Happy Birthday Mama!

Today is not only Halloween, but it is also my mother's birthday! Happy Birthday, Monnie! We love you! We hope you have had a great day! Last Saturday, we gave my mother a surprise party in honor of her 60th birthday. We had it at my cousins house who lives right around the corner from my mother. We knew she would never suspect a party at Joanna's house...and she didn't! My mother hates surprises and being the center of attention so we knew how far to take this party. We had just family and two of her very best friends. She was thrilled and really enjoyed herself. Thanks to everyone who helped make Monnie's 60th birthday one to remember!!!

Happy Halloween!!

We hope that you all have a safe and Happy Halloween!

To Vote or To Pray??

This picture is titled, "To Vote or To Pray??" How about do both! Our country is at a critical crossroad this week. May we all take time to pray and to vote.

The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: "He who rules over men must be just, Ruling in the fear of God." 2 Samuel 23:3

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior. 1 Timothy 2:1-3

God Bless America!

The Voice of a Savior

This afternoon I heard the song that is now playing on my blog for the very first time. It is sung by Mandisa...you know...from American Idol! Anyway, I was so moved by this song and its message that I just had to share it with you.

I feel like everyone is searching for their savior in something. My prayer is that you have or will find yours in Jesus.

The Voice of a Savior

Some people try to listen to the bottom of a bottle
Some people try to listen to a needle in their arm
Some people try to listen to the money in their pocket
Some people try to listen to another's arms

You and I are not that different
We got a void and we're just trying to fill it up
With something that will give just a little peace
All we want is a hand to reach to
Open arms that say I love you
We'd give anything to hear
The voice of a Savior

Some people try to find it with blind ambition
Some people try to find it where no one else has gone
Some people try to find it in the crowns of victory
Some people get defeated and lose the strength to carry on

Some people try to find it in the shadow of a steeple
Some people try to find it in the back row pew
Some people try to find it in the arms of Jesus
That's where I found it, how about you?

The Husband Meme

Thank you all so much for leaving such kind comments for Milledge on his first ever blog post! I thought he did a great job and hopefully he will come back and blog again sometime. I saw this on my friend Janet's blog a few weeks ago and decided this would be a great time to do it. I am not tagging anyone however, if you decide to do it on your blog, let me know so that I can read your answers.

1. He’s sitting in front of the TV; what is on the screen?

Discovery Channel, Food Network or ESPN

2. You’re out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?

Any kind of Vinegarette

3. What’s one food he doesn’t like?

Celery

4. You go out to the bar. What does he order?

Bar??? Haven't been to one of those in years...

5. Where did he go to high school?

Macon, GA

6. What size shoe does he wear?

14

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be?

Animal mounts that he had actually acquired himself by hunting in Alaska, Canada, Wyoming, Montana, The Yukon etc.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?

A Rueben

9. What would this person eat every day if he could?

BBQ, Chicken or BBQ Chicken ;)

10. What is his favorite cereal?

Grape Nuts

11. What would he never wear?

A speedo or a turtleneck

12. What is his favorite sports team?

Whichever one our boys are on at the time

13. Who will he vote for?

John McCain /Sarah Palin

14. Who is his best friend?

Jesus

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn’t do?

He really wishes I wasn't so outspoken and that I would think before I speak sometimes

16. How many states has he lived in?

Two....Georgia and Texas

17. What is his heritage?

English and Irish

18. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake?

Me?? Bake a cake??? NEVER...but I would have someone else make him a red velvet cake

19. Did he play sports in high school?

Yes...football

20. What could he spend hours doing?

Hunting, fishing and spending time with his family

23 Months from a Daddy's Perspective

Well surprise...for those of you who might've guessed Milledge was the "guest" blogger, you were correct! My beautiful wife asked me if I would give a father's perspective on adoption and the wait since it is now 23 months that we have been waiting. I am Angie's husband who has chosen to stay in the shadows of the adoption world. My theory on dealing with the wait is not by blogging, joining yahoo groups and shopping for cyber showers, it is a theory of disconnection. I keep myself indulged in work and the boys and their sports to keep my mind off the wait. Angie even had to tell me that today was our 23 month LIDversary. Don't take me wrong...I am very excited about the adoption of our daughter and the process, but I deal with the wait better by being disconnected from it.

