Be Home

{re}member that?

We had a beautiful day celebrating Annika's big day. Of course, we had to go out for Chinese food. The all around choice would been Pei Wei hands down, if we were in Kansas City but the second choice would have to due. It was delicious. After enjoying the good eats we enjoyed a good walk all around downtown.

There is such internal pressure to make a memorable day, well memorable. I looked on various sites to see what others had done but was torn between making it the likes of a birthday bash or something low key. My sister had made a scrapbook for Annika when she had arrived home last year. It was designed for photos of our own choosing to be added but I never really had the opportunity to focus on it. About a week ago it dawned on me that it would be a perfect backdrop to host a month-by-month visual of our daughter's first year home.

Little did I realize how much this would touch Annika's little heart. She lit up when I told her I had a present for her, only to see her continually brighten every time she turned the page and saw herself smiling back at her. She kept saying, "(re)member that"? She has continued to carry it around with her daily and has asked me to sit with her and "show me" the pictures. I wonder how much is going on in that little mind and heart of hers. Without a single picture capturing her sweet face before the age of 3, I love that she is enjoying the knowledge of how special she really is to us.

Gotcha Day Anniversary

One year ago today I was nervously sitting in a hotel room in Beijing, China. Well, not so much sitting as much as pacing. Andrew and I were looking out the window, pretty sure that the black car that had been parked outside the hotel entrance the better half of the morning held our new daughter, waiting for the agreed time of arrival.

Sure enough, we watched as our guide met up with the Orphanage Director and a small little girl was carried out of the car and headed across the parking lot and into a life changing moment. Nicholas was poised with the camera and Peter with the toys. Finally, the moment I had imagined so many times in the three years proceeding, well actually, a few more than that.

Our daughter was meeting us for the first time.

splash

Our family has never been big on pools.

Water, yes.

The beach, absolutely.

Public pools, ah not so much.

This year that all changed. Maybe because it's actually pretty private, within our townhome amenities. Or maybe my older boys simply achieved a level of appreciation and adventure for water antics. And my younger two love anything the older ones do.

Whatever the reason we have all enjoyed this added pleasure to our summertime.

Our only complaint? It honestly doesn't get hot enough in the northwest to dip in on a regular basis! 

new hands

It was finally time for me to pull out the knitting that I have neglected all summer due to a few other things going on. And what should I discover? A curious little one at my side mimicking my every move. Another soul awakening to this lovely art passed down from generational hands.

small pleasures

Across the street from our humble abode is a large chain store with a ton of kid-intriguing trinkets. One particular afternoon we all decided that a certain mom and her chick-a-dees needed a bit of extra fun and just look at these treasures we acquired.

Annika found a light-up shark made of a stretching rubber. As you can see, she held it with a nurturing care. That is until her brothers showed her much more interesting ways to play with it!

This jolly roger stayed directly floating face up no matter how you rolled it. Very mesmerizing to watch and try and catch.

Nicholas, no surprise here, chose a magic trick. I have to say this is one of the best ones we've ever purchased...at least for under 3 bucks! Get the money out of the box. Simple right? It was pretty hilarious seeing Andrew try as hard as he might to figure it out. Totally worth it.

But then there was the highlight of the mini shopping spree.

George's volcanic dinosaur. 

Watch the "lava" bubble over and fizz. And fizz. And fizz.

When the volcano disappears it reveals a dinosaur! And better then that, its a dinosaur that grows bigger right before your eyes...well, as you watch it for the next 36 hours. Watch it George did, every morning, noon and night.

sunday snapshot {exhale}

I know that most of my readers live in my hometown territory of the midwest. And I am very sorry to hear that summer is behaving exactly as it should...hot and humid, hot and humid - repeat. However, I had no idea that other parts of this glorious country had nothing like that when they perceived their summer holidays! I have to say it is agreeing with us quite nicely.

It actually had to get warm enough for us to head to the beach. We still had our jackets on and definitely no thoughts of wearing swimsuits. But that really just how we like it, walking with flip-flops in hand and running with jeans rolled up on the sandy shore.

 

I have a confession to make...I adore the beach. I think I could get lost in its rhythm and freedom. A book on the beach with sand at my feet, kids laughing and getting deeply buried in its granular goodness, and the calming sound of waves ebbing and flowing...need I go on. Ahhhhh. Exhale.