My First Love......

More Fun Fotos!

Ana's re-decorating of the tree when some of the balls fell off.

The Christmas Slide Show!

Succsess!!

My Brain has Officially Become "Mommy Mush!" How is yours doing???

Ok…..at the end of this post is a “funny”-

Just think “brain fried” mommy……

& you will have some idea of where this story is going!!!

First of all, I can’t let this day go by without saying what a GREAT Christmas present this is:

***Somehow, that boy has a KNACK for finding candy-

see what he's got in his hand?!?***
(for those of you who haven’t been following my blog that long,

last year at this time,

we still had NO IDEA when Natty would be coming home from Guatemala.

You can read some of those stories here, here & here……

if you really want the run-down.)

“For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us as silver is refined.

We went through fire & through water,
But you brought us out unto rich fulfillment!”
Psalm 66:10 & 12b

This family (while it doesn’t look like the family I dreamed of as a girl-

what was I thinking-I though I wanted 12 children!?!!?! )
is the fulfillment of my dreams-
to have happy, healthy kids!

(& as a bonus-they USUALLY play well together, too!)

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Ok…..the story you all have been waiting with baited breath for:

(& if you haven’t-don’t tell me so-it might hurt my feelings-wink!)

EVERY single stinking Christmas Eve I am up until 12 am…..1 am…….

even once it has been 3 am!!!

So, last night, I was again burning the candle at both ends

(no pun intended, even though there were several pine & “Christmas cookie” scented ones lit throughout the house last night-ha!! ha!!)

I finished all the wrapping, pulled away the gate from around the tree (put there to protect it from prying 16 mo fingers!), & carefully set the presents under the tree. Finally, I returned the tree to it’s protection zone by replacing the gate around it.

There was one problem……not discovered until much later…..after stockings, Christmas Breakfast …….& half-way through present opening.

(& I was so proud of myself getting to bed by a bit after mid-night.

Pride goes before the fall, they say!)

A few times I heard Ana say, “But where are the brown presents, Mommy?”

Did anything click?

Not right away.

Not until I started to realize we were running out of presents for Ana.

You know that feeling you have that you have forgotten something SUPER important? (Like when you see the dentist office on caller ID & suddenly remember you were supposed to be at the dentist that morning-yeah, that feeling started to come over me)

The thought had barely formulated in my mind & before it was out of my lips,

“There are still presents in the garage!!!!”

I forgot to put out at least half the presents last night!!!!

Boy, did we all have a good laugh as we hauled them all in to open!

(at least they were all wrapped).

The funny thing was, as I took the picture of the tree last night with “all” the presents under it, I thought, “Boy, this sure looks a bit more sparse than some Christmases. I guess we can just teach the kids to be grateful for what they have!”

Oh, I am SOOO laughing at myself now!!

Please tell me this kind of thing happens to everyone else!

A grateful Kim, signing off for today……

“For the wages of sin is death,
But the gift of God is eternal life,
through Christ Jesus, our Lord”
Romans 6:23

PS. Dave is sure that when Spring Cleaning of the garage rolls around,

we will find a present or two!

Happy belated Christmas, huh!


PSS. For more fun Christmas pics, run over to Sarah's blog!

Merry CHRISTmas, from the Dillon family to yours!!!

I am so thankful for all my blogger friends,

some of whom I know in real life,

& some I don't-but you all have blessed me in your own special ways!

Thanks for being there!

Wordless Wednesday....."Just me & my dad."

Picture Overload for the Next Few Days.....

The next few days, I'll post pics that don't fit into a "theme,"

but I have been wanting to post them 'cause they're so priceless!

Ballet Recitals.....

It was soooo fun to watch our girls perform last week. Both of them had their Christmas ballet recitals.

Ana's was fun because she is becoming graceful & delightful to watch perform!

Ruth's was fun because she was "little kid cute." She had her back to the audience half the time, but she was following the teacher anyway.

2 Years Together-today!!!

2 years ago today, we FINALLY became a family of four.

Tonight's celebratory supper-

Guatemalan food,

start to finish!!!

Happy "Gotcha Day," Ruthie!

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I remember vividly all the emotion surrounding that time.

Searching frantically for airline tickets to Guatemala City

to get there before our foster family went on vacation.

Getting THE LAST AVAILABLE ticket on United before Christmas,

one week before Christmas.

(& wouldn’t you know-God got us a First Class ticket, too!)

