Mother's Day Weekend~

We were super thrilled to have BC for the weekend so Savannah and Josh
could get away for their fifth anniversary!
We also loved celebrating Holly and Payne's birthday~

 Along with Mother's Day for my mom~

It was wonderful to be together!

Sunday ALL my children were home.
Scott grilled, we took photos, and hung out around the pool~

I am a VERY blessed mama/Shayshay and SO thankful the little space between me and SJ
will soon be filled by a precious little baby named CallaAnne!
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms reading my blog.

A Happy Mother's Day~

I say often...

Being the mom to my children is one of my greatest joys~

They all made my day super special with church, lunch, gifts, hanging at the pool, and lots of love yous.

I loved taking photos with my mom, daughter, and grandson

{Four generations}~

 and these beautiful girls~

Thank you Jesus for my children, my husband, and my life.

A Happy Mother's Day indeed!!!

Mother's Day~ {My Beautiful Children}

My greatest Jesus given gift and sweetest JOY in my life!

My Children!

There is nothing I would rather do with my life!!

Being a mom is my life calling!

Add grandmom to that and it just gets sweeter!

Thank you Scott for our life and our children.

The blessing gets sweeter with each one... sweet Holly, we are coming!

3 John 1:4

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Mother's Day & Payne's BD~

Today was a very sweet day.
We had a wonderful breakfast and went to church via online.
Before hand we sang to Payne for his 6 year old birthday 
and gave him a big lego book with legos.
Everyone loved them~

Scott and Amelia grilled a delicious lunch and allowed me to rest while Evie took a nap as well then...

Payne's birthday party!

Watch how quick Payne is to blow out his candles~

{grin!}

Everyone arrived around 4 for ice cream cake and happy birthday song~

Mama and daddy had a big gift for the birthday boy so we headed out for the reveal~

He LOVED his car and it became the inspiration for the Batman theme party {last minute}!

LOVE these photos taken with him~

I called him over off his new bike which he gladly came and asked for a photo with him.

He smiled big and after the photo said...

Now a kissing one mom!

THAT made my day!!! 

Such a sweet boy and always smiling!

Other things about the day...

EK was in animal heaven today... a salamander and a turtle all in one day~

LOVED having my mama here to hug and love on her.

Can't imagine life without her~

An Everything Beautiful kind of day!!!

Early Mother's Day~

Josh, Savannah, and BC are spending the week at the beach to celebrate their anniversary SO

we met today for an Early Mother's Day lunch~

 I LOVE that when we meet, Savannah immediately takes BC out of the carrier and hands him straight to me.

I adore staring into that precious baby face~

And I adore my first baby wanted to meet me even though they were headed out the door today.

As a matter of fact they are there now looking out over the ocean!

I LOVE you Savannah Lee and THANK YOU for the best Mother's Day gift ever~

Our First Grandchild!!!

BC you are a treasure we LOVE beyond words!!!

Mother's Day~

Being a mom is the greatest calling of my life~ both blessings and joy! This day was special because of these beautiful people God has placed in my life~

 I don't think 26 years ago I would have dreamed this life Scott and I have built through God's blessings. Our three originals given through birth, our heaven babies, our son in law given through marriage, and our five given to us through adoption~ absolutely no difference in the love we have for each one of them!

I would not be the mom I am without an amazing role model in front of me... someone who gives her life away each and everyday for her children and grandchildren~

  My Mama~

The one that knows all my secrets and loves me anyway. The one that has heard me say we are going back to China many times and only gives me support. The one that loves my children as much as I do and keeps them whenever I need her to. My greatest cheer leader, protector, and advice giver... The one that loves me unconditionally forever!

Our afternoon was spent hanging out by the pool with our kids and family~

I had a wonderful day doing the same things any mom does on any other day of her life... giving it away to everyone around her and you know what? I wouldn't want to BE, DO, or GO anywhere else in the whole world. Because remember~

Being a mom is the greatest calling of my life~ both blessings and joy!

 James 1:17

“Making the decision to have a child - it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.     ― Elizabeth Stone

 

 

Mother's Day~

Being a mom is the greatest calling of my life~ both blessing and joy! 

This day is special because of these beautiful people God has placed in my life~
I don't think 26 years ago I would ever have dreamed this life Scott and I have built through God's blessing. Our three originals given to us through birth, our son in law through marriage, and our five given through adoption~ absolutely no difference in the love we have for any of them. 

I wouldn't be the mom I am without an amazing role model in front of me... someone who gives her own life away each and every day for her children and grandchildren~

 
My Mama~
The one that knows all my secrets and loves me anyway. The one that has heard me say we are going back to China many times and only gives me support. The one that keeps my kids on a whim just when I need her. The one that is my greatest cheer leader, protector, and advice giver. The one that loves my children as much as I do! The one that loves me unconditionally forever!!

Our afternoon was spent around the pool just hanging out with our kids and family~

 
I had a wonderful day doing the things any mom does any other day of her life... giving it to all the people around her and you know what? I wouldn't want to BE, DO, or GO anywhere else in the whole world. Because remember...
Being a mom is the greatest calling of my life~ 

both blessing and joy!

“Making the decision to have a child - it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ”   ― Elizabeth Stone

Mother's Day~

I had a wonderful Mother's Day for sure~

 Hand prints painted and a keepsake forever!

