A Thorn Among Roses

"mom, i kissed a boy tonight." me: "really." "yep. it was great." me: "what made you decide to do that?" "just did. it was fun." me: "who did you kiss?" "john." me: "your cousin?" "yep. i just leaned right over and kissed him." me: "where did you kiss him?" "like this." (followed by a kiss on the cheek). yep...it's true. brooke kissed a boy...her second cousin, john, for pete's sake. hopefully this isn't a sign of things to come...i guess i need to ugly this girl up and teach her to keep her lips to herself a bit! boy, this is too much. i thought i only had to worry about the teen kissing the boys...and she doesn't!!! but, the 5 year old...oh my. that's my brooke. and, sadly, soooo me too. this is me and my cousin, kevin...throw back a few years...and kevin, btw, is john's dad. this is one of those times where you hear your mom and dad laughing h...

just watch it...let's change some things.

i did it.  i gave in. i saw twilight with paige...now i feel like i am part of the cult. and...now i'm terrified that someone is going to watch me in my sleep. i'm a weiny...i don't do scary.  i don't do suspenseful. i don't like mean.  i hate vampires. so why was the story line so amazing!!!??!!! i guess i fall hard for a great love story...reminds me of hubs!  so, i say bring on the next one, whatever it's called...i'm a twilight virgin, so just bear with me. ok, edward looks cute and his skin sparkles, but he's a vampire!!!  hello!! in the first 3 minutes, i screamed i yelled with all my might, "you go, edward" during the fight scene i did the "bury the head in the shirt" and say over and over, "i hate scary, paige. i hate scary.  i don't do scary." speaking of good...thanksgiving was good. (terrible transition, but oh well. it's my blog. right?) the fam was great.  the girls played like bandits on a train...foo...

happy thanksgiving...so i'm just doing the "scheduled post" thing today, because, seriously, eating food is way more important than blogging one day a year!! a few (not so ordinary) things i'm thankful for today...in no particular order, btw: faith and example from my elders {this is grandma e's} the beach...aaahhhhh yes, my beans of joy...coffee the crew...had to throw one given in here! my kids art (and scanners)...this is from paige in 2000  {s he's gonna hate this when she sees it} cereal...the "oh my we haven't eaten dinner and it's 8 o'clock" food birth siblings  {family...no matter where we live or where we came from} crayons...hours of enjoyment  {and the kids like them too} i love sooooo many things... and you all are one of them, my bloggy friends!!! happy thanksgiving! __________________________________________ national adoption awareness month one of the newer ways that parents are adopting is through embryo adoption.  sometim...

my sofie is cracking me up these days...at 10 months she is moving like a jacked up lioness on mountain dew.  she's an absolute riot...such a great combo of all of us!!!  so, she may need therapy later in life for this, but she is growling all the time now...and we can't stop making her do it...and then laughing our butts off.  so instead of a pic today, it's def this video. (yes, she really is that small...she's a 34 week preemie {3lbs 10oz} .  she's up to 13 lbs and 25 inches , so she's gi-normous to us!) wordfull wednesday is hosted by angie at 7 clown circus and you know:  all the cool kids are doing it!!! _____________________________ november is national adoption awareness month icareaboutorphans.org is a great site for information and uplifting in the adoption process.  here's a snippet on how you can help:  Speak Up for Them Be an advocate for the waiting children in your community. Talk to family and friends about the waiting children you kn...

one of the things that will forever be a legacy in this house is the little "krystal-isms" from our foster daughter krystal.  first, krystal is pretty much the only one that thinks ryan's jokes are funny...so she laughs, when paige and i stare.  years of "a mushroom walks into a bar" can do that to a person.  second, her affection for teaching jk fun little (mildly inappropriate) funny sayings that will forever linger. {u may have to mute my fab new music at the bottom...sorry}    ________________________________________________ national adoption awareness month each state has it's own set of rules and regulations on adoption...and since we all live in different places, click here to find out the good, the bad and the ugly of your state....just kidding!! and for those kiddos who are not infants but have did a little time in life, there's the gateway for kids that are adoptable in every state in the union.  again, i say, you don't have to adopt o...

