Field Trip to the Frontier

Last week, we took a few days to drive to the Shenandoah River Valley to see The Boss's parents. The Boss and Baby BlueEyes were planning to help Grandpa clear some brush and cut some trees into firewood. The girls and I had big plans to read, watch movies and do our nails.

However, knowing that those three sedentary activities would NEVER occupy Mei Mei long enough to actually be relaxing for anyone, I reached out to one of my adoption groups to see if any of my on-line friends would be interested in a meet-up. It took a little back and forth but finally, my friend and I settled on the Frontier Culture Museum of VA.  I'm not being paid to say this, but GUYS! If you are ever in the vicinity of Staunton VA (just south of Harrisonburg), get yourselves there for a day. It will take a full day and you should wear good walking shoes and bring a good amount of water. But it is SO worth the admission fee and the effort. What a BEAUTIFULLY maintained and managed piece of living history this place was.

The museum traces the history of the three or four main people groups that left their Old World to make a life in the Americas. Beginning in the 1600's with the enslavement of West Africans and moving through the English, the Irish, and the Germans, each exhibit is a real, working depiction of that slice of history. MANY of the structures across of the huge "campus" (for lack of a better word) are original to the region that they depict, having been disassembled and shipped to the site. There were interpretive historians on site to weave stories and give us a glimpse of daily life at each major exhibit (except the West African site. That kid was a little bit of a dud. :) ). There were animals roaming in the pastures and ducks and geese in the paths squawking for our attention (which BBE happily gave. In spades! Oh my word.) We were all completely captivated.

Here's just a few pictures of our great day. Sadly, I didn't get any pictures of the West African exhibit. It was super dark in the huts. Plus the younger kids were a little unsure of themselves in the new setting with new people. Plus plus, my new friend and I were talking our faces off getting to know each other while the kids explored. Most of the photo credits go to LadyBug.

The 1600's English farmhouse was the second exhibit on the walking path.

The dining room, work room and family room all in this one space.

This beautiful side board is an original piece.

From the 1600's!

Yes, I was drooling. It was full of lovely earthenware dishes

and cookware. More drool.

The kitchen was quite small and off the main living space, behind the stairs.

It was quite drab compared to the adjoining rooms.

The front of the 1700's Northern Irish farmhouse.

It's an original home structure, from Ulster.

The side building attached there on the right is the Weaving Room.

Each family had to produce a regular quota of cloth to pay their rent to the English landlords. 

This sheep was fantastically large.

And sat in the shade of the pasture like a dog.

Here's my gang with our super-fun travel mates!

The 1700's German farmhouse had many pieces of lovely furniture

with hand painted finishes. Quite familiar to this PA history buff :)

 This trunk was huge and very intricately painted with

a faux wood grain finish, very typical of that era.

This is the 1820's farm that is mostly still the original structure.

It's typical of the farms in the post-Revolutionary era in this

part of Virginia and surrounding colonies.

Just a few of the HUUUUGE sunflowers

in the garden of the first farm house.

The gardens of this log cabin were fantastic!

This is a farm typical of Virginia in the 1850's .

It was a massive home, with several outbuildings

and barns to support the family. 

The two little peanuts that are responsible for

this field trip so the Mommas could take the friendship

from on-line support to real-life relationship.

I love what the adoption community has added to our lives!

A great day was had by all and we came away with a lot of great memories and some wonderful insight into the rich history of Virginia spanning several hundred years. Really, if you are in the vicinity, you MUST go! And take lots of pictures. I'll bet it is simply breathtaking in the fall with all the colors changing.

Wordless Wednesday

Three years ago this week,

THIS was the sight that greeted me

when I opened my email before heading

off on our annual vacation.

I know, can you STAND it?!

And now....

Holding her (instead of a couple of pictures!)

in my arms still doesn't get old!

For more Wordless Wednesday fun,

head over to  5 Minutes for Moms and link up.

Sunday Snapshot

Better late than never!

