awaiting our derouen princess

The Princess has arrived

2009-11-17T04:20:00.000-08:00

Miss Avery Claire DeRouen has arrived and we couldn't be happier! She was born on October 10, 2009, weighing 5 lbs. 5 oz. (4 lbs. 13 oz. when we left the hospital). Healthy & beautiful..!!

Sorry that I haven't updated here, but I've been posting everything on Facebook where I communicate with my family. You can check me out there to see many, many more photos of Miss Avery & her big brothers that are SO in love with her! :-)

I will make an effort to start posting here again!!

I think Avery Claire's nursery is finally complete!

2009-09-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

Lots of Shoes & Hats (this is probably 1/2 of them).... I love little girls in hats & bows!

Think she has enough clothes..??? Her dresser is full too...

I made 3 of these frames when her name was going to be Ava, now that we've changed it to Avery, I just have the "A" in the middle & I'll put pictures of her in the other two frames.

Pink, Pink, Pink...everything is pink! I Love it...

I love her bedding...

This picture really doesn't do the bed justice, it is so elegant & pretty in person. I love the netting but know that it will have to be pinned back once she starts grabbing at it. The rug on the floor is so fluffy & comfy.....Conner & Ben love laying on it.

This was just a sneak peak.....now all we need is the baby!

The Ranch Life....every little boy's (& big boy's) dream!

2009-09-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

This is the typical weekend at my Mother-in-laws ranch in Beaumont, TX. The kids LOVE it! It's so free & easy going there. By the end of the weekend, you end up with exhausted, dirty, stinky, fun filled little boys!

Give a kid a box & they're so entertained...

2009-09-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

With all of the toys that my kids have, they came across these boxes and it entertained them for hours!! They made robot costumes....spray painted them and all. Hard to see in the picture, but they even painted little buttons with different commands on them.....like dance, beep, repeat, etc.

It was so cute! They told me that I don't have to buy them Halloween costumes this year because they want to wear these.......yeah, we'll see!

The top picture is Ben and the second picture is Stuart (Skipper's little brother), Conner & Ben.

Only 8 weeks left!

2009-09-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

Here's my belly at 7 months! Very excited that I only have 8 weeks (at most) left! I had Conner & Ben both a little early (Conner - 4 weeks early & Ben - 2 weeks early) so hopefully she'll come a little early too...

I'm carrying so low, just like I did for my boys. I thought I would have carried different for a girl, but I guess not. Still no major complains or issues.....it's been a great pregnancy!

My co-worker Jill takes my picture each month.....she's so funny! She made me this cute little sign to hold up! I think she's as excited as I am about the baby! ;-)

Another month gone by.... I'm 6 months now!

2009-08-05T07:07:00.000-07:00

I'm growing now! My kids are so amazed at how big my stomach is getting...lol

Ben is obsessed with me reading him pages out of What to Expect when you're Expecting". It's so cute, he gets the book right before bedtime and goes sit in my bed and will wait for me. This is our bedtime story right now.....lol (I definitely cliff note it for him!)

It means so much to me at how involved they both are with the pregnancy, they are going to both be excellent big brothers!

Look at my 5 month belly!

2009-07-07T17:09:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, I'm growing! Although, I feel like I'm showing much more than I look in this picture.

Everything is going great, no complaints! She kicks & moves all day, everyday and I love it! Conner, Ben and my nieces love feeling her move too. I am enjoying my pregnancy so much!!

She's definitely a Girl..!!!

2009-06-15T07:43:00.001-07:00

I went for my 20 week ultrasound and they confirmed that she's definitely a girl. Yay!

The doctor said that everything looked good and we're right on track. When we first started, she was laying on her stomach and her spine was very distinct in the picture and Ben shouted out that she looked like a T-Rex! It gave us all a good laugh! She finally flipped over after much poking and a cold coke (they thought that would help to get her moving....which it did) and we got some really good ultrasound pictures of her.

