Bring Me Hope

Allie participated in a bike-a-thon this morning along with quite a few kids from our church.  They were raising money for Bring Me Hope, an organization who sends Chinese orphans to camp to hear about Jesus.  Our church sent a team last year to China, and my friend Mommy Lion spent two weeks at their camp ministering to orphans, so I was able to hear about it first hand.  Our church is sending another team this year, and the kids raised money to  sponsor orphans to attend the camp.  

Poor thing...her bike was broken, so she rode Mary's bike which was much too small!

Allie buddied up with a friend.  I don't think they would have ridden as far without each other!  Thanks E:)  They rode 10.5 miles! 


If you are interested in supporting this ministry, please email me at meredith@gohogs.net to donate.  She collected pledges/lap and donations before today, but we don't have to turn it in until April 15th, so she would love to raise more money!

Really?

Today will be stamped in my head forever.  We received the news that our boy's exit permit was submitted today.  I received an email after lunch, and the hubs was sleeping (working nights).  I could not wake him, so I left a note.

Is it REALLY happening?  YES IT IS!!!

I was filled with emotion.  It's been such a long wait for this day.  God's timing is absolutely perfect, and we've known that all along, but it doesn't make waiting any easier.

We are not sure of details, but he should be home in 8-10 weeks.  Please be praying!!! 

AGGGGHHH!!!  I've never been so happy to have a reason to buy diapers again!

(if you can't read bottom of the mirror it says "EP DAY 3/29")

No tears here

Mary has cried almost weekly before dance.  I think for her, doing any after school activity was a bust because adjusting to school 5 days a week was hard enough.  When she gets in the car and realizes it's a dance day, the tears start to flow!

Today was picture day.  She may not like the class, but she loves the outfit!  

I snapped this before we headed out, and she looks way too grown up. BOO!

Dream

Mary is the kid in our nest who has vivid dreams and sometimes nightmares in her sleep.  Usually they occur when she's very tired, and so her kindergarten year, they've been more common.


This morning, she reported this.


Mary:  "Mommy, I had the BEST dream last night."


Me:  (she's not the type to use sensational sentences or anything all inclusive.) "The BEST dream? Wow Mary, I've never heard you say that.  Tell me what it was about.


Mary:  "Well, in the beginning it was very sad.  Something happened to you and daddy, and I am not sure what, but you were not in our family anymore."


Me:  "Ummm...OK. This sounds more like a bad dream."


Mary:  "No, Mommy, this super kind lady adopted us and she was so, so sweet.  We lived with her for the whole time we were kids and she was our new mommy."


Me:  "Oh. Well, I if getting new parents is your best dream, then I don't really know what to say."


HOW STRANGE!  I know dreams don't mean anything, but it bothers me that she said this was her BEST dream.  I will have to investigate more about this "kind lady."  I didn't know whether to laugh or cry!!

Weekend in review

Getting back into the swing of things this week has not been easy for the kids.  Garrett does not understand why bath time occurs when it is day time.  Sorry dude!  

Makes us all ready for summer!!!

We ended spring break with a visit from Katie, Bunny, and Zach.  Katie spoke at my sister's MOPS group on Monday, and she did an incredible job sharing their journey the last 2.5 years.  I looked at her and said, "I don't know how you do this."  To which she replied with a smile, "me either."  The Lord has given her a voice not only to encourage other families who have suffered great loss, but also to encourage us all to put our hope in the Lord and nothing else.

Zach was as animated as ever.  Unfortunately, I didn't take many pics, and the ones I did take, he looked LESS than thrilled.  

He looks more like a prisoner more than a super hero.

Poor Z...the humiliation brought on by the girls.  Where was Garrett during all this?

Those are four of the most fake smiles I've ever seen!  Poor G has had eye problems from all the pollen.  He's been swollen for a week!

Thanks for joining us Bunny!  We are that much closer to getting a hamster..Allie says thanks:)  

My roller coaster gene...

The first time I rode a roller coaster was on our honeymoon.   You could call me big chicken risk averse.  It appears that I have passed my irrational amusement park fear on to all three kids.  We were hoping Garrett would prove us wrong...

....yeah I don't think so.

He ended up riding the most benign of little kid roller coasters.  (I could have pulled him faster in a little red wagon.)  Mary was sitting behind him, and she said, "Mom, he's so scared!"  Oh well.  Maybe Chubby will break the trend!

The fair was just a little one set up in the mall parking lot here in town, but the kids LOVED it.  So long Spring Break.  We loved you!

What could it be??

any guesses?

We heart cousins

Spring break has SPOILED us.  We've looked like raggamuffins all week, stayed up late, slept in, and not had anywhere to go.  The kids really needed a break, and so did mamma.  

We did take a short jaunt to see my sis-n-law, Mandy (hubs sis) and her fam.  She contributed to the spoiling!  The kids were completely happy together, and we were able to just TALK!  Which is rare!  

Fun at the park.  Abby is so big now! 

