Partaaaaaaayyyy(s)

This year I decided to do 2 parties for the girls in one day.  First, was the late morning tea party with friends and then the family party in the late afternoon.  I have say, I really liked how the day turned out.  I was able to hang out with friends and be able to have a few conversations and then take a nap/watch tv, get ready for the next party and hang out with the family a little later.  I guess this isn’t really supposed to be about how my day went…So, the girls had a tea party in the morning.  They have both been looking forward to their birthday parties for weeks.  And when the party day finally arrived they did not disappoint in the excitement department.   When I came out dressed in a brides maid dress that I had on hand, Kyla says to me “Oh Mommy, you are beautiful”.  This made my day and I think I might just start dressing up every day just to hear I’m beautiful from my girls.  Preparation for the party took place the 2 weeks prior to the big day.  This was a girl and boy tea party so we went all out for the boys too.  While girls wore their boas, necklaces and bracelet, the boys sported neckties (hand made by me and my momma) and mustaches.  I love birthday parties and really love making special cakes for the girls.  This year I made a tea pot and tea cup cupcakes.  These were the easiest cakes I’ve made yet.  The tea cups were just jumbo cupcakes with a little handle super glued to the outside of the cupcake liner.  Super easy, especially since Matt did the gluing for me!  The tea pot was pretty simple as well.  I will say that the handle and spout could have been thought out a little bit more but it worked for a short time.  I used taffy for the handle and spout.  Gravity took its course and they started to droop as soon as I put them on, so I froze them and stuck them on about 5 minutes before the guests arrived.  About 30 minutes or so into the party, the spout and handle had had enough and became completely limp.  It was fun while it lasted and at least I got pictures of them while they were upright (almost used the word erect there but then realized I used limp in the previous sentence and well….)  Anyway, now you know where my head goes at times.  Back to the party…I served necktie and magic wand pb&j’s and slipper & tiara rice crispy treats (thanks to my Mother-in-Law!!)  I say “I” served but really my mom (decked out in her wedding dress), step dad, Matt (both in white shirts/black pants), and I served them food, hot tea, lemonade, crayons to draw on the table cloth and stickers to decorate their place mats.  The kids got to enjoy some chocolate rings, top hats and bow ties as well (once again credit goes to my MIL).   I think they all enjoyed themselves.  I must say I was impressed by how long they all sat around the table and chatted over tea.  All but one ordered hot tea…I’m not sure how many drank it but I know Kyla had 2 cups.  That kid loves some hot tea.  At the end of the party she said this was the best party she has ever had.  She makes things so worth it!!!  Rayna of course had a good time too and ate and ate and ate.  She absolutely loved that I dressed up for her tea party.  Birthdays are so much fun!

Then we had family over for party #2.  It’s always fun to sit around and just hang out with the fam.  I so wish I saw many of them more.  I say many of them not because there’s some I don’t want to see but because some of them I do get to see on a regular basis…had to clarify in case one of y’all reading this was wondering which one I didn’t want to see more.  This party was more about family time and food.  The cake for this party was hello kitty who looks like she’s about to sneeze b/c I iced the nose on just a little crooked.  Good thing my girls are still young enough not to care or even notice my imperfect cake making skills.  I will not take that for granted b/c I know before long they will correct every little thing I do and make sure I know when I ice the nose on the cake a little crooked and insist that I start all over.  So, the girls had a blast playing with everyone and they love to have family over, as do we.  2 parties in one day was a success!!

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Official Foster Parents

So, most of you know that about a year ago, Matt and I started the process of becoming foster parents.  Well, after a few home visits, many classes and a ton of paperwork, our home was approved January 21^st and opened to receive kids a couple weeks later.  In preparation for having a foster kid in our home, we moved our girls in the same room.  We prepared them weeks…no probably months in advance and they couldn’t wait.  I was the one holding up progress…I knew I would get even less sleep and down time once the move was final.  Anyway, they are now sharing a room and the move was as close to seamless as I could have expected.  Now back to the foster kids.  What many don’t understand with being a foster parent is that these placements are temporary.  (sometimes 72 hour temporary)  When we told people we were becoming foster parents, they assumed we were doing this to adopt or that the kids we got would be ours after a while.  Well, that’s not really how it goes with our case.  We are merely foster parents.  Would we adopt if we felt God wanted us to: Absolutely, but at this point we will be these kids temporary parents while their “real” parents get their stuff together.  Matt and I have grown pretty excited about being foster parents.  I know it will be no small task!  I’m sure that caring for the kids in our home will be a lot of work but I’m really thinking having to give them back will be the hardest.  We have been anxiously waiting for about 2 months to get a call saying we have a child for you.  The room is ready!  Our girls are excited and talk about our foster kid often.