For those who don’t know the story,

I went down a week before Christmas hoping I could get our US Embassy appointment moved up to right before the Holiday

-since Ana & Dave were still at home.

Ana & Dave flying in &

Ana meeting her new sister as she walked out of the airport in Guatemala City-

Christmas Eve night, while fireworks lit the night sky!

Only God could arrange something so amazing!!!!

Here are a few pictures from that week I was by myself……

& then-“the fulfillment of all our dreams picture!”-

the one in front of the Christmas Tree in the Guatemala City Marriott.

Taken Christmas Day, 2006.

& because it's my blog.....& I like to tell you more than you probably want to know (Haa! Ha!!!).....................



I went through my old journals today & looked for the date we discovered I was pregnant with Ana. That will be her "Gotcha Day" celebration! August 23. I know the minute I found out she was on her way-I felt she was MINE-so that is a "Gotcha Day," right?

(for more FFF, head over to Sarah's blog. She just got back from a mission trip to Guatemala.)

Thursdays Before the Throne

OK…..so Monday we had a HUGE list of errands that had to be run (everything from a quick run into the dr to get TB tests read-to a Wal-mart run for birthday presents for a nephew!)

I thought the quickest way to feed the kids was a quick trip into Wendy’s. (our favorite
fast food).

Ana picked out a table & began unwrapping herself & Ruthie. Unwrapping, I say, because when it’s 4 degrees (!!!!) outside…..the children are WRAPPED to within an inch of their lives before heading out the door.

The Christmas Tree was set up in the corner & Christmas music was playing over the speakers in the ceiling.

After ordering our lunch (which they were out of some of the stuff I wanted-so I got other stuff free!!!), kids went in highchairs, bibs went on & lunch began to be eaten!!!

While eating our lunch, a guy came in on lunch break from the near-by grocery store.

This guy, I believe, had a divine appointment by God to be there.

He had a form of what I believe was Down’s Syndrome & was talking with everyone who walked by-loudly.

BUT….it was what he was SAYING that I *know* I was supposed to hear!

“I am very blessed this Christmas! I have a sister in town, & I am going to spend Christmas with her! I have a lot to be thankful for!”

Then, as he was leaving the restaurant, he walked by our table, & repeated to me what he had said to everyone else…..& added,

“We need to remember that JESUS is the reason we can even have Christmas! Without Jesus, there would be no Christmas! He came to save us from our sins!”

I looked him straight in the eye & said,

“You are SO right! Jesus is what Christmas is all about!”


What a blessing that little encounter was to me the other day! It helped put my mind back in the right place-Christmastime is so busy & hectic sometimes.


We need to remember that JESUS is the REASON for the SEASON. I know that is a cliché, but it is so true!!

From the third verse of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.”

“Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Son of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings

Ris'n with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by

Born that man no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

Hark! The herald angels sing

‘Glory to the newborn King!’ ”

Have you had an experience that changes your perspective this Christmas?

Wordless Wednesday......"Sisters" the first few weeks home!

And the Finished Product......

Yes, there is a fence around our tree.

I don't think you need to have that explained!!!!

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Last week, my good friend Amy & I

got our kids together to make gingerbread houses!

These are the kind of activities that make the holidays hectic-

but, oh, so fun!!!!

These little munchkins didn't do too much decorating,
but boy, were they busy eating as much as they could get their hands on!!!!!

I love this time of year, don't you?

“A Charlie Brown Christmas”

Or….the story of how we solved our Christmas tree dilemma.

(the dilemma of a 16 mo old in the house-
who LOVES to take things apart-
& loves to BANG-on anything & everything)

Here we are in front of our tree:

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Just kidding!!

Here is our real tree this year.

Why spend money on a tree that may be destroyed…..
when your brother-in-law will cut one down for you from his yard, right????

As long as we can look at it & hear Linus saying,

“And there were in the same country,
shepherds keeping watch over there flocks by night…..”


Stay tuned later this week to see it decorated!!!

Another Trip Down Memory Lane......

We are coming up on our SECOND “Gotcha Day”

(the term we in adoption circles use to refer to the day our child was placed in our arms)

with Ruthie!!!

I can hardly believe it!

Seems like yesterday-until I see how Ana has changed since then!

(Of course Ruth has changed, too, but you expect that out of a baby, right?)

I have such a good feeling when I look at this picture in front of the Christmas tree at the Guatemala City Marriott.

It was taken right after our Embassy Appointment.

Matter of fact, as I brouse other people's blogs,

when I see other people's pictures in front of this same tree......

all the memories of relief & JOY we felt come flooding back.

