Sorry for the Overdue Beach Pics!

My favorite pic (...and yes, you can expect to see this one on the Christmas card...)











This one portrays her natural genius...we had come back from the beach and I had stripped her down & was running bath water ...and I turn around and find her with the toy hamper on tope of her head, with only her really cute butt showing!


























Here we are out on our wild horse tour...GORGEOUS and we saw tons of wild horses.










Lilly loved riding the John Deere tractor at one of the road side farm stands. Hap...this one's for you.

quick post...sorry no pics today...

Back from the beack & then I am headed off to a conference tomorrow...so I haven't had time to download/edit the BAZILLION pictures from our week in the OUter Banks. We had a great time...though I am continually getting an education and increased appreciation for my mother...vacation is tougher & not nearly as relaxing when you are always "on duty" as mommy! But, despite that...we had an amazing time. Lilly loved playing in the sand and swimming...but she reports that her favorite thing was reading books with Maren in Maren's "big bed." Sweet.

We also went on a jeep tour on the beaches & saw wild horses (like in Chincoteague...all descended from Spanish Mustangs hundreds of years ago), as well as a wild hog. We also saw a giant sea turtle...way bigger than Lilly. It was dead & had been washed ashore, but we told Lilly it was sleeping. When we drove back by the spot later the sherrif was trying to bury it in the sand but had only managed to make a big mound...I told Lilly the turtle had woken up and must have swum back out to sea. I am sure God will forgive these little lies parents feel compelled to tell!

Had a great time seeing an old friend from Caracas as well as the Comforts & Barnetts...fun all around...and Lilly LOVED being the center of attention and playing with her "cousin" Ollie (Maren's dachsund). Pics later in the week....c

Checking In...

I'll get to Lilly in a minute...but I just checked my email and found the great news from my friend Damaris about Nidia...and I have to quote her here...
"We are OUT!!!! Nidia is now our daughter! I just received the official PGN document with the appropriate signatures. We are so ecstatic! The lawyer wrote at 6:05pm today (4:05 in Guatemala), telling us that the file had been approved and we were OUT but that he didn't have a copy of the document and was waiting for it. I kept hitting refresh until it was finally there at 9:47pm. OMG!!! Finally! Now that I've seen and read the "protocolo", it finally seems real. Earlier today, I was afraid to believe it. He hopes to submit us for Nidia's Birth Certificate (with her new last name) on Tues. Praise God! I hope we'll be traveling before Halloween but know that's unlikely. I can still pray and hope, though. It's what's gotten us through the last 3 yrs. The important thing is that Nidia is officially OURS and we are a family of 4, at last!"

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!!!! I am so happy for them!

Now onto Ms Lil...Thursday turned into a sick day for her when she threw up all over herself, the carseat and the car on the way to "school." BUt, by the time I had pulled over to a gas station to clean her up & try to make the carseat manageable to at least get home, she seemed FINE. So, mom saved my rear end and took Lilly for the day, and Lilly loved every minute of it! She was back to herself by Friday & was back to school..and then spent the evening at Jackson's house while his parents were my saving angels and let me go back to work while I tried to get everything done before we head out on vacation. Looks like Tropical Storm Hanna may delay our start, but we should have a wonderful vacation...here's hoping.

Please join me in thanking God for Nidia's new family!!!!!

My Gal...and Good News For Nidia!

First the great news from Guatemala....nothing like making a deadline under the wire, but my friend's attorneys and investigators were able to find Nidia's birthmother and get her to Guatemala City late last week for the required interview before the Monday deadline! YEA!! Still waiting on a final "Out" from PGN, but this is HUGE! I promise to let you all know when I hear more updates. Thank you so much to all who have been praying for them - and asking me for updates. I know Nidia's mom, Damaris, reads this blog too, and I know she is being held up by all of your prayers! THANKS!

Onto Lilly...

