Getting You Caught Up, At Least in Pictures!

The past seven months in review....


The girls and I spent lots of time playing at the park this summer.  This was an exceptionally hot day- hence the red cheeks!



Our girls enjoying their books!  I love Karis' foot propped on the chair. 



Family pic from July.



Silly girlies!



Learning the fine art of playing princess. 

More pretending going on at our house.



On this day, many of my high school classmates were posting pictures of taking their children to college.  My child was working on independent use of the spoon!

Trying out sponge rollers for the first- and pretty much, last time.

The results!



I loved this!  They were playing doctor together!

A really warm day in October.  This was right after Gracie's first ballet lesson.  The fall leaves were a hit!

Thanksgiving Day 2012. 

The week before Christmas 2012. 

Januay 2013.  She's not a fan of the snow.

Big sister can't get enough.  She was having fun throwing her share of snowballs. 

Things I Love

The other day Five months ago, I read my friend Ashley's blog about things she loves.  It was so beautiful, I was inspired to write my own list . (Which I did, but never posted because I didn't feel it was complete.  As I read over it today, I realized that many of the things I listed are but a distant memory- a phase my little ones were going through...  So, I decided to hit the publish button and share the list 'as is' or 'as was' as the case may be.) My heart is so full of gratitude to the Lord for the blessing of being mommy to my two little girls.  As I tucked Gracie into bed tonight, I snuggled up next to her one more time and couldn't hold back the tears.  Sometimes it hits me that way...
Girls~
I love...watching you play together.  Karis you are already so good at pretending.  Your 'mmm, mmm's' as you bring a plastic cupcake to your lips makes me smile.  Gracie, you are getting so good at hide and seek, and are teaching your sister to be a great seeker.
I love...how you both light up when Daddy comes home, and race to the staircase so that you'll be the first to be picked up. 
I love...the sparkle in your eyes when you interact with each other.  You two can cover every square inch of the living room in no time at all.  You're so busy climbing on cushions, loving on stuffed animals, and rolling around in each other's arms; it makes me a little nervous, but more happy than anything.
Gracie Beth~
I love...how you use a british accent whenever you don your princess outfits.
I love...how you whisper prayers at your every need, like when you really want Karis to stop crying and you don't know what else to do. 
I love...how you make up songs about, well, just about anything.
I love...now that you're four, you 'stike a pose' everytime we take your picture.
I love...your amazing imagination.  Your imaginary friend, Sally the brown horse with a rainbow on her tummy, and gigantic wings sounds incredible.  Ok, she's not imaginary.  She's real.  I realize that she lives in China, and that makes it hard for Mommy and Daddy to see her.
I love...when you refer to Karis as, "Hon."  You're such a wonderful, big sister. 
I love...when you talk to Daddy on the phone and ask him, "How's your morning going?"  You're such a big girl.
I love...how you wanted to give Daddy a cup of cold water, so that Jesus could have a drink.  (The night before, she was asking me questions about God.  How big is He?  Can He fit in our house?  Then, out of the blue, she asks, "Does God need a drink of water?"  I shared the scripture, If you've done it to the least of these, you've done it unto me.)
Karis Joy~
I love...how you smack your lips together, and lean in towards us because you want to give kisses.
I love...how you are so vocal.  mama, mommy, dada, daddy, yacie(Gracie), dahgg (dog), uuuuuup (up), mmeeooww, mmeeoow(moo, moo), baba (baby)
I love...how you gather up your blanket before you exit your crib in the morning.
I love...how you cuddle up in the corner of your bed, with your bottom up in the air.
I love...how you hold your stuffed animals in the crook of your arm.
I love... that you are a girl who knows what you want.  (Note- that has not changed! * big smile*)

Balloons and Birthdays

birthday pictures and lots of balloons...

just had to add this one...she wasn't too thrilled with my idea.

things got better after we took a balloon picture break.

FINALLY!

I just wanted to update you all on a very important subject....

It only took 11 months and 23 days, for my wait to be over.  Three O'Clock in the morning and I have gone our separate ways!

Yes, you heard that right.  Karis Joy is officially sleeping through the night!

"Thank You, LORD!"

Two Out of Four Cookies...

First of all, I take no stock in the messages found inside fortune cookies.  Nonetheless, I thought I'd share the following experience with you.  The other day, we had lunch at a Chinese restaurant.  At the end of our meal, instead of getting our usual "3" cookie allotment; the waitress gave us "4".  Karis was included in the cookie count.  How exciting!  She's getting to be such a big girl that she now gets her own fortune cookie.  I picked up the first one and declared, "This is Karis' fortune cookie."  It said,

Her daddy and I laughed at the appropriateness of the message.  Just the night before, we had tried to feed her a couple of different food items, but were met each time with a distinctly turned head and the adamant response of, "Uh- uh!" (interpretation:  I'm NOT eating that!).  She's a girl who knows what she wants and doesn't want!

Next, came Mommy's cookie.  It said,

This seems to be a recurring theme in my life right now!

Today, I found beauty in~

• dancing in the living room with my girls,
• the tiger lillies blooming in my front yard, and
• Gracie's original artwork consisting of scrap paper, colorful pom poms and mounds of glue. 

What ordinary things were beautiful to you?

