tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36733836700791936062024-03-12T23:48:42.714-04:00BRIMER: party of 4rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.comBlogger203125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-47828970618558599242013-03-01T08:05:00.001-05:002013-03-01T08:05:14.452-05:00big news on our new blog<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://brimerpartyof5.wordpress.com/">http://brimerpartyof5.wordpress.com/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">follow us here to find out some big news and keep following our family's miracle story. </span><br />
<br /></div>
rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-58981864076411885052013-01-13T16:43:00.000-05:002013-01-13T16:43:07.047-05:00da peep peep<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #cc0000;">This was writtn months ago and I am not sure why I never published it but it is a cute story.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
Hayden is an inquisitive thinker and his ability to think things through is quite impressive to me. I enjoy our conversations as he figures out why things are the way they are.<br />
<br />
Here is one especially endearing example:<br />
I was giving them their snack before I send them down for their Sunday School class<br />
the pastor was walking past us and Hayden asked, <br />
"what to do in your class up here? What will you teacher say to do?"<br />
I answered that God tells our teacher what to say and we learn what God wants us to do. I gave a few examples like "to be nice friends" and "do good listening" <br />
I added that sometimes even big people who know what to do right still do bad things and just do what we like to do even if it isn't a good idea.<br />
Hayden was thinking about what happens to him when he does NOT do good things and asked<br />
"God tells you to make us sit down w/the peep peep (timer). What do YOU have to do? Because you don't sit down for time out."<br />
GREAT question! I told him that even though we don't have to sit down for a timeout, sometimes we don't get good things because we have bad ideas and do just what we like to do. Sometimes sad things come and we can't have any fun.<br />
<br />
The next day he says at breakfast:<br />
I had a dream about daddy and God<br />
Daddy wasn't going good listening and God told Daddy<br />
to sit down with da peep peep.<br />
<i>LOVE THIS KID!!!!</i></div>
rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-10197827996137370322013-01-13T16:13:00.002-05:002013-01-13T16:34:08.205-05:00in defense of contentment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday I posted this on fb: <span style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="userContent"><span style="font-size: large;">so this is what contentment feels like</span> *big exhale* :). <span style="color: black;">My friend, </span></span></span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="userContent"><span style="color: black;"><span class="userContent">Kait,</span> a fellow adoptive mom from Uganda asked me:</span> </span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70775679}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70775679}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70775679}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">Do
you ever find yourself looking at your husband and boys and thinking
"Lord, I know I could never do anything to deserve such blessings but
thank you for this anyway"?</span></span></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">. Yes </span><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=863810513" href="http://www.facebook.com/kait.kettmann" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[1]" target="_blank">Kait </a></span><span id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[2]"><span style="color: #cc0000;">,
I do feel that way. I also feel a settled, deep calm as if I don't
need to search for the next big thing or what I'm going to do with my
life "when I grow up." <span style="font-size: large;"> I'm realizing that this is a very new feeling
and how much that I LOVE it.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[2]"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">I have just realized how truly settled and content and peaceful I have been feeling lately. I am by nature a truly type-A planner/schemer/dreamer living days weeks months years into the future in my mind to <i>get it right</i> <b>plan it out </b><span style="color: blue;">know what to say or do and how I will face every possible scenario</span> in my life. I've also been know to be a what-if-this-isn't-what-I'm-really-supposed-to-be-doing-with-my-life-and I'm-*gasp*missing-something person. [<i>those who know me are nodding right now</i>] It has been so long since I have felt any of those things that I really can't remember my last anxiety filled sleepless night or <span style="color: #38761d;">so</span>-distracted-that-I'm-present-in-body-only week. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[2]"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">That is no small thing, my friends. No.small.thing</span>. 34 years I have lived that way. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[2]"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[2]"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">Briefly I think the reason for this is 2-fold. 1. Spending time the in 3rd world. I mean once you've done that you are ashamed to worry about your little things. period. and 2. Being handed the awesome responsibility of the lives and well-being of 2 little boys who were hand-picked by God out of all that poverty and despair to live in my house and live under my influence. [I'm sure having a baby come out of your body and raising it is a very sobering experience too.] <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">I guess there is just something about that fact that this BRIMER PARTY OF 4 was matched up from 1,000's of miles away to be each other's family... well I don't have the words</span>.</span> Simply put I am NOT searching for a sense of purpose.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[2]"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[2]"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[2]"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">Ironically </span></span></span></span></span>the message today at church was about staying warm and safe in a place where religion can insulate us from real life and inoculate us from really knowing God. A message against contentment! And just when I felt so relieved at having found it! We were challenged to embrace adventure. [btw it was great sermon, very inspiring and on another level of spiritual -not physical/emotional- stuff I was very challenged by it] Some of this could be semantics, I realize. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[2]"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">However life is NOT static or still (especially w/2 4 yr olds) and I honestly believe that seasons come and go on the journey. We have recently come out of a season of true world-traveling adventure. We are in a season of rest and rooting. We are doing all the things plants do underground during the winter. <span style="color: #45818e;">Resting</span>. <span style="color: #38761d;">Waiting</span>. <span style="color: #b45f06;">Anticipating</span>. <span style="color: #674ea7;">Becoming</span>. <span style="color: #990000;">Multiplying for the next flashy-on-display season</span>. <span style="color: #a64d79;">Growing on the inside</span>. <span style="font-size: large;">Our current season IS an adventure even though it may not be noteworthy or incredibly interesting to anyone but us. </span> May I also say that; parenting AT ALL is a journey, <i>yes an adventurous one, </i>these 2 Brimers never thought we'd embark on. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[2]"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">While I can't say where we'll be next week, today I will declare that: </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[15].[1][2][1]{comment4742267267596_70776411}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[2]"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Parenting+Contentment is a big deal.</span></span> </span><span class="emoticon emoticon_heart"></span></span></span></span></div>
rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-63454417020989748822013-01-11T14:35:00.000-05:002013-01-11T14:35:58.566-05:00the thinkers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="userContent">Ever have a moment that leaves you feeling
like you must be doing SOME things right as a parent? So at breakfast
we are listening to a CD of a Ugandan children's choir that the boys
LOVE and they asked me what the song was about. They wer<span class="text_exposed_show">e
singing about God's grace so I told the boys the song was about "how
God loves us even when we are naughty so many times and just do what we
like, even then He loves us just the same much." I could hardly get the
words out w/o getting a little choked up as I said them because it is
just too amazing when you realize the truth of that statement. THE BEST
part though was Hayden's quick response, "just like you and daddy still
love us when we are naughty!" *misty-eyed momma* What more do you need them to know at this age? LOVE IT!!!!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">Yesterday I said somethings about having my 2 babies and Hayden protested "no only 1 baby, because I am 4." I told him that daddy was still Gramma Brimer's baby even though he's all the way big and that he will still be my baby even when he is all the way big.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">Out of the blue a few days ago Garak came up to me and declared as if he had it all thought out, "God has the biggest hands. Even if you are far far away from Him, He can still reach you!" I was moved by his observation and told him to go tell daddy what he had just said. He went into the room where daddy was and emphatically delivered his message gesturing with his hand like a seasoned African preacher would. He often gestures like that when he sings as well. His Ugandan Jaja would be so proud to know he is following in her footsteps.</span></span><br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span>
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">Another keen observation from Hayden: he was asking about shooting a gun to kill a deer when he gets bigger. I told him that you have to go to school to learn how to be really safe with a gun and if you don't do a great job and good listening at that class you can't have a card that says you are allowed to have gun. He thought for a few moments and then declared </span></span><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">"at that school they tell you" </span></span>while wagging his finger like an instructor scolding a student, "don't shoot yourself with a gun or you will be dead!"</span></span><br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span></div>
rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-91656528084398389152012-12-05T08:03:00.000-05:002012-12-09T18:19:14.684-05:00giving thanks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-91650341316752778042012-11-06T08:17:00.000-05:002012-11-06T08:17:12.014-05:00FALLing into family rhythms<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7OYpjR68JYM/UJkGGqjzTXI/AAAAAAAABto/jhZL3SwlEqY/s1600/100_6336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7OYpjR68JYM/UJkGGqjzTXI/AAAAAAAABto/jhZL3SwlEqY/s320/100_6336.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the great carrot harvest of 2012. we pulled them up from the garden, loaded them into the dump truck (right of sink) and then scrubbed them in lots of bubbles. Garak's bulging cheek reveals they also were sampling them during the processing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xcx0qo4XGy8/UJkGrpH-4sI/AAAAAAAABtw/YLbMQcaGyEI/s1600/100_6388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xcx0qo4XGy8/UJkGrpH-4sI/AAAAAAAABtw/YLbMQcaGyEI/s320/100_6388.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beth's farm market. the haystack mountain. such fun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4QcgocVNidI/UJkG9SETLVI/AAAAAAAABt4/X6MLs93c3D0/s1600/100_6401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-90zTJV0XxLo/UJkHM2EiD6I/AAAAAAAABuA/8PNcD_BobI0/s1600/100_6403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-90zTJV0XxLo/UJkHM2EiD6I/AAAAAAAABuA/8PNcD_BobI0/s320/100_6403.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm this big, really. not pretending. are you kidding me? (Hayden says this fairly often)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BOPlerQb7DQ/UJkHbG8IbbI/AAAAAAAABuI/FEvIzAWkq8M/s1600/100_6430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BOPlerQb7DQ/UJkHbG8IbbI/AAAAAAAABuI/FEvIzAWkq8M/s320/100_6430.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we built this w/Mommy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FF5vx9duLRQ/UJkHskC74rI/AAAAAAAABuQ/qeQ_mZCQFlg/s1600/100_6436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FF5vx9duLRQ/UJkHskC74rI/AAAAAAAABuQ/qeQ_mZCQFlg/s320/100_6436.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">even Hayden puts his clothes on backwards sometimes still (for Garak it is a daily occurrence) this is rare shot where the roles were reversed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MlTmiqf1btw/UJkIQ52hDSI/AAAAAAAABuY/wyj_oq93WrQ/s1600/100_6455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MlTmiqf1btw/UJkIQ52hDSI/AAAAAAAABuY/wyj_oq93WrQ/s320/100_6455.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">riding bikes and visiting w/grampa Proch on speakerphone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ckQMKA0hBUA/UJkIoig3uWI/AAAAAAAABug/enU8NLdKp7M/s1600/100_6459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ckQMKA0hBUA/UJkIoig3uWI/AAAAAAAABug/enU8NLdKp7M/s320/100_6459.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grampa, when are you coming?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7Cg953573MY/UJkJHZ9lRwI/AAAAAAAABuo/B4k0HHu9Ing/s1600/100_6468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7Cg953573MY/UJkJHZ9lRwI/AAAAAAAABuo/B4k0HHu9Ing/s320/100_6468.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">look at me! I have a big bike! [they like to show people on the phone what they are doing assuming that they can see it all]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-etueLAl1qIk/UJkJgtZNMTI/AAAAAAAABuw/5lfoGOO_7XU/s1600/100_6528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-etueLAl1qIk/UJkJgtZNMTI/AAAAAAAABuw/5lfoGOO_7XU/s320/100_6528.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we jumped in the leaves!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ytzx0VPRmes/UJkKAtaf96I/AAAAAAAABu4/4heHh6PLkiA/s1600/100_6530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ytzx0VPRmes/UJkKAtaf96I/AAAAAAAABu4/4heHh6PLkiA/s320/100_6530.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and then threw leaves at daddy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4l5e_mZoG-w/UJkKW82BAKI/AAAAAAAABvA/L3jEXIfbwQY/s1600/100_6547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4l5e_mZoG-w/UJkKW82BAKI/AAAAAAAABvA/L3jEXIfbwQY/s320/100_6547.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">vampires!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I-HfdzrY8rI/UJkKpIAC6XI/AAAAAAAABvI/rBfCYXSKjH8/s1600/100_6584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I-HfdzrY8rI/UJkKpIAC6XI/AAAAAAAABvI/rBfCYXSKjH8/s320/100_6584.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garak LOVEs his pumpkin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-55293617836050577532012-10-29T07:42:00.000-04:002012-10-29T07:42:04.737-04:00long time ago in Muganda<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tv-q-64PrCA/UI3Q_0L_EGI/AAAAAAAABs8/GWNyIO6FB4I/s1600/100_0385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tv-q-64PrCA/UI3Q_0L_EGI/AAAAAAAABs8/GWNyIO6FB4I/s320/100_0385.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1st day we met him</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
