May Happenings!

May is flying by.  Where does the time go?  It seems one day is our anniversary and all of a sudden it is Matt's last day of school already.  Emma is learning more everyday, she survived her MRI and first set of immunizations (and so did I) and is exploring new areas of the house and yard all the time.  She seems to have formed a sweet bond with Mark, loving on him and getting so excited when he gets home from school.  Sometimes she even throws herself into his arms when she is in my arms.  It is nice to have a 'back up' set of arms when I need to do something else.  

Emma is learning some sign language...her favorite is MORE!

 Emma loves to be outside and is learning quickly that she wants to join the others when they go out.

Emma had to have an MRI of her spine, which meant general anesthesia.  They gave her some oral sedation first so she was getting all sleepy when they came and took her from me.  Her crying as they carried her away was both wonderful and heart breaking.  Loved that she wanted her Mommy and hated that she was being carried away and was scared.  

Thankfully, they brought me to her before she woke up.  Sleepy Tiger!

The nerve of some people...giving my girl blue bandaging!  :)

Helping Mom at the sink.

Big Brother time is the best!

She loves anything with her reflection in it...and no there aren't any clean mirrors or windows in my house at this point!

Conquering the stairway!  Wahoo!  Going up but not down so far..which is progress since last month if I put her down at the bottom of the stairs she would wail.  

Cutie pie is smiling more and more!

And of course there are some of 'those' days!  

Emma is saying "nice hair, Mom!"

Sorry for the picture overload...trying to keep up on things before I forget.  It seems an impossible feet to get the pictures printed out for the picture books...so this is a close second, right?  :)   And yes, the other kids are still all here, busy and growing...more on them soon.  Beth is all but impossible to capture of film these days, talking up a storm and causing lots of bed time turmoil.  Ashley is planning out her June 6th Birthday down to the tiniest details..to say she is excited would be a drop in the bucket, a very large bucket.  Matt is finishing kindergarten today...what?!?  Mark is growing like a weed and will soon be through with 4th grade. Never a dull moment!

14 years!

So blessed to be married to my best friend for 14 years today!  I don't know where the time has gone and although we both have changed over the years since these photos were taken...we are still as committed and in love as we were at that May Day wedding.  Whoever doesn't believe marriage gets better as the years go by...either isn't married or doesn't work very hard at it!  I am so thankful for a growing and thriving marriage to the best man God could have ever created for me!  He has been a student of me these 14 years and it blows my mind frequently how he just 'gets me' and uses that knowledge to push me, encourage me, build me up, help me, soften lifes blows for me, complete me!  I think we have experienced a lot in the last 14 years together and I can't wait to see what Jesus has in store for us to learn in the next 14 years!  Enjoy the pictures! 

 

Our engagment pictures...I remember we went shopping together and picked out all our outfits.  It makes me laugh to think Justin was the better shopper....a role we have definitely flipped since then!

 

 

 

We were married at Onecho Bible Church on May Day..it was a typical windy spring day on the Palouse.

 

 

It is fun to look back at how the years have brought change in the lives of these people.  Our flower girl will be a senior in college next fall.  The ring bearer, Justin's cousin, plays baseball for Gonzaga.  Little cute Shelby is all grown up, married, and still as sweet and involved in our lives.  Rachel is still the devoted sister, married and has two baby girls of her own.  JB and Jen have been married longer than us and are raising their son, Dustin.  The rest of our friends have gone on to marry or pursue the paths that God has set before them.  Such a blessing to have family and friends come along side us over the years!

 

Oh to have those fresh, unaged hands again! :)  I really appreciate this picture because Justin now has to wear his ring on his pinky, due to an accident involving his ring and ring finger. 

 

One of my favorite candid shots...you've never seen two happier people!!

Many Faces of Emma!

 

 Oh! the depth of those beautiful dark brown eyes!

Fun-loving cutie! 

 

 

 Emma loves to hang out under her blanket.  She is being silly here...when she gets really excited that eye crosses!  Goofy girl!

Being silly again! 

 

Getting tired!

Emma is getting so good at pulling up and has discovered the railing on the stairway!  Yay!

 

None of the other kids ever fell asleep in the high chair...but Emma is really good at it!

Smiles....

 

and also some tears at times, with the biggest pouty lip you've ever seen!



Still figuring out what to do when the camera is in her face, but I think she is doing pretty good!

 

My Handsome Scholar!

 

We're so proud of Mark!  His fourth grade class all received medals today for academic excellence on their third grade MSP testing!  Good incentive to strive for more excellence this May as they retake it for 4th grade! 

Although Mark is very scholarly, already asking for help on math I don't get, we couldn't be more proud of the excellent young man he is.  It is easy to be biased since he is our child, but even others can tell stories of his kind hearted actions, responsibility, and maturity.  At times I wish he wasn't so grown up already, but I am so proud to be his Momma and can't wait to see what the Lord has planned for Mark's future! 

Thankful in the hard!

