A Dream Fulfilled....for a 9 year-old little girl

Today (yesterday, by the time you read this) I finally completed something we have tried to do for a long time:

No, I didn’t loose the 25-30 pounds I have been trying to loose….

No, I didn’t plant a garden…..nothing grows here with my brown thumb anyway…..

No, Natty is NOT potty trained yet…..

But-YES! We did complete something big.

For a long time, Ana has wanted to scale the heights of our local attraction-Pike’s Peak, America’s Mountain.


So, today, I loaded up the girls, left Nat-Nat with Tía Shannon & did just that. With the van……no, not hiking-I just didn’t think Ruth’s little legs were quite up to an 8,000 ft elevation change-with a top of 14,110 ft!

Weather-wise…..it certainly could have been a better day. 35° & windy-with high clouds. We could still see for miles, though,-maybe even all the way to Kansas!! But, brrrrr!!! (& we were even cold WITH our coats!!!)

But, I still have to agree with Kathryn Lee Bates’ poem, America the Beautiful, which she wrote after seeing the view from the top of the mountain:

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

The look or wonder in Ana’s eyes as she took in all that splendor will forever be etched in my mind. (& so will the view of Ruth, hiding under her blanket any time thought the edge of the road was too close!!! Ha!)

Ana-it was a delight to spend the day with you…..& I loved watching you exclaim over so many new things to see! & Ruthie…..you were so cute huddled under you blanket-& worried about being blown off the mountain! (w/ 40 MPH wind gusts, I don’t blame you!)

Thank-You, Father, for creating such a wonderful world!!

Then God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good!
And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.
Genesis 1:31

81 Degrees!!!

Ana was outside almost all afternoon, soaking up rays.

Once, when I went out to check on her, she was sitting in the corner of the yard, legs crossed, facing the fence.

I thought, “Oh, no! Is she upset?”

“What’s up, Ana?” I queried?

She turns, smiling to say,

“Oh, nothing, Mom. I’m just listening to all the sounds. The birds & the wind chimes.”

So matter of fact.

So much like her mom.

I could get lost in our own back yard.

Just listening.

We also spent an hour or so at the park at lunchtime,

w/ about a hundred other people who had SPRING FEVER.

Why?

Because in true Colorado fashion, tomorrow,

we are supposed to have 3-5 inches of SNOW!

(Just as an aside, my dad, the "arteest" in the family,

is who I thought might enjoy some art on my blog! Hi, Dad)

EXCUSE ME?!?!?

Didn’t the weatherman get the memo?

I guess not.

Oh, & just to add to weather weirdness, we had our first major grass fire in the area today. Smoke billowing up from behind one of the mountains!

Here is the story & pics.

I was sorry to hear, when I looked it up,

there have been three deaths as a result of the fires.

Sad.

Kim, signing off, from what is soon to be a cold & snowy Colorado.

Again….

(But, hey, maybe the storm will put out the fires!)

The Fading of Fall

Changing seasons.....

Something I have always looked forward to....

Gives me a chance to contemplate the passing of time....

Kids growing up....

A few comparison shots:

Ana a few weeks ago, & Ana at a year & a half.

Ana on Sat., & Ana at 10 mo.

Ruth a few weeks ago, & at 3 mo.

Ruth at 3 mo & on Sat. Notice she is wearing the same outfit Ana wore in the 10 mo. picture.

Lord, help me to always remember that time is already fading w/ my kids. They are growing so fast....remind me that you want me to use each moment wisely.

"So teach us to number our days,

That we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:12

Adoption Update & More Pics of Girls

We have finally finished all our paperwork for our dossier, & by Monday, it should be on its way to Guatemala. Now begins the REAL wait! I have posted on the side, our timeline & what still needs completing, so hopefully people can keep better track of what's going on.

NOW, OUR REALLY EXCITING NEWS!!!

We have our visit trip tickets purchased!!! And we got Ruth's passport yesterday, so we ARE ALL GOING!!! :-)

Now, what you have all been waiting for: Pics of the two we have now!! :-)

My mom & my aunt were in town for a wedding last weekend, so some of these pics are from then.

Ana & Shannon on a fall drive/hike.

Grammie, Shannon & Ana on their drive/hike

All of us on Sunday morning (except Shannon)

Isn't this a different pic from my darling princess I posted a few weeks ago?

She had gone to the zoo w/ Shannon!

Here she is in her "night cap" she has been wearing every night to bed. It really matches one of her old dresses, but according to her, she needs a nightcap!

I'm so cool!!!

And, the final pic. for now! Our little sunshine! Who has developed another ear infection, & is going back to the ENT in a week & a half to have the tubes checked. Her pediatrician thinks they are not functioning correctly. :-(

Aspen in the Fall

I think you will agree...there is nothing quite like the aspen in Colorado this time of year.

My friend Amy & I, spent an afternoon in the mountains west of Colorado Springs yesterday, & here were some of the views.

STUNNING!!!

Our Creator shows His handiwork with such variety, doesn't He?

This time of year, we see it vividly everywhere we turn, no matter where we live!

Brisk wind made our hike a little chilly, but all in all, it was a fun day!

Alayna, Anjali & Ana taking a well-deserved break!

Ruth hanging out in the Visitor's Center.

On our way back down the pass, we saw a fire on Mt. Manitou. We pulled off the road for a short time to watch it burn, & the girls were treated to the sight of shooting flames & ariplanes dropping slurry to put out the fire.

This morning, the fire is almost out, & last time I checked the news, no buildings were threatened, & no people injured, PTL!!!

BUT, it did really impress the girls!

Rainbow

As some of you may know, Colorado is famous for it's storms, & its rainbows after the storms. Here is one from today.

It was a full double rainbow!!!