i DID NOT say to hubs, "i am not beautiful. i'm fat. i look terrible. u only like me because u have  no other choice.   u r stuck with me ." i DID NOT eat pizza 3 days this week.  nope. i DID NOT spend my entire girls clothing budget on one fab piece a girl at the Matilda Jane trunk show.   {so much funnn} i DID NOT get p's report card showing all A's this week.  what a girl!!! i DID NOT break away from the house by myself on saturday...and really miss my girls and hubs while i was gone.   sad . i DID NOT make 7 operation christmas child boxes with my HS small group girls, who are the most flipping amazing girls in the world!   {woo hoo samaritan's purse} i DID NOT try to talk on the phone 5 times with my friend, karen, since wednesday...and fail to have one single conversation. i DID NOT get a big bottle of burberry brit from hubs as a little 'you mean the world to me and i think ur wonderful' gift.   {he's soooo good...and a gift like that is ...

ryan's trip to france (did i mention i am so going with him some time) was good. i asked for some pics of his daily time there...and without fail, he did as asked. what a man! {be jealous...really} take a glance at these buildings...a little leaning going on there. r ordered the sausage plate on night 1. who knew that in france you would get pickles with dinner? so apparently co worker "k", ordered the king's plate thinking it was anything but what it was. i think his face says it all...lesson: ask for a literal translation of the entree. dessert...now that's what i'm talking about!!! that's like gold foil in the middle. fancy...i like it! another great thing that france has made a special place for...phone sleeping quarters. if you're phone is sleepy, this is where you take it to sleep on the train. and look at how happy ur phone is once it's taken a nap!

i heard some very sweet words this week... paige: "thanks mom. that was fun." brooke: "mom, you are the bestest cooker int he whole world. you cook the bestest food ever." jada: "i love you mommy. you look beautiful." sofie: "ma ma ma" ryan: "i think you are beautiful. i wouldn't take you any other way." {which was shortly before i had a nervious breakdown about my tummy being too big and looking fat in everything i own. poor ryan} so here's the deal..in the midst of being a mom, i find it hard sometimes to let go of all the crap that surrounds my head and brings me anxiety (toys everywhere, dirty dishes, piles of laundry). i am a "builder" of sorts. when all that other stuff isn't done, i pile any little thing on top...then the pile gets top heavy and i start to tip! yikes. so i am remembering the beauty of my kids and the loyalty and love of my husband...who take me for who i am, not for what i do or don...

it happened.  the question. "hey mom.  can i got to the mall?" how did that happen?  she isn't 4 any more??? it's ok because she went with krystal (our former foster daughter, always daughter)  so i knew she was in good hands, but to the MALL!?! what in the world?   now, she's at the mall, eating sbarro's (hysterical btw, that she thought it was new) and shopping and not buying (that's my girl).so on that note...i have to admit that i still kinda look at her and think of that little 4 year old sometimes. i guess that's a momma's way of dealing with the 'beautifulness' of her daughter. paige, i'm so proud of you. you are first and foremost, a lover of jesus and a woman of grace . you are compassionate, funny, a servant, smart, open, honest, faithful , and so much more. we bond doing the stupid things in life, but you still love it. i pray that as you continue to grow that you be strengthen in God's word...that you continue to...

proof there's always a need for ur camera...all since monday morning: when u get that little box of love and there's a ton of perfect saltiness on it...you have to capture the moment!   {i realize i have a problem} i don't even know what to say about this...but i had to have a picture.  those are real curtains and real porch lights...and on the other side, there's a solar panel.  i'm not sure if it's a trailer for camping or a play house or a real house.  i'm speechless. {shut up} when you go done the horsey road, you never know when the ladies will be out saying hello! {b really sticks her head out the window and yells to each of them...she swears they talk back and say, "hello. thanks for coming by"} when daddy leaves on a jet plane {come on and sing along} we can remember his smile!! ___________________________________ november is national adoption awareness month CASA...court appointed special advocate...is a volunteer position that every day ...

