It was the day before Thanksgiving...

This is Marv.

Samuel got Marv for his 5th birthday from a friend of my older son.  He named him Marv because he LOVED LOVED LOVED Home Alone.

Marv was found on the side of the road, tiny as could be with his brother.  The vet though he was slightly less then 8 weeks old.  The friend kept the brother and gave Marv to our son.   Marv could be found cuddling and purring anytime, anyday, any reason.

One affectionate cat, I tell you.  Even with the dogs.

For the past 5 days, Marv has not been doing well.  So this morning, we took him to the vet.

While at the vet, he had a seizure.  Today, Marv died.  It was his liver.  

I am not a cat person.  Not even in your wildest imagination.  My husband loves cats.   BUT,  I mourn today, because even though I am not a cat person, he was still part of our family.  My husband and Samuel are heartbroken.

We still have 2 other cats at home.

Plus 3 dogs.

And a rabbit.

Then...

This afternoon, I get to drive into the city (last year's picture) then into Queens, to pick up my daughter and son in law from LaGuardia.

Their plane comes in at 5:30pm.  I think I may be home by midnight.  Holiday traffic and all.  :P

And tomorrow, we are out the door early in the morning, for a 5K Turkey Trot.

My idea.  Because I am just chuck full of them.  :P

Did I mention I am sick?

I am.

But Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  Ever.  

So I will put away the griping and start the rejoicing & thankfulness, and remember that I GET TO be a blessing. God is good..

YES!!!

My daughter and son in law will be here in 2 DAYS!!!!

And my sister and her kids will be here in 2 days!!

And my favorite holiday will be here in 3 days!!

And then my favorite mother/daughter activity will be here in 4 days!!

So maybe I should go take a nap.

Catch-up.

So much is going on!!

And I have to think and remember because everything is worth remembering.

First, we got our new daughter's medicals.  I cried.  She is all of 23.5 inches, and weighs 19.5 pounds.  As of October 21, which is not even a month ago.

She is going to be 2 next month.

My boys were 21.5 inches AT BIRTH.  She is off the charts, almost dangerously, and our pediatrician is concerned.   She said it may take 2 -3 years to get her to the bottom 3- 5%, but that is our goal.  

I NEED HER HERE NOW.

And then the following day, we found out she has a mommy.  Her mommy dropped her off and signed off her rights.  It broke my heart.  Her daddy died and her mother is entirely too poor to take care of her.  

Now when I see her picture, I know exactly why she looks so terribly sad.

The spoiled American that I am will never understand how the rest of the world lives.  But I will try and I will seek my Jesus in all that I do, and try not to live and make choices like an American, but like a Christian.

Samuel turns 12 tomorrow!!  He keeps reminding us that 1 more year and he will be a teen.  I rejoice.  John groans.

My other 22 year old baby girl is showing, and it is beautiful.

Elena is doing fantastic.  She doesn't hate the cold.  Though she came in January and a week after she got here we had 3 snow storms in a row, and it was cold for months, I wasn't sure she remembered because life was probably all one big shock... to her life.

And I leave you with this picture.

See, she is not a natural eater.  She has to be encouraged and prodded and sometimes will sit for OVER AN HOUR before she finishes dinner.

Our old dog Shelby, well she is not like our beagles who inhale their food in about 3 seconds.  Shelby enjoys her meal.  She lies down to enjoy the process.

Elly thinks it is her job to encourage and sit with her while she eats.  I think she thinks Shelby doesn't like to eat, just like her.

   Shelby would share with Elly.  But not with the beagles.  lol.

FREE!

I love free stuff.   Well, mostly.  Sometimes the free stuff just becomes stuff to deal with around the house.

But then there are the times when the free stuff is SO DARN COOL!!

And Shutterfly is having one of those so darn cool free things!

You can get 50 Christtmas cards for...yes, that's right, for the wonderful price of FREE!!!!!

I usually go to Costco for such things... but it is free.  I mean how can free not be a good thing on something you use??!!??

So, can you tell I am super excited about this deal?  So go ahead and get yours.  And you can thank me later.

NOW.  Now comes the hard part.  

Now, I have to find just the right pictures.  Do we do one picture?  Do we do a collage?  Do we put all the kids, even the married ones?  Just the ones at home?   How about a vacation picture?  Is that too much " look where we were but you weren't?" Do we do a funny one, an 'our family is perfect" one, a natural one?  Posed?

Geez, I need to go now. I need to stress over which picture(s) to pick.

But you?  You can go over and sign up for YOUR free 50 Christmas cards, so then you can start stressing out with me!!!

Birthday & OCC

My son is going to be 12, in 9 days.   But he had his birthday party this past weekend.

Why, you ask?  

Well, he decided that since he got rid of 6 HUGE garbage bags full of 'stuff' and it is just so difficult trying to maintain said 'stuff', this year instead of his friends giving him a gift, he asked that they bring the money they would have spent, and they went shopping for Operation Christmas Child boxes!!  And since we have to drop off the boxes before his birthday, he had his party this past weekend. 

Get it?

The band of...well...hormones. lol.  All boy, all crazy, all making their moms think they will survive this time period. Hopefully.

Shopping on a budget.  They did fantastic!  Elly did a box for a little girl, too. :D

Decisions, decisions.

And SUCCESS!!!!  They were all so happy and felt like they had done something beyond themselves.  Always a good thing.

Anyway, we are anxiously waiting for our daughter from Congo.  This month is Adoption Month.  This month is to remember the 147 million orphans, near and far.  The orphans that are just looking to have someone say, welcome my child, you are loved.

And can I say, You, my friend are the one who gets the blessing.

I mean, look at this face!!!!

LOL

I wouldn't trade that face for anything in the world.  The joy and laughter, the hardship that cements the relationship, the lessons that GOD has for us all,  the cuddles, the singing, the teaching, the wonder.

I will be putting adoption thoughts in here this month.  

And while you are it...won't you consider & pray? 

Wind, leaves, cold and kids.

This was her first time playing with leaves.  Needless to say, it may have been a good idea to maybe let her get used to it slowly.

Because she totally disappeared.  And had to be dug out.

But she is a good sport.  Most of the time. lol.

But him.... we couldn't get him out.  

And as fall and all its splendor surrounds us, we wish you a happy Harvest time.   Go out there and delight in HIS creation.