Princess Diana

The day before my 11th birthday I woke up very early in the morning to watch the wedding of Lady Diana Spencer to Prince Charles. I remember thinking that it was their birthday gift to me. I purchased a book commemorating the wedding with the $30 that I received for my birthday from our local bookstore downtown. From that moment on I would forever be a fan of Princess Diana. I collected Royalty memorablia, magazines, kept newspaper clippings, anything that had to do with Diana. When Prince William was born I swore was going to marry him when he got to be older. I did marry a prince but it sure wasn't William! My family all knew of my obsession with Princess Diana and would pick up copies of magazines and books for me about her. I have several that Mark bought me in our very young courting years. I have a pretty good collection. Ten years ago today I was up north at my parent's house when I got the horrible news that she had been in a terrible accident. When I learned that she had died, I had to excuse myself and went and bawled my eyes out in the bathroom. Of course I got up at 2 am to watch her funeral and actually had friends call me and see how I was doing, crazy I know. The little girl in me would miss the woman who I had looked up to for so many years and I had always hoped that someday I would have the opportunity to see her in person. A few years ago while I was in Florida for Spring Break, I had the opportunity to visit the Diana Memorial Exhibit that her brother Earl Spencer put together for her at their home Althorp. He turned it into a traveling exhibit around the world so that her fans could pay their respects and get a glimpse into the real Diana. I swear, the morning I found out that I was going to this exhibit and actually see her wedding gown I could not stop shaking. My cousin Sheri went with me and it was a beautiful tribute to my beloved Princess. I saw The Gown, I stood in front of the huge glass display and just stared at all of the detail, the enormous train, the sparkling jewels in her crown, even her shoes were magnificent, I stood there for at least a half an hour. There were no pictures allowed, you can just imagine how badly I wanted a picture of this! The guard in the room kept falling asleep and Sheri kept saying "you want to take a picture don't you?" I sure did but respected their rules. There were many gowns and beautiful tributes on display, it was one of the most special moments in my life. You know, one of those moments that is just about you, no one else, a moment that gets into your soul. I felt like I finally had my moment in time with her. I purchased a few extra special pieces to complete my collection, packed them away and have moved on. She will always be special to me, her life wasn't the fairytale I had always pictured it to be, but she was a remarkable woman and a great mother. Today her boys spoke at a memorial service for her and said that she was the best mother in the world and "she was our guardian, friend and protector", they also asked that she be remembered as "fun-loving, generous, down to earth and entirely genuine." I guess after all of these years she still can inspire me.

Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful for....
-Mark for being such a big help around the house, for taking Dayton to the ballfields and practicing for baseball tryouts, for diving in after Myah before I even knew what was happening.
-Dayton for being so excited about starting school next week, for sitting by me in your orientation at the middle school when you could have ditched me for your friends.
-Myah for never fussing when you wear your life jacket, it saved your life this week when you decided to jump overboard while we were fishing. Please make your kids wear life jackets when they are near the water, no exceptions! I can't even let my mind think about what could have happened.
-For the great time had at Annabelle's party, it was a wonderful day, it was great seeing my family.
-For my nephew Taylor's awesome debut as the quarterback last week, at 15 years old, he is one to watch. I cried when I saw him on the news and they said his name!!
-For all of the people in the south who are still trying to survive after Hurricane Katrina, after 2 years I can't believe that they still have to live like that.
-For my niece Rachel who went to Louisiana over the summer to volunteer for the Hurricane relief, at 13 she is very compassionate and sensitive to people's needs. We are very proud of her.
-For my mom for donating blood for so many years, supplies are dangerously low right now.
-For our high school cross country team, who is ranked #1 in the Midwest, good luck this season!
-For Mark and Dayton's fantasy football team, you would think they are actually the coaches!
-For our great trip to the zoo with my sister and the girls.
-For Myah's attempts at potty training and sleeping in her big girl bed, no success with either but she sure is trying and has interest in both.

Rain rain go away....

