Moving song and video...

I had someone from Karleigh Mei's orphanage yahoo group direct me to a Chinese website that had pics of her orphanage. The website promotes adoption and has a forum for the Chinese to request adoptions within China. When I opened the page up, this video began playing. For some reason it just left me really moved.

Be sure to quiet my music before you begin the video (in the sidebar, just click on pause button).

It's a Flashback AND Beautiful Life Friday!

Whew!! School has started back up for the big kids and Karleigh Mei and I have been trying to find a new normal. I sure do miss my big kids during the day...for lots of reasons. ;o)

Karleigh Mei got out her necklace beads that her best friend from her orphanage had sent her right after she got home. Her best friend was adopted about 3 months before Karleigh Mei. I had to put up the necklace beads when she first got them, because she just did not know how to play with them and I didn't want to lose the pieces as it was such a special gift. Yesterday, she was playing with them and she had mentioned that "Chao Yang" had given them to her. This blew me away because we had not talked about that in a very, very, VERY long time. This makes me wonder what else she remembers from before she was home. Hopefully some day she can talk about this with me.

~Here she is yesterday stringing her necklace beads.
~Focus and determination gets the job done.

~These next two pics were from when she had first opened up the gift. Look how little she looks!

~Sweet baby! (I blacked out her best friend's picture for privacy reasons)

Karleigh Mei LOVES dancing in her TuTu. I caught these pictures yesterday as she was dancing away!

~Such beautiful form!

~Singing AND dancing!
~Spinning.
~Jumping.
~Have you ever seen such grace? :)
~Taking a bow.
~Yippee!! We love to dance!

Life is beautiful in our home! How 'bout yours?

FinGeR PaiNtInG fUN!

Karleigh Mei saw some finger painting creations that were on the walls at Church, and ever since then she has been telling me that SHE wants to FINGER PAINT! I mean, who wouldn't want to? So yesterday we went to Target* looking for some WASHABLE finger paint. :) And we found some. :)

Karleigh Mei was so excited to give finger painting a try!

"The Word" Wednesday

"Mama, I ludge you." Music to my ears!

Blog Book

I finally did it! I finally had my blog printed into a book. This book has the very beginning of my blog, until the end of '08, which included our trip to China to pick up Karleigh Mei. So, from here on out, I'll just make yearly blog books. This is why I try and blog regularly and add so many pictures. :) I used Blog2print. It was just the easiest one to use and I didn't have the time or patience to use any other one. I really, really, REALLY liked Blurb though and think I would have preferred it. I just liked the ease of Blog2Print though. :)

Attachment and Bonding

On Wednesday a new season began for us. I am no longer homeschooling, and so all of my school-aged children are at school. We made the decision to not have Karleigh Mei go to a mother's day out program for now. 1) because of the $$, but 2)  and more importantly, I have this awesome opportunity to spend lots of time, one on one, with Karleigh Mei. I'm praying that this time will really, really, REALLY help her bond even more with me...as her mother.

One way to bond with an adopted child, is to feed them a bottle. The time spent holding/cradling the child and gazing into their eyes is soooo important. I may never know if Karleigh Mei had this kind of bonding with anyone while in the orphanage. I do know that for the first 10 days, Karleigh Mei's mother kept her. I'm sure she either nursed her or gave her a bottle, so I know at one point she did get this, even for just 10 days.

I had never given Karleigh Mei a bottle before, but she's always had a fascination with them. I did buy some and had them with us in China, but she was not interested in them at the time. The past couple of months, Karleigh Mei has talked a lot about how she is my baby. Whenever she sees a child with his/her mother in the store, she's always quick to hug my neck and say that she is my baby and I'm her mother. I love it. I can't get enough of it! We hug and kiss and declare our love for each other wherever it is we are!! She also at times wants me to hold her like a baby. And she has hinted to the fact that she wants me to give her a bottle. 

And so today I did. :) We snuggled up on the couch and I held her like the baby that she is. We gazed into each others eyes and talked about how she is my baby and I am her mother. And we were quiet and just gazed at each other as she drank from her bottle. I would kiss her and give her "butterfly" kisses on her nose. And as she was sucking from the bottle, I could hear her drinking and breathing, and for a second I was taken back into time. A time when she was a little, tiny, baby. It was just a glimpse, but I am so very thankful to have that. My sweet little baby Karleigh Mei.