We are so blessed to have just returned from 4-5 days at my parents' cabin in upstate NY. We relaxed, ate really well, and the older four kids got to enjoy a fishing trip or two with Grandpa. It's a special time for all of them, building memories together and sharing something that Grandpa got to share with his dad when he was young. Sometimes on this very same lake. Li'l Empress was disappointed that she couldn't help "Poppa" drive the boat this time around, but I have no doubt she'll be right by his side next year, talking his ear off and reveling in all the "big kid fun" that her sibs have enjoyed for many years now.

Shaggy obviously had a different agenda for

his time on the long-anticipated fishing trip.

I wonder if my brother passed on the "napping" mantle

to the next generation sometime this summer! 

 The victorious fishermen with their prize catch!

He's a large-mouth lake bass.

He was yummy.

Riding shotgun and classing up the joint

with her beautiful smile.

If you want to hang out for Sunday Snapshot,

open through Monday night for slackers like me,

head over here and link up!

Wordless Wednesday

All that Labor Day fun
was really hard work!

For more Wordless Wednesday fun,
head to 5 Minutes for Mom.

Confronting the Ugliness

Last month, I stood in line with my family at a check out, in front of a middle-aged dad. We were in a W*lM*rt in upstate NY, en route to our vacation at the lake. Just the big happy Gang of us, hanging out and stretching our legs while we snagged some groceries for the week. He was accompanied by his young teen son and his elementary-aged daughter. We were all just kind of perusing the tabloid headlines, as we waited for our turn to be checked out.

With a sneer and a grumble, the dad said (and I'm likely paraphrasing here - it was a month ago), "Yeah, that J%n oughtta get his own show and call it J%n's Great New Life, since he finally got smart and got rid of that b**ch, K@t&." He and his teen son laughed at their own wittiness and mumbled something about how horrible it must be to live with a "br0@d like her. . . "

Now, I've been silent thus far here on the blog regarding the whole TLC show debacle. Not because I don't have an opinion. Or a conviction. Come on, you all know me way better than that. You KNOW I've got opinions. I've just chosen to stay silent. To me, it's a much, much bigger issue than I think any blog post or even series of posts could do justice in addressing. And frankly, no matter my opinion, most of it isn't any of my business.

But this guy?! With a mouth like that, in front of his kids AND mine? And a short-sighted, evil, mean-spirited opinion like that?! Yeah, I wasn't silent. I was incensed. I took a deep breath and turned around. I looked both of them directly in the eyes and said, (again, I'm paraphrasing!) "Yeah, except that by chasing his great new life, he's left 8 kids virtually fatherless and that's just pathetic."

My kids and my hubby were surprised at how I addressed it. And frankly, so was I. It just kinda spilled out. Like I said, regardless of how I feel about the whole story, this interchange was just a symptom to me of how ugly we've allowed our culture to become.

Rejoicing over a broken family?
Reveling in another man's freedom
from his "b*#ch" of a wife?
Disregarding the damage inflicted
on the precious little hearts of those 8 kids?

Honestly, I was just so appalled that he would voice those sentiments. And that he would speak like that IN. FRONT. OF. HIS. KIDS. AND. MINE. And I'm so deeply saddened for the two kids, that they are being (intentionally or unintentionally) trained to disrespect the opposite sex, to disregard the institute of marriage, and to mock others' misfortune.

And don't even get me started on his manners, to even be discussing such an issue in his crude way, in front of the whole check out line at the local W*lM*rt.

I spoke up that day. I couldn't take the ugliness for another second. And I hope I'm that brave to confront it again if I come across it. In my own town. At my own store. Closer to home.

More Vacation Pics

An intense game of checkers

An even more intense game of chess

Sleeping in the shade

Soooo NOT sleeping in the shade!

Never too grown up for a kiddie pool

Best $10 Grandma ever spent!
(for the pool, not the baby!)

Wordless Wednesday

A day at the Corning Museum of Glass with The Gang, in pictures:

Very large, very pretty bowl of glass fruit

Very happy Gang, standing next to
very large bowl of glass fruit
(Note Baby Blue Eyes' & Li'l Empress' expressions!)

Very tired Li'l Empress,
pulling at stroller straps mumbling,
"Buck, Buck, Buck!" (buckle) over and over
like a little old woman with her rosary beads.

