Oh say can you say?

I so enjoy hearing people say things that their kid's have said.

Kids are right down funny.

I think it is so that you can survive those moments that you may think that hamsters are on to something by eating their young before they cause any trouble.

Gross, I know. But I am no saint, and maybe I have thought that once or twice. Maybe.

ANYWAY, the point is, this morning, my youngest son reminded me just how important something is to him.

" Mom, I want my wife to walk down the aisle to the theme of Adventures in Odyssey."

I'm telling you, I cannot WAIT to meet this girl.

And then there was the time when he was 8 or 9, when he was REALLY upset with me for not naming him Phillius Fogg. He thought that was the best name known to mankind. He truly tried to engage me in an argument over this. All I had to say was, "One day son, you will thank me for not naming you Phillius Fogg."

He didn't buy it.

Or hey, how about the time when he found out that if you run 66.8 miles an hour, you can *walk on water* because you will be running so fast, you won't sink. " wOw! Can you imagine if Jesus was alive today?? HE would win every running race!!!"

"Um , well, son..."

" Do I know all my relatives? Because if I don't, can we invite them all over this summer and have a party?"

" So, mom, what will you give me if I finish my school work on time?" WHAT??!!?? duh.

" Mom, how about you pay me to let you cut my hair?" Um how about you sit down and can it before I give you a crew cut and charge you 10 bucks?

" Son, what are you doing? " " Nothing, and can I please finish??"

" Dad, Mom is going to a homeschool curriculum talk, just to find more ways to torture me!!"

"Mom ,can I set up my cot in the room so I can sleep with Chloe & Josiah when they come home to visit?" No. "COME ON, MOM!!"

Not funny but just as real with what I have to deal with with this kid.
When a 25 year old threatened to beat him up ( don't ask); Straightening his 4'10" frame, " Bring it." The 25 year old walk away. :::sigh:::Son...

"Why do I have to get off, I'm a good lander?" " Get off the roof, son."

" Let's play the quiet game and I'll be the judge, so I don't have to be quiet."

" How about when ever one of our pets die, we get two to take their place?" How about NO.

" MOM! I have to get this for my wife!!!" ( It was a t-shirt that said Civil War Nut's Wife) " Son, you are 10."


Yes, there are some good ones out there.

Kids really are great.

crew, piano and church

So, can I say, I love my life.

I DO!

Yeah, sometimes things stink to high heaven, and yes there are times I can wring somebody's neck. It doesn't matter who, any one who is closest to me. And sometimes I cry myself to sleep.

But then I remember all the good things!

And I love my life!

Last weekend we went to Princeton to watch my niece Elizzi ( and Tim, her boyfriend) at her crew meet. Elizzi is going to Harvard. She got in on merit alone. And then the crew coach decided she wanted her. She so will be on the Radcliffe team ( Harvard only has the men's team).

Anyway, I think she is crazy. But I think she will do it and do it ALL well.

I can't believe how much effort and training it takes to do 5 minutes worth of competition. But then you see the Olympics. lol.


Elizzi getting her medal.


And then rowing away. ( she is the on eon the left)


And Tim, getting his medal! Tim is such a good boy. No wonder Elizzi agreed to date him. He is so kind hearted, it all makes sense.



When ever Hoops comes home, he puts his hat on Elly like she is his personal hat rack. She cracks up.




There she is!! Much better!


So, Samuel plays the piano. He begged to do it. It was not my idea. At all. I took classical piano for 10 years against my will. I vowed never to make my kids play the piano.

Then they begged to do it!! Go figure.

Anyway, Elly loves to sit with him, and play. Samuel finally figured out how to practice and still let her sit with him. Priceless.


She is always trying to reach around to play. lol.


And this week at church, it was raining and miserable outside and a particularly long service. So what does a 3 year old do? What we all wish we could do at one point. don't deny it.





Notice the Playdoh on the bottom of she shoe?? She loves playdoh. :)

Don't you hate that??

She was right.

She told me that I would like it. I told her she was crazy, no one likes that.

She told me that I should consider doing it again. I told her I was going to survive it once, and would live off the glory of finishing it, and once was enough for me.

She told me it was addicting. I told her I was not addicted to pain and torture.

She told me the feeling is amazing. I told her don't live off your feelings; they are crazy.

She told me to at least consider the idea of the possibility of doing it again. Not only did I knock that idea down, but I dragged across my living room floor, opened the door, and pitched it out to the street.

She told me not to say never. I told her not in this life time.

She told me most people start at my age. I told her not the smart people.

She told me after you cross the finish line it makes you look to the next starting line. I told her the starting line looks like hell on earth.



Then I did it.

And she was right.

So...

Philly, here I come.

Life is beautiful

Life is beautiful. I keep saying that. Even when I feel hopeless and when I am tired, GOD lets me see just how precious and beautiful it is.

We were at the hospital quite a bit last week.

I have known this man all my American life. I met him the day I came to this great country. I was all of 7 years old. He has been in every part of anything I have ever done. And yet, just about everyone I know has said the same thing. He was that present. His family shared him, and they didn't even feel it. Because his family was first.

The thing is, you kinda felt like part of his family, too. He made you feel that way.