It's amazing to think that I'm already 1/2 way through my pregnancy!! It's flying by and she'll be here before I know it...
Finally, I'll have my little girl. :-)

4 months along...

2009-06-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

Here I am, showing off my 4 month pregnant belly! For all of my pregnancies, I take a picture of my belly size every month and then I do a scrapbook page with all 9 months after they're born. It's very neat to look back at the pictures.
I felt the baby move for the first time Friday! That is such an incredible feeling......my 3rd child, yet it still brought tears to my eyes!

Ok....Ok.....I'm back. Finally!

2009-05-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

I have been debating & debating if I was going to keep up with my blog..??!! I've finally decided, why not..??

As most of you know, our Taiwan adoption fell through in November. Although this was a devastating thing and a horrible experience to go through, I am very proud & excited to say that I am currently pregnant.....yeah, yeah, yeah!!

I'll keep up with this blog during the duration of my pregnancy and afterwards I'm sure (time permitting) and I'll post about my boys! :-)

Good to be back! I'm emotionally in a much better place...

My Halloween Cuties...

2008-11-05T07:02:00.001-08:00

Conner was a solider. He was so proud to be a solider!

Ben was a Pirate. What a cute pirate!

I've been tagged...

2008-10-29T13:40:00.000-07:00

I've been "tagged", and this means that I need to tell 7 weird/interesting things about myself and then tag 7 more people to do the same! Here is goes:

1. I have a major foot fetish! Only with my own feet, I DO NOT like touching anyone else's feet. I take really, really good care of my feet and own almost every foot lotion known to man. One of the 1st things that I notice about a person is their feet.....especially women! "To me", I think it says a lot about a person!

2. I'm a very picky eater in how I eat and am always searching for that "perfect" bite. My husband knows this and will watch me eat and tease me saying "you got it?....did you get that perfect bite?"
I'm going to pick at my food with my fork until I get exactly the bite that I want. The same with a sandwich, I'm going to look at my sandwich before every bite and decide which part of the sandwich looks the best.......it's usually the part that has the most mayo! :-)

3. I have an issue with giving the exact change at a store. If the bill is $ 8.32, I'm going to search for that .32 cents to give. Not for any particular reason, I'm not tight or trying to save that dollar, it's just something that I do and get a great satisfaction of doing! If the bill is $ 11.78, I'm going to give $ 12.03.....just to get an even quarter back. strange, strange.....I think it's a game I play with myself..???

4. I'm a compulsive shopper! I love to shop and I can't stand when I can't decide if I want something so I wait and then when I go back for it, it's not there....uggg!! So if I even "think" I might want something, I buy it......you can always return it!!! I stear clear of stores that have a no return policy...lol

5. I have an issue with walking on the bright blue handicap symbol that's painted on the ground of a handicap parking space....???? Don't have a clue why, but I'll go out of my way to walk around it. I think it's a respect issue...???

6. I have a scrapbook room! Some people have sewing rooms or craft rooms, I have a scrapbook room. I love to scrapbook! I quickly counted my scrapbooks the other day and I have about 26 completed books! I keep them in a huge fire proof gun safe because they are my most treasured possessions! I pulled some out the day of when Conner (my 9 year old) was 1 and 2 years old and found myself sitting on the floor in front of the safe in aww at how much he had changed and how many small details I had forgotten. Scrabooking is the BEST hobby that I have ever started......you capture so many memories that you'd otherwise forget.

When we decided to adopt, we added a bedroom and bathroom for her on to our house. When we were drawing up the plans, I decided to go out with the house another 20 feet and add a room back there just for my scrapbooking things. Anyone that scrapbooks knows, you accumulate some crap and it's usually spread across your kitchen table!
I love my scrapbook room, it's all MY stuff......framed pictures, plaques and quotes every where. Material that I love but would never be adventurous enough to put anywhere else in my house as curtains. A big comfy recliner to cuddle in and watch my t-vo shows! I love my room (did I say that already) :-)
On the weekends, I usually wake up very early (5:30-6:00) before anyone else and head to my scrapbook room with my cup of coffee and do a few pages while I catch up on my weekly t-vo shows! I usually have about 2 hours before Ben wakes up and makes his way in there.....then my serenity is over and my day begins....lol

