HOME!!!!

Wow, what a long, amazing, fun-filled, exhausting, wonderful trip!

I'm working on uploading pics, and I'll probably do a few separate posts. I can't possibly cover two weeks in one post...well, I could, but that would be one looooong post! How many times do you think I can say 'post' in this post? (Sorry, I'm running on about 1.5 hours of sleep!)


Keep your eyes peeled, more coming soon! :)

All my bags are packed....

....I'm ready to go!

I think. I hope.

We're headed to Oregon tonight, FINALLY! I absolutely cannot wait to see our family and friends again. We haven't seen most of them since we moved to Charlotte nearly 18 months ago! When we left, Lucy was just a tiny little 3 month old baby, Wyatt was just over 2 (and still not talking), and Riley wasn't yet 4!!! They've changed so much in that time....cuh-razy!

We have such a busy two weeks planned! It's gonna be awesome...I just hope we are able to see everyone we want to see, and do everything we want to do! A wedding, a high-school reunion, church, the beach, the zoo, birthday parties, cook-outs, photo sessions...and the list goes on!!!

I may try to blog a bit while I'm there...guess we'll see how busy I am!

Please keep us in your prayers! Flying with three kids...we're gonna need 'em!

Best. Husband. EVAH.

Yep, and he's mine.

Wanna know how I know he's the best? Alright, I'll tell you.

Every morning, he gets up and starts the coffee, gets the kids their milk, and makes breakfast for them. While he is doing all this, I drag my lazy butt to the computer, where I sit for the next hour trying to wake up. When the coffee is done, he makes me a cup and delivers it to me.

When the kids are going crazy, and I'm going crazy, and I have no patience left, he leaves work early to come and rescue me. Then he takes us out to lunch and to meander around Tarjay and the mall.

He does the dishes. Every day. Wanna know the last time I did the dishes? Well, I'd tell you, but I can't even remember. Maybe sometime back in January.

This past Friday, while I went and spent the day hanging out with my sister, he cleaned the entire house. And did laundry. He knew how stressed I was about our upcoming vacation, so he just did it. To help me out. Cause he loves me.

I could keep going, but I'll spare you...for now.

Now ladies, you're probably feeling a little bit jealous right now. Understandable. Pete really is the cat's meow. Does he drive me crazy? Um, yes. Do I sometimes want to poke him in the eyeball? Absolutely. But at the end of the day, I wouldn't want to be with anyone else. He's a wonderful husband, a fantastic father, a great friend, and a man of God. And I love him like crazy. And he loves me, crazy and all.

Choosing Joy: FAIL

This past week has not been the greatest. And that's my fault. I have been doing a TERRIBLE job of choosing joy. I have allowed little things to absolutely ruin my day. Silly things, like this...

After a particularly depressing Friday evening in a fitting room, I decided to start the 30 Day Shred. I don't have weight to lose, just some, um, flabby parts I'd like to firm up (I've had three kids. If you've seen me pregnant, you understand about my belly). I had Pete get the dvd from my sis on Saturday. I got up Sunday morning, threw on some workout clothes, put the dvd in, and was ready to go. Until I realized that the actual workout portion of the dvd could not be started without a remote (you have to scroll down). No problem, just find the remote, right? Yeah, not so much. I turned the entire house upside down. The stupid remote was not to be found (and I still have not found it). I alternated between stomping around the house looking for the remote, crying because I was SO frustrated, and slamming the door to my room because I was so angry. I was also not-so-nice to my sweet hubby and kids. I SUCKED at being wife and mom that day. Over a remote. Well, and the fact that I was feeling very down about myself, and feeling like I couldn't do a thing about it. Like God didn't want me to find the remote, because, well, I don't know (silly, right?)!

The rest of the week has been marginally better.  I'm not being very patient with the kids or the hubster, but I'm trying. I'm stressed to the max because of our upcoming vacation, and when I get stressed, I tend to shut down. I get overwhelmed and can't. do. anything. Until the last minute, of course, when I run around like a chicken with it's head cut off. Pete's got Friday off, so we're going to start tackling our big to-do list together. That should help.


And always, in the back of mind, all day, every day, is the need to decide NOW about how we're going to grow our family, and when. I have been especially conflicted the past few days. My heart is torn in two directions. I KNOW that adoption is in our future. I also KNOW that I want to have another baby the old fashioned way. And my desire for one does not diminish my desire for the other. And I don't know which direction is the right one. My heart ACHES for a little brown-skinned Ethiopian baby girl whose face I've never seen, and my arms ache to hold my little fair-skinned newborn. I'm praying, y'all. Praying hard. And I still just don't know.