Tara Loves John: Adventures in Familyhood

Christmas Remembered

2010-12-30T10:31:00.006-05:00

Another Christmas has come and gone! Last year Will was really upset when it was over. This year he's a bit less upset, though not a lot. This morning the topic of conversation was, if he doesn't listen to me and stop leaning on the gate, and thus he really does fall and break his arm, which holiday will he miss?? Here's to hoping he won't miss anything and his arms will remain in proper form.

And here's to remembering all the wonder of another Christmas season. When I look back on this Christmas, I want to remember...

Will had a great time turning an upside down paper cup and flag pole into a Salvation Army bell while giving me Lego pieces to drop into his bucket (a hollow drum.)

He made his stuffed animals into the characters from the nativity, mainly focusing on the bad king(King Harod).

One December day, Will dropped something on his toe. Although the scrape on his foot was nearly invisible, he declared through huge crocodile tears that his sister was going to have to open his presents for him.

Perhaps this is the last Christmas that Will won't really want much in particular. He pointed at nearly everything in the catalog and said, "Uh huh. Yep." What he didn't want, he picked out for his sister. But when push came to shove, he couldn't really tell Santa one thing that he really wanted.

And of course we want to remember it was Gemma's first Christmas. We couldn't keep her 8 week old self from opening all the presents and staying up late to try to catch Santa in the act! But seriously, she did request lots of hair bows!

Thankful

2010-11-30T18:19:00.004-05:00

2 Thanksgiving Turkeys

A speaker recently highlighted this verse...

GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES; FOR THIS IS GOD'S WILL FOR YOU IN CHRIST JESUS. DO NOT QUENCH THE SPIRIT. 1 Thessalonians 5:18-19

and it really got me thinking...

I'm grumpy when I don't get a good night's sleep...because I have the most comfy bed in the world.

I'm lonely when my husband has to be out late...because I'm married to my best friend.

I get frustrated when Will misbehaves...because he normally has unusually good behavior.

I hate paying full price for items...because I have access to great stores and coupons that allow me to get much of what I want and need at a fraction of the normal cost.

I long for vacation every year...because I've been to some of the most beautiful and interesting places in the world.

I hate not being able to find the perfect gift for my loved ones...because my mom always knew just what we would want, even when we didn't even know it existed.

I don't like sitting still...because there are so many interesting things to occupy my time.

I'm worried when my daughter coughs...because I've been blessed with a healthy baby girl.

I'm thankful because everything I truly want and need is at my fingertips...I'm thankful because I'm blessed.

Winds of Change

2010-11-13T13:40:00.003-05:00

You know how I love fall, the beautiful colors, the crisp cool breeze. Change is in the air AND the house...

Gemma Grace Wohlford came into the world on October 29th, at 8:11a.m, weighing 8lbs 13oz. and measuring 19 1/2 inches long. What a change for her to leave the warmth and safety of Mommy and come into this crazy world! What a change for Mommy, who already had a horrible time sleeping, to discover that I would be sleeping even less and feel like a zombie for the first few weeks of her life, if not longer. We all love our girl, but I must say that I never imagined I would feel so much like a milking machine! Literally. I had no idea it would be this hard.

Will has accepted everything in stride. He loved the extra attention from Mimi the first week of Gemma's life. Now he's just a tad moody and sensitive, but he loves his sister. Having a little cold has kept him from holding her and playing with her as much as he would like, but he kisses her feet constantly and tells her he loves her. He's making a list of all the things he is going to teach her when she gets bigger...how to play games on the iPhone being at the top of the list.

Daddy is working hard as usual and worrying (as usual), but Gemma is his newest concern. Is she eating enough? Pooping too much? Does she really have gas? Is she really as cute as we think she is?

So we trudge on through our daily lives with the same problems and concerns we had before, but now there is another bright spot...Gemma. Will and Gemma are such huge blessings to us. We love our little family. Just the 4 of us. It has a strange and sweet ring to it. The Winds of Change are good.

Watching the Wheels Turn

2010-10-02T05:14:00.006-04:00

He's Growing Up

Sometimes I think God gave me another "baby" because He knew I couldn't handle watching my first baby turn into a big boy any other way. I remember watching him not long after we got him and realizing that he was already growing up. He never would even let us hold the bottle for him. According to American standards, he shouldn't have even still been using a bottle.

Now he's growing into his "big boy" face, still as cute as ever. He loves school. I swear that he grows an inch every couple of days. Those shirts that have been big on him forever finally need to be packed away. The pants that use to hang on his skinny little body finally stay up.

His mind is changing just as fast. He's still all boy with his favorite word being "bum" (as in the body part) and any kind of bodily excrement is just fascinating. He writes his own rhyming songs about body parts and the things they do. He's learning by leaps and bounds and still loves school.

Unfortunately I am no longer able to tell him what to like. I had to take back an adorable Halloween shirt because "Spiders are scary!" He really wants one of those tacky Pillow Pets. If a song he doesn't like comes on, he yells, "I want COUNTRY music!"

It's fascinating to watch his little wheels turn...especially when it comes to the new baby. Yesterday he told me, "You are going to be driving and the 'stretch marks' on your belly were going to crack open and you will look down and see a hand. And it will be a baby hand!" I couldn't decide whether to be scared or if that would be an easier way to deliver.

A couple weeks ago he told me we needed to take the baby to China and leave her. "Not for long, just for a little while. Then we will come back and get her." He's fully aware that he was in China as a baby and Mommy and Daddy went to get him. On a separate occasion we were driving down the road and he asked me, "Mommy, what took you so long to come get me in China?" He's also told me that we need to actually go to China to have the baby and that he wished this baby came from China. That had been after an emotional doctor visit and I wholeheartedly agreed with him.

I'm aware that some people will think that Will wanting to leave the baby in China is awful, but give him a break...he's still 3. He's just trying to figure it all out and wants the baby to be like him. (Who can blame him? He's pretty great!) Will is proud that he came from China and is happy to tell anyone who asks. Those who don't agree that he has a proud heritage obviously haven't learned much Chinese history.

Back to my emotions, they've been fairly normal until a month or so ago. Now I've cried in front of Will a few times, even though I try not too. The first time must have scared him to death as he loves to tell people that "Mommy cried at the doctor's." The last time he just looked at me from the back seat and said,"What's wrong Mommy?"

Will's so sensitive, and, we are learning more and more, quite shy. His teachers say he doesn't talk much at school. Although passionate about fire engines, he declined the opportunity to climb into one twice within a week because he was afraid it would take off with him in it. We're praying he will outgrow this stage as John and I were both shy as children (Can you picture John shy?!) and we don't want him to miss out on anything because of it.

This cute, sweet, sensitive boy is going to make an excellent big brother. He is very excited and carries around his new What to Expect When the Baby Comes Home book all the time. He constantly wonders what she will look like. (He's even told me he hopes she looks like Ella, a little girl in his class he has a crush on.)

And Then There are Morons
(I should title this part of the post a little nicer, but at 5:41 a.m. I'm feeling a little blunt.)

Just as Will's wheels are turning and putting everything together about China and babies, etc., so are the wheels of perfect strangers.

While walking through the mall and ogling baby clothes, a woman asked me if Will was adopted. (Yes, some see Will out with just John or myself and think perhaps the other parent is Asian.) She told me she was just asking because she, a Caucasian, just adopted an African American and she doesn't know how to handle the stupid comments people make. I agreed that it was difficult and it really depended on who was saying it and what I thought they could handle. She proceeded to tell me about stupid comments about how they had "darkened up" the baby, etc. I told her my greatest pet peeve, when people tell me they are happy we can have a baby "of our own," etc. Will is mine!!! So the other mother and I bonded with Will right there and I'm sure he was taking it all in. (Don't you remember eavesdropping on adult conversations as a child? I sure do!) I hope he caught a glimpse of how passionate we were about our children and how much he is loved.

Ironically, that same night, we went to Michael's Craft Night to make a little plaque for the baby's door. A soon-to-be grandmother and her daughter were there making something for their baby. She had a whole slew of silly questions...
1. Was Will making something for himself?
The theme of the class was gifts for the new baby.
2. Oh. We were having a baby. Would she be of the same relation?
My response, with a dazed and confused look on my face..."Relation?
What do you mean?" All I could think of was that she was going to be his
sister. What's so confusing about that? Then the lady asked where she would
be from. My answer, "From my belly." Now I have never been super skinny and
surely she could see the basketball attached to my waistline.
3. Was this planned? That was great that we could have
"one of our own."
My response..."Actually Will was planned. We really wanted him. This baby
was the surprise." Lucky for her my phone rang just then as I was getting
ready to go off, but you should have seen the look of utter confusion on her
face while she was trying to figure out why on earth anyone would plan on
adopting a baby instead of having "one of their own." I'm sick and tired of
people telling acting like this baby
is a bigger blessing than Will was. It's great we are "having" a baby, blah,
blah, blah. But it was just as great, if not greater, that we could adopt a
baby. Not everyone has a little Chinese angel, especially a boy, running
around their house. I wouldn't care if he was an alien. He'd be MY alien and
I love him with all my heart.

Someday, when I've had all I can take, someone is going to get an earful.
Hopefully it won't be you. You have no excuse...you've read the rantings of
my blog!

School Bells

2010-08-25T16:20:00.006-04:00

I was right...Will loves school!

At open house he waved down and sat with the only friend he knows in his class. Once in the classroom, he saw the cars and road rug and it was all over. I was impressed with the no-nonsense approach his teachers seemed to have. They did things the way I liked to do them...no carrying your kids in, etc. I was also pleased that they must bring a healthy snack to eat, especially since I'd already had a request for cookies and cupcakes.

Afterward we went to Walmart for a backpack. Luckily we found the last Lightning McQueen backpack in the whole store. I don't know what we would have done if it hadn't been there! Will wore it all over the store.

The first morning of school we took Will to McDonalds to begin the annual First Day of School Breakfast tradition. He was so rotten there that I had no tears to cry when we left him. He was so excited that he almost went in without saying good-bye. (I put a stop to that!) I was already proud as he went right to the correct hook with his name on it and hung up his backpack and also located his name on the apples outside the door. Plus...no accident when we picked him up.

The only downside...Now that I'm at the "every 2 weeks doctor visit" mark, so much of my "free" time I was looking forward to is gone. :( Plus, preschool is only 2 mornings a week!

Fall is Coming!!!

2010-08-02T09:52:00.004-04:00

Sorry there was no post in July. We were busier than ever! We have had lots of fun with weddings and other photography. We're a little behind on that blog too, but make sure to check out our photography blog, www.wohlfordphotography.blogspot.com over the next couple of weeks for lots of photos and updates!

Even though I can't post a photo at this time, I wanted to go ahead and put up a new background and small post. Notice the school background. I have been lusting after all the cheap school supplies. This year, more than the 2 previous years, I have missed setting up a classroom. (And the paycheck!) Don't get me wrong...it's a LOT of work! Most of that organization wears off pretty quickly once the students arrive. But I love to plan and organize, love the excitement of a new year, fresh classroom, eager students, all the possibilities. I also love the line in You've Got Mail when Tom Hanks sends Meg Ryan an email and talks about a "bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils."

I'll get a little school fix this year when Will starts preschool in a just a couple of weeks! There will definitely be first day of school photos to post then! He warmed up by attending 3 1/2 VBS programs this summer and was away from me far more than he will be on his 2-morning-a-week school schedule. When I ask him if he is excited about going to school, he says, "No. I will miss you." But even right now he is asking me where we are going today, so I know he will be glad to have places to go and things to do! Just this morning he told me he wanted to go to Bible School, even though at the time he said the same thing he is saying about school, "I don't want to go. I will miss you."

I'm sure even though it's less than 6 hours a week, I'm really going to miss him too. I anticipate some tears, as he is my baby, going off to grow up. I know, preschool is optional, but I also know it's what's best for my smart little man. I also plan on spending my 6-7 weeks (hopefully!) of pre-Baby preschool getting a few things done, relaxing in a coffee shop or two (drinking hot chocolate, not yucky coffee), relishing the EXTREMELY rare chance to be alone without an agenda. And then it will all be over, hello Baby!

But before she gets here we do hope to squeeze in a few trips to the pumpkin patch. We probably won't be able to make it 3 or 4 times like last year, but we better make it some. Looking forward to the joys of a pregnant woman being hoisted onto a hayride. That should make for some comic relief!

Clarification

2010-06-11T09:50:00.009-04:00

We (really I) came up with our cheesy blog name because we had faith that we would some day expand our family. Now the time is finally here! It all came to light when I couldn't function without a 2-3 hour nap each afternoon. We thought...well, maybe...

The morning I confirmed it, John was asleep and I was ready to head back that direction. After all, when you've failed a test several times, you don't really expect a different result. I took just one quick glance before heading back to bed and noticed the 2 lines. You know what that means... Then my conversation with John went something like this...

T: Do you want to look at this?
J: Not really.
T: I think you might want to look at this.
J: (Squinting and looking) Okay. (Then rolling back over. After a few seconds, seems to have an epiphany. Then grabs his glasses and looks again.) What does that mean?
T: What do you think it means?

The million dollar question/statement that we've gotten in regards to our discovering we were pregnant..."I bet you were surprised!"
I'm guessing that, except for those rare people that seem to get pregnant just by looking at someone, pregnancy is kind of a surprise for anyone. For those of you who were wondering if we were trying, the answer is that we were trying to adopt again as soon as possible.

Even though I've written about it and told a gazillion people, it doesn't seem to sink in. We didn't adopt because we couldn't have a baby. We adopted because we knew our baby was in China. So, were we surprised we could get pregnant? No. Just a little surprised that it happened with no planning at all. We really would have been happy adopting all our kids and figured that was God's plan. As always, God surprised us.

The next big statement...I bet you are excited.
For lack of a better term, "Duh!" Of course we are excited to be having another child. I don't mean to be on the defensive, but the way most people say it, what I hear is, "I bet you are excited to be having a biological child." So far, I've been tired and sick and worried. The best thing about this pregnancy is that there is a lot less paperwork than last time! But I am no more excited than I was with Will. Adoption is a very exciting, albeit long, process. Everything from finding the child God picked for us to learning about and visiting another country was priceless. I'm not too excited about the birthing process. I'll just be glad when it's over.

