Sunday Snapshot

This week's Sunday Snapshot is all about my Mom's yard! Weird, I know but bear with me a bit!

If you would like to participate in Sunday Snapshot, click here



You can also check out some other really cool Snapshots!!

Anyway, on to my Mom's yard. Do you have something that can just take you right back to your childhood? I mean really take you back!

My Mom's yard is one of those things for me.

You see, my Parents have lived in the same house for about 41 years. That just does not happen very often these days and I think it is kind of a shame.

I mean, I know there are pros and cons to living in the same place for your lifetime just as there are pros and cons to moving around a bit, but I guess I know only of my experience and it has been very comforting to be able to go home, truly home, when I needed to.

Hubby's family moved quited a bit as he was growing up and an advantage he gained was his ability to make friends a heck of a lot easier than I do. He is much more social and handles change better than I. I tend to be a home body and am still closest to the friends that I had growing up.

But once again, I digress!! My Mom is a wonderful gardener - a green thumb! She has always loved to work in the yard and has always managed to have a beautiful garden.



Unfortunately, I did not inherit her green thumb. Not only do I not have her green thumb (who thought of that phrase anyway), but I would have to admit that I have a definite brown thumb! She has not lost hope, however and will still give me a beautiful "green" plant every so often that ALWAYS turns "brown" in my house. I have told her that those poor plants must scream in terror as they leave the plant spa (her house) and come to the plant house of horrors (my house)!!

Maybe she's right? Maybe there is hope? Maybe I don't have a true brown thumb after all? Maybe it is simply a "5 kids and no time to water" thumb!!! Hehe!

When I go home, especially this time of year, I am instantly transported back to my childhood. The Camilla's are fading and the azaleas are in bloom, the dogwoods are beautiful and all the trees are so green.





I can remember sitting in my room as a child and listening to the wind in the tall pine trees and watching them sway. It was such a peaceful feeling and I know that is why I have always loved having trees around me.



As soon as those azaleas started to bloom, my brother and I would head out, usually in our pj's, to pick a beautiful bouquet for Mom! She could make even the worst cut flowers look like a professional arrangement!!



I can remember playing all kinds of imaginary games in that wonderful yard. We would climb trees, hide among the bushes and catch fireflies at night!




I have some wonderful memories from my Mom's yard and now - my kids are making their own wonderful memories in that yard.

Thanks Mom!

My First Bloggy Award!!

Wow! I got my very first bloggy award!! It is the Sunshine Award and it was given to me by Mary Ann over at Starlight Blog .



I am so excited!! Thank you so much, Mary Ann!!

More Soccer

I know, I know!! More soccer?? Really??? Sorry, I just cannot help myself!!



Watching my 2 little girls in their lavender soccer jerseys (or soccer dress in Lizzie's case), full leg shin guards and pigtails is just too cute.



I kept telling the girls how great they did and how proud I was of them. Lizzie kept telling me that she didn't make a "goalie!"



Didn't matter baby girl! You played hard. You played your best and you had fun!!



That is what it is all about - that and making the occasional "goalie!!" Hehe!!

To be even more obnoxious, here are 2 videos from the day. Feel free not to watch them - unless you are the grandmothers, then you better watch them!!!! "Grin"

Advocating for Lucas

I received an email about a precious little boy from an amazing young woman who, at 20 years old, already has a heart for the orphans of the world. She asked that I advocate for this little one! She does not know anything about his adoption status but does know that he needs surgery and they need donations.

So here is precious Lucas.



Lucas is a 3 ½ yr old orphan boy who is deaf. He is living in China at Shepherd’s Field Children’s Village. Lucas is a very happy little boy who has never had the simple gift of hearing that so many of us may take for granted.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could play a part in granting this gift to sweet little Lucas, and changing his life forever? You can! All you have to do is send a donation of any amount to the Philip Hayden Foundation’s office in the US.

Philip Hayden Foundation 40335 Winchester Rd. #E-115, Temecula, CA 92591 USA

*Make sure to specify “Lucas’ Cochlear Implant” somewhere on your donation.

The cost for his surgery will be 200,000rmb which is about $29,850usd. It is very important that Lucas gets this surgery as soon as possible. Here in the US they are doing cochlear implants as early as 12 months of age. Lucas is 3 1/2 years old and will be 4 in May. It is crucial that he get this implant before he gets much older, because the chances of failure are much greater the older the child is.



After surgery Lucas will have to have ongoing therapy in order for him to develop the skills he needs and to slowly adjust the implant, increasing the sounds he hears. The younger he is the easier it will be for him to learn these skills. It was initially hoped that Lucas would have been adopted before his surgery, but since that hasn’t happened as of yet, the need for his surgery is growing more and more every day. So, please consider helping this sweet boy with a donation of any amount.

Thank You!

Just Watch Me!!

Do you know what this is???



It is a shadow puppet of a dog, and a darn good one. Lizzie decided in the car one day that she was going to make shadow puppets. So - she - did!