tonight I was cuddling Garak after books (during Hayden's last potty attempt of the night) and b4 the final tuck-in and i rocked him a minute repeating in a sing-songy way "I love Garak. he's such a nice boy"<br />
then he (was on my lap looking up at me and grinning) came up with a different tune than I had used and sang me a sweet song right off the top of his head <span style="font-size: x-large;">"Mommy is a girl. I love HIM. such a nice girly. I love HIM!"</span>When I told him that I loved the song he replied, "I had that one long time ago in MUGANDA."<br />
best song I've ever had sung to me before bed, hands down!<br />
<br />
both boys refer to things that happened "long time ago in Muganda" <-- Garak<br />
or<br />
"when I was a baby in Uganda" <-- Hayden<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6KAeA5_8CtM/UI3RVpuifRI/AAAAAAAABtE/p7KtiqjuKHQ/s1600/100_0391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6KAeA5_8CtM/UI3RVpuifRI/AAAAAAAABtE/p7KtiqjuKHQ/s320/100_0391.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1st day we met him</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
mostly they are made up and completely impossible to have happened when they were babies but very cute to hear and also very cool that <span style="font-size: large;">they know where they came from</span><span style="font-size: large;"></span>. Isn't that such an important part of becoming who you are?<br />
<br />
Today they met a couple from Mulawi, Africa and when the husband asked Garak where he was from, he fired back without any hesitation, "I'm from Uganda!"<br />
<br />
Not sure why Hayden seems hesitant, but he has dramatically opposed meeting people with brown skin a few times recently (today included). We'll see if he can express why at some point.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oWKwGucC1Gg/UI3TxyulfLI/AAAAAAAABtM/t4WS_mDqvkI/s1600/DSCF0629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oWKwGucC1Gg/UI3TxyulfLI/AAAAAAAABtM/t4WS_mDqvkI/s320/DSCF0629.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">last week at a hayride</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-11065534701992260712012-09-18T08:50:00.002-04:002012-09-18T08:51:29.834-04:00today in our family's history..1st time we were all together in America<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;">maybe I should have some significant, deeply moving paragraph about how my heart is quivering and my throat gets tight just looking back at these, about how I sit is disbelief as I look back at that 2 month period between arrival in Uganda and arrival in Portland, Maine... instead it seems these images speak for themselves...if this moves you, please pause and give thanks for our blessings and ask that others who are trying to bring their blessings home will soon realize that dream as well</td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uzwv-AMap5c/UFhi9o7tevI/AAAAAAAABrA/EQTSTyrP01U/s1600/DSCN1454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uzwv-AMap5c/UFhi9o7tevI/AAAAAAAABrA/EQTSTyrP01U/s320/DSCN1454.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the day after we arrived in Uganda: reunited</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WE3sMbFkdnE/UFhknlAHF3I/AAAAAAAABrQ/xGLwd2S5KKo/s1600/DSCN1692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WE3sMbFkdnE/UFhknlAHF3I/AAAAAAAABrQ/xGLwd2S5KKo/s320/DSCN1692.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">best.sign.ever.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TXye8gjDxSA/UFhnhnR4rmI/AAAAAAAABrg/b0FkZGpvFQg/s1600/DSCN1696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TXye8gjDxSA/UFhnhnR4rmI/AAAAAAAABrg/b0FkZGpvFQg/s320/DSCN1696.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">barely holding on but our 22ish hrs of plane rides are FINALLY over</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cn6r4Fi4IrM/UFhnoLwk8zI/AAAAAAAABrw/ygQUmJf0yN0/s1600/100_2107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cn6r4Fi4IrM/UFhnoLwk8zI/AAAAAAAABrw/ygQUmJf0yN0/s320/100_2107.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">straight to the Weathervane from the airport</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G8Gc8QjfRc4/UFhnsBIiHDI/AAAAAAAABr4/2oapA4zZgxE/s1600/100_2108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G8Gc8QjfRc4/UFhnsBIiHDI/AAAAAAAABr4/2oapA4zZgxE/s320/100_2108.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yay! we're in America!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uJ7dXoJLJ1k/UFhnvv0yo2I/AAAAAAAABsA/6PQ_1Cg7ylE/s1600/100_2109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uJ7dXoJLJ1k/UFhnvv0yo2I/AAAAAAAABsA/6PQ_1Cg7ylE/s320/100_2109.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">celebrate with me! I'm home. my life is radically different from now on</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qhNlRMxsPK0/UFhnz6PMTZI/AAAAAAAABsI/hWmuVShmqtM/s1600/100_2111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qhNlRMxsPK0/UFhnz6PMTZI/AAAAAAAABsI/hWmuVShmqtM/s320/100_2111.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tired but joyful with my loving family around me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EehACZEl024/UFhn3NSjbsI/AAAAAAAABsQ/iZprf9InMBA/s1600/100_2112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EehACZEl024/UFhn3NSjbsI/AAAAAAAABsQ/iZprf9InMBA/s320/100_2112.JPG" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">no way for him to understand the sweet significance of this image</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vklykkkorWQ/UFhnlmuikwI/AAAAAAAABro/UdoLHzNLcfo/s1600/P9230398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vklykkkorWQ/UFhnlmuikwI/AAAAAAAABro/UdoLHzNLcfo/s320/P9230398.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our house. it's real! not just in the picture book Mommy brought us</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I1rmeRMMns4/UFhn6UwWEaI/AAAAAAAABsY/ODcWXQJE0bg/s1600/100_2149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I1rmeRMMns4/UFhn6UwWEaI/AAAAAAAABsY/ODcWXQJE0bg/s320/100_2149.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our room (look at those baby faces!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xZNq1Z4ZF0c/UFhn_KSsx_I/AAAAAAAABsg/InPpc6GGgi4/s1600/100_4074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xZNq1Z4ZF0c/UFhn_KSsx_I/AAAAAAAABsg/InPpc6GGgi4/s320/100_4074.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we'll never forget where we came from</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-9668500031665311422012-08-31T11:50:00.000-04:002012-08-31T11:50:03.778-04:00worth the trip<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
a few weeks ago we decided to go and visit my family in upstate NY. {disclaimer: I enjoyed seeing my sister my gramma and my aunties as well but this post is about grampa} to say that the 8hr drive through the mountains of Vermont -in the dark- in a rainstorm - was less than fun is well...an understatement to say the least. there were a few times on that long trip to NY that we wondered aloud if it was worth it for just a couple of days of visiting to go through this long unpleasant drive.<br />
well let's see:<br />
in 2009 I went to Uganda on a missions trip and was given the assignment to become a mother. my boys were newly born infants. I didn't know at that time that they even existed but they were already waiting for me. <br />
