Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Ryan and the Big Guy

We went to the museum yesterday to celebrate my nieces' birthdays. I can do a museum/aquarium in about 15 minutes. Nonetheless, I feel like I should take my child to these type of places so here we are. (I managed to stay for about five hours, so you can imagine how happy I was to get back on the road). It was fun to watch Ryan see lots of new and exciting things and I enjoyed seeing my family.

Ryan is starting to get into dinosaurs. He's been asking to see one for a while so we finally found one.



The butterflies were amazing!

Monday, June 29, 2009

'Quick and Fast'

Today we got a little update on our baby's development. He likes meat, fish, EGGGGSSS! (yeah, not allergic), apples, strawberries, tomatoes, and yogurt (yeah!!!!!!!!!!!). The idea of being able to give my kid a piece of cheese or let him eat off a kid's menu is more than exciting!! Maybe his big brother can join him for a bowl of ice cream next year! He sleeps well, (we'll have to see what he thinks of this big crib we have for him!). Right now he sleeps with foster mom on a futon on the floor. He can say momma. "He moves quickly and fast" (I think they are trying to tell me something). "He crawls fast, likes playing in a standing position, goes in and out of the house alone."(?) I think I better get back on my exercise machine!

I started a new book this week: The Grand Weaver: How God Shapes Us Through the Events of Our Lives by Ravi Zacharias. I am really enjoying it. It has helped me so much with my thoughts as I have to let go of many things that are out of my control. I think it's always especially hard when it has to do with our children. In the book he talks about the story of Noah and how the Bible lists every detail of the ark, its size, the type of wood...but there is no mention of sails or a rudder. Nothing to control the ship. I can't imagine how many times I have heard and studied this story and yet I never pondered this. How many times have I seen pictures of that ark floating around? I sure have wanted my hands on the rudder in my life! At one time it seemed that I did and was headed just where I wanted. But it became clear that I wasn't in control. The author says, "The Bible is a book on life building, written for us as we sojourn on this planet. Interestingly, it also tells us that the rudder and sail remain in God's control and that we enter the high seas with the understanding that we must trust him. If you do not have the mind of faith, then you will fall into repeated peril-and God will get the blame. A life of simple trust is a blessed life, and it sees beyond any impediment through the mind committed to God's way".

So we wait for our little guy, trusting God's plan/timing for our family.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Got Summer!


Yep! That lemon was just picked from our little tree! (and yes it was the perfect addition to our tea).


We finally blew up Ryan's pool. It just hasn't been that warm...until now! It was toasty out there today.

It's not quite as big as I've been trying to talk Harvey into but it's a huge step up from Ryan sitting in the little water table.






I looked out my kitchen window last night and these flowers had just appeared. I hadn't even noticed buds. In fact, this is really an unattractive plant. It's overgrown and its days had been numbered. And then, I looked out the window. Isn't that just like God to create a seemingly plain plant that one day surprises you with such beauty.
If you haven't guessed by now, I have a new camera. I have loved walking around my yard over the last few weeks purposely looking for beauty like this that I just haven't noticed before. Makes me wonder what I've missed!









We got to ride a train and then the carosel with some of our special friends.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Got Shed!!

This is our side yard in April



This is our new shed!!










It will never look like this again!


Happy tools!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Splish, Splash!


A friend invited us swimming today.





What goes up...


must come down!


Superman in training!


I spent two days looking for these flip-flops. A seasoned sandbox mommy would have looked here first. Now I know!
As Ryan and I were driving to our friend's today he asked, "Why does daddy always drive faster than you?" Hmmmm, good question! (Mommy will look into that).

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Was Lost but Now is Found!

I talked to our agency today and the Korean Embassy now has our visa paperwork. We don't know how that came to pass or how much that is to blame for the delay in Yoo Rock coming home, but we're so happy to have this resolved. Yoo Rock is still waiting in line. According to our director, they (?) recognize that he has been waiting a long time (normally he would be home by now or in the next couple of weeks). Please pray with us that he would get into the next group. We'll still have a wait for all his paperwork to go through so we really want him to be part of the next group.


