Homeschool Valentine's Day Party

So one of my daughters complaints about homeschooling (which are few, thankfully!) is the lack of parties....

Well, I can fix that!!! Why didn't I think of this before?!? Hmmm...

So I got together with my best friend/SIL/Partner in Crime that's also a homeschooling mama and we planned a party...

Nothing too crazy just a few mama friends and their little ones and we had a blast!!!

We had ART!

And Food!

Some of the girls even did a puppet show for the younger ones...

Well, I guess it's easy to see why I haven't heard any more complaints from my big girl... She's too busy making new friends and having fun!!!

Huge thanks to all of the mamas that brought your kids (and yummy snacks) to the party!  <3

Homeschoolers LOVE Valentines!

To start off the Month of Love our Homeschooling Group decided to start a Valentine-Chain-Mail of AWESOMENESS!

 The kids either made or bought Valentines, practiced writing their address on the envelopes, learned about mail, sent them off, and in return had a month of hearts and cards mailed back to them from all over the country!!!!! It was so fun!!!

My girls loved it and learned a lot!!!! ~ Even my 4 year old can explain how the mail works...she can even tell you where you can buy stamps! ;)

I love teaching my girls about life all with their academics, but most of all about LOVE!

...When The Journey Takes Us Home.

As a family we have been given such a gift!!! We are going home to see my sweet southern family!!! I haven't been home for two year and most of my family have never met my girls....so yeah, EXCITED!!!!!

So now I am packing...preparing...and figuring out how to deal with 3 hyper girls on a small airplane! Trying to get this house cleaned up...yeah, I don't think it's gonna happen in time. Also, getting to the store to pick up our last minute items...

I am also trying to talk myself into eating healthy on the trip, and reminding myself to drink my water!!! All that good Southern Food will be everywhere...oh dear!!!

We are also have a few family dinners, parties, and get-to-gathers!!! So yeah, we are really excited!!! I just hope we can see everyone...always a few me miss seeing as there is so seldom enough time....

We are almost ready to go....

Bubbles...Sparkles...Unicorns...and a candle With The number 4!

And with rainbows and sparkles another little girl turns 4 while her mother wonders how time went by so fast...
My Bubbly girl,
I love you so much!
It seems like just yesterday I was writing your birthday letter, tears falling, and thinking to myself that I am the luckiest mom alive!
 You have grown so much this year... 
You are so expressive! 
Like your birthday party~ you knew it had to be Rainbows and Unicorns~ you got them! 

 You have also turned into a great big sister to Baby girl... 
You are kind and loving and give the best hugs! 
I love the way you always make sure I know Daddy is home from work if I am in the back of the house. You always make sure he always gets a kiss from everyone~even the cat!! 

You are the first to stand up for someone else... You have been known to punch dentists & nurses when sisters have to get poked! You have even told me to "be nice" a time or two.....which is not okay! ;) 

You still light up the room when you are happy! You love to dance on any stage you can find, and make people laugh!
 You play hard! You are brave!!! 

You are so smart! You love reading time...your favorite book right now is Panda Bear Panda Bear what do you See? 
You are really love ART!!!! 
You are so expressive...you love to tell stories!!!
 ~Today you told EVERYONE in the store that it was your birthday!!! 

I love you so much!!! 
You will never truly know the joy that you and your sisters have brought into our lives! 
This is our song for you...it hasn't changed! 

I hope you wish on every star.
I hope you never fall too far. 
I hope this world can see how wonderful you are!

You’re so amazing, you shine like the stars. 
You’re so amazing, the beauty you are. 
You came blazing right in to my heart. 
You’re so amazing. You ARE!
Read more at http://www.lyrics.com/amazing-lyrics-janelle.html#PTekxbcYYvpHrEwM.99 

I love you so much!!! I will love you forever, 
Mommy

Family Weekend at the Deaf School

We are having a great weekend!!!!! We are spending the weekend on campus of the deaf school a couple of hours away!!! 

We learned so much at the classes & presentations!

 Our girls made new friends...

We were impressed with the art!!!

Our oldest (hearing) enjoyed the dramatic arts and meeting other kids with deaf siblings!

Our two youngest loved playing, learning some new vocabulary, and
making new friends!

When the Healing Doesn't Come....

I don't own this song. I just love it.

For printed lyrics- go full screen. 

This song came on the radio on our way home this afternoon...
I listened to it over the happy sounds ofmy girls giggling while showing each other pictures from their books. I thought back to all of that time I spent praying that God would heal me, but the healing never came...
The healing just didn't come...

I couldn't bring life into the world, and I was lifeless in my soul. I had faith for the eternal, but desolate in my mortality. I felt alone~ few will ever struggle with this and only those that have ever understand. I was hopeless. It affected everything around me. I even pushed friends and loved ones away.
Life fell apart... 