after that trip I went to upstate NY and visited my grandparents. I told them that I knew that I was going to go back to Uganda to bring 2 little brown boys home. I showed them my pictures of the orphans I HAD seen. my grandpa (who is now 80 years old and has had a stroke) didn't say much while I was showing the photo slideshow and telling about what I had experienced. after a while he got up abruptly to leave the room. when asked where he was going he replied, "I'm getting too sad. I can't stay in here anymore." his answer had stayed with me all this time. it is an honest reaction to the sadness of so many children living in poverty without parents. <br />
<br />
so fast forward to this most recent trip to NY to see my grandparents again; this time with the boys.<br />
my grandpa doesn't smile as much now as I remember him doing when we were young, but he smiled a lot when we were there. he hugged each of my boys in a big bear hug and declared, "Grampa loves you. Do you know that? I love you." <br />
was it worth the trip?<br />
no question. absolutely.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UjizOXu_45o/UEDYP3F8zjI/AAAAAAAABqI/KzHfgXurINE/s1600/100_5862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UjizOXu_45o/UEDYP3F8zjI/AAAAAAAABqI/KzHfgXurINE/s320/100_5862.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4LIZKV60Uzk/UEDY1XScT0I/AAAAAAAABqQ/yjgw6sxnPc4/s1600/100_5865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4LIZKV60Uzk/UEDY1XScT0I/AAAAAAAABqQ/yjgw6sxnPc4/s320/100_5865.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oY0g5P4JjIU/UEDZby96IAI/AAAAAAAABqY/wcsKcAvWvb4/s1600/100_5875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oY0g5P4JjIU/UEDZby96IAI/AAAAAAAABqY/wcsKcAvWvb4/s320/100_5875.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U1J_eobYQlU/UEDaD4pNPOI/AAAAAAAABqg/qNJ5C47gSrg/s1600/100_5888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U1J_eobYQlU/UEDaD4pNPOI/AAAAAAAABqg/qNJ5C47gSrg/s320/100_5888.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4t-w2qbzBG4/UEDarOsUF6I/AAAAAAAABqo/3FFCVcrxNpA/s1600/100_5902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4t-w2qbzBG4/UEDarOsUF6I/AAAAAAAABqo/3FFCVcrxNpA/s320/100_5902.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo op: the 3 great grandsons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-10496980223629574862012-08-31T10:58:00.000-04:002012-08-31T10:58:11.025-04:00tuba head<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
so our boys' hair is amazing and fun and I'm just as jealous as I have been since the first time I played on the playground and saw an little African girl with her hair in braids...but let me share our family's most recent "hair story"<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
if you've never touched African hair in it's natural state then 1st of all you should if you get the chance. If you've ever pet a baby sheep, it is a very similar texture. We talk about the boys' sheep hair and they pretend to be sheep sometimes when we are oiling their hair. We use coconut oil in their hair sometimes after bath. On those nights we wrap their hair just so it doesn't get the bed too dirty. they LOVE when they get to wear "pirate hats" to bed. on this particular night we put the kerchiefs on upside down and gave them sheep ears</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-heZuaJWZ6bw/UEDQT91Bg2I/AAAAAAAABpw/WwB5IUEgx_s/s1600/100_5962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-heZuaJWZ6bw/UEDQT91Bg2I/AAAAAAAABpw/WwB5IUEgx_s/s320/100_5962.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
They twist their hair as a nervous habit and for comfort. The result looks like little horns and feels like a knotted mess. sometimes when they wake up in the AM having twisted their hair to fall asleep there is a big "horn" somewhere. The English language has enough homonyms to make things interesting in such cases but Hayden heard "trumpet" not "horn like a sheep has." <br />
Yesterday he woke up, looked in the mirror and declared to Daddy, "I am a tuba head!" [the biggest horn he could think of]<br />
very cute stuff!!</div>
rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-26634850219655884852012-08-30T16:36:00.000-04:002012-08-30T16:36:39.070-04:00for tomorrow<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
almost 1 year into having the boys at home we have so many days that seem like <i>this is our normal life. no biggie. </i>we are their parents. they are our sons. the fact that we look nothing alike is a minor detail. they are starting to act like us. they use our phrases and gestures which is really fun. we quote lines from our favorite books and videos to each other at appropriate moments throughout the day and laugh at our cleverness. <br />
the big people go to work and the little people go to "school" as they call it. this is really play school/daycare but it counts to them as school. they have backpacks full of stuffed toys and soft blankets and a change of clothes for "just in case."<br />
our days are very structured and routine-filled and much of it feels very safe and predictable. which of course makes us feel calm and lets us relax and anticipate what's next. this is true so much of the time but<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">there are little moments when you are holding a sweet wiggly brown boy in your arms who a year ago was thin and sullen and is now strong and vibrant, quick-witted and joyful when you can barely contain the emotion. the core of your spirit resonates to the MUSIC of<b><i> REDEMPTION...</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sometimes when you get a strong sense that they are<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">grounded and content, safe and secure</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> it just sneaks up on your heart and HITS YOU</span> making a lump in your throat that you can't swallow.<br />
one such time recently was when I was minding my own business getting bath time routine wrapped up for the evening. <i>no biggie right?</i> we do this every night that I'm not working. but then my sweet methodical Hayden-y boy did what he does every night in just the same way at the end of bath.<br />
he filled up and lined up all the bottles and cups on every possible surface he had available around the tub and matter-of-factly said, "Mommy, these is for tomorrow; for cold time."<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">see how it sneaks up on you?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I mean what's so touching about that? well I'll tell you: at the beginning of each bath as the warm running water is making all the bumble-bee bubbles, Mommy takes the cups and bottles full of cold water saved from yesterday's bath and pours them over 2 delighted, wiggly, brown boys. they squeal and splash in great anticipation of this nightly event and shout "get Hayden!!" "get Garak!!"</span> <span style="font-size: small;">as I laugh and grin and</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> douse them with cold water. </span><br />
maybe you can't feel the weightiness of Hayden's confession in his simple plan for tomorrow but I heard him say: <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">you will be here for my tomorrows and I will be here for yours.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BAgbSss-u_A/UD_NvBNbF4I/AAAAAAAABpQ/l9ctub5uHyU/s1600/100_5970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BAgbSss-u_A/UD_NvBNbF4I/AAAAAAAABpQ/l9ctub5uHyU/s320/100_5970.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XWtGA0FDdIA/UD_OLpOU23I/AAAAAAAABpY/rzQM_wShMSk/s1600/100_5971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XWtGA0FDdIA/UD_OLpOU23I/AAAAAAAABpY/rzQM_wShMSk/s320/100_5971.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-62023774894776192152012-08-09T16:33:00.002-04:002012-08-09T16:33:20.019-04:00At the Owl's Head Transportation Museum<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bec9OxQVFBU/UCQUCuDzQwI/AAAAAAAABnA/V17bJ0Yru94/s1600/100_5761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bec9OxQVFBU/UCQUCuDzQwI/AAAAAAAABnA/V17bJ0Yru94/s320/100_5761.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this tractor is SO BIG!