Thursday, July 30, 2009

We're off...

to another mini vacation that is! Be back after a short trip to Branson!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Way Back When-esday & Wordful Wednesday


Where it all began...

July 2001
Our Family at the time - Mike, Ronnie, Brooke, MyLinda & Dee Dee

Ronnie & Dee Dee were our very first foster placements. They came to us in May 2001 at 18 mos. old and left in August 2001 back to a mother that repeatedly hurt them and said that she didn't want them. Fortunately we heard that just a couple of months later Ronnie & Dee Dee were pulled from their home again and this time went to adoptions where we hope they found a wonderful loving forever family.

One of the changes for our family this year (that I mentioned in my last post) is that we are closing our foster license (actually I'm writing the letter today). We have fostered many wonderful little ones in our eight years as a foster family, had our hearts broken way too many times and received the greatest gift when we were able to add Lexy to our forever family. We have decided to take the leap out of "foster world" for many reasons but the most obvious to us is that it just feels like the right time. We are glad that God led us to be a foster family and we would do it all over again (not saying we wouldn't want to change the outcome of some things :-)) but now we feel it is time to move on. For me, it will be hard to let go of this portion of our life as I have allowed myself to think of being "foster mom" as part of my identity and to just become "normal mom" is going to be an adjustment but a necessary one. Now we move forward.

To check out who else is playing along join Cheryl for Way Back When-esday and Angie at Wordful Wednesday !

Monday, July 27, 2009

Ok, Ok

I've been reminded by many that they wait for my blog updates and those have been few and far between lately. In my defense, it is summer and the girls have been keeping me busy!! We have been doing lots of fun activities (such as the waterpark last Friday) but I have sacrificed pictures for just enjoying my time with the girls and I love to include pictures in my posts so no pictures = no post I guess...I'll try to do better :-)

This weekend we visited Papa & Grammy and had a great time! We thought we better make it up there once more before all the chaos of school starting begins. We got to do a little school clothes shopping, spend quality time just being together and having a great dinner of grilled hot dogs/hamburgers and homemade ice cream! I realized that homemade ice cream is something that neither Brooke nor Lexy has ever had the pleasure of experiencing...I KNOW, bad Mommy! So Papa made up a batch of homemade strawberry ice cream and the girls (plus Kenzie) got to experience that yummy goodness for the first time, and LOVED it!

After realizing how quickly summer has passed by, Mike took next Fri./Mon. off and we decided to do a last minute mini vacation to Branson, MO. Our vacation at the beginning of July was fun and we got a lot accomplished with the playroom makeover (yes there are still pictures of this coming) but we decided that we just wanted another opportunity to get away and enjoy being a family.

There's been a lot of thinking and talking going on around here about how our family and life are changing this year. I'll share more about those things another time.

Right now I'll leave you with a collage of some pictures of Brooke that I took, man she's growing up WAY too fast!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Focus Friday


Focus Friday



Ellen over at Thrifty & Chic Mom has this great weekly challenge. Focus Friday is where you list a couple of small and/or large projects that you want to focus on for the week and then the next week you tell how you did at getting those projects done.

Last weeks goals...
1.) Find a computer/tv table and paint polka dots on walls to finish our playroom makeover. Got a computer table (and set up the computer) still need tv table (Mike is going to make) and paint the polka dots (got the paint).
2.) Sign Brooke and I up for a craft fair and get back to making my monsters! Opps forgot about this one!
3.) Have another fun week with my girls (last week we went to movies, pool and farmstead) and find a little "me" time. This week we went bowling, had a playdate over at Robin's and today we are going to a waterpark!

This weeks goals...
1.) Get the polka dots done.
2.) Look into the craft fair thing.
3.) Work on the basement disaster and start pricing for a garage sale.

Friday, July 17, 2009

The joy of Lexy...

This morning when Lexy woke up she came out and in a pitiful little voice asked "can you find lovey please?" She doesn't really carry lovey around much anymore but she makes sure he is with her at bedtime every night (along with Sock Monkey, Silly and Froggy). So we had to go on a "lovey hunt" this morning, we even have our own little song for this (as he used to get "lost" a lot)...


"we're going on a lovey hunt

where could he beee

we're going on a lovey hunt

is he hiding from meee?"


We normally would repeat this as we frantically searched through the house for lovey. This morning lovey was hiding between Lexy's bed and the wall hidden by the hundreds of other "friends" that are on her bed :-) Lexy is now laying on the floor watching Dora with lovey cuddled in her arms.


IN OTHER LEXY NEWS...