Oh, and in case you are wondering~the other two fortune cookies were pretty bizarre-o.  There was a riddle about life and a german proverb about trees not touching the sky.  :)

One more thing~ lest you think that I live in this ideal world, where all is constant happy reflection...On the day I wrote this post, I didn't get dressed til well after noon AND I had to put my big girl in time out shortly after our dance session because she absolutely threw a major fit when I didn't do what she wanted me to do when she wanted me to do it!  Ha Ha!  I love being a MOMMA!

Grace Notes

Today is our Gracie Girl's fourth birhtday.
She is that person who was in my heart and mind when I prayed in faith.  Now, she is that "substance" of things hoped for and "evidence" of things not seen. 
Even when I saw her for the first time, she would have been invisible to my naked eye. A tiny little new beginning of life, an embryo.  And yet, she was the most beautiful thing I had ever beheld.  She was marvelous, a mystery, a miracle, and I loved her. 

Lately, when I hear her laugh or sing a funny song, I think...I'm hearing a miracle.

When I run my fingers through her tossled, curly hair, I recall...I'm touching a miracle.

When her arms wrap themselves around my neck and hold on for dear life, I know...I'm being embraced by a miracle.

When we talk about lizards, God, family, heaven, flowers, frogs, and cupcakes, I realize...I'm conversing with a miracle.

When she comes in from outside, "sweaty and stinky" or gets out of a bubble bath tub, "all squeaky clean", I remember...I'm smelling a miracle. 

She is an ordinary {ordinary wonderful} little girl.  She does typical, little girl kind of things. 

She often wants her own way. 

She is independent, creative, intelligent and driven.  

She is helpful, giving, and kind. 

She is a problem solver, a negotiator at times, a thinker~inquisitive. 

When I look at her, I see the fulfillment of answered prayer.  And I am grateful. 

Happy birthday big girl.  We are thankful beyond words that God gave you to us!

Ordinary Wonderful

I love my sweet Karis Joy.  She has a smile that can melt any heart.  She is curious, inquisitive, friendly, and determined.  She's just sooooo cute!  Today is her first birthday, and I am waxing sentimental.  I am so very aware of how precious every moment is.  I keep thinking about an old Gloria Gaither song..."We have these moments to hold in our hands and to watch, as they slip through our fingers like sand.  Yesterday's gone and tomorrow may never come, but we have these moments today."  I have so enjoyed watching her little life unfold.  I've loved how she has developed physically.  There's nothing more thrilling to me, than to watch a little one figure out rolling over, sitting up, crawling, crusing, and walking.  It's amazing!  I've loved the continued revelation of her personality.  From day one, she has been a person who 'knows what she wants' and is determined to let you know just what that is!  She is a happy little girlie, unless she is mad.  I pray very often that God will use her passion and fire for His Glory.  I laugh when I say that, but it's really true.  I've loved how she studies everybody and everything.  I've loved how she works to open something that's closed.  How she has developed preferences in blankets, toys, and activities.  I've loved having that 'front row seat' to her cognitive development.  It's still incredible to me how she now responds to our requests.  She'll give kisses, give hugs, and rub noses.  She tells us "Uh- uh" when she doesn't want something.  She squeals when she does.  Each of these developments are so tiny.  Like the pictures I took of her each month, the changes are hard to see when looked at individually.  But when you compare birth day to first birthday~all of those tiny changes together have produced an amazing transformation!


Just born

Mother's Day

Recently, so that we could be with family, and so that I could get a little help during the day, the girls and I spent a week at my parents' house.  Each day, my husband would call to check in with us.  One day when he asked what we'd been doing, I said, "Oh, just ordinary wonderful stuff." It was true.  We weren't doing anything, but we were together.  Karis was making new discoveries, Gracie was creating wonderful make believe scenarios for us.  There were hugs, kisses, giggles, lots of  'Hey Dadda, da, dadda'.  Ever since I made that statement, though, I've looked at my days, my life a little differently. 

I do the ordinary task of laundry:  I sort, go through pockets, treat stains with Advanced Shout (a product I love, btw), load the washer, etc.  It's ordinary but wonderful because the clothes are tiny, the stains consist of markers, watercolors, and various food items.  It's wonderful because most of the clothes I launder are PINK, and they belong to Karis and Gracie.

I sweep the floor- an ordinary task, but it's wonderful because what I sweep usually consists of at least one goldfish cracker!  Tonight, the pile sparkled due to the 'Happy Birthday' confetti that had landed on the floor.  It made me smile.
I put things away...ordinary.  But now wonderful, because I get to put the same item in its place multiple times as it is pulled out almost as quickly as I place it, by tiny little hands.
I watch TV.  An ordinary thing that's done everyday, but wonderful to me because I watch 'Gracie and Karis Shows'.  I know all about Dora, Diego, Little Bear and Olivia~ to name a few.
I brush hair, ordinary stuff, but wonderful because it's this cute little tuft of hair. 

For many years, I dreamed of having children.  I prayed and believed God for children.  I knew God would answer my prayers.  I just didn't know how or when.  And now that those prayers are answered...walking and crawling right in front of me, I just can't help but stand in awe, and try to be intentional about my gratitude to the Living God for making it happen. 

I pray every day that my girls will come to know Him, and that they will be convinced of his love for them at an early age.  I especially pray for Karis, that she will never doubt His love, nor our love for her.    

Happy first birthday baby girl.  We are so glad you are ours!