Thank GOD for the rainbows!!!

So much to say....so much to catch up on.....but right now just SO thankful beyond words that the Lord has looked down and given our friends the rainbow they've been waiting for!!! The news is still developing but CRYMSON IS HOME!!!!!! (Read here if you are clueless to what this means :))

Tonight was one of those times when you KNEW God had a plan and FELT it to the core of your soul! Rejoice is all I can say!!!

Rainbows are precious. I never thought about it this way until this post from Amy. These words described everything I felt after we lost Olivia and then were surprised by Ellie Kate but couldn't put into words. This post helped me wrap my brain around all the conflicting emotions I was drowning in at the time. Ever since then, rainbows are our "thing". Storms may come, but they bring the rainbows. In just about everything in life - this holds true. I remember posting to Crystal that surely God had a rainbow for them in some way...............

Thank GOD for the rainbows!! They are even sweeter after storms.........

Labor Day Recap

Labor Day Recap - we played, we ate, we enjoyed family and friends, and we're TIRED!!! :)

Awesome weekend - can we have 3 day weekends ALL the time???

Playing with friends at Monte Sano Park

Poor Grayson - not sure if he was crying before or after EK came to check on him :)

Abby and Kennedy (her Mom blogs here :))

EK's BFF - Griffin

Are you ready for some football????? Didn't break out the cute girl outfits this weekend but they're coming!!

Chilling out at Mimi and Papaw's

Getting kisses from Nana

Mimi starting piano lessons early

Another microphone hog - anyone surprised??

Monday Stewart and Abby went to see the final day of the Star Wars exhibit at the Space and Rocket center. What did me and EK do?? Why, climb on tables of course! Isn't that what everyone does??

Seriously - this kid is the light of my life one second and my worse nightmare the next!!! Terrible twos have hit with a vengeance. If it can be gotten into - it is. If it can be put in her mouth and swallowed - it is. If there is ANYTHING that she shouldn't get, she will find it instantly!! I found out today that she left some lovely teeth marks on another classmate at MDO :( :(
I'm going tomorrow to beg for forgiveness and ask them to PLEASE help me teach her human ways verses that of a chimpanzee (which she closely resembles in actions sometimes :)

Love me some EK, but whew.......don't offer to babysit this one unless you MEAN IT!!

Pink Panthers

YEAH ABBY!! Tonight was the debut of the Eastern League U8 Pink Panthers!! They didn't score the most goals of the evening (insert wink), but they played hard and did an outstanding job! Abby has never played soccer before and actually scored her first goal!! (That could be up for review since there was a MOB around the ball before it rolled in, but she thinks it was her foot that placed the final kick, and I'll go along with that!!)

Check out the cutie! LOTS of pics - I got a new camera and was having TONS of fun playing around with it (sorry to rub it in Drea :( )

Abby playing defense - what do I do??

I'm pretty sure there's not supposed to be sassiness on the soccer field!

#1 Fan :)

OOhhh......dirt!! Tell me Moms - how do you get this lovely red mud out??

Please Pray

Tonight I sincerely ask for your prayers for friends of our family, Michael and Crystal Clark. Many of us have followed their adoption journey that began a few months ago with the adoption of their precious little girl, Resiana. The birth-mother was pregnant at the time, and the plan was for them to adopt this baby as well. This week, the little boy was born, welcomed and named by Slick and Crystal, and plans were being made to come home. Today they learned that the birth-mother had changed her mind. They were in Hawaii for the birth and are now on their way home empty handed. Please pray for their comfort and for the safety and protection for this little boy they already loved as part of their family. However hard to understand, we must trust that God's plans are bigger than ours. Please just pray for their broken hearts and empty arms......

Our Adoption Journey

"I Pay Wit Kidz"

In the words of Ellie Kate, "I pay wit kidz!" And so we started Mother's Day Out last week! I wanted her to go - Abby went at her age, but WOW, when they called and said they had an opening, it was a major shocker!! I knew she needed to, but she's the BABY!!

Well, all fear I had was laid to rest quickly by the strong willed one! That morning as we were pulling through the car line to drop Abby off, EK started trying to unbuckle saying, "Bye Mommy. I go skool wit Abby. See slide! Pay wit kids!!" Let's just say she was NOT happy when the safety patrol shut the door and Abby walked away and she was left in the car!! An hour later, she walked herself (did not want to be carried) into the church, straight to her room and started playing! It's a class of 11 BOYS and her - hehe! The teachers seemed hesitant, but I assured them she would take care of herself! She never even blinked when I bent down to kiss her bye, just said again, "Bye Mommy! I pay wit kidz!!" When I got there to pick her up, there was no running reunion. I'm not even sure she was happy to see me! She just looked up and said, "Oh- Hey Mommy!"

I'm thankful. She is her own little person who can light up your life one second and bring on the thunder the next!! I'm just waiting on the call that EK is face first in the floor pitching a fit! Maybe she only does those for Mommy :)

Here's my big girl - ready to go :)

Lots of new things happening here!!!

Swim for Melissa 2010

We did it!!! Our first Swim for Melissa and we had a blast!! Abby raised $500.00!!!! This year she was an individual swimmer, but next year we want a BIG team! Come on friends and Fam - get ready!!

Here are some pictures from the morning. It was SO good to finally get to hug Amy! It seems like we've been through so much for so long, but we never actually knew each other!! She and Mom had a moment too - Mimi is a Amy fan :) Just a sweet, sweet day :) Amy even came out just to cheer on Abby - too precious! We look forward to this being an annual family tradition!

Why we do what we do.......

TEAR JERKER ALERT!!!

I just watched this, and quite simply, this is why we do what we do! I've made it no secret that Amy George has "virtually" supported our family through our walk of losing Olivia like many could not - she's been there. Yes, the circumstances are different, but the hurt, the loss, and more importantly, the FAITH that God has everything in control is the same. Oddly enough, Amy and I have only met in Publix, once! Hopefully I will get a chance to hug her and thank her for what she does for millions of babies tomorrow as Abby participates in her first Swim for Melissa.

This was aired last night on Channel 19.....enjoy! And contributions are still welcome if you'd like to support Abby for tomorrow. Scroll down to the post below for the link - and thanks to those who have already contributed!!

http://www.whnt.com/videobeta/5d7c389d-94be-406e-a6f9-c85a3d3a86ba/News/Ann-Catherine-Gets-Ready-to-Swim-for-Melissa