Are we excited to have a tiny baby since we missed out on that stage with Will? I bet Will was the most adorable baby! But John and I had recently decided that we weren't really baby people. Will was walking and talking and lots of fun when we got him. I figure we have a year, give or take, before this baby does that sort of thing. I'm excited about cute baby photos, but the whole baby stage, not really. I expect that to change. But for now, someone sucking their fingers just doesn't sound that exciting to me.

The Miracle Aspect
Having a child is a miracle no matter how that child gets to you. We won't go into the details of how this came to be, as I'm sure you know as much as you need. But beyond that, we haven't really done anything. I'm trying to get plenty of rest, eat healthy, and exercise a little more. In spite of my efforts, or lack there of, we can see on the ultrasounds, that our baby has 2 arms and 2 legs, a little tiny heart that beats really fast, a spinal chord with all these little tiny bones, and itty bitty girly parts. We did absolutely nothing to make this happen. Our baby is a work of God. We don't feel proud that we made it, because really, we didn't.

A world away, God did the same thing in crafting our Will. He also led the powers that be to put us together into a family. Will is so much like us it's scary. He's perfect for us. Even though I never carried him, God chose him for us. We did no choosing from a list of babies. We simply said yes when we saw that sweet face. In fact, we're a little concerned that this baby may not fit in as well. Children, even from the same biological parents, can be night and day. I just pray I'm as close to this baby as I am to Will.

Our Beautiful Baby Girl
No worries. We will love our little girl just as much as we do Will. I just felt the need to clarify, for some, that we will love our Will as much as our little girl. And now, here she is...

Little Lessons

2010-05-07T16:20:00.009-04:00

Will in his Easter best

Lesson 1

Another month has come and gone without a post, mainly because I've had so much on my mind...aka worrying. I know I shouldn't and I usually don't too much, but life has seemed to remain pretty stressful this year...some good, some not so good.

So a few weeks ago while we were driving down the road, John and I were discussing our current predicament. Okay. Maybe I was doing a little more venting, and a little less discussing. So I made the comment, "Surely God is watching over us and has some kind of purpose for all this." I probably should end that with a question mark/ exclamation mark/tears. It was more of a "Come on God, prove me right!" kind of thing.

Then, from the back seat, I hear, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy! You just said God is watching over us!" Will was really excited to hear me telling his Daddy about a concept we try to instill in him constantly, particularly at night when he's scared of the dark. But to me, this comment was kind of a slap in the face. Instead of living what I've been preaching, I was doubting it. Oh, ye of little faith.

Lesson 1--God is with us.

Lesson 2
As I mentioned, at night we often remind will that God is watching over him. He use to pray that angels would come and sit in his blue chair and protect him while he slept. Now he skips the angels and goes straight for the Big Guy, Jesus. Who am I to question? It reminds me of John Micheal Montgomery's "The Little Girl," when the little girl recognizes Jesus' picture at church because he hid with her behind the couch when her parents were fighting.

One particular night between 3 and 4a.m, on the third time Will had woken me up in an hour, I found Will curled up in his blue chair. When I suggested he get back in bed, he just curled in tighter, put on a silly grin, and said, "I'm with Jesus!" Again, I couldn't argue with that logic. He looked so peaceful and sweet! Of course that didn't save him 15 minutes later when he had peed in his pull-up...

Lesson 2--Peace.

Lesson 3
Will's favorite books lately seem to be his Bible stories. He pours over several at a time and retells the stories. He is going to be quite the author some day. He also write songs, but that's another entry.

Not only does our boy write songs, but he also acts the stories out. For David and Goliath, we take turns pretending who is who. Goliath usually starts with, "What are you doing here, David?" in a big mean voice. Then David winds up his arm and then gently knocks Goliath in the head. Goliath does a slow motion death scene, ending up in pile on the floor.

After catching Will sitting on the sink washing his feet, I asked him what he was doing. His reply, "Washing my feet just like Jesus!" Once again, can't argue with a kid who wants to be like Jesus, so Will usually has the cleanest feet in town.

The Easter story is a little less fun. I refuse to participate in that one, as Will is usually the soldier ordering Jesus around with a "sword" in his hand. (Please tell me that's okay because he's only 3!) Luckily I've succeeded in getting Will to act that one out with much less frequency.

Lesson 3--The joy of The Word.

Will has definitely been my best Bible teacher lately, a constant reminder of God's love for us and a constant source of joy (except maybe at 3:30 in the morning when he first wakes me up). I meant to get an Easter post up, but this is what it's really all about. I'm so glad my little boy is learning to live the walk, even when I'm not!

To Consign or Not to Consign?? Consign, Of Course!

2010-03-05T19:29:00.009-05:00

Will cheesing it for a 3rd birthday picture (outfit courtesy of Children's Place birthday coupons)

Happy March! Or should I say, "Happy Consignment Sale Month?" Our visit to Little Lambs went pretty well, with 2 more sales on the planner. I came away with a pretty good load for Will's spring wardrobe. The big bummer was that another lady with impeccable taste happened to be there and got to a bunch of stuff I wanted just seconds before I could snatch it up. I guess you can't have it all!

I must admit that if I am going to buy used clothes, I get pretty picky. I want Will to look like a Rock Star! I have a whole new appreciation for my mother who always spent way too much on clothes for me when I was growing up and hardly ever bought herself anything nice. Thanks Mom! I think I have now turned into her. My taste far outweighs my pocket book. I'm sure everyone would be shocked if I actually dressed the way I dream.

Although we are now super thrifty, the fashion diva in me rears her ugly head and races to the racks, trying to be the first one at the sales so my little boy can look like a million bucks. I'm not ashamed to admit that most of his clothes come from consignment sales. However, I am a sucker for a Children's Place coupon or sale, especially at Easter or Christmas! Since we don't spend $$ having pictures taken, the outfits are my guilty pleasure!

Regardless, I think Will would still look good in a paper bag and, if we lived near Hollywood, that he would have already been discovered. Perhaps I am a tad prejudiced? What do you think?

What a Week!

2010-02-28T22:09:00.018-05:00

February is not only a short calendar month, but with Valentine's Day, Will's birthday, and my birthday, it can be a fun and busy month as well. The funny thing is that those events always fall within the same week. This year we even added Chinese New Year to that week as well.

I may have mentioned before that we LOVE Moms Club! Will attended a Mom's Club V-Day party and needed valentines to hand out, so we put on his ring bearer tux that he also LOVES, bought a rose, and made some pictures. We may not have topped him being cupid last year, but you have to admit, he is a handsome fellow!

And as an added bonus, all we have to do to get him to smile now is say the word "poop." He is such a BOY!!!

In case you were wondering, Will "signed" his own name on the card! (With a little guidance.)

Happy Chinese New Year! If you are interested in Chinese New Year at all (or even if you are not!) you should check out the free show at the library downtown. They change it up a little each year. It's very interesting. Plus it always inspires us to get will into Kung Fu some day and/or Chinese sword dancing! They are start lessons at 4 years old, so look out next year!

Will chose a Disney's C@RS theme for his birthday. After months of being obsessed with trains, he has moved on to Disney's C@RS. I have to admit I am excited that he likes these over matchbox cars. There is still something cute and little boyish about the Disney version that makes it easier to get excited about them than the others. If I'm going to play with them, I want to have fun too! Of course we are looking at between $3-$5.50 per car instead of 50cents...quality, not quantity.

As usual, my birthday was one of the first pretty days in the middle of the COLD gray winter. I like to think of it as God sending me a birthday present! After church, we went to eat Mexican and I got to wear the sombrero for the first time in my life. Will was really excited. Once they sang to the guy at the table next to us, I knew my turn was coming.

I hope everyone else had an eventful month like we did! And these were only some of the adventures...

Ho Hum

2010-01-31T19:05:00.008-05:00

It seems like the holidays have been gone forever. When we took down the Christmas tree, Will kept saying, "It's over, Mommy? Christmas is over?" But in spite of the calendar, Will insists on looking for our chimney every time we pull out of the driveway (because Santa comes down the chimney!). Will also managed to stow away the chicken that dances to his own special rendition of We Wish You a Merry Christmas and The Chicken Dance. I've been trying to reassure him that the Christmas season will officially be upon us again in just 10 short months.

So here we sit at the end of January, a usually less than eventful, ho hum kind of month. But already lots of little things have happened and the year is 1/12 over! So here's to January and all the little events that made it pass quickly...

Happy belated birthday to my sweety, John, who turned 39 this month. Among other things in your time on earth, you've managed to snag a beautiful wife ;) and a brilliant son! Cheers to you! But seriously, there is no one on this earth who's character I admire more. I love you!

Will got to meet Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber. He asked why they weren't talking. John told him they were shy because they are use to just hanging out with other vegetables.

We saw 2 snows. Will got to make snow angels and go sledding for the first time. He is begging to make a snowman, but unfortunately we are still waiting for snowman snow that will stick together.

Wohlford Photography participated in our first (hopefully of many) bridal fairs. We have already booked a few weddings for the upcoming year and look forward to more!

We have had our first 2 family movie nights, beginning with Disney's CARS. Will is now obsessed. At least 10 times a day we must retell the part of the movie in which Mater and Lightning go tractor tipping. Will is developing his own story telling skills as we put our foot down to telling the story for an 11th time and Will must tell it to us instead.

We decided on a preschool for Will. The sign-ups for the fall begin in January and fill up quickly. Kind of crazy! I never really thought I'd send my children to pre-school, especially not at 3 years old. But it's one of those things I just felt in my heart we needed to do. Will is smart and social and can use a little extra variety and stimulation. At such a young and impressionable age, we wanted him to attend a Christian school. We were also looking for a place that would challenge him when he's ready to move ahead. (Yes. You probably figured out we think he's smart! As a teacher, I'm going to try hard not to be his teachers' nightmares!) So after looking around, we decided that Will will be attending Porter Memorial. I'm sure my parents are secretly happy about the Baptist influence. I just can't wait to see him act out the Christmas story in December!

Growing up next to Fort Knox, I always managed to become best friends with the army brats (their term, not mine). So each year I had a new best friend because my old one had moved away! This month I said goodbye to another good friend of mine, who's daughter also happened to be a good friend of Will's. It brought back some sad memories for me. I tried to explain what was going on, but Will didn't seem to understand much until we left her going away party. As soon as we left, he kept begging to go back to her house and it broke my heart. Thank goodness that now, unlike when I was a child, we have Facebook, blogs, and cheap long distance to keep us connected! (We'll miss you a lot Nancy and Sophie (and Paulie and Dan)!

Will has developed a fear of Goliath and other giants, as well as an increasing fear of the dark. When he's scared we remind him that God is watching over him. We've talked briefly about the fact that Jesus is coming back to get us some day. The other night while we were praying, Will asked if Jesus is going to come back and get us. I told him yes. Will continued by asking,"He got good toys?" I replied, "The best." But just to be sure, he asked, "Him got cars???"

I have loved every stage of Will's life so far (except the waiting for him!), but by the things coming out of his mouth lately, I'm really looking forward to this 3 year old stage coming in a few weeks!

The Top 9 of 2009

2009-12-31T13:56:00.008-05:00

Christmas letters are difficult for me to write because most people list all the wonderful things that have happened to them during the year, often citing those things as blessings from God. In the spirit of honesty and genuineness I believe my favorite Christmas letter I ever received was from friends who openly discussed the fact they they had gone bankrupt during the year. I am so happy that God blesses all of us at times with wonderful events to fill our Christmas letters with cheer. But if having a list of celebrations indicates God's blessing on our lives, our family is in trouble! God brings hardships too. Sometimes they last through several years of no Christmas letters. But I refuse to believe that means God isn't going to bless us soon, or that He isn't blessing us right now in ways we can't yet understand. Or in ways not quite worthy of a Christmas letter, yet blessings all the same.

While I like to consider myself an optimist, I also have to be honest and say that life is not all a bed of roses. Some years it is less-rose filled than others, and this was one of those years. So in all honesty, I must say, "Good riddance to 2009!" That being said, let the optimism kick in with a huge welcome and faith that 2010 will bring a few extra belly laughs.

But here are a few blessings we did receive in 2009... The Top 9 of '09

1. This was our first full calendar year with Will, in which we watched him learn to communicate almost anything he wishes, talking up a storm. He grew from my "baby," to my "big boy." He's potty trained and ready to take on the world.
2. I spent a full year as a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom). I love being with my boy, teaching him, sharing in his triumphs, being his primary care-giver. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that staying at home is a wonderful thing to do "if you can." I want to be the first to tell you that I can't. No one with any sense would look at our income and tell us they recommend me staying home, but that's what I did anyway. Because this is an area we feel strongly about, and God made it work.
3. I joined 2 SAHM organizations this calendar year...MOMS Club and MOPS. I've met some wonderful ladies and managed not to become a total recluse. I've been challenged and refreshed and learned that, in spite of my talking about Will all the time because I love him so much and spend so much time with him, I am still my own person. I maintain an identity outside of him. I am who God created me to be on many levels, not just as a mom.
4. Our photography business has taken off! We're excited about all the new things we have done this year...new clients, new events, new equipment, and new ways of doing business. Instead of a hodge-podge of things I have been wishing to get in gear my whole life, all my new years resolutions this year center around a do-able business plan. This is our passion and a large part of our hope for the future. A special thanks to everyone who has worked with us this year!
5. John and I celebrated 7 years of the best marriage around without getting the 7 year itch! Still best friends!
6. I turned 33 this year. The same age Jesus was when he died. So much accomplished in his short life (drastic understatement!). So what to do with mine? I learned a lot more about giving this year. Since monetary giving is often out, I learned a lot more about serving physically. Doing for others. Also appreciating the fact that I can, that I am physically and monetarily able to provide some of the little things that others might need. That work isn't bogging me down so I can focus on "more important" things.
7. I embraced simplicity. Fully participating in the coupon system, learning to make-do with what we often had at hand, still finding that we had more than we need, more than many others. Hearing about lavish gifts that others were planning to give at Christmas, it really hit me that I actually LIKE the way we do things. We don't go into debt or worry about how we are going to pay for all the presents. We don't agonize about finding the perfect gifts or need to run around like crazy to get everything done. Our Christmas is still full enough of presents, as are birthdays, Easter, etc.
8. FaceBook! Silly? Maybe. But anything that helps me stay connected to friends is a blessing. Maybe I waste a little too much time on a couple of my favorite games there, but coming from someone who always feels like I need to be productive, the down time is not only welcome, but much needed.
9. In spite of some rough and dark patches, we have managed to retain the hope that what God has placed in our hearts, He will provide for. We cling to our faith, believing, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 and "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

In spite of what kind of 2009 you had, may your 2010 be even better! God bless!

