Away in a Manger

So, while listening to Glenn Beck this morning on my way to pick up Emma, I got to thinking. I don't care if you love him or hate him, he makes you think. For everyone who thinks he is all political, that is just a piece of Glenn Beck. But this particular morning, I listened to a version of the Christmas story. A version that made you look at it in a completely different way. In a PERSONAL way. One that made you put yourself in that stable many years ago.

I can't really put this into an actual paragraph format. It is more like a bunch of random musings that are running through my head.

Can you imagine yourself as Mary? Can you imagine having to tell your parents, friends, and husband to be that you were pregnant? And pregnant with the son of God, nonetheless. I do understand the fear of having to tell your family and friends that you are pregnant (and somewhat "unmarried" in their way of thinking). Been there. Done that. Imagine the fear of telling them that you are pregnant, yet still a virgin. Would they believe you? How would your husband to be react? Would he believe you? Would he think that you had strayed from him? Would he still want you to be his wife?

Imagine Joseph's fear, after dreaming, that he was to be the father of Jesus. Would he be able to raise a son to God's standards? Would he love him as his own even?

Imagine the trip to Bethlehem. Can you imagine being full with child on a donkey (assuming a donkey was used)?I know how uncomfortable I was those last couple of months. Add a good long donkey ride to that discomfort.

Imagine knocking on the doors of the inns, only to be turned away. Imagine Mary's fear after learning that she was to give birth to the son of God on the dirty floor of a stable, with only Joseph and the animals to exalt the King? Imagine being a young woman giving birth for the first time. If you are a mother, do you remember your first child??? How scared were you, not knowing what labor was like? Mary, I am sure, had seen labor before, yet was still afraid, I am sure. Imagine Joseph learning of Herod's plans to kill his son. How would he protect Mary and the baby from Herod?

Do you remember looking into your babies' eyes and wondering what the future held for them? What would they look like? What would they be when they grew up? Would they follow in your footsteps? How are you going to raise this little being into someone who loved God as much as you do? How would you teach them what they needed to know to be a good person, to be compassionate to others?

Mr. Beck reminded me this morning, "They were just people." Just like you and I. Normal, everyday, people.

Can you IMAGINE?


Amy Grant's "Breath of Heaven"
video by Tony Cortes
Both very talented and using His talents to praise Him.

"...but I offer all I am

for the mercy of your plan...

help me be strong..

help me be...

help me..."

The prayer of a mother...


Also, please pray for a fellow mother, Dana (a friend of Renae Deckard, a blog friend) at Roscommon Acres who lost her precious baby boy this week. She is surrounded by God, family, and friends, but another prayer could never hurt. I have been crying with her here in Indiana. Heaven is blessed to have Mattias, and Mattias is blessed with heaven.

Blessed Christmas to you all!

God Bless You!

Well, I received my first Booksneeze product to review! I watched "The Way Home" today while the girls were napping. It was an okay movie with a great message. This movie is a great reminder of what is important in your life. Dean Cain plays a father whose work is priority one. His life is shaken when his two year old son goes missing under his supervision. Okay acting, little plot, great message. I think that it would be okay for kids, but I would be worried about little ones, since there are scary parts when they talk about the possibility of not finding the boy in time. I enjoyed it nonetheless. The part about the movie that I liked the most was that it was based on actual events. Dean Cain does a good job of playing the distraught, guilt ridden father. Lori Beth Edgeman, not so believable as a mother whose son is missing.

School is Cool

I know it has been awhile, but we finally found a preschool for Emma Claire. I had found one that was local but, for some unknown reason, kept looking. I then found a different one (that is about 10 miles from home), but they only had openings in the afternoon. No big deal. I'll switch our schedule around. Problem number 2: Six boys and Emma Claire. No girl friends??!?!?! Oh no! Then I got to thinking, "Well, maybe in comparison to all of the rowdy boys in her class, Emma will be somewhat tame! This can be good. This WILL be good. We will make it work." The class wasn't full, so there was still room for a little girl to join Emma. Time for LOTS of prayer. I know, I know. I shouldn't bother the Big Guy for such trivial matters. And it wasn't really a prayer. Just everyday conversation.

