Thursday, March 29, 2012

Tornado Flies

Tornado was given something today that changed his little life. A CAPE!!!!!! 

 

His friend C/mater came over to visit and brought him a super hero cape. He was so pumped when he had it on. He felt big just like C/mater. He loved it!!!! 

He would run and try to watch it fly behind him at the same time. Something that I was only able to capture with my eyes.....he instantly had super powers. LOL
 Man he was fast. A Tornado with a cape!!!! 


Have any of you ever received something from a friend that changed your life???? If not give your friend a cape!!!! I bet they will smile and never forget it. 

Have the best day!!
Tara

Monday, March 26, 2012

Nature's Nourishment

This morning I had breakfast in the garden.  I didn't eat a thing, but felt stuffed while viewing the buffet of baby buds, newly blossomed petals, deep colored leaves and a large dandelion sprinkling on the lawn.  

I had no intention of dining.  I had gone out to pull the annoying weeds whose taunting from the kitchen window finally sent me outdoors.  

 
However, all my annoyance vanished as I let myself see what was happening beside the growing weeds.



It began with the Azaleas.  I swear, they did not look like this yesterday.   They were little, tiny buds.  Now they have pop corned into large kernels, with a few opened, pointed, pink, stars. 




It seems they have a mind of their own.  The Azaleas on the East side hold tighter buds, not as eager to blossom as their cousins in the North garden beds.
 






The older, heirloom bushes, also on the East, are proud to show off their flower-power.


 
And again on the East, a newer bush, close to the ground is trying to make a name for itself among it's elders.  It has a cocky attitude, a bit of a show off as if telling the heirlooms, "I'll still be glorious after you are long gone!"






Leaves of the oriental fire bush are ablaze in a red and orange glow. 










Only one yellow blossoms remains on the Jasmine vine.  She has already done her thing and is ready to give way to a leafy vine, but no more flowers during our hot humid summers.

  

Yesterday one tiny blossom was opened on our potted Verbena.  Today a full mound of blooms have sprung open.


But, clearly it is the Japanese Maple that steals the Springtime  show...






 ...dangling her intricate spiny blossoms from branches abundantly adorned in brilliant wine-colored leaves.






She shouts, "Glory, glory, glory.  Hale to the Creator of Heaven and Earth."






I hope your Monday nourishes you in ways you do (did) not expect.  I hope you take a small walk around your day and hale it's glory, weeds and all.  
Yaya

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Joy Comes In The Morning


We Have been waiting & praying for a little one in China for almost a year now....
Our adoption papers has been stuck in "auditing" on our caseworkers desk for over a month...
As soon as we think we have made the last correction something else is found. We have had to resend originals because our names were spelled wrong....
Who spells their own name wrong???

Frustrating is the best word for where we have been stuck.

Because of our incomplete paperwork we haven't been logged in to China's System and haven't been considered eligible to be matched with a waiting orphan...

Frustrating....

We have know she was out there waiting too...

We had a very slight chance of being matched this week with a special focus list of children. Usually these children require more care then we feel able to provide. We tried to be sensible, but couldn't help to be hopeful that maybe an email would come...
So, after watching our computer & hearing nothing from our agency Brad & I went to bed feeling a little defeated thinking our match didn't happen again...

More waiting...
More time apart...

But work was happening as we slept...
Prayers were being answered...
Plans were being revealed...

We woke to an email introducing us to Yang Yue Rong... our new daughter!
She is 2 yrs old and lives in a Mongolian orphanage...
She was abandoned the day after her birth...
For reasons unknown to us no one has claimed this sweet girl...
Until now... We have claimed her as our girl!

Very happy day!!!

She has had surgery for cleft lip/palette , and will require additional surgeries to complete this process, and some cosmetic attention to her ear, but we think she is perfect!

All our research show that her orphanage is a one of the most loving, caring, & vested we have heard of...
She has chubby checks, bright eyes, and beautiful fat rolls on her arms...
We can't post pictures until our paperwork is officially completed, but we will share as soon as that happens.

Hopefully we will travel to Mongolia in 3-6months to bring her home.

Thank you so much for your prayers & encouragement...

We feel blessed!!! 
 Cindy

We are powering up the blog today after a couple months hiatus.  

For me, it is always about balance.  I enjoyed publishing a blog post daily, but soon found myself connected to the computer more than was good for my soul.  I want to connect to each of you --- not a machine.   I took a vacation to get my mind, body, and spirit more in sync. Hopefully, my obsessive nature has been tamed a bit and all of us can still enjoy sharing daily experiences and special moments with each other.

Cindy and her family are on a road trip to the Grand Canyon.  She has a post ready to publish and will be sending it to me over the air waves sometime this afternoon.  

Stay tuned... oops that's an old expression from the early days of television.  What I meant to say was, "put it on pause," while you await the newly released edition of Familychicks.



And most important, I truly hope this day (or night) is contentment to your heart.


Yaya