Thankful Throughout the Year

2009-12-02T07:32:00.008-05:00

My favorite Thanksgiving Day picture--Grandma Apple doing a puzzle in the floor with Will.

You may have noticed that I missed the entire month of November. Blog posts often run through my head, but the time and focus to sit down to write is not quite as abundant. For November, the month of Thanksgiving, I did try to focus more on being thankful. Since Will is old enough to understand the holidays a little better, I wanted to figure out how to impress on him the importance of being thankful. As in all parenting, I must lead by example. So here are some specific things I am especially thankful for...

Faith that tells me our circumstances are not forever
Hope that God will once again provide for what He has placed in our hearts
Will usually sleeps through the night :)
Though John's hours are unpredictable and downright yucky, he comes home every night, and isn't half a world away fighting a war or traveling often with his job
My husband works very hard (even though he doesn't get the credit he deserves) to provide for us so that I can stay home with my son
My son is not only adorable, but also Mr. Personality...I predict he will someday be the class clown
My parents are willing to drive 2 hours just to babysit Will when I need them
I have found a few other babysitters :)
I'm more acutely aware of the needs around me, making me more appreciative that I have exactly what I need, and much of what I want.
God allows me to help others. We don't always have the money to give, but I am amazed at the abundance of "stuff" I find that I can give to others in need. That may not seem so amazing to you, but this is coming from a mom who sold everything she could get her hands on at multiple yard sales to make money to bring home her little boy. I am frugal in my spending, more so with each passing day, so I don't buy a lot of junk. The junk seems to multiply!
Everyone who has encouraged us with our photography and let us take their pictures
Sneaking in Will's room and watching him sleep
The sound of Will's laugh
Will is basically potty trained!
A genuine smile on the face of my husband
Will has learned to say, "Yes, Sir." (And sometimes Ma'am.)

Now for Will. Since he began praying a few months ago, it is obvious that he has a thankful heart. We pray it stays that way! For the first several weeks of prayer, his prayers always ended with, "Now Daddy go to work." He misses his Daddy and that's big on his heart. While it broke our hearts, especially John's, we couldn't help but giggle when he said it.

But in spite of his growing and changing prayers, one thing has remained constant...Will's prayers always start with, and mostly consist of, the things he is most thankful for, in that special no holds barred way that only a child has. He is not only thankful for the things of the day, as you would think a little boy would be preoccupied with, but he mentions things that made a big impression on him months ago. For example, we only made it to 2 of his cousin's football games this season, but we have prayed prayers of thanks for those 2 games for at least 50 nights!

So here are few of the things that Will thanks God for, not just my speculations, but things that have actually come out of his mouth...
food
go to Josh and Steven's foot ball game
Steven (Josh's friend he's met exactly twice)
ride Papaw's golf cart
my golf cart
I play with my golf club and golf ball.
snacks
play outside
Joseph Beth
library
go to Mimi Papaw's
being ring bearer (which he's been begging to do again...actually shed tears over)
birthday
sing some songs (especially, Alright, Sideways, and Down the Road--He's a country boy.)
bird pooped on Mimi's car (we talked about that for months)
sit in Papaw's lap
Mimi Papaw coming
Will look good.
going on train tracks
backyard
read some books

May the spirit of thankfulness continue throughout the year. Why else would I be writing this in December ? ;)

Recipe for a Spooktacular Halloween (Circa 2009)

2009-10-31T22:06:00.004-04:00

Mix together:
1 rambunctious 2 1/2 year old
2 child-like parents
1 best-ever chicken costume
31 days praying for Halloween health
4 festive shirts
3 trips to the pumpkin patch
piles of colorful leaves
1 fall family photo shoot
2 Halloween crafts at Michael's Craft Store
3 night-time visits to the Tanbark Halloween house
1 Moms Club costume parade
2 Halloween parties
1 Halloween story-time at the library
1 card from Mimi and Papaw
2 big Halloween events
1 ride on top of a real firetruck
1 glowing Jack-o-lantern
1 tour of local stores celebrating Halloween morning
1 free kids meal at Qdoba for Halloween lunch
1 night Trick-or-Treating at Fayette Mall
1 stop at Jo's for a special treat
1 Jack-o-Lantern full of num-nahs

Cook at unusually cold temperatures until the very tired chicken declares, "Go home! Will ready to go home!" Top off with some Yummy Mummy Sausages and Ghoul-Aid. Savor the memories and enjoy.

****Sometimes if you cook it too long, it will become a little bitter. For example, during one of the trick-or-treat stops, I said, "Smile for a picture!" Will turned around and yelled, "I said NO!" in his very meanest 2 year old voice, which is surprisingly mean for a 2 year old.

A Double Whammy...Happy Grandparents Day and Mimi's Birthday

2009-09-13T21:38:00.002-04:00

Unfortunately there isn't time for a long post as we are preparing for our first seasonal trip to an orchard. This time we are finally making it for apple season, which I usually miss with all the pumpkin anticipation. Will has been looking forward to this trip for about a month now, ever since he saw apples on a neighbor's tree and I told him we were going to go. Be on the look out for lots of good orchard pictures and entries to come!

But I didn't want the day to pass without saying Happy Grandparents Day to both my grandmother (who will probably never see this as she doesn't do computers) and to Will's grandparents. We all need grandparents to dote on us when our parents are trying to discipline, which is just what Will's grandparents do. So allow me to put a few words into his mouth, "Mamaw! Mimi! Papaw! Thanks for all the cookies and chips before meals. For all the toys and books that make loud noises and the golf cart rides. For reminding me how smart I am and letting me make gates with your legs for an hour at a time. For teaching me how to make funny faces and letting me yell in your houses. For turning on the TV for me when Mommy and Daddy think it's time to turn it off. For bragging to your friends about me, singing with me when you aren't usually a singer, and reading to me when you aren't normally a reader. For letting me kick you in the middle of the night and sleep in y0ur bed. For spoiling me rotten. I love you! Happy Grandparents Day!"

And Happy Birthday Mimi! We love you and look forward to celebrating with you in person soon!

Happy September

2009-09-01T14:21:00.005-04:00

Yeah for September! Just one more month until my favorite month of the year! I'm enjoying the cool, fall-like weather already.

According to Beth Moore's suggestion, I have decided to not add any more verses for the year, but instead to try to really memorize the ones I have already picked. There are over 24 of them already since I memorized some of them in pairs, so I'm not really cheating. (Not that you care, but I do!)

I hope everyone's September is full of fun and wonderful surprises!

Verses Remembered

2009-08-26T14:18:00.002-04:00

I promised to backtrack and post my verses for July. Here they are, still as applicable as they were in July...

2 Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but of a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.

Titus 2:3-5
Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Where's Waldo? (a.k.a. Where's Will?)

2009-08-13T07:56:00.009-04:00

If you remember the Where's Waldo books, you had to find a tiny Waldo in the midst of all kinds of tiny pictures setting a particular scene. Waldo went all kinds of interesting places. Since I have not been as regular as I would have liked to have been on the blog, I thought I would do a recap to show you some of the places Will has been this summer.

Will's 1st Baseball Game--The Lexington Legends--We caught one of the game balls and he was hooked up with a free glove signed by Big L. Thanks Joe and Linda! (And Joe's friend!)

Playing in the creek near Mimi and Papaw's house. Not Will's normal picture look, but I thought it was funny. Will is a very expressive guy!

Scared of heights, but relaxing for a little fun on the farm.

A Helping Hand Adoption Reunion Picnic, posed with our travel group (There were many more in our group who couldn't make it.)

Will's Child Dedication at Vineyard Community Church; Thanks everyone who celebrated with us! (A couple people not pictured.)

Playing in Fountain Square, Cincinnati, on Forever Family Day

"Looks like fun," you say? Any time we leave somewhere, Will announces that he had fun there. "Will had fun--Walmart! Will had fun--Kroger! Will had fun--church!" So now Will's favorite saying..."Will-fun guy!"

And where else could Will be found this summer? On the couch watching our first family TV show--I Survived a Japanese Game Show! Hai Majide! (Translated, "Are you serious?")

It seems like we were able to pack a lot more in this summer. Last summer was taken over by getting ready for Will, getting Will, and learning to take care of a little boy on little to no sleep! Hope everyone had as great a summer as we did!

Resolutions Revisited

2009-08-05T21:28:00.003-04:00

My first post in January was about my resolutions. In keeping with past traditions, I could have forgotten all about them, but I really am trying to turn over a new leaf. So to make sure I will actually get some of them accomplished, I figured I better check my progress thus far. But first, here's a recap of what I had been learning about in January that spurred me on in my resolution making.

1. Faith is spelled R-I-S-K. (John Wimber) If God is as big and powerful as we claim He is, isn't He going to want us to do some big (aka risky) things?
2. On the surface faith makes no sense. Why doesn't faith make sense to most people? Because faith is being certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
3. If I am a follower of Christ, I should be defined by my faith, which (back to #1) is spelled R-I-S-K. Therefore, I should be doing some risky things this year, that would seem crazy to most people.

Once you see how my resolutions are coming along, I think you will see how all-encompassing the above 3 factors have been in our lives this year.

So here were my goals.
1. Potty Training--Check! Once we got past the first 3 miserable days of spending nearly all our time in the bathroom or cleaning up messes, Will has been amazing. The 2nd day of training we took a short break to visit the local fire station. The fireman saw him holding himself and asked if he needed to use the bathroom. He made it! Amazing control when he wants it, which is pretty much all the time now. Yeah Will!
2. Eating More Vegetables--I am doing a little better. I at least have the fruit down. I am eating healthier in general, so if I don't want to starve, I have to include a few more veggies. But I am still striving for the 5 servings a day on most days.
3. Play More--I have been more intentional about making sure that I do play while doing other things. I have been doing a little more intentional play, but can probably still do better. Perhaps I should set a 30 minute timer like Mom used to when we were practicing piano???
4. Build our Photography Business--The website is up! http://www.wohlfordphotography.com Two weddings are booked. Better business cards are in hand. We have several new customers lined up. We are still very excited about our "new" business!
5. Scripture Memory--Confession time. I have soooo slacked off. I am still picking my verses, but the spiral ring containing them is MIA without the IA. I plan on catching up. That will sure be a lot of work.
6. TBA--This is the one that started rumors flying before. But I can reveal some of it now... Part of the announcement is that we both really thought I should stay home from work. I had to officially let them know in February. I won't be returning to teaching this year. It still feels weird. I miss shopping for school supplies and catching up on the school gossip, seeing some of my teacher friends. But I know I have more fun with Will. He already knows all his ABC's and can count to 14. He is beginning to recognize his colors and knows most of the shapes--including the octagon. He has fun everywhere he goes and we do tend to keep the road warm. Even though we are strained right now, I still know that this was the right decision for our family.
And the rest of it is that we plan on adopting another baby--hopefully sooner rather than later. I'm sure this doesn't come as a shock for any of you that really know us. We have always wanted a big family. We had hoped to have already started the process. I still have hopes that we will have started by the end of the calendar year. Thanks Economy for slowing us down. But I thought I would go ahead and let you know because we could definitely use the prayers, just as we did last time. It took so long last time, that we kind of wanted to keep it to us for now, but God likes it when we pray for each other, so please pray for us to qualify, have the finances available, and for that baby somewhere who needs a home with an awesome brother!

So, back to the top, you can see that our lives feel like nothing but RISK right now--new photography business, planning to adopt again, still figuring out the day-to-day in this economy. And definitely, planning on doing anything that costs $$, which all of those things do, makes absolutely no sense. So is my life defined by faith? I still question sometimes. I definitely do not see what or why God makes the decisions He does often. But living the life I live, having the year we have been having, being able to get out of bed in the morning with a smile on my face, I have to say that my life must be defined by faith because I sure am waiting on God to provide! I am a follower of Christ, hopefully defined by my faith, which is definitely spelled R-I-S-K. If you think I am crazy, according to what is listed above, I must be doing my job. So what do you call a girl with no "real" job, trying to start a business and adopt a baby, who's biggest goals are to play with her son more, eat veggies, and memorize Bible verses? Crazy?!

August Verses

2009-08-03T13:11:00.003-04:00

Since I've been a blog-slacker lately, I'm going to go ahead and put both verses for August. I'll have to backtrack later and tell you the verses for June.

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

1 Pet 3:15
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

If you click the links, you'll see I copied them from BibleGateway.com. It's a great place to look things up, see different translations, etc. Check it out!

Fathers and Families

2009-07-16T07:42:00.009-04:00

Yesterday we had our last social worker visit for Will. It was basically a license to brag about our son for an hour or so, which we did rather easily. I had not given the visit much thought since we have been so incredibly busy lately (mainly why my blog has been silent), so I was really surprised by the overwhelming emotion when it was over. God reveals to me every day what a special little boy he has entrusted me with, but He really hit me with it yesterday, and the day before. I'm just so glad he's mine! He's been mine officially for a year on June 30th, when he was legally adopted in China. But I guess I do have to share him with John. ;)

We fairly frequently get the same question we got last night..."Is he always this happy?" Most of the time, the answer is a resounding, "Yes!" Although we could have done without his jumping up and down on the couch in front of the social worker to prove it. Will is very happy. He was described that way to us on the day we got him, when he was screaming and trying to get away from us. After he had time to get use to us, we could see this was true. She will probably never read this, but it just seems right to say thank you to the woman who was his foster mother. She must have been the absolute best. She taught him to dance and love music. He was no stranger to running and giggling. Most importantly, she bonded with him, which later gave him the ability to bond with and love us. Thank you so much!

