MAYLIN2007

On March 21, 2007, we had our Gotcha Day with Maylin! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. It seems to speed up every year. It has been a great 6 years. Here is a picture of us moments after we met and a picture of us last October 2012. We both have changed and our bond is stronger. I was looking at her little face the other day and I couldn't believe how much she has grown over that time. She once was a little baby.....I hardly remember, and now she is 7 and loving being grown-up. Last night we went to a family dance and she danced with boys 35 times! She kept track. She loves us so much, which I am so grateful and we love her. The other day, I watched her and Alex walk down the hall at school together. He was carrying her car seat. When they parted they expressed their love to each other. I sat there and thought "There are my two babies. Look how they love each other." I was especially impressed with how Alex just loves her so much and takes his ...

As I have mentioned, Maylin has yet to loose a tooth on her own. She has had her permanent teeth grow in and her baby teeth never fall out, so the dentist has had to do the dirty work! Finally, she had a loose tooth. She has been thrilled. She asked me every day when I thought it might come out. She would wiggle it every day too and she got such a kick out of the fact it kinda grossed me out.  I don't know why vomit doesn't get me, but a wiggly tooth just makes me sick. Well this morning before school, while she was brushing her teeth she said, "look mom, my tooth is bleeding." I said, "That means it will be out soon." AND SOON IT WAS! With the next brush it fell right out and went right down the drain!!! We tried to catch it with a q-tip and we even took a part the drain and drain pipes looking for her little tooth. No success. We did find a lot of other gross stuff.....pipes are disgusting, but no tooth. Maylin was crushed! So were we. She has waited...

Mom this is for you: www.austinmission.blogspot.com Tonight after having a very frustrating day with the teenagers, I went into my laundry room to check my email. Okay, really to get away from the teenagers. Why lie? The dog followed me in. I haven't been happy with the dog. It isn't really the dog's fault, but he is getting the blame. He could have handled it better. Let me start at the beginning. The dog needed his shots. So I loaded the sucker up in his kennel. This was a feat in itself. Here is the dog's part, he could have handled it better, you know just walked in the kennel rather than have me beg, plead, fight, cry, yell......... Once there, we drove to the vet. I got out of the car and picked up the kennel. Half way through the parking lot that dang kennel (in the moment dang was not the word I used) broke!!! The bottom dropped out of the kennel. The force of the dog dropping out the bottom, pulled me down to the cold, icy cement. Of course, the dog didn...

 Being in our house for 12 years, we were needing a change. I was going the cheap route; replacing lamps, rearranging furniture and wall hangings and repainting. Jay on the other hand has watched WAY to much HGTV and wanted to go the expensive route.....like knocking down wall expensive. I said no at first, but the more I thought about it and realized, I had always thought my family room was too small I changed my mind and joined him in a ReNoVaTion!!!! We are pushing out our family room and eating area wall by 12 feet. We are also doing a fancy ceiling in the eating area that I passed up when we first built due to cost. We are adding on another covered patio since our existing one will now house the extended family room/eating area. The covered patio will be three feet wider too, so someday it can accommodate a hot tub. I am also changing my island, re-glazing my cabinets and getting new wood floor. I am even repainting a bit too! So exc...

Tuesday, March 5 was Maylin's 7 th birthday. She took cupcakes to her class. She wanted cupcakes with purple and blue frosting. I threw in some green too when I was making them. She also picked out a candy bar cake. Seriously, the easiest things I have ever made. She loved her presents. She mainly got clothes, but there was a Tinkerbell Barbie, Hello Kitty earphones, and a game for her leap pad mixed in. I covered the frosting on top with M and M's so the Easter basket grass wouldn't get stuck in. Yesterday as we talked about her birth mother, I got a little sad. I am so grateful, yet I feel badly that she is missing out on knowing this amazing girl. I hope where ever she is and whatever she is doing, she knows her baby is loved more than anything and we cherish her with all our hearts. We are grateful to her for this amazing gift! Kenzie chose a Funfetti cake, but when she saw Maylin's cake she threw on a few candy bars. I made her Thing 1 and...