Caleb on set-

with his sci-fi thriller sweety, Natalie.

Pardon Me For Bragging!

Ok Im not really bragging...I'm documenting so that my children will see that I REALLY tried to write down EVERYTHING they did.

I did this with Hannah and the Opera House.

http://www.thehappyhippychronicles.com/2008/12/hannah-sings-at-opera-house.html

and now it is Caleb's turn.

Caleb has never been the kind of kid to use the words "One Day" lightly.

He thinks long and hard before he uses the phrase "One day I'm gonna".

As a matter of fact, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I

have heard him say it -since he started talking.

The very first time I heard this from him, He was 5 years old.

now keep in mind he is the oldest child, so when I say 5..

what I really mean is 12(mentally).

He and I were lying on bean bags in the living room and he was watching Star Wars.

He said, " Mama, Do you know that this is not real? "

"Yes", I said.

"Did you know that Harrison Ford wanted to be Luke Skywalker and the director told him NO!"?

" No", I said, "Who told you that?"

"Daddy..He knows everything about Star Wars. Did you know that Harrison Ford is an Actor?'

"Yes I Do..Why?" I asked.

" Well..One day I am going to be an actor and make a movie", he said.

"Really?! That would be cool- but I thought you said you wanted to be a doctor like Daddy and PawPaw and Uncle Greg" I asked.

" I do", he said. " That's my WORK job... I am going to be an actor for fun!"

Here we are- 12 years later- and this weekend Caleb shoots the first scenes of his very first motion picture .

Low Budget, Non-Union..but still a movie... LIGHTS , CAMERA, ACTION..The Whole 9 yards.

He is pumped and I am proud!

Nothing cooler than being around to see your child have his or her "One Day".

Love Love Love

this book.

It is a short read and not the "same ole'- same ole' ".

Available on Amazon new or used.

Happy Easter!

From Our Family to Yours

WHY I AM AN AWESOME MOM!

I was reading an article in one of my magazines.
It suggested that it is easier for a woman to list the things that make her a " Bad Mom" than it is for her to list the things that make her an "Awesome Mom".
I agree.
The second I saw the words "Bad Mom", an endless array of screw-ups rolled through my mind like the credits at the end of a Spielberg movie.
So what about the "Awesome" part?

I think we wait for someone to tell us that we are good mothers.
I think we are harder on ourselves than we should be.
I think we should all take a few minutes to see how many things we can list.
What are some of the things that make you an "AWESOME MOM"?
I thought I'd list mine here.

What Makes Me An Awesome Mom
1. I always mix M & M's into our popcorn on movie night
2. I give my girls manicures and pedicures
3. I let my kids dip Hershey bars in the peanut butter
4. I let my 2 year-olds chew gum
6. I let my kids wear their Halloween costumes to the grocery store...in April
7. I encourage our children to follow their dreams NOW
8. I believe that a bubble bath can stop any tantrum
9. I listen to Lady Gaga , Sandre' Loche,Ricky Skaggs, Usher, AND Andrea Bocelli
10.I will watch Pirates of the Caribbean 3 times a day and then put in a Barbie movie.
11. I love my children's father and I tell them
12. I teach my sons to sing and my daughters to fight
13. I can quote Star Wars
14. I can name all the X-Men
15. I teach my children to love other cultures
16. I fill my home with music
17. I am consistent
18. I let my daughters wear their biker and cowboy boots to church
19. I refuse to purchase fashion magazines for my daughters
20. I take my children to used book stores and coffee shops
21. I love play-doh
22. I love finger-painting
23. I have no problem with ice cream for dinner
24. I have no problem with cookies and milk for breakfast
25. I think cell phones and texting are BAD for children
26. I think kids SHOULD sleep with their parents
27. I think that if a child begs to stay up late-its because he needs time with his parents...not because he wants to watch T.V.
28. I believe the Bible is the best parenting book ever written
29. I love Disney and Universal Studios
30. I believe in my children

That's all I can come up with.....
NOW you see how many you can think of.

How?

So can anyone tell me how an attachment parent is supposed to make the trip with two...

and by two- i mean if we are matched with 2 little monkeys.

I am having a hard time getting Stacy to consider adopting out of birth order( he is TOTALLY against) so that means that there is a good chance that the newest little trouble-makers....er...sweethearts will be under the age of 2 1/2.

If you look at any of our adoption journals you'll see that most of the pictures

are of me walking around with a little one hanging on like a monkey in a banana tree.

Don't get me wrong,-I think strollers rock...we just use them as little as possible during our first weeks with our new child.

Our parenting style is not for everyone, mind you, but it works for us.

I try to spend those first precious weeks trying to figure out how my new baby ticks.

I watch. I listen. I smile. I let the baby nap on my chest so that he/she can hear my heart beat. I try to establish a rythm. I take mental notes.

'Doesn't like dairy. Mad cry. Hungry cry. Scared cry. Sleepy cry. Likes Daddy if Daddy has chocolate. "

We sleep together, we bathe together, we eat together, and I HOLD, HOLD, HOLD.

Which leads me back to my original question-

How is 1 Mama going to do this with 2 SN infant/toddlers?

What about carriers for 2 children ( One in front- One in back)?

Ive seen this done, but I have to tell ya...I'm not an Amazon warrior.

I have years of wear and tear on my back and hips from sports, horseback riding, and chasing kids... I honestly do not think I could physically carry 2 kids around at the same time.