A week passed and I was in "The Wal-Mart" (yes, that was me talking like the hubs) looking for non-marking soled shoes (and thinking to myself that I needed to call Emma's teacher and see just how serious they were about ONLY shoes that had laces) when Miss Jenni herself called. She said that there was an opening in the morning class! Yay! So, what is my point with all of this rambling? The point is that prayers work, even if it is the small stuff. So don't sweat it, just pray. :o)

Emma started back to school. She is with a few kids from her old preschool, and she LOVES that she knew someone going into it. It's a bonus that her close friend Mackenzie is with her too! She goes to school five days a week. I am glad that it is five days a week because I think that it will better prepare her for all day kindergarten next year.

Needless to say, we have just been getting back into the swing of things.

Her are some pictures that I took for her FIRST day of school and the beginning of FALL! Praise be for cooler days!

First day of school 09/07/2010


I surprised her one day by taking her to the state park after school. She then surprised me by cooperating with the Canon.











Andrea

My Name's "Whoa, Damnit!"

As I can recall only one thing sets 6th grade apart from the others in middle school.

Tommy.Jack.Savage.

Now, you may think to yourself, "Who in the world is Tommy Jack Savage?" You may recall, from my previous Piggy Tales posts, an old gray mare by the name of Frosty. Well, as I grew, so did my search for adventure. Frosty was NOT a challenge. I needed EXCITEMENT. I needed something FIESTY. I needed something DANGEROUS.

Enter Tommy Jack Savage into my life.



He was a three year old green gelding with TONS of spunk. I spent more time on MY backside than on his. Every chance he got, he bucked. He ran away with me. He was ill-tempered, ill-mannered, and spirited. We got along FAMOUSLY. I loved that big old leggy baby. He was MINE. ALL MINE.

I took him to the 4-H fair that year. In amongst all of the professionally trained horses, we stuck out like a sore hoof. Instead of calmly, smoothly loping around the arena, we RACED. We galloped wherever TJ damn well pleased around the perimeter of the ring, nearly causing the demise of one judge who looked like he was having ZERO fun. We may not have placed that year, but we were made for each other. I was never one of those kids whose parents did the work for them. For one thing, my parents wouldn't be caught DEAD on that big galoot. We did the work ourselves and we grew together.

**Nota Bene: TJ is still alive and well. He is now 18 and LOVES my girls. Check out this post for pictures of the infamous big guy himself.

On Becoming a Woman

Fifth grade. On the verge of being a teenager. No longer a child, in my mind. I know that it was a rough time for my parents. For me too, for that matter. I have always been a bit...outspoken. Never the type to bite my tongue. That caused a rift between my mom and I, which I regret to this day. Dad used to say that it was because we were so much alike. I look back and agree entirely. There were good times though too.

I started playing sports in fifth grade. Volleyball in the fall, basketball in the winter, then softball in the spring. I liked sports. Heck, I STILL like sports. I prefer to play a sport over a cardio workout any day.

I wasn't too great at any of them, but I LOVED softball. In volleyball and basketball, I always ran around crazy, never quite understanding completely. On the diamond though, that was a COMPLETELY different story. My place was behind the plate. There, I knew what EVERYONE was doing. For some unexplainable reason, I adored having a softball hurled at me and having a sweaty old man breathing down my backside. "STRRRIIIIIIKE!" was my favorite word. My mom played softball too, when she was younger. She was always the bad ass behind the plate too. :o) I was always proud that we shared that ONE thing.