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5F40HTWuZmQ/UCQUdP0CFEI/AAAAAAAABnI/Zf-g-wF1WP4/s1600/100_5763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5F40HTWuZmQ/UCQUdP0CFEI/AAAAAAAABnI/Zf-g-wF1WP4/s320/100_5763.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is for pushing a LOT of SNOW!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ml_s32kly8o/UCQU6JmasWI/AAAAAAAABnQ/4qMiycTgFTo/s1600/100_5768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ml_s32kly8o/UCQU6JmasWI/AAAAAAAABnQ/4qMiycTgFTo/s320/100_5768.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the REAL "Mater"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A30T12ByoR0/UCQVTwKmkyI/AAAAAAAABnY/C2ysbGmT8NI/s1600/100_5772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A30T12ByoR0/UCQVTwKmkyI/AAAAAAAABnY/C2ysbGmT8NI/s320/100_5772.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we rode in a Model T today and it was VERY fun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZBhGjdvwfoA/UCQVvZ3KWFI/AAAAAAAABng/3wzEq_y78LA/s1600/100_5775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZBhGjdvwfoA/UCQVvZ3KWFI/AAAAAAAABng/3wzEq_y78LA/s320/100_5775.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mommy helping Hayden make his glider airplane</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K817NcIPNtU/UCQWNboIG6I/AAAAAAAABno/tPRXVDSHUdc/s1600/100_5779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K817NcIPNtU/UCQWNboIG6I/AAAAAAAABno/tPRXVDSHUdc/s320/100_5779.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy helping Garak make his glider airplane</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gnbs5BNedmM/UCQWgwfZWRI/AAAAAAAABnw/_1zEIV8EdcA/s1600/100_5782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gnbs5BNedmM/UCQWgwfZWRI/AAAAAAAABnw/_1zEIV8EdcA/s320/100_5782.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hayden flying his glider plane</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HOj9gLN8zCU/UCQXBNRX0nI/AAAAAAAABn4/AzMUmqscXt4/s1600/100_5788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HOj9gLN8zCU/UCQXBNRX0nI/AAAAAAAABn4/AzMUmqscXt4/s320/100_5788.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">speedy tractor coming through. they waited all day for this!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--DTKUwn8S9w/UCQXrQfWZvI/AAAAAAAABoA/v1LoMpRaPQo/s1600/100_5790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--DTKUwn8S9w/UCQXrQfWZvI/AAAAAAAABoA/v1LoMpRaPQo/s320/100_5790.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garak getting pulled over...yikes!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GLWAHPe7fgs/UCQYaeggXAI/AAAAAAAABoI/5DouC2LZGAM/s1600/100_5791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GLWAHPe7fgs/UCQYaeggXAI/AAAAAAAABoI/5DouC2LZGAM/s320/100_5791.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this image. Such a cool dude.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U7AziukPlY8/UCQY9W4tSfI/AAAAAAAABoQ/GNmQdVJRTq8/s1600/100_5794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U7AziukPlY8/UCQY9W4tSfI/AAAAAAAABoQ/GNmQdVJRTq8/s320/100_5794.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">model train inside the museum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ISBBEZRnnyI/UCQZiSENrGI/AAAAAAAABoY/tHwq9C1bTW8/s1600/100_5796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ISBBEZRnnyI/UCQZiSENrGI/AAAAAAAABoY/tHwq9C1bTW8/s320/100_5796.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">they still have these gliders! such a fun day!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qojg9gPWOl8/UCQaIjyxuTI/AAAAAAAABog/chEbJX5pvt8/s1600/100_5799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qojg9gPWOl8/UCQaIjyxuTI/AAAAAAAABog/chEbJX5pvt8/s320/100_5799.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like this blue one!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sRUMTi1cFDM/UCQarz0JdHI/AAAAAAAABoo/qrbwea2yIgs/s1600/100_5802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sRUMTi1cFDM/UCQarz0JdHI/AAAAAAAABoo/qrbwea2yIgs/s320/100_5802.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we saw a lot of functioning antique aircraft as well outside. the boys called this one "a kite and a bike"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nnSkYGMUcms/UCQbSNQB0KI/AAAAAAAABow/HBbs3iDuQdU/s1600/100_5810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nnSkYGMUcms/UCQbSNQB0KI/AAAAAAAABow/HBbs3iDuQdU/s320/100_5810.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is the one "The Red Barron" flew in his daredevil acts (and it matches momma's hair!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g0iShCLQ1xs/UCQbqC03jXI/AAAAAAAABo4/1P4ofWH9FEM/s1600/100_5811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g0iShCLQ1xs/UCQbqC03jXI/AAAAAAAABo4/1P4ofWH9FEM/s320/100_5811.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">all tired out. what a GREAT DAY!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-7333364406299367442012-08-09T10:12:00.000-04:002012-08-09T10:12:39.950-04:00just like momma<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5MI2ubinyFA/UCO41tvcYRI/AAAAAAAABmg/a_etx1ZgLhk/s1600/100_5752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5MI2ubinyFA/UCO41tvcYRI/AAAAAAAABmg/a_etx1ZgLhk/s320/100_5752.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HOiCEvJ65Bw/UCO5bEN4jrI/AAAAAAAABmo/ZFy2bY0gqLo/s1600/100_5755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HOiCEvJ65Bw/UCO5bEN4jrI/AAAAAAAABmo/ZFy2bY0gqLo/s320/100_5755.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /></div>rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-54277590240950866722012-08-09T09:11:00.002-04:002012-08-09T09:11:58.880-04:00a real train ride!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qq3FAETrn8U/UCOn3ePkSTI/AAAAAAAABk4/cUaXaYv7p1g/s1600/100_5639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qq3FAETrn8U/UCOn3ePkSTI/AAAAAAAABk4/cUaXaYv7p1g/s320/100_5639.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LYvuZoRFeYU/UCOowu9D52I/AAAAAAAABlA/Vx8cGqE2kkg/s1600/100_5646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LYvuZoRFeYU/UCOowu9D52I/AAAAAAAABlA/Vx8cGqE2kkg/s320/100_5646.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3FwUk-7bv8g/UCOqD-2nQrI/AAAAAAAABlI/GuoxPbej5V0/s1600/100_5664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3FwUk-7bv8g/UCOqD-2nQrI/AAAAAAAABlI/GuoxPbej5V0/s320/100_5664.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xZwYKpju3Ww/UCOrxevVzdI/AAAAAAAABlQ/QMNIlj9z5eo/s1600/100_5666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xZwYKpju3Ww/UCOrxevVzdI/AAAAAAAABlQ/QMNIlj9z5eo/s320/100_5666.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q5yskCpTqjI/UCOtiqpUS6I/AAAAAAAABlY/S2JM2_AxmAc/s1600/100_5669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q5yskCpTqjI/UCOtiqpUS6I/AAAAAAAABlY/S2JM2_AxmAc/s320/100_5669.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DVfvXeqGSUI/UCOu5o031EI/AAAAAAAABlg/SE0DVVnP2Xw/s1600/100_5674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DVfvXeqGSUI/UCOu5o031EI/AAAAAAAABlg/SE0DVVnP2Xw/s320/100_5674.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8QZo69pmF3I/UCOvwUeZ_cI/AAAAAAAABlo/5NcjJVW6jGw/s1600/100_5681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8QZo69pmF3I/UCOvwUeZ_cI/AAAAAAAABlo/5NcjJVW6jGw/s320/100_5681.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nSVZIhQxlfg/UCOwTRO1uLI/AAAAAAAABlw/Z-yjT3Qq4QU/s1600/100_5683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nSVZIhQxlfg/UCOwTRO1uLI/AAAAAAAABlw/Z-yjT3Qq4QU/s320/100_5683.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7jCYyszmK8w/UCOw9vKNl9I/AAAAAAAABl4/NktrpBS1wZk/s1600/100_5698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7jCYyszmK8w/UCOw9vKNl9I/AAAAAAAABl4/NktrpBS1wZk/s320/100_5698.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J0deDqu3p1w/UCOyJHTC5uI/AAAAAAAABmA/KCaQBXl_AcM/s1600/100_5699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J0deDqu3p1w/UCOyJHTC5uI/AAAAAAAABmA/KCaQBXl_AcM/s320/100_5699.