So enough with the serious stuff, here's what you really want...pictures! I missed my tribute to fathers on Father's Day, so I wanted to share a picture of my Dad with Will. Papaw is one of Will's favorite people in the world. It's been that way since the minute they met at the airport. All children seem to love my father. I do not think I have ever seen anyone act goofier around a child, which is what makes him so great. Dad, thanks for being so special to my boy. For all the rides you give him in the golf cart, the potato chips you sneak to him, and for sleeping with the little wildcat when he visits! And thank you for being the same kind of great father to me!

Will with Mimi and Papaw at the Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburg

I could not let my Father's Day tribute go by without a shout out to John, of course! Anyone who knows John must know that he is an amazing father. He dotes on Will constantly. Will wants to be just like his daddy...playing guitar, riding in Daddy's car, dressing like him. If given a choice, Will will pick out a shirt that he thinks looks like Daddy's.

Since John loves his T-shirts, I could see no better present than to make them matching shirts.

Happy belated Father's Day to all you dad's out there! (When I'm this late with a wish, I like to call it "spreading the joy.")

Fathers and Families. We celebrate Family Day, the day we first met Will, on June 29th. Will has become quite the train enthusiast, so we went to check out Entertrainment just north of Cincinnati. Definitely worth the trip if your little ones (or big ones) like trains--or if you need a good excuse to visit Ikea. It was the perfect way for us to celebrate being a family.

June Verses

2009-06-16T07:26:00.004-04:00

Here's what I've been working on...

James 1:5 (NIV)
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

And for the rest of the month...

Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)
²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

7 years!

2009-06-08T08:20:00.003-04:00

As of June 8, 2009, John and I have been very happily married for 7 years! It's amazing how time flies! But it's even more amazing how love can grow every day.

For those of you not married yet, wait until you find a godly man (or woman) who loves you more than you could ever have imagined. John is the picture of selfless, unconditional love. I've always said he is a much nicer person than me, and he has proven it every day for 7 years. Girls, you've got to find the kind of guy that does not make you cringe when you read about submission in the Bible, because you know that he truly does have your best interest at heart and is seeking God's counsel to back it up.

I don't really feel like I picked John, more like God dropped him in my lap and said, "Here he is!" I may be wrong, but I'm one of those people who feels like God has one special person out there for you. I think we can mess with the plan and God can make the next best thing work, but I think if you follow the path there is one best choice out there for you. John is it for me.

The best reason to get married is that you feel that you can better serve God with that person than you could without him or her. I believed that 7 years ago, but now I see how true it has been. John has not only helped me live out my dreams, but has also helped me realize what they are. I seem to mention something small in passing and BOOM! John is on it, encouraging me to do it, to live it, to be it. (For an example, check out our new website: http://www.wohlfordphotography.com.)

One of the very best pieces of advice that anyone ever gave me was to marry someone whom you would want to raise your children if you were gone. I have no doubts that if something happened to me, Will would turn out to be the kind of man I want him to be, a man like his father.

To my husband, John, I love you with all my heart! Thank you for the last 7 years. I look forward to our future together! And thank you God for this wonderful man!

Lucky Mom

2009-05-22T06:00:00.007-04:00

Sorry I haven't been posting more. We've been busy lately, but I don't want to be too scarce, so I promise to do better!

My first official Mothers' Day was great. It started with church. Although we don't go to a traditional church, we did the traditional "mothers please stand" thing. I must say that I've always hated that. Anyone with me? I know that my mom always hated standing up because she didn't want anyone to look at her. I hate it because of all the years I wanted to stand, but couldn't. Then there was last year when I had a referral and had to go through the whole "Should or shouldn't I?" conversation in my head. I did decide to stand, but wondered how many people were talking about me and wondering where my child was. The year before that I totally skipped church just because I didn't want to burst into tears when they asked mothers to stand. So a word to those who have a say in whether or not their churches ask the moms to stand--please don't! You can honor everyone while they're still sitting down. The nicest non-moms day I had was a few years ago when all the women were given flowers, whether moms or not, because they recognized the mothering nature of all women. Somewhere in every congregation is that woman who, whether she wants to stand or not, desperately wants to be a mom, but isn't yet. That poor girl feels bad enough, so please don't make it worse!

Standing or sitting, there are moms in our lives that deserve to be honored. My mom is one of my best friends. I wish I could spend more time with her and have the best time when we do. There is probably no one in the world who is more like me--except maybe John! She was an excellent role model growing up and still is. She is a wonderful grandmother to Will. The best compliment I ever got was that I was the perfect mix of my mom and dad. I should say more, but how can you put into words all your mother means to you?

My grandmothers have also been a great blessing to me, spoiling me and teaching me. Grandma Tilly (Apple) adores Will and is wonderful with him. They had an especially good time making pretend apple pies just a couple days ago.

John's mom has been a blessing to us. She is a great example of generosity and putting others above herself. She too loves Will with all her heart.

This Mothers' Day, as with those past, I hoped to do a little something for the moms in our life, but fell short as always! But as a mother with a child finally here in the flesh, I felt that I didn't really need to be honored. It goes back to the old question, "Should we really be honored for doing our job?" It's my job to love Will with all my heart, provide for him, and help him be the best person he can be. I do that with the best of my ability. Although I knew it would be demanding, it's a lot more consuming a job than I thought it would be--and a LOT less sleep! But when the day is done, it's my job. That's what I signed up for. I would not trade it for anything. Instead, I just wanted to spend Mothers' Day thinking about how lucky I was just to finally be a mom. How lucky I am to have, who we feel, is the cutest, sweetest, smartest little guy in the whole world. Without a doubt, you can count me among the luckiest moms in the world. Will is my present. I am just glad he was here with me this year!

Regardless of that feeling, John and Will did make Mothers' Day extra special. John did not miss any chances to direct Will to give extra hugs and kisses. In addition to what John got me, he took Will to pick out which scrapbooking or quilting magazine and num-nah (candy) mommy would get. We knew Will would get into it because the night before Will had grabbed his own basket and meticulously looked over the items at the dollar store, deciding wich things to keep and which to put back. I must say that, with Daddy's help, he did a great job on my gifts.

I also hoped to get something Will had made to remember my first Moms' Day. At church they decided to have the smaller kids make footprints. When we picked up Will they told us that he wouldn't do it. He was the only kid in the class who wouldn't. As a matter of fact, he started shouting, "Ew! Ew!" when they tried to paint his feet. He even got the rest of the kids to chime in shouting. That's my boy--the instigator!

To all of the lucky moms out there, happy belated Mothers' Day!

I mentioned a few months ago that I have a slew of pictures of me with a big cheesy grin showing how happy I am to be a mom. Here is a couple of my favorites...

China

Halloween

And here's my verse, only a week late!

Isaiah 54:13
All your sons will be taught by the LORD,
and great will be your children's peace.

Random Cuteness

2009-04-30T21:56:00.011-04:00

Birthday Bike compliments of Grandma Apple (named for always giving Will apples),
Construction Bike Helmet and pads--too cute for words!

I always hoped that when I had children, they would be full of spunk and personality. That's exactly what we got. I just didn't expect it to start at such a young age.

Will loves his music. His newest trick is to yell, "Song!" when we are in the car and a commercial comes on. If he doesn't like the song that is playing, such as Taylor Swift, he will also yell, "Song!" He even knows when a song is getting ready to go off and will start yelling, "Song!" in anticipation. If I'm watching something on the DVR and skipping through the commercials, he'll hear the jingle and start yelling, "Song!" so we have to go back and watch the commercials. He yells "Song!" with all the strength his little body can muster and, when the song is finally over, the end is often met with tears. His love for music and dancing has even earned him a standing invitation when Big Boss Man, is favorite blues band, plays at Cielito Lindo, the local Mexican restaurant.

Will and Daddy have written a number one hit (in our household) which is actually being sung to me now and played on the ukulele. We call it The Family Song. It is basically a list of the names of everyone in our family, but no other song compares. Any time we ask Will what song he wants to hear, he breaks into The Family Song. We hear Will singing it to himself throughout the day.

Will also has to go hear the worship at church and screams, "Song!" as we carry him screaming past the sanctuary so that he can go to his class first. Luckily we go to a church where it is okay that Will dance on the chairs as he worships. It was confirmed this weekend that Will is either going to be a head banger, or he was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Another thing that has amazed me lately is Will's uncanny sense of direction. Whenever we are in the general vicinity of Guitar Center, Will starts yelling for Daddy or Daddy's Car (another of his fascinations). We were driving by Joseph Beth the other day, coming from the opposite direction we usually approach from, and he started screaming, "Choo choo! Choo choo!" because that is where he goes to play with the trains.

When Will first came to us, we tried to comfort him by speaking a little Chinese. I am pretty sure that what we said didn't sound too Chinese. (I am reminded of trying to speak Spanish to a little Mexican girl in my class. She started repeating the Spanish back to me, just like she did when I taught her English. She was totally unaware that I was trying to speak Spanish to her!) As time has gone by with Will, we have slacked off on the Chinese. Recently I have made a more concentrated effort to tell Will, "Good night. Mommy loves you!" in Chinese before he goes to bed. According to our adoption guides, this sounds a lot like, "Wo o. Mommy eye knee." As I was saying this to Will the other night, he began laughing uncontrollably. I was not sure what was so funny until he started screaming, "Night night, knee!" over and over. Now it is a nightly ritual that we must tell not only our knees, but all of our body parts, especially our elbows, good night. I heard him telling his stuffed animals, "Wan an!" (good night) this morning.

Will has lots of Mommy time, so Daddy time is very special to him. If John is around and I try to push the cart Will is in, change his diaper, or give him a bath, I get Will's version of "talk to the hand." That would be the hand extended up in the stop position, with Will screaming, "NO!" at the top of his lungs while rapidly shaking his head. Who knew "talk to the hand" was an innate expression? I must admit that I like it when he tells me Daddy must change his diaper.

We went out to eat a few weeks ago and someone came up to our table to tell us hello. John immediately thought it was someone I had taught with over the years. I immediately thought it was someone had gone to church with. Will immediately said, "Doctor!" and he was right. I guess when you spend enough time screaming at someone, their memory gets seared into your brain.

Yesterday Will got his kicks by trying to pick my nose. Never a dull moment.

I hope I don't bore you with my little Will stories, but he continues to amaze us. I always knew I'd enjoy being a mother, but I never knew it would be this much fun. As John said earlier tonight, we are going to have to stop talking about how cute he is in front of him all the time because he is going to catch on pretty soon. Or do you think he already has???

So for here's my Mothers' Day verse, which is also my excuse for scrapbooking verse (National Scrapbooking Day--May 2, 2009):
Deuteronomy 4:9
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

Happy Mothers Day to all, but especially to those first time moms and those still waiting! And Happy National Scrapbooking Day!

Belated Easter Blessings!

2009-04-15T14:57:00.008-04:00

First signs of spring!

I hope that you had a wonderful Easter! Ours was the best Easter ever, of course, since it was Will's first Easter with us. We had a few small Easter egg and candy hunts, as well as a picture of a very scared Will and me with the Easter Bunny. As a special Easter treat, Will had the cutest little Easter outfit ever!

We tried to instill the real Easter story by reading lots of Easter books, but you'd be surprised how hard it is to find a good kid's Christian Easter book. Will also watched Miss Patty Cake's Easter video--super cheesy, but great for little ones. Will sang the songs and danced around the room. Anyone else got ideas on how to help children understand the real meaning of Easter, especially little ones? Please share! It seemed we could think of lots of things for Christmas, but Easter was a little trickier.

Enjoy a few of our favorite Easter pics below. I hope they help you stay in the Easter spirit all year long!

1st egg hunt--Babies R Us
This was the official Easter outfit.

Someone told us to color the eggs in the bathtub--great idea! No mess!

Verse Time!

2009-04-15T13:35:00.005-04:00

I heard this verse in Bible study this week. It was presented with this teaser--"Do you want to know what God's will is for your life? Well, here it is..."

^{1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)}

¹⁶Be joyful always; ¹⁷pray continually; ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

April Fools, Friends, and a Verse

2009-04-02T08:25:00.008-04:00

It is with a very heavy heart that I must inform you that John's new job has fallen through. We had to take the dog back after he ate 2 of the neighborhood cats. My new job has also fallen through , so I will continue staying home with Will. He is very upset about not getting to participate in the explosions and dances. The new weight loss show has been canceled. Our maid quit--even she could not stand the mess. Unfortunately, the children we were adopting will have to stay in Val Verde. And in case you did not figure it out, yesterday was April Fools! But remember...there is a grain of truth in every lie (except for maybe the one about the dog).

Friends
A few important updates...

Please keep praying for my friend Doug. He has a long road to complete recovery. Also pray for his wife and daughter who are adjusting to him not being at home.

My friend Marion's job is possibly in danger with some new legislation. Please click here and scroll to the bottom to sign this petition and help a friend of a friend (me!). You will also be helping students get competitive loan rates for higher education.

I have another friend who has also been working hard to create a new blog to help mothers. It's got lots of good information on it and links to helpful resources. Check it out here.

My New Verse
I can't back down from a challenge, but I sure can slack off. I hit the first 2 or 3 verses hard, but since then I haven't been memorizing my verses. I am going to get back at it. We are only on verse 7, so surely I can catch up, but only if I start now. Regardless, it has still been good to see that God always has something to say about right where I am. Here is my newest verse...

Hebrews 12:1 NIV
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Family Update

2009-04-01T07:48:00.005-04:00

I'm sorry that it's been several days since I've posted, but we've had a lot going on! The first thing that happened-- John got a new job! John was offered a position as a manager of a new pet store that will soon be opening. Many of you know that we aren't really pet people, but a good job is a good job. This couldn't have come at a better time as we have had the itch to add to our family again, so we finally decided to bite the bullet and actually get a dog. We took Will to the Humane Society and he fell in love with an adorable little Pit Bull, Great Dane mix that we brought home and named Nacho Libre. Will loves to ride on his back like he's a horse. He's only snapped at Will a couple times and got in fights with the neighbor dogs twice.