7. I was engaged most of my senior year of highschool..!!!??!! Huh, what?? Wow!.....why???
Yes, yes.....me and Skipper got engaged when I was 17 years old and a senior in highschool (he was 20) and had only been dating 5 MONTHS!! To this day, I can't give you a reason why we were in such a hurry. For those of you that don't know me well, no...I was not pregnant! We just talked about it one day and 'boom', the plans started happening! My parents were married very young and are still happily married, so I guess I didn't see a problem with it.
Although, it was incredibly young and probably not the smartest move (as far as knowing who you are and what you want from life at that age) I must say that it all worked out and I have a wonderful, wonderful life! Even though we were young, we did a lot and waited 6 years to have kids. We traveled a lot, focused on goals, built our home and put our priorities in the order that were important to us and worked towards those! I love my life and I love my husband........even though I look back now and think "what in hell was I thinking???......whew, that was young!"
Today, I would look at an 18 year old like they were crazy if they told me that they were getting married........but thankfully, it's worked for us!

Now, the 7 people that I'm tagging is:

Jules
Christine
Jennifer
Brandi
Jill
Heidi
Bobby Jo (from Canton)

Our 16th Anniversary!

2008-10-14T12:25:00.001-07:00

Friday was our 16th anniversary! Yes, I was about 12 when we got married....lol

We got dressed up and went eat at a really nice restaurant and then we hit the bookstore. Yes, yes I know....we live life on the edge! :-)

We're not too exiting, but I am so content with my life!

I truly love my life...

All we need is our daughter, and we will be complete!

Our recent Disney World Trip

2008-10-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Stay or Evacuate..??? Yep...It's hurricane season!

2008-08-29T13:14:00.001-07:00

Hurricane Gustav is heading our way!

We're watching the storm to see which way it turns and then we'll decide if we'll stay and ride it out here or if we'll evacuate to higher ground.

As of now, it looks like it won't reach us until Tuesday or Wednesday, but the forecast on it changes every 12-24 hours. Most people are going to decide by Sunday what to do..........that's when the traffic will be horrible!

I might take the kids and head out for a really long weekend get away! Skipper never leaves for the storms. I think it's a male, territorial.......protecting what's mine kind of thing.....???

I stayed for Hurricane Rita 3 years ago and swore that I would never stay again......but, at the same time, leaving is such a hassle! I guess I'll do like everyone else......watch the weather channel and make my decision by Sunday!

2008-08-06T12:31:00.000-07:00

Us in the park.
We went feed the ducks in the park and I figured I could use this 'photo opportunity' as
one of the pictures for our photo pages so I asked someone to snap this for us.

Mr. Cool Dude

2008-08-06T12:25:00.001-07:00

Conner on his little motorized motorcycle! This little thing makes me so nervous because it so fast and so low to the ground. I must say, he is very cautious though. He rides on the side of me when I walk in the afternoons.

Do I have the coolest friend in the whole world.....or what?!!

2008-07-03T16:40:00.000-07:00

I was involved in a secret pal swap but it ended a few months ago. My secret pal and I (you know who you are....miss J) decided to continue the swap with each other. For our 1st swap, we decided on the theme "my favorite things"......well let me tell you, we have the same taste. She sent so many awesome things! As I pulled each gift out of the box and unwrapped it, all you heard me say was awww......over and over again! My little princess will be so spoiled and if she's anything like me and Miss J's little princess is anything like her, they we be great friends!

Thanks for such a great experience.....I LOVE all of my little treasures!....the keepsake box, the book, the shoes (that squeak), the beach bag, the tu-tu....awww (see, here I go again) :-)

100% BOY

2008-06-27T07:42:00.001-07:00

We had a little rain storm yesterday so the side of our yard flooded. Ben was in heaven! He started off just riding his bike up and down the driveway but I guess the temptaion of the water puddle was too much to resist. He played in that water puddle (it was not originally mud until he rode his bike several times) until dark......he loved it! He is all boy!! The dirtier and stinkier, the better!