If you had told me when we first started the adoption process that I might turn 40 before we got our daughter I would have laughed in your face. Today, it seems that if things don't speed up in a big way soon, I will be over 40 by the time we get Ruthie. 40 years old with a toddler...HOLY SMOKES...how do you do that??!?!?!? It all comes down to a statement that I make to Angie quite often...This will all happen in God's time, He is never late! He obviously has a reason for us to be waiting this long...what it is, I don't have a clue, but I know that we will get a call one day that will result in a sweet picture and a referral when He is ready for us to go to China! I often tell Angie that God is trying our patience and has found that we are not patient enough yet, so we must continue to wait and learn patience. It is really hard sometimes to hear Angie and the boys talk about things that we are going to do when Ruthie gets here. When I hear them talking about her, I have to wonder how long the boys will be home with her to actually see her grow up. I remember the excitement that they had when we first talked to them about adopting a little sister...and now they rarely talk about her at all. There used to be the talk of softball in the front yard with Ruthie, teaching her to hunt and fish, buying her camouflage...can you tell that Angie is out numbered at our house? Now, Jon Milledge talks about girls, baseball, girls, hanging out with his buddies, girls, cell phones, etc. Anderson talks about football, baseball, hanging out with his daddy, hunting, fishing, daddy, and collecting stuff...you name it and Anderson collects it. I just hope that they will still want to be the BEST big brothers in the world when Ruthie finally does come home!

Being the "hunter/gatherer" of the family, it is my responsibility to provide for their needs and wants. Even though I know it is not possible or realistic, it is still hard not being able to just go out, find Ruthie and bring her home for Angie and our family because we want her home so badly. Being one who likes to feel that he is in control...it is hard realizing that I am not in control of this situation. Maybe in writing this blog entry I have realized why God has us waiting...I might just need to give up on trying to control it and say God, this is in your hands, I give it all to you...when You are ready I will be right here waiting, just call me. For now, I will just have to go on enjoying being daddy to 2 wonderful boys, who are quickly becoming young men AND patiently wait to become daddy to a beautiful little girl, who will probably have me wrapped around her finger in no time at all. There is nothing I treasure more than being a daddy to my two boys and honestly, I don't know what it is going to be like to be the daddy of a little girl....but I can't wait to find out!

I want to say "Thank You" to those of you out there that through your blogs, groups, comments and phone conversations have given Angie a kind of support that I can't always give her during this process. I am here everyday with her and I do try to lend a listening ear but there is just something about the support that comes from other adoptive and waiting mothers that I can't hold a candle to and for that I will always be grateful.

I'm glad that Angie asked me to come out of the shadows and share a little on my feelings concerning adoption. Maybe she'll let me come back again sometime and talk about something that I really know about like...hunting, fishing, baseball or maybe even football...yeah right!

Milledge
Angie's husband
Jon Milledge, Anderson and Ruthie's daddy

"...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve....But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

Guess who is 9 today........

....and had his first football game??!

Happy 9th Birthday Anderson!!!

We love you!

This football stuff is hard, sweaty work...especially when you sack the quarterback!! YEA! Go Anderson!

Referrals and a Big Announcement!

The CCAA sent referrals this week to families with LID's from 2/10/06 thru 2/15/06. Six days. Six stones out of the vase. There are now 266 days between now and our LID. While there is much excitement and happiness for the families who saw the faces of their precious children for the first time this week, there is also sadness and anxiousness for those of us still waiting. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that at the rate of 6 days per month and 266 days to go....this could get so much longer, like almost 45 more months longer. Our hope and prayer is that maybe things will start to speed up after the first of the year. We know that God's timing and plan are so much bigger and better than ours and we trust that with all that we have.

Now, on to the big announcement. The management here at A Mother's Place has decided to shake things up a bit...you know...be really rebellious and do something waaay crazy. {{Drum roll please}}......We have invited a guest blogger to join us next week in honor of our 23 months of waiting for Ruthie. See I told you it was crazy and completely earth shattering. :) Please check back on October 8th to see who the guest blogger is and what amazing insight he/she has for us. Now, the management has also decided that if you like the guest blogger better than the regular poster.......TOO BAD!