I have also decided to go back to work. I know somebody who knows somebody and was offered a job at the University of Kentucky teaching a new class about the pitfalls of teaching. It's part of their new awareness program to help students make sure that their major is a good fit. I have been busy writing down all my favorite teaching stories.

Since I will be working again, we have been looking for a daycare for Will. We found an amazing little preschool that allows you to pick a major and minor for your child. It is designed to groom them into who you want them to be. Will will be majoring in science (and doing baby science projects most of the day--some with minor explosions!) and minoring in dance (with emphasis on break dancing and ballet).

Will has also finally started talking in complete sentences. He spoke his first sentences when we were getting ready to put him to bed the other night. He said, "No way! I'm coming with you!"

John and I have also been accepted as contestants on a new weight loss show. Since the biggest losers seem to be the heaviest people, as part of our strategy, we committed to eating at buffets most evenings until the show starts taping in the late summer. If you are hankering for a buffet, give us a call.

Since my Face Book quiz said I was most like the TV mom Carol Brady, we decided that we should also get a maid. After hours of crazy interviews, we finally found one. She is going to be a live-in maid, like Alice, since we are such messes. She can follow us around and pick up after us all day, then cook us 5 course meals at night when we are tired of the buffet!

Last, but not least, we thought it would take a while to add to our family again, but the adoption rules have once again changed. As long as you can come get them by the end of the year, regardless of income, you can now adopt as many children as you want at one time from Val Verde, a South American country. By Christmas we should have four new little angels home with us. Actually, they aren't all so little. The boys are 7 and 9. The girls are 4 and 12. Look for them on the next Christmas card.

That's how it stands for the Wohlford family, this first day of April, 2009.

Better Late Than Never

2009-03-17T22:12:00.002-04:00

I'm 2 days late with my post, but here's a convicting verse for me...

It is for FREEDOM that Christ set us free! Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1 NIV

One Year Ago

2009-03-14T19:09:00.005-04:00

Although it's been a really busy week, I haven't forgotten that one year and 3 days ago I received one of the best gifts of my life. On March 11, 2008, I was on my way to Jazzercise when my cell phone rang. I didn't know who it was, but decided to answer anyway. I knew there was a small chance that I might be getting this very important (and long awaited!) phone call.

Luckily I wasn't far from my destination. I was sitting in a parking space by the time the special needs coordinator at A Helping Hand could give me the information. "We have a baby who's file you can review. It's a boy." I so wish I could remember everything Dana said word for word, but the main thing that stuck out was, "It's a boy." I scrambled for something, anything to write on, and finally found an old envelope. I scratched down his basic info--name, age, location, and special need.

I tried to wrap my mind around the fact that I was probably going to have a little boy instead of a girl. I'd been working on that idea already since we had agreed we'd take either sex when we applied for the special needs list. But still, after thinking you were most definitely going to have a little girl for three years, it's not easy to make a quick switch. But we knew that we wanted to have a little boy some day. I said John needed to have a boy so he could teach him how to be a gentlemen like John (one of few men who still open the car doors for their wives after 7 years of marriage).

The next two hours I was spinning, dying to get back home to my computer so I could see his face. I went into Jazzercise late, but there was an extra spring in my step. Then I went to visit my father-in-law (who had broken his hip) at the rehabilitation center. It was killing me not to tell him, but I hadn't even told John yet. He was in Atlanta for a work conference. What timing!

Finally I reunited with my computer. This is what I saw.

My first thought was how cute he was! My second was that he could actually be my baby! To be honest, I also had a chuckle about this adorable little boy getting his picture made on a bright pink flower. I tried not to get my hopes up because I hadn't talked to John yet and I knew we had to be on the same page. But I knew I wanted this little sweet guy to be MY little boy. But John was so worried about the money that I was afraid he would say no. Adoption does come with a pretty hefty price tag.

I couldn't wait to see the second and only other picture, so I opened it almost immediately.

Look at those little feet! I zeroed in on them. He might like to play ball. He could stand holding on to something. And a million other thoughts. It's amazing all the information you can glean just from a photo or two when that's all you have. (My mom is especially good at this!)

Then I read his medical info, much of which made absolutely no sense to me, and called my folks. Sorry John, but I just had to tell someone! I talked to my dad. Mom wouldn't be home for a several more minutes, which seemed like eternity. Then I finally talked to John. He had to wait for the computer in the lobby at his hotel to be free before he could even see his picture. I could tell he was excited, but tired... and scared.

I stayed up very late that night assorting the baby stuff we had collected over the past three years into stuff a little boy could use and stuff we had to stow away for a girl.

I wish I could say we went to get him right away, or even signed the papers the next day. But there was another month of calls to Will's future doctor, waiting for more medical info from China, more doctor reviews, etc. All the time with John telling me to be patient and not get too attached yet. Me getting impatient and too attached, deciding that this was going to be my little boy no matter what the doctor said. I had the best news in the world and was trying not to tell anyone but my family about it, carrying around his picture and sneaking peaks while no one was looking.

But thanks to the adoption speed ups before the 2008 Olympics in China, everything from that point on happened at the speed of light. And the rest is history.

I've learned so many things from our adoption experience. Looking in Will's sweet face everyday helps me remember. The best things in life are the things that you don't plan for. I never planned to fall in love with my best friend and marry him. I never planned to adopt a little boy from China. But God has blessed me more than I ever dreamed! We were definitely meant to have a little boy--this little boy, our Will.

6 Words--Can You Do It?

2009-03-07T16:13:00.006-05:00

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm a Beth Moore fan. On her blog, her daughter Melissa discussed a trend (back-in-the-day) among writers/authors to sum up their lives, or in other words to succinctly write their memoir, using only six words.

Here are some of my favorites...

Bumpy road, kissed toad, recovery mode!

Loving this life --Longing for next.

Traumatized caterpillar peeking out of cocoon

Brother's May wedding: Need affordable Liposuction

All for Him and Him for all

Seeing the Sacred in Ordinary Life

I do believe...help my unbelief!

Changing their diapers...building their character

This is a lot harder than it looks. Here's what I finally came up with...

Creative minds are often the messiest.

Diamond in the rough--please shine.

Crazy, curly hair reflects inner chaos.

Two princes here. Waiting for Third.

Beer budget. Champagne taste. Lottery wishes.

Children's laughter is the best medicine.

Thinking out of box sometimes works.

Not crazy--just given different directions.

Now it's your turn...

Just for Fun

2009-03-03T13:00:00.003-05:00

These are the rules:
1. Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on the computer
2. Select the 4th picture in the folder
3. Explain the picture
4. Tag 4 people to do the same
5. No cheating (cropping, editing, etc.)

Much to my sister's dismay, my nephew, Josh, has always loved and wanted to play football. For the past 3 years, he has played for Lexington Traditional Magnet School. We were asked to take some action shots and do photo collages for some of the teammates. We also got to do a giant team photo. This is one of the action shots. I really enjoyed doing it. Too bad I don't know more about football!

Next year we will begin cheering for Josh at Lafayette High School. I love the atmosphere of high school football and hope we can attend several "Josh-ball" games, as Will is now calling them.

I tag...
1. Kristen
2. Amy
3. Nancy & Dan
4. Jill

Erica, thanks for the fun challenge!

5th Memory Verse

2009-03-02T15:53:00.005-05:00

Unfortunately, I'm falling behind in my memorizing a bit. Please pray for me to stick with the memorizing, not just picking them out!

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

February is usually a big month for us with Valentine's, birthdays, the first glimpse of sunny days, plus those last exciting bits of snow. This month was good, but we have some friends (more than one) who have had some hard times this month. It has been a bit of a wake up call for us, realizing our humanity and that bad things happen to good people. Sometimes I need a reminder that God is going to reward our faithfulness, even when things seem bleak for a time. More important than my reward, I need to remember that I have to keep having faith to please God. He's got his own timing and can see the big picture even when I cannot. Although it is sometimes frustrating, I find it refreshing to realize that I am not in charge of everything!

Happy 2nd Birthday Will! (And 33rd for Mom!)

2009-02-23T16:20:00.010-05:00

I will never have another birthday without remembering turning 30. While most people dreaded it, I was very excited. You have to be 30 before you send your paperwork to China to adopt. Unfortunately, after working on our paperwork for almost a year at that point, we were still waiting on our government to send something back before we could turn everything in. Needless to say, I spent the morning of my 30th birthday crying over paperwork instead of celebrating it. It was only a couple weeks later that our paperwork was on its way to China.

At the time, the wait was only about 10 months, so we had expected to have a baby by my 31st birthday. But 31 came and went. So did 32. A couple weeks after my 32nd birthday, I finally saw Will's picture for the first time. When I saw his birthday, it was further confirmation that he was my little boy.

I've always thought it was special that each July the family gets to gather for a birthday party for my nephew, my dad, and my brother-in-law. They all have birthdays within 5 days of each other. So when we found out Will's birthday was just 4 days before mine, I knew that another family birthday party was in order.

This year it was finally here. We celebrated Will's actual birthday on the 17th, but his party fell on my birthday. There is no one I would rather share a birthday with. It was definitely my best birthday ever because he was here to share it with me. Happy 2nd birthday to my wonderful little boy! Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate. We wish we had room to invite more of our wonderful friends to share the day with us.

On the flip side, we will never celebrate Will's birthday when I don't say a prayer of thanks for his birth parents who helped create our wonderful little man. I imagine they must be good looking, funny, and smart (like he is!). Also brave and selfless, to give up their little boy who I truly believe they loved, so that he could get the help he needed to be healthy and have a family who could provide for him. In a country that does not have adoption plans in the form that we do in America, they left him in a very nice place where he could be found quickly and taken care of. We pray that someday we can meet in heaven and show our true appreciation.

And to everyone else with February birthdays (It seems to be a popular month!)...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Prayer Request and Verse

2009-02-16T22:02:00.002-05:00

Most importantly, a prayer request...please pray for our very good friend Doug. We won't go into detail for their privacy, but he is in the hospital and very sick. Please pray for his recovery and for his family who loves him very much.

Now for my next verse...
1 Corinthians 6:12
"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything.

A Valentine for You!

2009-02-14T08:54:00.003-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day from our family to yours! I hope that no matter what your love life situation, you find that something good happens to you today!

Here's a little trip down memory lane, especially for the single people out there (and a chuckle for the rest of you)...The last couple years before John became my forever Valentine, I decided that I deserved flowers on Valentine's Day just as much as the dating people. I made a promise to myself that I would by my own flowers on Valentine's as a reminder that even though I was sad on Valentine's Day and felt unloved, God still loved me. After all, God made the flowers, so He must want me to have some! Pathetic? Maybe. But it did brighten my day. Even though I will have been married for 7 years this summer, I still have a very sharp memory of what it felt like to be without a Valentine.

Even with a Valentine, today is not going to turn out quite like I had hoped. John is working ALL day and usually does not even get to come home for lunch on Saturdays. Will is sick, so there goes much, if any, chance of getting to surprise John at the store. But I'm just happy to have a wonderful husband that I love very much and who I know loves me. Happy Valentine's Day, John!

I hope that all of you, single or not, consider this your personal Valentine from Will. And if no one brings you flowers, remember that you have my blessing (and God's!) to go buy some for yourself! Happy Valentine's Day!

Dangerous Beauty

2009-02-06T08:52:00.006-05:00

We count ourselves among the crazies--the ones who cheer on the ice and snow in hopes of being snowed in for several days, where the world around us will have to shut down and finally be still. It may be dangerous if you aren't very careful, but you cannot deny the beauty when everything is crisp and white. We are often jealous that we somehow always seem to fall just south of the boatloads of snow that others seem to get so frequently. This time we were in luck.

While others went without power, our little nook stayed nice and warm. Even our cheap pear trees, the only 2 left in the neighborhood, never lost a branch. Praise God! Our friends weren't all quite so lucky. We had some good friends stay with us a couple of days--slumber party style. Will was quite excited and, in typical playboy fashion, used the time to make a new girlfriend. He'd seen Hailey a few times before, but nothing bonds a young couple like spending quality time together. Check out his first kiss below...

My, they start young these days!

In spite of all the fun, we did miss out on a few things. It was actually too cold and icy to get out and sled and build snowmen. We would have made the old family go at it anyway except my husband is lucky enough to work at the only place in their area who wouldn't shut down. (Apparently someone in Indiana, where all the stores were closed, got to make the decisions here.) It's just no fun without John!

But I did dress Will in 5 or so layers to slip around the house and take some pictures for a few minutes. I was itching to get out and take some "cool" ice pictures, but I own one of very few Jeeps that aren't actually 4x4s, so it was a little dangerous. Plus you can't really traipse through snow and tight places with an almost two year old who loves to run the other direction, so no great ice pictures this time. : ( But maybe we will get lucky again. Winter is not over yet!

My 3rd Set of Verses

2009-02-01T13:42:00.002-05:00

For this reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8

The part that really stood out to me this time was "in increasing measure." I may have some of those things, but they are not always increasing. My hope is that in memorizing what I am to work on, I won't be so stagnant in my walk.

Happy Year of the Ox!!!

2009-01-26T06:48:00.001-05:00

Fan Dancers

Today is officially the first day of Chinese New Year. Happy Year of the Ox! Over the next 15 days, we, and the Chinese people, will be celebrating. For us it means reading and watching more about China, Chinese crafts and decorations, and, of course, eating more Chinese! I LOVE holidays, so this is right up my alley. It is at times like this, however, that I feel especially inadequate to assume that because of me my child will understand anything about his birth country at all. It's kind of like telling someone what's in a recipe, without giving the exact measurements so they can't recreate it and it may end up tasting totally different all together.

Yesterday was our first official Chinese New Year celebration. We went to see a play at the Main Street branch of the library. Except for being a hair long for the children, the show was awesome! There were lots of dancers, singers, and our favorite--Kung Fu! Those of you who have never really seen Kung Fu, you've got to check it out. It was amazing! John use to have a roommate who was a Kung Fu World Champion. It's funny how God prepares you for the future.