The years that we struggled with trying to have a baby were some of the darkest days I have ever endured... Even as I write this I have a light fluttering in my heart of shame and sadness. The pain of each loss mixed with the hope of one day seeing our babies that I never held on earth.
Dreams remained undone...

As I said the healing never came. Instead, another healing came with a phone call and a choice. You see a healing did come after some time; it just wasn't mine. God used me, my husband, and our pain to heal three little girls that were hurting and lost in the foster-care system. Believe me, I am in no way anything special, but I have arms that can hold, ears that can listen, and hands that can sign...those simple things~ God uses to help my girls heal.
He is good~ forever Faithful One, even when the healing doesn't come...

So, no, God didn't heal me; not like I thought He would....
He instead did the miraculous~
He changed~ He changed me. He changed my heart. He changed my mind.
He simply took my pain away when I first heard that simple, yet miraculous word~ "Mommy."

Completing A Part Of Our Journey

Today we completed a part of our journey and in a way started another....

We finalized our adoption. 

We started our morning at 6am a little earlier that normal. Thankful for little graces our middle daughter woke in a great mood!!! She had some quiet time with daddy...and a good breakfast. 

I went in to wake up our eldest daughter with the words "Happy Dappy Adoption Day..." She smiled up out of the covers and "happy too, mama" she was still a little sleepy... :) 

I went into the living room and sat on the floor and took out the 37 curlers I put in their hair the night before...styled their hair, put on little shoes & clothes. I just kept waiting for it to sink in... 

As we are driving to the courthouse it starts POURING DOWN RAIN!!! 

Yep, all of that work, all of that sitting still while mama makes pretty hair was for pretty much nothing.. LOL! 

In some of the pix we pretty much look like...well like we came through a rain storm! 

We found our way to our courtroom and went to sign-in, met up with one of our workers. I am starting to relax...and then I found myself in a battle of "then" {Du du dum}<--ominous music.

Then I noticed it was taking a really long time....ehhh that is just how it goes, I had hair to wrangle. *eh*

Then I noticed one of our workers pulling hubby aside... Weird, but my 2yr old needs me. *hmm*

Then I see social workers whispering in the corner and my blood pressure starts to rise.... *ACCK!*

Then one of the workers come over to talk to me...and says "everything is fine, mama." *PANIC!*

Then the other worker finally came and told me that they couldn't find is in the computer! *GASP!*

Then I got REALLY upset...I am smiling but inside, a storm! I pray. *Will self not to cry* 

 It all worked out...our workers are pretty amazing and tenacious!!! *breath*

We go inside and sit and the judge says a bunch of stuff about....inheritance or something?? My head was swirling, and my heart was lost to me. It was a beautiful blend of surreal & defined. This was forever. This was my life. This was my family. This was forever... 

We go on to sign some papers and then we are on to taking pictures. My face is red in like every picture! I was fighting back emotion....stressed from before...and like a gazillion degrees!!! It's okay, I would have stayed in the sauna..ummm I mean courtroom all day if I had too. I had my babies. I have them forever. 

We were a bit rushed at the end as other families were waiting...friends and family met outside the courtroom to say congratulations. They hugged and held our little girls. They made our day so special!!! I am so thankful for such wonder people in our lives. I watched as my babies giggled and laughed. They ran and twirled in the open area fully loved and accepted.

 I sat outside the courtroom as waited for the last of our paperwork~ quiet, thinking. I kept waiting for this feeling that didn't come. I kept somehow thinking that I should feel different. I should feel something...then I realized I already did. You see for a long time now...

they have been mine.

Now it is simply legal. 

Happy Birthday Baby Bird!!!!

Happy Birthday my little baby bird...I love you so much!!!  

You are so sweet! I love how much you love babies. How you love to "tittle' tickle us and play peek-a-boo. I love it when I am rocking you to sleep and you look into my eyes or brush my check and say "mama." Sometimes you even sing the little lullaby back to me... You are so sweet! I love you so much. 

I am so proud of you! 

When you first came home:

You toddled & fell~ now you run! 

You barely ate~ now you eat "shishkin" all by yourself. 

You cried a lot~ now you smile and laugh! 

You needed to be held~ now you love to play!

I see you growing everyday, but it is okay if you want to be my baby a little longer...how does till you are 40 sound?!? 

I love you baby girl...

Mommy.

Our Welcome Home Shower~

Some sweet friends and family gave me an adoption shower this last weekend... It was wonderful! We received truly thoughtful gifts, but the best part was just getting together with my friends.

It was also a beautiful shower!!! I just walked around looking at the decorations..

What a great spread!!!

Some sweet gifts!!!

I am so blessed with such great friends & family!!! I love them all so much!