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0FFPpdk-O00/UCOyuOvbpCI/AAAAAAAABmI/-tTGR_du3Vc/s1600/100_5703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0FFPpdk-O00/UCOyuOvbpCI/AAAAAAAABmI/-tTGR_du3Vc/s320/100_5703.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-50494037025614884432012-06-28T14:04:00.001-04:002012-06-28T14:04:40.809-04:00nothing left to do but live<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FTyjLKeRZAs/T-yUqjQO-yI/AAAAAAAABjk/OMA4hqvoka8/s1600/100_5370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FTyjLKeRZAs/T-yUqjQO-yI/AAAAAAAABjk/OMA4hqvoka8/s320/100_5370.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">breakfast of ducklings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CuFCKV5WHRE/T-yU_pYDHNI/AAAAAAAABjs/AOGPj2slPzY/s1600/100_5371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CuFCKV5WHRE/T-yU_pYDHNI/AAAAAAAABjs/AOGPj2slPzY/s320/100_5371.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">staying in character</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4OVbfUHuslk/T-yVmrDhf-I/AAAAAAAABj0/hIlVG22iJ4c/s1600/100_5374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4OVbfUHuslk/T-yVmrDhf-I/AAAAAAAABj0/hIlVG22iJ4c/s320/100_5374.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fun in the sun</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0nAvtdHcNFE/T-yWCMmfF-I/AAAAAAAABj8/MiZCx8oh2E4/s1600/100_5377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0nAvtdHcNFE/T-yWCMmfF-I/AAAAAAAABj8/MiZCx8oh2E4/s320/100_5377.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">biggie boys</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t3NA3i5qYDk/T-yWah-5kmI/AAAAAAAABkI/yTIPHc5gw94/s1600/100_5553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t3NA3i5qYDk/T-yWah-5kmI/AAAAAAAABkI/yTIPHc5gw94/s320/100_5553.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">what to do when it's too hot to eat? have a picnic in the basement at the boys' table</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-68A0q7wEj34/T-yW5yTyqqI/AAAAAAAABkQ/bxORug4bKtU/s1600/100_5589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-68A0q7wEj34/T-yW5yTyqqI/AAAAAAAABkQ/bxORug4bKtU/s320/100_5589.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">backwards (of course)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f-tnwx7As0I/T-yXP5HDSqI/AAAAAAAABkY/158baa43PO0/s1600/100_5594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f-tnwx7As0I/T-yXP5HDSqI/AAAAAAAABkY/158baa43PO0/s320/100_5594.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hayden the engineer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QFc_bRchZcU/T-yXt-D7-9I/AAAAAAAABkk/fFE8l2D8cA0/s1600/100_5600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QFc_bRchZcU/T-yXt-D7-9I/AAAAAAAABkk/fFE8l2D8cA0/s320/100_5600.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hanging out at the park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A8Ush0xKLYg/T-yYObRXuKI/AAAAAAAABks/fOezuwdxdsc/s1600/100_5601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A8Ush0xKLYg/T-yYObRXuKI/AAAAAAAABks/fOezuwdxdsc/s320/100_5601.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is the life!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-83586581149350047872012-06-28T08:44:00.001-04:002012-06-28T08:44:20.792-04:00watch our court hearing by invitation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
our court hearing is ready for viewing. for privacy reasons we aren't going to make it public on the blog or youtube. If you want to watch it comment here or on fb. I will need your email address in order to send you the link. thanks</div>rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-82249652882568803822012-06-22T11:00:00.000-04:002012-06-22T11:00:22.084-04:00when I get bigger<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hayden is and has always been obsessed with getting bigger and bigger and bigger (as he says it). Yesterday I overheard "When I get bigger I will be a yellow boy and drive a BIIIIIG boat." Garak thought that sounded funny so he decided he would be orange and then blue and then purple when he got bigger. Hayden mentions becoming yellow {referring to skin color} fairly often. Garak never does until the list of rainbow colors he came up with yesterday. <br />
Today Hayden woke up from his nap talking about how he had dry pampers again and that he is almost bigger and almost doesn't need pampers anymore. Then he started in again on one of his imaginative ideas of what he'd do when he gets bigger and bigger and bigger. He will be a daddy and have 2 boys and he will need a car --a BIIG car-- so he can go and drive and get his 2 boys and bring them home to his house.<br />
LOVE IT<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nZWxhLudMbA/T-PL6QXKjTI/AAAAAAAABjY/s4V-KyYnkPw/s1600/DSCF0589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nZWxhLudMbA/T-PL6QXKjTI/AAAAAAAABjY/s4V-KyYnkPw/s400/DSCF0589.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-21119854090525902722012-06-13T08:37:00.001-04:002012-06-13T08:38:20.413-04:00a beautiful day in the neighborhood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D5qV-WfroD8/T9iCyTIUz7I/AAAAAAAABiU/yDQip8SGhVA/s1600/100_2388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D5qV-WfroD8/T9iCyTIUz7I/AAAAAAAABiU/yDQip8SGhVA/s400/100_2388.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the petitioners as introduced by Garak: Garak, Hayden, Mommy, Daddy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-esiZzcjgAFM/T9iDK5dI2EI/AAAAAAAABic/acmkNbtg6j0/s1600/100_2405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-esiZzcjgAFM/T9iDK5dI2EI/AAAAAAAABic/acmkNbtg6j0/s400/100_2405.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES...COME ON!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1mF-s3WoTNs/T9iEot1uVTI/AAAAAAAABis/udU0L0LFM14/s1600/DSCN2148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1mF-s3WoTNs/T9iEot1uVTI/AAAAAAAABis/udU0L0LFM14/s400/DSCN2148.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">it's official. old names out. new names in.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2E3tFCg8t2Y/T9iE8t1UfYI/AAAAAAAABi0/Kas7xZFqIHE/s1600/100_2406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2E3tFCg8t2Y/T9iE8t1UfYI/AAAAAAAABi0/Kas7xZFqIHE/s400/100_2406.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Judge Garak say "order in the corn!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x8J6LSKeqqw/T9iFTlOcARI/AAAAAAAABi8/oySnrrhnYMg/s1600/100_2407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x8J6LSKeqqw/T9iFTlOcARI/AAAAAAAABi8/oySnrrhnYMg/s400/100_2407.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Judge Hayden says "order in the court!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1ICJhtKLnCA/T9iFoTOAI7I/AAAAAAAABjE/y8BgAESc06U/s1600/100_2410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1ICJhtKLnCA/T9iFoTOAI7I/AAAAAAAABjE/y8BgAESc06U/s400/100_2410.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my name is Hayden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WT8NMtvMlHM/T9iF53gkMLI/AAAAAAAABjM/i1utIF3cAcY/s1600/100_2413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WT8NMtvMlHM/T9iF53gkMLI/AAAAAAAABjM/i1utIF3cAcY/s400/100_2413.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my name is Garak</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-45ojtuA4w8k/T9iELyxIrvI/AAAAAAAABik/S09JpGNqY30/s1600/DSCN2167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-45ojtuA4w8k/T9iELyxIrvI/AAAAAAAABik/S09JpGNqY30/s400/DSCN2167.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the boys each signed their own documents</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-71484510321314891432012-06-12T20:18:00.001-04:002012-06-12T20:18:09.351-04:00to infinity and beyond<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Ru9AgnS5Ps/T9fZ-vOszJI/AAAAAAAABiI/SknVbc-VaZQ/s1600/DSCN2159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Ru9AgnS5Ps/T9fZ-vOszJI/AAAAAAAABiI/SknVbc-VaZQ/s320/DSCN2159.