Grateful 2011: August Edition

Sarah. Patio enjoyment. Mike, Melissa and Mark! Mike, Melissa and Mark! Mike, Melissa, and Mark (I really am so happy to see these people)! Conversation with Von. Pation conversations. Micah coming home. Time with Asma. Dinner date with Melissa. Colleen and Van. Camping with family. Hummus. A warm shower. Family time. Uncle Jon! Productive days. Rainstorms. Meeting with Barb. Day spent with Mihretu. Colleen. A positive doctor's appointment. Fish tacos and Red Ass Rhubarb wine. Quiet moments. A morning walk with Melissa. Distractions from pain. Neighbors and playdates. Positive feedback. Watching Uncle Jon love on Mihretu. Friday. Good books. The end of the day and new beginnings. Pumpkin muffins. Letters from friends. Lunch date and conversation with Colleen. Dinner with Jon and Becky.

Little Saturday Project

1st Day Back

It was nothing but pure excitement for the little man as he returned to preschool today, which was a nice reassurance for this mama's heart.

Buddies

The little man got to hang out with a good buddy today while we were at work.

(Photos courtesy of Shelly Coulter)

We are so grateful the little man has such wonderful friends and that we have friends who are willing to serve us in a time of need.

Black Hills

(Received this photo from LaVon and was instantly reminded why I love the Black Hills so much)

When I admire the wonders of a sunset

or the beauty of the moon,

my soul expands in the worship of the creator.

Mohandas Gandhi

A Trip to the Doctor's

We went to the doctor's office today for the little man's annual check-up and it was great! There were no shots and no tears. Well actually, I take that back, I cried three times, but they were all tears of extreme thankfulness and joy. We still have a long ways for him to go to catch up to American four year olds height and weight wise, but developmentally he is doing great - almost too great. We have our work cut out for us to keep him challenged. So thankful - so completely thankful for a positive visit and some great news!

Uncle Jon!

Uncle Jon made it to Laramie and we are so excited!!!! It will be nice to have him closer and be able to share a lot more of life with him. The little man is very happy and I will be honest, I love seeing the two of them spending time together!

Comments

Going through the process of adoption can be a journey that allows you to have some interesting interactions with a lot of people. I don't know if this happens with other parents, but we get some very personal questions asked of us by complete strangers. We also hear a lot of people's opinions about what we are doing.

We currently have some friends of ours navigating through a very difficult decision and as I have spent time listening to their struggles and trying to encourage them, I am dumbfounded by the liberty some people feel they can take in telling them what should or shouldn't be done.

I found a blog post here that gives a glimpse into some of the things people feel they need to say to families. Definitely hard to believe - but it makes me so thankful for the times when people are sensitive and caring.

Here are some things that people have said to us:

Us - "We're adopting from Ethiopia!"

Person - "Are you going to get a child that is white or will they not let you have that choice?"

Another Person - "Is it going to be white?"

Person - "Are you babysitting?"

Me - "No, this is my son."

Person - "Oh, is your husband an athlete at the University?"

Person after finding out M. is adopted - "Well thank goodness you were able to get him out of that horrible situation and place."

Person - "So did you adopt because you can't have any real kids?" (As if M. is just a toy or pretend child?!)

After introducing M.

Person -"So with a weird name like that, where did he come from?"

Another climb!

Camp Dress

Adventures in Alaska

Micah had the opportunity to travel to Alaska last summer for a once in a lifetime trip where he spent a week hanging with his brother, fishing and camping, and enjoying the finer things that Alaska life has to offer.

Well that once in a lifetime trip happened again this summer (lucky guy).

So a few short days after we returned from our travels, Micah repacked his bags and headed to Alaska for an 8 day adventure with his father and brother. They had decided the best way to spend Jon's last full week in Alaska was to take a canoeing trip, and get a lot of fishing and camping in before the long drive back to the lower 48 had to occur.

Here are just a few of the photos from their adventures.

Where Children Sleep

Found this interesting post today. It definitely made me stop and think about all that I have to be thankful for. Hope you enjoy it too.

Uncle Mark Saves the Day!

The little man asked for a gopher hole and it was built. He requested a talking fish and it talked. He demanded Uncle Marks undivided attention and it was given lovingly.

Such a lucky little guy.

How to Give a Haircut

Mike wanted a haircut, so the little man decided to show him how it is done. It was a very entertaining experience and thankfully Uncle Mark was there to save the day and Mike's haircut from looking like a 4 year old actually cut the entire thing.

(Photos courtesy of Mike and Melissa)

They're Here!!!!!

(We've only been waiting since June 28th, 2010 for this wonderful day to arrive!)

Project Time

Got this for two dollars and recovered it with some already purchased fabric.

Found this and wasn't in love with it, but knew I could make it work after I took out the lace, cut out the lattice, and sawed off the molding. It holds our stereo perfectly and keeps all of our table linens nicely organized!

Patio Touchups

If you will recall in this post, we finished the majority of the patio but still had some things that we needed to finish up. So how should M. and I spend our first day Micah free? Working on the patio of course! It took the majority of the day, and a little extra muscle and entertainment from Sarah and her two kiddos (so thankful they stopped by), but we got it done! Right before bedtime M. helped me plant the remainder of the plants that will grow along the border - he keeps calling it his garden and is so proud to address each plant by the correct name. We are very excited to enjoy our morning bowl of oatmeal and cup of coffee outside tomorrow morning!