First...the story of my child's amazing mind & incredible will power. The backstory: As I have shared, she loves her "school." She loves her teacher, Ms. Stacey, and REALLY loves spending each day with Jackson (or, as Lilly often refers to him, "my Jackson friend." She is in the "Two's" class now and will be there until late spring. I have also shared with you how she has been basically potty trained for several months now. An accident here and there - but for the most part she has been great. So, when Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday brought accident after accident after accident (both at home and at school) I knew something was going on. Tuesday I wrote off as a fluke. Wednesday I started to get concerned (asking if her bottom hurt, etc to try and rule out a UTI). Thursday morning I mentioned it to her teacher, who had noticed the trend but didn't know what to make of it. Thursday afternoon I picked her up from school, and Lilly was careful to let me know she had "tinkled and poopied" in her pants. Hmm. We talked about it on the way home, and aside from ruling out any medical issues, I couldn't figure out what was going on. Then she was standing on chair at the counter "helping" me cook when she tinkled all over the chair and floor. When I got her cleaned up, she announced to me "Mama, I need diaper. I not big girl." ???WHAT??? I kept probing, telling her she was a big girl, she did know how to use the potty, did wear big girl underpants, etc. She kept avoiding my direct questions, changing the subject, etc - just repeating that she wasn't a big girl and needed a diaper. Finally, to one of my questions she says "I not big girl, I stay with Stacy Jackson." AHHHH!! I got it - she thought that as soon as she was potty trained she would have to move up to the three year old class room and she didn't want to leave her beloved Ms Stacey or Jackson. I called the day care to confirm my suspicions and talked to her evening teacher. I was right! There were a number of kids getting ready to move up to the 3s that week (& you can't move until you are potty trained), and the teachers had been telling those kids "you can do it, you can go potty and then you can go to the 3s!" Lilly heard it, slightly misinterrpreted it, and came up with a game plan! I sat her down and had a long talk about how she could be a big, potty trained girl AND stay in the 2s - that she couldn't move up until she was 3, which was still a long way away! Seemed to work...and the next morning she used the potty at home before school. The teachers at school all agreed with my theory (& were amazed at the deductive reasoning abilities of my little 2 year old). I was dying to hear how Friday went - and chased Ms Stacey down in the parking lot as she left before I went to get Lilly...IT WAS A SUCCESS! SHe had pulled the same thing on them, telling them "I not a big girl" when they told her to go potty. But, the wonderful Ms Stacey told her "You are a big girl. You are my big girl. You have to stay here with me in the 2s, and you have to go potty." YEA MS STACEY! It worked. She is a reformed gal who now knows she can wear underpants and stay with Stacey & Jackson. Phew! But lordy lou - this makes me very afraid for some of the years to come!!!!

Finally - fun pics from Friday evening. Lilly has been really (and I mean REALLY) into musical instruments lately. Her favorite "game" is for us all to pretend that mosquitos have taken our instruments (trumpet seems to be her favorite) and we have to run around the yard and capture them back (no - I have no idea where that comes from). So, when I saw there would be a free Virginia Symphony concert outside nearby, I thought it would be fun. It was later than I usually let her stay up - but we went early and had ice cream and watched them set up, tune up and warm up. She loved it. We were able to be right up at the stage, and several of the musicians were nice enough to stop and talk to her and the bass player even showed her his instrument. We made it through 3 songs before she had to go potty (and as you know from the story above- the fact she is telling me means I am off like a jet to find the nearest potty). The concert was all latin music, so we got to hear marimbas, etc. Very fun.

Long post today...thanks for sticking with me!

Grease 3?

They had a "dress up like a decade" day at school this week, so Lilly and Jackson were gussied up in the best 50s attire that their parents could muster. Yes...his hair is greased back, and yes...it is a pretend cigarette pack rolled up in his sleeve. Aren't they just too much for words?

Then Saturday we all headed to Virginia Beach for the East Coast Surfing Championship...mainly for good people watching. Please - no one picture surfing like they have in Hawaii or California. This is Virginia. The "GREAT" waves were no higher than my hip. That said...I still couldn't do what those guys did. Anyway...we all had a fun outing, tuckered the kids out & thus all slept well last night :)

Bunch O Pics

Not really any news (other than she is back in school after being out a few days with a second round of strep throat)....just pictures to share....

Swimming with Papa for our "Family Day" celebration

Helping our friends welcome home their dad after 15 months in Iraq

Jackson & Lilly enjoying Italian Date Night....

2 Years Ago...

Tuesday is August 19th...and it has been exactly 2 years since I first held my baby girl in my arms. SO hard to comprehend. I was sooo nervous...and then all was right with the world! Lilly just seemed to KNOW that I was her mom right away. It was such a hard year waiting for her. And the year with her home has been such a blessing.

