Dear Maya,
I love you. I just want to start by that, and don't get sick of hearing it, because Papa is going to say it too. In fact, he carries your picture around as his phone screen saver and he says each time he see your face, his daughter's face, he lights up and he just wants to tell you the same; that he loves you.
Little one, we love you so much and if we could we would leave tonight on an airplane, pick you up and bring you home where you belong with your family. Your very own family with your mama and papa and little brother, and your two kitties (careful, they can be demanding!) We even have bunk beds in your room!
Sweet girl, I am so sorry you grew up through your baby years without mama and papa, will you tell us what that was like? Who held you when you cried? I pray it was someone who lavished love and blessings on you, when we couldn't--when we didn't even know your face. If I could I would travel back in time so that you wouldn't know one minute of what it felt like to not have a mama and a papa--but guess what, soon you won't know what it's like! (Mama was only graduating high school when you were born! How funny, huh?)
Guess what, I have good and special news for you. God loves you even more than we do. And I mean a LOT more (which is kinda hard to do). In fact, God has been telling us about you for MONTHS upon MONTHS! Telling us just about YOU, little one! You are so important to him. Mama and Papa have loved you since the days we laid eyes on you, but guess what? There were many things in our way to be able to even BEGIN to get you home! "GOD!" we prayed, "We hear you and we see her, but how can we when..." and we told him all the tricky things in our way. Guess what God did? He helped us so that nothing could stop us from bringing you home! How cool is that? God loves you so much, in fact, I think you must be one of His most favorites (Actually, I would guess that everyone is pretty much his favorite too, but that's just the way God is, you'll see.)
Today, your baby brother and I went to Target and we got you a brand new pink shirt, and it says, "All you need is Peace and Love." I think you'll love it, and I already put it in your room.
You have the best grandparents in the whole world and you are going to be blessed beyond belief by their love and wisdom. You have two beautiful girl cousins and a pretty amazing aunt and uncle who are so fun to hang out with and eat pizza with. Oh, and just as a hint, uncle Matthew always buys the best toys, he really has a talent at it! The only thing missing is you.
Today when I got home from work, papa was working hard and mailing off so many letters so that we can see you sooner. Your birthday is coming up and we may be visiting you around the same time. I'll bring you your new shirt!
Maya, no matter what I want you to know: You are fearfully and wonderfully made, you are loved beyond measure and God has the most wonderful and perfect plan for your life that will bless people around you.
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine” Isaiah 43.
Sweet girl, we'll see you one day soon.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Over the weekend...
We had a really sweet and easy weekend.
Some great friends of ours that we met through leading high school small groups had a brunch where it was revealed to us and to them the sex of their baby!
How fun is that? Only a close friend got the call from the doctor, and she then bought the right color of balloons, filled a box, and when the time was right, they flowed out much to all of our delight!
They were BLUE! How perfect is that for our little Finn boy in his sea of girl friends! :) "Mom, I don't discriminate! I love all my friends!" he reminded me.
That night we had some friends over for some dinner and to relax by the fire.
My little guy is such a little lover.
We are on a BUDGET! (Yes, we love you Dave Ramsey) and so to buy a new throw pillow for Finley's room was out. Instead, I cut up his bed skirt and in about 5 minutes sewed a new cover to the pillow. Now it's a bit more fitting for a boy's room, don't ya think? At this rate someone might think I'm crafty, eh?
We snuggled and read. Finley is really getting into books these days, and is less of a passive observer, which is fun for my teacher heart.
That night the hubby and I got CRAZY and watched Father of the Bride II. On our lap top. In bed. It was wonderful.
We styled our hair with our food.
We tasted dirt and picked dandelions. "Look-IT!" Finley exclaimed as he held up a dandelion. His use of two words took me by surprise!
And to wrap up our Sunday, we had some band practice. These two boys love nothing more than to play some drums!
Some great friends of ours that we met through leading high school small groups had a brunch where it was revealed to us and to them the sex of their baby!
How fun is that? Only a close friend got the call from the doctor, and she then bought the right color of balloons, filled a box, and when the time was right, they flowed out much to all of our delight!
They were BLUE! How perfect is that for our little Finn boy in his sea of girl friends! :) "Mom, I don't discriminate! I love all my friends!" he reminded me.
That night we had some friends over for some dinner and to relax by the fire.
We are on a BUDGET! (Yes, we love you Dave Ramsey) and so to buy a new throw pillow for Finley's room was out. Instead, I cut up his bed skirt and in about 5 minutes sewed a new cover to the pillow. Now it's a bit more fitting for a boy's room, don't ya think? At this rate someone might think I'm crafty, eh?
That night the hubby and I got CRAZY and watched Father of the Bride II. On our lap top. In bed. It was wonderful.
We styled our hair with our food.
We tasted dirt and picked dandelions. "Look-IT!" Finley exclaimed as he held up a dandelion. His use of two words took me by surprise!
And to wrap up our Sunday, we had some band practice. These two boys love nothing more than to play some drums!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
BBC Interview
Last week my husband Andrew went to Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for two days. While there, people and companies promote their newest advances in technology in a stadium sized auditorium which should potentially have it's own zip code. Andrew said that many companies hire scantily clad women to stand at the booth to draw attention to the products.
