Exactly.

My twin brother's Facebook status said when he watches this (especially at about 3:00-on):

He feels like this:

Yeeeeeessssss! Right there with ya, womb-mate.

We get each other's nerdiness and that's a really great thing.

One day our poor spouses might get it, too. :) hehe

First Day of School {the boy}

Calvin had his first day of kindergarten today! Big first for our family.

I've been home with this boy for 5 1/2 years! I wasn't sad today, though--just excited! Sentimental, probably, but not sad. We are just so excited about the school itself so Calvin's first day was just a positive thing. I think if we had only found a school that was "OK" we'd feel differently about his first day.

These are the poses I got as soon as I requested a nice pic on the porch before we headed out. Goober. :)

"Calvin, stand up straight!"

"Close your mouth!"

"Please just close your mouth and smile!"

"Pleeeease do a niiiice smile for your mama!"

Bingo.

The mom-shot:

Rick stayed home in the morning so we could both take him to school, then he came home early so we could pick him up together, go to the park for a bit, then have a Happy Meal celebration.

He goes 8:30 - 3 and it's just a 3 minute drive!

Fallyn will start school in a week and a half. . . and *I* start a class next week!!! *gasp* I'll write more later what that's all about.

More Waiting-For-Baby

Fallyn's name of choice now is Cupcake Honey,

not just Cupcake like the post from a couple days ago. :)

While we were driving today and looking at a semi,

Calvin said he thinks we should get letters painted on our van.

Me: "What would they say?"

Calvin: "I love our new baby!"

Rick and Calvin will probably take a little trip in January if we don't have a baby by then.

Rick said he's not planning on that happening (the trip I mean).

I said I need to plan on the trip happening. . . to prepare myself for the possibility we might not have a baby here in 2010.

Mental coping I guess.

So, I'll try to think about how fun that'll be for them and expect the trip to happen,

but hope that we do have a 2010 baby.

Children's Book with Adoption Theme - A Mother for Choco

I happened upon this book at a drugstore that selling out all their children's books. I had no idea it was a sweet story about adoption! Maybe you've heard of it already, but I hadn't, so it was a fun surprise!

It's called A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza. If you're looking for more books with an adoption theme for your children, this is a good one! I think it'd be a great book, too, for children in any type of family to learn a little bit about the concept of adoption and family members who don't look like each other.

It's pretty precious. Even Rick uttered a touched "awwww" at the end where she takes Choco to meet her other children.

"Choco wishes he had a mother, but who could she be? He sets off to find her, asking all kinds of animals, but he doesn't meet anyone who looks just like him. He doesn't even think of asking Mrs. Bear if she's his mother-but then she starts to do just the things a mommy might do. And when she brings him home, he meets her other children-a piglet, a hippo, and an alligator-and learns that families can come in all shapes and sizes and still fit together."

Sweet Kids - Updated

[I added a little more to this post - additions are in red. Nevermind, they're in bold/italics--why won't it let me change the type color???]

Our kids are so. ready. for their next brother or sister. They've been waiting their whole lives (as far as they can remember)! They've asked about their next brother or sister every day for months, want to talk about it, ask me questions I can't answer (mostly, WHEN?!). Oh my heart can hardly take it anymore.

The following are typical things we hear every day.

Sunday: Calvin was SO EXCITED to tell me that Grandma had just given him--"Guess what, Mom!!! ORPHAN MONEY!"--as he pulled out a container full of coins from behind his back. He was a bit protective of it when one of his cousins was wanting to play with the container. He wants to buy our plane ticket to bring home the baby and food for orphans. :)

Wednesday: There was a knock on the door--a friend from church was bringing their daughter to our house--and I said, "Fallyn, they're here!" She said, "Is it OUR BABY?!" and ran so excitedly to the door. I thought she'd cry when I told her no. She didn't, but I was ready to!

Calvin said, "Mom. I have to tell you three things. I hope our baby comes today in the mail, I don't like applesauce, can I eat crackers then applesauce?" (He knows how adoption works, he was just saying in his own way that he just wishes it'd happen soon!!!)

Fallyn praying before supper: "God will bring us a baby, we will 'dop [adopt] a baby, we will have it forever. . . "

Then during supper Calvin was so excited talking about how much "orphan money" he has, and how it's enough to buy airplane tickets for us to bring home the baby. He knows pretty well how far a dollar goes (or $5 at the toy store!), and he's never once thought about what that $460 could do for him, except help orphans and "our orphan".

Update: I was wrong, it's $512!

Fallyn wrote a letter to our baby (she dictated, I wrote it): "I pray for you. We are ready to adopt a baby. I can't wait to see you. Can't wait to kiss you. I can't wait to hold you. I can't wait to hug you. Your stuff is in my room. You will sleep upstairs. I love you so much. I will give you a bottle."

