What a great weekend!

*two days and NO kids

*3 hour drive in PEACE

*over 2 hours shopping at outlets by MYSELF while Paul was in a business meeting

*happy hour.......need i say more

* walking through IKEA with my hubby

*eating dinner and getting what WE want to get and talking adult language

*sleeping..........okay--sleeping was horrible as it was prom night in this town and foolish high schoolers were staying over in a hotel and awake til about 3 or 4am.

*waking up with no kids to tend to

*enjoying my COFFEE

*shopping at IKEA, and more shopping, and more.............okay I hate shopping, but it was with no kids!

*lunch with my hubby

*peaceful ride home

Last weekend we had a lovely weekend away. My mom offered to take the kids........boy was she brave!! Actually I think she was sick of seeing my messy house and not having a good place to put our stuff and organize it.. LOL!! We have this formal dining room, complete with chandelier that we'll use as a computer room yet we didn't have furniture for it when we moved so stuff is just kind of in there. Maybe having that room organized would help with the piles of papers stacked in the kitchen........???? But anyways, she didn't have to volunteer twice for us to make a trip out of it. :) And of course Paul always has to push the limits. A one day shopping to IKEA turned into an overnight so we could enjoy dinner and an evening and then that turned into another full day so that he could do some business while heading that way anyways...........So that is how we got 2 days!!!!! And let me tell you it was wonderful. I feel like there was this checklist in the back of my head of things I hadn't gotten around to running past Paul or talking about. So we were able to talk about stuff and just plain feel like you got a grip on life again.

I have to admit..........I HATE to shop. I HATE it, HATE it, HATE it!!!!!!!!!!! I would rather do without than to go shopping. I'm a visual shopper, like I have to see the whole picture and have it put together to make it look good. I'm not very good at being creative and making anything look good. So IKEA was a little overwhelming. I walked through once to just check it out. Then on the second time I started seeing things I liked. By the third time....................I realized I was seeing certian things I liked...........just put together in different surroundings. Okay----like the fourth time through I figured out what we wanted for this room. Poor Paul. Like between friday and Saturday I think we were at the store for like 6 hours. But I'd call it success!!!! We have stuff for like an office/kid room and I actually think it will look good!!! Now...............it will be a bit before it's all put together because the room needs a little TLC and painting. Current project is some outdoor stuff.............but eventually we'll get to it.............and we just couldn't pass up a weekend of going away when someone offered to take the kids so we could go shopping. Thanks mom and Lisa for being with the kids!

So cute!

The only thing I'd steal.........

Is a kiss from a sleeping boy!!!

Great day

Today was a good day. As I'm thinking about it, I just can't get over just how ........incredibly blessed I feel. It was a big day for Aidan and Samara and for us as well. We had them baptized, and it was just all good.

You know, we debated about if we should have a fancy dress or just a simple white dress. Fancy isn't usually me...........and it's not what matters...............but today I was glad we chose fancy. Samara loved spinning around and felt like a princess. When Samara would put it on she would say....'for me?" It was fun letting her have a special dress. When we look back on pictures, it will be a day that was special and different. And it's just plain good............after all.......... she is a princess since she is the daughter of the King! And Aidan. he was looking handsome as ever. I don't think he ever forgets his smile. It's with him all the time and he just looks as cute as can be.

spring break...

Lots of work.......

But also lots of play!!!

Over the course of spring break we began our project of putting dread locks in Samara's hair. There were endless hours of twisting, but we made it! It wouldn't surprise me if we had about 12 hours into it..........so any waking tv time was spent with me doing her hair. I was going to do it over the course of 2 weeks, but with a funeral we had to get it finished.

