Wow, I felt so gripey in the last few posts! I am feeling a little bit cheerier now! I look around at all the blessings I have been given lately and I am so amazed! I absolutely love going to my office and working on preschool business. The kids are so well-behaved and I am getting quite a bit accomplished! Despite a few oppositions within our church, people are so supportive and so incredibly giving! Things are falling into place beautifully! Our playground equipment was delivered this morning! AWESOME! There was a crew of guys there to unload it all from a semi!!!!! I didn't realize it would take that large of a vehicle! My heart was singing praises for this giant gift! The kids will love it, not just for the preschool but for MOPS and our church kids, too! I am praying that a lot of people will show up for the work days to assemble it! I know it will be quite a job. The kids didn't quite understan why they didn't just put it all up today. We will have a ribbon cutting on the 31st of May- if you are in our area you should come by for a super fun time!
The girls are just as goofy as ever! I have been filling up our summer calendar and I am so excited about all the fun stuff Ryleigh gets to do- church camp, Drama camp, basketball camp, swimming lessons! Reagan will do swimming lessons, too, and then the 2 of us will have some alone time while Ryleigh is busy with her stuff and Tim teaches summer school. I will miss Lindsey and Justin, but it will be so nice to have that time with Reagan, like I did with Ryleigh. I want to treasure every minute with her (especially since she will soon be a MIDDLE child- yikes!). I say soon, but that's a bit of an exaggeration, it will still be years!
We are planning to visit my grandparents twice this summer. In June I will go with my mom, sister, sister-in-law, and all the kids! I hope they are ready for this rowdy bunch! Then in July, Tim and I will take the girls for a little bit quieter vacation! I am glad we will have the chance to do this! My grandma and grandad are such special people, we will be celebrating grandma's 89th birthday and grandad's 90th! I hope Tim and I can be just like them! We will also get to see my aunt, uncle, and hopefully my cousins! It's a long trip, but totally worth it! I am so thankful that Tim enjoys going as much as I do- I am blessed by a wonderful husband!
Not much else going on around here!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Give it to God
The lessons I am learning throughout the whole opening a new preschool process are priceless! I am learning to turn it all over to God. In the last couple of days I have had some bumps in the road, but realize quickly that praying about it and then letting go is the best way to handle things out of my control! When I was teaching 4th grade, I was trained in a program called "Second Step" and it was all about teaching kids to handle their emotions. One of the biggest things I tried to get across to them was that it's okay to be angry, hurt, mad, etc. But how you deal with it is important. There are ways to make good choices when you are having those emotions. So, I am choosing today, right now, to give my hurt feelings over to God and be over it! I am finding that it is hard for me to not take it personally when people I assume will enroll their children in Bright Beginnings at SHCC do not. Most of the time I see there is a reason that is not a reflection on how they feel about me or my beliefs or the program we are starting. But there are a few cases where I do not understand and I feel like it is a slap in my face. Enough said...
We are having a steady stream of enrollment and that is great news! I love talking to new families and hearing their enthusiasm for our program! I am going to be on a panel Thursday night at a Parents As Teachers meeting about all the local preschool programs. I am excited to spread the word and hopefully increase our enrollment!
I voted today. The only thing on our ballet was school board. I honestly don't know that much about all the individuals that were running, but I do know that I don't believe wanting to be on the school board to fire the football coach is not my idea of a good reason. I hope and pray that there is enough of a Christian influence on the new board that things can get better in the schools. I am so worried about what things will be like when my kids are in high school. It's time to put God back in school and counsel students with Christian morals and values.
Wow, am I getting controversial or what??? It's why I didn't fare very well in the whole "sucking up" game when I was teaching. I believe what I believe and I don't want to change that to fit someone elses way of thinking. And I refuse to try to weasel my way into the "good ole boy" network in this town! That's me, take it or leave it.
Okay, here's the scoop on Reagan. The child is obsessed with "boobies". She wants to talk about mine, hers, and everyone elses constantly. We ate at the Chinese place (Great Wall) Sunday after church and Ming gave her a Miss Piggie doll. Her comment after she said thanks was "she has big ole boobies". How embarrassing (but true!)! I have tried to tell her we don't say that word because it doesn't sound nice, but she thinks it is so funny! And of course everyone laughs at her!
Ryleigh got her gradecard for the 3rd quarter. She is doing so well, I am so proud of her! She is one smart kid! She did get a check mark (needs improvement) for her handwriting. She doesn't want to take the time to do neat work and I am always hounding her about it! Maybe now she will take it more seriously! Her grades and behavior couldn't be better, though! I can't believe only one more quarter and she will be in 2nd grade.
That's all for now!
We are having a steady stream of enrollment and that is great news! I love talking to new families and hearing their enthusiasm for our program! I am going to be on a panel Thursday night at a Parents As Teachers meeting about all the local preschool programs. I am excited to spread the word and hopefully increase our enrollment!