Blogger Meeting...

I had the privilege of meeting one of my adoption friends last Friday night. Christine and I both have LID's in the month of November 2006. I don't remember when we actually "met" online but it has been many months that I have followed her blog and gotten to know her through our computers. Jon Milledge's team played in a tournament not too far from where Christine and her family live and we were able to meet up for some O'Charley's after one of his games. It was so nice to actually meet in person and talk for awhile about adoption, children and life. Christine is the mother to Alexia(7), Caleb(3) and a baby girl due at the end of October as well as a baby girl waiting in China...she is my hero! Thanks Christine for coming over, picking me up, driving to dinner and taking me back to the hotel! I had lots of fun and hopefully we can do it again sometime.

WOW! Two posts in two days?? That has to be some sort of record for me! Actually I plan to do a couple more this week believe it or not! There is a little boy in my house who has a birthday coming up this weekend...wonder who that could be?

DTC Anniversary....

Today marks two years since our paperwork was sent to China. Never in a million years did we think on September 29, 2006 that on September 29, 2008 we wouldn't have Ruthie and would also have no idea when we might meet her. This is hard...one of the hardest things I've ever done but I know it will be worth in the end...I just know it!

Tired of Counting Up...

Every month we get caught up in how many months we have waited for Ruthie and we don't focus on how much longer we have to wait at all....basically because we have no idea! We have decided to add a hopefully positive and fun activity for our boys to do where we count down (instead of UP)and they can actually see how much further we have to go.
I got this idea from several of my other adoption buddies(Thanks!)and decided to do it with my boys. If my math is correct, there are 272 days between February 9,2006 and November 8, 2006. For those of you who don't know, February 9, 2006 is the last day of LID's that the CCAA has sent referrals for and November 8, 2006 is our LID. The boys added 272 stones to a vase and every month they will pull out the number of days referred and we will watch the vase get emptier and emptier hopefully sooner rather than later!
Check back for our status as referrals are sent!

Duke is Growing Up!

Duke is now 6 months old and getting so big! Actually, since he is a miniature Dachshund, we are hoping he is pretty much full grown. He has been a great dog so far and has fit into our family perfectly. Even he and Tiger are now friends....thank goodness! Their favorite thing to do is chase each other all over the house and then pounce on one another. So funny!

The first two pictures below are of Duke the day we got him at 7 weeks old.....the last two are from today.

22 Months of Waiting with Perseverance...

"For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, then we eagerly wait for it with perseverance."
Romans 8:24-25

A New Era....

Ok...I have known it was coming for awhile. Actually, I sort of knew it was coming the day he was born and I saw his hands & feet or when at 18 months old he was given the nickname Little Bull and it stuck or when he had an Old Navy shirt several years ago that said, "Hoss" on the back and everyone said...."That's perfect!" or when it was discovered last week that he weighs more than his OLDER brother. I have known it was coming, that Anderson was going to be a football player, but I'm still not prepared. My Anderson is a big boy. He takes after his daddy who is also a big boy. They are two peas in a pod when it comes to looks and personality. Anderson has wanted to play tackle football for years but wasn't old enough here in our town. You have to be 9 and until you are 9, you play flag football. Anderson has told us that he didn't want to play until he could tackle someone so I guess he just amused us by playing baseball. Milledge, if you can't look at him and tell, was a football player and is secretly thrilled that Anderson wants to play his sport. Anderson will not be 9 until October but Milledge called our recreation department and asked if he could play up this year. The assistant director said, "Isn't he about as big as you, Milledge?!" So, because of his size and the fact that he will be 9 in a month, they are letting him play up in the 9-10 year old league. Milledge and Anderson just left for the evaluations and I just had to take a couple of pictures of my baby. Doesn't he look so grown up in that uniform and God forbid that he would smile. He said, "Mama, you don't smile when you have on a football uniform!".

