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!