Last night we went to a welcome home party for our friend and neighbor who has been in Iraq for 15 months. I realized he and Lilly had never met as he had left just when she came home. How the world has changed. And...our street is the better for having BOTH of them home safe.

Also...I really want to ask EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU to pray for my friend Damaris' little girl Nidia. Damaris was such a rock for me as we waited for our little girls to come home. Mine is home asleep in her crib, and Nidia is now 3 years old and still waiting. Please pray expecially that the birth mother can be located and brought in for a requested interview BEFORE August 31. That is a big deadline in Guatemala now, and no one knows what will happen to cases in limbo come Sept 1. SOOOOOO...please pray with great expectancy for Nidia, her birthmother, Damaris (& her husband and son) and the foster family who has cared for Nidia for so long (she was remanded to an orphanage for a while but went back to the same family). Please pray for the investigators and lawyers trying to find teh birthmother - who has also worked for years to find her daughter a forever home. Please pray for the PGN reviewers that they let mercy, compassion and common sense prevail and let Nidia come home!!!!!

Olympic Hypnosis

Is it just me...or do other people find themselves staying up WAY past their bedtimes to watch random sports on TV that you would never otherwise watch except these are the OLYMPICS! I mean...I am all for Beach Volleyball, Judo, Table Tennis, Weightlifting and Fencing... but they aren't really anything I sit down and watch on tv. Yet - as I hear the tv in the background...the American women are currently playing the Cubans. Best I can tell, the Americans are winning...but I don't exactly know all the scoring rules.

That said...it was really fun cheering for the Guatemalan team as they entered the stadium during the opening ceremony. I think there were 12 of them...not sure what sports they all did, but I did read that the flag bearer is a badminton (sp?) player. Maybe Guatemala has a loose set of rules for qualifying for their Olympic Team and their future Olympic Ping Pong star is asleep in the crib downstairs ? ;)

Road Trip!

So, Lilly and I headed out on a good old fashioned road trip last weekend. We spent a night in DC with Maren, saw my college roommate & her new addition in Maryland, then headed to rural Maryland to see old friends. Finally, we came home via the Eastern Shore. Great trip...but definietly a lot of driving for me & a 2 year old in 4 days!

This first pic...Maren & Lilly at the dinosaur exhibit at the Smithsonian. If you are not in the Diego & Dora loop...Diego has a new special where he saves dinosaurs...thus...much excitement about seeing the dinosaurs like Diego does. If you don't know who Diego & Dora are...ask a toddler.

This is us visiting Joyce & Baby Logan! How cute!

Then off to Elkton...where Lilly wanted to pose with George in front of "Baby Jaguar." If you don't know who that is...ask a toddler who Diego's sidekick is. HOw is this incredible view? This is the view from George & Jenny's lighthouse at sunrise (yes - toddlers are up really early).

Had to record one of our zillion stops at "Old McDonalds." Note to self: taking a recently potty-trained kid on a road trip = lots of stops. I could go a year before eating McDs again & it would still be too soon.

On the drive home we went to a Maritime Museum & a Railroad Museum. She likes "Turnin the Wheel" (from a song you probably don't know if you haven't watched "Dora's Pirate Adventure") SHe also "played kicthen" in a boat for a good 30 minutes. So Lilly. Here she is making me "chicken and pasta." Of course, the railroad museum was actually closed that day (much to Mama's surprise), but just climbing on the train cars and pretending to drive them was Lilly's favorite part of the whole trip.

This is when Lilly got tired of Mama always having the camera...thus...her persepctive.

I know, 2 posts in 2 days!

But, I finally got the pictures off the camera of Lilly at the wedding on Saturday. I just had to share the pics of her in that dress! Doesn't she look scrumptious? Like a cake!

Something Fishy

So - this is actually from about a month ago during my blog sabbatical...but I still had to share. Dad came and gave me an afternoon off.

Sooo...Lilly and Papa had their first fishing adventure. As you can see..Lilly LOVED the worms. She pulled them, stretched them, squished them, chased older boys around the pier with them and eventually shoved them all through the cracks of the pier so the adventure had to get cut short due to Lilly throwing all the bait away.

BUT...she did catch her first fish. Here is the neutral Lil, and proud Papa.

alligators, mosquitos and other random crap...

We had a good weekend - went to a friend's wedding reception (we skipped the wedding - I didn't think she could make it through both). Cute pics to follow in a few days. Friday was dad's bday, so we headed to a local beach to have a picnic dinner and swim. Not sure who had a better time - dad or Lilly.