I really don't know how I am going to react watching him play football....tackling and being tackled. It scares me to death to think of him laid out on a field. I do so much better with the whole baseball thing. I guess I just can't see him doing all that because despite his size he is such a sweet, tender hearted child, just like his daddy. Milledge tries to explain to me that you just have to be a different person on the field and off. This fall should be interesting here at our home. I will keep you posted.

There is 3 years and 3 months difference in their ages.....
~no difference in sock size

~no difference in boxer size(they'll kill me one day)

~no difference in shirt size

~1 size difference in pants

~1/2 size difference in shoes

~1 size difference in hats(this one is in Anderson's favor)

~no difference in the amount of space each has in my heart!

Jon Milledge is trying to tell Anderson that no matter how big he gets....he will ALWAYS be the older brother!

Ok....now I am off to take Jon Milledge to baseball practice! That's more my speed!

A New Addiction

If you are like my mother and my Aunt Patti and are wondering why there have been so few posts lately....I have found Facebook! It is fun and highly addictive! I have met up with old and new friends alike. I am having a great time communicating with people that I have known for years and some that I have only known since we started the adoption process. I also have some young 20 something cousins who actually accepted my friend request or better yet even invited ME to be their friend. Of course, it was after I promised not to spy too much and that I wouldn't relay anything seen or read on their Facebook's to their parents! ;)
If you have a Facebook page let me know so that I can add you as my friend as well! I am sure the newness will wear off and we will be back to our regularly scheduled posts soon!
Happy Friday! I hope you all have a great weekend! Oh....I almost forgot...it is the beginning of college football season soooooo....

Am I Really That Bad??

Let me preface this post with a couple of things and a disclaimer. Jon Milledge is now in the 6th grade and apparently the whole "going out" with someone thing has started. This completely cracks me up because first of all, where are they going to go?? and secondly, once they are "going out" with someone, who was probably their friend yesterday, they quit talking. So silly...but I remember being a silly 6th grader once too.
Now to the disclaimer....Milledge and I do not support nor condone Jon Milledge going on a date or having his first kiss before he is 31 and 1/2!

Ok now on to the post!

Jon Milledge had his two best buddies over last night to spend the night and to go to a concert with our church youth group. They had a great time and then stayed up until the wee hours of the morning having some sort of X-Box tournament.....basically a night full of boy stuff.
Below is the conversation that took place over breakfast this morning with me, Milledge and the three boys.

J.L.~Ross and Alyssa are going out....I wonder if he is going to get his first kiss?

Ross~Ummm...I did last night.

Me~(with a horrified look) ROSSSSSS!??

Ross~HAHAHAHAHAHA!! I'm just kidding!

Me~Ross what in the world would your mother do if you told her you kissed a girl?

Ross~I don't know, probably be mad.

J.L.~ I don't think my mother would be mad but we would probably have to have a talk.

Jon Milledge~If I came home and told my mother that I had gotten my first kiss, she would load me up, take me back to wherever we were and make us do it over so that she could take a picture and blog about it!!

Milledge~(insert hysterical laughter)I think you are probably right Jon Milledge!!

Me~Am I really that bad? Just don't kiss any girls and you won't have to worry about that!!

I am so not ready for any of this but I am glad that they still think we are "cool" enough to talk to and hopefully that will last for several more years! Honestly though....am I really that bad??!

For Monnie!

I was on the phone with my mother today and out of the blue she asked, "Are you ever going to do anything on your blog again? I keep going to it and it has been the same thing for over a week!". I didn't realize Monnie was such a blog stalker but since she is, I put a little slide show together for her. :) When we were at the beach playing ball this summer, my brother's family and my sister's family were right down the road in Destin. We went to visit them one afternoon and here is the result along with a couple tournament parade pics....

Random....

I am so caught up in the Olympic craze! I don't see me going to bed before midnight until they are over...I AM SO TIRED!! I love it though! Go Team USA!! Isn't Michael Phelps amazing?!