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-51812386382721004392012-06-01T09:50:00.001-04:002012-06-01T17:51:09.259-04:00activate the emotion chip<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Norman and I have noticed something lovely in the past several days. Our already delightful children have taken their sweetness to a whole new level. I'm not saying that we enjoy the manner in which they express every one of their emotions, but I am saying <b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">something very significant in our family's development is happening.</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HSAV6jrMaf4/T8jGudL1FPI/AAAAAAAABh0/YG9uzf1jdtQ/s1600/100_5112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HSAV6jrMaf4/T8jGudL1FPI/AAAAAAAABh0/YG9uzf1jdtQ/s320/100_5112.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Think about yourself for a minute and when you express yourself emotionally. It is either when you are alone or when you are with someone who feels really safe to you. With that person you know it is okay to fall apart, act on the ugly that you feel inside or love with abandon because you are confident that you won't we rejected for your outburst. Love casts out fear.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6wjMQ9MJyyc/T8jF_HOWvAI/AAAAAAAABhs/u7c22ymUDvs/s1600/100_5188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6wjMQ9MJyyc/T8jF_HOWvAI/AAAAAAAABhs/u7c22ymUDvs/s400/100_5188.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Lately our boys have been much more expressive with their dislike for things resorting to tears more often than in the past. Yes, this is a positive thing. The payoff is that they are loving with heartfelt abandon. Garak especially has been clingy when I leave for work and grabbing my leg when he meets new people instead of his former "every person I meet is my best friend" style. <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;"> The best part is that they just want to be held for long soft cuddles by both parents.</span> There's also a lot of verbalizing (my favorite part of course as the language teacher). They'll just stop whenever they are doing as if the thought just occurred to them, get up and run to me with arms up and exclaim, "Mommy, I love you SOOOOOOO much and I needa hug you!" Norman has been reporting the same phenomenon. They LOVE their daddy so much too! [what's not to love?] Very often they will tell me about what they did with daddy while I was at work and end the story with, "because<i><b> our</b></i> daddy is SUCH a nice boy!"<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u60qbduhar0/T8jH1-uqJtI/AAAAAAAABh8/sUYXN929_8A/s1600/100_5025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u60qbduhar0/T8jH1-uqJtI/AAAAAAAABh8/sUYXN929_8A/s320/100_5025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-79216087842335260992012-06-01T08:42:00.000-04:002012-06-01T08:42:19.069-04:00"big as a house"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ub3FVv1Y-UY/T8ixPfuwXkI/AAAAAAAABhQ/FSIF1tCdTlA/s1600/100_5203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ub3FVv1Y-UY/T8ixPfuwXkI/AAAAAAAABhQ/FSIF1tCdTlA/s320/100_5203.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you haven't read this book, you will want to. Long before I knew about my boys, I would tear up reading it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8KysveX191Q/T8ix0UMq6EI/AAAAAAAABhY/HkeTCFruvKY/s1600/100_5204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8KysveX191Q/T8ix0UMq6EI/AAAAAAAABhY/HkeTCFruvKY/s320/100_5204.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are several similar attempts to become something that Momma Bunny can't find </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eqcdtQgOz28/T8iyPVwTTrI/AAAAAAAABhg/piRhnGOpavI/s1600/100_5205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eqcdtQgOz28/T8iyPVwTTrI/AAAAAAAABhg/piRhnGOpavI/s320/100_5205.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">so he gives up and decides to stay a little bunny after all</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Yesterday at breakfast Hayden was talking about his favorite subject; himself getting bigger and bigger. He settled on being big as a house. Then he puffed out his chest and his cheeks and closed his eyes. I asked, "Are you a house?" In a deep voice he replied, "Yes and I don't have any eyes and mouth," squeezing his eyes more tightly shut. Very distraught I responded to the news, "I don't have any more baby Hayden! You can't live in our house anymore if you ARE a house. You won't fit in your bed." He was very pleased with himself that I was joining in his pretend play and sat up even straighter holding the "house pose". At this point I started to fake cry, "Waaaaa! I can't have any more snuggles and cuddles from my baby Hayden. Waaaaa!" Upon hearing this emotional outburst Hayden dropped the house pose and cocked his little head way to one side with a gentle grin and said in a tone one would use to calm and upset child, "Okay I will no be house only be you big boy Hayden again." I stopped my pretend crying and grinned with my melted heart and almost cried for real at how sweet my boy is to me. LOVE that child! Then we had a very nice big boy and mommy cuddle right there over our porridge.<br />
He will be "big as a house" soon enough.</div>rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-11016264601195928362012-05-17T21:29:00.003-04:002012-05-17T21:29:44.321-04:00It's tomorrow! It happened!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--OvsS8-qSW0/T7Wklo1YrbI/AAAAAAAABg8/iJwi7MyYnKI/s1600/100_4720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--OvsS8-qSW0/T7Wklo1YrbI/AAAAAAAABg8/iJwi7MyYnKI/s640/100_4720.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">it all seemed so far away not long ago. so hard to see in the distance</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="color: purple;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: purple;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: purple;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Near the end of GROUNDHOG DAY when the spell is finally broken, Phil exclaims in shock and disbelief, "It's tomorrow! It happened!" [If you haven't seen the movie, WHY NOT!?] I can relate to him in that way because a year ago this felt impossible. I couldn't really picture ever getting to this point in the journey but it is happening...soon!</span></div>
<div style="color: purple;">
<span style="font-size: large;">On June 12th Norm and the boys and I need to show up at the probate court. We don't need to do anything else hard. We don't need to walk for hours in the sun to track down some essential but here-to-fore-non-existent document. There won't be any delays. The judge won't just blow us off. She will show up with all the paperwork we need to have that day <i>in hand</i>. <i><b>We will walk out of the court as legal parents to our boys and have U.S. birth certificates for them. Does that seem surreal to anyone else?</b></i></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-95VTwy4e5KU/T7Wk11UPGyI/AAAAAAAABhE/NMthewGkuBk/s1600/100_4733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-95VTwy4e5KU/T7Wk11UPGyI/AAAAAAAABhE/NMthewGkuBk/s640/100_4733.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">nothing left to do but rejoice! can that be true??</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="color: purple;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b> </b></i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;">Now faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for and the EVIDENCE of things not seen.</span></i></b></span></div>rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-31353521937326766192012-05-11T21:19:00.000-04:002012-05-11T21:19:01.887-04:00I almost almost love you<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CTq5IvOB0z4/T62zYEdmNYI/AAAAAAAABgg/0SBo3PZ9WmE/s1600/100_4707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CTq5IvOB0z4/T62zYEdmNYI/AAAAAAAABgg/0SBo3PZ9WmE/s320/100_4707.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Garak's new thing is to be "almost almost" ready or "almost almost" finished w/things. So today he comes and gives me a big hug and declares wholeheartedly, "Mommy, I almost almost love you!" He said the same thing to Glama Brlimer at dinner tonight! Also at dinner he hugged gramma's hand to one side of his face and my hand to the other side and asserted, "I love eeeeverybody at my house!"<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8GpbUPVB6Gg/T62z58bidaI/AAAAAAAABgw/eP4l3oKqzcQ/s1600/100_4721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8GpbUPVB6Gg/T62z58bidaI/AAAAAAAABgw/eP4l3oKqzcQ/s320/100_4721.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Also after a particularly dramatic (on Hayden's part only) time out