We were also delighted to see our first live lion dance. Will was so taken with the drums that it took him quite a while to turn his head to realize there were even dragons.

2 lions fighting

At the end there was Chinese fashion show showcasing original costumes of some of the northeastern people groups of China. Will is from Inner Mongolia, which is pretty much up north in the middle, so some of the costumes were very similar to one we bought him. (We bought it a little big, so maybe you'll see it next year.) Chinese fashion shows are much more choreographed and dance-like than our fashion shows. The highlight of the fashion show was a girl who's headdress looked like it had a reindeer antler.

After dinner we headed to a Chinese restaurant and ate with our friends who have a beautiful little girl from China.

"Big" Will

"Small" Will

There were about 80 of us there with the local Families with Children from China group. We were excited to run into another family we had traveled through China with. It was great to see how much their little girl and grown.

It's tradition to give gifts on Chinese New Year, especially red envelopes filled with money, so I got some red envelopes from a local party store for the kids. I filled them with fake Chinese money, a Chinese New Year pencil, Chinese clothing notepads, and panda stickers.

More Chinese New Year installments to come. Until then, Happy Year of the Ox!

A New Era

2009-01-21T13:11:00.000-05:00

Those who know me well, know that I have never been a big fan of politics. I avoid watching the news because it's depressing. I figure if anything big enough happens that I need to know about, someone will tell me. So it is not so surprising that since Will's nap time had to fall during the presidential inauguration yesterday, we just slept through it, though we did manage to see a few highlights later.

I join many others who will pray for our new president, who definitely has his work cut out for him. I was very happy to hear that Rick Warren prayed for President Obama in Jesus name. I agree that it is exciting to see a new president, one who represents a dream for many, welcomed into office.

At the same time, I think it is extremely sad that President Bush left with his reputation tarnished. I, for one, never want to feel the pressure of being the president of our great nation. He had impossible circumstances to deal with during his entire administration. No matter what decisions he could have made, he would have been wrong in the eyes of many. Check out this eloquent post, Thank You, President Bush, that I found through a link on one of my friend's blogs. Let me finish by saying that I am proud it was President Bush who signed my son's certificate of citizenship and officially welcomed Will to America.

My 2nd Set of Verses

2009-01-17T19:27:00.000-05:00

It's amazing what you can accomplish when motivated. For some reason, I have finally, after 14 years, been motivated to memorize scripture. (Now if I can only get motivated in a couple other areas!) I actually memorized both of the verses that I previously listed (John 15:7-8). So I went ahead and picked a couple more verses that I needed to hear--and remember.

2 Corinthians 9:10-11 (New International Version)

10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

38 and Better Than Ever!

2009-01-15T07:36:00.000-05:00

Celebrating with his free Birthday Burger at Round Robin. Much to my delight, though not John's, they also sing to you and bring you a free Sundae!

John celebrated his 38th birthday yesterday, at least as much celebrating as you normally do at 38. I always have grand ideas of making birthdays the most awesome, amazing days ever, something they write movies about, but I always fall short. John doesn't really expect much anyway, but I love him so much and want to make it special for him. Unfortunately, he had a couple ugly things happen that made the day difficult--one that was pretty much over yesterday and one that will probably haunt us a few more weeks or months, if not longer. It is so true that it's much harder to watch someone you love get hurt than it is to be hurt yourself. I hate it that this happened. I hate it that it happened on his birthday. I don't understand why everyone doesn't see how wonderful, amazing, funny, smart, and dedicated my husband is, but I sure do. After 38 years of life, he is better than ever!

May this year be your best yet! Good things are coming. I love you, John!

John examining his new guitar quilt. Somehow he was surprised, even though I wouldn't let him go in the basement (where I sew) and Will has walked around pointing at the microwave constantly yelling, "Sew!" the last couple weeks.

As you can see, only the top is finished. I'll post more pics when it's in its completed state--very soon!

My First Verse

2009-01-11T08:30:00.000-05:00

I finally chose my first verse to memorize. (Better late than never.) I'm posting for a little accountability. Technically, this is 2 verses, so with my late start, I'll still have 2 memorized by the end of January.

John 15:7-8 NIV
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Wishing You a Risky 2009

2009-01-08T15:07:00.000-05:00

Baby New Year 2009

I thought about posting the best of 2008, but I do that practically every time I blog. Will was obviously the '08 highlight! So instead, I decided I need to share some thoughts on '09.

I am particularly excited about the upcoming year. I'm so glad Will is going to be here from the start of it, but I think it's more than that. The first sermon of the year at church, about faith, reiterated a lot of what I've been thinking...

1. Faith is spelled R-I-S-K. (John Wimber) If God is as big and powerful as we claim He is, isn't He going to want us to do some big (aka risky) things?
2. On the surface faith makes no sense. Why doesn't faith make sense to most people? Because faith is being certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
3. If I am a follower of Christ, I should be defined by my faith, which (back to #1) is spelled R-I-S-K. Therefore, I should be doing some risky things this year, that would seem crazy to most people.

What specifically am I talking about? First, let's look at the history books. The most recent example and closest to our hearts is that God asked us, 2 ordinary people who operate on an extremely average income, to undertake a very expensive adoption. When we stepped out on faith, God provided the money. We brought our little boy home and to date are not any deeper in debt for doing so. We believe that God asked those same 2 ordinary people, operating on that same average income, to cut that income in half and have one of us stay at home with our child, at the very least for a year. "Couponing" and being thrifty has almost become a hobby. The bills have all been paid on time thus far.

Back to 2009, I've never been a prophet. But there are some things I'm pretty sure I should work on this year, some riskier than others...
1. Potty Training--Will was able to hold it all day instead of going in a bag for the doctor. As soon as I took off the bag, he looked at me and said, "Mommy. Pee pee." Then he went in his diaper. Just one of many signs he's ready. Risks: more laundry, dirty floors, germs
2. Eating More Vegetables--I came up with a new word for what I am, meatitarian. I'm looking for yummy ways to fix veggies without tons of butter, sauce, and cheese. If you've got any good recipes, send them my way. Risks: grumpiness, going hungry
3. Play More--I'm great at fitting in some playing while I get my tasks done, but I have a hard time sitting still for prolonged, focussed play. I don't want my children to remember me as the mom who always had something else to do. Risks: Not getting as much "other stuff" done
4. Build our Photography Business--It's something we both love. God has sent photography jobs our way several times over the last few years when we weren't even looking. It seems that now is the time to press forward with that endeavor. We should have a website up very soon. If you know anyone who wants pictures, please send them our way! Risks: failure, getting out of the comfort zone, lots of time
5. Scripture Memory--I've been convicted of this since my freshman year of college (14 years ago!!!) and never really committed. Since I'm a huge Beth Moore fan and she's issuing a challenge on her blog, I've decided to jump in and finally do it. You can pick your own scripture to mememorize, which is important to me. I've never been able to focus on something just because it was meaningful to someone else. Check it out! Risks: time, God asking me to use that scripture when I selfishly don't want to (there's that comfort zone thing again!)
6. TBA--To Be Announced. But rest assured there is more, a lot more. The most meaningful of all, but there is a season for everything, and I just don't think it's the season to share quite yet. Besides, I have to give you a reason to keep coming back for more!

6 Months Changes Everything

2008-12-30T20:46:00.000-05:00

This time a year ago I could have written a blog entry entitled, "3 years changes nothing." 1 year of paperwork and 2 years of official waiting and we still had no tangible reason to believe that we would have a baby soon. 6 months later we were holding Will in our arms. Now, today, it's already been 6 months since we officially adopted him and perhaps the fastest 6 months of my life.

Once upon a time, Will was just a dream to us, a picture that we carried around and talked about.

When he first met us, we were just the scary people with big eyes and big noses who talked weird and smelled funny. There was no love at first sight for him. He cried from about 5:30-10p.m, and only stopped then because he was so tired he fell asleep.

Now, 6 months later, our lives and our hearts will never be the same, forever changed for the better. I remember thinking it was going to be my life's mission to put a smile on that face, and now I have a collection of pictures of me with grins that are way too big and cheesy to post for the world to see. (But I'll probably cave some day. That would make a good entry!)

We are so proud of Will for all he has accomplished--especially his ability to keep laughing in spite of all the changes and challenges he has been through. He's progressed from bottles to sippy cups and straws. He climbs up and down the stairs with little or no help. He tries to dress himself, sometimes even trying to put on his own diaper! He still loves music and his dance skills are becoming more diverse. (He was copying Bing Crosby while we watched White Christmas!) He's now ready for a big boy bed and to be potty trained. Our baby is not a baby anymore.

Will, we love you! I'll never forget the first time I held you. Or the first time you called me, "Mommy!" Or the first time you ran to me when you had a boo boo. We have no doubt that God put us together. We are so happy that you are part of our Forever Family!

Christmas Traditions

2008-12-26T10:16:00.000-05:00

I have always been an old soul. Even as a child I would think about Christmas traditions I wanted to start when I had children. This year we started three new traditions that we hope will help Will remember what Christmas is really about.

1. On Christmas Eve, we read the Christmas story from the Bible and sang Christmas carols while John played the guitar and Will played the xylophone.

2. I heard about this tradition a couple years ago and thought it was a wonderful idea. Jesus, the most important person in the world, only got three presents--gold, frankincense, and myrrh. So we limited our gifts to three per person.

We also wanted to make sure we include gifts that teach about Jesus since it's His birthday, so in addition to the three gifts, Will got some Bible stories. I may try to include these in the three gifts in the future, but I already had three wrapped when I remembered the Bible stories this year.

3. For dessert, we had a birthday cake for Jesus. If anyone has any great cake ideas for the future, please let me know. This year I tried making a red velvet cake for the first time. Unfortunately, there was no red food coloring at the grocery, so Jesus had a purple velvet cake. He's royalty, so I figured that fit.

These were pretty simple things, but they, in addition to reading different children's versions of the Christmas story to Will every night for the past month, made Christmas much more meaningful this year. Now we're ready to take on the New Year! We'd also love to hear your Jesus Christmas traditions.

Merry Grinchmas!

2008-12-26T08:33:00.001-05:00

Unintentionally we developed a theme for this Christmas--Merry Grinchmas! While we were not feeling Grinchy at all since Will was finally with us this year, many of our holiday festivities did center around the Grinch.

John and I had gone to ICE in Nashville 3 years ago on our Christmas vacation. Thanks to John's lovely job, Christmas vacation has been cancelled ever since. But this year we wanted to make sure Will didn't miss out on any of the things we loved about Christmas, including a visit to ICE and the Opryland Hotel, so on John's one day off for the week, we packed the car and took a day trip.

Much to our delight, the theme for ICE this year was the Grinch. Check it out here. For those of you who don't know about ICE, it's basically a refrigerated theater where Chinese artists carve intricate sculptures for an indoor Christmas playground. Will was interested, but a bad fall before entering the theater made him quite uncooperative during picture taking!

Yes, we are sitting on ice!

Our favorite book store, Joseph Beth, had a reading of How the Grinch Stole Christmas just a couple days later and invited the Grinch as a special guest.

I think every child there was actually scared of the Grinch, but Will warmed up to him later and gave him a high five.

I don't let Will watch much TV, but with so much Grinch activity, I did let him watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and he loved it--especially the songs.

Then, when I finally got around to wrapping the Christmas presents, I found some Grinch wrapping paper I had bought on clearance a few years ago. It must have just been sitting there waiting for Will. Of course, Will wasn't too interested in the paper.

I hope that many of you had a very Merry Grinchmas too!

All About a Baby

2008-12-24T06:52:00.000-05:00

I started out today, Christmas Eve, crying my eyes out. I sat down at the computer to get my quick fix before running around and trying to clean house, go to the grocery, and make a stocking, all before 3 o'clock this afternoon. The stress of everything I had to get done was weighing heavily on me all day yesterday and when I awoke today, but it hadn't pushed me to the verge of tears, at least not yet. For some reason, before my feet even touched the ground, I realized that I hadn't printed a copy of Will's picture on our adoption agency's special needs page. I'd hated to miss that little piece of history, so I ran into the computer room to copy it.

A few weeks after we got back from China, our agency had contacted parents of children with special needs about getting pictures to use for their website. We were more than happy to oblige because of our three favorite things--pictures, Will, and adoption (not necessarily in that order)! Will, the perfect model of a child with a special need, is there as soon as you pull up the web page. What I hadn't seen before this morning, was the AHH Blessings Video. Doing what every mother with a million things to do on Christmas Eve would do, I sat down to watch the video instead. And the tears started.

Staring back at me were the faces of some of the most beautiful children in the world. Many of the children we didn't know, but some were extra close to my heart as we had journeyed through China with them and their families. Others we had actually applied for, or wanted to apply for, on the special needs list. Obviously, that didn't work out, but it was so wonderful to see not only the pictures that had made us love them at first, and then a picture of how they had changed and are thriving now. Will's beautiful face popped up there also. Then it hit me--Christmas was all about a baby.

These babies are beautiful. They pulled at my heart strings and reminded me that we are one of the luckiest families in the world to have our Will, with all his spunk and personality, home with us. We hadn't even seen his picture last Christmas. What we had seen was a picture of one of those little girls in the video who we couldn't even apply for because of a piece of paperwork. In our hearts last Christmas, a seed was planted to move forward with a special needs adoption. God gave me the foresight last Christmas to know that we needed to move on in the adoption process because, after all the waiting, we were to have a child SOON.

The beautiful faces on the video, also reminded me that there are so many beautiful children that still need a home. I was driving in the car a few days ago and the Steven Curtis Chapman song came on, "All I Really Want for Christmas is a Family." It's about an older orphan boy who gets into trouble and really just wants a family. I started crying and looked back at Will, so glad he'll always remember having a family, even if we missed a few months. Of course, Will was just giggling and playing, oblivious to how moved I was by the song on the radio. That song, however, just like the video, reminded me there are more babies out there needing loving homes.

