To tide you over...

We're knee deep in our "big build" so no time to blog. But, I didn't want to punish you faithful blog readers, so here are a couple shots of the boys in the backyard...

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Saturday we spent time with my mom's side of the family at Emma's 2nd birthday party. Here's my favorite image of the day; My grandmother Chrystal with her newest great-grandson...aren't they both just delicious? My dear grandma is 93 years old--doesn't she look AMAZING?!?. I love seeing the young with the old. I think those are the ages when we are at our finest--when we act how we truly feel, when we say what we really think, when we love without insecurity, when we are simply real. My grandma is the finest old lady I know. She is beautiful, smart, soft-spoken, strong, determined, hospitable, kind and a lovely spirit. I love you, grandma!

There was also a hilarious happening that occurred while my mom was video taping Ashen minding his own business at the water table during the party. My mom posted it on her blog here.

Thumb Sucker

Should I be happy or worried? For now I'm happy he's found a great way to soothe himself...plus, it's SO cute to watch him find his thumb and suck it!

He laughs!

Oh, how he loves kisses!

First Hot Day of 2008!

We forgot what the sun felt like. Oh, today brings the memories right back. We are relishing in the 80 degree weather we've found ourselves with. This morning I packed up the boys at 8:30am to go for a walk to the drugstore (some sunglasses were purchased) and coffee shop. The weather was just too perfect to stay indoors a minute longer. On our way home we stopped at the park to slide and swing. Upon our arrival home, the pool was quickly blown up and filled with water. We started out fully clothed, as the pictures illustrate, but quickly drenched ourselves and ended up naked...at 10:30am. The water was COLD, but that didn't stop this little fishy. See the whole group of photos by clicking on the slideshow on the sidebar. What a difference 10 months makes! Enjoy your weekend!

Oh my goodness...I just dumped COLD water down my tummy!

Cement Truck!

This morning at 7:30am the pump truck and cement mixer arrived to pour the cement into the beautiful forms that our contractor constructed over the last week. I have a new respect for foundations. I am so impressed with our contractor, Mark, and the work he's done. He's a perfectionist and works very hard. We feel so blessed that we were able to hire him at the last minute...he's booked for the next 3 months, but had a 5 day window between jobs which we jumped on. It feels so good to be starting this project off with a solid, square, foundation. Over Memorial Day weekend we'll start building up. For those who asked, we're building on another bedroom (for the boys to share), a bathroom attached to our bedroom, and making our existing bedrooms larger. We feel so blessed to be able to do this, and are really looking forward to having a guest room and hope that we'll host lots of you out of towners over the next few years. I've already started begging my friend, Hatsumi, from Japan to come out as soon as the room is ready. Willie, Susanne, Mwix, Steven, come and visit! Oh, and whomever reads my blog from the Phillipines, let me know who you are and maybe we can host you!

The forms...ready for pouring

Ashen, cautioning me from getting too close to the cement truck

Click on this photo and check out the cement mixer man...kinda creepy, but my boy can charm anyone!

Oh, cement truck...I love you.

Cute Boys

How did I get so lucky?

Pictures of the Day...

"Nummy, nummy," he exclaimed as he smeared brownie batter all over his face...

Reading adult novels already!?!? He's been thumbing through this book all day! Not the greatest choice of reads (I've been trying to get rid of it at PaperbackSwap and had it sitting on the desk).

NBC says I'm a "Non-Mom"!?!?!?

Check this out!

In an upcoming prime time special "America's Favorite Mom" on Mothers Day, NBC is honoring mothers by having the public vote for their favorites. Unfortunately, they've categorized different types of moms and list mothers who have adopted children as, get this, "NON-MOMS!!!!!" They refer to the adoptive mother in the contest as a woman who is mother to "her own* daughter, and six children who started life as meth babies" Here is the link:

http://www.americasfavoritemom.com/mothers-day-2008/static/semiFinalists

(UPDATE: Late this afternoon they've changed the category to "Adopting Mom"...they're listening!)

I am completely floored--angry, offended, and saddened by the ignorance still surrounding adoption today. Seriously, how can anyone tell me that I'm a non-mom to Ashen? Completely needless to say, I am just as much a mom to Ashen as I am to Torin, or as my mom is to me. I quickly sent an outraged message off to NBC this afternoon and will likely send off messages to the sponsors of the show too. If you're inclined, let's flood their inboxes with mail about how ridiculous and 1950's it is to call adoptive mothers "non-moms." As someone from my adoption forum said, "what does that make my child, a non-son?"

Here's the email for the show: support@americasfavoritemom.com

Here are links to the sponsors:
Teleflora - service@teleflora.com
NBC Today Show - today@msnbc.com
Marie Osmond - kesti@marieosmond.com
Kraft Foods - kraft.com/contacts/other-contacts-form/htm?ft=other&subject=other
Redbook - redbook@hearst.com

*Since I'm on a rant, now is just as good a time as any to let everyone know that it's utterly offensive to say "Oh, they have children of their own, and an adopted child", or "They couldn't have their own kids, so they adopted," --or any variation of the above. Hello, people...adopted children are our OWN! I get a little emotional about this, not because I'm personally so offended, but because I would hate for my kids to be in any situation where they overhear something like this and feel less than our own.

Word of the Day...

...Backhoe!

Yesterday was the beginning of much construction excitement at our house. The backhoe arrived bright and early to begin excavating the land that will soon be under our new addition! With the rapid expansion (aka, double) of our family in an 8 month period, we are hurting for space. Instead of moving to a bigger home, we decided it would be much more affordable and fun to add on to our house--we love where we live.

Excavating is done (check!), the foundation work begins tomorrow and lasts about a week and then Memorial Day weekend we start our big week-long building party. My dad, Mark's dad, my sister's husband and a few of our friends are going to roll up their sleeves and dig in (pun intended)--actually the digging will be done, but there will be floor boards, framing, roofing and much more to do that week. Many ladies will join me here to help with the kids and feed the masses (thank you!), and maybe I'll get a chance to swing a hammer.

It's certainly different to be on the sidelines when for the last several years, Mark and I have been a team with our various house projects (and there have been many!). Ah well, the kids are a pleasure and I can do other things to help...like organize our "Home Makeover 2008" notebook, order windows, a tub, and pick out all the finished stuff like paint, molding, tile, doors, etc. Stay tuned for updates...I'm sure our next word will be "Cement Truck."