We are back into a full swing of school routine. Hip Hip Hooray! I used to think I was a "fly by the seat of your pants" kind of girl and maybe it is my age or maturity, but now I like routine. I like to know what I am going to be doing next. I like to plan ahead. This is one reason I like the fact that school is back in session. We are in a routine. Then enter harvest time and routine has to become a bit more "flexible" as my dear husband reminds me.
Here are some pictures from the last couple weeks.
Lucy had ear tubes placed at the end of August. She wasn't too sure about the scrubs they made her wear. The nurses were great and brought a wagon for me to pull her around and around and around the circle of their pre-op area. I was able to go back into surgery with her while she fell asleep which was beneficial to all parties involved (including myself. : )) After her surgery she was crying in the PACU so they brought her to me and she stopped once she saw me (insert extremely large smile on my face!). They gave her some juice and a big blueberry muffin that she literally shoved into her mouth (I was afraid she was going to choke so I slowed her down a bit). She was one happy camper....food, juice, Mommy....that is all this girl wanted....maybe in that order too. After some discharge instructions we picked up her ear drops at the pharmacy and away we went. I had to stop at a McD's for a coffee before I drove home from Sioux Falls though. She slept most of the way home and I didn't notice any difference in her behavior or demeanor the rest of the day. She did great!
We have been enjoying the weather here. The girls went around the Butterfield Trail while the boys of the house ventured out on their bikes around town. Isabelle thinks she is big stuff since she can ride a "big" bike with training wheels. Here she is telling Lucy, "You have to walk because you aren't old enough to ride this bike." Izzy likes to remind EVERYONE in the family that she is older than Lucy. I think she likes being a big sister.
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| It's baking time! Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies. |
As I mentioned before I like the school day routine. It allows me time to connect with friends over coffee while the boys are at school. A dear sweet friend and fellow adoptive parent (times two for her) came over with their newly adopted son. I have to tell you a little story about this dear friend and our connection. When Jason and I were first discussing adoption seriously, like the phase where you are ready to turn in the application, we talked to a handful of adoptive parents first to tell about our intentions. This dear friend was one that I talked to often and we went through the waiting, the disappointments, and the agony of wanting to be with our child who is miles and miles away. Here is the amazing thing.....we ended up traveling and receiving our child on the exact same days. Neither one of us suspected that to happen. Amazing. So while she was in Ethiopia holding her precious son, I was holding Lucy across the ocean in China. Amazing! Even when we both returned home we both had to adapt to children that were not very fond of us at first and the bonding between us continued. I am so incredibly thankful for this dear friend and for her heart for adoption. Her son brightens up a room as soon as he smiles. When she came to my door, both Lucy and her son became extremely clingy to each respective parent. She laughed and said, well this is much different than a few months ago for both of us. Now these two children are with their forever families and a bond between our family and their family has been created. You are a dear, dear friend and I love your heart to follow after Jesus. I feel like we have even more in common than just adoption the more we talk. Unfortunately.....well unfortunate for me.......they are going where God is calling them to go and you cannot argue with that, but it means their family is moving away (insert sad face). So I need to have as many coffee dates with her as I can get before she leaves. : )
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| Sweetness! |
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| Best picture I could get of these two kiddos together. |
And now begins busy season in our house.....It starts with harvest which is early this year, yippee! Then, hopefully a little break before Jason starts busy season with job number 2..... or is it job number 3? (however you want to look at it). That man is one hard working dude! I just try to be flexible this time of year. : )
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| The girls take a spin in the combine |
Lucy and Izzy helped me peel apples to make apple pie filling. Lucy did such a great job with putting all the peels in a bucket for me. She follows instructions well....when she wants to....... so I know she understands what we are saying to her. 