I voted today. The only thing on our ballet was school board. I honestly don't know that much about all the individuals that were running, but I do know that I don't believe wanting to be on the school board to fire the football coach is not my idea of a good reason. I hope and pray that there is enough of a Christian influence on the new board that things can get better in the schools. I am so worried about what things will be like when my kids are in high school. It's time to put God back in school and counsel students with Christian morals and values.
Wow, am I getting controversial or what??? It's why I didn't fare very well in the whole "sucking up" game when I was teaching. I believe what I believe and I don't want to change that to fit someone elses way of thinking. And I refuse to try to weasel my way into the "good ole boy" network in this town! That's me, take it or leave it.
Okay, here's the scoop on Reagan. The child is obsessed with "boobies". She wants to talk about mine, hers, and everyone elses constantly. We ate at the Chinese place (Great Wall) Sunday after church and Ming gave her a Miss Piggie doll. Her comment after she said thanks was "she has big ole boobies". How embarrassing (but true!)! I have tried to tell her we don't say that word because it doesn't sound nice, but she thinks it is so funny! And of course everyone laughs at her!
Ryleigh got her gradecard for the 3rd quarter. She is doing so well, I am so proud of her! She is one smart kid! She did get a check mark (needs improvement) for her handwriting. She doesn't want to take the time to do neat work and I am always hounding her about it! Maybe now she will take it more seriously! Her grades and behavior couldn't be better, though! I can't believe only one more quarter and she will be in 2nd grade.
That's all for now!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
With God All Things are Possible
When I think about my life, I can clearly look back and see how God has had His plan for me laid out long before I realized it! I encourage you to focus for just a moment on the blessings in your life. Think about how things just seem to work out, ALWAYS! We may have to go through pain and suffering, but in the end is a blessing that is directly from God. Sometimes it is really difficult for me to be happy for people who are pregnant. That is the brutal truth. I am jealous, I want it to be me. I don't understand working moms sometimes. That is the honest truth. I try to bargain with God and say if you will just give me a baby while I wait for Reese, I will be more patient more kind, blah, blah, blah. I remind God all the time that Tim and I sacrifice for our family so that I can be a full time mommy, blah, blah, blah. It doesn't seem fair sometimes. It makes me mad that people get pregnant everyday without even trying, without even wanting to be, without even caring. Some days I feel like I can't get over it. Like I will always have a whole in my heart for another baby. Is it because the wait is so long for Reese? I could not be more ready, more excited, or more anxious to go to China and get my precious Reese. The wait wears on you, even when you are not thinking about it. Nobody wants to talk about it because it is so far off, it's like a taboo subject 99% of the time.
But through all this confusion in my head, I do have faith that with God all things are possible. He is in control and He knows best. It is possible for me to get over my jealousy and anger. It is possible for me to be a mother of 4. I just have to give it to Him. Some things are too big to handle on your own and He is there, ALWAYS! I should not question, I should not doubt, but I do because I am human and not perfect. I am thankful for forgiveness and love that I do not deserve.
I don't know why that makes me feel better to type all that out and get it out of my head! The Bright Beginnings at SHCC Open House was great! We have 21 kids officially enrolled for the fall! WOW! What a blessing! I am so proud of this preschool. I am proud of my teachers and of myself for working so hard to get ready! Things are looking so awesome! I can't imagine why anyone would consider any other option for their child! Yes, I am bragging! We offer the whole package as far as education is concerned and I know that the families who have put their faith in us will not be disappointed!
Okay, family update... Ryleigh cut 10 inches of her hair and donated it to Locks of Love. She looks so incredibly cute with short hair! She has a whole new (and improved) attitude that came along with her new hairdo! Maybe because we don't have to brush out tangles twice a day! I am so proud of her! She is growing up so fast!
Reagan got her hair cut, too. She looks so much older! She is loving being independent these days, with everything! I try to give her plenty of freedom in things that don't matter to keep her smiling! Gotta love kids with a mind of their own!
We had terrible weather yesterday. Ryleigh's school had damage at the bus transfer station- a bus was even blown over. Our yard looks like a tornado hit, but they say it was just straight winds during a severe thunderstorm warning. Our trampoline may be a goner- it is folded up like a taco. Our little swing set was turned over and the girls' play house lost its roof. There are even more limbs to clean up now, too. I am so thankful that nobody was hurt and the things that were damaged are no big deal.
That's about it for now!
But through all this confusion in my head, I do have faith that with God all things are possible. He is in control and He knows best. It is possible for me to get over my jealousy and anger. It is possible for me to be a mother of 4. I just have to give it to Him. Some things are too big to handle on your own and He is there, ALWAYS! I should not question, I should not doubt, but I do because I am human and not perfect. I am thankful for forgiveness and love that I do not deserve.