Very frustrated Li'l Empress giving up
(temporarily!) the struggle with the "buck."
See the resignation?!



We can laugh about this progression of events now,
but in the crowded pre-lunch hour of this
part of our day at the museum,
we. were. NOT. laughing.

For more Wordless Wednesday fun,
that might actually truly be wordless :),
head over to 5 Minutes for Mom.

My Vacation Musings

Today is the last day of our vacation. Our time away was refreshing and relaxing. We had lots of naps, reading, playing checkers, listening to music, and enjoying each other's company. We also went here on my birthday to escape the rain that follows us to the lake every. single. year. And of course, we had food. Lots of yummy, savory treats that we rarely allow ourselves to keep in the house year round. Cheetos, lamb fillets, THREE different kinds of ice cream, extra-butter microwave popcorn, you get the picture!

We arrived home from our time at the lake late last evening, after almost 7 hours in the car. With a crabby, over-tired toddler who is in a screaming stage. Yeah, fun times were had by all! So we spent our Monday on re-entry. Armed with my cozy jammies and a never-ending mug of coffee, I tackled emails, snail mail, laundry, and re-training of said toddler.

I'm sharing with you a list of the things I thought about while lounging on the deck watching the clouds drift by the cabin. Things that I wonder when I'm allowing my mind to drift. Feel free to answer any of the questions I pose. Feel free to share your own musings. Just don't laugh at the strange way my mind works when I'm busy relaxing. It's not always pretty, but it amuses me. And that's all that counts!

• Why don't calories ever take a vacation? They certainly work hard enough.
• Are you a vacationer who prefers total isolation from the world in which you live?
• Is Internet connection slower at the lake because it's already learned the value of a gentler pace of life?
• When vacation is over, do you prefer to live it up till the very end and cram all your stuff into your suitcase at the last possible moment?
• OR do you begin your departure plans the night before, organizing your suitcases for maximum consolidation and efficiency? I think we all know where I stand on this one.
• Is chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting just intrinsically better when your mommy makes it for you?
• How relaxed am I really if I'm seriously contemplating how relaxed I am or not?
• Are our local retailers' tv ads as corny and ridiculous as this lake community's ads? How do we stand it?
• Do the fish know my kids are coming for them and spread the word about the best hiding places in the lake? Seriously, not one. stinkin'. fish. Not ONE.
  
• Just how much time on this lounge chair is considered too much? Does the same measure apply to the couch? To the hot tub?
  
• Exactly where did Jimmy Hoffa go?

There you have it. Just some of the random things I thought about when planting my tushie on the deck to enjoy the fresh Finger Lakes air. I make no apologies for it.

Taking Some Time Off

It's that time of year again.
The Gang is heading to picturesque Keuka Lake
for a time of refreshment, peace, and family bonding.
I'll see ya on the flip side, y'all!

Dodged a Bullet!

Wow. I have been such a bad W*!ght W@tch*r these last two weeks. I haven't journaled my foods. I haven't exercised. I missed last week's weigh-in while we were away. I've hardly had any water (I've been surviving on coffee and iced tea and diet Wild Ch*rry P*ps!). I even ate regular ice cream. Often. With real peanut butter and nuts in it. :)

I was soooooo dreading the return to regular meetings and weigh-ins. But I bit back my apprehension and went. I knew I had to muster the courage and abandon the pride to step on that scale. I was truly sweating it as I stood in line for my turn.

I only gained 1/2 a pound. Whew.

I think I dodged a major bullet. And I'm back to all my healthy W*!ght W@tch*rs' habits. Starting now.

Bracing for Re-Entry

Well, we made it home from our long weekend away. A good time was had by all. We got the extra treat of stopping at my BFF's house for lunch and a few hours of catching up. It's wonderful that they live at the half-way mark between Grandma and Grandpa's home on the mountain and The Gang's home. A wonderful get-away. The remainder of The Boss's vacation week is being spent in a "stay-cation" here at The Gang's place.

I find myself struggling today with the re-entry. Does anyone else experience this? Often, when we actually take the time off for a nice, long visit away from home, I return recharged and refreshed. Ready to jump in to our "regularly scheduled programming" with both feet. Rarin' to go. Like I can take on the world. You know, all those old cliches. (Boy, that was a lot of cliches, too!)

