Hannah for Christmas / Fowlkes Family of 5

Good Night, Irene! Has It Been THAT Long?!?

2011-04-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

Technology and social media have changed so much over the past couple of years, as evident in my fifteen month absence on this blog.

So much has changed in our family's world. Jaycie has entered the world of junior high. She ran cross-country in the fall and loved it. She is now involved in community theater and having a blast. Hannah, in her last months of preschool, is very much looking forward to living the big life of a kindergarten gal beginning in August, although she'll miss her preK teachers tremendously. Will is almost three, almost potty-trained, and almost as tall as Hannah. He does, however, outweigh her by five pounds. When he resists being picked up, feels like he outweighs me, too! He's a cute, active little booger. We are blessed beyond measure, and crazy busy with life. Speaking of busy, I must go. More again later - actually, hopefully sooner than later. :)

Snow Babies

2010-01-18T17:43:00.000-08:00

Our first snow was a nice one but a small one. Jaycie loved falling down in it (on purpose), Hannah loved eating it (no matter what surface it fell on),
and Will loved exploring it (totally uninhibited by having to wear his sister's lavender snowsuit). Hooray for snow!

Will LOVES Basketball!

2010-01-18T17:37:00.000-08:00

He sizes up the goal.
He aims.
He shoots.
He scores!

Go, Will!

What a Difference a Third Makes

2009-12-31T06:17:00.000-08:00

So much has transpired in such a small amount of time. I can't believe my last post was in August!. Poor Will, whose story will be less documented than his sisters', has grown so much since that time. Ah, the curse of the third child.

Here are a few things I want to remember:

The song I made up for Will when he was an infant is sung to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." One day a couple of months ago (I think), he proceeded to sing the song with the lone lyric "Daddy" and has now progressed to insert "Jaycie" and "Nanna" (for Hannah) and "Mommy" into it. I guess now it's a family song. It's precious. The only family name he can't say is his own. I guess the "W" is a tough one to pronounce.

Will holds up his pointer finger when we ask him how old he is. He asks, "Where's Daddy/Jaycie/Nanna/Mommy?" and will say "Sh!" if I tell him they're sleeping. He can say "I want..." (more like "ont") "down" / "juice" / "Cheerios" / "ball" and a few other basics. He can tell us what Santa says - "ho, ho, ho" - and says "no" with much more certainty and emphasis than "yes."

He loves to sing. The "I Love You" song was his second to sing (thanks, Barney!), and he will sing along to "Jesus Loves Me" and "Jingle Bells."

He is all boy and loves to play with balls, trucks and trains. He may be a chef like his daddy, since he loves to play in the pretend kitchen. However, he'll have to learn to not throw the food and utensils on the floor to succeed. He makes a beeline to any available cell phone or remote and loves to push any button that makes noise.

What a blessing this little boy has been! Our hearts are full, and our cup overflows!

Back to School

2009-08-11T10:10:00.001-07:00

Pics For the Cosby Crew!

2009-08-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

Is It Summer Already?

2009-06-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

Happy busy times around the Fowlkes home means no time to blog. Instead I'll post a few fun shots. Enjoy!

Like father like daughter:

Birthday boy; birthday suit.

Jaycie helping at a magic show:

Asleep At The Will

2009-04-16T16:22:00.001-07:00

Baskets Full of Easter Joy

2009-04-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

Easter was wonderful this year! We spent the day in Nashville with the Fowlkes and Coggins crew and enjoyed a lovely time together. Having Will with us this year made the day all the more special. I am so thankful for the blessings I have in Christ, and I am humbled by the gift of family, both spiritual and physical, at this magical time of year.

Well, Goodnight, Irene!

2009-03-23T12:38:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it has been so long since I've posted. These posts were once part of my routine, and now, sadly, they've fallen by the wayside. I think I need to post as much for my own benefit as for my friends and family. Following are random thoughts from the past several months.
-38 year old mommies are more tired than 28 year old mommies.
-It's way too easy to get distracted by the blues in the winter. Praise God for the spring!
-TV watching breeds more TV watching. Depressed folks watch more TV; I vow to cut back - soon.
-Knowing what a problem is doesn't necessarily lead to its solution, but it's a start.
-Babies are fun, but they are work nonetheless.
-Potty training a child who occasionally forgets she's a big girl can be quite frustrating.
-Sleep deprivation is a form of torture. I value a full night's sleep now more than ever.
-Having a child in 3 different developmental stages is challenging.
-Seeing the way you once reasoned in the conversation of your own 10 year old is spooky.
-Children are indeed a blessing from God.
-There are bumps in the road; expect them.
-There are peaks in the path of life, and there are valleys; all windy roads leading to the destination are necessary.
-Children say funny things; they grow quickly, too.
-Life is an amazing gift, but Heaven's going to be even better.
-I love my family.
-I love my friends.
-I love my life.

New Year Fun

2009-01-06T17:30:00.000-08:00

Happy 2009!

Happy Hannah Day

2008-12-30T19:38:00.000-08:00

We marked the two-year anniversary of Hannah's Gothcha Day with a delicious Christmas eve dinner at our favorite local Chinese restaurant. Lee and I had duck for dinner, as will be our custom from here on out, whether Lee is brave and cooks it (like last year) or another expert (like the chef at Beijing) does all the work. We have been so blessed since our journey to China and back. The memories of those times, the daughter we gained, and the friends we made on our journey will make my heart happy forever.

Going Back For a Moment...

2008-12-30T19:20:00.000-08:00

...to Thanksgiving. We had 14 of staying in our humble abode during the second half of Thanksgiving week. The Cosby & Cooper crews were a welcome addition to our Kentucky home, and the latter were very gracious, staying in our Air-Bed & Breakfast. The cousins loved walking the dog, and Bogey was gracious in letting them do so. There was play time, sleep time, and eating time, interspersed with card playing, present unwrapping, and baby holding. A good time was had by all!

