Eight years ago, a scared and reluctant toddler was thrusted into my arms. She had a rough few weeks. (I did too.) I am so happy that our first few months are a distant memory. Now I can't imagine my life without Erin Joy. She is so happy and so sweet. She is truly a joy! I love her so much. Thank-you for being my daughter, Erin Joy! I love you more than chips and salsa! (This is what I say to her every night because I really love chips and salsa.)
Every year on her adoption day, she gets a special ornament to put on her "adoption tree." I bought all the "ornaments" in China during the time I was adopting her. She also get a little memento from her adoption. This year she got a kid's menu/coloring book from the Hard Rock Cafe in Guangzhou.
Her adoption ornament this year is a ball with a rooster on it. She was born in the year of the sheep, but adopted in the year of the rooster.
I love you, Erin Joy! Happy Family Forever Day!
We celebrated by going to Golden Corral. Erin Joy loves the idea of all-you-can-eat cotton candy. I make her eat something healthy in between each cotton candy. Her lunch included a piece of pizza, mandarin oranges, peas, and three big cotton candies. I have a picture of her with her cotton candy on my camera, but forgot to download it. I'll put it on here later.
Here is a memory video:
The second song is a song I sing to her all the time. I change the words to "Have I told you, Erin, that I love you...."etc. Erin Joy heard this song a few months ago and was really disappointed that it was a "real" song. She thought I made it up. Nope:)
It has been five years since Erin Joy's last laser treatment. Her birthmark has gotten a little bit darker, but is still much lighter than it was when she was a baby. Her dermatologist and I felt that now would be a good time to have another treatment. She shouldn't need another treatment for another five years. I'm so glad we are finished with the trips to Seattle every 2-3 months for a laser surgery. Once every five years is fine with both Erin Joy and I.
Several doctors and nurses commented on how sweet, kind, and funny Erin Joy was. I think so too:) She insisted on listening to her own heartbeat, finding her own pulse, etc.
She was a little groggy after the procedure. The actual laser took only about 20-30 minutes, but it took her over an hour to wake up.
I think she looks adorable with her ice pack strapped to her head.
She is supposed to eat liquids and foods that are easy on her stomach. I think a big chocolate chip cookie qualifies! She has never had any issues with the anesthesia and today was no exception. She loved riding in a wheelchair and eating a cookie in the hospital cafeteria. It was all a big adventure to her.
We had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend camping at Cascade Park, property owned by our church. We were so glad our friends joined us. The weather during the day was a little drizzly with enough sunbreaks to give me a little bit of a sunburn. It rained every night. The first two nights our tent did a reasonable job of keeping us dry. The last night, we were soaked. It was miserable and I was ready to get in the car and drive home. Home was five minutes away from our campsite...not a long drive. When I suggested going home, Rachel insisted that in order to be a "true camper" we had to stay. Rachel is usually my reluctant camper. Not this weekend. She was so excited to camp and be a "true camper." She wanted to sleep on the ground outside of the tent. I convinced her a "true camper" could sleep under the rain fly in the netted section of the tent. She agreed. She was the wettest one out of all of us, but she never complained. Amazing! She usually complains. It was so nice to have a camping trip without the complaining.
Erin Joy and her fellow third graders did a great job in their choir performance. The third grade choir was followed by the after school choir which Erin Joy participates in as well.
Here is a sampling of the third grade choir followed by the after school choir. It is kind of long, but worth watching--at least I think so:) I think they sound great! Nice job, Mrs. Lawrence and students!
This is the very, very long version....the entire concert. I don't really expect anybody to watch it, but maybe years from now, Erin Joy and I will want to watch it as a memory so I'll include it.
Rachel has always been a great student. She won the "Success in Education Award" for this trimester. Wow! Nice job, Rachel! I love you! I am so glad that you work hard in school and take your education seriously.
Here is a video of the award being presented by our principal at a school board meeting:
The award is on display on the "Rachel" half of the staircase. I suggested putting it her room, but she wanted it where everyone can see it.
