One Month Four Days

I added a little something fun at the top of this blog a week or so ago- An Internet company called Lily Pie offers 'Tickers' that you can down load on your blog for free- Tickers automatically count down on a daily basis whatever event you choose- Some of the Ticker Choices cracked me up........Breast Feeding?? Hang on, I'm going to go to their site and click on that choice- wonder what it will count down.........From the best I could understand I think it counts how many days you have breast fed- Ryan breast fed until he was 2 -can you imagine the counter on that Ticker- My friend Christy W. was my biggest fan- she thought it was gross  Great that Ryan Breast Fed for so long  :)
Our little Ellie Marie's Lily Pie Ticker reads 'One Month Four Day's'...........................................
Please know that my mommy's heart is so so so excited- Of course, with that excitement is also a very real and clear understanding that Adoption is a day by day journey- It has the potential to 'status' change at anytime-  Tonight I Thank God that I can write about our continued progress in our adoption process- That we are almost 6 weeks into our status of: 'CHOSEN BY A BIRTH MOM' and that we have about 5 weeks left until we meet Ellie......
We can hardly wait!

Going Through The Adoption Process With Black Whisker Hair in My Nose......

I looked in the mirror last night and something caught my attention-
I went in REAL close for a second look to make sure what I was seeing was WHAT I WAS SEEING!!
Dude...............I've got black whisker hair starting to grow in my nose
WHAT THE HECK???
Nuff Said :)
P.S. This post is lovingly dedicated to my friend Kristi S. from Oregon- I know she will find humor in this post and I miss hearing her laugh....................The below pictures are for you Kristi!
hee! hee! hee! hee! hee!

The Wounded Hyena meets the Obnoxious Car Alarm

 If you mix a wounded hyena with an obnoxious car alarm you would have the sound that comes out of my Ryan's French Horn- I am thinking, after attending Ryan's one and only concert a few weeks back, that he's been playing that horn so horrible at home on purpose- Just so he could get out of practicing :) The sound that came out of his French Horn mixed with all of the other band instruments at the concert was..........................
SO BEAUTIFUL!
The setting of the concert was in a large AIR CONDITIONED (which is a novelty here) Auditorium- The kids, which were in ages from 6th-8th grade, were dressed so spiffy in their matching band shirts, black pants, and black shoes-  The band instructor had about a million lei's around her neck (which gave her the appearance of having a brace around her neck- LOL).  It is a standard tradition here in Hawaii to bring a lei (a flowered necklace) as a welcoming or thank you gift- Thus the reason the band instructor had so many around her neck.
It really was a wonderful night- listening to hundreds of kids playing several different instruments- all of the instruments harmonizing together to make a beautiful sound.

Ryan's friend Isaiah- who plays the Trumpet

The Air Conditioned Auditorium 

Difficult Attorneys Equals Focusing On Blessings

I can think of so many things I want to write about- So many things I could go on and on about but it is all the things that need to stay 'behind the scenes'- The adoption process between the birth mother, Matt, and I is, honestly, going wonderfully- We have been so blessed in this area.  The adoption process between us and the 2 Attorneys involved has been a bit challenging- figuring out what everybody's role is (between the Attorney's and Matt and I) has been probably the most difficult-
Because today has been a particularly difficult day in dealing with Attorneys I am going change my focus from difficult day to gratefulness- I am going to end this blog post with 10 things I am SO grateful for- Please know that I am no less grateful for number one than I am for number ten- I am just going to list my blessings in no particular order:

My husband, who has been a constant support in many way's over the past week- Thank's babe!!

My boys- my boys friends- and our nephew Jess who has been able to spend a few weeks with our family- I am so blessed to be able to say that there are 4 tween/teenage boys running around my house right now!

The rest of my friends and family and my dog Oklie........If I am really honest here I think of Oklie as one of my kids- so I guess I should have put her under number 2

Our Birth Mother- She has made the amazing decision for adoption and I feel SO GRATEFUL!

Sally Hansen Wax- It grabs all those little chin hairs and above the lip hair amazingly- 

Sharpie's- My writing just feel's 'HEARD' when I write with a sharpie- Like my kids won't miss what I am trying to say if I write their note in a Sharpie Pen-

My Bible- it is the most read book in my house!

TV!!

Processed food you can pop in the microwave and heat up- Corn Dogs, Pizza Pockets, Bagel Bites, etc.. Some nights it is such freedom when my boys ask what's for dinner to just say, 'look in the freezer and heat something up!'

CHOCOLATE...........anything and everything chocolate-

Ryan getting ready to play in his band concert-
So very cute!

May God Bless And Keep All Of Our Service Men and Women.......

Today is Memorial Day- A day to stop and remember the men and women who have lost their lives fighting for America's freedom.  I have walked around Arlington National Cemetery  just outside of Washington D.C.- It is a sobering sight to see- The beauty of the cemetery does not outshine the heavy feeling of grief in the air as you walk the graves of our brave soldiers- Thank you to each and every soldier, both past- present- and future for risking your lives to fight for America's freedom.  Thank you to their families- especially their wives and children as they endure everyday life with out their spouse or parent so that we can have our freedom.  May God protect and keep every soldier and soldiers family this day.........
And May God Bless America!

flag compliments of THIS website

A Typical Afternoon At The Beach

Zoomed out from where I am sitting

Oklie digging for sand crabs- 

Steamed Gecko Poop on English Muffins...Anyone??

This morning I was pondering the whole 'Gecko' situation- and after yesterday's post, learning about House Gecko's and how they like to inhabit with people I took a new look around my kitchen- I went out of auto-pilot make breakfast mode and went into seeing my kitchen through the eye's of a Gecko mode-
We eat either Toast or English Muffins 4 to 5 times a week- As I popped down the English Muffins this morning and with my 'new' eye's on I had a sudden revelation- The revelation came just as the coils started heating up in the toaster..........
My internal head thoughts went something like this:
"I wonder if Gecko's only eat bugs or if they eat stuff like human food......specifically bread crumbs!!!'
As that thought whipped around in my brain I popped up the un-toasted English Muffins and flipped the toaster around to the back to grab the removable tray's at the bottom of most newer toasters- The ones where your bread crumbs fall as the bread is toasting- The one's that must heat up as the toaster heats up-The one's that I have not cleaned in so long cause I never think about them (outta sight outta mind kinda thing)...
If you look closely at the picture below- the most obvious piece of poop is on the right hand side of tray (I wish I had the program where I could circle it on the picture in big bold red)-
Would anyone like to come over for Steamed Gecko Poop on English Muffins for breakfast tomorrow?
EEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!