Now on the other hand, I have Conner which is totally opposite. While Ben was playing in the mud puddle, Conner was inside with Skipper making a compass in the sink out of a cork, straight pin and magnet. Different strokes for different folks I guess.....but either way, I love both of my boys to death!

A Quote...

2008-06-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

"Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit"

Aristotle

Heading to the beach for some relaxation!

2008-05-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow afternoon me, the kids, my sister and her kids are heading to the beach for a the long Memorial Day weekend. Looking forward to lounging on the beach and doing a whole lot of NOTHING!

I'll post pictures when we return...

Lazy, Lazy, Lazy Days!

2008-04-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

What a lazy but wonderful weekend I had!

The weather was beautiful this weekend and was a great opportunity to get lots of outside things done, but instead we did......nothing, nothing at all. I literally sat on the hammock in the backyard and watched the kids play. It was simple play.....riding bikes, swinging on the swing set, imagining sticks were swords and they were characters out of Star Wars, getting filthy in the dirt and loving it! It was the old kind of play like we used to have......no Nintendo, no motorized toys.....just simple outdoor play! We ate hot dogs and chips on the patio for lunch and loved it. I even made a few pitchers of lemonade and they had a lemonade stand at the road (only made $ 3.00 but they were happy with that).

I lazily walked around the yard pulling a few weeds here and there and then watered a few of my plants. We all ended up with slight sunburns and much needed baths, but it was so relaxing and peaceful. I think you need a lazy day every now and then! Maybe next weekend we will be more productive, but I wouldn't change a thing about this weekend......it was GREAT!

Home Sweet Home!

2008-04-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

I loved our trip to Canton this weekend, but God it's good to be home!

See Jules, I'm finally posting again and will try my best to keep up

with it. As soon as I download the pictures from this weekend I will

post them.......along with the little "luggage" drama that I had...LOL

Happy Halloween...

2007-11-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

We had a great Halloween!

Conner was Java Fet (?)...something from StarWars and Ben was Superman.

Not very original, but it's hard to change their minds once they're a certain age.

Even Tator got dressed up.....

that lasted about 30 seconds!

Me & Ben.....

He had to take the hat off of me to wear it!

Me & Conner "fooling around"....

It's chocolate candy that looks like eyes!

Conner & Ben decorated pumpkins. They loved it!

Like I said....it was a great Halloween!

Do you think we have enough dogs?

2007-11-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

...and the strange thing is...I'm not an "animal person"! So how did we end up with sooooo many? The yellow lab is "Sandy", she is the best dog in the entire world......so calm! She's a duck hunting dog, but she's too old to hunt so we got the Chocolate lab "Koda". We gave Koda to Ben as a surprise birthday present, but really he's Skipper's new hunting dog (knocked out 2 birds with 1 stone...LOL).

Then there's "tator"...the little beagle. He's such a character! Tator is the "kid's dog".....We thought the kids needed a small inside dog.....(what on earth was I thinking...LOL)

It's a mad house when we let then all out at once......especially if the chocolate lab is out.....she is WILD! Koda is Bens favorite though.....I guess because he wild....just like him :-)

Quote...

2007-09-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live."
Flora Whittemore

2 Things (or more) you may not know about me...

2007-09-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

Two Names You Go By:
1. Angela or Ang (my dad and brother almost always call me Ang)
I hate to be called Angie...but my very old nanny (Mazel) is the only person that has always called me that. She also calls my dad "Ronnie" instead of Ronald
2. Mommy (Conner & Ben both still call me mommy...which I love) and Nanny, Nan Ang

2. Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
1. Earrings
2. Heals

Two Things You Would Want (or have) in a Relationship:
1. Humor
2. Friendship

Two of Your Favorite Things to do:
1. Shop or get Massages (They're in a close race for 1st)
2. Scrapbook

Two Things You Want Very Badly At The Moment:
1. The adoption for Ava to speed up
2. Some quiet, down time

Two Things you did last night:
1. Visit my grandmother
2. Tripped over a doggie gate in the middle of the night. I busted my butt and stayed curled up, whining on the floor for awhile.....it hurt like hell!

