BOO (or is it boo-hoo?)

The Halloween festivities started off just fine for Owen ... he and I spent a beautiful Tuesday walking around the yard and that night he got to help carve the pumpkin (slimy fun!). Wednesday morning Nana and Pop-pop came down to play, Nanny sent a package full of yummy treats, and Daddy came home early for dinner. Then it was time for costuming! And this is when, for Owen, the holiday became more trick than treat.

Black turtleneck, black pants and socks, no problem. Bee costume no problem. Bee wings (that Mommy went to four stores to find) ... big problem. Our happy-go-lucky little goblin melted down.

So this year Halloween consisted of Daddy carrying Owen to two houses to visit friends before we headed home, changed into PJ's and just had fun greeting the princesses and ghosts and pirates and witches who came to our door.

Cheering On Cearra

Road trip time! Todd and Nanny met us on Friday morning and we all piled into the van to head down to Virginia Beach. More than five rain soaked hours later we arrived at the home of our long time friends Audrey and Walt, where we were enthusiastically greeted by their daughter (and our God daughter) Jenna. We enjoyed some really good pizza and some even better conversation and laughter. Later that night Cearra came over and I got to play hairdresser in preparation for her cheering competition the next day - it's been a long time since I've rolled curlers!

The next day was the main event - the Beach District Cheerleading Competition. Twelve area high schools were competing for the right to be named "Best of the Beach" and move on to Regionals. The squads were judged on their tumbling, stunting (that's when they throw and lift cheerleaders in amazing pyramids and the like), cheering and dance routines.

Wearing our powder blue "FCHS" t-shirts (Owen had another custom one), we took our places in the crowded stands with Cearra's mom Kathy and her brother Marcus and anxiously awaited First Colonial's performance. And we were not disappointed! They were great! Hit all their stunts, had the crowd yelling along, and rocked the dance part. But, in a controversy to rival that of the 2002 Olympic figure skating gold medal scandal, they placed fifth (behind the fourth place team by 2 points) and when the overall winners were named, many in the crowd were left wondering what the judges were looking at!

Cearra and her team were disappointed and a few tears were shed, but as she said, it was the best they had ever performed and they were proud of themselves. It goes without saying that we were beyond proud of her! It's a wonderful thing to watch your child find something she loves, work hard at it, and do it well. And it was very special to have Todd and Nanny along to enjoy it too (although we missed Maria and Hannah!).

Thank you Audrey, Walt and Jenna (who is also an enthusiastic cheerleader) for hosting us all and, as always, being tons of fun!

Cole Family Update

The Coles live in Trabuco Canyon, which is being engulfed by the Santiago fire. As of last night, the fire is 30% contained and appears as if it will skirt around their community. Happily Susan, Scott and Jack were allowed to return to their home and aside from a lot of ash, it appears as though their neighborhood will escape serious damage.

We were also relived to hear from our friends Ty and Serena Wharton that their Oceanside neighborhood is OK, although their boys have not been in school and none of them have been outside in several days due to the poor air quality caused by the wildfires.

Thanks for you prayers and please continue to remember the firefighters, those who lost their homes, and those still in harms way!

The Cole Family

This is my dear friend Susan Cole and her son Jack in the Kokshetau airport almost one year ago; and her hubby Scott, her and Jack earlier this month.

Susan and I struck up an email correspondence last fall when we learned we would both be traveling to Kokshetau for our children, and Susan and Scott were in Kazakhstan with us when Bob and I suffered a great loss.

Scott and Bob walked the city for hours while Susan sat with me in their apartment and listened to me cry. They fed us homemade mac & cheese, roasted chicken (comfort foods) and let us play with Jack. We flew to Almaty with them, where at a corner table in Mad Murphy's Scott and I discussed faith and destiny; and each day we witnessed their absolute joy in Jack. Without them, our days would have been darker, our will to continue to Owen not as strong. They are truly amazing people we are proud to call friends.

Tomorrow they celebrate the day Jack officially become their son - although I think they'd tell you (and I'd agree) he was their son the moment they saw him, held him, hugged him. From across the country we celebrate with them.

But today Susan, Scott and Jack are one of the many families affected by the wildfires in southern California. I talked to Susan earlier this afternoon and the good news is that they are all safe at Scott's sisters house, and they had time to take or secure their valuables before leaving their home. Now they wait.