Finally, to end our busy week, the girls performed for a youth group talent show at our church. Rachel did a great job on the flute. Erin Joy did a fabulous job on the piano. Erin Joy was a little confused when the girls singing missed a line of the song and then sang the second verse. Her music had only one verse and she refused to play the song again because the music only had one verse. Silly girl. The second verse is the same music as the first. She could have just played it again. It makes for a comical moment all recorded here....
I love the smell of lilacs. I also love the beautiful bouquet of dandelions picked with love and given to me with a smile. Nothing, not even lilacs, are better than a bouquet of dandelions given with love.
This card from Erin Joy made me laugh. Overwhelming?? I'm overwhelming? She couldn't think of any "O" words so she chose "overwhelming." I suppose it is better than "obstinate." Or "ornery." Or "obese."
She also made me this lovely picture that I promptly hung on my "I love you" corner in my bedroom. Notice all the handprint and great school projects. I sure love my girls. I sure love being a mom!
I accidentally forgot Rachel's Mother's Day gift at school. I didn't realize the plant growing in the cup was my Mother's Day gift and I left it on my desk. She says it is a flower. It looks like a bean to me. We'll plant it and see what comes up. Hopefully, it isn't already dead.
She also made me a card, but she won't give it to me because it isn't finished. I sure hope I get it some day. She also gave me lotion that she saw while browsing a gift shop at the lilac gardens. (I was outside smelling flowers while they browsed.) She wanted to buy the lotion for me, but she didn't have any money. My friend, Jean, bought it for her to give to me for Mother's Day. Rachel told her that she would pay her back. I will probably have to remind her to pay Jean back. Thanks, Jean!
I love smelly lotion so I was very excited. And very surprised. I'm not often surprised by gifts because being the only parent means that I often help my children shop for presents for myself or I just go without a gift. It is fun to be surprised by gifts once in awhile.
We made yummy pineapple chicken and greens for dinner and I ate my dinner on a special plate. Neither girl liked the recipe (it was a facebook recipe that one of my friends shared), but I liked it. I will be eating it for a week. Yummy! Not sure why the picture is sideways.
I have the best mother in the world. Really. I'm not exaggerating. My mother is the most Christlike person I know. If you watch this video of my mother, notice how many pictures there are of her holding babies and reading books with children. She loves babies. She loves children. Notice the picture of her on her knees helping Rachel sweep the floor with a little broom.
My mother is ALWAYS serving her children and grandchildren. I know we are all love unconditionally. My mother is amazing. I love you, Mom!! Happy Mother's Day!
I really enjoy this poem. I have never heard it until this year. This describes my mother, too. This is why my mother is so Christ-like. All the hours of service and love she gives to her children and grandchildren only to be given something as minimal as a lanyard in return reminds me of the Savior. All the love and service the Savior has given to me and in return all I have ever given Him is something as minimal as a lanyard.
It feels like summer! There is no rain, no clouds, nothing ominous in our forecast for at least 10 days!
We enjoyed our day in the sun by going to a garden followed by a grist mill with our friends Jean and Laela. Jean is celebrating a birthday and always likes to celebrate her birthday in a beautiful place. We are happy to join her.
The garden was just a lady's house. In the next life, I want to meet Hulda Klager. I was very impressed with her garden and house. What impressed me the most was her perseverance. Her gardens were ruined by a flood in 1948. She was 83 years old. What did she do? She started over. Imagine starting over at the age of 83! Amazing! I want to be like her.
I really wish I could capture the fragrance of the garden. The smell of a few lilacs are heavenly...imagine a huge garden full of lilacs in full bloom. Ahhhhh.....sensory paradise for sure!
Notice the size of the lilac pictured above in comparison with Laela's face. Huge!
Jean's cousin, Laura and her husband, T.J. were so nice to allow us to spend the night with them. Laura is an artist and let the kids paint flowers with real watercolor paints.
We supported the Boy Scouts by purchasing bouquets of lilacs that wilted in the hot car before we got home. Shucks. They are currently in the middle of my kitchen table because they still smell heavenly even though they are wilted and dropping petals everywhere.
Our next adventure was to an old grist mill just beyond a fun covered bridge.
It was very fun to watch flour being made. With a small donation, we were able to bring some flour and cornmeal home. Yummy!
Our adventures ended in a park followed by our favorite Chinese restaurant. We had a wonderful day.