Visting St. Nick

2008-12-28T21:00:00.000-08:00

Hannah looks entranced, Will looks shocked, and Jaycie looks like an old pro. We love Santa!

Haloween-ing

2008-11-07T14:19:00.000-08:00

Jaycie's blog

2008-10-29T17:26:00.000-07:00

Jaycie has a new blog, also called Jaycie's Journal. Just go to www.jafowlkes.blogspot.com.
Thanks!

Disney Delights, Florida Fun - Part 2

2008-10-26T17:45:00.001-07:00

Disney Delights, Florida Fun - Part 1

2008-10-24T11:12:00.001-07:00

Yummy, Messy Goodness

2008-09-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

I am not the world's most neat baby feeder; Will's not the neatest baby eater. That being said, I think he and I mostly enjoyed his first venture into his first venture in the culinary world beyond formula - the ever delicious rice cereal.

Miles of Smiles

2008-09-08T15:22:00.001-07:00

Happy kiddos in my house make my heart fill with joy! Not that it's always rosy around here (who gets the camera out in the middle of an tantrum anyway?), but overall, life is really great in the family department. Don't get me wrong, we have regular ups and downs like everyone does and do our share of wits-end parenting, but between the cries of frustration and whines of fatigue (mine usually), we are thankful for the loads of laughter and happy times we share.

Jaycie's Locks of Love

2008-08-31T06:29:00.000-07:00

Before, during, and after: Jaycie donated 10 inches of lovely tresses to the "Locks of Love" program. What a transformation! My little girl is growing up [sigh]!

Lots of Happenings

2008-08-23T08:42:00.001-07:00

Will's smiling and cooing, Hannah's potty training and nursing a broken arm (see Lee's blog for details), and Jaycie's
enjoying life as a fourth grade soon-to-be violinist. I am falling asleep (on the couch still in daytime clothes usually) way too soon in the evenings and not getting near enough done on the home front, but life is good. That's all for now; laundry's calling.

Watch Us Grow!

2008-07-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

All Smiles

2008-07-28T19:35:00.001-07:00

Hip-hip, Hooray!

2008-07-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

We are all cheering here at the Fowlkes household, with Will leading the charge. In the infamous words of Barry Manilow, "Looks like we made it!" We are now past the 20-day marker, and we are resting easier, knowing that adoption proceedings can progress to/through the courts. Thank you, Lord for getting us here, and thanks to all our friends for the encouragement and prayers! We are awed at the blessings of this journey, and look forward to being the "Fowlkes Family of Five" for the days, weeks, and months to come.

One Handed Blogging

2008-07-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

Lee's a show-off; he blogs novellas, and here I sit, blogging w/ one hand, no funny stories, just cute pics. Oh, well; at least I'm not competitive like Lee; he's already teaching Will how to play checkers so he can beat his sisters one day! Men!

Cute As a Bug

2008-07-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the pictures say it all. These certainly do!

Hello, Friends

2008-07-01T05:26:00.000-07:00

More Than I Had Imagined

2008-07-01T05:15:00.000-07:00

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Eph. 3:20 (NIV)

Again, wow.

Wow

2008-07-01T04:17:00.000-07:00

Just wow.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
1 Cor. 9:15 (NIV)

Wonder of Wonders, Miracle of Miracles

2008-06-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

Wow; I'm dumbfounded, in awe, and amazed at this last turn of events in our journey with God. Just as my heart was approaching a more stable place, with the ache of having to say "good-bye" becoming lest painful every day, He's asking me to soften up so I can say "hello" again. Wonder of wonders, Will is coming back into our lives, and his happy homecoming will take place in less than 48 hours. After having him in their lives for almost two weeks, his birth parents decided that it's better for them - and for him - to be a part of our family once again. This time, they say that they are 100% certain, but we all know how things can change, so I solicit your prayers again, for them, for us, for the baby, and for this next section on the roller coaster of life. Here's hoping that this next part of the story transitions to a smoother ride; maybe God will let us switch to the log ride - that's much more my pace. More to follow. Love to you all.

Birthday & Thanks

2008-06-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful today - thankful for my faith, thankful for my family, thankful for my friends. This last week could have been incredibly debilitating, had it not been for the support of God working through so many people who reached out in love and held our hands through our hurt. I hate to say "thank you" en masse here online, as the proper thing to do would be to thank all of you individually, likely with a written note in lavender-scented stationery, but I stink at that kind of thing, so instead, here I go:

Thank you. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for loving my family. Thank you for praying for my family, for baby Will, for his birth parents, and for his safety. Thank you for refraining from trite condolences. Thank you for sincere words. Thank you for heartfelt hugs. Thank you for letting me cry until I couldn't breathe, for laughing when I said that snot was God's way of stifling overabundant tears, and for handing me tissue. Thank you for feeding my stomach and for soothing my soul. Thank you for letting me be sad and mad and irritated and all the in-betweens. Thank you for encouraging me to smile and laugh but not forcing me to. And --last but not least -- thank you for not giving me guilt when I said I felt like kicking a puppy mid-week (sorry, PETA). Lest you worry, I'm much better at present; I now want to kick a mean, mangy person.

Again, thanks.

Brokenhearted Good-byes

2008-06-16T13:10:00.000-07:00

Worst case scenario isn't hypothetical anymore: the baby's birth parents changed their minds. Their emotions were too strong, their logic not so much. The adoption case worker just left, and Will's gone. We're hurting but not bitter. We knew there would be risks. Now there's an empty spot where a beautiful life used to be. The hole that he left in our lives will grow smaller with time, but now it's raw and aching. However, God has provided and will continue to provide in ways we can only imagine. The only thing I ask is that you join us in taking this heartbreak to the Father of all comfort. Pray for Will's safety; pray for his heart; pray for his family of birth to dig deep and work hard to be able to provide for what he needs in all areas of his sweet little life; pray for us to recover. Just pray.