I don't know why that makes me feel better to type all that out and get it out of my head! The Bright Beginnings at SHCC Open House was great! We have 21 kids officially enrolled for the fall! WOW! What a blessing! I am so proud of this preschool. I am proud of my teachers and of myself for working so hard to get ready! Things are looking so awesome! I can't imagine why anyone would consider any other option for their child! Yes, I am bragging! We offer the whole package as far as education is concerned and I know that the families who have put their faith in us will not be disappointed!
Okay, family update... Ryleigh cut 10 inches of her hair and donated it to Locks of Love. She looks so incredibly cute with short hair! She has a whole new (and improved) attitude that came along with her new hairdo! Maybe because we don't have to brush out tangles twice a day! I am so proud of her! She is growing up so fast!
Reagan got her hair cut, too. She looks so much older! She is loving being independent these days, with everything! I try to give her plenty of freedom in things that don't matter to keep her smiling! Gotta love kids with a mind of their own!
We had terrible weather yesterday. Ryleigh's school had damage at the bus transfer station- a bus was even blown over. Our yard looks like a tornado hit, but they say it was just straight winds during a severe thunderstorm warning. Our trampoline may be a goner- it is folded up like a taco. Our little swing set was turned over and the girls' play house lost its roof. There are even more limbs to clean up now, too. I am so thankful that nobody was hurt and the things that were damaged are no big deal.
That's about it for now!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Bright Beginnings at SHCC
My life is consumed with preschool stuff, but it is so exciting! Our Open House is in 17 days and there are still a million things left to do! I wish I had time to be a faithful blogger, because I love keeping up with friends and family and even strangers through blogs, but sometimes something's gotta give- and well, obviously, I let go of trying to keep up with this blog. But, I had a comment on my last entry and I thought it would be a good time to post again!
Like I said, I am eating, breathing, and sleeping Bright Beginnings! I am so proud of the work that has been accomplished and the friends who will now be co-workers! God has blessed us so much already! Check out our website www.brightbeginningsatshcc.com for the whole scoop! Tim did a great job on it! He has been my number 1 helper and supporter and I am loving him in new ways all the time! My girls have been such troopers, too! We spend every weekend working on the rooms and my office and they have done very well entertaining themselves and each other. I have lost my patience in more ways than one, but all in all things are fantastic! I am so blessed with awesome kids and the best husband ever!
This weekend marked the one year anniversary of our log in date. It has gone by pretty quickly. I guess when you know it's going to be such a long wait, there is no sense even worrying about a referral or planning when it might be coming. "Someday" is now my answer!
My surgery concluded that there is nothing wrong with me. Which again, was good news/bad news. Dr. Lehnert referred me to another dr. who is a fertility specialist. Not sure if we are going to call or not. Still thinking through what's best and praying for guidance as to what God's plan for us is. We would appreciate in prayers that can be lifted up about this situation. Thanks!
Ryleigh got glasses! She looks so grown-up and so smart! She LOVES them and couldn't have been happier to get them! They have made a huge difference in her mood. We have had so many snow days this winter, she has kind of had a hard time again wanting to go to school and she is really looking forward to Spring Break next week. We don't have any plans, except work on the preschool, but at least we can all sleep in!
Reagan had her big 3 year old birthday! We had a fun Snow White party and she really enjoyed it! Three is such a great age for parties! She has changed so much in the last couple of months, in good ways and bad ways! She is very fond of coloring on things that are not paper- like her clothes, her skin, furniture, books... It's very irritating. Ryleigh never would have dreamed of doing that!!!! She is also getting quite the sense of humor and is so funny, especially at the dinner table. We are constantly cracking up at her! She is learning to speak a little bit of Chinese from the show Ni Hao, Kai Lan. She loves it and is going great picking up the correct way of saying things. Ming at our favorite Chinese restaurant is very impressed with her!
So, that's it in a nutshell!
Like I said, I am eating, breathing, and sleeping Bright Beginnings! I am so proud of the work that has been accomplished and the friends who will now be co-workers! God has blessed us so much already! Check out our website www.brightbeginningsatshcc.com for the whole scoop! Tim did a great job on it! He has been my number 1 helper and supporter and I am loving him in new ways all the time! My girls have been such troopers, too! We spend every weekend working on the rooms and my office and they have done very well entertaining themselves and each other. I have lost my patience in more ways than one, but all in all things are fantastic! I am so blessed with awesome kids and the best husband ever!
This weekend marked the one year anniversary of our log in date. It has gone by pretty quickly. I guess when you know it's going to be such a long wait, there is no sense even worrying about a referral or planning when it might be coming. "Someday" is now my answer!
My surgery concluded that there is nothing wrong with me. Which again, was good news/bad news. Dr. Lehnert referred me to another dr. who is a fertility specialist. Not sure if we are going to call or not. Still thinking through what's best and praying for guidance as to what God's plan for us is. We would appreciate in prayers that can be lifted up about this situation. Thanks!