I should probably add that my dad coached me. It was a bit of a love/hate thing. I loved that my dad was involved in my activities, but MAN! It was ROUGH!! Just sayin'. He coached me on our school basketball team. I was TERRIBLE, so it was okay that he made me ride the pine a lot. It was always said that I spent more time on the floor than on my feet. I guess that my nickname (Hubs calls me Gracie basically to mock my complete lack of finesse.) was in the cards even way back then.

All of this culminated to the 5th grade end of the softball season party. My mom and dad offered to host a swim party at our house. Keep in mind, our house was pretty much a kid's dream, complete with go-kart, horse, riding trails, swimming pool, and pond. It was going to be a great time. Lo and behold, the day of the party came and so did a visitor (the FIRST time this particular visitor graced me with her presence). Any woman reading this can pretty much guess which visitor I am referring to. Any eleven year old girl with a swim party's worst nightmare. So while my guests were due to arrive in a few hours, I was learning the ins and outs of womanhood. To this day, I VIVIDLY recall my dramatic younger self crying to my mother, "I don't WANT to be a girl! I want to be a boy!" As if my theatrics were going to make EVERYTHING go away instantly... Needless to say, the party guests arrived and I had ALMOST as much fun as if everything were "normal". Thank goodness all of the guests were girls as well.

So the end of the school year ended, and I was officially on the brink of womanhood.

"Em" is for Motorcycle.

Hubs got his bike back from the buddy who was borrowing it. Em had to have some photos taken with it. And as much as I hate to look hillbilly with a picture of my child on a motorcycle, I HAD to take it. She so rarely asks for her picture taken!

Daddy with his girls

Girl after his own heart

Hell on Wheels.

And no, she HAD not brushed her hair yet. Cute, huh? Oh well, life's too short to wait for the PERFECT photo op. :o)

Homeschool Swap

This summer, I participated in a Homeschool Swap. Now, you may say, "But you don't homeschool!" But I am considering it. STRONGLY. So while scouring many different sites for information, I happened upon The Homeschool Post and found this swap. So, I thought to myself, "Self, this sounds like fun!" I love getting mail and making new friends, so I signed myself up. And into my life came Renae Deckard. My Homeschool Swap swapper. We found that we have a lot in common, including impeccable taste in naming children. :o) Both of us have Emmas, which I guess shouldn't be surprising, since it seems as though 90% share our fondness for the name. I digress, here are the goodies that Renae found for me for just $15!

And might I say, that vase looks just FAB with my milk glass collection!

It was GREAT "meeting" you, Renae. I will think of you often! Especially when I indulge in Twizzlers!

Off the Face of the Earth

A friend of mine let me know nicely that I have been neglecting dear old blog. So here I am, back at it...quickly, however, since I SHOULD be making dinner for the hubs and kids. :o) So what, in a nutshell, has been keeping me from blogville??

Sick kids. Yes. I said it. Sick kids! Mine! Sick! I can hardly believe it myself, since Emma has only been sick once (other than a cold here and there) in her 4 years so far. We have been so blessed with our healthy little ones. Way to go, mama's milk! You have done a wonderful job thus far. :-D

Visits with the aunt. Rob's aunt Delaney (who is 18 years younger than he is) came to stay with us for a week. Last week consisted of me trying to entertain a 15 year old. I'm not sure how I did, but I hope that the 4 year old and 1 year old didn't drive her TOO crazy. We had a lot of fun. We went and saw Beezus and Ramona (I <3ed it), went to the zoo, went on a picnic in the park, and went to the splash pad. We also took her to a local haunt called Tyeger's Pizza. I cannot describe how delicious their pizza it. Mmmmm...It makes my mouth water just thinking about it! :-P

We've also been on a plight to find Emma a new preschool, since ours had to close due to budget cuts. :o( We will definitely miss Miss Leslie and the rest of Emma's classmates this year. But we have a new preschool lined up. I just have my fingers crossed that it works out since our selection in this little one horse town is sort of slim. :o/

Clothes shopping for Em.