Babe In Arms

2008-06-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

We're all enjoying Will, finally, at home. I wonder if this is how God feels when He's holds us in the palm of His hand.

I hope so.

Bouncing Baby Boy

2008-06-11T18:13:00.000-07:00

He's here! 8 lbs. 3 oz., 22 inches long - healthy and adorable. All is well thus far. Please continue to pray for all of us. More soon!

Silliness

2008-06-06T08:44:00.001-07:00

For your viewing pleasure, while we all wait for the arrival of baby boy Fowlkes. What a crazy family he's coming into!

Sweet, Sweet Smiles

2008-06-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

...from the Fowlkes girls and Cosby cousins and grandparents; how sweet.

Unless We Get a Call Tonight...

2008-06-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

...we're officially

Due Day: This Week

2008-06-01T20:15:00.000-07:00

June 4 to be exact. Pray for us!

Beach Shots

2008-06-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

We must have been at the beach at the perfect time of day for lighting. The reflection off the lake was lovely. The girls loved running around in the sand, and the adults loved watching them. The peace and calm of sunset was God-breathed. If you ever have a chance to visit the Lake Lure area of North Carolina, I highly recommend it!

Family Vacation

2008-05-31T19:47:00.001-07:00

I had the best vacation ever over the Memorial Day weekend. My parents, brother and sister and their families joined us in Lake Lure, NC - a gorgeous part of the country and a place that you really have to try hard to get to. We took one twisty road after another before arriving, and it was well worth the zig-zag path to see such an awesome locale. The scenery was divine, and being with family was incredible. It wasn't nearly long enough, but it was salve for my soul, just what I needed during all of the recent whirlwinds of change. Here are a few pics from our together time. More to come later.

Great Expectations

2008-05-15T19:35:00.000-07:00

How does one do it well, or right, when it comes to announcing an event that may or may not come to pass, but whose impact will change many lives, one way or another? Mmmm...I don't know, so here's my best shot:

We are expecting...
...expecting to be blessed by God in immeasurable ways in the days/weeks/months to come.
...expecting to welcome into our world a tiny baby boy whose life will be joined with ours within the month and whose story we'll share for a lifetime.
...expecting to open our hearts to a dear young couple who have decided to place the life they created into the arms of our family in a few short weeks.
...expecting that having a son in our home will have an amazing impact on our lives.
...expecting God to hold us all in the palm of His hands until the adoption is complete, and if something happens to disrupt it, expecting Him to help us all put the pieces back together.

I guess that's it; we're expecting, and it's a boy!

The Many Faces of a Black-Eye (No Make-up Included)

2008-05-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

For all you Sesame Street fans out there, this lovely look is being brought to you by the letter "H" and the number "3."

My oh-so-unflattering self portrait collage was taken during a conversation with my Mom just tonight. Long story short, I was lying in bed trying to get Hannah to join me in going to sleep last Saturday night. She was excited and antsy about settling down, since we were spending the night at my in-laws. After numerous attempts at getting her to go from sitting up to the supine position, I counted backwards from three to get her to lie down (my favorite mommy tactic - the countdown). She complied when I got to "one" by doing the Nestea plunge into my cheekbone. Needless to say, I saw stars and my cheek swelled up like a peach! The better it heals, the uglier it gets. Sometimes love really does hurt; literally.

The Misadventures of Spring

2008-05-04T13:46:00.000-07:00

Misadventure - the first: See Hannah. See Hannah learn. Go, Hannah, go. Learn, Hannah, learn. Oh, my - look! Hannah can unscrew bottle tops. Wow - Hannah! Oh, my - wait! See Hannah unscrew the top of Mommy's nail polish. Hannah paints her little toenails red. Very red. Pretty toenails, Hannah.

Misadventure - the next: Oh, look - the wind is blowing. Let's fly kites. Go, kite, go! Oh, no! The wind isn't strong enough. Let's run. Up, kite, up! Run, Jaycie, run! Oh, no! Away from the power lines, Jaycie - away! Stop, Jaycie - STOP!

Tagged - For Real?!?

2008-04-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

I think that someone tagged me before Dana did, but she reminded me most recently, so...

Here's how this one works: 1. The rules are posted at the beginning. 2. Each player answers the questions about themselves. 3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and ask them to read your blog.

What I was doing 10 years ago: Getting adjusted to life in the big city (Bowling Green) and trying to figure out what it meant to be "the youth minister's wife."

Five things on my to do list for today:
1. Rest
2. Relax
3. Recuperate
4. Do laundry
5. Breathe

Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Pay off my family's debts; buy my parents places to live near all three of their kiddos; take both sides of my family to Hawaii; adopt lots more children; build my dream library.

Three of my bad habits:
1. Biting my cuticles
2. Devouring Blistex
3. Breaking the rules of tagging games

Five places I have lived:
1. Louisiana - lots of spots
2. Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
3. Natchez, Mississippi
4. Buna, Texas
5. 9 different places in Kentucky

Five jobs I have had:
1. Writing tutor
2. Administrative assistant
3. Children's librarian
4. Public relations coordinator
5. Outreach manager

Five People I Want to Know More About:
1. Jennifer White (who should really start a blog - tee! hee!)
2. all of my other blogging world friends (who've likely all been tagged by now)
3. John James Audubon
4. the worlds coolest children's poet - Charles Ghigna (but he's too busy to blog, I'm certain; Jaycie's reading his latest book in the photo above)
5. the person who created this tagging game

Hannah Loves Cole Loves Hannah Loves Chocolate

2008-04-26T17:18:00.001-07:00

Kate and Gilbert brought their sweet little guy over a week or so back when they were in town closing on their house. Hannah loved playing with Cole, as well as mugging for the camera with him as you can see below. I think Cole has just about caught up to her in height, and he sure was talking lots more than last time we were together. These two were as sweet as the brownies they were devouring. Thanks for coming to see us, Kerrigans; we miss you!

