Gotcha Day!

I can remember six years ago like it was yesterday.  The anticipation that morning...

The amazing families we traveled with....

My daughter being placed in my arms....

 

Meeting my niece.....

Ami being transferred from a run down orphanage to a five star hotel in a matter of hours, safe in the arms of a Daddy and Mommy....

The beautiful doll soundly asleep beside my bed....

What an incredible gift we received that day.  What an impact the spirit of adoption has had on our family.  What a privilege to call Ami Jo-Li our daughter.  Happy Gotcha Day to our China travel group.  We have all been so blessed!

The Never Ending Job

Every fall our leaf blower gets put to almost non-stop use.  We love living in the woods, but in October it creates a constant chore.  Fortunately we now have two growing boys that can take care of this chore for us!

Elijah is at the back of the yard here with the blower.  If we don't keep up with the leaves, the piles get WAY too unmanageable.  We just blow them to the edge of the woods and let them mulch on their own throughout the winter.  This was yesterday.  The boys spent about 1.5 hours taking care of just the backyard and it looked great.  This morning....you couldn't even tell they'd been there! 

Kidnapped Camera

So apparently whoever was in charge of Ami's bath (um, starts with an M), stole my camera, and the two were in cahoots to capture some hilarity. 

And in other funniness....Johanna got some new "high heeled" boots.  She came running through the family room and announced, "Mommy, I figured out how to run in these high heels!  You have to keep your feet lined up with each other."  I guess that's the trouble with growing up.  You have to be able to live in both worlds...... wearing high heels and running outside.  :)

Official Cardholder

Ami has been asking for her very own library card.  She loves checking out books by herself using the automated desk at the library, but she has to use my card.  So I asked at the main desk and found out that there is no age minimum, it's just up to the parent's discretion.  Ami tried hard to contain her excitement and act very mature, but once we got outside she couldn't suppress a very proud smile!

The icing on the cake was that not only is there one card, but also a mini card to put on a key chain.  :)

Lost in the Corn

Ever since Michaela was a toddler we've gone to the pumpkin patch every.single.year.  But this year the kids asked to go the the corn maze.......instead.  Waaaa!  But the pumpkin patch is TRADITION.  Tradition.....tradition!  (Sung like Tevye in Fiddler)  I guess it's a sure sign that the kids are growing up. 

So we went and tried it out.  It's a 15 acre maze with an intricate design.  You are given a map and are to try to find all eight checkpoints.  There is a trivia question at each stop and you punch what you think is the correct answer on your map.  We split up and let Michaela, Benjamin, and Elijah go together (with a phone!) and the rest of us stuck together.  It was cold and muddy, but we were prepared with boots, gloves, and layers.  It was fun for a bit, but after an hour, Ami and I found an exit and made our way back to the barn.  The others soon followed, not quite having found all the checkpoints.

It was fun, but most everyone agreed that we'd rather go back to the pumpkin patch next year.  Yea!  After all, even though there is a cool new design of the maze each year, who wants to keep getting lost in the corn?!  I honestly thought that with my claustrophobia I'd be a bit freaked out, but the paths were nice and wide and you could see through the stalks a bit.  And I had my fearless knight leading the way (although at times it was the blind leading the blind). 

There was one bridge in the whole maze where you could go up for a view and reorient yourself on the map.

This year's design was all about college football since Mizzou just joined the SEC.  If you click to enlarge the photo you can see the map better with Truman's head and the outline of the SEC states.

After switching out to non-muddy shoes we enjoyed a family dinner out.  Good memories, but next year we'll stick to tradition!

Memories....

We saw this beauty on our way home this afternoon.  The pond at the bottom of our hill....the fall colors....sun shining through the rain....we had to pull over on the side of the road to take it in. 

I will never be able to look at another rainbow again without it taking me back to one magical and amazing afternoon that we experienced in the high country of Yosemite.  Today has been a day of memories.  Though we're thousands of miles away from each other, our backpacking group has continued to share memories through email, and today was another one of those days.  Dad shared some of his journaling and it took me right back, and of course made me cry again.  I have been doing much better, but I still have my moments when the memories of the trip pull me in again and I long to be there.  Why did that trip have such an impact on me and why does it continue to do so?  I can't put it into words.  It was much too special of a journey to have just had a temporary effect.  It is forever in my heart, part of who I am now.
  

Rainbow over Mt. Ansel Adams and Nixon Meadow

July 13, 2012

Phone Photos

It's been a long time since I downloaded any pictures from my phone and there are quite a few to post.  Silliness and randomness!

First swim after getting cast off:

In a dress that Michaela made, in Grandpa H's garden:

I realize there is a shadow, but yes, she really was that dark!

Celebrating good news after oncologist's visit:

Yosemite, here we come!

Important stop on the way to YNP:

At the pack station ready to hit the trails:

Eight days and 45 miles later:

Six year anniversary of referral date:

Getting onto Instagram to keep up with the kids :)

My honey loves me:

Benjamin's latest Mindstorm creation....a spybot using his iPod Touch and his laptop.  He can wheel around and spy on you!

Working on driving hours:

Discovering that my new iPhone has a front facing camera.  Fun!

Can't believe he posed in Target!

At Wolfe Creek:

Flowers from Grandpa H:

Date night with Chris...we went to the top of a downtown parking garage for the view:

Last weekend, camping in the cold:

Fall colors and the creek at the campground:

Party night at the Wolfes last Friday, and a VERY rare cart full of junk food:

They saved up their money and waited patiently for their desired ponies to come back in stock at the store:

Our Golden Woods

We're sure enjoying the fall colors of our woods.  The golden brightness is quite stunning.  The deer have been through picking up acorns each day and tolerating the cats in the yard.