Family Time is the Ultimate Best

This weekend could not have been any better. The Annual YP Conference was in a great family place. Our little HVN could not stay out of the water. She's a born fish and loves it all...the wave pool, slides, splashing and water falls. Her face says it all. We were only in our rooms to sleep at night and for one three hour nap...she's was WIPED out.
I continue to tell HVN how fortunant we are to serve in a place that blesses us with a trip like this. The best part, we met a YP family with three girls all the same age. How you ask? A couple who struggled with infertility for 10 years, put in papers for a domestic and international adoption. Then they conceived. Six weeks before she gave birth their little domestic adoption baby girl was born, while in the hospital with their birth child they received a call from China. They left their premmie baby with family in the hospital and brought home their China doll. All three girls are within 8 months old of one another. How sweet it was to share our stories and how God has blessed us all.
The indoor water park has so much for the family. You'll see HVN chopping on her evening snack while enjoying story time in the lobby. All of the animals and characters come alive and that was fasinating for her. At the end they let it snow and she was more than thrilled to catch flurries all the while laughing to her hearts content.
We also got to enjoy the little ones club where we cut, pasted, colored and played leggos. This didnt last long as the waterpark was calling us once again. But before the park we stopped in the arcade where she could intently drive the Fire truck...currently her favorite vehicle of all times. Her daddy bowled with her, won her a ball and candy. It was the perfect weekend to be away from it all except one another. We are so very grateful for times like this, memories in the making.
God continues to show us our blessings through one another and how much we have to be thankful for....our meal time prayer says it all. "Thank you Jesus for our family, our friends, for our food, forgiveness and the love you have for us".

HVN's Valentine Party

This is the precious age where they recognize thier friends, they love them and make so much fun together. On Valentine's Day we decorated cookies, played outside, ate lunch together, we had a "Heart Hunt" and watched these sweet faces laugh and giggle til nap time.
We are working on sharing and this was a great day for me to remind HVN how fun it is when we share, how much is pleases Jesus to do so and praise her when she did share. It's a sweet parent moment when you see them doing what you've taught and the light going on inside that sharing is fun...I got to see this yesterday.
And, thanks to "Aunt J" Rick and I enjoyed a wonderful date last night. On Valentine's Day in 1997 he proposed to me and last night I was so excited for him to take me out that I felt like a teenager again! I'm so blessed to have him and this sweet little piece of HVN that God has given us....what a family!

Happy Valentine's Day

I get so excited to make days like this memorable and sepcial for my sweet family. I prepared the table and the Monkey Bread the night before. Monkey Bread was one of my favorites growing up and its my family's favorite too. This was a time for Rick to celebrate with HVN as he would be working all day while we were having a party with friends. It's important to me that they have special times together and celebrate in the midst of a busy schedule. HVN was excited about her doll house furniture but I think she like her Mickey Mouse place setting the most...she's all about Mickey & Minnie right now.

God Answered Just As We Had Prayed

Two years ago today we received a sweet and long awaited phone call telling us that HVN would be in our Forever Family. We celebrated as if we had gotten her all over again. The moment was perfect as we were together among friends! I tear up and get goose bumps each time I think of or share that moment...it was incredible.

Just Another Manic Sunday!

I couldnt pass up shots of HVN in this cute pink stuff! Isn't February the season of Pink? I think I've had this outfit for about two years and couldn't wait for it to fit her!
Last night we were having breakfast for dinner. I ask HVN to go set the table. She laid out a napkin for each of us, a fork on top...the bacon plate was already on the table, not sure what made her do this but she decided to put a slice of bacon next to each fork...made me laugh but forgot to take a picture! The joys of a a two year olds mind are such a blessing.

One Mad Momma Bear

Ask me how irritated I was to find out that the Kidzone at the gym had placed 2-5 year olds together? This is what happens when Directors cannot make changes when they observe unsafe conditions. HVN collided with a big boy this day. Thankfully her eyelid was scratched and not her eye. No wonder she now screams at the thought of going in there. I've had to make other arrangements to work out now. Im now grateful that her scratch has healed very "Nicely" and so is that Director!

"Why, Why Not?"

It's been way too long since I've blogged and hung pictures. These last few weeks of new words, new activitites and new attitudes has prompted me. Each day I'm hearing new words and today has topped me, almost with tears.
HVN was enjoying her Mickey Mouse Clubhouse before Daddy left for work. We turned it off to pray and give hugs, kisses and good byes. When he was gone, I left it off to turn the music on. HVN says, "Mommy, more Bibey Mouse pease!" We think one is enough so I said, "let's listen to our music and read books"...her response, "Why, Why Not?" That was a first, so I had to explain what was more important.
My thoughts immediately went to, "is this for real?" Is she really understanding the why's and why nots. She is and now I'm reminding myself of how much preparation I need for each day.
So glad Ive enrolled in a class at church called, "Parenting is Heart Work". It sure is, after the first week Ive already learned some great principles. Several new things Ive added to my prayer journal for HVN are:
-Help me to always see HVN as Jesus does
-Show me her gifts early on so that I may enocourage them
-Help me to understand the things the are most important for her and lessen the time she spends on those things that are not important
So today, I explained the Bibey Mouse is fun but listening to music and reading are Bible Story books together are more important as they teach truths about Jesus.

This happens to also be the day that my little "Problem Solver" first emptied her dresser drawer to climb in and obtain the the things she wanted from on top of the dresser.

Her sentences are forming by the week and we love to hear her talk!