Not more than ONCE , anyway.

Oh! and do they even SELL double strollers in China??

Do ya just get two?

That just seems like a bad idea... I mean how is Dad going to take pictures,

carry the diaper bags, and the shopping bags if he is pushing a stroller, too? :)

What if the kids "will not let Daddy hold" or worse "will not let Mama hold"?

What if one "likes" Mom and one doesn't??

What if (ala Rebekah) they will not sit in a high chair and they won't let Daddy hold??

How do you feed two kids sitting in your lap ?

Seriously...can you tell I am freaking out a little here?

I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about these things.

The "one at a time" deal has always worked out pretty well for us, so I really have no idea why this is stressing me so.

Maybe it is because Adam is 3 1/2 and Rebekah just turned 2 and I know how hard they can be, at times.

Does anyone have any ideas....or know where I can find a double stroller in China?

You know..just in case I need one. ;)

CAUTION: NOT A PERKY POST!

Sometime last week, Our social decided that she "did not feel up to completing /revising a Hague home study".

Yep- you read that correctly.

Can a person do that??

Well yes, apparently they can.

Not sure where we stand now.

We have an agency trying to fix things, a Un-revised HS sitting at the state level, and a file on some desk with our government holding almost a thousand dollars of our money that I am SURE they aren't interested in refunding.

I am trying to be patient and understanding and considerate and.....blah , blah, blah...When what I really am is ANGRY.

So angry that I am ready to call my agency( who is trying their best to FIX this mess)and BAG the whole thing....which will leave my family heartbroken, because we have already prepared our hearts for a new arrival AND two more children STILL waiting for a home to call their own.

Cannot make sense of it all...no matter how hard I try.

Not HAPPY today.

Life is too short to spend it angry, bored, or dull
-Barbara Johnson

Thanks, Dave!

"Your priorities, passions, goals, and fears are shown clearly

in the flow of your money"-Dave Ramsey




I have never been a huge fan of Dave Ramsey.

Basically, because he tells me that I shouldn't spend money when I want to and that I "should SAVE for the things that are important".


"No credit cards"....Seriously..are you kidding me?


I was more excited about my first credit card than I was for my first bra, kiss, car....you name it..

NOOOOO COMPARISON.

Remember that first piece of plastic like it was yesterday-
Have no idea about that "first kiss" thing.

Recently, my Uber-Fine Husband suggested that if we were going to bring home 2 children this go round(which will be or LAST, btw) we had to curb our spending...OK.....make that my spending and put back enough to cover our expenses - so that we will not owe Americ*n Expr*ss a kidney when we get home.

My Question , at this point, was "Whose Kidney are we talking about? Yours or Mine?"...
Cause I have read that men can lead perfectly normal lives with one kidney... Not a problem.

Then he started spouting off phrases like " Fewer AMAZON deliveries" , "Less Thai Take-Out & Drive Thru" , " No -THE CHILDREN'S PLACE- Buy TWO get ONE FREE sales" and "FLY COACH".

In a huff to prove that these expenses were not a "major" drain on our finances, I broke out the credit card statement.

Apparently ,Stacy had called Americ*n Expr*ss ahead of time and had them pad the bill , because there were NUMEROUS charges from these places that added up to quite a hefty sum.

I was in shock. Honestly in shock. I am so caught up in the day to day rituals of RUNNING a large family that I have no idea what it COSTS to feed, clothe,transport, and house a large family.
That falls under the heading of "MAN BUSINESS" at my house...My Job is to....well...everything else that IS NOT Man Stuff.

My husband has been so gracious over the years.
Not that I am extravagant , by any means, but when we have made these adoption trips(3, so far) he has written out checks, made reservations, paid room service bills,China Hospital Bills, purchased pricey tickets so that I could get at least ONE good nights sleep on the plane, let me spend whatever I wanted on souvenirs for the kids at home( and the babies in their home province) and has NEVER once called me down...Not One Single Time.

The mere thought of it brings me to tears. Not a single word.... Just a smile.

When I woke up today,I was determined to do what I could to make things easier( 2 adoptions are around 40 grand..I think...am I close Connie?).
As I was reading from one of my favorite books,100 Verses Every Mom Needs to Know, I came across Dave Ramsey's quote(above).

Suddenly, I had a new respect for the man.

He is CORRECT- 100%.

Where are my PRIORITIES?

Are they in China with a Baby who needs a Mama or are they at the Best Buy- 1/2 off Blu-Ray sale?

Matthew 6:24 says " You cannot be slaves of God and of Money".

So I have decided to be a slave of "the image of a little one peering out from the bars of an orphanage crib"..maybe two little ones.... What ever God has in store.

We will see.

In the meantime, I have to go and cancel some Amazon orders............ Sucks....But I'm doin' it. :)

BLOOMING..............

right before our eyes.


Gone is the shy little one who was content to
stand behind the curtain and watch the show.



She has decided that she is ready to be SEEN & HEARD.

We are loving every minute of it!


Look Out World!

Mary Elizabeth has arrived!

Is your child learning of the love of GOD through your love, tenderness,and mercy?
- Dr. James Dobson

A peaceful heart finds joy in all life's simple pleasures.

JOYFUL LIVING

If you can forgive the person you were,
accept the person you are,
and believe in the person you will become,
you are headed for joy.
Celebrate Life.
-Barbara Johnson