*****updated...pics are up and the big computer is down. good thing we're geeks and have two other laptops******* in the room, the finished product...shams, pillow cases, pillows, duvets, curtains and bolster. shewwww...i'm tired just typing it all. my fab SIL meg and i did some sewing overtime and got some projects done last month...i love meg for that!!! ok...i hate that i can't upload the pretty upclose shot of the curtains, because they are hand worked little fairies that have poms...soooo cute!!! (clearance at hobby lobby) my girls are huge fans of minky fabric...so they each got a pretty pink pillow (which made up for me not giving into repainting the room pink or purple...yikes) this little shelf has been in the room since b was a newborn, but i love it! i did update her name by painting them black, distressing, glueing them in a fun pattern and adding some cute hot pink jewels for pizzazz. so cute! my girls are sooo into fancy nancy...ok, i'm sooo into fan...

blogalicious is delicious makes my heart go loco!!! i'm blogalicious! my blogs stays viscious i be up in the bloggy staying wit' my fitness u my witness i be puttin' my posts up on da block and ya'll come over just to see what i got i'm blogalicious! (idea stolen from the not so nice fergie) ok. these girls, staci and stephanie are not only talented, but funny and patient!!!  if you all are even considering a need for a redesign or a new header , you need to see them...look at them...they are delightfully sweet and too beautiful (i hate them for that...jk) . i was the winner of the SITS blog redesign ...and doesnt' it look fab???  so the peeps on the blog are the fam...u got that right??  and we're in a rose bush...pretty fancy huh??  so i'm still rearranging and putting up picks and i'm just so delighted that i want to make it pretty. thank you so much blogalicious ...you rock my face off!!! _________________________________ before you miss out on ...

********revised: ok, blogalicious rocks my face off!!  here's my new blog design that i won thru SITS .  it's amazing!!!  more tomorrow...but today, check it out!!!********** i know it's november...but we rocked out the high school 80's party saturday. paige and i had so much fun getting together all the outfits (and laughing the whole time) . ryan...became the hair band rocker.  watch out axel rose . me...def a madonna-ish, punk valley girl . paige... 16 candles brooke... debbie gibson (post halloween sale on hannah montana for $1.24) sofie... flash dance and jada...she opted to stay with krystal and have girls night painting nails and eating popcorn.  you totally have to start them young! without further adieu: behold... the rocker fam .  {i'm not sure we pull off the punky, mad at the world well...we can't even not smile!!!} oh, that's def ryan's class ring.  be jealous! we like totally danced all rad and stuff to thriller...and then did like fav ...

the last 10 minutes before ryan walked thru the door, we played "wait for daddy" ...which consists of us sitting at the front door... waiting . ...and playing tickle torture with sofie. ...and big sis b reading " scaredy squirrel " to  pass the time. (you have to read this book..it's a "germ free" book...so stinking funny) there's a little encouragements from s... and of course  complaining .  and more waiting...(did i mention 10 minutes?) ...and then, it happens!!!! he's finally ...home!!!!!!! hugs and kisses all around (paige was at a school dance)... and a deep sigh of relief...knowing that things are best when we r all together !! ______________________________________________ national adoption awareness month here's a photo listing of children in foster care that are awaiting adoption in the US.  you can search by state, by age by race, etc. even if you aren't considering adoption, please look at their faces and pray for th...

last friday me and the girls all picked up brit, b's bmom, and went out to (steal all my money bear) build-a-bear to look at some new diggs for Lala (monkey) and Patches (dalmation) . b's monkey, Lala, brit made for her right after she was born...she kept it and slept with it for a few years and then when she felt it was time for her to let go of it, she passed it along to b. what a beautiful picture of adoption... brit never thought one day, "i know, i'll get pregnant really young, have people talk about me and stare at me. oh, and i think i'll just decide to place the first grandchild and my first child for adoption". life happened ...and it's really none of your business how that happened either...that's b's story to share if she chooses. what brit did, was decide upon determining she was pregnant that this life inside of her was a precious human...and she made the most difficult choice a woman could ever have to make. it was a choice...a choice...