Taking a moment from your regularly scheduled blog to brag about my child

That's not completely true because #1 - there is nothing regular about this blog.  It happens when I get the time and/or inspiration.  And #2 - it's not unusual for me to brag about my children on here!


They say that when a child is less developed in one area they make up for it in another.  Apparently what Cadence lacks in speech she makes up for in her fine motor skills.  Girlfriend's got some mad fine motor skills!  They have been amazing since the day she came home.  

Buttoning Grandma's jacket the right way

She has gripped a pen the correct way since before she was two

Her "writing"

She uses a knife better than her sisters do!

Showing off her coloring skills

Some days...

Some days, ok, lately, most days... they seem hard.  I have perspective.  I see it everyday at work and read it everyday on my friend's Caring Bridge page for her daughter.  I have a beautiful new home, 3 healthy children, and a husband who works tirelessly for our family.  I have no right to complain.  But I've been feeling whipped.  Whipped by the continuous laundry and animal hair on my floor, the endless boxes that need unpacked, an adorable but demanding 2 year old.  Whipped by the hobbies I want to indulge in, the healthy meals I should be making for my family, the memories that I should be building for my kids.  Whipped by all that I want my life to be even as I know that I have a great life and this is what I should truly be focusing on and not complaining. 

Sometimes perspective comes in hearing the words that I know are true, but yet they sound so much clearer coming from another source.  They are the things I would say to a friend if she wrote that first paragraph.  So even though they are coming from a complete stranger, I'm just going to believe that she's saying it just for me.  Like she did!

You're in the right place still!

Times are a changin' here!  We started this blog back in April 2010 to document our journey to bring Cadence home from China.  She's been home now for 9 months (!) and if feels like she's always been a part of our family.  Yes, it's challenging at times (those closest to me know just how challenging!) but I look at her everyday and wonder how we got so lucky to have this amazing little girl join our family.   She has truly completed it!  I figured that I would stop blogging after she was home, but I have found that I really enjoy it.  I like to look back and relive some of the highlights of my life.  Maybe someone out there in the blogging community gets something out of it too. 

So, I've decided to keep up with it, but we are shifting gears a bit.  If you've been reading (or know me!) you know that we have recently built a new home and moved to 24 acres.  Brad is constructing a barn (or doing something with all of the wood sitting in pile out there) and we recently acquired 11 chickens.  We hope to get a goat or two once the barn is up and then we'll be on our way to being a real farm!  Right?!  We have a lot to learn so just as I stalked read lots of adoption blogs way back when,  I'll now be stalking learning from your farming blog if you have one! 

Sierra getting one into the coop

Laurel seeming a bit more adept at it!

Cadence kept her distance to check them out

Chickens checking it out

These are the two things we found in the box when we took the chickens out.  We are assuming they are only responsible for the egg!

To Thine Own Self Be True.

From the moment I heard the words "It's a girl" I have had a slightly gut wrenching angst about the fact that... it's a girl. Three to be exact. They are children now, but they are growing fast and soon there will be all of the drama that comes with being a girl. Yes, boys have it hard too - but I've been a girl my whole life ;-) and I know just how hard it can be. I also know that as my girls grow up I will tell them that "I know how hard it is to ... be this age ... like a boy ... fight with your friend ... have a monstorous zit." And I know that to them, I will sound like Charlie Brown's teacher "Wah, wa, wah, wa..." So I hope that maybe they will come upon something, a book, a poem, a blog, that is as inspirational as the following one and take something, anything, to heart from it. From the moment I heard those words I pray for my girls that they will grow to be healthy, happy, strong women. I pray that they will have all of the right influences in their lives to succeed in all the right ways.

To Thine Own Self Be True.