Ryleigh got glasses! She looks so grown-up and so smart! She LOVES them and couldn't have been happier to get them! They have made a huge difference in her mood. We have had so many snow days this winter, she has kind of had a hard time again wanting to go to school and she is really looking forward to Spring Break next week. We don't have any plans, except work on the preschool, but at least we can all sleep in!
Reagan had her big 3 year old birthday! We had a fun Snow White party and she really enjoyed it! Three is such a great age for parties! She has changed so much in the last couple of months, in good ways and bad ways! She is very fond of coloring on things that are not paper- like her clothes, her skin, furniture, books... It's very irritating. Ryleigh never would have dreamed of doing that!!!! She is also getting quite the sense of humor and is so funny, especially at the dinner table. We are constantly cracking up at her! She is learning to speak a little bit of Chinese from the show Ni Hao, Kai Lan. She loves it and is going great picking up the correct way of saying things. Ming at our favorite Chinese restaurant is very impressed with her!
So, that's it in a nutshell!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Thanks, Stacy!
Okay, I say this in every single post, but... It has been forever since I posted! I am terrible. I spend too much time lurking on other people's blogs to keep up with my own. But now, my great friend Stacy, put a link to this site on her amazing blog, so I better get with the program!
So much is going on in our lives and for a while I hesitated to post a lot of our "business" but now I feel like we are in a place that it's okay!
I have been working so hard on starting a Christian preschool at our church and it looks like it is going to happen and it is going to be opening in the Fall of 2008! So, there are close to a million things to be done, details to work out, etc. and I couldn't be more excited! I have always dreamed of running a preschool and I have felt God's guidance in the whole project so far. With a tiny step of faith, everything is falling into place! I am amazed and humbled at the amount of support and I am so thrilled to be taking on a new career! It will also be a Parent's Day Out program, so Reagan will be with me! Yeah! It's the perfect job! More later...
We have been a little down about the wait for Reese. For one, the new statistics about the number of children in orphanages is drastically different than it was 2 years ago. I guess the hundreds of thousands of kids just disappeared into thin air. As much love as I have for China and their culture, I have no respect for a government that can't be upfront about the problems that have come about because of their own rules. It's ridiculous to be so secretive and downright mean to make the wait go from 6 months to over 3 years (the new projected wait). I get mad and frustrated and then I stop and think about Reese and that she will be our perfect daughter someday and I will know she was worth the wait.
But in the meantime, we are researching other options. Since we never had any type of fertility testing or answers for our miscarriages, we decided to see what we could find out. The first step was taken last summer when I just talked to my regular dr. about it. I confessed all the problems we have had and how my ob/gyn blew us off and never cared. She was sooooo nice and easy to talk to once I started and she said what we had experienced was not normal and referred us to a wonderful dr. that did not hesitate at all to help us. I had several tests run and Tim had a few and everything was normal, which oddly enough was kind of disappointing! The next step is a surgical procedure, which I will be having next week. Hopefully this will tell us if there is anything "in there" that is causing us to miscarry after only a few weeks. This is extremely emotional for me. I have very mixed up emotions about talking about miscarriage because I am so blessed by the miracle of adoption and I know I had to go through that for Reagan and I would do it again in a heartbeat for her. But, now I feel like I need to stop ignoring what my body is doing and face it, find out what the problem is, and then go from there. Do I want to get pregnant? I can't even answer because I cannot think about getting my hopes up, it's happened too many times in the last 5 years. But I think we would regret not doing these tests on down the road because not knowing in 10 years and not being able to do anything would be really sad. It's in God's hands, and I just pray that we are at peace with whatever may happen. It's ironic how so many people get pregnant, have babies and move on with no problems, no thought, no struggles and then there are those of us who go through so much thought and heartache and confusion to build our families. But I wouldn't trade if for the world. The things I have learned throughout this roller coaster ride are priceless to me. They have molded and shaped us as individuals, a couple, and a family. There is one thing I know I have in my future and that's another unforgettable journey to China for another sweet, precious daughter!
Wow, that was a lot to get out! Moving on...
The girls are doing great! We had a nice Christmas and 2008 is off to a pretty good start! We went to the hockey game in St. Louis and had a blast. It was a super fun weekend and we have all turned into quite the fans of hockey! It is so exciting to watch live, in my opinion, the best sport ever to go to! Other than that, life is full of the usual stuff with the added busy-ness of the preschool stuff!
So much is going on in our lives and for a while I hesitated to post a lot of our "business" but now I feel like we are in a place that it's okay!
I have been working so hard on starting a Christian preschool at our church and it looks like it is going to happen and it is going to be opening in the Fall of 2008! So, there are close to a million things to be done, details to work out, etc. and I couldn't be more excited! I have always dreamed of running a preschool and I have felt God's guidance in the whole project so far. With a tiny step of faith, everything is falling into place! I am amazed and humbled at the amount of support and I am so thrilled to be taking on a new career! It will also be a Parent's Day Out program, so Reagan will be with me! Yeah! It's the perfect job! More later...
