A Good Reminder for Me...

Forever Grateful.

I was able to see an incredible woman come home last night with her son.  I went with a friend to the airport and could not take my eyes off this little man who forever changed the life of his parents.  He was so handsome.  Just captivated by all the attention, he was running up to each of us.  I kept looking over at his mother.  Her eyes lit up.  Her heart full.  Her son was home.

I feel so blessed to be on this journey.  My sons will never know how much they changed our family for the better.  How jumping gave us a new look on life.  How praying for them led us to so many amazing people.  How loving them made our lives fuller.  How learning about their past made us feel extremely blessed that God chose them for us.  How understanding another culture has changed the way we see everything.  How seeing the way people live in a different country changed the way we live today.

• My sons wear corduroy pants in summer weather.  One sports a pink shirt, because after all it is a shirt.  They don't wait for the perfect weather to play outside, they play in the rain.  They don't dine on medium rare steak or a McDonald's Happy Meal.  They eat what is available and sleep together. 

We passed court today (see my permanent smile)!  We became the legal parents of two precious babies who don't quite understand yet how much we love them.  Just imagine my dance party.

I was asked yesterday how in the world I was going to grocery shop?  How are you going to go on errands?  Where are they going to sleep?  And I just want to smile, because I feel like I know a secret.  The secret is: things don't matter, people do.  But it is not one of those secrets that is written on a canvas and placed on a wall.  My sons taught me that secret.  I am forever grateful. 

Amanda, Don't Forget.

I need a good reminder of where I am at today so in the future I know how very busy I was.

My favorite texts are from my friends who have little boys.  Usually just a picture with something broken or some little guy standing on a table.  Ahhh, Thank heaven for little boys. 

What will I be missing when Sebastian is older and not quite so much work?

1. Grocery shopping at a warp speed.  I am talking game-show type speed.  You know the bell rings and you are running up and down those isles.  I open up all the bags.  Sun Chips...check.  Fruit snacks...check.  (How about opening all the bags once and then my credit card was declined?  "Well Mam this wouldn't be a problem if you didn't open up at least three things." To say I was embarrassed is an understatement.)  
2. Things thrown at my face at random.  Truck?  Play food?  Real food?  Train?
3. Not having to work out because my 30lb one-year-old loves to be held all day.
4. Thinking it is acceptable to blink...then realizing Sebastian is standing on the kitchen table or has climbed the book shelf.
5. Hoping a stroller won't let you down, but realizing that the loud sounds you are hearing are in fact your son and allllll the items are knocked off the shelves at CVS.
6. Constantly being asked if he ever sits down.  "He must be totally exhausted for nap time?"  Umm, no.
7. Getting the sloppiest, best kisses anyone could ever ask for 100 times a day.
8. Apologizing to other parents for Sebastian giving their child a sloppy kiss.
9. Watching the happiest child on the planet see everything for the first time.
10. Thinking Mickey Mouse or something could get his attention for 30 seconds.
11. Finding something valuable in the trash every.time.I.take.it.out.
12. Watching bags of fruit snacks being swallowed whole in seconds.
13. Thinking it is acceptable to keep your wallet out and then never finding it. (I did finally find it at the bottom of one of the toy bins.) 
14. Saying, "No," to toys so Sebastian will want to play with them.
15. Opening a closet and then screaming because Sebastian is just standing in it...how long? Totally dark? 

 I'll take this time and savor it.  I'll take being the center of his non-stop, back breaking, crazy-fun world.

Oh, These Winter Days.

 

This is a typical Sebastian move.  Cealy having fun pretending and Sebastian comes to destroy.

 

We get outside anytime we can!

Playdoh Fun!

We have a dance party everyday! 

Cealy favorite past time.

Sebastian's favorite past time.

At least Sebastian makes up for me never sitting down with kisses.

We prepare for space launch.

We dress up and we have picnics in the diamond room for lunch.  I pull out our big blanket and we eat away as if we were basking in the sun.

I Like Adoption.

You must watch this video.  This family makes me smile!  "We are such victims of our culture."  That struck me.  A lot to think about.

Goodbye Gram.

Out of sadness was beauty.

I met the most amazing people.  I hugged, cried, laughed, danced, and listened with people I would have never known existed.

My sisters and I got to spend an important amount of time with Gram in her last days.  We bathed her, dressed her, and got her ready to go home with Jesus.  We danced in her room, laughed with all her caretakers and watched madness come alive in the Alzheimer's unit.  I am talking 90 year-old women fighting with sunglasses on.  I am talking one woman showing another her a** and saying, "Take a good loooooook!"

The hardest part was telling my mom who was on a cruise and not yet home.

My mom was her caretaker for 12 years.  My Gram lived with us for 7 years and in that time I had a lot of life lessons that I am sure I was not appreciative of then...like when my good ol Gram decided to collect EVERY person's trashcan on trash day and store them in our garage...My lovely mother made me return them all but how would I know whose trashcan can belonged to whom so I had to ring each.person's. doorbell...

Or when she drew in her eyebrows with pastel blue crayons to go out for dinner.  My little sister and I knew we didn't quite fit in, but this was overboard.  Or when she used feminine pads as band aides all over her legs.  Or the many times she hit on my boyfriend who eventually became my husband, thank God.