Calvin wrote a letter, too: "If you are a boy you will sleep in my room. I can't wait to hold you. . . hug you. . .kiss you. I have money for a plane ticket for Mommy and Daddy to bring you home. I will be at Grandma and Grandpa's house when Mom and Dad go to get you. I pray for you. I can't wait to feed you a bottle with milk. I can't wait to see you. I want to see you."

Their letters to the baby are in the "baby drawer" in Fallyn's room. I think we'll add some more to them--seems like a good little outlet for the kids to have something they can do while they wait.

Fallyn praying for the baby at naptime: "Dear God, we will have Cupcake baby. It might be a boy. . . it will be a present."

Favorite baby names: Calvin's is still Olive Garden Pickle and Fallyn has chosen Cupcake. :) Rick and I have a boy and girl name almost picked out!

Rick and I can wait, of course, although we are so ready, too. It's just so hard to see the kids having to wait so long, though. That's what's painful. Some days I think I'm just going to break.

Oh Lord, PLEASE let it be this year, we are praying. What if it's not? What if that's not part of His plan? Am I trusting Him with my heart? With my kids' hearts?

Big questions every day. . .from my kids and questions I'm asking myself.

Kyrgyzstan Update

Please keep praying for "the 65". . . and the state of Kyrgyz adoptions as a whole. There are more efforts being made presently by the State Department and such. . . pray pray pray!

147 Million Orphans

I'm a lucky gal! *Someone* sent me a shirt from 147 Million Orphans today in the mail! So here's my public thank-you for the sweet gift! :)

I've always loved their shirts. Mine says "pick me" all over it in a flower design. The concept is from the perspective of the 147,000,000+ orphans in our world: Pick me to love. Pick me to pray for. Pick me to adopt. Pick me to feed. . .

Check out all the cool stuff at 147 Million Orphans, or find an adoptive family selling their shirts as a fundraiser--you'll be helping the cause of orphans and raising awareness by wearing your gear!

If you're an adoptive family doing a fundraiser through 147 Million Orphans, leave a comment and I'd be happy to link to you!

A Whole Lotta Fun for a Buck!

Oh, these pictures make me chuckle!

I bought 2 clearance swimcaps at Old Navy for 97c each. I knew the kids would love being goofy with them.

They quickly got busy with them and wanted me to take pictures everywhere they went.

They got such a kick out of seeing the pics on the camera after every pose.

My kids have big heads, but oh my--Fallyn's looks weird in this one! :)

This is my favorite:

What would I do if I weren't a SAHM and didn't get to see all these moments??? I think of how much happens during the day, versus just during the couple hours of evening and weekends. . . I think I'd miss 95% of stuff like this.

My life is not all rosy and happy-shiny--tending to our kids all day long is exhausting. I post mostly the fun moments on our blog, but believe me, there are PLENTY of HARD HARD moments in our life as parents. I just don't want to complain a lot and blog about all of them!

Being at home full time, day in, day out is exhausting in every way for me, especially after five years straight. Most days, all of me is just spent! It doesn't get easier (for me, not speaking for others). Some days are so hard I just want to check out and come back after bedtime, but there is no other place I'd rather be, and no other person I'd want with my kids all day anyway!

They might rather be with someone else all day sometimes :) but they're stuck with me. . . and I hope someday they look back on this blog (our family journal/scrapbook) and have fond memories of their time at home.

Thanks to my mama, who is the reason I always wanted to stay at home with my kids. Like her, I knew (from a really young age) that there would be no pursuit worth the sacrifice of not being with my kids full time.

You might have noticed I'm a bit more sappy and sentimental lately as I think of Calvin being old enough to start kindergarten soon, and Fallyn having just turned four! That's a lot of years with the 2 peanuts I love the most--and a TON of memories and priceless moments! So glad I got to be there (and take pictures so I don't forget) for all of them!

Love. This. Post.

This one. Read it!

Book Giveaway - Dog Loves Books

I just found out about The Children's Book Review website--looks like a great resource! I'm looking forward to spending more time later perusing the site and subscribing to their blog.

But for now, here's a link to a giveaway for a fabulous new book by Louise Yates called Dog Loves Books! Doesn't it look fantastic? I entered the giveaway and my comment says we'll definitely be buying it if we don't win, and I mean that! I can't wait to have it in our house one way or another. I'm posting the link here to earn an extra entry, but I'd be excited about telling you all about the book anyway. :)

Our Friends Met Their Son!