Anybody else do things like that?

(Run over to Sarah's blog for more FFF!)

Looks like her link isn't up yet.....check back later!

Thursdays Before the Throne

Ok….so something I have learned about love…..

Some of you may roll your eyes & say,

“It took you that long to figure this out?!?

What is WRONG with you?!?!?"

That’s ok…..I can take it. I know-I’m a slow learner!

Most of the time, you have to CHOOSE to ACT loving.

Even if you don’t FEEL loving.

I know, some of you are shaking your heads in amazement, thinking,

“Hasn’t she ever read 1 Corinthians 13?!?!”

~When your kids WHINE through everything you want them to do-ALL DAY LONG

(& yes, I did let them reap the consequences of their whining!)

~When your baby is crying through his whole nap

(instead of sleeping, like any other human being would who has been up since 5:30 this morning!!!)

~When your hubby wants your computer (hey, didn’t you buy this for me, dear???)

~When your little girl follows you around the house SCREAMING at you,

“Mommy, hode you!! Mommy, hode you!!”

~When kids are sick & cranky. When I’M sick & cranky. (No, me?? Never!)

These are times I need to choose to act loving!

But, you know what amazes me?

When I choose to act loving, Christ fills me with His love for them!

“Commit your works to the Lord,
And your thoughts will be established.”
Proverbs 16:3

I have been trying to get loving thoughts…..

& THEN DO what I should.
But, this verse seems to suggest I need to DO the RIGHT (loving) acts,

& THEN GOD will put my heart in the right place.

SO…..today, I (with God’s help & the Holy Spirit’s reminders)

will choose to act loving to those the Lord puts in my path.

Wordless Wednesday......."The Little Fashionista"

(It was about 60 degrees outside-I promise!!

I don't usually let my kids play in the snow with no coat!!!!

Adorable pic, though, don't you think?!?!)

Overheard at the Dillon household this AM……

(Setting the stage:

Ruth is lying on the couch, covered in a blanket.

Doctor kit is spread on the floor.

Ana is kneeling next to Ruth.)

Ana:

“You are done with your check-up.

Do you want to have your baby now?

It looks like you having a girl, which isn’t bad.

(as if having a girl is easier! )

It’s pretty easy.

Do you want to go home or stay here?”


Oh, kids make me laugh!

(shortly after this, they traded places……

so Ana could go through the ease of birthing a baby! Ha!! Ha!!!)

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And here’s the promised picture of my newly shorn boy!

(Andrea-you’ll be glad I left some curls!)

Once Again......I am sending out an SOS!!!

I need HELP!!!

Natty must take “hair growth serum” on the side!
I swear this kid grows more hair than anyone else I know!!!!

I have cut his hair at least 6-7 times since he came home.

Then, Saturday night, I realized it was down over his collar-AGAIN!!!

I have just been trimming length off the back & cutting the front to stay out of his eyes,
but as I grabbed the scissors for a quick trim, I thought, “I have got to do a better job, or else the poor boy will soon just have a bowl cut!”

But, I have a confession:

I have no idea how to cut little boy hair!!!

Girls hair is easy (as long as there are no bangs-
which is why my girls don’t have any! )

You just comb it all straight, part it & cut the length off!

Boys, though!

UGGG!!

Length has to be the same-all around, & on top.

& I can’t, for the life of me, figure out what to do with the front!

&, oh, have I mentioned that he must be the squirmiest kid on earth!!!

Help!

& I can’t just buzz it off.
Daddy thinks he’s still too little for a buzz,
& I still want a few of those gorgeous curls around his ears!!!

He’s my baby, after all!!!

He did get a haircut & in spite of me not knowing what I was doing,
he does look a bit better now!
I just don't have any new pictures of his haircut yet!

Maybe tomorrow!

Hi!

My two brothers, two sisters & I were together at Thanksgiving for

the first time since at least a year & a half ago.

Add to that, a few in-laws, a grandma,

an aunt & last of all, but not least:
11 grandchildren!!!

The best part of it is:

we all get along & have a great time together….

although all of us admit-a week together is about all we should do!

(Ha!!! Ha!!!)

I am so glad my kids can have cousins they are close to!

Ana cried for hours when we said goodby

(which I could do without-but hey,

I guess it’s good she loves them so much, huh!)

I am still close to my cousins,

so I am praying my kids have this blessing-

adult cousins who are friends!!!

(run over to Sarah's blog for more FFF!)