Well, about a week ago I got a call to take in an 8 year old little girl.  I immediately wanted to say yes, but our age range is 0-5 years old and I was a little nervous about her age.  We prayed about it and had been praying for whoever God brought us for a while, so we felt like this was it, this is who God chose for us to have in our home.  She showed up at my door a couple of hours later.  She happened to be 10 not 8 but we went with it.   She was such a happy kid, even though she was taken out of school and not able to go home for 4 nights.  She was an absolute doll to my kids.  She played school, Rapunzel, chutes & ladders and read them a million and one books.  They loved having a big sister for those 5 days.  She was a trooper.  She made it through 2 birthday parties, a funeral and being called “the foster kid” by Kyla the whole weekend.  I will say that I knew nothing about having a 4^th grader.   Can she ride in the front seat?, can she wear sparkle jeans?, can she drink Dr. Pepper?  I don’t, should I google it?  Lucky for her, I didn’t know and didn’t bother googling “how to raise a 4th grader”…so she rode in the front seat, got her some skinny jeans and drank Dr. Pepper!  I did draw the line at getting her high heels.  Between the funeral and the birthday parties, she met both sides of our entire family.  She fit in well with everyone and never met a stranger.  This girl was so smart and beautiful, inside and out.  She woke up each morning saying how well she slept and excitedly telling us how many pages she read in the Jesus Storybook Bible.  Our first foster kid was amazing and it made my whole weekend when she thanked me for taking her in.  God is so good!

Here’s a picture of our storage bench with our kids’ hand prints as well as our very first foster kid.  We are hoping to get each kid that we care for to put their hand print on here.

So You Think You Can Dance

 

Perspective

Sometimes I catch myself complaining about staying here all day with my “crazy” kids or wishing that I could go to work sometimes so I could talk to adults and feel more accomplished than getting the laundry done and dishwasher unloaded for the day.  Then it hits me in some way or another.  Rather it be God smacking me in the face with a verse or two or my kids hugging me and telling me how much they love me for no special reason or a blog that puts it all in perspective.  This week it was a friend’s blog.  If you are a mom, I would definitely recommend reading this entry.  http://stahlpartyof5.blogspot.com/2011/01/i-will-not-take-my-job-for-granted.html

So, on behalf of her post, I will also not take my job for granted.  I am blessed beyond measure to be able to stay at home with my amazing kids.  Thanks, Jenn for the post.

Stir crazy, anyone?

Matt and I got a little project crazy after being cooped up in the house for a week due to the snow.  We painted our dining room, great room, stairs and upstairs hallway.  We also put some spiffed up our staircase with some wainscoting.  I love that my husband is handy but what I love even more is that is he ready and willing anytime I mention a new project.  We did all the work together and I have to say I love how it turned out.  Now I just have to get my pictures hung in the hallway.  Here are some before and after pics of the work.  BTW the total cost of this was $25.  Matt mixed the paint with cans we already had on hand and we had all the tools we needed.  We just had to buy the mdf for the staircase project.

Before - forgot the real before so I had to take one after we started...hence the mud already on the wall and the ladder taking up most of the picture.

MDF ready to be primed and painted

Wainscoting done...now ready for the walls to get some paint

ta da....well minus the handrail being installed

view from the top

Note to my girls:

It is such a gift to have 2 girls.  Watching them play together makes my heart melt.  I pray that they will always be the best of friends.  What girl wouldn’t love to grow up with their best friend.  A sister relationship is like no other.   I feel blessed that God has called me to be a part of these girls’ lives.  I love you both and you both are so special to me!

Precious Kyla, oh how I love you.  You were my first born and are such a sweet kid.  You have an amazing heart and I love to hear you sing and talk and talk and talk!  You try to please others and love your little sister a ton.  I’m so proud of you for being so patient when your hair is pulled and have bite marks that break the skin.   You are the best big sister a little girl could ask for.  You love to aggravate but usually in good fun.  You are happy no matter where you are or what you are doing and you have fun wherever you go.  You are the life of the party! I love that about you.  Your jokes crack me up even if they make no sense at all.  I just love that you have an amazing sense of humor!  You are about the smartest little girl I know and I love to watch you grow.  You love learning and it’s so fun to teach you new things.  You are a beautiful little girl inside and out.  You are growing up so fast and I’m so lucky to be your mommy.

