Monday, January 28, 2008

There's 3!!!

My friend at work has 3 new nephews!! They were born 3 weeks ago and hope to come home on Friday. Ben , Jax & Wes are their names. I would love to have just one of them but my friend said she didn't think they would let me!! :(







And, speaking of children look at this below and multiply it times three for this family - Blows your mind...
The Price of Children
I have seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It’s nice to remember……
The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle-income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn’t even touch college tuition. But $160,140 isn’t so bad if you break it down.
It translates into:
* $8,896.66 a year
* $741.38 a month or
* $171.08 a week.
*That’s a mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.
Still, you might think the best financial advice is don’t have children if you want to be “rich.” Actually, it is just the opposite.
What do you get for your $160,140?
* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day
* Giggles under the covers every night
* More love than your heart can hold
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies
* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate
* A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks
performed that day.
For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:
* finger-paint
* carve pumpkins
* play hide-and-seek
* catch lightning bugs and
* never stop believing in Santa Claus
* Read the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh
* watch Saturday morning cartoons
* go to Disney movies, and
* wish on stars
* You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray
painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay or Mother’s Day, and cards with
backward letters for Father’s Day.
For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:
* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof
* taking the training wheels off a bike
* removing a splinter
* filling a wading pool
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always
gets treated to ice cream regardless.
You get a front row seat to history to witness the:
* first step
* first word
* first bra
* first date, and
* first time behind the wheel

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you’re lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.
In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits. So, one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost.
That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Sunday, January 27, 2008

How to Take Care of Baby...

Well I was sent this cute little funny and I thought I would share. I'm so glad I got it cause gee I had no idea on all of these...





























Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Crack Open My Knee


Today my dad had his second knee replacement. I guess he has the knee of a newborn?? ha I will be excited so we can ride bikes again this spring hopefully!! We have a great place downtown on the river to ride. We can go like 18 miles all running along the river and you end up in a park that has massive trees that hang over the bike path and it is just fabulous!! Also he has to be able to run around and chase Izabella so he better do what the doctor says!! I'm just glad his surgery is over and he is doing well. Hard to believe he was up and walking hours after his surgery!! Amazing!!! Medicine is so cool!!

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

SNOW DAY!!


We got our first "Big" Snow of the year! It was enough to call off schools around here but not enough to keep me from driving to work! I used to hate snow but I really like it because it is really pretty. I remember as a child when we knew there was a possibility of snow we would get up and glue to the TV untill we knew if were were out or not, and then, we used to get out for 3 snow flakes. Now I think it takes a bit more for them to call it off. Then if we were out of school we would want to go out and play in it. One year we had enough that it was up around our knees and we would make snow cream which I think today might not be good for you!! Even the thought of it now makes me want to blow chunks!! We would then come in the house soaked and mom would yell at us for tracking wet snow everywhere! Snow is a fond memory of my childhood!! Oh, and another fond memory was when we used to build forts in the hallway of our house. We would take chairs and blankets and build our forts and I thought it was so cool under there in the dark. I always wanted to curl up with a pillow and sleep! Which sounds really good right now!!!
Until next time...

Thursday, January 10, 2008

2 Years Ago Today...

Today is our 2 year anniversary since our papers were logged into China. It has been such a long road. I feel like people think that we are just making up this adoption sometimes. I sometimes wonder if it is real. But it is real and the Crazy Asian Elephant that I refer to in my heading would have had her baby by now. Can't wait to feel her joy!!So, tonight, I send this out to Izabella, where ever she might be tonight, who ever she might be with...

KISSES IN THE WIND
I hold you in my heart and touch you in my dreams.
You are here each day with me, at least that’s how it seems.
I know you wonder where we are…what’s taking us so long.
But remember child, I love you so and God will keep you strong.
Now go outside and feel the breeze and let it touch your skin…
Because tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.
May God hold you in his hand until I can be with you.
I promise you, my darling, I’m doing all that I can do.

Very soon, you’ll have a famiy for real, not just pretend.
But for tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.
May God wrap you in His arms and hold you very tight.
And let the angels bring the kisses that I send to you each night.
~Author Unknown.

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

2008 Happy New Year!!


Well we have crossed over into another year. Still no baby. New Year's Eve was pretty uneventful for me. Scott went to a UK Football game ands somehow ran across a field pass. We was as happy as a kid in a candy store!! I had a little girls slumber party with my friend, her daughter and my neice. We had fun playing Sorry and Uno!
So, China has now matched families with Log In Dates through December 19, 2005. So we wait....

Okay here they are...

I promised photos from our holiday so here they are. We had a little Gingerbread House party...


Here is Austin and Audry working hard on their house...


The RedPepper Family's house lost its roof!!

This one was mine and Hannah's!!










This is my cousin's little girl Angel - isn't she??? With her little kitty!
And her new little baby Isiaac. He is sooo cute!

This is Dad's Uncle, Dad's brother, Dad's sister & Dad -- of course. Angel had to get in as well!