today, Garak welcomed Hayden back into good standing by asking
enthusiastically, "Are you ready to be nice boy? okay COME! play w/me!"</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JmdRjJl1IWc/T62zpAtPB5I/AAAAAAAABgo/IeO8NM5f9hY/s320/100_4715.JPG" width="320" /></div>
So today we are driving along and I see a woodchuck walking near the side of the road and so I ask the boys, "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" and Hayden immediately pretends that he sees a turkey out the window and {in the same rhythm as the woodchuck tongue-twister} says "turkey turkey turkey turkey turkey turkey turkey!" soooo funny! I love how he plays with language! he is so verbal and "gets" a lot of jokes and funny things. btw he had never heard that tongue twister before to my knowledge.</div>rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-4012020867233119842012-05-07T08:26:00.002-04:002012-05-07T08:26:47.427-04:00brothers found<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h9llszZOwU0/T6e4XWkYRfI/AAAAAAAABgM/8yPFrTC5JMU/s1600/100_4911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h9llszZOwU0/T6e4XWkYRfI/AAAAAAAABgM/8yPFrTC5JMU/s320/100_4911.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> a little crocy-dia-ow drlinking Chai. yum!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pOngr9ohEoM/T6e49eSdq2I/AAAAAAAABgU/oL3WYt2HiLo/s1600/100_4994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pOngr9ohEoM/T6e49eSdq2I/AAAAAAAABgU/oL3WYt2HiLo/s320/100_4994.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ROARRRR! SNAP SNAP! (captioning for this photo)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Yesterday the boys went to Children's Church and Garak reported at lunch that "shumbody was mean to my bruh-jer and maked him feeel chad an' 'fraid!" [now this was said in the most dramatic tone he could muster with facial expressions to match] He was very distracted by the event and kept talking about it. Instead of his usual exhaustive before meal prayer about everything he has in his line of sight, he prayed, " Tanty You Jezuch dat shumbody was mean to my bruh-jer and maked him feeel chad an' 'fraid!" It was at that moment that Hayden realized that he was Garak's brother. Garak was praying for him! He already knew that Garak was <b><i>his</i></b> brother. He tends to be quite protective of him, in fact. There was a definite difference in Hayden's mind though when Garak demonstrated concern and took a protective stand about <i>him and his feelings</i>. He was Garak's brother. {it's that feeling you get when you know that the person you feel <i>that way</i> about feels <i>that way</i> about you too!} It was very sweet. He started grinning and questioned Garak, "you bruh-jer? are you say, you bruh-jer? Garak? Hayden is you bruh-jer?" As the realization washed over his face that we WAS indeed Garak's brother not just in word but in action [that Garak cared about him and had his back] he joyfully declared, "I am Garak's bruh-jer. Garak ijy my bruh-jer!" He repeated the phrases all though the meal and seemed happier each time he said them.</div>rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673383670079193606.post-71540460957100854212012-04-13T15:04:00.002-04:002012-04-13T15:26:41.516-04:00kidisms<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">A few sweet things to share are below:<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VgfYJwv1s8g/T4h8q7zYsiI/AAAAAAAABgE/bljZwQziNDo/s1600/100_4652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VgfYJwv1s8g/T4h8q7zYsiI/AAAAAAAABgE/bljZwQziNDo/s200/100_4652.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Katie at Fort Knox</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This morning I was getting ready while the boys read books in the hallway. I was standing in the hallway but looking at my self in the large mirror that hangs in our bedroom. Hayden questioned what I was doing and I replied that "I am looking in the mirror to see if I look good." His reply, "Oh. okay. Yes, you do look good." Angel boy!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-suhpiXGYXwc/T4h2fuCx_UI/AAAAAAAABfs/x4iLe3eqmrE/s1600/100_4644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-suhpiXGYXwc/T4h2fuCx_UI/AAAAAAAABfs/x4iLe3eqmrE/s320/100_4644.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joel-6 Meredeth-5 Garak-3 Hayden-3.5</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Today we went to Fort Knox (no, not where they keep the gold). It is a huge colonial fort that never was used in a war so it is very well preserved and a great place for climbing etc. We had quite an adventure climbing and discovering storage rooms and passages [where Hayden and his cousin Joel got quite a scare when someone unexpectedly <i>answered</i> their echo calls into one of the dark tunnels!] and catching views of the ocean. Hayden and Garak and I rounded one corner and Hayden exclaimed, "Woah this is CHO big! This is what God made<span style="color: #666666;"> [just]</span> like <span style="color: #666666;">[how He made]</span> the yellow one (referring to the sun)"<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
When they walk on the wooden floor w/just socks on, they will say, "this floor is so sleddy" sometimes they pretend to be the Bruins. very cute to watch.<br />
<br />
Today at lunch Hayden was pushing out his belly as far as he could and said, "my belly is cho big!" My reply, "then I guess you don't need anymore food." His immediate response as he sat back to normal size in his chair was, "my belly is so small."<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i6qFndscd2s/T4h2yXuLm5I/AAAAAAAABf0/KGJjsbrGBKI/s1600/100_4648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i6qFndscd2s/T4h2yXuLm5I/AAAAAAAABf0/KGJjsbrGBKI/s320/100_4648.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">running along the top of a wall Garak on the left</td></tr>
</tbody></table>There is a horse who lives down the street. He came running up to our car (as close as he could through the fence) as we returned home today to greet us and so we rolled down the windows. He blew at us a few times like horses do and Hayden said "da horn-see made a noise like a motocah!"<br />
<br />
When eating hard boiled eggs. "I see you baby egg." they both say to the yoke.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4GMJCIZ47WY/T4h3UwxQTOI/AAAAAAAABf8/_q1XE9Qw9ss/s1600/100_4653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4GMJCIZ47WY/T4h3UwxQTOI/AAAAAAAABf8/_q1XE9Qw9ss/s320/100_4653.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from top of fort w/Bucksport in back. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>And my personal favorite --The Jehovah's Witnesses came to the door this AM and rang the door bell. I was still getting ready to go. We were in the upstairs hall and we could see them but they weren't really looking in to the house so they didn't see us. Both boys were looking down at them through the railing and Hayden said, "Those are NOT our friends!" I agreed, "No they are not" and Hayden said, "They can't come in." I ignored the doorbell on his recommendation. </div>rachel&normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156615198585629907noreply@blogger.com1