Little Hunter is the sweetest, happiest, little thing!!

I can't believe we actually saw him when he was first walking!  He would throw his hands up in the air and walk all over everywhere with a huge grin.  You couldn't be more proud for him!

Thanks Mando..we love you guys!!!!  Thanks for cooking and hosting!!

Allie wanted to make breakfast this morning.  She's watched me make muffins many times, so I told her she could do it all by herself.  She was so happy!

Brushing hair next week is going to be a struggle.  I don't even know where the brush is!  I let her read all directions, retrieve contents, and measure it all out.....I didn't help one bit...well except for maybe one ingredient.

Happy St. Patty's day!  

Pretty girl dressed herself all up to have her picture made with her dollies.  She's making a scrap book...hold on, I gotta get a tissue:-)  

Get Silly

Did I mention it's spring break???  We are having a simple, silly day.

Roller Coaster!!! 

Down memory "lane"

...bowling lane that is.

Want to know something about me?  Ok I'll tell you since this is my blog, and you chose to read it.

I.was.a.league.bowler.

Yep.  I grew up about 1.5 miles from the good ole bowling ally, and my mom took full advantage of the situation.  She signed us up for Saturday morning league and sent us packing (can you imagine letting your grade schoolers walk 1.5 miles now) with a few dollars to buy a vanilla coke.  

Ladies and gentleman, I am PROUD to announce that there is a sport on this green earth that I can outscore/outplay my husband on any Saturday night of week.  It was a brutal beating, and I am happy to brag because it took me 15 years to find something that I could undeniably claim victory.

  So, thank you Mom for keeping us busy on a Saturday morning....

We had a great night out with my sister and friends.  

GUESS WHO???

Well you know it's not me:)  It's my sis!!  Yahoo!!!!  I'm over the moon excited for her and Adam:)  Due October 15th!!!!

Bout to break...

...as in SPRING BREAK!  

Garrett told me tonight..."Mommy, I have a big SURPRISE for you.  You are on spring break starting now!"  :) Love that crazy boy.  I am really excited to have a week at home with the kids.  Gonna see some SISTAS and COUSINS while we are at it...yahoo!

This last week couldn't have been crazier I guess.  I made a quick trip to my parents' house last Saturday...yup, all in one day.  I wanted to check on my sweet gparents.

They are the cutest!

Abbott enjoyed a walk with Papoo.

Crazy cousins.

My cutie mamma and twin brother

This past week, Mary had Wacky Wednesday for Dr. Seuss' birthday.  

We wackied her hair.

Garrett had Western Days on the same day.  Last year, he was all tears.  

This year all smiles:)

Mary has really flourished in kindergarten.  She was so shy, but she LOVES her new friends, and is BUSTIN' out of her shell!

Here's a video of Gman singing.  I apologize for the most haphazard post ever....

Not yet...

Our agency received Exit Permit submissions for 5 families.  We were not included in this batch.  We were hoping they would include more since they've been closed for so long, but that was not the case.


We called our agency, and based on the dates that were cleared this batch, I would be surprised if we did NOT make the next batch.  (We are SOO close!)  


I'm so thankful at this point that we at least moved UP the list and that families are going to bring their children home!


Just wanted to update....

A new day

Today, we the White family started a new chapter of our lives.....

...a good bye card...by Allie White.

In every phase of life, we have been so blessed with deep incredible friendships.  Pretty soon after we married, we moved to NY and immediately were placed in a small group with 4 of the coolest couples on the planet.  I also had wonderful friends at work.  Those friends were in the category of :  "we had our first babies together."  Not long after we left, the group disbanded for other moves, etc. and they will always remain in that category full of wonderful, awful, hysterical, memories of "first borns!"  They were our family for 4 years, meeting all the needs that families have...the good and the bad.

When we moved here, we immediately landed in a new small group.  I've said this before.  The first little man to greet me at the door was Little Lion.  He was 2.  Who knew his family would not only be the bridge to new friendships, but this family would also be the family that we have "done" life with the last 7 years.  We had second babies together.  We potty trained together, pulled first teeth together, watched first soccer games together, met at the ER late in the night with a first broken bone together...and the list goes on and on and on.  

They moved today.

There I said it.  I didn't think I could.  I've been in denial for months because they stayed in town several months getting their affairs in order.  

We are going to miss them like crazy.  So thank you Myers for "doin" life with us for 7 years.  Thanks for the sleep overs.  Thanks for keeping Gman for a week when our plans fell through....and getting the flu from him, but never fessing up that you were even sick.  Thanks for teaching me how to organize...a little.  Thanks for being roll models in parenting. Thanks for having perfect children.  (ba ha you know you do and we don't!)  Thanks for teaching me how to digi scrap even though I haven't talked you back into it in years.  Thank you for praying for us every time we buckled up to head out on another road trip...and texting us to make sure we made it.  Thank you for loving us so so well.

  

Hope you smell bad when you get there, and they send you back because you won't shut up about the best friends you ever had.....ba ha!  Love you!