Jesus was "adopted" by Joseph. We have been reading various versions of the true Christmas story every night. We point out baby Jesus whenever we see nativity scenes. Will gets very excited and shouts "baby!" He also points at Mary and Joseph and screams at the top of his lungs, "Mommy! Daddy!" It's the sweetest (and loudest) sound that you'll ever hear. Sometimes, he'll point to Mary and say "Mommy!" and then look back at me. I am so blessed to be Will's mommy. I just don't know how I could love him any more than I already do, but somehow I find a way to love him more every day.

While all these thoughts were tumbling through my head watching that video, it also occurred to me how lucky Mary was to be Jesus' mommy. How lucky Joseph was to be His daddy. How lucky are all the parents who have children to spend Christmas with. How my heart breaks for those parents who long for a child to spend Christmas with. But Christmas is really about one child, baby Jesus. I'm so glad I sat down at my computer this Christmas Eve morning to have a good cry and refocus before I started the day.

Will arranging the nativity.

We'll Miss You, Papaw!

2008-12-10T19:15:00.000-05:00

Few people love you like your grandparents do. This was and is true in the case of Will's Papaw. John's dad went to live in Heaven a few days ago. He will be greatly missed here. He loved Will with all of his heart.

Will's Papaw was one of the first people to see his picture. He was staying at the nursing home recuperating from a broken hip when we first got our referral for Will. He was pleased with him right from the start. Even on his last day, he was singing songs about Will around the house. We're so thankful for the short amount of time that they got to spend together.

The first visit we took to see Papaw we got a great picture of him with Will on a disposable camera. (We forgot our digital.) Our copy of that picture is somewhere in the basement on a CD, but that's kind of like saying something is located "somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle." We'll find it and put the pictures on the computer, but for now, this picture will have to suffice. In it, John was showing him all our thousands of China pictures, but Papaw had stopped to look up at something Will was doing. He loved looking at pictures of Will. We'd given him several and he looked at them all day long, every day.

On a lighter note, whenever you have to go to a funeral, take a small child with you if you can. Will definitely lightened the mood when we really needed it.

First Visit to See Santa

2008-12-10T19:01:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite Christmas memories is laying in bed with my grandmother, who spent the night every Christmas Eve, and actually hearing Santa in the next room leaving my presents. I was so excited that I could actually run in there and talk to HIM that I didn't know what to do with myself. Luckily, my grandma reminded me that if I went in there, he wouldn't leave me any toys.

Will finally had his chance to meet Santa this year. We went to find him at the mall, but when the elves said his camera broke, he magically hopped over to Lexington Green so we could get our pictures with him there. Amazingly, we were the only people in line, so we didn't have to wait. Santa and his photographer gave us plenty of time to warm up to him, but you can see a slight look of distress lingering on his face anyway. Santa is a nice guy and all, but a still a bit intimidating. But pictures with Santa are a right of passage at our house, so here you have it!

Since we had our picture made, any time we see anything that reminds us of Santa, Will says, "Ho, ho, ho!"

Happy Turkey Day!!!

2008-11-27T23:22:00.000-05:00

A few things I'm thankful for tonight...
--finally having my son home with us for the holidays
--a family that loves me, even though we're all a little on the crazy side
--people who are willing to dress alike for family photos
--Black Friday
--leftovers
--wearing my hubby's pajamas when he's not here to cuddle with me
--having enough faith to dream big and believe "it" is actually going to happen
--waking up early and having time to myself
--free Christmas light tours where so many local businesses aren't afraid to spotlight Jesus
--a God who is patient with me
--the way my little one loves his Pa Pa

National Adoption Month--Soap Box Please

2008-11-19T14:31:00.000-05:00

I had never heard of National Adoption Month until we began the adoption process. Naturally, as an adoptive parent, I wish that I could do some big, wondrous thing for National Adoption Month, but the best thing I can come up with is to show others how happy adoption has made us.

I do want to reiterate that not being able to conceive a child biologically is not the only reason that people adopt. That is not the reason we adopted. No matter how many times we tell people that, it still seems to be what people think. I can't tell you how many times we have heard how funny it would be if we got pregnant as soon as we adopted. (No hard feelings if you were one of those people!) Well, it wouldn't be funny. Not because God would be pulling one over on us, but because children, no matter how you get them, are a blessing from the Lord. We wanted our child and we knew God was telling us that our first child was in China. So we tried NOT to get pregnant. We wanted an adopted child, so we tried not to get pregnant. Having an adopted child was not our second choice. It was not our only option. It was the option we CHOSE, because we felt that's what God wanted for our family, therefore, the option we wanted for our family. Will should never feel that he's here because we couldn't have a biological child, that we would rather have someone else, but we settled for him. He was our FIRST choice.

We also plan to do it again. Biological children are a "maybe" for us. But we DEFINITELY want to adopt again.

Another thing I would like to educate people about is the phrase "a child of your own." I understand that most people use this phrase out of ignorance, meaning no harm. I've even had this conversation with my own family. The truth is, asking if someone plans to have a child "of their own" or asking if they couldn't have a child "of their own" insinuates that the adopted child is not their own. The politically correct term is "biological child." The truth of the matter is, even when said by a well meaning party, the phrase "of your own" hurts.

Will is "my own." I've prayed for Will every day since before he was conceived. I've shed many a
tear for him and spent many a penny to ensure his well being. When he's bleeding, I clean him up. When he's crying, I kiss away his tears. I dress him, bathe him, eat after him (and I'm a germ freak!) and play with him. I'm with him 24/7 most weeks. I take pictures and scrapbook all his important moments. I mourn for the time I didn't get to spend with him during his first few months on this earth. I sing to him and read to him and love him more than I love myself. He has my love of peanut butter and dancing, my optimism, my wild hair that sticks up all over his head when he first wakes up, my love of kisses. He has his father's natural inclination for guitar and all other instruments, love of books and bread, ability to take things apart and put them back together, and heart for sharing. He has his aunts love for talking. He has his grandmother's love of quilts. He has his grandfather's knack for cleanliness sense of humor. He has his uncle and his grandfather's name. He is definitely "our own."

Everyone isn't called to adopt. But God does ask everyone to care for the orphans. And adoption is VERY expensive to a common person. Yes, there are grants and fundraisers, etc, etc. But we only got one. And yes, we applied for many. So if your heart is moved by National Adoption Month and you aren't planning on adopting, consider making a donation towards someone's adoption(http://www.heartsforadoption.org) or giving to a charity that helps orphans who need surgery. If it weren't for such a charity, our Will may not have had the VSD surgery he needed when he was a baby.

Thank you for allowing me to indulge. Adoption is a wonderful thing. Will is a wonderful child. We are very blessed. We hope that, in some way, you are blessed by adoption as well.

"Wiggle" It!

2008-11-19T14:17:00.000-05:00

One of the things that we had to write and/or verbally promise a few times when we adopted Will was that we would give him every opportunity that he could have as an American. Now that's a pretty big bill to fill! So when when we found out the Wiggles were coming to town, we knew that Will would love it. After all, our little musician sings into microphones; plays guitar, mandolin, and xylophone; and loves to dance. Unfortunately, however, my staying home with Will means that we must make some cutbacks, so one of the things we reluctantly decided to cut was Wiggles tickets.

I'm a firm believer that God blesses those who try to be obedient. A few hours before the concert, I read on Facebook that one of my friends had access to free tickets. The post had been made a couple hours earlier, but no one had claimed the tickets yet. We had just enough time to finish up our projects for the day, get the tickets, and head to the concert. We figured we'd have to at least pay for parking, but one of John's friends was working his parking lot downtown, so we even got a primo spot right across from Rupp for free! Will loved the concert. To be honest, John and I did too. Thanks to everyone who made it happen!

We managed to get a few pictures before Will danced so hard that he smacked the camera right out of my had and broke it. Luckily it wasn't one of the SLRs. But Santa, now I know what I want for Christmas!

Will is inspecting one of the free sticker booklets that you can use to make your own Wiggles stage.

Will was completely fascinated.

Kingdom

2008-11-15T06:13:00.000-05:00

Our church just concluded a series called Kingdom. It was a reflection of what the world would look like if God's kingdom were to come crashing down to earth and God dwelt in the midst of us. The main idea was that we are God's hands and feet, so we should be living out God's kingdom here and now. We may not be able to stop wars or global warming, but we can impact the lives of those around us.

During this series, the church was challenged to actively participate in God's kingdom. One of the ways we were challenged to do that was by taking photographs of God in the ordinary. I've included a few of the photographs that I submitted. You just can't deny God's existence when you see Him in nature, but unfortunately we don't take the time to stop and appreciate it enough.

This picture was taken a couple of years ago when we were still waiting to adopt our precious little one. It was taken while the Moon Festival, a huge family holiday, was taking place in China. I thought about how the birth parents, and perhaps my little one, were going to be staring up at the same moon even though I was half way around the world. It gave me the hope that I needed at a time when I felt like my baby was so far away.

Aren't flowers amazing? Here they are in the midst of a busy campus, at the arboretum, a little haven in the middle of a crazy world.

Ah...vacation. God wants us to rest, just as He did. I don't ever feel closer to God than when I'm somewhere on the water.

We don't take enough time out of life to do little things to appreciate or encourage people. It's the little things that let people know we care.

This says "kingdom" to me the most. If you want to know what's in my heart, take a good look at this picture. My sweet, wonderful husband sharing the story of Jesus with the most precious treasure, my son. My favorite time of day is reading Bible stories and praying with Will and John each night. No matter how crazy and just plain stupid John's work schedule is, he's here with us at this time. We as a family are sharing and learning about our God. This is the most important thing that we do all day, all of our life.

So there is a peak at how God's kingdom looks out my window. What does it look like to you?

Round Robin

2008-11-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

A Round Robin (at least in quilting) is when one person makes the center block and then passes it on to someone else to do a border. The quilt goes around to several people who all continue to add borders until everyone in the group has added a border. This Round Robin group is from the Quilters' Guild of the Bluegrass. Since Will isn't quite ready to be left yet, he came to the unveiling with me. (See him screaming at the side of our new quilt?) We hadn't seen our own quilts since they left our side nearly a year ago, so the result was quite a surprise to us, but a pleasant one. It's fun to know that a little piece of you will be hanging in someone else's home and they in yours.

Clingy

2008-11-14T21:53:00.000-05:00

I am sitting in the floor of Will's room typing by night light. We've reached a new stage in our relationship in which Will doesn't like to let me out of his sight for even a second. In a crazy kind of way I guess that is proof of how close we've become and how much he loves me. I love that little guy tossing and turning in the bed beside me. I guess that I now know, however, what my mom meant when she said that sometimes you just want to go to the bathroom alone.

Trick-or-Treat!!!

2008-11-03T17:49:00.000-05:00

It was my first official trick-or-treat in 19 years. I've handed out candy, but it's just not the same--especially since we've only had a few trick-or-treaters the past couple of years. So John and I were both extra excited to go trick-or-treating. We decided to go to the mall since we only know a few neighbors here and there. Definitely a good choice. We got to see the Kentucky Wildcat, pirates, and a giant cookie passing out candy, among others. There were lots of Tootsie Rolls, which Will can actually eat, but there were a couple fresh cookies and caramel corn thrown in the mix. Yum! Will knew what the jack-o-lantern was for. We had a hard time keeping him out of it!

Then it was off to Aunt Jo's house for the best treat of all--a giant Reese cup. Will shares the same love of peanut butter as his dear old mom.

Will seemed to have a good time, but probably not as much fun as John and I did, especially me. Only 365 days until next Halloween. And we've already picked out his next costume!

Halloween Howdown

2008-11-03T17:31:00.000-05:00

Our local library hosted a Halloween Howdown early Halloween morning. The library was packed with so many people that we had to park at the bank down the street. We sang Halloween songs, marched in the costume parade, practiced trick-or-treating for the upcoming night (see the cute little trick-or-treat station in the photo), and did a scarecrow craft. We'll definitely be attending again next year.

Sophie Throws a Great Party!

2008-11-03T17:19:00.000-05:00

Sophie is one of Will's friends from church. (You may recognize her as Pebbles in the front row, next to Bamm- Bamm.) This was our first official party with friends. Will did a great job keeping his costume on, even his hood. We had a great time making pumpkin crafts, eating Halloween goodies, and playing with other people's toys! Thanks for the invitation, Sophie. You throw a great party!

Huber Farms

2008-11-01T20:04:00.000-04:00

There are some good pumpkin patches around here, but for us, if you haven't been to Joe Huber's, then it really isn't Halloween. I don't know what it is about it--the country food, the beautiful ponds, the winery, the cute gift shops, the ice cream and cheese shop, the long hay ride, the large pumpkin patches, the barnyard playground, the apple launch, or the corn maze--but for some reason I think it will always be our favorite pumpkin patch. (And it's not too bad during the strawberry festival either!)

Pumpkin Patch Party

2008-11-01T08:06:00.000-04:00

Every year Crossroads Christian Church has a giant Pumpkin Patch Party. We've volunteered before when we use to go to church there, but we were especially excited this year because we had our own little one to take. There was so much going on, that I'm not sure Will knew what to make of it. I'm sure however, that the highlight was getting Mommy to take him up a giant inflatable slide. (Take that, Boyd's Orchard!) For you parents who have never done that, you haven't lived until you've tried to climb a giant slide with a 28lb weight in your arms. Very funny to watch, but I thought I'd spare you the pictures of that!

Will's First Football Game

2008-11-01T07:44:00.000-04:00

For someone who doesn't understand a thing about football, I sure love the atmosphere of a good football game. In spite of that, we managed not to make it to any of my nephew's games until the last one. Sorry, Josh.

I love watching Josh play and figured Will would too--and I was right! Here he is cheering on his one and only cousin, Josh. Will clapped and screamed with the rest of the crowd (sometimes for the wrong team!). Will did manage to scream, "Go!" and give a high-five. At the end of the night, he also managed a few, "Yeah, Josh!" s. (Big deal since we have said very few multiple word phrases and never said Josh's name before.) And, with Will's encouragement, our team won the game.

Boyd's Orchard

2008-11-01T07:32:00.000-04:00

Our second AND third pumpkin patch trips were to Boyd's Orchard. The first time we tried going there with some friends, it rained. We shopped the gift shop, but that was about all we could do. On the bright side, we did get some very yummy apples.