I actually took these in April but they seemed fitting for August. We have had so much rain lately that our grass is plush and we are mowing two times a week. Not typical at all for this time of year, I usually see brown, burned up grass and am running the sprinklers all summer. I wish that we could share it with those places that need it so badly. *click on the picture to enlarge it*

Annabelle's Party Part 2

Annabelle and the cool pink guitar
Annabelle posing for me in the corn field that surrounds her house.
The goodie bags included a cd of her favorite songs
Dayton with his grandparents and great grandparents.
Annabelle and Myah learning to share.

Annabelle's Party

Annabelle is welcoming us to the party with her balloon bouquet
The adorable birthday cake
These were the birthday invitations
Annabelle giving it her best shot!
The pink guitar was a hit!
Here is a recap of the adorable 3rd birthday for Miss Annabelle. It was a beautiful day full of family,friends and food!

Please say a prayer....

My heart is heavy tonight and I feel the need to ask for your prayers for a few situations that have taken place this evening. First and foremost, please pray for little Jude's family. One of my blogger friends is a friend of a friend to his family. I have followed their journal all week long as they clung to hope that little Jude would receive a miracle after his drowning last week in a pool. He was revived and his family held the vigil all week praying for his recovery. Tonight he is in the arms of his Heavenly Father. The family has 3 other small children, the youngest just 2 months old. I can't imagine their pain, if you would like to visit their journal please email me and I will get you the information. Please keep this family in your prayers as they deal with this tragedy.
Secondly, tonight as I was driving home with Myah (Mark and Dayton are at Taylor's game), I once again had to drive through a terrible storm. As I sat down tonight to enjoy my peace and quiet, all of my news channels were talking about the devastating storms in our area. A little town just north of here called Fenton was hit very hard. This is where my sister and I love to go when we have a day to ourselves, there are a few shops in the quaint little downtown that we visit where we have got to know the owners personally. Tonight, all reports are that the downtown area is destroyed by a tornado. My heart is breaking for those little shop owners, the economy here has been so bad lately and the little stores are struggling to survive and now to deal with something like this, I pray that they can stay afloat. My brother in law works for security at Target and he was called to the new Fenton store tonight because the roof has been blown off. This gave me shivers because just Saturday I met my sister in Fenton to pick Dayton up, in that Target parking lot, we shopped in that very Target not even a week ago. We are being told that we have not had storms like this in several years. Just last month when the storms ripped through our area, I was in Target during the storm with the kids. I think I need to quit shopping at Target, what do you think?One of my adoption buddies lives out in that area and I am anxious to make sure that they are alright. I have to drive through that area tomorrow as we head up north for Annabelle's party, the Target is right off of the expressway so I am sure that we will see the damage. Many homes are destroyed, severe damage is done to businesses, please keep all of these people in your prayers.

Annabelle's Special Day!

Today my sweet little niece Annabelle turns 3 years old! I just can't belive it! Three years ago Dayton and I flew to Florida to help out my cousin Sheri who had just delivered her son Wesley. We knew that Annabelle's birth mother was due pretty soon and we knew she lived in Florida also, just didn't know where. When we arrived off of the plane my cousin Sheri asked me what would make that day even better, I couldn't think of anything, she screamed "Annabelle was born this morning and Chris and Melanie are on there way down! Now we are talking a 24 hour car ride! So we had to wait for them to arrive before we could go see little Annabelle in the hospital, and they were to stay for 2 weeks in order for paperwork to be finished. As God plans everything in his very perfect way, Annabelle was born just 10 minutes from Sheri's house. I was able to go with them when they placed her in there arms for the first time. We had to be buzzed in to the nurses station and when we turned the corner there she was, so tiny in the nurses arms. I started crying, the ugly cry. I was so happy for my sister. I had watched her give herself huge shots in her hips, lose more weight than gain during her pregnancies, helped change her bed pans when she was bedridden for months and in the hospital, only to stand next to her at a grave site and bury three little angels. She did everything she could to be a mother, with a smile on her face, never complaining. At 29 she had a hysterectomy, I remember the dr telling us that her ovaries were almost touching, they were the size of grapefruits when he removed them. Adoption was her only chance at raising a child. What a blessing when the agency called and told them they had a baby girl on the way! Such a miracle! Then a year later, they received another call that a full blooded sister was theirs if they wanted her. Absolutely they did! Little Chloe joined them the following December. These little girls have filled the gaps in all of our lives. Looking at little Annabelle, I see a sweet child, full of sunshine, a petite, delicate little darling who lights up a room with her smile. I love to hear her say "Hi Aunt Se-ssie" in her little scratchy voice. I can't wait to celebrate her special day with her this weekend, she has a "gotcha day" too! I am so grateful that God placed these beautiful children in the arms of my sister and her husband, they have brought so much joy into all of our lives! Happy Birthday to our little firefly!