This time, I'm feeling prickly and frustrated. Overwhelmed by the laundry. The grocery list-making. The bulletin to be written. The kids squabbling (Comfy, is it contagious? Is it a virus going around the country?!) incessantly. That darned W*ight W#tchers program waiting to be resumed. The book I started and can't get back to yet. The grocery shopping that has to follow the list-making. Meal planning for 14 people for the holiday weekend. All thoughts of preparing dinner for my family tonight COMPLETELY slipped from my head. What kind of mother forgets that she has to feed her family?!

I'm overtired, for sure. One of the fun things about being at the mountain house is the absence of clock-watching. I stay up too late and get up too late. The days get skewed. I'll have to work on that after the weekend. Our awesome friends from VA Beach (who also have 5 kids!) are driving in tomorrow for a rather spontaneous weekend together. I canNOT wait to see them, to introduce Li'l Empress, and to talk long and late into the night with them. I can't WAIT!

So, tonite? The Boss is making breakfast for dinner. Homefries and eggs. The grocery list is started. The house is mostly clean, except for the floors that must be mopped. And the toilets that must be scrubbed. And I'm going to finish that list and curl up with that book and read till I drop over asleep. I have a raging head-ache and am still feeling prickly and frustrated.

Re-entry is a process and I musn't rush it. I'm pacing myself back into real life.

Which is perfectly okay, since The Boss is technically on vacation until Monday morning. Right?!

Adios, Amigos!

We're heading out for a long weekend with The Boss's folks this morning. I don't know if I'll be blogging much, or just catching up on some reading. The menfolk are heading out for a couple days of tent camping, so we ladies will indulge in lunches out, shopping and maybe even some girly movies. A nice easy pace in a lovely, lush mountain setting. I've got my books packed, LadyBug stashed her nail polishes in the suitcase and Li'l Empress is wandering around the house totally stressed at the chaotic busy-ness that is how we pack! She likely doesn't remember much of her last trip to Grandma and Grandpa Gang's house, as it was in December. But she'll love the play time with the doggie and the big open living room to run and play with big sis.

Here's some fun pics of our first "real day" of summer vacation. By that I mean, it was the first day that we all got to enjoy a normal morning of chores followed by an afternoon of playing in the pool. Li'l Empress got her first real swim time with the sibs and her cousins. The video is of her blowing bubbles with Dr. D. Enjoy and we'll see ya around . . .

Last Day of School!

That's it. We're done. The summer can officially begin.
Even with the clouds, fog, and
barely 70 degree chill in the air.
Let the good times roll!

All morning long, I practiced a "Last Day" hurrah
with Li'l Empress.
Big cheer with hand motions and everything.
However, once the kids actually walked in the door
and the camera was rolling, I got nothin'.
Nothin', I tell ya! Which, ironically the kids found hilarious.
That'll teach me.

And I hope that's the last lesson we all have
for the next few (10) weeks.
:)

Winter Vacation, Interrupted

This past weekend, we had a Friday/Monday combination of days off from school. We had planned to head to visit some old friends for a four-day winter break, but viruses interrupted those plans. So we hunkered down at home and made some alternate plans. The kids were deeply disappointed, however. No alternate plans could fix that. We allowed them to be frustrated and sad for a bit, but worked at redeeming the time with some other distractions.

So, Friday night we made a spontaneous taco dinner party. The kids and The Boss all took turns with the Wii and everyone went to bed way too late. Saturday, we treated the kids to a Valentine lunch at "Cheeburger Cheeburger." True to all the hype we'd heard from friends, their burgers were yummy and the shakes were amazing! Li'l Empress was quite moody for the first half hour we were there, but settled in nicely and enjoyed her diced turkey and the occasional french fry and squished grape. I wish I'd have thought to bring my camera - the delight in her eyes when I let her try my shake was truly a "Kod*k" moment. Her little eyes got big, her eyebrows shot up and she pronounced it amazing with a hearty, "MMMMMMMMMMM!" while trying to swallow and take in more all at the same time!