One of the Many Reasons I Love My Husband

2008-03-31T18:46:00.001-07:00

He's never too busy to stop what he's doing to read to one of his girls.

My Spring Chickies

2008-03-22T19:26:00.001-07:00

Hannah after her bath, and Jaycie right before bed. What sweet girls have I!

Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow!

2008-03-09T13:56:00.001-07:00

How wonderful to finally have snow -- in the merry month of March, no less -- the day before Jaycie's spring break! Our eldest and bravest loved sledding down the front yard hill; our youngest loved eating the snowballs her daddy made. After about an hour of snowy fun, the girls stripped off their damp duds and warmed their chapped cheeks (both sets) in a nice warm tub. Fun, fun, fun, fun!

A Daddy Sandwich Is Easy To Make...

2008-03-09T13:51:00.001-07:00

...all that you do is simply take
two hyper girls,
a supine Dad,
pile them up,
smash them down,
and there you go!

One Year Shy of a Decade - No Way!

2008-03-03T04:11:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe that 9 sweet years ago Jaycie Ann Fowlkes entered our lives. She has been such a wonder to watch, from her early little squirms and coos to her current crazy dance moves and pre-adolescent insights. I am so proud of her, proud that she is compassionate, funny, smart, and creative. I love her sense of individual expression. I am amazed at how her humor mimics her dad's. It warms my heart when her heart softens following moments of (ahem) redirection. Watching her sing songs of praise, hearing her pray, and observing her efforts to live God's way are some of my proudest moments. Thank you, Lord, for our delightful, original, amazing Jaycie.

Valentine's Day and Yoga Moves

2008-02-23T10:18:00.001-08:00

What a fantastic Valentine's Day we had! The Fowlkes girls are one lucky trio. Lee and Hannah surprised me at the library with a long-stemmed red rose, which I proudly displayed in a really short vase, since by the time it got to me it had lost half its stem (apparently, Hannah had wagged it and waved it all the way in). I was also treated to chocolate covered strawberries and dark chocolate M&Ms. My sweeties know the way to my heart. Jaycie and Hannah were also the recipients of lovely roses from their daddy, as well as sweet treats from Nannie and Grandaddy and Ms. Marilyn. Lee and I enjoyed a delicious date night at PF Chang's the following Saturday night thanks to Aunt Pam and Uncle Lincoln's baby-sitting service. Many thanks to / for all of our sweet Valentines!

On a totally different note: here's Hannah enjoying one of her new hobbies - yoga. It's a wonderful exercise for such a limber gal, and very relaxing, I might add. One hudred points to whoever names these particular moves:

Chinese New Year Part Two

2008-02-21T15:25:00.000-08:00

Long overdue, here are some pics from our Chinese New Year celebration with our local FCC group. Our hosts decorated beautifully, the company was wonderful, and we had a marvelous time!

Fun T-shirt Pics and Message to Mendy

2008-02-14T15:25:00.001-08:00

Hannah loves to dress up in our clothes, and I recently snapped this series of photos after she put on one of Lee's t-shirts. I got it for Lee at a library conference, and it has George W. saying, "The smartest thing I ever did was to marry a librarian!" I guess you could take that a few ways, but I think it's cute.

I'm totally breaking from blogger world protocol with the following message for Mendy, but humor me, please: Hey, Mendy! I know this is not the forum for personal messages, but every time I try to post a comment to your blog, I get a weird message and am unable to do so! This has happened numerous times, and I don't want you to think I've been ignoring you. E-mail me privately (my first and last name - no space- at yahoo dot com) with your e-mail address, so we can reconnect. Thanks!

OK; I feel like I was just yelling. Kind of like using all caps in an e-mail. I'm done now. Happy Valentine's Day, all.

Chinese New Year - Part One

2008-02-09T13:58:00.001-08:00

Thursday was the beginning of Chinese New Year, so Lee and Hannah decorated with Chinese lanterns, stuffed red envelopes, and cooked a delicious Chinese meal for us and our good friend Beth, who somewhat recently returned home from another Asian culture (Japan). We had planned a small gathering of friends, but Beth ended up being the only one who was in town and not sick! We had a wonderful evening, nonetheless, and enjoyed kicking off yet another Year of the Rat (sorry, Mom). For more info about the holiday, go here.

Hannah Turned Two!

2008-01-21T13:42:00.001-08:00

Our growing girl now proudly shows two fingers when asked her age but emphatically tells folks she's "three," followed by our pronouncing the word "two," which she then repeats perfectly (a wacky game of sorts, I guess). She loved blowing out the candles and got so excited opening presents at her family party in Nashville. Her birthday buddy, Great Aunt Mabel, joined the fun, and we all had a wonderful, low-key gathering.

Hannah's words are flowing faster and more freely these days, and she channels the spirit of Curious George daily. She is still a petite little miss, amazingly active, and delightful in every way. Happy Birthday, Hannah!

Christmas Collages & Kissing Cousins

2008-01-02T19:45:00.001-08:00

Aunt Pam came up with a fun game for the cousins to play at our Jordan/ Hayes/Fowlkes/Coggins yuletide gathering. Here's the end result:

Also, the youngest cousins on the Cosby side of the family were caught kissing Santa Claus, who'd recently shaved his beard. Here's what was captured on film:

More shots below; ho, ho, ho!

Happy Adoption Day and Merry Christmas!

2007-12-30T20:12:00.000-08:00

Wow - how time changes things, and what blessings we've found in this year's changes. Hannah has grown and flourished in ways too many to list since our first Christmas as a family of four in 2006. She came to us with smiles and laughter, and has since that time brought us incredible joy. She is an amazing daughter and a precious little sister. We love her more than we could ever express. Thank you, Lord, for the former Feng Fu Er, Miss Hannah Li Fowlkes.