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for many things this week, and since I missed last week, I will include a few from last week too.

-for my dear hubby for taking us on a great vacation, for taking good care of me and the kids this week while I have been sick, for reaching out to a friend when he needed it,for all of the hard work on the fireplace that looks so beautiful, for the great walk on the beach at night, and for shopping at American Girl with little Myah.

-for Dayton, for being such a great helper with Myah in the car while we drove to Wisconsin. For watching Myah while dad and I walked on the beach at night and for making us feel young again when you asked us if we "made out" when we came back in the room, you are growing up way too fast! For saying it feels good to be home.

-for Myah, for being a good girl and going with the flow on our vacation, for giving up naps, for loving the water as much as we do, for sitting and watching a video for the first time ever while mommy is sick!

-for the z-pack that is hopefully knocking this infection out of me!

-for the laptop, how else could I stay sitting for a few days.

-for my oldest nephew Nate who turns 18 today!!!

-for my nephew Taylor who found out he is the starting quarterback, he is a sophomore.

-for my niece Annabelle, who turns 3 on Friday, we can't wait to see what your mommy has cooked up for the bash!

-for Annabelle's birth parents, for choosing to give her to a family who loves her beyond measure.

-for Lon and Phyllis' engagement, we are happy for them.

-for the Smith's for putting up with us and for showing us a wonderful time!

-for the new carpet in our family room, we just love it!

-for my extended family, I wish I could have made it to the reunion this past weekend!

-for my cousin Ruthie's daughter in laws referral of a 10 month old baby girl in China, now Myah will have 2 cousins from China! We can't wait till you arrive home Morgan.

-for the rain that we needed!

-for the sweet comments made by blogger friends!

-for Sarah's babyjellybeans site that is ending this week. We started them together and I am going to be sad to not see the updates of Myah's Hubei "sister". We sure had a fun journey together.

**I am not sure why my slideshow is staying at the top, does anyone have a solution?**

Summer Vacation

Here are a few pictures from our wonderful trip to Wisconsin to visit our good friends the Smith's who moved there earlier this year. We had such a great time and miss them so much already! We went to Bay Harbor Resort on Lake Michigan in Wisconsin, it was so neat being on the other side of our favorite Great Lake. It was beautiful and had a great indoor waterpark, outdoor pool and beachfront. I swear we thought we were in the Gulf Of Mexico! Minus any creature that could sting, bite or attack! We ended our trip in Chicago and loved taking the kids to our favorite stops. Myah had her first trip to the American Girl Store and got a stroller for her Bitty Baby. The guys really loved stopping there! It was so nice to spend time together as a family, unfortunately I came down with a bad cold and haven't felt good since we got home. Thank you to our friends for showing us a wonderful time! We will be back!

Big News!!!!!

A very special announcement was made to us the day we arrived home from vacation. Mark's mom Phyllis (Grandma to Myah and Dayton) announced that she is getting married to Lon! We were shocked to hear the news but not surprised. We haven't seen her this happy in years. Lon seems like a wonderful man and and they are very much in love. Congratulations to the happy couple!

We'll Be Back Soon......

We are away on vacation but will return soon. Thank you so much Smith Family for a wonderful time!

My First Thankful Thursday

Many blogging friends do this and this week I am especially thankful so thought I would join in too.

I am thankful for........