Mother's Day~

Today is one of those days when counting blessings is an all day thing.

I have SO much to be thankful for... I awoke to a sweet post on Savannah's blog (cried)~

 Missed having my sweet girl home~ she made me a mom and taught me all about unconditional love!

I spent a lot of time today thinking about and loving my mama.

I couldn't be more blessed to have her in my life...

loving me, loving Scott, loving my sweet babies (big and little), and as Scott said today...

holding our family together~

 She is all I ever want to be as a mom!!!

After church we had Mama and Daddy~

PaPa, Jason, Amy, Max, and Addie over for lunch and playing~

 My day was SO sweet being loved on by my beautiful children~

 and the whole weekend with roses, cards, lots of yummy food, and sweet random acts of kindness~

 I can't imagine life without a single blessing I counted today.

Having WP home this year was especially sweet~ he loves his mama and daddy!

Thank you mama for being the most amazing mom in the whole world,

thank you Scott for giving me the privilege of being a mom (6 times...),

and thank you to all my beautiful children~ Savannah, Josh, Amelia, Rosemary, EllaKate, ShayleeJoy, Will Perry...

I LOVE you all SO very much!!!

Psalm 127:3

Children are a gift from the Lord;  they are a reward from Him.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was wonderful and bittersweet all tied together

with smiles and tears...

Wonderful and smiles because I have SO many blessings~

Last year with no ShayleeJoy

to this year with her forever momma!!!

My precious family minus Savannah, Josh, and Will.

My sweet ones right here around me~

The love of my life that swept me away 25 years ago~

Craziness that goes on even in the midst...

and gives me joy~

My mom (SO amazing), dad and siblings~

My sister and her family~

My brother and his family~

ALL the children in our family with Will on the way~

Sweet, sweet Addie who was dedicated this Mother's Day~

And mostly for the privilege to be a mom~

to my married daughter and her new husband...

to my two beautiful teenage daughters,

to my two adorable Chinese daughters,

and to a little Chinese son far away on this Mother's Day...

sure to be in my arms this time next year!!!

My heart is so full...

of all that's wonderful and smiles

as well as bittersweet and tears.

Nothing could have prepared us for what we would feel

the day after the wedding but know for sure,

no matter how hard it was to let her go,

Our dreams came true when she gave her heart to the very one

we prayed for so long...

the one that now holds her heart in his,

the one that we dearly love just like our own~ Our BIG son!!! :)

So you see,

"Real tears are not those that fall from the eyes and cover the face,

but those that fall from the heart and cover the soul."

~ Unknown

My soul is covered and I am oh so thankful for every smile and every tear...

if not for both, there would be no love.

I wouldn't change a thing!!!

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. . .And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. - excerpts from 1 Corinthians 13:4-13

A Lovely Mother's Day Weekend!

My Mother's Day weekend was one of the best because our family was together... the girls and my sister's family... all home. Saturday began with our yard sale- huge success and then home for a day around the pool. cookout,
and homemade ice cream!



Sunday was filled with church, food, and family. Days like these are my favorite because lots of pictures are taken and memories are made.



I LOVE Mother's Day... not because it's about me being a mom but more about the daughter's that have made me a mom. If ever I had a calling... it is to be a mom. Family is so important and my mom (top middle) is so precious to me. She taught me unconditional love above all else... and allows me to love my children the very same way. There is no higher calling...


Our families: Marcia & Chris, Mama & her children, Jason & Amy

I LOVE everything about it. I love taking care of my family.



I love listening the many stories the girls share.



I love sharing in their interests and obsessions... :) LIZARDS!!!

Ek has wanted to catch a lizard for weeks now and finally Sam was able to get her one. Can you see how much she loved it? She is such a little animal lover! Thanks Sam!!! :)

It was such a wonderful weekend and a reminder of the immeasurable blessings I have in my life. I want to say thank you to my precious husband who has always said yes when it came to our children... yes to Savannah, Amelia, Rosemary, EllaKate, ShayleeJoy... and my daddy who said yes to my mom!!!



The cards I received from each of the girls were so precious to me!
I will always cherish them!!!
The sweetest thought given to me in Scott's card was...
This time next year our ShayleeJoy will have her forever mom.

And with that comes thoughts of the two precious women far away in China that gave birth to my two beautiful daughters... without their selfless love, I wouldn't know the love of these two beautiful children. I pray God gives them peace that passes all understanding to KNOW their daughters are completely safe and loved beyond measure with an unconditional love given to me by my mom and my Savior, Jesus Christ. I praise Him for all He has chosen for me.

To Him be the glory for the things He has done
and continues to do in my life each day!!!

Blessings,

A Happy Mother's Day!

Today is a Happy Mother's Day for me because I am on happy mother!!!
I have new pics of my precious baby that lives here:



Can I just say my heart was POUNDING out of my chest this morning for my email to open and then for the pics to download!!!

This was the first: Look at her precious lip poking out.


Second: Love her winter outfit with little pink sandals!


Third: My Favorite!
Love it because she is standing with her nanny...
the person in SJ's life most like a mother.
I am happy she is safe and loved.


So now I have new pics to hold me for a while.
I will stare into those serious eyes and pray for her heart:
for healing and for preparation to leave all she knows to start her life with us.
Please pray with me!!! To God be the Glory!!!

Blessings,