A Fabulous Fourth Weekend

We had a fabulous 4th of July weekend - complete with all the things that make it the 4th!

It started off with a nice visit from Grandma Julie - complete with chinese food and some practice round with the chopsticks

Saturday morning, the pool boy started off the weekend with a cup of coffee and the brand new pool vacuum....doesn't he look happy? 

One of the fun things about this past weekend was that I was able to test out some fun recipes I had been collecting. Sunday afternoon we had our good friends Art & Linda over for a bbq. I was able to try out my new stuffed hamburger patties recipe and the fun strawberry shortcake on a stick dessert! I don't usually post food pictures - but these just begged to be shared! 

Ann & Patrick just kicking back....

Our very good friends Art & Linda - who were hosting the neighborhood party the next day

Yeah for the weekend! 

A little sports action....

A LOT of pool action - complete with the new mask &and snorkel) that dad bought her - helps her with her mermaid imitation that she is busy perfecting! 

For the neighborhood party - one more recipe to try out. These are really yummy!!!! made even better with the help of my sous chef! 

Monday afternoon, the traditional neighborhood Fourth of July BBQ! The lovely Ann...and my very fashionable Sam! 

We are so blessed - we live in a great country...and a great neighborhood! 

The Pool Guy

So not only is my husband the ultimate "Mr. Mom", he also is now a pool guy! Our girls love to swim (and I confess that I love how early they go to bed at night after an hour or two in the pool in the afternoon!). While we have a great house with a lot of features, unfortunately one of them is also a backyard too small for a big pool. So - Amazon to the rescue and to the house came a big box with a 12' round, 30" deep pool. 

Doug became a pool guy - deftly setting it up along with helper Matt. The girls couldn't even wait till it was full to get in! 

being naked outside is the great equalizer in our house - so much so that the mom has been overheard saying "take your clothes off & go outside" when the conflict is running high! 

It's been an every afternoon - for several hours - activity! It's the perfect size to practice swimming and relax for everyone! My husband - the pool guy extraordinaire! 

Mr. Mom

Since Wednesday, my husband has totally stepped to the plate & been "Mr. Mom.". I was in the hospital for some surgery from Wednesday through Friday, and then home but pretty bed bound. Doug was - in a word - amazing. He did have help from Tia Annie (who was more than amazing!), but my husband totally stepped up to the plate and hit the ball out of the park. While Tia Annie made sure my children were fed and clothed and kept them alive with hte necessities, Doug made sure that during this scary time of mom being in the hospital, they were loved on & secure and unafraid. 

My girls sure do love their dad - and this is one grateful mom! 

Denied but not Deterred

Sunday in church, I was ruminating about how in this season of my life, I am solely relying on God to hold onto to me as my hands feel too full to hold onto Him.  There are those that spent time in the Word, go to bible study, attend conferences, have hours of time in prayer - and then there is me -  so busy trying to live it that I don't get to any of those things most of the time.  I miss my reflective life and times - and I know that season will return someday, so for now, I just try to hold it all together every day moving forward with my family and all the associated stuff we have going on right now. I trust that God will hold me us, guide me and hang onto me. It's not a great place to be as I feel far away from God - but it's where I am right now.

Until yesterday.

Until I was driven to my knees.

Literally.

By some devastating news.

China has denied our efforts to get a medical visa for Ai Liu. 

"No."

"Too risky" they said.

She can't come. 

I am heartbroken for her. I can not shake the sensation that half way across the world, one little girl's heart who had begun to hope has been shattered. 

It has driven me back to God as I cry out for her and for me - as I had made room for her in our home and in my heart. 

But we are not deterred. God has called to us again to truly step out in faith.  If we can't get her here one way, we will try another. We will adopt her now instead of later. It's a journey we have traveled before - the same, yet very different. We are stepping out in faith in so many ways - she is an older child with severe medical needs, we have no idea how will we finance it, we need to find a new adoption agency & home study agency and we need to do this all with mountain moving speed as she is so in need of help. 


God has my attention again. I have been drawn back in a most powerful way. I am at the foot of the cross, trusting that He will make a way. 

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act"

            proverbs 24:12

Time Tested

There are some things in life that stand the test of time. Sadly, many friendships don't. People move, have babies - or adopt (!), have misunderstandings, or simply grow apart. It's hard to pin point exactly what it takes for a friendship to stand the test of time - to weather all the storms in a lifetime and come out on the other side still standing. I think it's part grace, part laughter, part life experiences and part....time. 

I have a friend that I met in nursery school - yes, nursery school! For those busily doing the math, that's about 45 years ago. We went to grammar school together - where by the 2nd grade there was a note in our permanent record we were not to be in the same class (try explaining that 6 years later to the people at the exclusive private school we both wound up at!) We drifted in & out of one another's life after high school for the next twenty years, then an invitation to a high school fund raising event found us living 3000 miles away from where we met within an hour of one another. 

There is an ease about our friendship that I share with only a few other people. While we have some common lifestyle traits - we married later in life than most of our friends, and both became mothers in our 40's - it is more than that. We share political and religious perspectives - but it is more than that. We both have kids with a special need - but it is more than that.

It's knowing someone almost as long as you have known your parents.

It is starting off in the same place together and finding that 45 years later - you are once again in the same place. 

It's being able to be totally yourself - knowing that she know how geeky you were in grade school.

It's a comfort and a security that comes with literally a life long friend - 

I got to spend the weekend with my friend Megan in Seattle last week while I was there for my wonderful niece's college graduation (a post forthcoming on that!). What a great time we had catching up and kicking back - and reconnecting. 

What a blessing these friends who have been through so much with me have been to me! 

Table for Two

"In case of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, place your own mask on first, then assist those around you"

We have had a serious loss of cabin pressure at the casa lately, making it hard for the mom and the dad to assist those around us that need assistance. 

So we left.

For two nights.

Without them (you know who they are...)

We went here. 

Did I mentioned by ourselves? 

At all our meals, we asked for a table for two.

Just two.

We sat on the porch.

Just us.

With a glass of wine.

Cabin pressure has been restored - and so we now can assist those who need assistance. 

It sure is nice to remember why we chose to fly this journey together. 

So much to do!

It's been a busy few days here - but not too busy for a little summer treat! These are our new favorite things - smoothie pops. Homemade - 100% organic, fruit, yogurt, milk and a dash of honey from Australia. The girls love them! 

We also celebrate Memorial Day

With friends over and all the requisite summer treats - including s'mores.

The week was pretty standard - not too much to report on - but we rolled into this activity packed weekend on Friday with Becky's end of the year school picnic. We had snow cones...

.....friends.....

....and pony rides!! 

Saturday morning was the end of year tee ball party...at Chuck E. Cheese - 

Becky received her trophy, medal and certificate of achievement. She was very proud of herself - and we were very proud of her as well! She came so far this year - not only in her tee ball skills, but in her teamwork, sportsmanship and team work ethic.

 and that was just the beginning of the weekend! More to follow.......