He was interviewed about it by the BBC while there, and let me just say, I could never be more proud to call this man my husband. (He even got one letter of fan mail the next day about it :)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16533289
My favorite part is the last woman, a booth babe, speaking: "I don't know any woman who would choose the 'tech world,' so to say, over something like shopping, or cooking or raising children."
hooo, boy! Incredible!
He was interviewed about it by the BBC while there, and let me just say, I could never be more proud to call this man my husband. (He even got one letter of fan mail the next day about it :)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16533289
My favorite part is the last woman, a booth babe, speaking: "I don't know any woman who would choose the 'tech world,' so to say, over something like shopping, or cooking or raising children."
hooo, boy! Incredible!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Some one so special to us
Is this little girl, sweet Maya.
Isn't she a doll. A real life sweetie angel.
In fact, look what is says about her:
Maya has been waiting such a long time for her family. She is calm and sociable. She loves to dream. She likes playing with older children. She is a wonderful girl. She started first grade in 2009. She is friendly and cheerful. There is something special about her that makes everyone pay attention to her. She is full of love and tenderness. She is a leader by nature.
She is an orphan in 'Eastern Europe.' In our country with a family, she would live a long, happy and healthy life, be married and have children of her own. In her country, the statistics say that when she leaves the orphanage at 17 or 18, she will be ill on the streets and die before she is 20! Many girls are kidnapped to a life with an even worse fate... (Watch this video to see)
She is just so special. Too special to not have a family, to have this fate. Sweet girl, she is so special to us.
In fact, look what is says about her:
Maya has been waiting such a long time for her family. She is calm and sociable. She loves to dream. She likes playing with older children. She is a wonderful girl. She started first grade in 2009. She is friendly and cheerful. There is something special about her that makes everyone pay attention to her. She is full of love and tenderness. She is a leader by nature.
She is an orphan in 'Eastern Europe.' In our country with a family, she would live a long, happy and healthy life, be married and have children of her own. In her country, the statistics say that when she leaves the orphanage at 17 or 18, she will be ill on the streets and die before she is 20! Many girls are kidnapped to a life with an even worse fate... (Watch this video to see)
She is just so special. Too special to not have a family, to have this fate. Sweet girl, she is so special to us.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Our neighbors
Our new place has a little, or rather large lemon tree.
It's so bright and sunshiney, and I love sending my guests home with a bag full of homegrown goodies.
We live on a tiny cul d sac with 5 neighbor houses, so we decided we wanted to meet them!
I picked a few of the lemon harvest and began juicing the tart juice that would soon be lemon poppy seed muffins.
We wrote a sweet note, packed them up and went on our way to knock on each door. Next door to the left is widower and his grandson who is studying for the bar exam. He told us that our house was the original ranch house when this land was all avocado trees. He was sweet and kind, and made us miss our old neighbor Stuart.
Next door to the right is a teacher, a computer scientist husband and their 15 year old daughter who loves babies, and Finley. We were there for an hour, hanging out in their basement for an hour, we felt right at home with them while FInley crawled around, getting into their Christmas decor. Up the street was Nelson who loves dogs and cats and kareoke. He makes his own jewery and invited us in for a while. Finley loved his pets, and we learned him mom recently passed away. He was as sweet as can be.
The last house, a huge victorian manor, no one was home. We didn't leave the muffins because the dog was out, and we still have yet to meet them, even though their house is so intriguing! Hmmmm, maybe one day!
Sweet nrighbors, free lemons, so far so good!
xo
It's so bright and sunshiney, and I love sending my guests home with a bag full of homegrown goodies.
We live on a tiny cul d sac with 5 neighbor houses, so we decided we wanted to meet them!
I picked a few of the lemon harvest and began juicing the tart juice that would soon be lemon poppy seed muffins.
Next door to the right is a teacher, a computer scientist husband and their 15 year old daughter who loves babies, and Finley. We were there for an hour, hanging out in their basement for an hour, we felt right at home with them while FInley crawled around, getting into their Christmas decor. Up the street was Nelson who loves dogs and cats and kareoke. He makes his own jewery and invited us in for a while. Finley loved his pets, and we learned him mom recently passed away. He was as sweet as can be.
The last house, a huge victorian manor, no one was home. We didn't leave the muffins because the dog was out, and we still have yet to meet them, even though their house is so intriguing! Hmmmm, maybe one day!
Sweet nrighbors, free lemons, so far so good!
xo
Friday, January 13, 2012
Our new CSA! Amazing!
Last week we signed up to be a part of a CSA! Were and are so excited. I just googled CSA and my city and as it turns out, a pick up spot for a CSA is 4 minutes from our house! Beats going to the grocery store, I tell ya!
What's a CSA? It's organic farmers who share their crops with people who buy shares of their produce. It supports good farming practices, and the food is actually healthier than the food in the store because they use green techniques to farm such as crop rotation, good bugs, green fertilizers, etc. You know, the stuff that was standard for centuries because the onset of cancer and other diseases....