After a not-so quick stop at H*me Dep*t (nothing is fast with 5 kids in tow!) for paint and supplies, we came home and The Boss and the boys patched walls and moved furniture for the Living Room Re-Do. Since Li'l Empress had a seriously abbreviated nap in the car, we managed to get all the kids to their rooms and the little ones off to dreamland early after exchanging inexpensive little gifts The Boss and I had scored on a quick trip out during nap time on Friday.

The Boss and I celebrated Valentine's Day with a little finger foods feast I assembled and watched an episode of ER that I'd DVR'd a while back. It was too late to start a movie, and it's a good thing we didn't pay for one. The Boss fell asleep by 10:10 on the couch. I followed suit a good bit later and we both woke around 11:45 with stiff necks and cold feet.

Sunday was spent with more patching and sanding by the menfolk. The Boss and I have a system down pat now for home improvement projects. I do the design and decor planning. He does the physical labor. I do the baking and cooking of yummy meals and snacks that will keep his gas tank full and happy. I used to help with painting, but apparently I'm not quite meticulous enough for his standards. And, in true introvert form, he really likes to work alone in the space. He can even work for hours in said space with NO MUSIC. Whatever! So I whipped up a batch of chocolate chip cookies after lunch. After dinner, I chopped and diced and simmered a yummy soup for Monday.

The ceiling got prepped and painted on Monday. It's undoubtedly the worst part of any home improvement project, what with all the craning and stretching and straining. But it's already made a dramatic difference in the light and bright of the room. Enough of a difference that I'm wondering if the previous owners EVER painted the ceiling in the 30 years they lived here? I can't think about that too long, it's just gross to think that they never cleaned or refreshed the paint there. Ugh.

So, the first coat of green is up already and I'm chomping at the bit to dig out the boxes of prints, framed pictures of The Gang, and other decor I've had in storage for the past 4 years. I can't wait to take out my curtains and wash and iron them. I'm actually excited about shopping for thermal blinds for the huge window and picking curtain rods. And I'm currently hatching a plan to re-do the outdated brass lamps we've been using. I think I see some sandpaper and faux finish in their future! But shhhh, don't tell The Boss. That's another one of those "menfolk" projects that he has declared requires a meticulous touch. Which I apparently don't have. Humph!

I Was Wrong

Okay, I know that I left you all with the impression that the updates and surprise pictures were the best birthday gift ever. But I was wrong. By some miraculous move of the hand of God (and I am totally NOT exaggerating in the least - my fellow adopting moms will vouch for me!) we got even better news on Friday, August 1st. I called in to check my voicemails from the car, while The Boss and I drove in to town. I was heading to a work out at the local Curves (are you so impressed that I worked out ON VACATION?!) while The Boss shopped around for fresh corn to add to our dinner feast.

This was the only voicemail I had: "Tracy, this is Ashley from Living Hope. Happy Birthday. I hope you are having a great time away with your family. When you get this message, I need you to call the office, it's urgent that we speak with you as soon as possible."

Now, given the nature of the urgent phone calls that have passed between me and our agency, I'm sure you will understand when I tell you that for a brief second, my heart dropped. Well, to be truthful, it almost stopped. I gulped and dialed back to LH as quickly as I could, while hitting The Boss in the arm, telling him that it was urgent. Urgent, I tell you!

The receptionist was so excited to hear my name when I announced who I was and who I needed to speak with. But it seems Miss Ashley was out on an appointment and wanted to share this news herself. I begged her to tell me first if it was good urgent or bad urgent. She smiled (I could hear it!) and said since Ashley would be out for the rest of the morning, she guessed she'd better tell me. I mean, after all, we're only in town to get a cell signal for a short period of time, right?! Yes, yes, tell me!

So, as much as Ashley wanted to be the one to scream and rejoice with us over this news, the wonderful, sweet receptionist said the sweetest four words in the adoptive family's dictionary:

"We got your LOA!"

Yes, our Letter of Approval. This is THE official document that signifies the CCAA's specific approval of The Gang to adopt little WBN, (known here as Aidan!). It was at that very moment sitting on Miss Ashley's desk. In Pennsylvania. In the United States. Waiting for our signature. Waiting for a return trip to China, to trigger the Travel Approval process for The Boss and I to wing our way to our daughter.

