While I sip my coffee...

How many of you find yourselves warming and rewarming your coffee in the microwave all morning just hoping to get a few minutes of peace to drink it?  That is very typical for me if I don't get my coffee finished before my kids wake up. :)  So, seeing that it is Saturday morning and David is working (as usual), I have banished the kids to the playroom for a few minutes so that I can have my cup of happiness. It has also been known to greatly increase my ability to remain calm and patient, and we can all only benefit from that! :)  I don't feel bad about putting them in the playroom because it is ridiculous how many toys children have these days. LOL  There is so much fun stuff in there, I don't even think they could manage to play with all of it if they had all day long.  So... they will be fine for the next few minutes until lunch. :)

I don't usually blog about things unrelated to adoption, but since I took a much-needed long "break" from adoption, some very healthy things happened that have recharged me.  I don't really expect anyone to care much about it, but my blog is partially an outlet for me to journal my thoughts, so I'm going to take a few minutes to focus on all the GOOD things that are going on right now. :)

The biggest change has been the move.  We moved 2 states away for David to start a new job.  It was unbelievable crazy trying to get here because I had too much on my plate and not enough time to get it done.  But kuddos to my sweet family for helping me in any way they could even when it was not ideal for them. xoxo  I know buying a house is usually a fairly stressful event, but let's just say my particular experience was out of this world crazy.

Nevertheless, we found a cute little house with a great fenced in grassy yard for the girls.  We were also able to find one that has a nice long, flat blacktop driveway for the girls to ride bikes/trikes, roller skate, draw with chalk, shoot baskets, etc.  It seems like a simple thing, but having a nice flat driveway makes me feel like a queen! LOL  Being at home with kids means that you must get outside frequently.  I'm so thankful we have a place to get outside. (And with it being flat, I am not constantly running after balls or children on runaway toddler tractors rolling toward the street.) :)  It will take us a while to get the inside totally painted and feeling like home, but we don't have to be in a rush.

The next encouragement came in the form of finding a church in our new town.  That can be overwhelming.  But we have found just the place we believe we are supposed to be, and it feels GREAT.  (Edited...)

Another major change for us has been the jump into homeschooling!  I NEVER in a thousand years thought I was going to homeschool.  It's true.  I was very eagerly awaiting the time when I would drop off and pick up my children from school and hear all about their day... help them with homework, and attend school events and activities.  We all know how well all our plans always come together, though, right?! :)  For a variety of reasons, some our choices and some our circumstances, we are homeschooling Susannah this year.  I started out kicking and screaming, but now I am really excited about it!  Will it be easy? No.  Will it be overwhelming at times? Yes.  But I'm on board all the way, and we have a really fun year ahead of us.  This decision was made prior to finding our new church, but oh how well it is working out!  There is quite a nice mix of kids at our church - public schooled, private schooled and homeschooled.  For those who are homeschooled, there is a support group and a co-op.  On a side note, it sounds funny to say there is a support group for the homeschoolers! LOL  Sounds like going to AA or NA or something! :)  Yes, I have met my share of odd homeschoolers, but I am glad to say I haven't met any weird ones yet in Richmond.  I'm quite sure they're here like any other place, but somehow we got connected with a really great group. :) It does not look like the cast of Little House on the Prairie when we are all together. (Wink)  Fist-bump to all the homeschoolers out there who do not fit the unpleasant stereotype! LOL

Anyhow, we are signed up for a variety of activities and field trips, and Susannah will be doing music and gymnastics through the co-op.  There are several other little girls at church starting kindergarten at home this year, too, so how fun is that? :)  There is also a Mom's Morning Out at our church every Friday that coincides with the times of a lot of the "older kid" activities, so that means that little sister can go to Mom's Morning Out while I accompany Susannah to plays and field trips that wouldn't be good for the attention span of a toddler.

I am also making girlfriends. :) That was a challenge for me in the social climate we were in back home.  I am still keeping in touch with two friends who seem to "get me", and we had a great playdate/visit the last time I made it to SC for a short stay.  (Hello Bridget and Steph!) That's one great thing about true friendships.  Distance doesn't seem to phase the relationship very much. :) Life can happen, but you just pick up where you left off when you get the chance.  I am the kind of gal who needs to get out and get movin' every day, so making girlfriends has provided lots of opportunities to do that. 

Last but not least, I got my hair chopped off into a sassy new short 'do thanks to my sister's good friend! And for me, a sassy haircut is always a pick-me-up! LOL  I feel sooooooo much better when I take care of myself and feel like a girl.  I haven't been able to do much of that in the last few months.

All in all, we are doing much better as a little family of four.  Even with David's endless work hours and job-related stress, we are happy... There is more levity in our home.  We haven't had that in quite a while.  We laugh and joke with one another.  There are more kisses, hugs, and smiles.  We are growing where we are planted, as David's Aunt Nancy says. :)

So that's what's been going on with us. :) My life isn't ALL adoption ALL the time.  It is always in my mind, but I have innumerable blessings on a daily basis... And I like to talk about those, too. :)

Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?


Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

(Praise to the Lord, The Almighty... Neander, 1680)