Celebrating "Gotcha Day" With Our Little Duckies

2007-12-28T18:05:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve marked a very special anniversary, as it was the first anniversary of our meeting Hannah Li. In honor of the occasion, her daddy cooked Beijing (aka Peking) Duck, which was really delicious, despite the disgusting looking preparation process (shown above). We shared our meal with the Cosby crew - parents, siblings, siblings-in-law, and nieces - and thanked God heartily for all the joys we've experienced as a family over the past year.

Greeting Cards Have All Been Sent...

2007-12-21T11:40:00.000-08:00

....except from the Fowlkes Family of Four. Ours won't likely go into the mail until tonight or tomorrow, even though I've had them for over a week (and the postage, as well). I also didn't order enough for all of our friends and family, and I'm certain I'll be using Christmas stamps far into the New Year. Oh, well; 'tis the season!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Not So Picture Perfect

2007-12-19T11:12:00.001-08:00

Here's when a picture (series) is worth a thousand (plus) words. Not long ago, we got the girls cute, matching "Santa's Favorite" pajamas so we could take traditional night-before-Christmas style pics under the Christmas tree. Jaycie, my tactile-sensitive gal, gets hers on and promptly decides that they are itchy and immediately wants to take them off. Ugh - what's a mother to do? Why shoot away, of course!

The following photo montage documents the variety of emotions and actions that ensued. Suffice it to say that this photo session did not yield a postcard-worthy picture, but it does make for a somewhat humorous retelling:

Holiday Cheer

2007-12-15T12:29:00.000-08:00

Following in the footsteps (or should I say dance steps) of several silly friends, we, too, were elfed! Jaycie had too much holiday shopping today, so she turned into Scrooge!

Trimming the Tree

2007-12-14T14:12:00.000-08:00

Basta Pasta

2007-12-14T14:03:00.001-08:00

My girls really know how to use their noodles! In our house, pasta is one of the four (or is it five) major food groups. Long live carbs!

Holiday Travel: Chinese Style

2007-12-12T12:14:00.000-08:00

This video (not filmed by us, by the way), is a hilarious reminder of some of our travel experiences in China a year ago. Even though our group - because of its large size - traveled largely by bus, the crazy traffic as depicted in the video was very noticeable and somewhat disconcerting. Had we been in a smaller vehicle, I would have worried much more than I did speeding down the highways and zig-zagging down the byways of Nanchang with a 7 year old and baby in tow.

Now and Then; Then and Now

2007-11-30T11:40:00.001-08:00

Then, we were freshly home from China, adjusting to our transformation into a family of four. Now, we're managing quite happily and comfortably - albeit incredibly more actively - as a family quartet.

Then, we had no idea where God would take us in a year. Now, we're living those times.

Then, we were asking, seeking, and knocking. Now, we are asking, seeking, and knocking.

Then, several doors remained closed. Now, several have opened.

Then, I was a stay-at-home mom. Now, I am preparing to trade places with Lee to work full time outside the home.

Then, Lee was one of the older full-time youth ministers of the bunch. Now, he's planning to stay at home and work part-time, something we've always considered but never been able to do - until now.

Then, we loved our church family. Now, we love our church family.

Then, we were blessed. Now, we are blessed. Please pray for us as we make this transition.

Mommy Loves that Hannah Loves Barney & Elmo

2007-11-30T11:33:00.000-08:00

If only the life of adults could be as simple as the lives of children. We'd listen to happy songs all day long and take care of all of our loved ones with yummy animal crackers.

Cumberland Mountain Collage 2 & Visiting Santa

2007-11-21T13:48:00.001-08:00

More pics from our fun with the cousins at Cumberland Mt. State Park:

Also here's a pic from Hannah's trial run with Santa; it went well, don't you think?

Cumberland Mountain Collage and Confessional Part One

2007-11-14T11:09:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we shared a wonderful time with family at Cumberland Mountain State Park. Lee's family and the Stanton and McInteer families have shared times like this since some time in the 1950s. We love getting together with the extended crew, and we have lots of special cousins' time as well.

On another note, Kate tagged me, which leads me to the first of several confessions:
Confession #1: I'm addicted to blogging, but I stink at responding to other folk's blog requests. I was tagged awhile back, but I've not yet gotten to it (sorry, Beth & Sarah). However, since this is Kate's request and she's never been tagged (or tagged others), here goes.

Here are the rules:
1) Each player starts with five random facts/habits/stories about their child(ren).
2) People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their five things) and post these rules.
3) At the end of your blog, you need to choose a few people to get tagged and list their names.
4) Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

My sweet daughters:

I let Jaycie dress herself and seldom intervene, except when it comes to prohibiting belly-showing shirts (a hard task since she's lean and tall), but I really want to step in on days when she says that pink and red match.
Hannah's head is shaped like an almond, likely because she spent too much time lying down her first year of life. I can't imagine anyone other than a hairstylist ever noticing it, and I hope she's never teased. I think she's still perfect.
I think my eldest daughter looks more like my sister than I do; she certainly shares her emotional makeup. They even have matching birthmarks. Spooky.
Hannah won't let me sit down to rock her to sleep, so I have to stand up and rock/sway for 5 to 15 minutes a night and at nap times before she'll settle down. This seems to be the most effective calorie-burning / muscle-building activity of my adult life.
Jaycie and Hannah have a special language game they play - Jaycie imitates a particularly hilarious gutteral sound that Hannah makes, then Hannah repeats her, they both get tickled, and it goes back and forth forever.