I was looking through some pictures today and found this one of me and my boys from when we went to Gatlinburg with Leslie and her family in March. I had forgotten all about this one but thought it was actually pretty good. This was on our way home and I was starting to get the nasty flu (Thanks Larry!)...UGHH! I just wanted to share this of me and my precious boys.....see I told you it was going to be a random post! ;)

08.08.08

Today, August 8, 2008, marks the beginning of the 2008 Summer Olympics that are being held in Beijing, China AND our 21 months of waiting for Ruthie. We are very excited about the Olympics at our house for several reasons. First of all, we love to watch them no matter where they are...can't wait for the gymnastics! Secondly, we now have a heart for China and we think it is going to be wonderful to see the pictures, hear the sounds, and learn more about this country that will soon be so much a part of our family. Thirdly, many people believe that the slow down in China's international adoption program is in large part due to the Olympics. No one really knows this for sure but it does make sense that a country that is so determined to be prepared for the world to descend upon her would put a halt to lots of other things that don't concern the Olympics. Our hope and prayer is that in the months after the Olympics we see a steady increase in the number of referrals out of China. I remember saying about two years ago that I didn't know how long it was going to take to bring Ruthie home but it would surely be before the Olympics! HA! Well...it will be before the Olympics....we just aren't sure which ones??!

The fact that the Olympics are starting on 08.08.08 at 8:08pm is not a coincidence as I'm sure many of you have already heard. The number 8 is considered to be the luckiest number in China. I found the information below on onlinechineseastrology.com about the number and why it is lucky.

For Chinese the number 8 is considered lucky just like the number 7 is considered lucky in the West. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the Olympic games in China start on August 8, 2008 or 08/08/08. In China you have to pay extra to have the number 8 in your phone number or license plate. In addition, home and business owners like to have the number 8 in their address.

So, why is the number 8 considered lucky in the minds of Chinese people. The main reason has to do with the pronunciation of the word for the number 8 in China. It is pronounced "ba" and sounds like the word for prosperity which is pronounced "fa". Another reason why the number 8 could be considered lucky is because it is a perfect symmetrical shape. You can cut the number 8 in half vertically or horizontally, and both halves mirror themselves perfectly. Perfect symmetry lends itself to perfect balance. In Chinese Astrology, perfect balance is considered the ideal.

On the date 08/08/08 there is predicted to be a record number of weddings, even surpassing the number of weddings on 07/07/07. According to Chinese Astrology, the date 08/08/08 is in the year of the Rat, the month of the Monkey and the day of the Dragon. It just so happens that the Rat, Monkey and Dragon are in the same affinity group or trine. That means the three Chinese Zodiac animal signs are perfectly compatible with each other. Therefore, the date 08/08/08 will be especially lucky for Rats, Monkeys and Dragons.

We feel very "lucky" that our LID is 11.08.06. Hopefully we will find out how blessed we are to be Ruthie's parents very soon.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

First Day of School!

Well...it is official, I am the mother of a middle schooler and a third grader. I dropped Jon Milledge off at the middle school this morning with tears in my eyes. Thankfully, he didn't see them because he was sooo nervous. I walked Anderson in to his class and he was more than ready for me to leave! I pray that they are having a great day and that both of their nerves are settling down. Mine will be settled after I pick them up today and know that everything went well and that they both had good days.

Isn't this cartoon too funny and oh so true?!

What Do You Think?

It is always funny to me to hear people's perceptions of who they think children look like. I don't think my boys look anything alike but that is probably due to the fact that I know them and how different their personalities are. We both feel like Jon Milledge looks like me and my side of the family where Anderson looks just like Milledge and his family. However, we have gotten lots of different comments about who other people think they look like and even several people have asked if they are twins! WHAT? I have had people tell me that Anderson looks just like me and I simply say, "You must not know his daddy!". ;)
Even though I think Jon Milledge looks more like me than Milledge, I have never really realized how much until my mother came across my 5th grade picture a few weeks ago. She even said that she had never thought that we looked THAT much alike. Look at the pictures below.....we have freckles in the same place and our eyebrows look exactly the same! Wasn't I the cutest little 5th grader??

So.....what do you think?

Happy Birthday, Beth!