* My dear sweet hubby, what a week you have had. I know that sometimes you see and hear things that no one wants to see. Bless you for doing the job that you do, I couldn't do it. I loved seeing your face on the news tonight, you make me so proud.
*Dayton, for making me feel like I am still cool to be around. Thanks for the Snickers and Diet Coke today. Also thank you so much for watching your sister so I can get some things accomplished.
*Myah, for saying that she loves us when she says goodnight. Such a gift for a mother's heart!
*Sheri for the cool birthday gifts I received in the mail yesterday, I love them!!!!!
*My night out with Mark, I loved having him by my side all night. I loved the way he kept looking at me. We had so much fun with our friends but would have had just as much fun if it were just me and you honey!
*My neighbor Pam for working side by side in our garden during the hottest days of the year, and for watching the kids so we could have a much needed night to ourselves.
*Our trip to Wisconsin this week to see the Smith's!!! We can hardly wait to see you!!!
*That my sister in law Lora's hysterectomy went well yesterday, we love you sweetie and hope you will be back to yourself in no time!
*For a special man, who will remain anonymous until I have permission to use his name, that is making someone we love very happy. Wink wink!!!
*For my friend Linda who came over tonight, I could talk to her all night long!!!
*For my sister Mel's closet organizer, she has been living out of boxes for 2 years since the construction started!
*For Danielle who helped me give my blog some bling!!
*For air conditioning! What would I do this week without it!
*For rain so that I can give my sprinklers a rest!!!
*For Margaret's successful surgery.
*For Sheri, I am so glad that through our adoption I gained a daughter and also a great friend. Have a great trip this week!
*For time away with my family!!!

Sweet Summer Pictures

I took some pictures of my kids today in the backyard. You know, what else would you be doing in 60% humidity? I got some really cute ones of them. It is not easy getting them both to look at me so I just give in and try to capture their interaction with each other. Here are a few, I will post more later.

Mommy and Daddy go out!!!!

I know big deal right! But this was the second time since Myah has been part of our family that we have been able to do this! Now that Mark is on nights it is harder to schedule dates! Our angel of a neighbor Pam volunteered to stay with the kids. All went well, Dayton is such a big help, he put Myah to bed and made her mind Pam. He is such a good kid! We had a wedding in Ann Arbor for one of Mark's officers. It was so much fun to dress up and hang out with good friends, we laughed till our stomach's hurt! My favorite part was the chocolate fountain at the end of the night, I swear my nose led me to the thing! It was so good! Congrats to Mr and Mrs Wallace! I also want to give a huge thank you to Danielle for adding some color to my blog, she is such a doll and I sure appreciate it!

I have been tagged

Lori tagged me with this meme. Here is goes:

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. Chasing my 2 year old Dayton around.
2. Doing many home improvements on our first house.
3. Teaching scrapbooking classes.
4. Collecting Longaberger baskets, all of my friends were selling them at the time.
5. Trying to have another baby! Sorry, but it is the truth!

5 favortie snack foods:
1. Ice cream.
2. chocolate!
3. Wasa crackers and Kuhana cheese
4. Chips and Wild Mild Salsa
5. fresh fruit already cut up, I hate cutting it up!

5 songs I know all of the lyrics to:
I know lots of songs, I love to sing especially Karoke with my family and in the shower, car etc...so that being said here are a few.
1. Several songs by Shania Twain, Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Jodee Messina, Wynonna
2. A Whole New World, our wedding song
3. Oh Holy Night, my favorite Christmas carol
4. Somewhere Over the Rainbow
5. Lots of oldies songs, I love oldies too!

5 things I would do with a million dollars: ok, first off a disclaimer that I would not be a rich millionaire, I have too much compassion for people and would probably give to every charity that I could. This is my personal list.
1. Invest
2. Give to my family
3. Give to the police memorial funds
4. Hire a personal organizer to completely organize every aspect of my life!
5. Take a much needed get away to a private island with my hubby and only my hubby ( ok, a personal chef too, we have to eat and who wants to cook!)