Two things you ate today:
1. Drank Coffee and ate just the egg & cheese out of a breakfast croissant
2. Awesome, Awesome Chicken & Sausage Gumbo from "Taste & Sea".....it was delicious!

Two people you Last Talked To:
1. My Mother
2. Joni (at work)

Two Things You're doing tomorrow:
1. Go to work then probably hang out with Jennifer and the kids tomorrow night because Skipper's going hunting all weekend.
2. Rent Season 2 of "Weeds" so I can watch it this weekend

Two longest car rides:
1. Driving back from Houston with Conner, Ben, Jennifer and her three kids all in the car (the kids fought the whole time.....I wanted to pull my hair out)
2. Going to Gulf Shores in May and Skipper decided he wanted to take the "scenic route"

Two Favorite Holidays:
1. Christmas
2. Easter

Two Favorite Beverages:
1. White Chocolate Latte's (hot or cold)
2. Pepsi or Rootbeer fountain drink with crushed ice!

Two Things About Me you may not have known:
1. I never finish an entire bottle of conditioner. I run out of shampoo first and usually switch the kind brand that I'm using and I never finish the old conditioner. I think I once gave Jennifer about 12 bottles of 1/2 used conditioner.
2. It kills me to waste paper towels....I literally cringe when I see someone pull the roll and take a handful of them to wipe something.....IT ONLY TAKES ONE to do most jobs!

***I can be very wasteful with money on some things, but it kills me to pay $5 a day for aftercare....

Two jobs I have had in my life:
1. Fluid Crane (12 years)
2. Shoe Town (when I was in high school).....and I worked at a Day Care (a 4 yr. old little boy made me cry on my 1st day)

Two Movies I would watch over and over:
1. Pretty Woman
2. I t-vo and watch the re-runs of Law & Order SVU over and over again!

2 Places I have lived:
1. My parents house (which some people would say is "Bull Island", but I have no idea what they're talking about
2. In a lovely luxury resort (yeah right!) behind DeRouen Cleaners for the first 4 years of my marriage and then in my current house for 11 years (I think we're pretty planted here for life).

Two of my Favorite Foods:
1. Good, well seasoned Gumbo
2. any kind of chocolate dessert

Two places I'd rather be right now:
1. getting a massage while on vacation in a quiet, sunny place
2. Scrapbooking in my scrapbook room while drinking a cold White Chocolate Latte, watching Season 2 of "Weeds" or "Law & Order" re-runs...........ahhh, the ultimate day!

Two people I think will respond:
1. Jennifer
2. Heidi (eventually)

Send this to a whole bunch of people you know INCLUDING the person who sent it to you. The theory is that you will learn a lot of little known facts about those whom you know. Have a great day!!!!

Quote..

2007-09-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

...boy, I think we've all had enough patience to go around!

Piano Lessons...

2007-08-22T12:14:00.001-07:00

I started piano lessons Monday!

I have wanted to learn how to play the piano for years but never felt like I had the time. I finally broke down and called an instructor and we began on Monday. I was a little nervous and was expecting to be really overwhelmed but it was the complete opposite experience. He made me feel very comfortable and "I think" I caught on pretty well for being the 1st lesson (he may have been laughing at me after I left though). I've been practicing every night to make sure I don't look like idiot next Monday when I show up for my next lesson.....LOL

Conner, my 8 year old, has taken piano lessons for a year now (and also takes guitar lessons with this same instructor) and he stands on the side of me and critiques me while I'm practicing......it's pretty funny.....and cute. I think he's really enjoying "feeling in control" and "knowing more than I do" about something. It's funny, but after a while I have to shew him away because he gets a little carried away....LOL

I have 2 main goals for these piano lessons.....First, I am hoping that it helps the time pass with me knowing how to play the piano (preferably well) by the time I get my daughter from China. Lord knows I should have enough time! Second, I would love to have the tradition of my family gathered around the piano at Christmas time while I play Christmas Carrol's. I know, it's very old fashion but I love those kind of sentimental things. (Making great memories for my kids to look back on)

That's my goals......I'll keep you updated! I'm sure Conner will want to have a play off before long! :-)

Wish me luck!