Please join me in prayers and positive thoughts for them and all those in the fire's path. That the fire will be put out, that no lives are lost, that no further property is damaged. I'll keep you up to date on how they are doing.

The Great Pumpkin Pursuit

What a beautiful day to take Owen pumpkin picking! He started by looking over some that were a bit too big before choosing one just his size. We purchased a family pumpkin too and we'll carve it for Halloween; I think Owen might like playing with the "goop".

After the farm we went to check out Bob's company's new ranch house digs; settlement was yesterday (also our 11th wedding anniversary!). It's 4,000 feet of office space and another reminder of how much the company has grown over the past six years.

Then we came home just in time to host Nana and Pop-Pop for pizza and Carvel ice cream cake - a family tradition - to celebrate my dad's birthday. They were on their way home from vacation in Hilton Head and we were really happy they got to stop by and visit.

Now Bob, Owen and I are going to put our feet up and watch some college football. Hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Weekend Project ... Baby Gates

Mommy's Little Helper

Occasionally, Owen's mom is a little klutzy and does something like spill a whole bag of cat food on the floor. Luckily, she now has first rate help with the clean-up (Sadie was just out of frame doing her part too)!

Good Times in Atlanta

It was a whirlwind weekend - and what fun! We arrived in Atlanta Friday afternoon and battled the infamous traffic to get to Shannon, Thomas and Andy's beautiful home in Suwanee. Over a yummy meal and some vodka and cherry juice (this was a Kazakhstan reunion after all!), we enjoyed getting to know some folks whose journeys we had followed "by blog" - Cristel, Jerry and their son Alex; Kristi Metz and her sons Jackson and Ethan; LeAnne, Marc and their son Rhys; Angela, Mike and their son Izaak; and Debbie and her son Milo (unfortunately dad Mike couldn't make the trip from California). We were thrilled to spend time with Sean, Maureen and James again and I loved being with my buddies Alison and Shannon. It was so great to finally meet their husbands Jeff and Thomas and terrific kids Jack and Andy too!

The next morning the Stegarps cooked breakfast for us and the Lyles, and we headed over to our agency's picnic. One of the first families I saw was Kelley and Dave and their adorable daughter Katie. Kelley and I had met online and chatted by phone when we both going through a rough spot in the adoption journey, and it was wonderful to finally meet in person and celebrate our kids together. We also had the chance to catch up with Steve and Mechelle, who's daughter Eliana was one of the Kokshetau Hamsters. Overall it was an amazing experience to see all the Kaz kids running around and all their very happy parents.

After the festivities wound down we jumped back in the car for a quick drive to my cousin Kim's gorgeous home in Norcross. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that my Aunt Jeanne and Uncle Bud were also there for a visit! Kim's hubby Mike was off in Morocco on business (yes, Morocco, as in Africa), so we missed him but loved spending time with Kim and Chandler, Connor, Carlyn and puppies Ellie and Ruby.

Sunday found us back at the airport and on our way home. Owen did pretty well on the flight; while de-boarding two passengers in the rows around us commented on how good he was! Then as we waited for the bus to the parking garage I struck up a conversation with a very nice gentleman after he asked how old Owen. Turns out he was a doctor very familiar with international adoption, and he complimented Bob and I saying that obviously Owen was very attached to us but also displayed curiosity in others which was exactly what you want to see! Of course we knew this, but it was nice to hear from someone else.

Many thanks to Shannon, Thomas and Andy, and Kim's whole gang for your amazing Southern hospitality. Thanks to all our old and new friends for being so willing to share your joy (and your kids) with us. Susan, Scott and Jack - we missed you and hope that the next time we all meet you'll be there too. Our lives are made so much richer by knowing each of you!

Finally!

Have you been logging on each day hoping for a new post? Missing my bits of wit and wisdom? Feeling a little down in the dumps without new pictures of Owen to make you smile? If so, you may be experiencing BHO (Bringing Home Owen) Withdrawal.

Luckily I've now won the battle with Comcast and after five days and numerous calls we finally have cable and Internet services again. So savor this post and know there should be a big one next week after we return from our trip to Atlanta!

