Nesting

What a week! First off, a big pat on the back goes to Gabriel and Grant. They finished homeschooling for the year! I am so proud of them.  I even surprised myself by doing better than I gave myself credit for going in. We also have a super babysitter too, and she was the one who really wrapped up the lessons and worked with the boys to make our timeline. Whew! Overall it was a blessed adventure and I am grateful we took a chance and went for it.


In other news, there has been a lot going on here as we make preparations for Karolina. The nursery looks like a sweet blast from the past, circa 2006 when Garrett was born. :)   This was what the boys looked like the last time we prepared the nursery.    Oh how the years go by.   The crib is assembled, the decorations and bedding are back to the way they were, and the drawers are ready for diapers and onesies. I have not added much by way of pink accents, but there is a pink picture frame and photo album on display, and the colors blend nicely. It will be fun to sprinkle in more pink as we go along!:) Here is how it looks so far:

The baby blanket on the ottoman was mine as a baby, so that is a special touch (with pink)!:)  

We are also organizing the items we will need to bring with us to Poland. When we go back, we should be able to pick Karolina up and she will stay with us until our court date. We have the stroller ready, diaper bag, bowls, a medical kit, clothing, blankets, bottles and all of the basic baby items.    It has been helpful to research other packing lists from international adoptions too.  Things like an inflatable baby tub I never would've thought of.   It's easy to pack too.  

 

It's hard to believe that in a few months we will have a little girl occupying the bedroom and crawling around the house.    My heart soars just thinking about it.  I think we are all feeling the sense of joyful anticipation as we savor the last weeks as a family of 5, but also happily look forward to welcoming our much-prayed-for addition.   We can't wait! :)

Dinner!

A big thanks to Tonya who sent in another yummy recipe this week!   A few years ago, I made this for my friend Lisa and her family after she and her hubby were recovering from kidney surgery.  I forgot about it after that though.   I remember originally seeing it on the Duggar's website as a family favorite.  I think if there 20 kids like it, that is a good sign!:)   Easy, tasty and filling...just right.  Thanks Tonya!

Called Tater Tot casserole:
1 bag tater tots
1 lb ground meat (I use grd turkey), 1 can cream of chix soup, 1 can mixed veg, and cheddar cheese.
Spread the raw grd meat on the bottom of cass dish, mix soup and veggies and spread on top of meat, sprinkle with cheese and top with tater tots all across top. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 min. Let stand 5 min and serve. This is a favorite in our house (just me and my husband), but easy enough to serve others needing meals.

Pumpkins

Happy birthday to my pumpkin pie, Garrett Michael!   He turned 5 yesterday!   We got him a Lego watch, and his big event is a birthday party next week.   Here is a rather squished-in birthday photo. :)   It was wonderful to have dad home from the hospital and with us to celebrate!   He has a feeding tube so he couldn't enjoy the cake, but he's doing better, thanks be to God!  P.S. Why the frown, Grant?!    

The other "pumpkin" is a tasty recipe that Melissa e-mailed.   Mmmm, mmm good!   Check it out:

"Hi Brooke! I know how much you love chocolate, and are always looking for healthy ideas. Here is a quick, simple, delicious and healthy recipe for chocolate cake. Take 1 box of choc cake mix, and one regular size can of pumpkin. That's it! Mix together, its very thick and gets hard to stir ( You can get started on those Nicole C. Mullins arms mixing this! )Spray a 9x13 pan with non stick cooking spray, and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. It makes the moistest yummiest cake ever, and cuts out so much fat and calories making it with pumpkin. Its good to eat plain,or sometimes we top it with sugar free choc pudding and cool whip.

I love the show, you and Len are awesome and so fun in the mornings. Keep up the great work, and I hope you like the cake!!"

 Low-fat and tasty, I can't wait to give it a try.  Thanks Melissa!

Baseball and Butterflies

Happy Mother's Day to all the beautiful moms out there!! Including grandmas, spiritual mothers, and future moms.:) I am taking my mom out to lunch, I don't remember the last time we had some one-on-one time without distractions so I am really looking forward to it. I received the best Mother's Day present of all on Friday when we were sent updated photos of Karolina. My heart leaped for joy! We are coming baby girl!!:) Garrett also gave me this priceless card he made at preschool:

By the way, my age is 32. Thanks a lot son. Ha ha.

In other news, baseball season has begun for all 3 boys. It actually kicked off last weekend, but Garrett FINALLY got his hat and t-shirt today. He has been counting the days for about a month until he could be "official," so this was a big deal. :) Here he is, suited up and ready to play!

Last but not least, things are slowly starting to come together for Miss Karolina. We ordered some clothes for her and I have not been able to stop fawning over them since they arrived. LOL. Girl clothes are so pretty!