We also stayed at a hotel for night. This was lots of the fun for the kids. The funniest part was watching the kids run around with excitement before we even went. Alyssa and Austin were all excited and running around singing (or yelling) 'we get to go to a hotel!!!!!......we get to go to a hotel!!'..............and so therefore Samara and Aidan were running around yelling.......'we get to go to a hotel!!!! We get to go to a hotel!!!' It was just hilarious to watch them be so excited..........and not even know what they were excited for :) But it was a great time. We were with cousins so that is always a new adventure for the kids to run between the rooms. Samara LOVED the water. She was like a fish. We gave her a life jacket and she was good to go. Aidan.........well, let's just say.............I might not have to worry about him so much this summer with the pool. Here is two funny stories. I was in the water with him and he says to me..."Aidan go pee-pee" So of course we get out of the pool right away and go. He unloads and I know he's totally good to go for a while. The minute we get back in the pool...................Aidan looks at me with this grin and says to me, "Aidan go pee-pee". He is one smart kid..........he thought he figured out the words to "no more swimming"........but I wasn't falling for it

So I was laughing at that and telling Paul, so Paul says to him..."Aidan, do you like swimming, or do you like time outs?" Aidan says............."time out please!"

so that's where swimming ranks!!!!

although I have hope that he will like swimming, because usually whatever the big kids are doing........he wants to do too. :)

It doesn't matter.....

This past week we were able to spend the final moments of grandpa's life with him. As I sat and was watching all the family members and kids around and was watching him breath some of his last breathes, I couldn't help and think about how there is NOTHING in this world of earthly importance that matters. Here grandpa lay.....with little clothes on....and anything that might have earthly meaning is NO WHERE around. There was only ONE thing that mattered...........that he knew Jesus. The only memories that really mattered were the ones about his character and his love for Jesus.

It was once again a challenge for me to think about. Because it's funny how it's so easy to get caught up in earthly things.........daily. It's it human nature to want to prove yourself?

Do you ever get tired of trying to prove yourself ?

Prove that you are.....

Pretty enough

Rich enough

Strong enough

Worthy enough

Skinny enough

Smart enough

Creative enough

Popular enough

Good enough

ENOUGH.

But really can I tell you that......

Your diplomas, degrees, and credentials don’t make a difference.

How popular your kids are don’t make a difference.
The square footage of your house doesn’t make a difference.
Your jean size doesn’t make a difference.
Your pedicures, massages and French manicures don’t make a difference.
Your designer labels don’t make a difference.
How clean your house is doesn’t make a difference.
The size of your diamond doesn’t make a difference.
Your past failures don’t make a difference.
Your bank account doesn’t make a difference.
Paying $120 to have your hair done monthly doesn't make a difference.
Others approving of your life doesn't make a difference.

Your HEART will be what makes the difference.

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)

Only with adoption.........

It's been a bit of a process with Samar's name. I, admittedly, called her Sa*mar when she was first home......(not knowing better)..........only to be told it was Sah*mah. So we have gotten use to that. Yet, most places we go she is called Sa*mar unless people know her.

Recently Samar has also asked about why names are different. Why is Manuel.........Aidan? or why is so-and so now Abby? or so-and-so now Marcus? So she asked about her name as well. Without having any second to think about names I said........."why, would you want to be Ashley, or Denise, or Samara?" And she right away said she was Samara. She will call herself Samara now and write it that way. She even told someone that the other day. So we officially decided we are changing her name to Samara. It's an Americanized version of her name................most people aren't thinking French and having a silent R.........so I really think it will be good. It's just one of those things we didn't really think through since we expected a longer wait, and it just wasn't on our mind for the first 2 months.

Our paperwork is such a mess..........what's one more thing to confuse it, right???

Now the funny thing is Alyssa is asking what name she can have....LOL...........

Happy Easter

Because He Lives......

We are So Blessed!!

We had a fantastic Easter Sunday. We had great church time and then we just had some time to play before we had dinner with family. We stopped by a park and had fun playing around and taking pictures. It was just a fun time :) And we were able to spend the evening with some friends and just celebrating with their family. What a blessing!!

Some of the very first things Samar would say to us would be............'do you love Jesus?' and 'Jesus loves everyone!'

We literally get asked that daily. Seriously. When we sit at supper she goes around and asked everyone....'do you love Jesus?' She will talk about Jesus and loving Him. And it was important to her that we loved Jesus too. She has brought up people in her life and would say.......'so and so loves Jesus'. And now as her english is progressing and being Easter weekend, we had so many visual opportunities that we could tell her all about Jesus. We could talk about what good friday means, and at church there was a visual of a tomb, and then just being able to celebrate that Jesus wasn't in that tomb, but alive! We are so blessed by this girl and by seeing her love Jesus, there isn't any language barrier for loving Jesus!