In The Dark

I'm sitting in the office.

It's already 10pm.

Is it really ONLY 10pm?

All the lights are off.

I've got Bon Iver playing in the background.

Josh is giving the final kisses goodnight to our Colony down the hall.

It's been a day.

Not a bad day.

Not necessarily a GREAT day.

Just a day.

You know...a day filled with normal, everyday mom stuff...

We got back from Memphis L.A.T.E. last night.

After: following a huge storm all the way from Marion, NC to Rolesville, two bathroom stops, a few tempter tantrums, an "accident" in a Batman car seat, a Jude who doesn't like his carseat or riding in a car .period. finally fell asleep, adding 2 more stickers to our tripometer because of the aformentioned events, and then finally hearing 5 different snoring rhythms from the backseat(s) just 10 minutes before we roll up in the driveway.

When Josh got home tonight he finally looked at me and said, "You used all your words up today, huh?"

Yes, yes I did.

They are all gone.

And now I must go to bed.

Goodnight sweet friends.

Goodnight.

Jude - 3 Months

Jude Warren - 14 lb

Jude turned 3 months old yesterday.  

That means that Alethia has been home 4 months tomorrow!  

Boy, does time fly!

Here is what Jude is up to now:

This boy is the happiest little boy I've ever seen!

When he really gets going his laugh resembles a smokers cough
and he starts kicking his legs like crazy:)

He's a bit camera shy.  

He won't give me the time of day when I get the camera out,

but his smirk and smile are to DIE for, I PROMISE!

Areyna can get Jude to laugh at ANYTHING she does, ha!

He doesn't like to lay down but for a few minutes.  

He would rather be up watching the small colony all around him.

He is eating every 4 hours or so and is sleeping from about 10:30pm to at least 8:30am!

Have I mentioned that he is an AWESOME baby!

He is super ticklish:)

He loves to help me with laundry...
I mean, who can complain about folding clothes
when you have these big blue eyes staring at you?!

He still smiles when people stare right into his eyes!

I LOVE that about him...

He has a new toy.

He loves his exersaucer!

He found his hands this month.

He'll grab at toys!

It's so cute the way he can't control them yet 

and he continually hits himself in the face while he tries to find them...sigh:)

He's a full-fledged tummy sleeper.

He's also a full-fledged thumb sucker:)

I really thought it might just be a phase, but he LOVES him some thumb!

Although he almost always ends up with his hands straight down by his sides.

You might remember that he was rolling over when he was just a few weeks old.

Well, he took a month or so off, but he's at it again.

I've found him rolled over on his back twice in the past 3 days!

We all sure love "baby Jude" and can't imagine life without him!

I Never Say Amen

Well actually, that's a lie:)  I say "Amen" a lot!

It really isn't as spiritual a word as you would think.  Do you even know what it means?  Well...let me tell you:)  It means "So be it."

When I am having the kids repeat simple instructions to me I like to add it on the end to lighten the mood like this: "Rainy say, 'Mommy...I will...put my trash away...from my snack...after I eat it...because it shows you...that I love you...by cleaning up after myself...AMEN!' "  or "Zeke say, 'I will...lift both seats...on mommy's potty...BEFORE I pee...so I don't peepee on it...because that shows you...that I love you...AMEN!' " or "Alethia say, 'Mommy, I will...not throw...Zeekies animals...on the floor...during naptime...because you say not to...and that will show you...that I love you...by obeying...AMEN!' " or "Cai say, 'Mommy...I will not...tackle Zeke (or Alethia or Areyna)...to get my toy back...because that...does not...show them...that I love them...AMEN!' " or "Jude say, "Mommy...I will...not grow up...anymore...because I want to obey you...AMEN!' ".

You get the picture:)

But for some reason, when I say Amen at the end of a prayer or after my morning quiet time it seems so final.  So, I began just ending my prayer with "...in your name I pray..." and leaving it open ended.  Quite honestly it would drive me crazy in any other area in my life to keep something like this so open ended, but for some reason this just feels right.

I want to include God in every thought and action of mine throughout the day.  Not that saying AMEN means that you don't do this...but for me, by not saying "amen" helps me grasp the concept that my Christianity isn't just a religious section of my life, but a LIFESTYLE!  It doesn't just happen during certain times in the day (morning quiet time, before meals, before bedtime, etc.).  I want to be in constant communion with God.  I want to pray without ceasing.  My OCD tendencies make me feel as though I need to start every prayer with, "Dear Heavenly Father" but if I can grasp that He is listening to every thought during my day I feel as though I'm staying on the same page and He can hear the small prayers I utter throughout the day for people who come to mind or situations which seem like they are spiraling out of control.

Maybe it's just me, but I like to know that I have the freedom to pray like this.

What have you found to be helpful in your prayer time?

Not Me Monday

Since Cai IS potty trained (HA!), he would NEVER have an accident in his diaper at the park.

Nope, not MY son!

But even if he WERE to have an accident, his daddy would NEVER just disregard it, even though you could smell the "accident" a mile away.

Oh no, not MY husband.

I would NEVER find that the horrible stench wafting in front of my face every few seconds was, in fact, my own son, who was now swinging, ever so nonchalantly, airing his "accident" for all to smell.

Nope.