She's getting big WAY TOO FAST for my liking!!!!

Focus Friday


Focus Friday

Ellen over at Thrifty & Chic Mom has this great weekly challenge. Focus Friday is where you list a couple of small and/or large projects that you want to focus on for the week and then the next week you tell how you did at getting those projects done.

I haven't participated for a couple of weeks with vacation, etc. so here goes...

This weeks goals...

1.) Find a computer/tv table and paint polka dots on walls to finish our playroom makeover.
2.) Sign Brooke and I up for a craft fair and get back to making my monsters!
3.) Have another fun week with my girls (last week we went to movies, pool and farmstead) and find a little "me" time.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Old fish, New fish

While fixing breakfast yesterday morning, I reminded Lexy to feed her pet fish Swimmy. A few moments later Lexy asks "why is Swimmy on the bottom?". My heart stopped as I walked over to her, I looked at the fish and then at Lexy and tears started filling Lexy's eyes and then mine.
You see...Papa & Grammy bought Swimmy (1) for Lexy as a gift and Lexy loved and talked to that fish like it was her best friend. So when Mike noticed one evening several months ago that Swimmy (1) had passed on I ran out and replaced him with Swimmy (2) before Lexy noticed. Lexy never knew even though Swimmy (1) and Swimmy (2) didn't even look the same (except they were both Betta Fish).
I knew this time would not be so easy. All day yesterday Lexy would ask questions..."why did Swimmy die?", "Why isn't he in a grave?", "Can I still talk to Swimmy?" and make statements..."Swimmy needs a grave and a marker that says Here Lies Swimmy", "Swimmy is in that big aquarium in the sky now", "I know Swimmy would be happy if I got a new fish". Lexy decided that Swimmy would rather have a toilet burial and said goodbye with tears in her eyes.
Today I asked Lexy if she wanted to get another fish and she said yes (after trying to get the dog (mini dachshund) that she's been begging for out of the deal). So Lexy, Brooke and I went to Wal-Mart to choose a new friend. At first we didn't see the bettas so we were looking at the goldfish but then we came across two bettas and Lexy fell in love with one of them. So we came home with Lexy's new friend, Fineous Swimmy Fishtin (yes she made this up) and some new rocks and a plant for his bowl.
Lexy with her new friend Fineous (red)

Friday, July 10, 2009

A yummy dessert

I hinted to Brooke and Kenzie yesterday afternoon that if they wanted dessert they needed to make it. They got to work and made a great tasting lemon cake with lemon icing and sprinkles, YUM! I figure it was a learning experience (following directions), a self confidence booster (they can do it all on their own) and a life skill (a really important one, they must know how to make themselves dessert!). :-)

Our third daughter





We went to see our third daughter, Kenzie (Brooke's BFF) play her last game of softball a couple of nights ago. It was WAY hot out and they lost but at least we got to see her play and she was happy that we were there!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Ahhh summer...

This is the way summer should be! The girls and I slept in and then leisurely got ready and packed a picnic lunch. After a stop at Wal-Mart for grapes and cookies to add to our lunch, we headed to the park and had our picnic and then played in the park for a while. On our way home we stopped at Sonic for happy hour slushes....Ahhh summer!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Way Back When-esday & Wordful Wednesday

Wow what a difference a year makes, they're growing up WAY too fast! Both these pictures were taken at Coco Key (a local indoor waterpark in a hotel) on our annual stay in July...we started this tradition last year and the girls love it!

July 2008

Brooke (12) & Lexy (4)

July 2009

Lexy (5) & Brooke (13)

To check out who else is playing along join Cheryl for Way Back When-esday and Angie at Wordful Wednesday !

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Long time no blog...


Wow I can't believe it has taken me so long to get back to blogging! Last week we spent our "stay-cation" just being a family, spending time together enjoying one another and it was great!!

We started off shopping for new things for the playroom makeover (pics to come after I take them) such as carpet, cabinets and paint. We went to see a movie one day and spent a couple days at a local hotel that has a waterpark inside and had a great 4th of July with family and friends...in between we worked on our playroom makeover which includes a handmade kitchen and small stage area :-) Surprising how much we enjoyed just spending time together without all the hustle and bustle of a go go go type of vacation!

Friday, July 3, 2009

A sneak peek

We are still enjoying our family stay-cation time and we are almost done with the playroom makeover! More pics to come but thought I'd give you a peek...


The NEW playroom color...


Look at those looks of PURE JOY!!!
I hope you are enjoying the holiday with family and friends!