Going Home

I've been flooded with company, all good of course, and totally knee deep in appointments and plumbing issues that I will spare the details of just how bad it's been.

But today was sort of emotional for me as I packed up my bathing suits, life jackets and beach toys and prepared the family for our first trip home since saying goodbye to paradise.

It's going to be a quick trip.

J has to work,

I need a haircut.

but most importantly, my very favorite Princess will be celebrating her 50th birthday and I have the royal honor of celebrating it with her....& I wouldn't miss it for the world.

I'm sad that all 95% of my friends are out of the country or state right now and I won't be able to smooch their lovely faces and though I've been warned that there is a storm out in the Gulf 0f Mexic0, it won't stop my efforts of getting in some island time.

However, just smelling the salty air that I adore will fill my empty soul tank up to just below full=0)

I'm going home...& I can't wait to sip pink drinks with my Princess Ann.

Summer friends

Pictures of our day with Briana, Soph & LL

Fun summertime stuff has been going on in mi casa and I just haven't had the extra time to blog and to top it all off, my camera card reader broke (again) and I can't get photos off my big camera. So I stole these ones from Briana's Mommy and called myself a good Mom *grin*

When I have something worthy to say, I'll be back with words & photos....

until then, enjoy your summer!!!

HaPpY hApPy GirL~!

In a house full of action with 3 busy boys, I will never be able to fully understand how one little girl can bring so much life to an already lively place.

She is our family's everything.

This past week she was down & out within 45 minutes, with a spike in fever to 102.2. I knew it was another UTI, damn things. We called the doctor who we've yet to see and I took her right in to get an antibiotic.

It was a new doctor that we were establishing with and the forms were quite bothersome to fill out. I just put a big X across most of it, you know 'family history' 'week of pregnancy born' 'age of parents at birth' 'if anyone in the family has any of the list of 50 issues listed' 'was her birth mom a smoker?' 'a drinker?' It just saddened me to have so little info to help her through this life. After all, her date of birth is a guess, & that pains me so. I believe every human is entitled to the
their rightful date of birth. We claim 3-7 as hers.

**soapbox warning**

A while back I had an exchange with somebody that only celebrates their child's 'g0tcha day' because it's the only date that the Mom felt a connection to. It saddened me greatly that the child's birth had become about the Mom, how selfish. If your child has a guesstimated birth date, then claim it as their own. They are entitled to a date that's all theirs. Rather or not you as their parent fill 'connected' to their birth date because you may not have been there when they were born makes no difference, your child lived a life before you.

**stepping off my soapbox**

So speaking of a guesstimated birth date, I will tread these waters carefully. I know that there is really nothing that I am finding out about the process of China that my daughter will not be able to find out for herself, but I still wonder how to best present these facts to her. I can only imagine how it would feel to grow up with no facts on your past, to sit & fill out the endless amount of paperwork about family history that she will no doubt have to deal with one day.

14

My little boy is quickly turning into a man.

He's starting to sprout and I'm seeing him leave his childhood behind him and he's barreling into the tumultuous teenage years. As sad as I am to see him growing up, I am also happy to be entering the high school days. I loved my high school days and I'm excited to walk beside him through this next chapter in his life. I could not be more proud of who he is as a son, a brother and friend. He really is one cool guy.