And even more amazing, this beautiful official document arrived at Living Hope on July 31st. My 40th birthday. I cried. I laughed. Oh, my Jesus. He knows just what I need.

See, what I didn't tell ANYONE, at all, ever in this whole process, is that when we submitted our Letter of Intent (LOI, the document to signify to the CCAA that we wanted to be specifically matched to WBN), I just happened to mention to my sweet Jesus that it would be an amazing birthday present to get our LOA for my birthday. I knew it was not realistically likely, as most LOA's don't follow LOI quite that quickly. I mean, we just submitted our LOI on 7/16. Our agency had told us that, with our request to expedite, we'd likely see an LOA in early to mid-August. We received LOA on 7/31. That's 15 days. Two weeks. They were wrong. It's okay, I totally forgive them for it :)

And I was wrong. As great as those precious photos and medical reports are, and believe me, I've hardly stopped staring at her sweet face!, the LOA. On. My. 40th. Birthday. far surpasses anything else I could have received for my birthday. I've never been happier to be wrong in my life!

Favorites Friday

*NOTE: This is a re-post of a post I did last year about our vacation. We are heading out today for a long weekend with my folks and The Norwegians :) We will have 5 days of extremely limited internet and cell service. Right smack in the middle of our wait for an update from the orphanage where our little Aidan is waiting for us. Right smack in the middle of waiting for that all-important paper document called LOA. Ugh. I don't know if I can handle the separation. But I will be strong, and try to bear the five days of lazy sun-bathing and hot-tubbing in the bravest manner possible. I'll try to suffer nobly.

What I will not suffer nobly is the advent of my big 4 - oh. Yes, bloggers, I am turning 40 tomorrow. I will likely spend the next days fending off waves of agony at leaving my 30's - they were so good to me, and fending off waves of despair at having to get used to saying the "f" word in relation to my age. It won't be pretty. But that yummy steak dinner my mom mentioned might just ease the pain. Maybe. . . .

Without further ado or sob stories that will bore you to tears, here is my re-run (with updates for this year in red) of Favorites about family vacation!

We're leaving (today) for our annual vacation with my folks at our family home on Keuka Lake (click here and navigate to the photo gallery page - it's quite a kaleidoscope of scenes of lake life at Keuka!) I've been going there with my family since I was 11 or so, and the whole area has lots of really great memories for me that I enjoy sharing with my kids while we drive. I admit, when I was a teen, I didn't enjoy going there for two whole weeks every summer: being away from my friends for that long felt like the cruelest torture imaginable. But now that my folks own their place and I'm all grown up, with grown-up responsibilities and pressures and deadlines, being there with its easy pace and quiet scenery is like a balm. Today's Favorites are just some of my favorite things about getting away to the lake with my family.

My Favorite Things About Vacation At Keuka Lake:

• The hot tub - doesn't that just say it all?!
• The beautiful sound of water lapping against the sides of boats docked along the waterfront and the little gem reflections of the sun on the water that my eyes catch between the leaves when I'm crashed on a lounge up on the dock
  
• The absence of most technology - I say most because my dad recently splurged on a tv and satellite dish to combat the long, rainy days of fall and spring when he's there alone (Ha! Last year, I loved the absence of cell service and internet. This year, not so much!)
  
• No make-up, no hair stuff, no real clothes - bathing suits, flip flops, sweats and grubby shorts & T-shirts are the order of the day
  
• My birthday with my family - we try to be there over my birthday as many years as we can. Somehow, it eases the agony of the approaching 40's and makes me feel young and carefree again. At least, until Shaggy stands up next to me and speaks in his deepening man-voice! (I'll get back to ya on this one. Not really looking forward to the free flinging of the "f" word that I'll no doubt experience by everyone but The Boss. He knows better, having just suffered the same agony himself last month!)
  

So, bloggy friends, I'll be off enjoying some time with my family for a few days; we'll be home late on Sunday, just in time for me to run laundry and start my new week with mounds of emails and blogs to read! Enjoy your weekend and try to find your own down-time to feel young and rested if you can . . . I sure will be!