Today is my sweet sister, Beth's, birthday! Happy Birthday! I hope you have a GREAT day! Beth is four years younger than me and actually, she is what I got for my fourth birthday. My mother says that my fourth birthday was the first one that I had really gotten into and was excited about. I had a little party planned and knew exactly what I wanted.....a baby doll, I'm sure. As my birthday grew closer and Miss Beth hadn't arrived, my mother prayed that she would not be born on my birthday and that I would be able to have my party. Beth was two weeks late but still allowed me to have my big day by deciding to come the day after my birthday. I have always said that I asked for a doll and got a real baby instead! Beth and I are complete opposites in every way all the way down to our looks. She has blond hair, green eyes, and olive complexion. I have dark brown hair, blue eyes and VERY fair complexion. Beth's personality is pretty true to her birth....she doesn't get in a hurry for anything, she is very content with where she is, she is calm, laid back and she is more than happy for others to be the center of attention. Me....well, like I said, I am the complete opposite! ;) Beth and I have gotten closer the older we have gotten and we now have a great relationship where we talk almost everyday, at least once. We have those kind of conversations where it takes us an hour to tell a two minute story because we are laughing so hard, to the point of crying and we can't understand each other. I know it's going to be a great phone conversation when I answer and all I hear is Beth laughing!

Anyway....all of that to say....Happy Birthday to the best sister ever!!! I love you!

They are Home!

My Happy Campers!

ok....my tired, dirty campers!

My boys rolled back into town around 5:30 today! I am so happy that they had the experience of camp, had a great time, made some new friends and most of all...made it back home! They both say that it was lots of fun and they can't wait to go back next year. Well, actually Jon Milledge is entering into the youth group in a couple of weeks so he will be going to youth camp next year....OUCH! They have been talking non-stop since they got home about everything they did so I am assuming that Camp Kid Jam was a success. If stinky clothes=tons of fun then I know my boys had more fun than anybody else there! I opened the laundry bags a little while ago and was literally blown away by the sweaty, dirty, boy camper smell! Does the laundry of girl campers smell bad too?

P.S.....yes haircuts are definitely in order for tomorrow! ;)

The Reasons I Breathe.....

The other day my mother was telling me about a lady she knows who describes her grown son as "still the reason I breathe everyday". It brought tears to my eyes and I simply said to my mother, "I can understand that". Now, don't get me wrong, I know there are plenty of scientific reasons why I breathe everyday, like, it is an involuntary reaction of my lungs blah, blah, blah. Also, I know that since I am a believer in Christ that He has my days numbered and that I will breathe as long as He sees fit. I have a wonderful husband whom I love dearly, who I know loves me with all of his heart, and who I can't imagine my life without. However, in my feeble mind there are two reasons that I daily take in air....Jon Milledge and Anderson.
I believe that we all question why we are here, what is our purpose in life and what our life goals are. I have never had lofty goals of being a doctor, lawyer, astronaut or having any seemingly professional career. I have known since I was a little girl that my goal, my job, my purpose on this earth, my reason for breathing was to be someone's mommy. I have a job and I have different titles that are important and special to me like....wife, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, daugther in law, sister in law....however, none is more special to me than Jon Milledge and Anderson's mother.
My mother was waiting somewhat patiently (ok...not really patiently at all) in my hospital room the day that Jon Milledge was born via C-section in Fort Worth, Texas. They wheeled me back to my room for recovery and there was my sweet mother and the first and only thing that I could say to her was, "I am sorry...I never knew you loved me this much". The love that I felt for him and then Anderson, three years later, was instant, real and HUGE. Even though the love was great, so was the responsibility that was now upon me. I am not the best mother, probably not even a great mother most days but I try and I hope they know how much I love them and how just them being here has fulfilled every dream that I have ever had. I pray that the things I have said to them, taught them, allowed them to experience and even not allowed them to experience have not only shown my love to them but also the love of their heavenly Father and ultimately made them want to be better people. I pray that they become men of God who are respectful, loving, gentle, kind, and strong in their faith.
I give thanks to God for allowing me to be a mother and for entrusting me with these two wonderful sons who give me reason to breathe everyday.

Now if we could just get Ruthie home.....

Here are a few of my favorite baseball pictures from the past few weeks and some sweet ones from the beach. I didn't take any of Jon Milledge in Florida but a couple of my friends did...hopefully they will pass them along soon. Enjoy!

The reasons I breathe.....