So when some other friends asked us to go again, we thought we'd give it a try. This time we got to go to the petting zoo and the patch. Much to my and Will's disappointment, adults were not aloud on the playground slides, so we didn't get to go. (Mommy had been down one of the giant slides on a field trip with her k-1s a couple years ago. Big fun!)

Vampire Lovin'

2008-10-22T11:51:00.000-04:00

Twilight, the topic of our book club discussion last night, is one of my new favorite books. Yes. I have joined the masses of crazy fans. Our book club even has tickets to go see the movie on opening night. In about a month, I will have read the entire 4 book series.

To keep the mood festive, I tried my hand at creating some Halloween dishes. Unfortunately, the people on TV and the internet always know how to make the difficult seem easy. I can pour over a scrapbook page for hours trying to get it to look just right, but when it comes to pretty food, I've still got my work cut out for me. But without my wonderful husband, who spent 99.99% of his day off watching Will, hanging blinds, and cleaning for me, I couldn't have pulled anything off for book club. Thanks, Honey!

Vinefest '08

2008-10-22T11:20:00.000-04:00

Every fall our church, the Vineyard, has a big throw down complete with potluck, paddle boats, hayrides, corn hole...the works. This year Will experienced his first inflatables at Vinefest.

9 Days Until Halloween!!!

2008-10-22T11:13:00.000-04:00

But who's counting???

One of the absolute cutest things Will does is go into the TV room first thing in the morning, point at the Halloween decorations, and scream, "Yeah!" repeatedly and very loudly until we turn them on. When they're on he keeps screaming, "Yeah!" and claps his hands. He's going to love Christmas!

Museum Go Round

2008-10-22T10:40:00.000-04:00

One of the things I love about living in Lexington is that very often there are fun and free events. Museum Go Round is an event that I've missed the last couple of years, but this year we finally made it. Will and I packed up the diaper bag and headed to the Explorium (formerly the Lexington Children's Museum). Outside on the street budding young artists had their crafts for sale. You could feel the creativity--just like I did as a child when I opened a new box of crayons. There's just so much potential there! Anything and everything is just waiting to be created. This is the kind of event that I, a child who slept with her Crayolas, absolutely would have loved growing up. Maybe one day I'll have an artsy child, but maybe not. We want them to persue I think Will is going to be our musical prodigy. (Note that the best pictures from the day were of him making music!)

There were all kinds of booths, from a tiny baby's finger paintings, to drawings, sculpture, and photography. But my favorite booth of all was owned by a couple of adopted Chinese girls that I had seen in the newspaper a couple of years ago. At the time, one of the girls was helping make soaps to raise the money to bring her sister home. Now they work together making soaps and bracelets to raise money for one of their best friends who cannot be adopted and is still in the orphanage. What great hearts these girls must have! We hope our children will learn to help others like that. We also want them to know that they are never too young to make a difference.

After the shopping, Will and I took advantage of the free admission to the Children's Museum. He loved it! But I did learn why so many people (not including us) don't want the number of children in a household to outnumber the parents. Just trying to keep up with one child in there is a bit scary when it is so crowded and, of course, I'm trying to take pictures while he's running off to the next greatest thing. To be perfectly honest, Will is not too far away from being able to outrun us! He may have a future in track or cross country.

After we left the museum, Will was ready to eat. Mommy was probably more ready to eat because I knew if we waited Will would fall asleep in the car and nap time would be ruined! So we got a little food and sat down to listen to Radio Disney and watch a dance contest. Will danced in his seat and learned the word "Cha Cha!" As a matter of fact, he's saying it right now.

Oh, A Camping We Will Go!!!

2008-10-09T17:13:00.000-04:00

Most thought we were crazy (especially the family), but we did it anyway. The last time we went camping as a childless couple, we saw some people there with a baby. We decided if they could do it, so could we.

Will became an official camper this past Monday. Being the outdoors man that he is, he loved it. His favorite part was watching the boats that we could see on the lake from our campsite. (Yes, the danger of fire AND drowning!) But we all made it back in one piece.

Bi-Water Farm with Friends

2008-10-09T16:57:00.000-04:00

We organized a trip to Bi-Water Farm in Georgetown with Amy and Shelley, 2 of my college roommates, and their kids. I had been many times with my kindergartners, but it's just as exhausting taking 5 kids as it is taking 30 or so!

Hannah and Will are pictured to the left, sporting their latest Halloween gear. To check out all the pictures, visit http://taralovesjohn.shutterfly.com. It's easier to upload a bunch of pictures there. If you're looking for a little more visual stimulation, that's where we'll be uploading more pics in the future. Don't forget to check us out on Facebook too! Different sites, different pictures!

October--The Best Month of the Year!

2008-10-09T16:51:00.000-04:00

Beautiful leaves, Halloween, candy, pumpkins, apple cider, cool weather, church picnic...I could just scream!!!

Good Time for an Old Story

2008-10-04T13:33:00.000-04:00

With good friends getting ready to leave for China, John and I have been reminiscing about our trip. Now don't think that I just go around telling stories on my husband--he's given me permission to post the stories I've told on him. But this is another good one that he reminded me of. I think he was embarrassed to post at the time...

The night we were scheduled to leave Beijing, we had to put our suitcases out to get picked up. This was a surprise to us and we didn't have much time before the bell boys would be around to collect them. Due to the restrictions from China airlines, there were only certain things we could take in our carry on, so we were running around trying to figure out how to pack and still be able to shower, etc. John was a good sport and got our bags out on time, but of course we forgot something and he, modest as he is, had to go back out to our bags wearing nothing but a robe. I was in the shower trying to use the liquids I needed so we could pack them up as well. After a few minutes I realized I hadn't heard John come back in. There was also a strange banging noise. I got out of the shower as quickly as I could and ran to the door. There stood John, panic stricken, trying to get back in the room before anyone saw him. I think John looks pretty cute in a robe. I wonder what the people across the hall would have said?

Cat Calls

2008-09-30T10:16:00.000-04:00

Ikea has become one of our new favorite places in the past year. After our shopping excursion there this past Sunday, I left John and Will outside on a bench while I ran back in to take care of some business. When I came out, John was sitting there with is head in his hands and an embarrassed look on his face. Apparently an attractive and scantily clad girl and her boyfriend had walked by at the exact time Will decided to make one of his favorite noises--a quiet and high pitched "WowWowWowWowWow." The girl and her boyfriend both looked over at John and gave him dirty looks. By then, Will was just sitting there innocently and once again quiet.

Every Good Trip Starts Out Bad

2008-09-30T09:46:00.000-04:00

Since John doesn't get 2 days off in a row very often, it seems that we hardly ever get out of town anymore. I was lucky to get to attend a Photoshop seminar in Cincinnati on Monday, so John requested 2 days off so we could make it a mini-vacation. We finally got to visit the Vineyard in Cincinnati. The last time we had tried to go the whole town had a power outage. Then we visited our usual haunts--Ikea, Jungle Jim's, Trader Joe's, Noodles and Company, Cheesecake Factory. (Do you see a trend?)

But, as I mentioned in the title, every good trip has to start out with something bad. At least in our family. I was running around doing the typical last minute stuff to get ready, so I asked John to get Will's breakfast. John does get to eat breakfast with us sometimes, so I figured he knew the routine. He asked to be reminded, so after a little teasing from me, I figured he could handle it. Part of Will's routine since we got back from China is that he gets his vitamins and any medicine he might need in his Danimals drinkable yogurt. Even at the breakfast buffets in China, Will had drinkable yogurt every morning.

A little aside, I've gotten very into couponing. I figure if I'm not earning us much money, at least I can save us some. This week I had a great coupon for Activia yogurt, which was also on sale. I like yogurt, so that's a deal I couldn't pass up. For those of you who don't know about Activia, it's not called Activia for nothing. Let's just say that it is designed to keep your bowels active. Now back to the story...

Imagine my surprise when I came downstairs to find Will sitting at the table with a straw in an Activia yogurt! Activia is a traditional, spoon kind of yogurt, not drinkable. I did a double take in the fridge to make sure we had perfectly good, drinkable Danimals. There they were, right on the top shelf. Remember, Will's medicine was in the yogurt, so it was important to have it all. So, as any good parents would do, after a lot of laughter, we tried to make sure he ate all of his yogurt. Needless to say, there have been a few extra diapers these last couple of days.

The Sweetest Sound You'll Ever Hear

2008-09-19T09:46:00.001-04:00

Will loves to repeat us often. It's interesting to hear which words he likes to repeat. Last night when John was reading our nightly Bible stories, will was silently sipping away at his milk, then took the cup out of his mouth and said, "Jesus!" It came out more like, "Jesu," but of course we didn't care. We clapped and kissed him. It was the sweetest sound to hear our baby say Jesus' name.

Similarly, at dinner earlier in the evening, without prompting, Will folded his hands to pray before eating. We have never really made him do this because he won't sit still, but he's seen us do it. Then he said, "God," which also came out without the final sound. I usually start my dinner prayers with "God."

It's nice to know that with all the mistakes we will make over the years, Will is going to be picking up some good habits too. And these are the best kind.

TV Anyone???

2008-09-18T14:26:00.000-04:00

We're lucky that TV's still a possibility at our house. I was gone to book club the other night and John called to ask if I knew where the remote was. I usually try to put it up where Will can't reach it, but sometimes he grabs it while it's down and I forget to put it back. We try not to let him watch much TV, but we were told that he likes it when we adopted him. So Will tries to turn on the TV when he can. Luckily, he hasn't figured out how to un-pause it yet.

Back to the story--I didn't know where the remote was when John called, so he just kept looking. He called me back a few minutes later to let me know that he had found it--in the dishwasher with the freshly washed dishes! Will LOVES the dishwasher. I try to keep him away from it, but he usually slips in. It makes a great place to park his cars. So I guess he also decided that it would be a good place to park the remote. Needless to say that when John picked the remote up out of the dishwasher, a bunch of water ran out of it. All it would do was turn the volume up. Luckily it dried out after a night on our air filter and we are now watching TV again--when Will's in bed.

Willisms--Things That Make Will Will

2008-09-15T17:28:00.000-04:00

Since nothing out of the ordinary has happened lately (everything seems ordinary after traveling halfway around the globe to bring home your son), I thought I'd tell you some of the things we've discovered about Will that make him who he is--our precious little boy!

1. The Louder the Better--Will loves to be loud everywhere we go--restaurants, stores, you name it and it's a place to scream, actually shrill. Nothing you can say or do will quiet him. I guess that's getting me back for all the times I wondered, "Why don't they do something with that child?"

2. Anything with Wheels--Anything with wheels is absolutely awesome. Trucks, cars, trains, etc. etc. We recently learned that the word he is often screaming out when in public is the Chinese word for "car." One of his very first words.

3. Outside is Better than Inside--That makes it a shame that we hate the bugs. Lucky for us they are about to die. We hope to fit in a camping trip before fall is over. Managing Will at a campsite--now that should make for some interesting blog material!

4. Reading is Great!--At first Will wasn't too fond of reading. Books were just something to shut when Mom and Dad were reading them. But thanks to books that make noises and other novelties, we have come to love reading, which makes us very happy. The smartest people are readers! At least thats what we teachers say. We also say that you need to read for at least 15 minutes each day, which we are aiming for. I had the bright idea of logging it and keeping it in a journal. I also wanted to double that to make up for lost time with him, but that hasn't quite happened yet either. Maybe someday...

5. Yo! Yo! Yo!--That's what Will says when answering the imaginary phone. You may have read that Will called the front desk in China and loved the hotel phones. Nothing has changed. Since we only use our cell phones and it's easy to redial, Will has called John at work 3 times. Amazingly John answered every time!

My other favorite phone adventure was when Will raised his leg straight up (he's very flexible!) and put his foot to his ear saying, "Yo! Yo! Yo!" Before I could get done laughing, he had his other foot to his other ear. He was on both lines.

6. Into EVERYTHING!!!--I couldn't leave that out. I've heard that boys are harder as toddlers. I think it's true. After babysitting a friend's little girl for a few hours, I decided it would take about 10 little girls to equal 1 of Will. At least as far as how much I have to chase him around and say, "No!" goes. But I don't like dull moments, so that's good for me. It does make us think that if we are going to have any more boys, we might should have them first while we are a little younger and have alittle more energy!

There are lots of things that make Will wonderful, not to mention that we sit around and talk about how cute he is all of the time, but we are headed out for a nice fall walk before Will and I are off to Bible study. (Actually, we just go for dinner and then jet. There is no studying with Will around!) We are super excited about FALL!!!

We put part of his Halloween costume on for a minute today to try to get him use to it. He didn't care for it, but he couldn't get it off. I'll have to keep you in suspense for now. But you can bet there will be LOTS of pictures. We've also got 3 Halloween shirts ready to wear! 2 trips to different pumpkin patches are in the works, 1 children's Halloween party, and trick-or-treating. The decorations will be up soon. I'm just hoping he doesn't tear down our Halloween tree!

Bye for now,
Tara

Welcome to My New Blog!

2008-08-25T19:13:00.000-04:00

Hello! Welcome to my new blog! Wohlford Babies is about to expire, and since we now have our first baby, we're opting for a new, free blog.

For those of you who knew us back when we got married, you might remember that John and I had pencil favors that said, "John loves Tara" and "Tara loves John." That's where I got the idea for my blog name. Trying to come up with something cute and creative is quite exhausting--especially when you are coming up empty. I wanted my blog name to mean something. Since marriage is the heart of our family, and where our family began, I decided it was the perfect name. John was also very fond of it! Besides, "Tara loves John and Will" just doesn't flow. I don't want to change the blog name for each child that comes along either. Plus using our names in the title makes it a little easier to remember. And to be perfectly honest, we use to gross people out all the time with our PDA and sappiness when we were dating and earlier in our earlier married days. It's been way too long. So there you go.

I'll be posting the usual mom type stories and photos, along with the occasional scrapbook page or my 2 cents on what's going on in the world and other ramblings. Thanks for reading. Hope to hear from you soon!