Rearranging furniture. Moving another desk into our living room. It definitely doesn't look designer in here with the crapton of furniture crammed in the tiny little spce, but I needed it in here to work with Emma on her schoolwork.

So what else...Evelyn is talking now. Sort of. She says, "Hi, Dad" and "dog." No sign of "Mama" anywhere. :o(

Planning a trip. A trip that is happening in about a month. But we don't know where. A touch last minute, ya think? Any suggestions??? Need someplace historical with water nearby. Must be a house with a pool since my girls are water junkies. :o)

Also looking for a dance class for the Dancing Queen.

Checking out some new websites:
Paperback Swap
Click

to sign up and get me a free book! "Andrea Peterson" MUST be in your referred by box! You know you want to help a fellow blogger out!
and
Becoming an ambassador of Barefoot Books
Click here to shop around!
Yeah...I'm a book nerd...

Oh yeah, and I MUST get out of the house soon. The walls are closing in on me.

Okay! Well, that's about it. For all of you that were thinking that I was off on some extravagant holiday or even a top secret mission, I am so sorry to disappoint you! We've just been busy living the Peterson life!

Baby Steps No More

Do you ever have one of those days when you just sit back and wonder about where time went? I do all the time, every day. But sometimes it REALLY smacks you in the face that time isn't standing still, regardless of how much you want it to.

Emma Claire is no longer making baby steps. She is now growing by leaps and bounds. Every day, I step back and wonder to myself, "Who is this little girl and what did she do with my chubby fingered Bug?" It is surreal that just a mere four years ago she was this helpless thing that depended on me for every meal, diaper change, and naptime.

Now, she is just a bundle of energy and frankly, a little girl. She has grown to have loves, aspirations, and dreams of her own. She no longer is interested in "babies", but loves to play with her Barbies and her horses. She is the spitting image of myself at her age: an absence of fear and is not afraid to get gussied up, yet doesn't mind getting dirt between her toes.

She has grown to have responsibilities. Today, I asked her to clean up her room, make her bed, collect the trash cans, get the mail, and take out the recycling. She did EVERYTHING!

(Emma Claire cooks)




And it only took me yelling for five minutes one timeout! Hey, she is still a work in progress, just as we all are.

Last night, she slept in her own bed all night long and ALL BY HERSELF. Oh, okay. So she should have been doing that for a long time, but as some of you may remember, she walked in on a robber in her room about a year and a half ago. Needless to say, she is a little leery of her bedroom at night, bless her little heart. She didn't want to, but she did with only a little quivering lip. But she is a brave little thing, and she's back in there again tonight! YAY for only two people in the queen size bed!

My little Em has also been swimming. LIKE.A.FISH. I took her to a local waterpark, and she went down a GIANT slide (Yes, I was right beside her). I can take her into water that is over her head and she paddles around without any problems. (I strongly recommend the Speedo swim jackets. They let kids learn to swim without forcing them to depend on the jacket to hold them up.)

(Emma Claire swims)



The other night, I took her to my softball game with me. There was another little girl, just around her age, whom she made friends with. It was so cute to watch them sit together, hand in hand, inside the dugout.

She is a little sponge. We were walking in my Mom and Dad's garden with my brother tonight when my brother asked about a particular plant that was growing. I replied, "Those are marigolds." To which Emma Claire added, "We have marigolds in our garden too, don't we, Mama?" We surely do. And on the way home, she told me as she pointed out a willow tree along the road, "Willow trees are my favorite trees." I may be partial, but she is one smart little girl.

All of these things lead up to my point for this post. Time flies on swift wings. It will pass you by, and leave in its place just a whisper of a memory. So for now, I will just have to settle for the ticklefests and somersaults that she now prefers over slobbery open mouth kisses and snuggles to the breast.

Infatuated with Kitchen Gadgets

Does anyone else have a thing for kitchen gadgets? These are on my wishlist.