Quote...

2007-08-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you"
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'm back from vacation....

2007-08-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

and all is well.
We had a great time in Houston (we never made it to San Antonio..but that's o.k.). We ate well...the kids had fun....did some shopping and was even able to sneak away and go to the spa! We also took an adults night and went to a comedy club which was hilarious...and then had a complete kids day which included going to a water park of course! Fun time all around...but feels great to be home!

Quote...

2007-08-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

"Every survival kit should include a sense of humor."
- Author Unknown

Our new family addition..."Tator"

2007-08-03T07:10:00.000-07:00

He so cute!
We got a new puppy Wednesday. I'm not a huge animal lover, so this was a major step for me. Once it was decided, the big debate between my husband and I was what kind of puppy we were going to get. I wanted a cute little "girly puppy", like a Shih-Tzu and my husband wanted a "little boy dog" like a beagle. Well after thinking about the maintenance and the hair that would shed from a Shih-tzu.....the beagle won! I guess since the puppy is for my children (which are boys) after all, a beagle is a good choice. He's a minature beagle and won't get bigger that about 8 pounds (so they told me!).
I was very nervous about taking this step because I have been known to freak out when it comes to the "house training" issues but I am determined to give this my all......who knows, maybe I'll become a huge animal lover!........cross your fingers...LOL
We named him "tator"....I have no idea where my husband came up with this crazy name, but the kids got a kick out of it.....so it stuck! He really is adorable.....now all we need to work on is the "howling"...
New puppy....whoo..hooo..........Wish me luck!

A quote...that seems to apply to this adoption wait

2007-07-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

"So many tangles in life are ultimately hopeless that we have no appropriate sword other than laughter."
Gordon W. Allport

My Amazing Day!

2007-07-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

I had such an amazing day with Ben (my 3 yr. old) today. Ben is usually my active child so it is sometimes harder to take him places for long periods of time. Let me restate that....I do it all the time, but I usually want to pull my hair out by the time we leave a public place. :-0
Well, I had a "full day" of errands and decided to take him with me. He would normally stay home with his dad for a full day like this, but I wanted to spend some one-on-one time with him, so he came with me. I got the "are you crazy" look from my husband when I told him I was taking him.

I don't know if it was because I was in the right mind set and had prepared myself for a rough day or if Ben just really, really enjoyed the one-on-one with me....but he was absolutely wonderful! Our day couldn't have gone any better.....and I honestly never had to correct him one time.....he was awesome. We shopped all day! He came to the mall with me and sat in a stroller the entire time..(yes, I know he's a little big for a stroller, but I dug it out of the attic because I was preparing for the worst and I need something that I could "lock him in"...LOL - he's usually a "runner")

He rode in his stroller singing songs (really loud sometimes....but I let him be himself) and he talked to any and everyone that passed by him (that's his normal personality - very outgoing).

We ate a quiet lunch together, then got cookies from the Great American Cookie Company, we took silly pictures together in a photo booth machine....he even sat very patiently in the dressing room (several times) while I tried on clothes....and never complained or gave any trouble. He actually made my heart melt when we were in the dressing room.......he looked at me as I tried on a dress and said "Awww..Mommy, you are soooo pretty.....you look like a princess!" ohhhh, I could have cried...but I gave him a huge kiss instead!

