Extending Our Stay

So much to do, so little time!  We went to church this morning and then played in the water all afternoon.  We would like to go to some of the privately owned locals shops in town so we are going to stay another day and head home Tuesday.

The kids have spent 95% of their time wet. They will be going to art camp tomorrow while I do a little shopping with my friend.

One more day...(for real this time).

Loving The South

My own personal tea glass

We have been shown such great hospitality and kindness since we have been here.  Some of our friends' friends, had us over for dinner and homemade blueberry cobbler, with blueberries she hand picked that morning.

The kids went swimming in their first salt water pool as the adults drank frozen drinks and listened to worship music and a little bit of reggae on the patio.

Swimming at the Stanberries

Tonight, 6 ladies from the church came and watched the children while we enjoyed an adults night out.

The ladies were incredibly sweet and the kids were drawn to them right away.  Ivor had a temperory freak out at the thought of me leaving but recovered quickly once I was gone. 

I ate crawfish for the first time. It was pretty good.  The best part of dinner was the lemon martini. Wow!

One more day!

Love the Gators and the Humidity

No- really! I love the humidity.  My skin feels amazing!  I look younger. My kids don't suddenly get bloody noses.  My feet feel nice and soft.  It's great.  Everyone warned me about the weather. I love it!!!! I spray a little mixture of water and peppermint on me, and I am good to go! 

The kids braved the 4 year old alligator, George. Even Ivor took a turn...next his big sissy of course.

Roadtrip to Louisiana!

We were invited to Louisiana by one of the families we travelled with to China to adopt the boys.   A couple of the other families live in neighboring states and they came down as well.  We are having a great time and I have to say, the drive here was not bad!  The kids had these wonderful snack boxes I made (thanks Pinterest for the fabulous idea). 

These were awesome in the car! They loved them and still had a lot when we made it to our destination!

Our friends have a great place!  It is right on a lake and there's a pool in the back yard. It's too cool! 

Day one and two in Louisiana have been awesome.  My super organized camp host has lots of great things planned for us. We are happy, happy, happy!

Oh Summertime

Helping dad plant grass

The late nights, the popsicles, the dinners out with friends, baseball, rodeo, warm mornings on the porch drinking coffee…I don't what I like the most.  I love all of it…every single bit.  It's officially here.  The kids wrapped up their school year, t-ball is under way, the new driveway has children riding up and down it all throughout the day.  The dogs seem happier, popsicle wrappers lay about.  We sleep with the windows open and the last thing I hear are the croaking of frogs and prayers in my head.  I know He hears them too. 

We leave to Louisiana in about a week.  We get to sleep in for the next few months.  Speech is on the back burner.  So is math and reading.  The kids get to be kids, and run around half dressed, mostly dirty and totally free. 

We had the most fabulous weekend.  Rance surprised husband and I both at his progress in riding skills.  He did an awesome job at the rodeo.  We had our last t-ball practice before the big game tomorrow.  We went to dinner and hung out with friends, and bedtime was not a concern.  We planted shrubs in front of the new house.  We still need a weed eater, but who cares.  We have shrubs!  We ate a mouthwatering lunch at our favorite wholesome Mexican restaurant, Zia's.  There was no rush to get home for naps.  We read three chapters out of Winn-Dixie even though it was past 8:00.  It was 9:30 actually.  I tucked in sun kissed kids after lathering them with lavender.

Trigg and Ivor, being rodeo rats

Pearl, our pet walrus

Planting shrubs

We hung the American Flag today!  

I am more relaxed than I have ever been.  Life is good, and I am writing this all down so I remember, God gives us rest.  He answers prayers.  Things change.  Hectic times pass.  We pull through.  It's up to us how we spend our time, but we each get the same amount in our day.

Lola, the muskrat serial killer

It  helps that Ann Voskamp has reminded me to count my gifts from God…each and every one.  So far I am on #103. She has made me realize that when we are thankful we can't be angry or sad or upset.  We can't have the two emotions at the same time.  So with every little piece of this wonderful weekend I was careful to stop, be thankful and enjoy, live in the moment, take it in.  Eucharisteo.

Oh summertime…I am so glad your here.

A Weekend To Remember

Heading to recital

As the weekend got rolling I had to remind myself that I like to be busy.  I must! I stay that way.

T-ball was scheduled to kick off but we canceled due to the weather...we can do that ya know...since we are the coaches. I went 4-wheelin' instead...

After laying new concrete I decided to take a detour…forgetting no
gravel had been placed.  

Thankfully my college kid is home for the summer and had me out in no time.

Zoe had her "Exhibition Night" and was chosen to represent her team in the fashion show...their topic:

SUPER STORMS

The fifth graders did a unit on ballroom dancing and got to show off their new skills.  Watch out middle school!

Rance rocked in his 7th Birthday with a breakdance performance to the song "Skyfall."  He was excited to be the only survivor in the act and wowed the audience with his charm.

Zoe wrecked her scooter on the new driveway just 2 hours before the 1st performance. Thanks to oils, bandages and lots of prayers she made made it through 4 dances and did a fabulous job.

We honored Rances birthday at the local Mexican restaurant after the recitals.  

And of course celebrated a great dance weekend despite the injury.  Good thing we make em' tough.

Daddy was so proud of how she pulled through.

Zoe danced jazz and hip-hop this year and loved it.  We have some performers on our hands!

Trigg and Ivor enjoyed the fro-yo break the most!

Throughout the weekend I worked very hard at not getting frazzled and stressed. (I only flew off the handle when I saw Zoe's bloody lower extremity).  Instead, I kept reminding myself how blessed we are to have all this opportunity.  

Education.

Arts.

Celebrations.

Sigh....

Lost Time

Sometimes Ivor gets totally beside himself, UPSET.  It seems since we have moved to the new house, it is more often than it was before.  It is so sad to see how easily insecurities arise and the solid ground is shaken beneath his feet.  It's hard for him to cope once he has become upset about something and it can be very difficult for him to "move on."

Perhaps one of the strangest things Ivor deals with is the inability to decipher real from make believe.  Children have a hard time with this anyway, but Ivor has an especially difficult time.  For instance, a bug on a page of a book is just as real to Ivor as if the bug were before him, alive.  This includes cartoon images.  Ivor can't bring himself to like anything that is even the least bit threatening.  He recently was working on "G's" with his speech therapist and on the page was a cartoon image of a ghost.  Ivor convinced his therapist to cut the image out, before he could move forward.

In my recent research I stumbled across this "issue".  It was noted, children who do not recieve the care they need in the first 3 months of life, risk the portion of their brain not developing right that helps a child from telling real from not real.  When I read these things it brings forth such heartbreaking evidence.  Ivors start was not fair.   I hate the thought of my son, my child, laying unattended in an orphanage.  I want so badly to reclaim that time and hold, coddle and comfort my baby.  If he had been within my reach he would have been held more than not.  It is so frustrating to look at your child, who is with you every day, and think of them not behind held, to think of their cries going unanswered.  Ugh.  These are things we, as adoptive parents are not prepared for.  We mourn the loss of the time we did not have them.  We get angry at their past, not just for them but for us too.  We hate that we missed a chapter (or more) of our child's life.  

I long to fix it, relive it, change it...but we can't go back.

My mind goes to all the children that lay there now, being neglected or abused NOW.  I go crazy wanting to save them, hold them and prevent any damage or unneccesary tears.  I scream inside wishing my internal fit would produce some miracle.  It doesn't.  All I can do is keep trying.  Keep advocating.  Keep praying.  Keep remembering the forgotten, and rest knowing one day God will make us whole again and the tears will be wiped away.