Sweet Rayna Belle, oh how I adore you.  You are my sweet, laid back baby.  You are the cutest baby I know and give the best hugs.  I love cuddling with you.  You are an amazing sleeper and always have been.  You love your big sister and imitate her daily.  I love to get you laughing.  You amaze me with your fine motor skills and how quickly you learn to do things with your hands.   You love to eat and I don’t think you would stop if I didn’t make you.  You are an amazing baby and so beautiful.   You are so polite, you never miss an opportunity to say “tank ooo”.   I love being your mommy and watching your personality come out and boy has it shown over the last few weeks.  You crack me up even when you are yelling and biting because you don’t get your way.  I know you will never have a problem letting others know you have been wronged.   I love the way you cling to me when we meet new people.  It is refreshing to know that you choose me to “protect” you from just about everyone you see.  Your shyness is adorable.  I love you my sweet and sassy girl.

White Christmas

So it’s been awhile,  over a month I guess.  It seems like this is just how it’s going to be with my blog.   So, here we go:  Christmas season is anticipated big in our house.  I think Kyla asked on a daily basis “is it Christmas today?”  Who can blame a kid…especially since we started the festivities back in November.  Our first Christmas outing was to the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds to see their lights and activities.  The girls got to see Santa.  This is the first year Kyla has been excited to see him.  She ran and jumped in his lap and talked to him.  Rayna was still unsure.  She didn’t cry but wasn’t exactly thrilled to be standing beside some old man with a white beard and red suit.  We of course did Stone Mountain Christmas this year.  The Snow Angel was a hit.  What little girl doesn’t love a real live princess (or angel I guess).   It was so much fun to watch the girls get excited together about Christmas.  They loved getting  up each morning and search for “Jonah”, our elf on a shelf.  They were definitely sad to see him go.  The snow on Christmas Day was amazing.  We had the best White Christmas!  Here are a few pictures that capture our holidays.

BabyLand General

Matt and I took the girls to Cleavland to visit Babyland General for the first time.  The girls were just adorable pushing their own cabbage patch dolls through the “hospital”  This place was fun and we loved watching a little baby being born.  It was a girl and she was named Erin Elaine Kyla.  Obviously Kyla got to be a part of the naming process!  Another couple came up with Erin Elaine and Kyla got to do the last part.  The girls got to hold the newborn after she was measured and weighed.  The girls had a great time fixing the babies’ hair, rocking them, putting them “night night” and really just running around doing whatever they wanted.  It was a great place and best of all, it was free!  You know I love free.

The Pink Pig & The Varsity

Last year we started a new tradition with my Step Dad’s family.  We head to the Pink Pig and The Varsity the day before Thanksgiving.  This is something their family has done for years and we love being a part of it now.  Kyla loves hanging out with the older girls and was following right along with them posing for the “paparazzi”.  This year Amanda had a big announcement…she was engaged!  Brian had just proposed that morning.  What a fun time!

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30, really?

Well, this past month I went from being able to say I was in my “mid-late 2o’s” to saying that I am 30.  Yes, I considered 29 mid to late 20′s!  I know it’s just a number but I swear I got 10 more wrinkles over night.  Anyway, my birthday was made very special by my entire family.  Matt set this up for me the morning of my b-day.   I had 4 handmade cards.  A birthday card from each girl, a card from Matt and a Valentine card from Kyla, which she wanted to add to the pack…cute kid.  It was so sweet to read the many reasons my husband loves me.  He piled all my favorite things on the table! Now you can see what a junkie I really am!!  Like a facebook friend said, this made turning 30 much easier!

Matt had the Friday and Monday after my birthday off so we were able to hang out a lot as a family.  The weather was beautiful so we went to a new park with the girls.  I loved being at the park with my family and just strolling down the sidewalk watching the girls pick flowers and run around.  I am amazingly blessed.

I celebrated with my extended family about a week before the big day.  We had some good food and great times together.  I was surprised by my Aunt Karen and Grandmother.  They drove up to celebrate with me. Thank you family for making me feel so special!