Our last stop was Target, where I let him pick out any 2 toys he wanted (which is very odd for me....I don't usually buy them toys "just because") and he was thrilled as can be. When we headed for the register, he asked if we were going pay and then said ..."I'm not ready to go home yet"....with a huge smile on his face! (As soon as we got in the car, he curled up in his car seat and zonked out for the ride home)

I needed this day so bad....and I think he did too!

As much as I long for my daughter in China, I really need to put the stress of the wait aside and cherish this precious time that I have with my boys now!

Although my boys are huge "mama's boys" and are always with me....I think the one-on-one time is indescribably special.

Thanks for a great day Ben!

Quote..

2007-07-24T11:44:00.000-07:00

From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.
Arthur Ashe

Had a change of plans...

2007-07-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

Due to severe thunderstorms and flash floods in San Antonio, we had to post pone our Sea World trip. It wouldn't have been much fun being stuck in a hotel room with 5 wild children! We'll try again next week...

We're off to Sea World...

2007-07-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

My sister and I are taking all 5 kids to Sea World in San Antonio. I'm pretty sure we'll need a glass of wine (or maybe the whole bottle) by the time the trip is over...LOL

The kids are exited, the bags are packed.....I'm looking forward to doing some shopping on the RiverWalk. I've heard about something called "The cave with no name" that we plan on checking out too.....the boys will think that's neat! Hopefully the weather cooperates...

Adios....I'll be back in a week....hubby's holding down the fort - or should I say, he'll be holding down the couch....enjoying his peace and quiet!

Had one of those down days Saturday...

2007-07-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

Saturday I went into this really cute baby boutique to pick up some things for my secret pal. While in there looking at all of the beautiful baby girl things, I felt myself get extremely overwhelmed! For those of you that don't know me, this is odd....I am normally a pretty laid back person that doesn't stress over much.
I think the idea of possibly waiting until 2009 for our daughter hit me like a ton of bricks. I had the deep feeling of "urgently" needing a daughter! I was in the store with my hands full of these cute items, standing there with tears in my eyes and this overwhelming feeling in my chest. My first instinct was to put everything down and walk out.....I needed to breathe!
(I didn't though, for the chance that someone might take my stuff I wanted to buy...LOL)
Instead, I forced my way over to the other side of the store (which has adult/housewares type gifts) and made myself focus on other things. It quickly passed, but it left me in a somber mood for a while.
I feel very luck that these feelings don't consume me often and when they do, I can usually control them better than that. On a daily basis, I have my 2 boys to keep my mind busy!

I guess I'm just needing to hear a little positive news out of China for a change...at least give us a little hope that there will be an end to this....a positive end!

Back on my adoption roller coaster ride!

oh, and by the way....yes, I did get my secret pal's gifts and much more!

You Know you grew up in the 80's if:

2007-07-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word SIKE.
2. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do the Carlton
3. You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey on Blossom
4. If you ever watched "Fraggle Rock"
5. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.
6. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
7. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.
8. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.
9. You played the game "MASH"(Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)
10. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.
11. You know the profound meaning of " WAX ON , WAX OFF"
12. You wanted to be a Goonie.
13. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (some of us...head-to-toe)
14. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.
15. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.
16. You took lunch boxes to school..and traded Garbage Pailkids in the schoolyard.
17. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
18. You still get the urge to say "NOT" after every sentence.
19. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.
21. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes.
22. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying "I know you are, but what am I?" 23. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up"
24. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.
25. You have ever played with a Skip-It.
26. You remember boom boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.
27. You remember watching both Gremlins movies.
28. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.
29. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.
30. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool...and don't even flinch when people refer to them as "NKOTB"
31. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By The Bell," The ORIGINAL class.
32. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
33. You just sang those words to yourself.
34. You still sing "We are the World"
35. You tight rolled your jeans.
36. You owned a bannana clip.
37. You remember "Where's the Beef?"
38. You used to (and probably still do) say "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?"
39. You're still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren't you!

Quote of the week...

2007-07-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

There must be quite a few things a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them.
Sylvia Plath, "The bell Jar"

I took the test...and I think it's pretty accurate!