Adjusting and Accepting

We've been working at a ridiculous pace since the kids got out of school. Painting rooms, re-organizing rooms, purging extra stuff from rooms, re-purposing furniture, and other nesting related activities. We've been sleeping a lot less, moving a lot faster, and being super-intentional with our "down time" during this summer break. All of these tasks have been generated by a "Master To Do" list that we brain-stormed together in early June. We had The Boss's folks here for a week and thanks to them, that jump start literally catapulted us further ahead of schedule than we dared to dream for. Even now, we feel pretty on top of things, and have enjoyed the summer's hustle bustle.

Along the way, we've had to adjust our wants & needs, to pare down our budget. We are committed to getting these rooms ready without incurring any debt or spending any money we should be saving for other things. Like tickets to China, for example. So imagine my elation when I found a dresser, in fairly good condition, along the side of the road in mid-June. For free! The gentleman getting rid of it even helped me load it into my van and thanked ME for taking it off his hands. When I discovered at home that it would not be strippable or re-stainable, I grumbled. I was tempted to pitch it and "hold out" for a nicer dresser for Baby Blue Eyes. (He's losing his current dresser to Aidan's room, for her changing table. When we thought we were getting a toddler, we didn't need a changing table!) Frankly, I was frustrated at the number of painted pieces of furniture in the house and being cranky about it. I let the project sit for a couple weeks. But the Lord nudged me to get a little creative and be more open-minded. I repented of my selfishness and pride (cuz really, that's what it was!) and started accepting the challenge to get creative.

The older boys sanded the dresser down, primed it and The Boss painted it this week. All with supplies and paint we already had on-hand (read: FREE!). All we needed to buy were the wooden knobs, that are dirt cheap when purchased in big quantities. We used lots of these knobs this summer, for LadyBug's dresser and nightstand, and now for this dresser. This morning, The Boss and I switched out the dressers and spent some time on a mini-redo for BBE. I am so pleased with the end product, and he's tickled RED!

Thank you, Lord for nudging me to adjust my expectations and helping me to accept Your challenge to be frugal and creative again!

We also started the fun parts of turning the guest room into a nursery for Aidan. But you'll have to wait for the reveal of that one - we still have bedding to wash, a crib to set up (yippee!), and curtains to finish off, among other things. . . .

Parties, Painting and Piggies

Well, the fun just never stops around here! Do any of you remember the old Randy Stonehill song, "Stop the World, I Wanna Get Off?" I think that just might be my new personal anthem!

Saturday, we were blessed to host a big family party to celebrate The Boss's big 4-OH and Dr. D's "graduation" from all things elementary. We, of course, being the party crowd that we are, added little Xiao Yun in absentia, to the party purpose. (Yes, I party with purpose!) There was swimming, laughing, crying, tons of food, and great family time. We had asked all the attendees to write a little something that would encourage or call out the godly characters in Dr. D that they've observed, and be prepared to share them with the family. It was a beautiful time of just showering him with affirmation, encouragement and challenges to gird him up for his adolescent years. My brother joked that it was like a Christian Bar Mitzvah, which tickled me cuz that's where we got the idea. We first did it several years ago for Shaggy and I love all the meaningful words that were spoken over my son. It did this Momma's heart good to hear how the others view him as he grows in the Lord.

The Boss didn't know I'd do this, but I also asked everyone (on the spot!) to do something similar for him to honor this milestone birthday. I started off by observing that we've now been together longer than we were apart before meeting in college. I said more, but it was sappy and you guys know I love The Boss. You don't need to read my gushing here :) There were some wonderful, honoring things said over my hubby's life and it was a delight to hear how our families see him and know his heart.

Sunday was a more toned-down celebration of the 'actual day' of The Boss's arrival to our world. The kids silly-stringed him (and each other!) and got him a couple gag gifts, thanks to the creative ingenuity of my sister-in-law Lessons and Life. I think the kids had more fun with the silly string and shock of it all than he did - it was over before he could really process what they'd all just done to him!

