Taking a break and some favorites

I've been thinking about taking a break from posting on my blog for a little while and today made the decision to do it. I really don't have any clear explanation about why I feel the need to have a break, I just know it's necessary. We are all well, I need time to think about some things. I'll be enjoying my children and taking pics of course. Don't know how long I'll be gone and I'll probably be reading blogs and maybe commenting. The above 3 are a few of my favorites from this week when we were outside in the snow. See you soon!

Play day

Okay Mom...you be the Goalie and I'm going to play Center...

Um...what is this thing?

Croquet anyone?


Hey, what IS Jie Jie doing over there in the front yard?!


Oh I see...making another one of her snow angels.



...and eating snow again?



What? She's making snow cones?

Let's go inside now and have some hot chocolate. Yum!

Cabin fever

So this is the time of the year that I start to get a bit whiny...and truly wonder why we live in Wisconsin when Dan could easily get a job in San Diego which is a huge area for Biotech. So why do we live in a place of the 'never ending Winter?' It's because the area where we live has some of the best schools and medical care in the country, not to mention easy access to Chicago and so many friends and family nearby. I get a major case of cabin fever in late February. So do my kids, especially Grace. Yesterday when she begged to go outside and play in the new snow I had to oblige. It was 18 degrees with a single digit wind chill. She went to make her snow angel and her facial expression in one of the collage pics show her feeling a tad bit cold and maybe not so sure of her decision to lay down in that freezing cold stuff. Of course Grace being a kid managed to forget about it and stayed outside for half an hour. BTW 'date night' went fabulously well...when Dan and I got in the car and left for the restaurant, it was just so quiet. Quiet...what a concept and very much appreciated now and then for me. You sometimes forget in the task at hand of raising children that there is a relationship between mommy and daddy and that does need to be taken care of too. So believe me there will be more date nights in the future! And Mr. Will did extremely well. :)

Finally Friday!

It's Friday(or almost) and I thought the above pic of Grace jumping on the bed pretty much represents my feelings that the weekend is near. We've had a busy week and February seems to be flying by. Will started Speech services 2 weeks ago, he goes twice a week and loves it and adores his speech therapist. We've all been healthy(so far) this month and I can't remember having a February like that for several years. We met with our social worker for Will's 6 month post placement visit. Our little boy was engaging, sweet and polite. Our social worker and I spoke at length about how far he has come and how much he has healed. Will is a brave little boy to take that leap of faith and love us. We actually have been together as a family 7 months tomorrow. And finally, I have an anouncement to make....no we're not adopting again, well at least not right now. Dan and I are going on a date! Alone. Just us. No kids. A real date at a real restaurant with a reservation. And not a 'kid' restaurant if you know what I mean. I can't remember when we were last on a date but I know it's been at least 7 months ago. Will is ready for a babysitter and he'll do quite well I'm sure. Happy Friday and hope your weekend is extra special.

Lovely

My new addiction seems to be this camera, which I suppose isn't a bad addiction compared to some of them out there. Sunday afternoon Miss Grace was in a compliant mood and we shot these in some good indoor light(or as good as it gets in the Winter here). I remember before we received Grace's referral and it was close to arriving that I was anxious. The anxious part of it for me was not raising another child, it was loving another child. I recall asking my mother, "How could I love another child as much as I loved my first...Nick?" I loved Nick with all my heart. Now I realize what a silly thing that was to be anxious about. Love isn't finite....it grows and grows. Everyday I love this little girl more and more. And she is so easy to love.

This and that...

These are some pics I've had for a while and intended to post and never quite got around to, so just put them all together. Just a bit of our Winter inside times.

I call the above collage, "Flight of the naked Barbie doll."

Will sitting inside a stepstool that we keep in our bathroom for the kids to wash their hands and brush their teeth at the sink. This boy loves to play in it.

They play for hours with this puppet theater and crack us up frequently with the little plays they make up.


This was the end of one of the 'shows' and Grace was saying 'bye-bye.'


Will does play Barbie with his Jie Jie pretty frequently. He is usually Ken(here he's the groom) and Grace is Barbie(the Bride). Sometimes Will is surfer Ken. Will doesn't seem to mind who he gets to be.





Before we left for dinner a couple of weeks ago and I had the 2 of them sit like this for what I thought might be a cute shot. Will decided to stick out his tongue....




And finally Miss Grace looking closer to 12 and not 6 and a half.

Happy Valentine's Day

If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk forever in my garden. ~ Claudia Ghandi

Wordless Wednesday