Squeeze The Day

This child...

Drives me crazy..

crazy

He is so smart and cute 

and so full of himself

and has this wonderful sense of humor

and these blue eyes that make me melt

I mean they own me.

and

he

Cracks me up.

He can be so sweet.

Say the funniest things when you least expect it.

One of, if not my most favorite thing he has ever said

he said when he was about four.. maybe five

The saying, as you know is seize the day

He thought it was  Squeeze the day!

I loved it.

It means get everything you can out of the day

Use it for all it's worth.

Squeeze. The. Day.

We say it on a regular basis

and try to live by it.

He still falls asleep in our bed and then Matt-Daddy

will haul him and his favorite pillow to his bed when we head to bed.

Will do his best to work both of us in very subtle

ways to get the answer to his math homework problems

Every.

Single.

Day.

And grin the entire time.

He still loves Power Rangers

Green is his favorite color

He cried when Optimus Prime 'died' in the second movie.

He hugs me when I am sad

and still tries to curl up in my lap like a little guy

He reminds me each night that I need to

say prayers with him when I tuck him in

MY bed.

He has a tender heart

and he will stand up for his sister and himself if he needs to 

without hesitation

and I love that about him

He has been so 
very 
S L O W 
To lose his baby teeth.
He lost the two middle bottom two about a year ago.
Then nothing.
His last cleaning they took x-rays and we saw that his front two
top teeth were only hanging on by the
gums.
Yep, not a root to be had.
They would just not let go.
They told him to work it or in a month they would have to help them.
Well, Viola! 
He lost them and right before Christmas at that.

So, I was singing
All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth during the holidays. :)

He and his sister are the center of my universe.
We each connect with each other in very different ways.
He loves me and never hesitates to say it in return when I say it to him.
I know that one day.. some day... He might not do that.
I may be kidding myself... But honestly, I don't think so.
We are pretty solid
No matter how mad he may get at my parenting decisions
he and I always talk it out and are OK.

I always thought I wanted two girls
that she needed a sister
I cried when I found out he was a boy
"What am I going to do with a boy!" I cried
God knew better
HE knew so much better.
I am so glad HE did.

I have watched him enjoy every day to the fullest 
since the beginning
and always with a smile
toothless or not ;)

As much as we teach him
He teaches us as much or more.

Don't forget to squeeze that day...



 Train up a child in
the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6

Double digits

Ahhhh.....

Double digits.

So hard to believe she has been in our lives for ten years.

Wasn't it just yesterday that we were standing in the parking deck

in the hospital making calls, telling family "It's time?"

It's gone so fast.

Too fast.

She owns my heart.
A piece of it has been walking around outside my body for ten years.
She makes me so proud.
Her laugh lights up a room. Especially when she gets really tickled ;)
And at the same time can make me madder than anyone else..ever. ;)
She loves her family and is loyal to a fault to her friends.
I have watched her relationship with Christ grow right in front of my eyes.
She can't wait to get to church every Sunday to be with her small group.

Matt-Daddy and I walked in her room last night to give her a good night hug.
She was lying in bed hold a frame with four photos in it.
Sobbing. Hard.
They were photos of her when she was a few months old laughing and smiling.
She said. "I don't want to be grow up. I don't want to be ten."
It broke my heart.
Such a sweet loving heart.
She wants to be with us forever.
IT was all I could do not to cry in front of her.
For I too don't want her to grow up.
I don't want her to be ten either.
I want my sweet, funny little girl in matching outfits with a sippy
cup and ponytails to never go away either.

I wish it were that easy.

But, if what I have witnessed so far is any indication of the joys
she has ahead of her and the amazing adult she will be someday.
I can't be selfish.
What I can do is continue to pray for her every night.
What I can do is continue to love her with all my heart.
What I can do is encourage her to try new things.
What I can do is support and help in every way I can her relationship
with Christ to continue to grow.
What I can do is pray for her friends.
What I can do is continue to tell her that being her is the only way to go and
she is who she is supposed to be and not to let anyone tell her any different.
What I can do is tell her that being strong in her beliefs is a huge part of what
makes her so HER.

I love that girl so much.

Happy Birthday Stormy!!

Around here...

This child..

When she wants to be, she is so focused.... 

And I don't want to do anything to break it.

She has always loved to design clothes...

She didn't get the clothes part from me but her Grandmother and I can be pretty creative

and crafty when we want to be... 

Her grandmother more so than me and 

on a much larger scale... 

Quilts, refinishing furniture, painting etc.

Me..
Well...photography and paper crafts.

She got these design templates a few years ago and pulls them out from time to time.
Then it graduated to a dress form that she loves to dress up with material and costume jewelry.

Last week we went to visit a friend that runs a dress shop that specializes in formal attire.
Especially dresses for prom and bridesmaids... well, you get the idea.
Stormy was in a trance...
She tried on dress after dress...
(much to her Dad's chagrin)
Those pics are on my phone... will have to get those uploaded..
I need to do a phone dump anyway.

I had mentioned to my friend that Stormy loves dresses and draws them free hand and puts them in a
notebook and she loves to create on her dress form and with her templates etc.
She said, "Well she needs to come spend a Saturday with me dressing the mannequins."
She told Stormy that... and
Girl. It. Was. On. 

She has been using her templates and organizing her "portfolio".
She can't wait to go hang with Miss Tammy ;)

On a another note...
She got off the bus Friday and was non stop chatter about her project due in two weeks.
I thought, great we have time.
No.
She wanted to do it TODAY.

It is on Native American Dwellings. She picked a "Winter Hogan".
Not the easiest one either I might add.
She has actually done 90% of it.
She has done an amazing job so far.
Matt-Daddy has guided and given her instruction, although the above
photo would say the contrary. ;)
He was working on the very top of the roof.
She wants it to be removable so she can show the inside and what they are doing.
You go girl.
Don't let me stand in the way.

f.y.i. ....
Me - fourth grade...
Mom --When is that project due?
Me -- "Um... in two days.."
Mom -- "How long have you had to prepare for this?"
Me -- "A little over two weeks."
Mom -- (steam blowing out her ears and flames in her eyes)
Me -- "I guess I will go with the igloo.
Do we have any sugar cubes??"
"Glue?"
Yeah..... I would have totally chosen the easiest one.

 Like I said.. I'm not going to do anything to
break that focus.
Especially when it comes to school work.
We are only one week into school and she has already read
the 3rd book in the series "My Sister's a Vampire".
She started the 4th this morning.

Wow.
I love her.
For any number of reasons....
But today I found another reason. I see another strong point and she
makes me want to make them mine.
Since the day she was born....
She still makes me want to be a better person..

Hope you guys have had a great weekend!
Here's to fabulous week ahead :)

Ciao,
Rox

To say I have been a huge fan of the Parson's work would be an understatement.

You can see their work here.

I mean.. it is amazing to me.

It is inspiring, fun and motivating to me.

But today what is more amazing is their personal journey that they

decided to undertake.

It all came to fruition today.

You can read more about it on their personal blog here .

I am in awe to say the least.

They are hero's to me.

The birth Mother is a hero to me.

I am excited for them.

I am excited for Zion.

How blessed is that child.

See, I am adopted.

 And what has been given to that child.

And what has been given to those amazing Parsons....

Well, see, that can only be a God thing.

A serious God thing.

Please go read the story of little Zion Jeremiah

and his new Mom and Dad and his two big brothers :)

You will have a smile.

You will most likely shed a tear.

But what you will definitely leave with

is 'feel good'

And lots of it. 

And nobody has enough of that :)

Ciao,

Roxanne