Our friends are in Ethiopia and met their one-year-old son! He will legally be theirs soon, then they return to the US and anxiously await his visa. Then they go back for a second trip and bring him home!!!

Julie's mom's Facebook status said they are filled with awe for how God brought them together.

Seeing their family's story unfold has been good for my heart. They had unexplained, unexpected delays with their adoption. They waited MUCH MUCH longer than other families at the same point in their processes. They often wondered why, cried out to the Lord, watched the other families who had already brought their sons or daughters home SEVERAL MONTHS ago. . . deep down they had peace that their son just must not be ready, but still it was so hard.

Turns out, their son in fact wasn't at the baby home until this Spring! He only spent 4 months there and then was matched with Julie and Chris. Indeed, God had obviously ordained it all!!!

It's just a good reminder for us that God is definitely over all this--our domestic adoption process and our international--and that the children that He has chosen before there was time to be in our family, WILL be in our family. And in the meantime, He is still accomplishing all that He desires.

Psalm 115 has been good for my soul!

1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

2 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in the heavens;
he does all that he pleases.

4 Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
6 They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
7 They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
8 Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.

9 O Israel, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.

12 The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us;
he will bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the house of Aaron;
13 he will bless those who fear the Lord,
both the small and the great.

14 May the Lord give you increase,
you and your children!
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!

16 The heavens are the Lord's heavens,
but the earth he has given to the children of man.
17 The dead do not praise the Lord,
nor do any who go down into silence.
18 But we will bless the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!

5 For I know that the Lord is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
who makes lightnings for the rain
and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

The same God who makes the clouds rise and lightning strike, who delivered Israel, who brought us into His family. . . is the same one who will form our family as He sees best, when He sees best!

Our Baby is 4 (tomorrow)!

We can't believe you are turning FOUR tomorrow, Miss Fallyn!

Some of our favorite things:

Your funny little accent you developed sometime in the last year! Oh my it's so funny! Words like look, book, cookie, etc. all of a sudden turned into lurk, burk, curkie. . .

It cracks us up when you say things like, "Lurk at my CURRRRkie!" and "Smell my furt, Dad!!!" Your accent is "spreading" to other vowel sounds. Today you said, "Mom! I'm on the TURlet!!!"

Even though we don't sleep well at. all. when you are in our bed, deep down we really just eat up those moments. You just want to cuddle and be sweet all night long! You end up turning perpendicular between us so that your feet are on Daddy's ribs and your head is in Mommy's ribs--you just want to touch us both at the same time. We wake up again and again because there's a little person kissing our cheeks, petting our heads, getting off the bed to adjust our blankets for us. . . Mommy and Daddy lament about how tired we're going to be the next day, but really, we like it. . . we know it won't last forever and we'll miss it someday!

You don't sleep in our bed very often, but almost every night after you've gone to bed in your room, you end up in your spot on the floor by our bed. You sleep on the bare wood floor!

In a week we'll have a party at Grandma's house since VIVIAN will be there! This will be your first birthday with your FAVORITE person here! Every baby and animal you own you have named Vivian. :)

You decided you wanted a "Pink Rainbow Hello Kitty" party. We'll see what we can do.

You seem SO grown up sometimes. . .

But so often you are our baby again!

You crack us up a lot. . . (especially on Versed! Most hilarious moment of 2010!)

You continue to be quite the little mama! The big bear is your favorite "baby" right now, which is pretty funny since it's about as big as you. (photo by Calvin)

You never tire of taking care of your babies, and you usually are insistent on a perfect swaddle.

You still turn other objects into babies if there isn't a dolly nearby--the rinse cup in the bath tub with the net sponge stuck in the top as the head, a shoe. . . You take care of them so well!

Your continuing pack-rat tendencies translate to your sense of fashion, too. Whatever you can fit on your person--pile it on! If you get yourself ready to go, we often have to peel many layers off you before we leave the house. When this picture was taken I think we found your swimsuit and 2 shirts hiding under your sweater. And you had a pair of shorts and another pair of leggings under that skirt and striped leggings (plus the layer of swimsuit). Apparently we were in a hurry or didn't care that day :)

You also layer your babies like crazy. We love seeing how well you take care of your babies. We hope we have a REAL baby for you to help with soon! We never thought you'd be over 4 years old before we had a third child, but we know God has a plan! And we know you will be SUCH a good helper.

Recently you sobbed and sobbed as I held you in my arms when I said Marie and Lincoln can't come to your birthday because they live too far away now. That's the first time you've cried that long just because you were sad about something. It was pitiful! But so sweet! :) My shirt was spotted with tears ALL over!

Our biggest challenge with you right now is working on not whining or overreacting so much!

We love you, sweet girl! We are so grateful God gave you to us!!!