But, that's actually not even my favorite part of being part of a CSA. You drive to the pick up spot, and you pick up your box that is ready for you. What's in it? Whatever was growing that week! I LOVE THAT!
This is me normally in the produce section, "Hmmm, ok, maybe some apples, or bok choy, I could cook it, or something, but what about to have as snack, like, some cucumbers, or maybe a bunch of bell peppers, or if I buy strawberries and grapes will they go bad...."
Then, TA-DA! What are we getting as far as produce this week? Look in the box and that's IT! I love it. They even mailed me some recipes for some of the ingredients.
So last night I hoisted my box home, took it all out, and it looked amazing. I cut up all my tomatillos and made a chicken dish with it.
SO THAT IS WHAT FOOD IS SUPPOSED TO TASTE LIKE!!! No wonder America is obsessed with 'suace.' You know what I mean? We all put sauce on EVERYTHING! But that meal I made last night was so flippin' good, I can still taste it! I guess all that green farming stuff really works, and apparently is better for me. (But even if it wasn't, and tasted that good, I would still like it better)
I also like the message getting a CSA box says to our kids; we eat what is provided and are thankful. "What are parsnips? We don't know but let's find a recipe and make something GREAT!"
I love our CSA which is J.R. Organics. I love how close it is. I love how healthy it is, but most of all, that was the best dinner and salad I had last night that I've had in a looooong time.
Oh, and funny fact about me: I like all foods, especially all fruit. Except apples. Weird, right? I just couldn't stomach them. Until today! I had a tiny, organic CSA apples (we got four in our box) and I love it! And even ate the whole thing! Andrew was impressed.
What's a CSA? It's organic farmers who share their crops with people who buy shares of their produce. It supports good farming practices, and the food is actually healthier than the food in the store because they use green techniques to farm such as crop rotation, good bugs, green fertilizers, etc. You know, the stuff that was standard for centuries because the onset of cancer and other diseases....
But, that's actually not even my favorite part of being part of a CSA. You drive to the pick up spot, and you pick up your box that is ready for you. What's in it? Whatever was growing that week! I LOVE THAT!
 |
| HOW GOOD DOES THIS LOOK IN MY KITCHEN LAST NIGHT!? |
This is me normally in the produce section, "Hmmm, ok, maybe some apples, or bok choy, I could cook it, or something, but what about to have as snack, like, some cucumbers, or maybe a bunch of bell peppers, or if I buy strawberries and grapes will they go bad...."
Then, TA-DA! What are we getting as far as produce this week? Look in the box and that's IT! I love it. They even mailed me some recipes for some of the ingredients.
So last night I hoisted my box home, took it all out, and it looked amazing. I cut up all my tomatillos and made a chicken dish with it.
SO THAT IS WHAT FOOD IS SUPPOSED TO TASTE LIKE!!! No wonder America is obsessed with 'suace.' You know what I mean? We all put sauce on EVERYTHING! But that meal I made last night was so flippin' good, I can still taste it! I guess all that green farming stuff really works, and apparently is better for me. (But even if it wasn't, and tasted that good, I would still like it better)
I also like the message getting a CSA box says to our kids; we eat what is provided and are thankful. "What are parsnips? We don't know but let's find a recipe and make something GREAT!"
I love our CSA which is J.R. Organics. I love how close it is. I love how healthy it is, but most of all, that was the best dinner and salad I had last night that I've had in a looooong time.
Oh, and funny fact about me: I like all foods, especially all fruit. Except apples. Weird, right? I just couldn't stomach them. Until today! I had a tiny, organic CSA apples (we got four in our box) and I love it! And even ate the whole thing! Andrew was impressed.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Moving Day!
Tiny green elephants as been pretty quiet as of late, as you see, we have been MOVING! To our dream home.
Moving--wow, what a huge ordeal! Thank God for our amazing friends who gave up an entire Sunday to help us. I think that one of the most selfless things you can do, cause moving is flippin HARD WORK!
Luckily we had a pizza lunch break, with some soda as well.
We had rented a U-Haul to bring everything over, and while Kahea, her mom and I packed up all the last of the kitchen details, the stuff you really just want to throw away and forget, everyone else was setting up our new house!
I'm not sure if these two were very much help. They only wanted to move puffs...into their mouths.
Or check out the new fire place.
Get tickled.
Or wear each others shoes...
When the moving was done and we were mostly settled in for the night, our friends helped to put our bed together, as Andrew ran out for some Thai food, and Jamie opened a broken wine bottle.
Cheers to our new HOME! Cheers to our amazing friends who deserve a full body massage after the amount of lifting and sweating they did. Cheers to LIFE!
And cheers to Three Beautiful Babies with their papas
Moving--wow, what a huge ordeal! Thank God for our amazing friends who gave up an entire Sunday to help us. I think that one of the most selfless things you can do, cause moving is flippin HARD WORK!
Luckily we had a pizza lunch break, with some soda as well.
I'm not sure if these two were very much help. They only wanted to move puffs...into their mouths.
Or check out the new fire place.
Get tickled.
When the moving was done and we were mostly settled in for the night, our friends helped to put our bed together, as Andrew ran out for some Thai food, and Jamie opened a broken wine bottle.
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