We have been a little down about the wait for Reese. For one, the new statistics about the number of children in orphanages is drastically different than it was 2 years ago. I guess the hundreds of thousands of kids just disappeared into thin air. As much love as I have for China and their culture, I have no respect for a government that can't be upfront about the problems that have come about because of their own rules. It's ridiculous to be so secretive and downright mean to make the wait go from 6 months to over 3 years (the new projected wait). I get mad and frustrated and then I stop and think about Reese and that she will be our perfect daughter someday and I will know she was worth the wait.
But in the meantime, we are researching other options. Since we never had any type of fertility testing or answers for our miscarriages, we decided to see what we could find out. The first step was taken last summer when I just talked to my regular dr. about it. I confessed all the problems we have had and how my ob/gyn blew us off and never cared. She was sooooo nice and easy to talk to once I started and she said what we had experienced was not normal and referred us to a wonderful dr. that did not hesitate at all to help us. I had several tests run and Tim had a few and everything was normal, which oddly enough was kind of disappointing! The next step is a surgical procedure, which I will be having next week. Hopefully this will tell us if there is anything "in there" that is causing us to miscarry after only a few weeks. This is extremely emotional for me. I have very mixed up emotions about talking about miscarriage because I am so blessed by the miracle of adoption and I know I had to go through that for Reagan and I would do it again in a heartbeat for her. But, now I feel like I need to stop ignoring what my body is doing and face it, find out what the problem is, and then go from there. Do I want to get pregnant? I can't even answer because I cannot think about getting my hopes up, it's happened too many times in the last 5 years. But I think we would regret not doing these tests on down the road because not knowing in 10 years and not being able to do anything would be really sad. It's in God's hands, and I just pray that we are at peace with whatever may happen. It's ironic how so many people get pregnant, have babies and move on with no problems, no thought, no struggles and then there are those of us who go through so much thought and heartache and confusion to build our families. But I wouldn't trade if for the world. The things I have learned throughout this roller coaster ride are priceless to me. They have molded and shaped us as individuals, a couple, and a family. There is one thing I know I have in my future and that's another unforgettable journey to China for another sweet, precious daughter!
Wow, that was a lot to get out! Moving on...
The girls are doing great! We had a nice Christmas and 2008 is off to a pretty good start! We went to the hockey game in St. Louis and had a blast. It was a super fun weekend and we have all turned into quite the fans of hockey! It is so exciting to watch live, in my opinion, the best sport ever to go to! Other than that, life is full of the usual stuff with the added busy-ness of the preschool stuff!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Where Does the Time Go?
Yikes, it's been over a month since I posted. So much for keeping Reese informed about what was going on while we waited for her. It dawned on me that the wait may turn in to so many months that her biological parents may not know eachother yet! I am sure she is not even conceived. But God knows who she is and who she will be, so I will keep the faith that someday, our sweet Reese will join us for our Party of Five!
So, here's what's new...
I'll start with Tim since he's the head of the house! School is going fine for him, with the exception of one class that is full of kids who refuse to do any work (for example, they will write their name at the top of a worksheet and then turn it in, with out doing one question) and are mouthy, disrespectful and mean. He still hates his schedule, so hopefully someone will get it fixed for next year back to the way it was. Tim was nominated to be a deacon at our church and of course, he was voted in, so his service will start in January- I am so proud of him! I think he will enjoy being involved and serving SHCC using his talents!
Ryleigh started the enrichment class this week and so far it's going great! What an answer to prayer! Her teacher tells me funny stories about her all the time and said she is the most observant child she's ever had. She said that Ryleigh is constantly feeding her good info about what's going on! I am not the least bit surprised, she's been like that her whole life! She'll either be a detective or a gossip columnist when she grows up! She's doing great in basketball. We have lost all 3 games so far, but we have improved and I know we will catch up with the teams that already have a season or two under their belts already! She practiced last Sunday for a long time and challenged herself to once again make 100 baskets before we went inside. We need to work on her aggresiveness, but I think it will come with experience. I have been so happy with the team, they have all improved so much and it is so much fun! Ryleigh is doing well with her piano playing. She doesn't practice as much as she should, but it's mainly due to our busy schedules. It's great to finally hear her play songs we can recognize! Ryleigh made an adorable rock star girl on Halloween- very cool and full of moves!
Reagan is still our happy little bundle of energy! She passed all but 3 things on her first gymnastics evaluation and still loves every minute she is there. She has become good buddies with Patyn in her class and she comes over every Tuesday so her mommy can get stuff done. Reagan amazed her P.A.T. educator again this month! She was copying Gail's writing and she was doing things not normally done until 4 years old! She's so funny with her High School Musical notebook and pen, she writes and writes and writes. She knows about half of the letters now and all the ones she know she can tell you something that starts with that letter- her favorite's being of course, R for Reagan and M for mommy!!! She is constantly cracking me up with the things she says! She made the most adorable Snow White ever on Halloween. She has the perfect hair and sweet smile to be a princess! Tim even carved a pumpkin with Snow White on it!
