TO GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE WE GO!

Carly and I were looking at some pictures the other night from when she was younger and she wanted to know everything about them. She wanted to know who was in the picture and what they were doing here, how they were related, etc. She noticed Grandma and Grandpa C. weren't in any of the ones in our home when she was tiny and she asked why. I told her they hadn't moved here yet and she was puzzled by that. She thought for a second and then said, "Oh, you probably didn't know you had another house under our house then that they could live in did you mom? You probably hadn't found it yet, huh?" Lol!

It's funny because she has this concept that Grandma and Grandpa are in their own house right underneath ours even though they are living just downstairs in our basement. They do have a nice area down there that they've made theirs but she apparently believes it is their "house" which she can easily go in and out of whenever she chooses. Hahaha!

SPRING PLEASE

Today we got the kids bikes out of the garage and let them ride on the sidewalks with the neighbor kids. They had a blast. They didn't even mind that it was a little on the chilly side. It was actually a nice sunny day with just a bit of a chilly wind. I do believe we may soon actually see Spring! Yay! Bring it on!

CATCHING UP!

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted anything. We've had a sick little boy and lots of catching up to do. Thankfully, we have him well again now. Early Spring is always a tough time for him. The combination of allergy and asthma hit him pretty hard and it seems like we never quite get the right one, two punch before it hits him.

As I said before, we are very glad to have Grandma back. The kids are very happy but Grandpa may be the happiest! He only had me as his nurse-maid for those days and my attention was going in four directions--though, I really did try hard to take good care of him. I will say he was a very good patient--and he was really good and patient, also.

The weather here has been really nice this past week. I was able to get out and do some clean up on the yard last evening and the kids were able to be outside and play with friends while I did that. It was probably near 70 degrees today. I think tomorrow and the next day we are in for some rain and a little cooler weather but after that it's supposed to warm back up.

Mom had a really nice visit with her sister Kaye and brother-in-law Bob and their daughter Ronda. I thought I'd let you see a couple of photos from her trip. Have a terrific day!

Carolyn and Kaye

Kaye, Ronda and Bob

GRANDMA'S BACK! YIPPEE!

Grandma got home safely tonight and we were all so happy to see her! She has only been gone since Tuesday morning but the kids thought it had been an eternity. They pretty much cried themselves to sleep every night because they missed her and drove me nuts every day, all day long asking when she was coming back. It's safe to say they love and adore their Grandma.

With all the news about this missing flight 370 I wasn't too crazy about having anyone I loved up in an airplane and I'm pretty sure Grandpa felt the same as me. It was sure good to get her feet on the ground here again. Lots of prayers were said before that happened! You can just call me the nervous Nellie type. :)

After we got Grandma home tonight Rob and I ran over to our neighborhood Caucus meeting and I somehow managed to get elected as a State Delegate. A little overwhelming but I am excited for a new challenge and to get involved in the process. I am so disappointed and saddened in the direction our country is heading. I feel our Constitution and our freedoms slipping away from us. I believe if we don't stand up and begin to do something about it ourselves on a local, community level we will truly lose what freedoms we have left.

I'm so proud of my daughter Julie who is away at college! She went to her caucus tonight and got elected to be a county delegate and I know she will do a fabulous job! I think that is so awesome! Congratulations Julie!

Well, we had a lot of excitement here today. After we got home from everything, Rob got called out to fix some machines. He is on-call this week. So, it is after 1:30 in the morning here and he is on his way home now. It's been a long day--but a good one. Hope your day was just as good! More later!

MISSING GRANDMA

Grandma's been gone two days now and it feels like two years to my little ones. They ask me at least twice an hour how much longer until Grandma is coming back. Lol. (That should make you feel good Mom!)

Grandpa and I have been bonding. I am trying my best to keep him healthy and well until Mom gets back. I had a busy schedule today since Jonathon has been sick with allergies and asthma and I had to get him into the doctor. After that, I had to get his meds filled and get Carly from school so Grandpa had to man the house for awhile by himself--well, with the dogs help so I could accomplish everything.

Not much else going on here. We will all just be glad when Grandma gets back. She's a very important cog in our family wheel here. We love you Grandma!

BEDTIME TEARS

I had two very sad kids at bedtime tonight. Grandma is leaving in the morning for a few days to go and see her sister Kaye and they are not used to not having Grandma here. I told them to give her lots of hugs and kisses before bed and they could do the same in the morning before she leaves. That didn't stop the bedtime tears. They sure do love their Grandma. I LOVE that they have such a close relationship with their Grandma and Grandpa. That was one of the great joys of not only my childhood but my life was the closeness I felt to my grandparents. They weren't just my grandparents--as I got older they really were my friends, too. I'm so glad my kids have them--and are attached.