I had to tell Cealy in tears that Jesus came to get Grandma, and soon she will be playing hide and go seek, running, wearing her high heels, and jamming with her friends..but all that will have to happen in Heaven.

This time I whispered to Gram, "When you get to Heaven, you can chase Grandpa with a bat." That may have been why she went swiftly.

Do you want to know something beautiful?  My grandmother's caretakers sobbed over her.  Each of them told me she was their favorite.  They kissed her and told her they would see her again.  They will forever have a spot in my heart.

My mom's best friend spent every minute with her.  She slept with her in my Gram's room.  She played board games with her, drank wine, and stayed by my mom's side until my Gram went home.  Two more of my mom's besties came and sat with her until Gram passed away.  Friendship amazes me.  These women are beautiful friends.

Joretta Joyce will be missed.  It is hard to think I will not see her until I too go home with Jesus.  For now I will just imagine her playing cards with her girls and standing behind things just to jump out and scare anyone whose around.  Maybe God will put her to work.  Maybe she will help find homes for the endless orphans who need them.  Or maybe she will help a single mother who is trying to get by and so badly wants to keep her children.  Yes, Grandma-work for God.

Alzheimer's Disease.

Yesterday I whispered in her ear again, "Go with Jesus."  I have those talks with her.  "Make sure you except Jesus in your heart, Gram.  He is the son of God, and died for us."  She stares at me, and nods her head.  I take this to assume she has those conversations, I so much want for her to have.  Then I am knocked into reality when Sebastian runs into a random person's room.  I told him if he did it again he was going to time out, but he is smarter than the average and knew there wasn't a pack-n-play around to keep him contained.

Gram was not having a good day yesterday.  When the nurse was concerned with giving her Excedrin because of liver failure, I about had a moment.  Liver failure?  She has suffered with Alzheimer's Disease for 12 years and has migraines.  I found myself staring at her without talking.  I thought I said, "Liver failure?"  but I was just staring at her.  Imagine not being able to tell someone you are having a migraine?  Give her Excedrin!  So instead of being adult about it, I cried.  She came over and gave me some tissue.  Said she just gave the woman next door the same tissue box when in bed with her mother..trying to get her to recognize her.  I cried even more. 

Not everyone is in the best of moods when you visit, but you make the best of it.  We usually make it fun so we don't cry or sap around because let's face it, my Gram lived a good life, so I am ready for Jesus to bring her home.  I know what true sadness looks like and this isn't it. 

Last week, one of the oldies but a goody, told my mom she was stealing stuff.  I spit out my water, because I couldn't stop laughing.  I asked my mom to grab all the kiddos coats, and when we walked away Ms. Memory was yelling, "She is stealing those coats!!  She is a stealer!  Look at her!"  My mom loves it.  She laughs with the best of them.

My little sister often goes with me when she can.  Because we always get into trouble together, I tell her to be on her best behavior.  Because last time we went, she sure did try and buy the couch cushions from one of the ladies who was selling them...I told Mackenzie we were not messing around this time.  She promised, but one of the meanies was calling her a name.  So when Ms. Meany wanted to sit down, Mackenzie sent her the long way around the couch...with her walker.

Then Mackenzie tells my Gram that she bought the cutsie sweatshirt my Gram is wearing...which she didn't.  She tries to boost her granddaughter status.  I guess that is the plus to having a Gram with the disease, she believes anything you tell her.

I look over at LaRosa.  She is telling Ms. Grabs A Lot (the one who scared my children) that she needs to hand over her baby doll so she can eat.  La Rosa has taken care of my Gram for awhile.  There is not a lot of "thank yous" in this job.  Oh that precious, LaRosa.  I pray God gives her blessings.  If you saw her in the grocery, you might just think she is another beautiful, young woman shopping with her kids.  I tell you what, she is so much more.  She is a child of God who works where not everyone could...and loves with her all her heart.

A Little Fun Over Break.

Here is Marm reading with her babies.

We celebrated Jesus's Birthday!  Cealy reminded me that if it is Jesus's birthday we best have cake!

It was such a special day.  All the family came over.  Church was amazing on Christmas Eve.  I stalk my email but who would have thought my agency works on Christmas day and sent me a wonderful adoption present.  I was not thinking this part of the adoption would come so soon.  Our agency works so hard, they are amazing!!

Cealy's favorite game is Memory.  I am not good at losing so I play like a champ.  I played games with my girlfriends on New Year's Eve, and laughed like a kid all night.  I won every time...of course.

Uncle Andy brought Ceal back the world's largest sucker.  It is still in the pantry.  Uncle Andy and Keke give our children so much love. 

Sebastian is Mr. Kisses.  You cannot escape his kiss.  He will plant one on you when ordering food at McCalisters.  Or see someone random from My Gym and run up and kiss them.  Seriously, he gives Cealy and I about 100 kisses a day. 

One of my favorite parts about break is my Ceal's friends can play.  Whitney is my partner in most everything fun, and here she is reading to the girls, while Sebastian is trying to swipe the book.

Grandpa Steve is giving Cealy a ride around the house...ahhh the life she leads.

No more naps make Cealy Crazy Dazy.  When Sebastian and or Cruz are sleeping we usually do puzzles, read, or play memory.  Yesterday we did lots of school things, which makes me want to homeschool.