KrumKake Express by EdgeCraft. Imagine the beautiful ice cream cones I could make with these!

Since we need ice cream to go with the cones...

Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker (The Ice Cream Ball) You roll it across the ground to make the ice cream! Tell me that you aren't intrigued or that you wish you had come up with that idea!


I've recently been into Popsicles and the like.


Vacu Vin Stainless Steel Pineapple Easy Slicer. Not that I ever slice my own pineapple, but maybe I would if I had one of these. At least, that is what I will tell the hubs.


Chicago Metallic Slice Solutions 9-Inch Square Brownie Pan Set. Yeah, I am one of those dorks that would buy the Perfect Brownie off of an infomercial.

And heck, while we are getting the perfect cut...

Slice Solutions 9-Inch Divided Loaf Pan Set.


Fusionbrands Poach Pods. Nope, I don't make poached eggs either. But then again, I WOULD if I just had...


Norpro 3170 Stainless-Steel Pancake Dispenser Now, THIS would get used, I promise!

More pancake fun!

Tovolo Pancake Pen I would use this at LEAST twice a year. :-P


Progressive International Lettuce Keeper. Who doesn't want unwilty lettuce?!?! And it lets you wash and store in the same container!!!

This tops my list.

Mr. Coffee BVMC-FM1 20-Ounce Frappe Maker. Frozen coffee rocks my world.

While we are on beverages...

Fruit Infusion Pitcher by Prodyne. Maybe I could kick the soda habit with help from this.

And back to brownies, because what kind of person doesn't like brownies!?!?

Wilton Easy Pour Funnel

Wilton Round Brownie Pop Mold

What are YOUR favorite newfangled kitchen gadgets???

The Object of my Affection (Piggy Tales Thursday)

Fourth grade rolled around, and with it, the magic number TEN! I remember for my tenth birthday, my uncle gave me a little fake fish in an aquarium. With it, he told me that I now had reached "double digits"! Double digits didn't mean anything to me. Just another day for the kids to tease me. In fourth grade, I had my first unofficial boyfriend. We would sit in the back of the school bus with our fingers laced tightly together. We were two of a kind, both sort of the kids in the outer circle. It was a perfectly innocent love. But soon, as all puppy love does, it dimmed and was replaced by another love. This time, the object of my affection had four legs instead of two. I fell head over heels with a horse. Not any horse in particular, just A HORSE. Any horse would do. Before I could have one of my own, my parents enrolled me in riding lessons. This was to assure that it wasn't one of my hobbies that lasted just 30 seconds a short while. After all, I was just a kid who had no idea what they wanted to do in life! Then again, maybe things haven't changed that much after all... Nevertheless, I began riding lessons with a former teacher who went simply by Alice. She was tough, but a GREAT teacher. She put me astride a giant mare (or maybe she just seemed that way) who was just as wonderful of a teacher as Alice. Together, they taught me the ins and outs of horsemanship. Soon enough, I bought a horse of my own. The prettiest old Appaloosa I could ever have imagined. Her blanket of spots served as my head's pillow many times, and her dirty mane dried my tears more times than I can count. Benjamin Disraeli once said, "A canter is a cure for every evil." How right he is. To this day, a good canter will erase any of my troubles. Now, they are few and far between, but back then without Frosty and her rocking horse canter, those young transition years from child to preteen would've been agony. Oh sure, I fell off. I had more tumbles and spills, bumps and bruises than I can even remember. But like Alice always said, "You aren't a rider until you've fallen off." As is in life, you haven't lived until you've fallen. I stumbled through fourth grade, but every time I heard the shrill whinny of that little gray mare (who to everyone else, wasn't anything special) she picked me back up and gave me the strength to trudge on through life.