Today pretty much hung out at home...actually...we never got in the car or even walked off the lot. But, we were busy! We did "art" in the garage most of the morning, and then Lilly "helped" mama shovel and spread mulch all afternoon. I got 3 yards delivered on Tuesday...and I am proud (& exhausted) to say that it is all done as of this afternoon! Yea mama! I mulched this whole area where grass never grew anyway and I had given it over to be toyland...so now there is a nice mulched area with a playground look. I am quite pleased.

As for the title"alligators, mosquitos and other random crap"...I warn you...this is all about poop. Lilly is definitely potty trained. She wears a pull up at night since you all know I am NOT ready to encourage her to get up and go potty in the middle of the night when I just got her to sleep through the night a few months ago. But, during the day she is always in "big girl panties" - even during nap. She has some accidents here and t here, but heck - she is only 26 months.

The little training potty we have is in the tv room (a little icky, but I am now used to it - and it made her want to sit there - and my bathroom was too small to keep it in anyway). Lilly is always proud when she uses it and announces what she has done "Mama I tinkle" "Mama I poop!" "Mama I poop and tinkle!" Very exciting. But the REALLY funny part is when she announces what her poop looks like. "Mama - I poop alligator!" This is a common phrase when her poop is - uh - long like an alligator. During a recent bout of near-constipation when all she could get out was these little poopettes, she announced "Mama, I poop mosquito!" I laughed so hard I just about wet my pants. Guess that wouldn't send the right potty-training message.

Hope everyone has a great Monday....

mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa...

...and I thought those 3 years of Latin would never pay off!!! (Translation: I am really, REALLY sorry!)

I know I have been MIA for a long time now. And, many of you have called me on my disapperance (it always surprises me how many people seem to actually be reading my random musings). So...I apologize for my hiatus, and I hope to get everyone caught up. This first pic is from brunch on Father's Day...and I just love this picture! I can't decide who is more enchanted with who!

Its been a busy month...Lilly, unfortunately, has ended her 6 month healthy streak. We went from January to late June w/ no doctor visits. But, then in the past three weeks: strep throat, ER visit for stitches on her head (scroll down for the story), doc visit to get stitches out, and now some sort of UTI or other issue (we had one visit last week, and go back again tomorrow).

Part of the reason I stopped blogging was that the small ac unit that cools my upstairs (where my computer is) had broken...making it WAY TOO HOT to think about using the computer. But, now the old gal is working (and I mean OLD...the ac repair guy said it was installed in 1987 - the same year he started his career.) I was releaved to hear he had seen the model before. I guess it goes without saying that it isn't exactly up to today's energy star standards...but I am trying to make it to winter before replacing it.

OK...story on the stitches....it was 4th of July and Lilly and I had gotten up to "run" a local 5K (we didn't come in last out of the 900+ people...but it was pretty close). When we came home, Lilly was all excited & ran into the kitchen, promptly tripped on her own feet, and slid face first into an air conditioning vent on the floor of the kitchen. There was blood EVERYWHERE. It took me a minute to realize she hadn't actually cut her eye because the blood was flowing into her eye and then looked like she was crying blood. yikes. But, I got the gushing to stop, found the cut above her eyebrow and tried to hold pressure. After hemming & hawing about whether or not to take her for stitches...I decided to take her in. I just couldn't hold her down to really clean it out, and I knew that since it was the 4th, I needed to get there as early as possible. Amazingly...we were in & out of the ER in about an hour and a half. Good thing we went, as the gash turned out to be really deep...and continued to bleed even after the 2 stitches.

She came back, slept for an hour or so, and then woke up (pillow case covered in blood) and only wanted Jackson. And, actually, that worked well, since Jackson was in teh back yard waiting for her to wake up so the 2 of them could be in the local parade. She rallied back and they won a blue ribbon in the "float" category (who knew there was a float category?!?!?!?). RIght after all the company left, the power went out. I got her to bed at 8, and I was asleep in my bed by 8:15. When the power came back on in the middle of the night, I got up, turned off lights, and went back to bed. We were exhausted!!! Her stitches are now out and the scar is fading.

OK - I promise more later...but I need to go to bed. Sorry I was MIA for so long! (This last pic isn't great - but the only one I have "post stitches." Or...as Lilly tells me "NO MO STITCHES!"