Boy does the shed look great! I'm painting the flower boxes tomorrow. Once they are up I'll post some pictures!

Monday, June 22, 2009

Up the Nose with a Rubber Hose!



Didn't seem all that fun to me!


Up the nose with a black rubber hose!


Summer is here!!



I'm going to miss them.



What better way is there to end a summer day?
This boy can put away some serious amounts of fruit. Today: 2 nectarines, 1 peach, 3 apricots, 4 plums, 1 cup of cherries, 2 tomatoes (they are a fruit you know), and 3 pieces of watermelon. What will tomorrow bring!? :)
So we have some new fish. They are fun and require very little of me! Go ahead and feed them, you know you want to!!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to Daddy!



Austrian Pancake!
So yummy you'll be wanting to visit us.
(wanted my MIL to see I'm taking care of her boy!)

Of course Ryan can't eat this, it's full of eggs, milk, and cream. (Worth every single calorie). He couldn't have been happier with his plate of bacon (which he covered with powdered sugar)!
Next year there'll be an extra cute person in the photo!
Next shed photo will be a "Ta Da" photo!
I better go fix Harv some dinner, it is Father's Day you know!



Saturday, June 20, 2009

This and that!


This is his momma's blood running through him. He loves to work/play in the yard. We spend a lot of time together outside in the dirt.




This is the job Harvey was not looking forward to, but he's done!
Tomorrow we may have lights!



Grow baby, grow!!
I can taste the iced tea already!!



There is just so much that's right about this photo!!




Shamu

Friday, June 19, 2009

Fun Day!


We went to the children's museum with some friends.




I almost talked Harvey into a gravel pit like this for our yard.
Ryan had so much fun playing in it.


So this is a common outfit for Target or the grocery store.
The strap is his microphone.


There was a fire we had to go put out.



A new one



This is for Grandpa with ATV.
(Every kid should have grandparents with an ATV! And a farm!!)


Thursday, June 18, 2009

Broken Dreams and Spilled Milk

Wasn't it just a couple days ago that I posted a picture of my great plum tree? I wanted to document our harvest in case it was a one time deal. Well... it was a one time deal.
I went outside this morning to find one of the branches had broken. This little tree has had a hard year. Last spring one of our huge eucalyptus trees dropped a large branch on it and took out two branches. So now we are down to one branch. It's such a great old tree and makes such yummy plums. I still love you little Charlie Brown tree!

Okay, I didn't say it was a big, important dream!
But I like my plum tree!


This is the big, bad eucalyptus that took out two branches last year. Charlie Brown is at the bottom.


So I decided to clean out my closet. Apparently I was about two weeks too late. I know, how could I not notice this. I don't really have an answer to that. It's milk. It's not moving. It should be moving! It's moments away from becoming a piece of cheese. Once I did see it, all I could smell was rotten milk. It was so bad I had to go get Harvey and make him smell it. (I like to share these kinds of things with him). Fortunately, the bag of nice gift bags was there to soak up some of the milk. Ahhhhhhhhh!

Whatever happened to "no shirt, no service"?


When we moved into our house we really didn't think much about how many trees we had or what kind they were. Our backyard was so dry the dirt seemed more like concrete. We watered and moved onto other projects. We have been amazed at how many trees have perked up and several who started producing fruit. This last winter we had a tree full of oranges and now we have a little lemon tree working really hard on half a dozen lemons. I love all of our fruit trees. I think we are going to have to add a couple more by the shed. We can be a lot like these trees: look alive, even healthy, but have no fruit. We too, need water. Not just regular water, but 'living water', to have the fruit that only Christ can produce. In Jeremiah it says:
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."




Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Calfouti


Finally it's warm enough!




Align Center
I painted the inside of the doors and the window frames.
We're down to the electricity, window boxes, a table inside, and a little more painting!


Plum Calfouti
I just love saying "calfouti". And by the way, it was fabulous!





Harv went with ice cream, but I had the whipped cream.