5 Bad Habits
1. Eating ice, I don't know why but lately I am doing this all of the time, I know my dentist would not be happy.
2. Neat freak, I like to have everthing in its place, this is almost impossible so I end up spending too much time working on this.
3. Buying magazines
4. Going to bed too late now that Mark is working nights, I just can't bring myself to head upstairs until after midnight.
5. taking too many pictures

5 things I like to do:
1. Take too many pictures, ha ha!
2. Spend quality time with my family, that means not shopping together!
3. Decorate and rearrange my furniture
4. Shop at my favorite little places especially if I have a good friend along.
5. Anything with water, the ocean, lakes, pools etc. I love to be in the sunshine!

5 things I would never wear again:
1. My size 3 wedding dress for obvious reasons.
2. Any of the 9 bridesmaids dresses that I have been blessed to wear.
3. leg warmers
4. running tights
5. purple nikes, purple eye shadow, jordache jeans, and loves baby soft perfume all at the same time!

26 Months Old

In the tradition of my BJB site I thought I should keep up with my monthly update on Myah. It has been so nice to look back on her progress throughout this past year. I am so bad about keeping up with her baby book so this will serve as one! I will start by saying that our little girl is extremely STRONG willed! Her vocabulary is amazing and she is saying sentences now. She will say words and phrases that I didn't know she even knew. The other day she saw the video from her orphanage and she saw a parade with people in costumes dancing in the street, she says, "look, monkey dancing", she was right! She will usually wake me up in the morning by saying "hi mommy, I sleep good". Then she proceeds to ask all of us if we did the same. The next thing out of her mouth is "where daddy go?", "where Dayton go?" She then will ask this same question about 50 times a day. If I leave the room for a second she is like a broken record asking where I went. Along with her expanded vocabulary has come her ability to give commands, for example, "Dayton, sit down," Mommy sit down" Mommy Juice, juice, juice,.... you get the picture. The girl loves to eat and now she tells me what she wants and yells it until she gets it. This girl does not give up or give in. We will get into stare downs with her and she doesn't even blink! Especially when she is in trouble. She is such a goofy girl, she loves to dance and sing. She loves me to sing Itsy Bitsy Spider with her and she does all of the motions. She is also running everywhere, she is pretty quick too! She is definitely a two year old! Yesterday I found her on the floor in her room after her nap, not sure how but she did climb out of her crib, it was just a matter of time, I have found her outside of her pack and play when we stay out of town. She loves to be outside and has loved taking bike rides with us. She just squeals. As dramatic as she can be she can also be as comedic. She knows how to be funny and tries to make us laugh, I love that about her. I think if she didn't have that characteristic I would lose my mind with the defiant side of her. I love this little girl with all of my heart but some days, whew, I look forward to bed time! We are trying to introduce potty training at her leisure, she seems to be pretty interested and has had a few successes! One of my favorite times with Myah is when she says her prayers at night, she is so sweet the way she names everyone, she remembers everyone, I can't believe it! Sometimes she will say names and then pause for a second and go "Um..." and say another name. I think she gets her gift of gab from her daddy what do you all think!!! Ha ha! She also loves playing with her dolls, she pushes her stroller around with her baby in it all day. We have had a great summer and have enjoyed our boat so much, we are so thankful that Myah enjoys it as well, she loves to go fast and is not afraid of the water at all. Just amazes me to think that just last summer she would scream when she saw a pool or bathtub. She is our daughter through and through and I love how she says " momma, I happy!" Or how she tells us she loves us, it just means so much to us. I could go on and on about all of the changes in her/our lives lately, the kids are growing up so fast. I can't believe that Dayton will be in middle school in a month. I took him shopping the other day and he is actually in clothes that I can wear now. Where has my little boy gone? He loves Pac Sun and even asked if I could buy the cologne that they sell. He is worrying about his hair now, his complexion, and his clothes. I am definitely dealing with two very different stages in childhood development. It is exhausting! But very fulfilling! Please leave us a comment if you are visiting, we would love to hear from you all, I haven't updated the bjb site at all and miss the guestbook section, I know you are all out there so please leave me a note, I miss hearing from you all. Also if you are new, leave a message introducing yourself, we would enjoy it! Sorry I haven't been very faithful at blogging, we have been working on the garden, it is getting pretty but of course we have picked the hottest days of the year to work on it! Thanks for stopping by!