So what's Owen been up to lately? Well, I'm trying to get him to help me with the housework ... but that's not going too well; he didn't like pushing the mop and I have to carry him when I vacuum because he doesn't like the noise.

He doesn't watch any television except for the first 10 minutes of Elmo's World on Sesame Street, but as you can see, as soon as he hears Elmo's giggle he sits in front of the TV and becomes enthralled.

I'm trying to teach him to smile for the camera in the hopes of one day having great professional pictures taken. I've posted one of last night's practice photo shoot. We're getting there.

Owen still loves the cats and pets Sadie and Ava every chance he gets (Beamer runs and Remy is always upstairs). Thankfully they are both pretty tolerant, even when he gives them kisses by putting his head on theirs or gently touching their whiskers.

He has discovered how much fun it is to pull the toilet paper from the roll; he laughs hysterically when you let him feed you some of his food (I try to make sure it's toast or Cheerios he wants to give me rather than mushy carrots or lima beans); and he's now practically running across the family room so he can crash into the couch.

And his final new trick ... growling. I'm not sure how it started - perhaps I make a similar sound when we are "wrestling" or maybe my lion roar is a little off - but at least once a day he'll lower his chin and growl! Of course I laugh, and so encourage it. I figure it's a good Halloween sound effect, even thought bees don't growl.

That's all for now ... have a great weekend and check back again next week.

Beyond Good

"A grateful heart helps balance even the tightest budget."

- from Glimpses of an Invisible God for Mothers: Experiencing God in the Everyday Moments of Life

Yesterday I was trying to decide if I had enough spending money to splurge on a pricey hair cut and highlights, and if I could convince Bob to get delivery pizza for dinner instead of the boring pork chops I was defrosting. Ultimately I knew nether was the wisest choice, but that reality bummed me out.

Bob is a wonderful provider for our family; and I'm incredibly proud of him and the business (http://www.americanefficiency.com/) he has built. We have a beautiful home, nutritious food to eat, money to keep all of our creditors happy, and enough to enjoy occasional trips and visits to friends and family.

What we also have is quite a few necessary expenses - from the mundane (insurance, a car payment, diapers) to the exciting (Cearra's graduation announcements!) - and a large tally from our jaunt half way around the world earlier this year. And so, we now have a strict budget as well.

As I've mentioned before, it's been very difficult for me to adjust to not having a paycheck. You see, I'm a shopper. It's been one of my favorite hobbies for years and I'm really good at it! I love the search for interesting trinkets for the house, surprise gifts for others, shoes and purses for me. Prior to becoming a SAHM I always had a little extra to spend on my hobby. That was good.

So I was missing my hobby; I've been a bit low over our low funds. And then today, while lunching with Owen and thumbing through the latest issue of "Guideposts" magazine, I came across the above quote. It was just what I needed.

Tonight I'm getting my hair cut using a gift card, I know I'll be wearing last year's clothes this fall, dinners out will be few and far between (and the pork chops were very tasty), and I'll be (mostly) avoiding the glossy lure of catalogs and shopping centers. But I'll also have a grateful heart for each moment I'm spending with Owen. And that is beyond good - it's priceless.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Early Saturday morning Bob drove to Staunton Virginia to meet Cearra and her mom at Mary Baldwin College for a tour and informational session. C seemed to enjoy the day and liked the school: it's a beautiful campus; the student body size and teacher to student ratio is what she is looking for; and it offers several majors she is considering (and oh yeah, it's close to VMI and her boyfriend Curt!). What's more, an admissions officer basically told her while there that she was accepted! She is still going to look at a few more universities but it's wonderful for her to know she has at least one good choice.

On Sunday, Bob, Owen and I drove to "wild and wonderful" West Virginia to visit with Aunt Pam and Uncle Gene at their gorgeous mountaintop home. The views were amazing and it's just truly a peaceful place. Owen loved spending time with Hannah and playing with Christopher and Katie (their dad is Bob's cousin, so they are second cousins to Owen I guess?). We also got to meet Liora and Kevin's new baby Haily and son Nathan, catch up with Shawn and Sherri, and as always had fun just being with Nanny, Maria and Todd.

The last picture is Ava. She was snoozing away a few days ago and looked so comfortable I just had to snap a shot. I still love my fur babies!