Then there is me... still babysitting, still teaching Wednesday children's program at church- which is going so well! We are preparing for our Christmas program and it is going to be the best ever- the kids are working so hard and it's a really funny production. I am so proud of all the kids. I am still loving my Moms In Touch group. I feel so close to the women I pray with and I can feel God working in our lives and answering our prayers each week. My mom is still coming every Friday to watch all the kids so I can volunteer at Esther Elementary. It's such a nice break for me to sit and do busy work in the work room. I love it! I love being involved in Ryleigh's class, getting to know her teacher and the other kids. Coaching basketball takes up a chunk of my time, too, so I keep busy! However, I have found some free time to pursue a new career which I am extremely excited about! Our church is going to start a preschool/childcare program and I am going to be the director! It's something I have wanted to do for so long, but never knew how to get started, but I am taking a leap of faith and going for it! Our church is going to be adding on soon and it appears that now is the perfect time to start a small program that can grow as the church does. I worked some long hard hours on a plan to propose to the Board of Deacons and Elders and I presented it last Monday night. It was absolutely amazing the amount of support and excitement that there is for this project! I am so proud and anxious and excited and overwhelmed to be a part of something that is going to change this town! Reagan will be in the first class, just as I was the first class at the preschool my mom helped start! It was hard to tell the families that I babysit for, but they all know that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was meant for the job! I will be working with them to find a replacement for all the kids, I don't want just anyone to take care of these kiddos that feel partly mine! Hopefully they will all come to preschool at Bright Beginning at SHCC!
So, needless to say, we are all enjoying God's blessings and enjoying family life! The only thing missing is Reese. We got the Places Everyone email today and there are 58 log in dates before us. We are still in the "pending review" category. She'll be worth the wait and in the meantime we will keep chugging along on this road of life being happy with all we have already been blessed with.
I'm still working on the picture thing... sorry!
So, here's what's new...
I'll start with Tim since he's the head of the house! School is going fine for him, with the exception of one class that is full of kids who refuse to do any work (for example, they will write their name at the top of a worksheet and then turn it in, with out doing one question) and are mouthy, disrespectful and mean. He still hates his schedule, so hopefully someone will get it fixed for next year back to the way it was. Tim was nominated to be a deacon at our church and of course, he was voted in, so his service will start in January- I am so proud of him! I think he will enjoy being involved and serving SHCC using his talents!
Ryleigh started the enrichment class this week and so far it's going great! What an answer to prayer! Her teacher tells me funny stories about her all the time and said she is the most observant child she's ever had. She said that Ryleigh is constantly feeding her good info about what's going on! I am not the least bit surprised, she's been like that her whole life! She'll either be a detective or a gossip columnist when she grows up! She's doing great in basketball. We have lost all 3 games so far, but we have improved and I know we will catch up with the teams that already have a season or two under their belts already! She practiced last Sunday for a long time and challenged herself to once again make 100 baskets before we went inside. We need to work on her aggresiveness, but I think it will come with experience. I have been so happy with the team, they have all improved so much and it is so much fun! Ryleigh is doing well with her piano playing. She doesn't practice as much as she should, but it's mainly due to our busy schedules. It's great to finally hear her play songs we can recognize! Ryleigh made an adorable rock star girl on Halloween- very cool and full of moves!
Reagan is still our happy little bundle of energy! She passed all but 3 things on her first gymnastics evaluation and still loves every minute she is there. She has become good buddies with Patyn in her class and she comes over every Tuesday so her mommy can get stuff done. Reagan amazed her P.A.T. educator again this month! She was copying Gail's writing and she was doing things not normally done until 4 years old! She's so funny with her High School Musical notebook and pen, she writes and writes and writes. She knows about half of the letters now and all the ones she know she can tell you something that starts with that letter- her favorite's being of course, R for Reagan and M for mommy!!! She is constantly cracking me up with the things she says! She made the most adorable Snow White ever on Halloween. She has the perfect hair and sweet smile to be a princess! Tim even carved a pumpkin with Snow White on it!
