Happiness is...

...the 2 hours my daughter snuggled and slept with me in bed after she woke up at 6:30 this morning when she heard her daddy leave for work.  Morning snuggle time has become a regular occurrence in our house, but Adeline usually doesn't fall asleep, and the idea that we would stay in bed until 8:40 is outlandish!  It was so fun to watch her open her little eyes and be so happy that her mommy was right there with her.  That's the way to start a day out right...

Tiny Talk Tuesday Debut

You may have noticed (I hope you did...) that I've been missing from the blogging world recently.  After being gone for a while, one starts to feel they need something profound or significant for a comeback post.  Well, my brain just isn't functioning on those levels right now.  

We did, in fact, move.  My house is looking more like a home and less like a storage facility every day.  I don't live out of boxes and chaos well, so I like to dig in and set up.  Thus, blogging has not been the priority.  I'm not ready for a photo shoot yet, but I know some of you are waiting with bated breath (okay, that might be a slight exaggeration).

I took this video a few months ago, after Adeline learned how convenient the word "no" can be.  My friend, Mary, hosts Tiny Talk Tuesday at her blog every Tuesday.  You can link there to share what crazy, funny, cute, or embarrassing things your little cherubs say each week.  So, here is my Tiny Talk Tuesday vlog debut...

A quick update

Just a quick update to let you all know I am still here.  I may be MIA for a few days, because.....WE CLOSED ON OUR HOUSE ON THURSDAY!!!  We had a big scare at closing where they thought we owed several thousand dollars that we of course did not bring with us....they read the sheet wrong.  Shew!  That led to a panicked call to our lender.  Since then, we have received our Korea shipment, unpacked those items (well, I did while Patrick worked on Friday), bought paint, and explained what we want to painters that speak very little English (thank you to Nancy for going over to our house to translate while we are in PA).  We packed up almost everything we have stored at my parents house, and we are heading to MD tomorrow.  On Monday, the movers are packing everything in our old house and moving it all to the new one.  Craziness!  I can't wait to have my furniture again and be in a home that feels like home.

Some of you asked if I picked paint colors.  I am very excited about the "silver sage" color from Restoration Hardware (if you go to the store, they paint their walls this color which is SO much nicer for my brain to visualize than those little swatches), and we are also using their "flax" in a few places.  There is a neutral tan color in the hallways, family room, and our bedroom, and then my wild card color is asparagus which will be in the master bathroom.  I'll take pictures once it doesn't look like chaos.  Thanks for all your interest and kind comments relating to our move.  I'll be back in the swing of things and visiting all of you soon....

Can I get an amen?

I'm behind y'all.  Painfully, painfully behind.  My inbox is exploding at over 100 messages.  Granted, some of them are for our upcoming move.  Some of them are addresses or reminders that I need to record somewhere else.  BUT, some of them are "real mail."  They are heartfelt emails from you.  I read them and a million thoughts and responses flood my brain...but I don't start typing, and the next day I get a whole bunch of NEW messages, and the important ones from the day before just keep getting buried...deeper....and deeper into the recesses of my inbox.  Some of them are so old that it is almost embarrassing to respond to them now.  There are evenings when I am determined to decrease the surplus.  I delete junk that somehow was overlooked and answer quick questions to decrease that magic number......but that means I don't take the time to write the ones that count.  Even if I wrote one a day, shoot, even three a week, it would make a drastic difference.  

I have a friend who ALWAYS responds to an email the day she gets it.  I tried this.  It didn't work.  Actually, since I know this is something she does, I decided to play the game with her once.  I sent her an email.  She responded.  I sent one right back.  She sent me one with lots of questions about my life (dirty little trick).  I responded but eventually had to give up.  She HAD to have the last word.  It was hilarious!  If you are one of the many who is waiting for a reply, know that it isn't personal.  I love getting your emails and reading your news and thoughts.  Anyone else struggle with this?  Any bright ideas?

Beauty

Let me tell you, there are some BEAUTIFUL sunsets from my parents' house.  There was one evening where the clouds were so thick, and there was a piece of bright sky that just broke through.  These pictures truly don't even do it justice.  Thank you Lord, your creation is beautiful.

I miss Patrick...

Well, house plans aren't going quite according to MY plan, but hopefully we will still be moving soon.  I am tired of living in two places.  Adeline and I are driving south to spend the weekend, but we are coming back on Tuesday to be here for Lisa's birthday.  It has been so nice to be here with my parents, close to family and friends, but I am ready to settle into my own place again...with my stuff, and a place to put everything.  My parents have been very gracious about the mess we've created from toys, papers, and piles that don't really have a home here.

Since I am thinking about my sweetie a lot these days, I thought I would finally post this day of summer fun we had while he was living here.  I love you, Pat, and can't wait to see you in a few hours!  

The Playground...