This is hard.  Wow!   I have spent the last few moments scouring the list of adoption blogs I have bookmarked...looking for a shred of evidence that other families have had super tough days.  I haven't found any.  For the most part, not a one.  There are all kinds of beautiful pictures, cute anecdotes, epic stories...but no nitty-gritty, nail-biting, fear-inducing, heart-wrenching, terrible-no-good-very-bad-day stories.  Am I the only one?  I must be...right?  Surely not.  Is it that we don't want to remember the bad stuff?  Don't want anyone to see our weaknesses?  I don't know.  What I do know...is that life isn't bad, my kid isn't hopeless, I am not a failure...but life is hard.  I breathe in the happy moments but sometimes on the exhale, I choke the tears back (or let them fall) at the tense, unhappy, uncomfortable, I-don't-know-what-to-do moments.  It has been a month today since we got home from China.  I need to stop and remember what has happened in the span of a month.  How far we've come, how far I've come, how far Emma has come...far...far...far!  There is so much progress..but the progress is in the miniscule details that are hard to see when she is screaming for hours on end, when there isn't an end to her peculiar behaviors, when the other kids just need one more thing and one more reminder and one more reprimand, when the breakfast dishes are still sitting and it is time to start lunch.  I don't know what the Lord has planned for me, maybe these struggles are more about me than they are about Emma, but what I do know is I have a future and a hope.  That what He has started He will see through and it will be good, that it is good!  That He is here with me in my mothering and He never leaves me.  That He forgives when I ask. That He redeems and His mercies are new every morning.  Phew..I need all that and more.  I have been reading a book about thankfulness and how I forget that God is here even now in this difficult day and thanking Him and finding the reasons to be thankful gives me clearer vision to approach the day with joy rather than dread.  If God isn't in the details of my day, who is?  I shudder to think.  If the challenges aren't ways to teach me...then what are they?  So I want to choose thankfulness.  Thankfulness for the big and obvious things...but also for the miniscule, easily looked over things too.   And even, gulp, thankfulness for the hard moments, struggles, and endless energy it takes to love a little one into our family.  Because as I empty myself out, that is when He fills me up.  Thankful.  Yes.  Thank you Jesus! 

Easter 2013

 

We had a beautiful Easter Sunday!  It was a great day of worship, fellowship, food, fun, and outdoors!   I took dozens of pictures but have spent several days trying to upload with no success..I guess I am not meant to have a blog with pictures.  Suffering from speedy internet envy over here in the country-side!  But here is one to document the day!

So thankful that we serve the Risen Lord! 

One Month!

It is so hard for me to believe we have had Emma in our arms for a whole month!  Where does the time go?  The month passed in a blur...there have been a lot of changes and adjustments for all of us in the last month.  By far, Emma has had the most drastic changes and the most dramatic progress!  I can't believe the stone faced little girl from last month, that was handed to me in a crowded and noisy room, is the same girl.  It hasn't all been perfect, in fact, just this week I really struggled finding peace in the midst of all the unknowns and unfamiliar territory.  This is hard!  But with the hard comes so much joy!  We are forever thankful for the way God has equipped us each day to handle what comes up.  Emma is an intricate puzzle.  Justin and I are struggling with some of the same pieces over and over and over...other pieces have just flown together and are stuck like glue to each other.  We are still getting to know our girl, getting to know her likes and dislikes, her body language, her fears, what makes her happy, her personality, how she prefers things, the way she plays, her use of language, all those things that became apparent slowly over time with the other kids.  Here are a few things about Emma.

She smiles when she hears her Daddy speak when he comes in the door at night.

She touches everything new to her face or forehead.

She could barely crawl a month ago, but is crawling and exploring the whole upstairs now.

She can pull herself to standing and scoot along the coffee table, couch, tub, etc.

She is slowly learning to like cold food and drink, sort of.

She loves texture, puts her face flat on the carpet to feel it and also likes to pull up carpet and eat it...not my favorite trick!

She is sweet natured...always offering her forehead as a love.

She is learning to take and give a kiss on the lips.

She loves, loves, loves bath time...in fact, it is at least a 45 minute event. 

She is still passionate about her bottle, but is slowly realizing it will come again, so it isn't worth freaking out about and chewing on for a long time afterwards.

She is getting very comfortable with her siblings, wanting to join in on the shenanigans, but not sure how...so she just crawls up and gets close.

She can sign for more food...still working on the 'all done' sign...it is a work in progress

She came to us not accepting a spoon or knowing how to chew...now she can definitely chew, takes a spoon, and is almost cleaning it with her lips now instead of her teeth.

She is comfortable and feels secure to explore the entire upstairs of our house, not too sure about what happens in the basement yet.

She desires a tidy high chair tray, so everything she can reach goes to the floor!  Also not my favorite trick!

She enjoys car rides and feels secure in her car seat, falls asleep everytime we leave the house for town.

So many things about her are still emerging and this list could go on and on.  It is fun to see her silly little personality rears its head once in a while as she lets down her guard and learns to be a child.  I am so blessed and thankful for the challenges and joys that each day brings!  Can't wait to see the progress another month brings!