Then there is me... still babysitting, still teaching Wednesday children's program at church- which is going so well! We are preparing for our Christmas program and it is going to be the best ever- the kids are working so hard and it's a really funny production. I am so proud of all the kids. I am still loving my Moms In Touch group. I feel so close to the women I pray with and I can feel God working in our lives and answering our prayers each week. My mom is still coming every Friday to watch all the kids so I can volunteer at Esther Elementary. It's such a nice break for me to sit and do busy work in the work room. I love it! I love being involved in Ryleigh's class, getting to know her teacher and the other kids. Coaching basketball takes up a chunk of my time, too, so I keep busy! However, I have found some free time to pursue a new career which I am extremely excited about! Our church is going to start a preschool/childcare program and I am going to be the director! It's something I have wanted to do for so long, but never knew how to get started, but I am taking a leap of faith and going for it! Our church is going to be adding on soon and it appears that now is the perfect time to start a small program that can grow as the church does. I worked some long hard hours on a plan to propose to the Board of Deacons and Elders and I presented it last Monday night. It was absolutely amazing the amount of support and excitement that there is for this project! I am so proud and anxious and excited and overwhelmed to be a part of something that is going to change this town! Reagan will be in the first class, just as I was the first class at the preschool my mom helped start! It was hard to tell the families that I babysit for, but they all know that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was meant for the job! I will be working with them to find a replacement for all the kids, I don't want just anyone to take care of these kiddos that feel partly mine! Hopefully they will all come to preschool at Bright Beginning at SHCC!
So, needless to say, we are all enjoying God's blessings and enjoying family life! The only thing missing is Reese. We got the Places Everyone email today and there are 58 log in dates before us. We are still in the "pending review" category. She'll be worth the wait and in the meantime we will keep chugging along on this road of life being happy with all we have already been blessed with.
I'm still working on the picture thing... sorry!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Busy, Busy, Busy (But lovin' every minute of it!)
I have been meaning to sit down and update for several days, but for one reason or another I haven't gotten around to it! I also going to figure out how to post pictures, because pictures of my girls are better than me rambling anyway!! So, here's what's new...
Ryleigh had a terrific couple of weeks at school, until last Friday when the fire alarms went off (apparently a preschool teacher set a plastic bowl on a burner that was on) at school. So she freaked and cried. I was there volunteering, which I think made matters worse. She ended up crying for most of the morning. A definite thumbs down day. Oh, well, honestly I believe she is entitled to a bad day every now and then. On her own, she wrote letters of apology to her teacher and the music teacher (she cried all through music, too). She can be so big and grown up, it just baffles me why she can't control the crying. I am praying that she will be able to start the gifted class in the 2nd quarter so at least the work will be more challenging. We have parent/teacher conferences in a few weeks and we will make a decision with her teacher then.
Basketball is going super! I love coaching, it's difficult when there is so much to teach them, but it's so much fun! Ryleigh is getting a lot better and I am anxious for our first game on Nov. 1st.
We are knee deep in birthday party preparations for Ryleigh's 7th birthday. We are having a High School Musical theme and let me just say how much fun that is!!!!! I'm holding myself back from decorating a week and a half early because I am so excited to see what everything looks like! We are setting up a high school in the basement with a science lab, gym, library, cafeteria, music room, and detention (Ry thought of that all on her own!!). I know, I know, we go overboard for birthdays, but I LOVE it!
Okay, on to Reagan a.k.a. my little Sugar Pot Pie. She is so funny lately!!! We have transformed her room into a big girl room with a twin bed, new shelves, and a new dresser! It's still all ladybuggy and still extremely cute! She is getting so big, her jeans today are a 3T!!! Yikes, I cannot believe it! She is doing great keeping her panties dry and loves to go through the list of who all she loves! We do kind of a matching game where I say I love Grandma and she says I love PaPa. Then I say I love Sierra and she says I love Holly! She is really good to know who goes with who!!! She is learning her letters without a lot of practice and help which is amazing. I decided there isn't much of a point in teaching her all the stuff I taught Ryleigh because I have seen that they relearn it all in preschool and kindergarten and first grade. But, as usual, the teacher in me comes out and I seize the "teachable moment" too often. She is such a little blessing to me. I hope she is always as happy as she is at this age. She is such a goofball and she lights up a room with her smile and funny expressions! She and Ryleigh have really been playing great together, too! It's so much fun watching them grow together!
We are getting pumped up for Halloween, even though it's not one of my favorite holidays (mainly since our house was paintballed a few years ago). Ryleigh finally decided to be a Rock Star girl and we found some cute accessories for her. Reagan is going to be Snow White! Our friend Klaire is having a costume party for her 2nd birthday, so we get to dress up this Friday night! I am working with another mom on Ryleigh's class party, too! Fun, fun, fun!
Tim's grandma Eula had surgery today to have a mass removed from her ovary. They took everything out while they were in there and the great news is that the mass was not cancerous. Praise God for that. She did well in the surgery, so I hope she will have a speedy recovery.