~Beautiful Life Friday~~

Another week has passed. Another day to reflect on the simple blessings in my life right now. School has started and we are surviving so far. :) The kids go to a great school, with really awesome Christian teachers who care about them. I'm anxious about this year for Garrison, but I'm trusting him in the care of someone who loves him even more than I~~God the Father. :)

It's just me and Karleigh Mei at home now. She's very confused as to why SHE can't go to school too. Last night as I was putting her to bed, I told her that I'd have to wake her up really early so that we could take the kids to school. She translated that to, "You're going to school tomorrow Karleigh Mei". Sigh. She woke up at 6:15 ready to go to school. :( I am so enjoying her by myself. The first real time alone with her. We are having too much fun....just Mommy and Karleigh Mei. :)

And I'm putting her to work.

She is a hard worker and LOVES to help me with EVERYTHING.

~Putting things in the washing machine~

~All this Mommy!?~
~Working on loading the dishwasher~
~So proud!~
~And something she has started to do, is kick off her "bip bops" at the door when she walks in. I love this silly, darling girl!

~Wordless Wednesday~

Lexie's Final Driving Test

Our Lexie is learning how to drive (has been for the past year...yes...we are mean parents). As her final driving test, Karl went with her on a "little" road trip. To Big Bend. :) Lexie drove about 90% of the time. They had a good time and Lexie got lots of driving practice. We are pretty sure she can get her license now. :)

Here are some pics from their trip:

The driver.

The very afraid passenger and driving instructor. :) ha ha!
Who was also the navigator. :)
Learning how to drive AND take great photos. Come on people...you know this is important stuff she's learning! Cool shot huh?

Stopping for some BBQ? Maybe not...

A break from driving....a little river rafting down the Rio Grande!

The end of one of their hiking trails. So pretty! And refreshing!


Walking back from the waterfall. Big Bend is such a beautiful place! Every time we are there, there are always Europeans! This time, they met some Italians.
Looks like a yummy place to eat. Right?

The drive back home. Driving grade: A+

(And Lex wants me to add that her dad MADE her wear those ugly glasses. Again. We are such mean parents!)

Puddles by Emily Riddle

I am so super excited 'cause I can share my nieces song with you! She is 17 and has just completed her first album! She has written all of the songs on her album, except for one, which was written by her mother, Jennie Riddle (she wrote "Revelation Song" which was just recorded by Phillips, Craig and Dean). This song, "Puddles" is my favorite.

Have a listen! :) If you want to listen to more of her album, you can access it at www.emilyriddle.bandcamp.com 

And because I can :) here are two more songs. :) The first one "My Beautiful Love" was written for my darling girl, Katie's, wedding. Emily sang it for the first dance.

The 2nd one is just another one of my faves. :)

And 'cause I'm a visual person...this is a pic of my darling niece, Emily!

~Beautiful Life Friday~

It's been too long since I've done a "Beautiful Life Friday" post.

School starts next week (Wed. 19th) and we have made the HUGE decision for Garrison to go to school this year. I have been homeschooling him since forever. It is a huge leap of faith for us. We are trusting in the Lord in all things. Sometimes what may appear to be an easy thing on the outside to others, is not quite as easy as it seems. For all the prayer warriors out there, I would so appreciate any and all prayers for our sweet boy, Garrison. And me too. I get so weepy just thinking about it. I'm a real stink to be around these days. :(

Anyway....(sniffle, sniffle)....Garrison is required to have his haircut and so off to the barber we went yesterday. I have a before and after shot. 

Garrison "before" (He looks real excited about getting his locks cut doesn't he?)

And Garrison "after". He won't admit it, but I think he really does like it. :)
And here is a shot of my dining room table laden with "back-to-school" school supplies.

And I found these pictures in my iphoto. They must have been from a "photo-shoot" Lexie had with Karleigh Mei while Garrison was off getting his hair cut. I thought that these were sweet pictures.

Got to be one of the girls with a camera!

Oh-so-sweet!

And how cute is this!? Karl got me a new phone this week and so I gave my "old" one to Karleigh Mei. She is SO proud of this phone!

I'd love to hear what beautiful life blessings you have in your life!

Beauty School Dropout

This morning it got quiet.

Too quiet.

I went to investigate and I found Karleigh Mei in her closet...with SCISSORS!!

OHHHHHHHHH!! Do you KNOW how long we've been trying to grow out your bangs Karleigh Mei!!?? They had JUST reached the point that they could be gathered up into your pretty little "maliahs" (pig-tails).

The crime scene...

I'm sorry Mama.

Kinda-sorta sorry. (she actually didn't do too bad of a job!)

Let's see what can be done.

Pretty girl!
And we still have our "maliahs"!!