The Trials of 3rd Grade (Piggy Tales Thursday)

Let's face it. When I was a kid, I was a little bit introverted nerdy. I enjoyed my books and tended to lose myself in those worlds rather than making friends in my own. Don't get me wrong, I had my best friend Ashley, but I was never one of the "in crowd" So, by third grade people started having little crushes, and I was not unlike the other girls in that sense. Mine was a cute little guy with red hair and freckles. But I was just the little girl with big blue eyeglasses and a crooked smile. Anyway, one day, I got a sweet little card with rainbows on it from that redhead that asked me to be his girlfriend (or something along those lines). Now, I should have been skeptical when I saw that rainbow. But I was blind to the obvious. And of course, I was SO excited! But before long, the obvious was brought to my attention by another one of the girls in my class. The card was a fake, written by another little girl.

Regardless of my dorky exterior, I was never the type to be pushed around, even if it wasn't a shove in the literal sense of the word. So, I shoved back. I shoved that fake card author. Hard. Into a desk. She shoved me. A teacher approached and broke in. We were both ushered out into the hall to work it out amongst ourselves.

Now, I don't remember the details of how it came to be, but somehow, that was the beginning of a new friendship. It's funny how things work out. Paige was one of my best friends for the next five years. Of course, in high school, we drifted apart as we did our best to explore the new halls with new friends. Just recently, I reconnected with her on Facebook (Ah, the wonders of the web.) and can't wait to get together in the real world again.

Third grade was a time when you began to realize that people could be mean. That not everyone was a friend. But sometimes, something that seems like the worst thing in your life really wasn't so bad. No, the boy didn't like me. Really, he probably never even noticed me. Maybe, he knew about the note. Maybe he didn't. But that nasty note turned into one of the best things in grade school. I look back on it and realize two things. First, kids are resilient. They bounce back from things that adults wouldn't. Don't think for one second that I wasn't back to whispering about boys the next day. I just had a new friend to whisper to. Which brings me to number two. Kids forgive.

Just recently, I had a falling out with a close friend due to an inadvertent slip of the tongue. I have apolgized, but this was almost six months ago and I fear that I have lost this friend. Kids don't hold a grudge. They fight. They make up. Life goes on.

We all could take some lessons from our younger selves.

What About Andrea?

I've never done any of the question posts, but I figured that it was time to take a little looksie into my life. What makes me...ME! So check out Five Crooked Halos for Five Question Friday and link up. Or leave the answers in my comment spot! Be sure to let me know if you have linked up! So here we be!


1. What is one thing you miss the most about childhood?
I miss my grandmother. Every day I miss her. They say that over time, the ache goes away. They lie. The ache doesn't go away. Sure, it dulls a bit over the years, but the pain never leaves. Oh and I miss the simplicity of it all. I miss the ease with which I blew through life, flitting from place to place, time to time. I miss the lack of technology invading my life. I miss the feeling of "no worries". I used to have absolutely no fear of what the future held for me. Now, I worry if my girls will have the same simple life growing up that I did. I worry about their quality of life. I even worry about their retirement, and I'm only just halfway to MY OWN retirement! I miss the slow pace, easy come, easy go attitude.

2. Are you still friends with your friends from high school?
Well, my best friend Ashley (who makes fantastic jewelry, check out her blog here) went to a different high school, but we were friends during the high school years, so I assume that this is the same. In fact, I met my best friend when I was five. Amber has always been a great friend from high school, although I knew her before high school as well. I guess all of the friends that I made IN HIGH SCHOOL are no longer my friends.

3. Is there a catch phrase, cliche, or word that just drives you bonkers every time you hear it?
the c word. And all of you ladies KNOW the c word. It is a dirty, despicable word. And ta-tas! What the heck?!?!? As far as a phrase, I can't stand the phrase, "Don't hate on me," or "Stop hatin' on me." And sometimes, just sometimes, I REALLY don't like the word, "Mom". Most of the time, it is followed by...wait for it...Mom. And then again...Mom. So it goes something like this...MomMomMomMomMomMomMomMom. Mom, can I? Mom, why not? Mom, do I have to? Mom, why? I am sure you can understand my lack of fuzzy feelings for this word at times.