                                                   

               

The ultra cool (FREE!!!) petting zoo at the park.  Adeline chased a chicken for the longest time while Patrick and I cracked up as she ran screaming "aye, aye" (which is her word for wanting to gently pet a furry or apparently feathered friend).  The chicken would let her get within two feet before scrambling a little farther out of reach.  Wish we had a video...

                                                  

She did, however, get to aye-aye a goat and llama! 

                     

...and we finished off the day by watching the ducks.

                         
                                                                  

Welcome Aubrey Irene!

I had the privilege of staying in the hospital with my might-as-well-be-my-sister friend, Jen and her precious new-as-of-that-day baby girl, Aubrey, Tuesday night (did you get all that?).  They are the ones with the egg farm, and her hubby, Scott, really needed a good night's sleep and to get a few things done on the home front.  Jen had a C-Section and was not allowed to get out of bed that night and therefore was not allowed to be alone with the baby in case something went wrong.  I was honored to don my jammies and have a good ol' girl's slumber (well, there was SOME slumbering) party.

Let me tell you, Aubrey is a DOLL!  Oh, I just love this little one already.  She's nursing like a champ (well except for that 4:30 feeding when she really just wanted to sleep...smart girl).  Her mommy reports that last night she had a 5 hour stretch of sleep.  

Congratulations Scott, Jen, and Brennan...we are SO excited for you!!!

6 Random facts about me...a meme

Kara tagged me for this fun meme.  Thanks girl!  All I gotta do is name six random things about me.  For more random things, click here.

1.  My mom and I are a lot alike, and I learned a lot about what it is like to live with me while living with her again.  

2.  I hate running, unless there is a sport or competition involved.

3.  As much as I love technology, I have never sent a text message to anyone...ever.

4.  I have a "heavy foot" when driving, but I am not an angry driver....just fast.

5.  I know what it means to "red off a table" and what it means when something is "all."  Some of you are laughing right now, and some of you are very confused.

6.  I am not very good at gardening.

Wordless Wednesday

A Day of Summer Fun

More random cute pictures of Adeline I took soon after we arrived home this summer.

Where I've been...

I know, I haven't posted in a few days.  Did you miss me?  It has not been for lack of material.  We found a house.  It's about a half hour north of where our previous house in Maryland is.  If you live close by and want more details, email me.  We are hoping to close on Friday, paint on Friday and Saturday (by a team of professionals...we're not THAT crazy), and move in on Monday.  This brilliant plan all hinges on the VA appraisal happening this week.  As if there aren't enough details to figure out, we changed mortgage companies on Saturday (after spending three hours on the phone on Friday).  It's a long, crazy story.  We really like our new lender, but he didn't call me back to update me on the status of the appraisal today (grrr), and so my plans for the rest of the week are a bit up in the air.  I am buried in emails from moving companies, paint samples, and thoughts of packing (a little less thinking and a little more acting in this arena would be good).  I have lots of stuff I want to post, but blogging is just not my biggest priority for the next two weeks....but I miss your comments, and I wanted to let you know I am here.

Also, for those of you who were not reading my blog last November (which is most of you) and don't know anything about my sister, click here.  Lisa is still in the home I talked about in that post, and we couldn't be happier with the staff and her care.  She is still not herself, and we pray that we will have the sister/daughter back that we know and love.  It was recommended that we not see Lisa for several weeks to help her transition and so that they could complete several doctor appointments she needs.  She seems to regress and act out after conversations with us, probably because it is hard for her to let go of more functional chapters of her life.  On Wednesday, she is scheduled for a sedation dentistry appointment, and we are praying she cooperates.  She had to have a physical, cardiology appointment, and a consultation leading up to this, and those tests will all be void and need to be repeated if this appointment doesn't happen on Wed.  Please pray.  Also, Lisa's birthday is next Tuesday, the 16th.  I am planning to go to see her that day, the first time since I've been home.

So, those are most of the updates I have for now.  I will continue to check in as I am able, and will try to get back to some regular posting when my life is more regular.  

Because I have many wise readers...

...AND many of you are Christians, AND many of you have moved recently (or all the stinkin' time if you are military), I thought I would pose a topic for discussion that Patrick and I have dealt with a few times.  Okay, are you ready?

With moving, comes the process of finding a new church.  What do you do about tithing when you are making the change?  Do you continue to tithe to the church where you are a member until you commit to somewhere else?  Do you tithe at each church where you visit?  Do you give to another mission during the interim with the money you would normally give to church?  Do you splurge on that really cute dress you have been eying and enjoy a nice dinner with your hubby?  You know I was kidding with that one....really....I was.  ;o)

I'll be waiting with bated breath to glean from your wisdom.

Oh, and while I'm asking for advice....should Adeline wear the green and pink dress from this post or the red one from this post for her 18 month pictures?

Wordless Wednesday---Adeline's first popsicle. LOVED IT!

Sunday Finest

Yeah, I know we're far from Sunday, but here's two weeks worth of Sunday Finest posts.  They're too cute not to share.  I was having a hard time uploading the pictures....