I tag these folks:

Beth R.
Terri C.
Gina (Eden's mom)
Gina (Maci's mom)

And as far as the confessing thing goes, here's my Confession #2:
I never finished the thank you notes for Hannah's shower gifts; for that I feel incredibly guilty, but I continue to lack the incentive to get them done. I may try to send Christmas cards to those to whom I didn't send thank you cards to assuage my guilt. We'll see.

Chilly Little Pumpkins

2007-11-11T13:17:00.000-08:00

We finally visited Jackson's Orchard this past week - in the freezing cold, I might add. I don't remember why we weren't able to visit earlier in the season, but at least we got in before all the pumpkins were gone (the scarecrows, however, had already disappeared for the season - go figure). This is one of my favorite places to visit; the photo ops here abound! These are just a few of the fun shots we were able to get in before the wind chilled us to our bones.

HU Gatherings: 15 Years Later

2007-11-07T18:38:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was our 15 year reunion at Harding University. The funny thing about a reunion that falls mid-decade is that - except maybe for the 25th one - few people attend! We had a great time anyway, even though the only folks there from our "era" were our close friends whom we planned to meet ahead of time. We had fun at the Piper's 20th anniversary show (I was the oldest Piper there), the family picnic, the student center, the Harding House, dinner, and the Homecoming Musical. I even got to see my two favorite professors, and the weekend's weather was perfect, so -- despite the icky conditions at our should-have-been-remodeled-ten-years-ago hotel -- the weekend was wonderful.

Past roomies:
Future roomies?

The First Time Ever We Saw Her Face

2007-11-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

Today is the one year anniversary of the first time we laid eyes on Hannah. We first saw her picture online, a fuzzy, black and white faxed image, her eyes looking at the camera with a hint of hesitation and surprise. Perhaps it was her first photo and the flash scared her; perhaps she was in a quick-in, quick-out assembly line of babies. I'm afraid we'll never know. Regardless, it was love at first sight, followed lots of joy and excitement which only grew until we saw her in person. The next day we received not one but three beautiful photos. We made lots of copies, and even taped them to the light switch frames, a cool idea supplied to us by our good friend Nan. So much has happened in the past year, and we are thankful for the journey that led us to our beautiful daughter.

Note: The video below was taken last year - my/our "delivery" of the wonderful news of Hannah Li Fowlkes.

P.S. The music in the background is the same music (Happy Anniversary Charlie Brown, music by Vince Giraldi) that was playing when Jaycie was born. Also, sorry for the buzzing sound, it was the cell phone interference.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T20:01:00.000-07:00

My leopard princesses had tons of fun tonight at Greenwood Park's "Trunk-or-Treat." They were sugared up and running on full tilt by the end of the evening with all the other costumed characters. (I plan to post a collage of all the ghouls and guys soon, but I couldn't wait to get this post up.) The only damper to the evening's event was having to say a final "good-bye" to Kate and Cole after the devo. We are really going to miss them and Gilbert, but we may be able to resume our weekend-away-with-friends during Labor Day weekend in West Lafayette, like those we had years ago with our friends Jen & Scott White. We'll miss you, Kerrigans, but you'll still be close in heart.

Gettin' Wiggy With It

2007-10-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

The Cosby crew is never at a loss for things to do, no matter where we are. This montage shows how much fun my brother and nieces and Jaycie had with some of my mom's old hairdos.

Long Time No Blog

2007-10-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been incredibly full for the Fowlkes family. During that time, we have moved into our new house; had our first night(s) away from Hannah (thanks, Coggins!); gotten chigger-bit (Lee); endured strep throat and an allergic reaction to penicillin, missing almost a week of school (poor Jaycie); gone to Louisiana and back; unpacked, organized and decorated; and thoroughly enjoyed a two week fall break. Whew! Here's a few pics from our most recent "adventures." More will come in the upcoming days.

Playing Together Can Be Fun

2007-09-14T18:20:00.001-07:00

...and playing together can be frustrating.

Someday I Want to Fly

2007-09-11T10:49:00.001-07:00

I would absolutely love to be able to soar above Bowling Green like this (particularly over my new neighborhood). Maybe someday I will.

P.S. This video was created by the Bowling Green's Park City Daily News, and I thought it was cool, so I posted it from their site. Gotta give credit where credit is due!

Hannah's BIG Boo-Boo

2007-09-07T18:28:00.000-07:00

My sweet Hannah had a kind of minor, somewhat major mishap in the parking lot after church on Wednesday night. She and Jaycie were walking ahead of us to the car, and they were out of my eyesight on one side of the van, when all of a sudden I heard this terrible wailing cry. Hannah was screaming her head off, and Jaycie said that she'd just fallen down. I could tell that she'd scraped her knee, and I dabbed it with a wet wipe, but when I got her in the car, I noticed a big drop of blood dripping from the side of her nose. It was dark, so it was hard to see, and I thought it may have been from an internal nose bleed. When we got home, I realized it was much worse and that she'd actually scraped what looked like every layer of skin off the side of her little nose. She also has a few scrapes under her eye, too. I've no idea how a child can fall and scrape her nose at this angle, but apparently mine can. Jaycie said that Hannah had been stepping up high like she was marching and lost her balance and fell on the concrete. It was a nasty spill, and it looks even more terrible than the picture shows. Half of her nose looks like Rudolph, and it's going to take quite a while to heal, I'm afraid. I'm sure it hurt incredibly, and I feel very sorry for her. That spill plus her four little new teeth coming in has made for a fairly grumpy little gal around here. However, hurts heal, and there's always popsicles to distract her from the pain! (By the way, we're almost out of popsicles.)

So Sweet

2007-09-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

I love this photo - the girls look so sweet, and they were having lots of fun when I snapped this photo. But the other reason I like it so much, was that while Hannah was growing in my heart during our long wait to adopt, I spent some time baby-sitting Allison. I enjoyed getting to see her develop through stages that I knew I'd never be able to observe Hannah in. Those were a dear, precious moments, and they make the bond that these two little friends share all the more sweet.