4. What is one thing that you think symbolizes America...besides "Old Glory"?
Hmmm...that's a toughie. I think that Declaration of Independence symbolizes what America used to stand for. But that's a subject that is off limits for me in this blog. Mainly, because I want to keep all of my followers. :o) In the famous words of Forrest Gump, "And that's all I have to say about that."

5. What are your 4th of July weekend plans?
Tonight, my husband offered to take me out on a date. To see Eclipse! He even offered! When I looked at him questioningly, he replied simply, "I'm Team Alice." Tomorrow, my in-laws are coming to visit!!! I haven't got to see my brother, nephew, and NEW sister in law since CHRISTMAS. Tomorrow night, we have a barbecue with some friends. Sunday, we will probably go to the lake and stay till Monday. We kinda fly by the seat of our pants, so only the weekend will tell. :o)

Enjoy your fourth, and fly Old Glory high!

My new rustic bunting from Rural King. It's so me.

Pick Nicks and Country Miles

By second grade, I was a big sister to Nicholas Wayne. He would have been five or so, by that time. He was also born in my parent's heart, and a gift from another mother. He was my best friend growing up, even though you wouldn't have known it to hear us bickering.

When I was six, everything we did was outdoors. Bicycle riding. Hiking down by the creek. Picnics in the woods. Walking on the trails my dad had meandering throughout our property. We grew up in a little house in the woods in a world where mosquitoes and deer ticks were the only predators my parents had to worry about.
We had picnics by the creek where it seemed as if time stood still, and the world was ours for the taking. That small woods allowed our imaginations to soar. I used to always think to myself, "Picnic. Pick Nick. My parents PICKED NICK." It was one of my favorite words for just that reason.

I remember my little brother telling me one day when I was in a particularly bad mood, "Sissy, don't be such a Johnny Appleseed." What he meant by that was don't be a crabby appleton, but through and through, that was Nick. Always happy. Always wanting others to be happy. To this day, he only wants to please others. I remember whenever I got spanked (with that dreaded flyswatter), my little brother would cry louder than I myself would. He has always had a heart of gold.

As I spoke of earlier, bike rides were a part of our every day routine, it seemed. Our route on our bicycles was a jaunt around the block. A four mile country block, mind you. Those bike rides will always be forever ingrained in my mind because it is the first conscious memory that I have in which I was told about my being adopted. So as you see, I have always known the truth, which is something for which I am so grateful to my parents.

Needless to say, by second grade, everyone knew that I was adopted. It was no secret, but kids had a lot of questions. Of course, I obliged them and explained that I was not "born under my mother's heart, but in it." And I was fortunate that none of my classmates ridiculed the fact that I was adopted. I think they thought that since I acted as though it were special, it made THEM realize that too. And I have those "pick nicks" by the creek and the long, lazy bicycle rides to thank for knowing that fact. The fact that my brother and I were picked. We were chosen.

Adventures in Bucket List Completion

So, if you have been following my adventures in bucket list completion, I checked a few off this past week and that is why I have not been posting as much. I plan on getting caught up soon, I promise!

Here are a few pictures from our visit to the zoo, which was a bucket list item.

Emma Claire and my little cousin, Isabel


kangaroos. They are one of my favorites. I love that the devoted mama carries them snug as a bug in their pouch until they are ready to face the world.


Joeys of our own


"Is this event black tie???"


Evelyn Rose. She's my animal lover. You can tell by THIS photograph.


Izzy's face painting. Set her mom back FIVE DOLLARS!!! Wowza! I think I should learn the art of face painting!


Emma Claire's horse ride. Cost: Four tokens. When she has a horse at home to ride for free. Note to self: Charge people to ride horse.


Best buds. Sometimes. Other times, can't stand each other. They fight like sisters, but love like sisters too.