He passed away on Friday. My 11 year old son and my mom were holding his hand as his breathed his last breathe. That, in it of itself is a story. Maybe for another day.

This is the last picture I have of him. It is at my daughter's wedding. Of course he was there. Where else would he be on that 4th of July??


He was Jewish. He was so instrumental in so much of what Israel is today. He ALMOST talked my oldest son to join the Israeli Air Force. lol. And somehow, he would have gotten him in, if Hoops went for it. Never mind that he is not Jewish, or has never set foot in Israel before. That's the kind of guy he was.

Hoops opted for the USAAF. Oh well, he cheered him on in that, too.

He will be missed. Terribly.

Life is beautiful.

Go over to Lori's blog and read about Luke. He is trying to live one! Please pray for him.

And then go over to my beautiful daughter's blog. She has her first give away!! I have yet to have one. That, too, is another story. Maybe for another day. But one of these days I will have one. Just, well, not today.

And so, go out there and live this beautiful life. It is but a breath in time. Don't waste your breaths.

3 Months and counting.

Yesterday, our social worker came to do the 3 month report.

( Okay, this is where I get to pitch small fit. All the China families I am still in contact with don't have to do a 3 month report, only the 6 month and the 1 year...WHY DO WE???) ( But whatever)

Anyway, it amazed me it has already been 3 months.

And then I am amazed it has only been 3 months, I feel like she has been forever. In a good way.

Yes, Samuel and Elly definite have a brother sister relationship. They love each other to pieces, except of course, those times they would like to wring each other's neck. At the same time.


Sometimes I feel like I have already done this. Someplace in the back of my mind, I remember these conversations. Maybe because they happened. 15 years ago. With the older 2.

People sometimes think this is my second marriage. They ask John the same thing, too. Seeing as how maybe I/he had the first 2, got divorced/remarried and then had these 2 with this marriage.

As if.



LOL.

People are funny.


And life is good.

And GOD is great.

A little dose of realness

I was going through the 250 pictures that I took this past weekend in VA.I know, I know, I need a life other then taking pictures.

ANYWAY there is a running theme.

See, I have this beautiful daughter. She is a joy & a delight. And she is also a clown. ( like her daddy) There is a realness to her that people notice right away because she doesn't get the fact that maybe she should always show her good side.

When she was in high school, she went to TX for 10 weeks, 2 summers in a row to be a camp counselor for inner city kids. When the rest of the girls woke up at 6am to get their hair done, pick out the right outfit, do make up and get everything just right, my daughter would roll out of bed with just enough time to wash her face, brush her teeth, grab the closest clean clothes, grab a pop tart (gross) and get to the bus on time. Which was about 15 minutes beginning to end. Combing her hair was a toss up, as if need be she would just put it in a pony tail.

See this behavior did not surprise me in the least. But when I would get the phone calls from her, asking me to explain their behavior, I was at a loss.

How do I explain that she is the odd one, when I like her like her just the way she is??


Here are a few for you to enjoy!!

Look mom! I made this little itty-bitty ice cream sandwiche, and I will also make this face.



Um, honey, that's not how married women sit, that's how your little sister sits.


The guilty "I got caught" look.


Her super if-I-have-to-keep-smiling-this-is-what-it's-going-to-look-like smile.



Yup, I like her just the way she is.

We are SO glad we went to VA for Easter weekend!

The day before Easter, Chloe took us to her law-wive's Easter hunt/breakfast. And when I say us, I mean Jane her mother in law, Leneah, her sister in law, Elly & me.



There she is, our peanut, ready to go on her first Easter egg hunt. Ever!


She, of course, had no idea what was going on. So she decided swinging was funner then waiting for she-doesn't-know-what.


Cracking every egg before she put it in her bucket. She still didn't get it. Until she recognized a chocolate, then she was SO happy.


Still cracking eggs while sister holds her bucket.


She LOVES Leneah.


Everybody wanted to go to the beach. Well, I didn't, but whatever.

It was SO COLD!!! lol. Elly didn't even take her cover up off and if fact kept herself wrapped in a towel the whole time.


Daddy & daughter running a few miles on the beach. He wanted to impress me. It worked.


Josiah was so happy to have his siblings there.


Easter morning. MY babies.


Chloe and Josiah. And here, ladies and gentlemen, is the reason 17 of us packed ourselves in our cars and drove 7+ hours. Like I said, it was worth it! :)


My parents with the granddaughters.


Elly had a great time.


And she even talked Leneah into pushing her around in the stroller.


I like to call this the Redneck picture. Chloe & Josiah took Leneah & Elly for a walk. And Josiah is holding a beer. It is taking some getting used to seeing that, to this Southern Baptist family.


Chloe & her sis in law, Becky. Becky is such a gift. A true blessing. The whole family is, really.


Going on the family egg hunt with my niece, Elizzi.


Still cracking the eggs before putting them in the bucket.


Look Mommy! I finished my chocolate, can I have some more????????



It was a good weekend. I am so thankful to our Lord, that Josiah's family & us get along so well. Yes, 17 of us in one house, and we had the best time.

To tell you the truth, we get together even without Josiah & Chloe around! Yes, we have even been on a double date, Len, Jane & John and me! God has been good to us to give my daughter parents in law who love her.