Monday was a crazy, insane, out of this world day. I was going to blog about the irritations of paint shopping at our local S*^#s Hardware store, and the frustration of being in and out and in and out all day. I was going to go on and on about the lovely shade of spa-like aqua green that LadyBug chose for her big-girl room redo (to make room for guests when the guest room gets converted to Aidan's room). I was going to share the fun in picking a sweet, little girl-y green for Aidan's room and the joy of getting both rooms painted and trimmed out in one week. I was gonna share all that in glorious colorful detail.

But that all pales in comparison to the finale to the day!

Around 3:45 or 4, when I thought I was finally home to stay and could jump into the PILES of laundry that are taking over my family room, I heard this THUNK and a blood-curdling scream from the basement. The Boss and Dr. D started yelling for me and Baby BlueEyes was scrambling up the stares screaming his little head off. I yelled back for The Boss to tell me what had happened since BBE was screaming and crying too hard to talk. Turns out, Dr. D was changing the weights on his new bench and the 15 lb. disk slipped out of his hands and hit the concrete floor. It bounced and landed on BBE's left big piggie. It immediately turned purple and gray and blue and nasty. (Is that a color?! It is now!) We iced it down and called the doc. They saw him almost immediately and sent us for x-rays. (Don't even tell me how sick I am that I thought to get a pic of this - I know. This blogging is a disease and pictures of all the craziness are just a sad, sad symptom!)

The outpatient radiology department took us right away and poor BBE had to move his foot and have his toes taped out of the way and THEY KEPT TOUCHING HIS TOE. DON'T THEY KNOW THE POOR BOY IS IN PAIN?! Then, they made ME hold his leg down and keep tension on the tape to get a clear pic. ME! I could hardly stand it, making him cry cuz they TOLD ME TO! Anyway, I'm not bitter, anymore.

They sent us home and called later to say that it is indeed broken. A non-displaced fracture and the orthopedist will see us at 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday. Which means I'd better get this posted, get my hair done and get my face on. A full night of regularly interrupted sleep from a crying and moaning BBE will require extra face. And a really big mug of coffee.

See what I mean? The fun just never stops . . .

hot, Hot, HOT!

Here's what's happening in our neck of the woods :)

"Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 10^th, elementary schools will dismiss early due to the continued excessive temperatures and most notably the projected increased humidity and heat index being fore-casted in advance of Tuesday’s thunderstorms."

from our local school district website

Baby Blue Eyes and I are waiting for them to join us in the pool!

Vacation Wrap Up

Yesterday we wrapped up our first ten day vacation in I-can't-remember-when. After a crazy rush of June and July with family, friends, work, church and other activities, it was a welcome change of pace. And boy, did we change pace! Here's a few highlights of the past week and a half:

• Hanging out all day with Don't Stop This Car - the whole carload of 'em!
• 4 days of laying around the family cabin, rotating between lounge chairs, the hot tub and the couch!
• Hanging out at night, talking and laughing with my parents till late, late
  
• Shaggy and Dr. Doolittle's first experiences with tubing behind Grandpa's boat
• LadyBug and Baby Blue Eyes catching so many little fishies off the dock
• Visiting Oak Hill Farms Bulk Foods store (an annual tradition we all have come to love!)
• Lots of sleeping in, cat naps, and reading in between - at the cabin and at home
  
• Working out at Curves in Penn Yan - I still love mine best . . .
• Pizza, swimming and hot tubbing with friends
• Skipping church to hang out together over a late morning pancake breakfast
• Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ - loved the seals! And don't even get me started on the turtles and sharks!
• The Boss puttering around the yard and the pool area - apparently he got a lot of little chores crossed off his "To Do" list

Today, life goes back to "normal" for our summer days. The Boss went to work, the gang all got up and started their weekly jobs and I worked out bright and early. I even dragged my sorry self to Weight Watchers, knowing it wouldn't be good news. But it had to be done. It wasn't good news. This week, I begin re-training the kids to go to bed at a decent hour and get up at a decent hour. And I start looking for ways to hold the coming of fall at bay, making our days slower and longer to squeeze out the last possible ounces of summer as I go! I'm so glad we have one more vacation week planned before the summer sun sets . . . .