2007-07-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

You Have A Type B+ Personality
You're a pro at going with the flowYou love to kick back and take in everything life has to offerA total joy to be around, people crave your stability.
While you're totally laid back, you can have bouts of hyperactivity.Get into a project you love, and you won't stop until it's doneYou're passionate - just selective about your passions
http://www.blogthings.com/doyouhaveatypeapersonalityquiz/">Do You Have a Type A Personality?

Quote of the day...

2007-07-10T09:22:00.001-07:00

Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.
Marianne Williamson

4 Facts About Me...and more....

2007-06-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

4 Facts About Me:

1. First and foremost, as everyone that knows me knows.... I have a foot fetish with my own feet! (I'm not touching anyone else's feet though !!!) I have every foot lotion known to man and use them all.....in my opinion, you can tell a lot about a person by looking at their feet.

2. One way or another, I will have a daughter one day...

3. I wear earrings every single day...even if I'm going work in the yard, I'll wear little post earrings

4. When eating, I always look for "that perfect bite".....I'm very picky about how I eat...I enjoy eating and savoring each bite...

4 Habits that I have:

1. I have a specific routine to get ready every morning....very seldom do I sway from it...

2. I get a cold coffee drink from Coffee Break Cafe every Saturday afternoon...whether I want it or not...it's habit!

3. I'm a compulsive shopper...my rationalization is "if you even think you may want it, buy it while it's there...you can always return it later"

4. When at work, I check my e-mail about 10,000 times a day - literally about every 10 minutes, but when I'm at home....I never, ever check it! I hate to sit in front of the computer at home!

4 new things I have learned or experienced in the past 4 years:

1. Adopting a baby is not as easy as you think...

2. I have discovered that I love the idea that my children are growing up in a neighborhood with children that they look forward to playing with everyday. For awhile I wanted to move so we would have more property, privacy and freedom, but now I realize that I love where we live.....I like all of our neighbors and that they wave every time they see you, I like that I can call any of them at any given moment to borrow an egg or a cup of sugar, I like that there's no traffic, I like that my children can ride their bikes up & down the street with no worry, I like having the neighborhood kids over and being at ease when my kids go into a neighbors house......

3. That no matter how much you think you've "trained" your children, they will still do things that will shock you, embarrass you, surprise you...

4. That you can lose a life long friendship (true friendship) with someone that in a million years you would have never thought you'd loose touch from......and you have no control over it...

4 things I want to try or do in the next 4 years:

1. Get my daughter from China (it better happen within the next 4 years...)

2. Go to New York City.... experience it....see a Broadway play, walk down time square....shop, shop, & shop

3. Learn how to play the Piano....

4. Move a small house on the Ranch (Skipper's moms ranch in Texas) so when I'm not working anymore I can go spend the summer's there with my children...

My Secret Pal Gift...

2007-05-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

I recently joined a "Secret Pal" group where we exchange gifts anonymously every other month. It is so much fun....I really enjoy the excitement of secretly giving and receiving! This is the 1st gift that I have received. Conner & Ben both loved the books.....Conner read one as soon as we unwrapped it! The tiara was really cute....it was sent for our little princess....now all we need is HER!
Thank you to my Secret Pal......whoever you are!

Angela, Conner (8), Ben (3) and Skipper

2007-04-03T03:56:00.000-07:00

Hello,
This is my family......so far! Can't wait to put another "girl" in the picture!

Questions:
1. Have you started wearing your spring clothes yet?
Yes....open toe shoes, of course! Once I've had my 1st Spring Pedicure, you won't see me with closed toe shoes on again until mid-December! :-) Just starting to pull out my capri's though.

2. What are your summer plans?
Hitting the beach in Florida for a few days in May with the "ENTIRE" family...(parents, sister, brother and all of their families) and then off to Disney World in November!

3. Bought anything new for the kiddo lately?
Just a beautiful picture frame that says: "The moment we saw you, we fell in love" I couldn't resist it!