Below is a picture of Allison when I was keeping her - things have surely changed since then!

Sister, Sister

2007-08-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

My two girls love hamming it up - can you tell?

Hannah in Pigtails, Hannah on the Phone

2007-08-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

Hair up,
hair down,
happy,
sad,
cute abounds!

On the phone
saying, "Hey."
Push the buttons,
now let's play!

Our New Place

2007-08-23T18:35:00.001-07:00

Come September 21, this lovely house will become our home, and we will bid adieu to apartment living. I am most looking forward to the backyard patio, and when fall begins I'll be out there praising God for cool breezes and seasons of change. I will thank Him, too, that Hannah will finally have a room of her own, that Jaycie will have a big yard to play in, that we'll have more room to entertain in, and that He provided all of it within our new pared-down budget. We are excited and hugely thankful!

Too Cool, First Day of School

2007-08-06T11:42:00.001-07:00

My baby's growing up - she's a third grader now, which blows me away. She started school last Wednesday at a brand new school and did a great job transitioning. She's got a wonderful, imaginative spirit and lots of creative energy. She's got her own cool fashion sense and loves Hannah Montana way too much (she quotes the show all the time). We're working on keeping her attitude sweet and her emotions in check. She is very smart and loves to dance, read, write stories, play pretend (she's got lots of children - around 10 at last count, some of whom are adopted), and play Webkins online. She's a great big sister, who makes her little sister laugh her head off and has begun to teach her little tricks. I am proud of Jaycie.

Tagged

2007-08-04T18:38:00.000-07:00

First Memory - Being held by my dad and waving at my mom from the parking lot of the hospital, yelling "Whatcha doing up there?" after she'd just had my little sister, Jennifer, and wondering when my new sibling would be able to play chase with me.
First Love - My daddy (of course), but my first crush was Michael McQueary, a dreamy 2nd grader
First Concert - N0-name band: Freeze Frame at Jena High School; name-brand band: Bruce Hornsby & the Range at Harding.
First thought in the morning - "Five more minutes!"
First question you'll ask in heaven - Where's the video vault?
First thought when hearing "vacation" - Vacation, what vacation?
First Best Friend - Kara DeLoach; we were "womb-mates" (our moms were pregnant at the same time)
Last food you ate - Deluxe Fudge Tracks (Kroger brand no-sugar added) ice cream - YUM!
Last CD purchased - Hannah Montana 2 / Meet Miley Cyrus (for Jaycie)
Last good book you read - Maximum Ride: School's Out - Forever by James Patterson (the second in a trilogy about mutant kids with wings - way cool!)
Last time you cried - Last week when I was reminded -- for the umpteenth time -- that life is very complicated and not always fair.
Last time I said "I love you" - This morning when Jaycie left for school and Lee left for work.
Last funny thing you did - Can't remember; Lee's the funny one.
Last T.V. show watched - Monk

Now, Dana and Beth, you're "it."

Hannah Loves Mimi & PawPaw

2007-07-31T20:40:00.000-07:00

I think it's been too long since we've been able to see Hannah and Jaycie's Louisiana grandparents. She's all into kissing now, and I caught this on the camera just the other day. In the last pic she's making her "ain't I cute?" nose scrunch.

Sisters Inside & Out

2007-07-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

Jaycie loves to play on the balcony, and today Hannah wanted to be out there, too. Instead, they played this sweet game. I particularly like the kiss through the glass.

What's For Dinner?

2007-07-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

If You're Ever In St. Louis...

2007-07-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

...you must visit the City Museum. It was an awesome adventure and right up Jaycie's alley. I was in complete awe of it's uniqueness; it was like something from a dream. I highly recommend it, but I don't suggest taking a toddler into the labyrinth of the maze system there. Our family almost got stuck in a tight spot with Hannah (a wire "tunnel" that led out of a wire ball - see photo), so Lee and Jaycie went off to explore things while Hannah and I investigated the "safe" spots.

The thrill of the museum (and the scary part for type A folks like me) was that there were no directions, and once you chose a path, there were no instructions on how to get out. Sometimes folks were blocking your way, since there was no in or out signs, and you'd have to back out or squeeze by. Crazy - but way cool! There was a really neat area with strange carnival memorabilia and another spot with tons of architectural ornaments. Everything was decorated in a methodically random way, with castoff items from a million different places. It was amazing!

Find out more here.

Hangin' With the Coopers

2007-07-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

Backtracking a little, the weekend after camp we were able to spend some time with my sister and brother-in-law in Pennsylvania. We had a great time, but the trip was too short. Thanks for everything, Jen and Andrew!

Meet Me In St. Louis

2007-07-16T20:39:00.000-07:00

We had the most marvelous mini-vacation this past weekend in St. Louis, and one of the most special things we got to do was to attend was our adoption agency's annual reunion picnic. Three other families from our travel group were there, so we got to spend time catching up with each others' lives before and after lunch, comparing notes on how the girls had progressed, and reminiscing about our time in China. Wanting more time together, we met again for supper at a delicious Chinese restaurant (more traditional than any we'd been to since our return home), recommended by our local hosts, Chris and Melissa. It was wonderful to see these families again and to see how much their girls had grown and progressed. Spending the holidays in China with these folks and meeting our girls at the same time was quite a bonding experience for us, and treasuring beautiful daughters from China will always be an blessing we'll share. Thanks to the Decks, Bradshaws, and Farmers for sharing their lives with us again this weekend! We had a blast! Hoping, too, that more of our Jiangxi families can join us in the future - we missed you!

