

We have a lot to do to get ready between now and October, but our hearts are totally ready. Please keep us in your prayers as well as our little girl as God continues to knit her together. Pray, also, for her precious birthmom who is likely going through tremendous pain as she makes this brave decision. We are so grateful for her and for the gift she is entrusting to us. We can not wait to meet our newest baby girl!

In the meantime…check out my sister’s blog. So fun!...so crazy!

Shopping Silliness

Some of my friends and I went on a spur of the moment trip to Colorado Springs last week. We have nine kids all together and so spur of the moment doesn't happen very often. But, we just decided to take them all. All NINE of them, and it was so much fun! I think we all kept waiting for one of the kids to have a major melt down, but they did great and it was nice just to do something different. I love these girls so much...and their kids, too! And I am so thankful for the family God has given me in Canon City.

I think we might of got a little carried away in Old Navy. I'm sure the salespeople thought we were nuts and needed to get out more. As it turns out, that is probably true.

Cute Little Moments With My Girls

The other day, I put Bella down for a nap and then went to join Hope on my bed for some down time. She was laying on my side of the bed and I asked her to scoot over so I could use the table over there. She said, "But, mom, I don't want to lay on daddy's side. It doesn't smell the same as yours." In talking about it, I realized it wasn't that daddy's side smelled bad, it's just that my side has a certain "mom" smell and she liked it.

I immediately had memories of the smell of my mom's side of the bed. I could remember it perfectly and I remember loving the smell of her pillow. I still do. So, I smelled my pillow and guess what? It smells like my mom. Wonder what that smell is? Probably a combination of detergent, make-up, lotion, etc. Whatever it is, I like it. And so does Hope.

Then...

Yesterday, Bella and I were having a little tickle party on the couch. This is the exchange that took place:

A: (somewhat rhetorically) Bella, are you just so sweet?
B: No
A: No? Are you sweet or are you rotten?
B: I'm rockin!

Well said, Bella...well said. :)

They make me smile all the time!

Tea for Two

We officially have a new, back to school tradition. Hope and I had tea yesterday at the lovely Queen Anne's Tea House downtown. We had been talking about it for a while and she was so excited. Hope picked cherry cordial tea (yum) and I had their famously rich Chai. They served a full lunch with it including sandwiches, mini quiche, fruit, deviled eggs, and, for dessert, iced brownies and chocolate covered strawberries. Yum!

When we got there, the owners made such a fuss over us. They told us we could wear some of their fancy hats and their feather boas if we wanted...which, of course, we did! It was so great to just sit there and talk to my big girl about the things that are important to her. And, it was a great opportunity to talk about what this year will be like and how she can be God's light at her school.

And then...we went shopping for school clothes. It's funny. I can remember, as a kid, wondering whether my mom was ever sad that she didn't get a fall shopping spree every year like we did when we were in school. Now I know that she had so much fun just watching us try things on and figuring out what kinds of things we liked and what we didn't. It was such a blast and we got some really cute things.

So, in two more weeks my baby heads off to school and I can hardly believe it's already here. Of course, I am a little sad, but I also know that I can embrace it in full knowledge that every year with Hope has always been sweeter than the one before. It is such a joy to be her mom as every year brings more discoveries about who God created her to be. So, even though I am a little sad, I am also really excited to walk with her into this next phase. She's gonna do great. Man, her teacher is a lucky one. :) Just look at this face.


P.S. Plus, I am sending her there with a rockin' backpack. She picked out the purple, and the accessories and I embroidered her name on it and used a super easy method to make an iron on applique. So fun! I can't take credit for the idea, though. My friend, Yolanda did her daughter's first. Thanks for the inspiration, Yo!