We still need to purchase a lot of items though, and I'm beginning to go into panic mode at how much we still need to do. Garrett will be moving into Grant's room but I have to completely clear it out first. We ordered a dresser for Grant's room and it should be coming this week. We also have our friend Pam coming to paint Karolina's room (formerly Garrett's room). We are going with the neutral honey bee theme, and I am going to "girly it up" with a few pink touches here and there. I found these cute butterflies at PBK and it matches the color palette and I think/hope will add a whimsical touch. So, within the next 2-3 weeks, we hope to have it ready. We also need little things like a diaper bag, shoes, plenty of diapers, pj's, etc. I also have to bring out all of our sippy cups, baby spoons, high chair, car seat and other baby items up from storage and get them ready also. It's interesting, with a pregnancy you get a tangible, visual reminder of how fast the time is ticking, the importance of being ready. With our adoption, I have purposely put things off because I feared it would be really hard to have everything ready, and then have an unknown timeline and have everything sit for possibly a very long time. In addition, you don't even know how old your child is until you receive the referral. However, in retrospect, I wish I would've been a bit more proactive. Well, we were off to watch Anne of Green Gables and then I need to find the baby bibs!:) Happy Mother's Day again, God bless the amazing women who nurture, provide, educate and love children!:)

The Impact of Anne (with an "e")

For Mother's Day this year, one of my hopes is to sit down as a family and watch Anne of Green Gables.  That would be such a gift.   Last summer I rented it for the boys, but there just wasn't enough action for the boys to stick with it.  Maybe now?

Anne of Green Gables is my favorite movie of all time.   I watched it as a little girl with my mom, and over the years it has continued to provide us with references, inside jokes, and poignant memories.   In fact, about 10 years ago, my mom and I made a pact to visit PEI (Prince Edward Island) for her 70th birthday.   The plot of the film (originally book series) revolves around an adopted girl.  Siblings Marilla and Matthew wanted a boy, but feisty, fantastical, Anne is what they got.      As the years draw closer to our "dream trip," I think about the twists life my own life has taken.  Growing up adoring that movie, I never imagined my own story would include an adopted girl too.   Now, instead of just envisioning my mom and me, our dream trip has expanded to include Karolina.   I CAN'T WAIT to show read the books to her and watch the series with my "bosom" daughter. :)   Of course I also have a sense of joy to think about sharing it with the boys, but loving Anne is definitely a "girl thing" that I look forward to passing on, as my mom did with me.  I recently became addicted to the official Anne of Green Gables blog too, and saw this awesome story about a couple inspired to adopt after watching AOGG.    
The dialogue has taken on new meaning for me now, and I can easily see how it inspires others to adopt. My new favorite line from the movie is from Marilla: "It wasn't luck it was providence. He knew we needed her."
He always knows what we need, doesn't he. :)

Perfume Please

Although I have never smelled this particular scent, I really, really want to get my hands on it!   This is the perfume Kate Middleton wore on her wedding day, and it's sold out all over the world!  Yowza.   Okay, so I guess it wouldn't be the most original route to go, but it does sound lovely.   The description is:
"a vase of white flowers quivering in the breeze."   I really like to smell nice (obviously, lol),  but I always feel guilty about the price tag on the high end fragrances.   So, I usually just settle for some nice lotion and go with that.   A few times over the years though, Jim has surprised me with perfume, like Jessica Simpson's Fancy which I liked.  This one is WAY my price range, but I still can't help feeling like I NEED it.  Ha ha.  Of course I don't, and I don't even know what it smells like (and I'm picky) but I have decided it must be amazing.  Here is the article about it.   It looks like I would be waiting for a long time anyway since it's nowhere to be found, maybe that will give me a few years to save up. :)

Dinner and a Movie

I just returned from the grocery store a week's worth of delicious ingredients, or so I hope. :)      With our busy schedule lately (visits to the hospital, baseball, etc) we haven't been eating the best, and I needed to get in gear.   I visited one of my favorite websites to stock up on healthy recipes.    Tonight on the menu is "Cranberry Crockpot Chicken."  Perfect for a rainy day too.  Yum.  Good news at the grocery store:  the young man at the checkout referred to me as "Miss" (I haven't heard that in years, usually it's "ma'm ")  Lol.  The bad news:  kalamata olives are expensive.  Sheesh.  I knew they were pricey but...have they gone up recently?   Like it or not, the boys will be eating them after the $6.37 investment!  
In the movie department, we have been repeatedly watching Gabe's new "all-time favorite" (that's a quote). :)      I definitely approve though, and it's now in my own top 10.   It's the true story of world renowned neurosurgeon Ben Carson.  What a story!  Inspiring for all ages.  Especially since Gabriel has wanted to be a physician for the past few years, but academic success does not come easily for him.  This movie was just the encouragement he needed, and I think it should be required viewing in all schools!
We found ours on Netflix, but local libraries also carry the film.  Here is a clip.

Ladies' Night

I'm a little late on this, but it's definitely a worthy "belated" post. Last Thursday we welcomed Nicole C. Mullen to a sold out show at Hartville Kitchen. Every Mother's Day and Christmas, the 95.5 The Fish "Mom Squad" brings in a speaker and/or music artist. This year, we happened to be blessed to get both in one amazing lady! The theme was "Bloom Where You're Planted" and Nicole did a phenomenal job of inspiring all of us to rise to greatness in whatever situation we are in (and learning to "bloom" under the guidance of the Son, our Lord Jesus). Everything about the evening was lovely, and best of all, it offered much-needed time to connect with old friends, and meet new ones. Well over 500 ladies were laughing, crying, and worshiping together and it offered some much needed rejuvenation!:) Thank you to everyone who came out. One of the many highlights was when we honored our "Mom of the Year." Her name is Linda Petchler and she was nominated by her daughter Mindy. Linda had no idea she was going to be the star of a tribute video and receive an award. It was GREAT! Click here to see her video (and have your tissues handy)!:) Here is a little slide show from the event.