The rumors about China are not looking good as far as a timeline. I try to be understanding and I try to look at it logically. Less babies are being abandoned, which is a good thing (isn't it?? sometimes I am selfish and think that America is a better place so the more children that have a chance here, the better- then I feel totally guilty and bad for saying and thinking that) and so many people want to adopt from China, so there is a huge backlog. There is not hope of getting Reese's referral in the next year, as the people who are up next for referrals were logged in way back in December 2005. Our LID is March 8, 2007, that's a long, long time until we are up next. I know the wait will get harder and there is no sense getting down about it at this point. I just have to enjoy my girls and pray for Reese's birth family because waiting for my baby who will be with me forever is a lot easier than carry a child hoping for a son and then having to abandon a precious baby girl that will never be seen again by the parents who gave her life. It's such a heart breaking situation for them. Especially when I see all the little China girls with their new families and they are just so special! I wish Reagan's birth family could know how loved she is and how perfect she fits in her family. God knows what He is doing, that's for sure. I have been given the most awesome gift from China that I could ever imagine. So, even if I have to wait 3 more years, I will do it because in the end it will be worth the wait.
I gotta stop there I am getting way to emotional!
Ryleigh had a terrific couple of weeks at school, until last Friday when the fire alarms went off (apparently a preschool teacher set a plastic bowl on a burner that was on) at school. So she freaked and cried. I was there volunteering, which I think made matters worse. She ended up crying for most of the morning. A definite thumbs down day. Oh, well, honestly I believe she is entitled to a bad day every now and then. On her own, she wrote letters of apology to her teacher and the music teacher (she cried all through music, too). She can be so big and grown up, it just baffles me why she can't control the crying. I am praying that she will be able to start the gifted class in the 2nd quarter so at least the work will be more challenging. We have parent/teacher conferences in a few weeks and we will make a decision with her teacher then.
Basketball is going super! I love coaching, it's difficult when there is so much to teach them, but it's so much fun! Ryleigh is getting a lot better and I am anxious for our first game on Nov. 1st.
We are knee deep in birthday party preparations for Ryleigh's 7th birthday. We are having a High School Musical theme and let me just say how much fun that is!!!!! I'm holding myself back from decorating a week and a half early because I am so excited to see what everything looks like! We are setting up a high school in the basement with a science lab, gym, library, cafeteria, music room, and detention (Ry thought of that all on her own!!). I know, I know, we go overboard for birthdays, but I LOVE it!
Okay, on to Reagan a.k.a. my little Sugar Pot Pie. She is so funny lately!!! We have transformed her room into a big girl room with a twin bed, new shelves, and a new dresser! It's still all ladybuggy and still extremely cute! She is getting so big, her jeans today are a 3T!!! Yikes, I cannot believe it! She is doing great keeping her panties dry and loves to go through the list of who all she loves! We do kind of a matching game where I say I love Grandma and she says I love PaPa. Then I say I love Sierra and she says I love Holly! She is really good to know who goes with who!!! She is learning her letters without a lot of practice and help which is amazing. I decided there isn't much of a point in teaching her all the stuff I taught Ryleigh because I have seen that they relearn it all in preschool and kindergarten and first grade. But, as usual, the teacher in me comes out and I seize the "teachable moment" too often. She is such a little blessing to me. I hope she is always as happy as she is at this age. She is such a goofball and she lights up a room with her smile and funny expressions! She and Ryleigh have really been playing great together, too! It's so much fun watching them grow together!
We are getting pumped up for Halloween, even though it's not one of my favorite holidays (mainly since our house was paintballed a few years ago). Ryleigh finally decided to be a Rock Star girl and we found some cute accessories for her. Reagan is going to be Snow White! Our friend Klaire is having a costume party for her 2nd birthday, so we get to dress up this Friday night! I am working with another mom on Ryleigh's class party, too! Fun, fun, fun!
Tim's grandma Eula had surgery today to have a mass removed from her ovary. They took everything out while they were in there and the great news is that the mass was not cancerous. Praise God for that. She did well in the surgery, so I hope she will have a speedy recovery.
The rumors about China are not looking good as far as a timeline. I try to be understanding and I try to look at it logically. Less babies are being abandoned, which is a good thing (isn't it?? sometimes I am selfish and think that America is a better place so the more children that have a chance here, the better- then I feel totally guilty and bad for saying and thinking that) and so many people want to adopt from China, so there is a huge backlog. There is not hope of getting Reese's referral in the next year, as the people who are up next for referrals were logged in way back in December 2005. Our LID is March 8, 2007, that's a long, long time until we are up next. I know the wait will get harder and there is no sense getting down about it at this point. I just have to enjoy my girls and pray for Reese's birth family because waiting for my baby who will be with me forever is a lot easier than carry a child hoping for a son and then having to abandon a precious baby girl that will never be seen again by the parents who gave her life. It's such a heart breaking situation for them. Especially when I see all the little China girls with their new families and they are just so special! I wish Reagan's birth family could know how loved she is and how perfect she fits in her family. God knows what He is doing, that's for sure. I have been given the most awesome gift from China that I could ever imagine. So, even if I have to wait 3 more years, I will do it because in the end it will be worth the wait.
I gotta stop there I am getting way to emotional!
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