I'm also glad my mom can get away for a few days to see her sister. We will take good care of Grandpa. We love you Aunt Kaye! Have fun you two and don't do anything we wouldn't do! Be safe Grandma! LOVE YOU!!

SOME THINGS (AND SOME PEOPLE) NEVER CHANGE! :)

My Dad used to drive Susan and I nuts when we had The Flower Shop and we would be making an arrangement of some kind. He would come in and stand behind us and critique what we were making and then tell us where we needed to add flowers or greenery. We would sometimes get a little frustrated because, afterall, we were the designers and we knew what we were doing. We'd usually let him know that, too. But then he'd tell us he was looking at it "with the customer's eye" and he really thought it needed this or that, here or there. Lol. He almost always got his way because, you know, he was our Dad, not to mention, the owner. Haha!

Anyway, that was one of the things he did on a regular basis that bugged us and sometimes (we are pretty sure) he would do it just to bug us. Naw, would he do that, would he?! You bet he would! Well, it's been years and years since we sold that shop--and I hadn't thought about him doing that for just about that long. It really was kind of funny and he sure could get us going. Though we really didn't need the help!

So, the other day I was re-doing one of my mom's silk flower arrangements that was attached to the wall in her bedroom and she and Dad were laying on the bed talking to me while I did it. All the sudden I hear my Dad say, "Nancy, I think you need one more flower--there's a spot on this side that needs something." Now, I turn and look at him and laugh--and say "Good one, Dad!" because I am certain he is teasing me about when he used to do that in the old days! He looks at me with kind of a blank stare for a second and then lets me know he's serious--he thinks it needs another flower! Holy Cow! Really Dad--it can't be the "customer excuse!" We're not selling it to anyone! Hahaha!

Seriously though, I humored him and put in another two or three flowers. I filled the whole thing up! I should probably say that he was usually right. (O.K. I just said that to make him feel good. And I will deny it if you tell anyone. Lol!)

In the end, I learned one thing, though--some things and some people never change! Ha!

REPORT FOR THE WEEK!

Rob was out overnight last night fixing broken blood analyzer machines but he made it safely back home tonight! Yay! I always breath a great sigh of relief when he walks back in the door. Too much crazy in the world these days!

Grandma is busily packing for her trip to visit her sister Kaye who lives in Illinois. She is flying and will leave next Tuesday and return on Friday. I guess Grandpa and I  (and the kids) will get some quality time together. Lol.

My mom and her sister Kaye are the last the surviving Flint siblings. Kaye and mom are the babies of the family. Unfortunately Kaye had a stroke earlier this year, but happily she is doing much better. Mom hasn't seen her since she got sick so she is excited to spend some time with her!

Sarah called earlier today and her son Ian has a cellulitis infection on his leg and has been running a temperature of 103-104. She got him right in to the doctor's office and they gave him some large doses of antibiotics and are watching him closely. They have no idea how he got the infection and are pretty worried about him. Please keep him in your prayers for us.

Well, that's all I know for now. Hope you are all well. Love ya, Nancy

SWEET NOTHINGS FROM A SWEETIE PIE!

The sweetest little girl (my Carly) whispered the sweetest little nothings in my ear this morning!

Carly came in the kitchen while I was fixing lunch and softly said, "Momma, Did you know I had to ask Heavenly Father if you could be my Mommy?"

Me: "I didn't know for sure, but  kind of wondered."

Carly: "Well, I did. And he told me he'd have to talk to you about it."

I glanced over at her quickly when she said this but she just continued telling the story.

"He went to talk to you and he told me when he asked you, you said yes really fast, like this, "YES!!!" That's why I'm here!"

My little ones say some very sweet things to me but I think this is one of my very favorites~probably because it's exactly what would have happened if I had been asked! I prayed my kids here and that's for sure! Love them so very much!

OUR DISNEY TRIP IN PICTURES

All of us on Main St. at Disneyland



Carly and Jono's Goofy picture!

Fun with Mickey

Captain Hook with Jono and Carly

Cruella D'ville

They are driving young these days!



Now THAT'S a Bumper Car! So much fun!
  

Just along for the ride! Got me a driver and she's doing a great job!



Can you tell this is his favorite ride! Luckily, it's awhile till Jono gets his real driver's license! Lol!
 

SPECIAL TIME WITH DAD

Carly and Daddy 

Jono and Daddy

There's nothing better than your dad spending time with you and showing you how much he really, truly loves you!

DON'T FORGET TO CLOSE YOUR MOUTH . . .