My American Girls

2007-07-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

The girls and I enjoyed wonderful Independence Day festivities with our Fowlkes family and kin in Nashville while Lee was at camp. I was particularly thankful this holiday, since it was Hannah's first July 4th as an U.S. citizen. To celebrate, I dressed Jaycie and Hannah in matching dresses, and they looked mighty cute (if I do say so myself), despite Jaycie's being a little short and Hannah's a little long. I think this was the first matching outfit I purchased for them (way back in late summer 2005), so I think I did pretty well for the most part. Jaycie loves to identify with her sister, and she really got into the whole thing. I'm so proud of my lovely American girls.

Saying Good-bye Is Never Easy

2007-06-30T20:18:00.001-07:00

Good-bye, house. You were an amazing house, with lots of room and lots of character. You gave us good shelter and really great times. You hosted wonderful gatherings, helped us build wonderful friendships and provided wonderful welcomes for family and friends. You gave us the world's greatest neighbors and Jaycie a built-in best friend. Unfortunately, your yard gave Lee too much work and too many weeds and triggered Ashley's allergies too many times, so we won't miss it much. However, we will always love you, and we'll miss you when we're gone, but we know it's time to move on. Take care of the next crew. Au revoir!

HBTM! (Can You Guess Which One?)

2007-06-22T06:12:00.000-07:00

Verse of the day: "Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace." Number of the day: The fifth lucky prime, the first irregular prime, and the third unique prime. Cool factoids for today.

Happy Summer Solstice

2007-06-21T11:13:00.001-07:00

Today is the longest day of the year - hooray, sunshine! Hannah drew a picture for the occasion. Her friend, Mr. Sunbeam helped.

Mommy Cut Hannah's Bangs

2007-06-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

Now, ain't she cute!

Father's Day Coffee in Bed

2007-06-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

Since I'm not an early morning Betty Crocker (sorry, Lee), I helped the girls give their favorite daddy coffee and a Little Debbie snack cake in bed after his afternoon nap.

We were happy to get to see Lee's dad last Saturday (he helped us pack), and I celebrated a week early with my dad in Louisiana. God has blessed us with wonderful Godly dads. My girls are equally blessed.

Fun With the Cosby Crew

2007-06-15T19:51:00.001-07:00

Giving hugs,
getting kissed,
eating grapes,
munching Kix,
clanking spoons,
swapping laps,
hearing oldies,
skipping naps,
climbing up,
falling down,
running crazy
all around,
spinning,
rocking,
laughing,
loving:
how much better can it get?

Hannah and Jaycie had loads of fun with the Cosby crew!

Down Memory Lane: Part Two

2007-06-15T18:59:00.001-07:00

On my trip last week, Dad and I took the girls to Jena, Louisiana, where I lived from 5th grade to the summer before my junior year of high school, the hometown of my growing up years.

Driving in, I told Dad that I'd often dream of being back there, but in my dreams the streets were always messed up, and I could never figure out how to get around. I was surprised that day when I quickly regained my bearings and fairly easily retraced the routes I'd traveled hundreds of times in my adolescent and teen years.

The town's landscape looks basically the same as it did when we were there in the '80s, but slight differences indicate how much time changes things. Trees are much taller, wooded areas more dense. Super WalMart has left the old WalMart a vacant shell. A number of chain restaurants now dot the main drag (Sonic was the only "name brand" restaurant there when we left, but now there's a McDonalds, a KFC, and a Popeye's). Much, however, remains the same. One of my favorite old haunts that we visited was Burger Barn, where everybody went on in-town dates and which still draws in business. I ordered an amazing hot fudge sundae - complete with whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry on top (who does that anymore?)!

We also drove by Good Pine Middle School, Jena Junior High, and Jena High School. The middle school had been updated a little, but the others looked largely the same. We dropped by the public library, too, and went inside for a quick visit (and an impromptu diaper changing session). They don't weed very aggressively, so many of the books were those that I'd browsed time after time in my youth. I wanted to see if I could find my name in any of the books, but they'd changed to a number punch card sometime in the '80s, so no such luck (I actually looked through a bunch - I am such a library nerd).

The coolest thing we did was to visit our old house (third row, second picture from the left), which is located on a dead end street with only four other houses. Right before we got there, Hannah fell asleep in the car, so Dad stayed with her while Jaycie and I walked between the houses across the street and cut through the property line to see the pond, another favorite spot of mine and my siblings. To my delight, I was able to meet the lady whose family currently owns the property and worked to make the pond even more picturesque than before. Her husband was the son of one of our neighbors, and he and his brother ran a snow-cone business when we lived there, where I'd worked when I was 15 (my first real/non-babysitting job). I'd also baby-sat for her niece when I lived there and knew all of her in-laws. We had a great conversation before I had to leave (Dad had started to get worried).

All in all, it was a wonderful trip. Many thanks to my dad for our stroll down memory lane!

Down Memory Lane: Part One

2007-06-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Dad, the girls and I took a trip down Louisiana Highway 165 to visit a couple of places from both my mom's childhood and my own. Our first stop was Volman Lake, a hot spot in the 1950s and 1960s, where Mom and her family spent many days working and only few enjoying it like the locals did. Her grandfather owned the property during her early childhood and built it into a popular recreation destination. He also ran a store there and rented cabins and boats to visitors. Mom's family lived there intermittently in one of the guest cabins between her dad's pipeline jobs that took the family all over the country. Her dad eventually took ownership of the lake after her grandfather died and managed it for a number of years, while the family lived in the apartment over the store. He built up the sandy beach area, adding picnic tables, bath houses, and a concessions area, and also he cultivated minnow ponds for bait sales. Mom and Dad both worked at the lake during their courtship and early marriage, but the property was sold shortly after Mom's dad died and quickly went downhill after that. It's interesting to think that we were walking the same paths that mom did so many years ago, but it's sad to think how things can fall into such disrepair after a relatively short time.

Classic Childhood Fun

2007-06-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

My girls LOVE "Ring Around the Roses" (or is that "Rosies"?). Enjoy!