What frustrated her the most? Not that she has missing fingers or fingers that aren't quite long enough or fingers that are still "stuck" together, no!! It was that the sun wouldn't cooperate!! It kept changing direction (totally Mom's fault because I was driving, don'tcha know) and screwing with her "canvas"!! I just LOVE this girl!!

Oh and did I happen to mention that last Saturday our little Soccer star made her first goal - during her first game!!!



Her shin guards come up high enough to qualify as tights and her tiny cleats (the smallest we could find) are still way too big for her precious little feet (I had to stuff a ripped up cloth diaper in the toes to make them fit), but that didn't stop our littlest soccer star!!

She ruled the field that day and as soon as she made that goal, do you know what she did????

My sweet girl turned to make sure Momma was cheering and then she ran across that field as fast as those little legs would go, arms outstretched with the biggest smile on her beautiful face - right into her Momma's outstretched arms!!

I think I have told just about everybody about that goal and Lizzie? Well, if you ask Lizzie she will proudly tell you that she made a "goalie!" Hehe!! No matter how you say it sweet girl, you are amazing and I am so incredibly proud to be your Momma!!

In China you were labeled as "special needs". Ha!!

Special, heck yeah but "needs?" I don't think so!

The only thing you "needed" was the love of a family, of our family and I feel so blessed to have been able to witness your remarkableness. Your "need" was to be taken from that orphanage and to be told that you could do whatever you put your very determined mind to and that you were "special" but not in the way that was your "label." You are special because you are Lizzie, our Lizzie, God's Lizzie and I thank Him everyday for this beautiful journey that I share with you, my amazing daughter!

Sunday Snapshot

Thought I would join in again this Sunday and I am afraid I am being a bit of a copycat, but hey, it's Easter and well, I have lots of cute Easter pics!! So, my Sunday Snapshot is:




Easter!!

We started the weekend with a quick trip down to E. Beach to visit my cousin and her boys. The girls always have so much fun with them, but this time they couldn't wait to go to bed so the Easter Bunny could come!

I really don't know what I am going to threaten them with now!! Christmas is still eight l-o-n-g months away and Easter, even longer!! All I had to say was, "The Easter Bunny (or Santa) is watching," and the fussing would stop and the smiling would start!!

Is there a 4th of July fairy??

Nooo?? I didn't think so! Sigh!!

Anyway, they were VERY excited about the bunny and the chocolate!



Stefanie, does Lizzie's footwear look familiar??? Hehe!! She was too excited to let me take her brace off before she inspected her loot!!



As we were packing up to leave the beach and go to JuJu's house, I noticed that Christian had packed up his sister's bag. OKaaaaaa!! Why??



Can you see what is in the bag??



Yep, he had packed his sister in his sister's bag



and she thought it was great!!




Apparently it was so much fun that big sister had to try it too!!!



After we packed the girls, I mean the car, we headed to JuJu's house for the great Easter Egg hunt! The eggs were hidden and one very special egg contained a $5 bill for some lucky young egg hunter!

The first round of mighty egg hunters in their Easter finest,











Round two!



Finally, the big guys!



The search was on for the "golden" egg,









It didn't take Charlie long, however!!



Then it was time for some more cute pics, while the dresses were still clean!!







So much for clean dresses!!! Sigh!!







Then it was time for a dip in the pool!! Really??? Even though we are in the South and even though it is April, we have had an unusually cold Spring and that water is still REALLY COLD!!

The kids didn't care, though!!!

It is April and it is Spring Break,

therefore, we must swim!!! Hehe!!













Even Taz couldn't resist,



or Memow!!



Happy Easter!

Special Olympics

Our wonderful soccer club teamed up with our local Special Olympics to host a very memorable morning of Soccer. It was initially set up to have some of our coaches (hubby being one of them) run through 3 different "competitions." However, it happen to be an early dismissal day (don't even get me started on that!!) for the boys and as much as I hated to keep the boys from their 3 hours of school that day (yeah right), I decided to let them come with us to the Special Olympics event instead and help.

I honestly think they learned more that morning than they would have learned from a full day at school!

Those kids were amazing and our kids were amazed by them and were amazing with them!





It certainly filled this Momma's heart and as I watched these beautiful children, I felt no sadness or pity, only joy, pure joy, joy at their accomplishments and joy at the perfectness of these incredible children. They tried harder and smiled bigger than most and while they may be labeled "challenged" or "special" or whatever the buzz word of the day is, I only saw perfection. I saw kids who were enjoying a beautiful day and I saw kids who were playing and laughing and high fiveing and I saw the reflection of all of this in my kids' eyes and that was such a gift.



My "bloggy" friend, Adeye, is in Eastern Europe right now adopting 2 gorgeous little girls with Down Syndrome. They are an incredible family. You can follow her journey to her beautiful girls here . Please keep her in your prayers as she makes this amazing journey and as she meets her 2 new precious children.