When you've opened it wide and your feet are inside! That is if you ever realize that's what you did. Lol! So, we are leisurely making our way back from California and this morning after we checked out of our hotel we decided that since we slept through breakfast we would stop for donuts. We picked a place that sounded like a winner--"Grand Slam Donuts" and it had several positive reviews and only one negative one which was about the service. So, we drove there and a pleasant looking Asian woman near our age began serving us. 

As we were choosing our donuts this woman asked Rob if Carly and Jono were our grandchildren? He said "No, they belong to us." I am not exaggerating one bit when I tell you that her mouth literally dropped open and hung there when he said that. She looked not only astonished but confused so I joined in and said, "No, they are ours." She still didn't close her mouth but her eyes joined her mouth in a way that seemed to add even more confusion to the astonishment. I was afraid she was going to fall over backwards if I didn't do something quickly and yet I didn't feel like alerting everyone in the place to our situation (let alone making it a big deal for my sweet kids) so I mouthed the word "ADOPTION" to her. FINALLY--her brain caught up with her mouth and allowed it to close. Her face showed some recognition of the facts on the ground matching the explanation she'd been given and an ability to move on with her day. Yay! We would indeed get our donuts without having to do a DNA test or provide legal documents. Holy cow!

But wait! She wasn't through. Before we got our donuts she wanted to know why. Why did we have these children and not their birth mothers. Did we keep in touch with them and then, on top of all that, she had some advice for me about whether we should or shouldn't keep in touch with them. I won't bore you with all those details. But seriously!!

No, I don't know her name. Yes--both of her feet are still in her mouth. Yes, I was much too polite and gave her much too much information. It's hard for me to respond rudely like some other adoptive mother's I know do when people are just being stupidly curious or as they see it invasive--though, as my kids get older, it's getting harder for me not to as well. It's a fine line.

You see, these children ARE mine. I forget sometimes what you see; what others see. I forget what makes you curious. I only know what my heart sees and that is a deep, profound love for my children. My Father in Heaven sent these children to me. They belong to me and while I have stopped being hurt (mostly) by stupid, thoughtless, insensitive questions about their relationship to me, their color versus mine, and why I have them and not their biological mother--that journey for them is just beginning. Trust me - these may be informational questions to you but they can be deeply private, painful questions for both the adoptive parent and child.

I know I am preaching to the choir right now--but CHOIR--you know other people out there--pass this information on. Tell people to stop being so insensitive. It's OK to be curious but you don't have to satisfy your curiosity. NO YOU DON'T!!! Curiosity killed the cat and it can hurt people you don't mean to hurt--especially little ones! I'm just saying. If someone wants to share their story with you, they will. Otherwise, it isn't your business.

That said, I am a fairly open book. Most people I know and love know our story. I am one who generally shares the stories of my blessings fairly openly--but I like to choose the time, place and people I share with--especially so I know how it will effect my little ones. I never want to do or say anything that will have a negative impact on them--and I don't want anyone else to do it--even in an unthinking moment. Thanks for hearing me out. I just needed to vent. Love you all. :)

OUR DOO ~ DAH DISNEY DAY!

We finally made it to the Magic Kingdom today and we had some happy little faces to show for it! The weather was perfect, too. If anything, a little cooler than expected but certainly not too warm--and the lines were not too long for anything we wanted to ride or see. It was such a nice day. We are going to take in some sight-seeing tomorrow and see if we can find the ocean and some beach to hang out on for a bit so the kids can collect some sea-shells. Then we will take in another day of Disney. It's really been a good trip. Here are some pictures of our Disney adventure so far.

Getting lunch so we could enjoy our day

Waiting for my ride to Disney

Our friend Minnie

Mickey the gatekeeper!

Daddy and us with Mickey

Jono, Carly and Mommy

Watching the parade

Loving me some parade, Mom!

THE WANDERERS

We are traveling and I wasn't sure I was going to have time to blog while we were on the road. However, the kids are asleep and I have found a few quiet moments. Rob's in laws (Grammy and Poppy) from his first marriage (whom I also consider family) are not in very good health and we are on a short trip to visit them. We are in California and were able to spend time with them today and will spend a little more time with them tomorrow before we go. Grammy is now bedridden and isn't able to do much on her own. She also doesn't have the energy for long visits so we are trying to be careful not to tax her strength too much. We had a really nice visit with them and with our brother and sister-in-law and their kids. We went out to dinner with them and Poppy tonight and had a very nice evening together while Grammy rested.

Tomorrow after our visit we will head to Anaheim for a couple of days to take the kids to Disneyland. They are really excited! The last time we went to Disneyland Julie was only 12. Oh my, where has the time gone?!