Making Adjustments

I have been back to work for two days now. The work part is fine, it is all the life adjustments that will take a few weeks to fall back into place.

• Hearing the alarm go off at 5:50am
• Having to wake the girls up early (6:50) to be out the door by 7:15 (thankfully this is not a routine that we have to get used to, but this week I am working everyday, and the girls are in a few different places for care)
• Having to make lunches and layout clothes the night before
• Having to balance my time after work with the girls
• Having to deal with melt downs, because something/someone took my attention for a few min, after being away all day (something Rebekah saw first hand tonight), it's not pretty
• Having to squeeze a days worth of fun, reading, talking, and playing into a few hours, which also has to include making dinner, eating, baths, getting ready for bed, reading, and praying
• Having to clean-up and get ready for the next day after they go to bed, before I can sit down to have a few mins. to myself

In a few weeks these things will be just part of life again, and it will all seem normal, but until then, we just take it one day at a time. I WILL once again find the balance of being a mom, wife and working woman, it it just going to take time and PATIENCE.

Summer of Change

Well when the alarm goes off tomorrow at 6:00am the summer is officially over. Tomorrow is my first day back to work. As I reflected on the summer, I was overwhelmed by the many changes that took place in our lives in a few short months...

• Eva went from crawling to standing to taking a few steps on her own
• Eva got her first two teeth and is days away from two more
• Melia went from swimming with a life jacket to just having a noodle under her arms and is close to swimming on her own.
• Melia moved from a crib to a big girl bed
• Melia is much closer to being potty trained than she was at the beginning of the summer
• Melia had her first dentist appointment
• Eva started having milk and is only nursing once a day
• Eva no longer wants baby food, and loves to feed her self
• Our living room went from drab and unfinished to beautiful and sophisticated with new paint, furniture, rug, and armoire.
  
• Our dear friends went from starting the adoption process to being just days away from being on the list
• Melia went from being a mommy's girl to a daddy's girl
• Eva switched to cloth diapers
• Sydney (my niece) went from sleeping all day to smiling, laughing, and rolling over
• Emma and Lilly (my other nieces) turned 4 and 3, and Emma is about to start preschool
• My mom went from being in pain, having knee replacement surgery, to a full recovery

What a precious time I had with my girls each day. We had many play dates, days by the pool, walks to the park, bike rides, lots of swinging, snuggle time, naps, days we stayed in jammies most of the day. I cherish these times with them. They grow and change so quickly.

Daddy's Girl

I love that Melia is a daddy's girl. She loves her daddy and thinks he can do ANYTHING. Whenever something goes wrong or I an not able to do something, her immediate response is,

"Daddy can do it"

The other day I stubbed my toe and she asks,

"Are you okay, Mommy? Daddy will kiss it when he gets home."

When I go to get her out of bed in the morning, her first question is,

"Is Daddy here? Daddy at work?"

If she is playing with a toy and can't figure something out, she says,

"Daddy will help me when he get home."

If I ask to help her, "No, daddy will do it."

I hear these phrases come out of her mouth several times every day. Every time it bring s a smile to my face. Her love for her daddy has no limits.

Each night before Melia goes to bed, he snuggles with her to read, talk , laugh, and pray. I love sitting downstairs and listening on the monitor to the interactions.

I love that he loves them with the love of our Heavenly Father and see them them through His eyes.
I love that he can't wait to get home, after a long day to see his girls.
I love that he spends time doing what they want, no matter how silly it is.
I love that he lets her learn and experience things hands on, when he is working on a project. (as I type she is in the garage, tools in hand, "fixing" the brakes on his car with him)
I love that he loves his girls more than himself.
I love that he smothers then with hugs, kisses, and I love yous.
I love that he sees the best in them, even during a tantrum.
I love that Melia watches out the window, just waiting for his car to pull in the driveway, and then squeals with delight when it does.

I love him more than life itself. He is such an incredible dad to our girls. I could not ask for a better life.

It is so easy for children to love. They have not been tainted by the world. They just love at face value, not looking for anything in return. This is how our Heavenly Father loves us, and how we are instructed to love others. Too often, we let judgment, emotion, and feelings get in the way. Let us see each other through the eyes of the Father. Love without limits, just as our Father loves us.

1 John 4 7-12 :
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Another productive weekend

What a great weekend. A nice mix of work, family, friends, and relaxing.

The weekend started with a movie night with Ben and Rebekah. Well, the boys watched a movie and Rebekah and I worked on their adoption profiles. By the end of the night we had half of them done (which is a big feat - six pictures per profile all matted and rubber cemented on).

I was able to get the rest of Melia's duvet cover done and her room is now complete. The duvet is quilted and on the bed and the curtains are hung. She loves her new blanket. It looks like such a big girl room now. One day I will be able to cut the middle section of the blanket, bind it, and she will have a keepsake quilt, made by her mom.


















I also was able to get the final coat of paint (after 2 coats of primer and 3 coats of paint) on our built-in entertainment center in the basement. We can now begin putting the basement back together.

Chris and I were able to get out without the girls and do a little clothes shopping for them for next year. We got about 25 shirts, shorts, and skirts all for $65.00. Gotta love end of the season sales. We ended the night with a few games of Settlers with my mom and dad, and brother.

The weekend ended with our annual Church picnic. It was a chilly and rainy August day, but we had great food and fellowship, despite the weather. The evening ended with Chris, Ben and Mike playing Settlers at our house and Rebekah and I spent a few hours finishing their profiles. They are all done!!!

A weekend of Painting and a little fun

Friday night we dropped the girls off the Grandma and Grandpas for a night and then it was off to Nana and Poppy's for a night. A whole weekend without the girls (a little sad) but exciting at the same time. We spent Friday night picking up supplies for the weekend of projects ahead. We also went to dinner with Ben and Rebekah and then back to their house for a movie night.

Let me back up a little. Our living room, foyer, stairs, and hallway have been neglected since we moved in. This and the kitchen are the last two rooms in the house to be painted and be made our own. Back in May we had wood floors put in the living room (an extension from the kitchen) and had them all refinished. They look amazing. We also had new tile put down in the foyer and around the fire place. The final part of this project was a new mantle. It all looked incredible, but made if very clear that the furniture and paint had to go. So we scoured Craig's list and found new furniture. This only left paint, which leads us to this weekend.

Sat. morning came and the work began. After patching a couple hundred (not an exaggeration) hole, dents, and dings in the walls, the painting was ready to begin. Chris and I spent from 10am until 12:30 am (14 1/2 hours) painting on Sat. Today we finished by putting a second coat on the stairs and hallway (which was not small feat). The stair walls are VERY tall and we needed a 20 foot ladder to complete the work (thanks Paul). After four coats of paint the accent wall in the living room is complete. Two coats everywhere else did the job. Trim and doors are left to paint, which will be done over the coming weeks. After a long time coming, with a few accessories and curtains the living room will be complete.

I am a little soar today, but well worth the work for the outcome. We missed the girls terribly, but they had a great time with their grandparents (both sets).

BEFORE:

Good bye green carpet, cream walls, unfinished mantle, and ugly tile. The furniture pictured (that we love) is now in our basement. We moved it down there a few years ago, when we finished the basement. The furniture that has been in our living room the past few years (no pict available) was way less attractive (but was free), and now lives at someone else's house.



DURING:


Drum roll please...The COMPLETED ROOM



The accent wall is an eggplant color (actual name: Estate Vineyard) and the rest is a nice taupe color (Cup of coco). The wall was still wet when I took the picture, so you can still see the lines, but it looks nice and smooth not that it is dry.