And, as if that wouldn't be enough to embarrass any mother at a public park,

I would NEVER go to push my sweet son "one more time" only to realize that the accident, was no longer just a stench, but being "shared" as my son swung high up above me leaving traces of his "accident" all over my hands, and the swing with which he was enjoying.

Nope, that just would NEVER happen to me.  

That would bring too much attention to me...and I just LOVE everybody staring at me...uh-huh...

But if that were to happen in this VERY public park, I would NEVER just stop the swing and look frantically around for help, not knowing exactly what to do.

Nope, I ALWAYS react with the reflexes of a cat!

And since I ALWAYS react with these cat-like reflexes, I would NEVER just take him off the swing, hoping nobody noticed the "accident" oozing out of the top of my sons shirt into his curly hair as I quickly wipe the swing down...lay him down, using the wood chips on the ground to absorb the "accident" long enough for me to wipe him down and get a clean diaper on him.

Nope, nobody would EVER suspect a thing...especially when they saw my son walking around the rest of the afternoon looking like this because his mama forgot an extra change of clothes.

Nope, never happened!

Let's Bring Chloe Home

Alethia and Chloe - 2011

Meet Chloe Laiti Via.  

She is Alethia's best friend from the Babies Home in Uganda 

and is very quickly going to become COUSIN Chloe! 

Without sharing too much information, as they are still waiting on several steps to be completed, 

I wanted to share a very BIG need!  

Josh's brother, Jonathan (Smooth), and his wife, Kelly, will be heading back to Uganda in 5 DAYS!!!!  Prayerfully they will be bringing back Chloe with them this time.  

(Their first trip was for their court hearing.)

Their trip is falling right before the main travel season, and as many of you know, airline tickets overseas tend to skyrocket during the summer.  

This factor, among others, has made their adoption expenses a bit more than expected.  

They are estimating that they need to raise an additional $4000 to cover all of their in-country expenses!

After speaking with Jonathan and Kelly and getting permission to share their need, I am taking it upon myself personally to see this through!  Sure, $4000 is a BIG amount of money, but like we have seen through our journey, NOTHING IS TOO BIG FOR GOD!!!

We have set up a page on Facebook where you can go to donate directly to their adoption!  

EVERY PENNY will go to help bring sweet Chloe home!

Let's bless this growing family who is stepping out in faith and obedience, no matter what the cost, to bring Chloe home as their own!

There is NO REASON why we can't step up and be the church and provide exactly what they need!

Let's blow their socks off!

I'd LOVE to see them get this $4000 goal met by MONDAY NIGHT!

How freeing it would be to have their expenses covered and be able to focus on the thing that matters most...BRINGING THEIR DAUGHTER, CHLOE, HOME!

HERE is a link to Chloe's page!

First, go donate ANY AMOUNT YOU CAN,

and then SHARE IT!

~You can also just click the GIVE button at the bottom of this post!~

Give

Lessons From The Classroom - April 2012

Zeke: Zeke finished up his "reading" books this month but still can't retain the sounds and their names so we are getting creative.  I found a GREAT website with fun activities to help reinforce the letter concepts.  We have been making roads out of letters and he will write the letters with his Squinky cars (YES! We've finally found a purpose for those little...things) or "fly" the letters like a superhero.  I'm not sure if he's grasping them, but at least he's having fun:)

Although he is still struggling with a couple of his shapes he sure can count!  This boy can do simple addition in a flash!  I love seeing his excitement when his brain does what he wants it to:)

Monthly Memory Verse

Timeline about Hans Christian Andersen's Life

 In group time last month we studied Hans Christian Andersen and Beverly Cleary.  We read through their works The Little Mermaid and Ralph S Mouse.  Zeke and Areyna BOTH love that reading time together.

Read, Read, Read 

 You'd think I just brought home a cuddly little pet when I walk in the door from going to the library to get new books!  These kids have been LOVING some book time:)

We've been reading through Beatrix Potter, a personal childhood favorite of mine.  We finished up that book and moved on to Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary.  The kids LOVE that quiet reading time...well most of them;)

Areyna: She learned many new concepts this month but one thing she really enjoyed was measuring. She even surprised me and figured out some pretty tough problems I added into her lesson:)

FAQ's

We have been bombarded (in a good way) with inquiries about the Uganda process, traveling with little ones, money and so many more questions, that we thought we would do a post on our AlethiaGrace.wordpress.com blog for everyone to be directed to.

I need your help, though. 

I have been getting at least 1-2 emails a week with questions and cannot keep up with them all...

Let me know of some questions that you think would be helpful to include for families beginning the process to families just returning home!

If you have adopted, what are some questions you had that you needed answered or things you wish you would have known.

If you've not yet adopted, what are some questions that have come up that you need answers for?

Ready...GO!

MMMM - Homemade Popcorn

So, these have turned more into recipes for healthy, homemade snacks than for main meals, but whatever, snacks are what make a household happy:)

Homemade Popcorn

Here's What You Need:

1/4 cup corn kernels

brown paper bags

seasoning if you want (salt, sugar, butter, etc.)

Here's What You Do:

Let the kids dish out 1/4 cup of kernels in each bag

Add whatever seasonings you like

(we like a few smidges of sugar OR a tiny bit of butter and salt)

Fold the bag closed a couple of times

Lay it on its side in the microwave

Heat for 1 1/2 minutes

ENJOY!

Warms My Heart