Sunday, March 30, 2008

Please pray for Hannah Moore

My dear friend Susan (and Richard ;) have a beautiful 5 year old daughter from China that has been in her forever family for almost 4 months. Hannah has a medical condition that is requiring brain surgery that will take place on Monday, March 31.

Please keep this precious family in your prayers. Hannah asked her mommy if she would be there for her in the hospital and Susan reassured her that mommy or daddy would be with her at all times. Then, Hannah hugged her mommy and said "Thank you mommy" It brought me to tears because I know there are many little ones without mommies and daddies to be there when they face pain, fear, sickness, loneliness, etc... It makes me think of my Linzhi too. How precious these babies are no matter what age. Every kid needs a family.

Please pray for Hannah and the entire Moore family.

I'll post updates =D

Many blessings,
Amy

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Easter Sunday Pictures....
















































Busy week! Will post soon... =D

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Easter Saturday at Gram and Grandpa's house





























Today was a fun day at Gram and Grandpa's. The girls had so much fun looking for all the eggs that were hidden, they had some extra help from cousin Phil too! Grandma Sharon made a lovely lunch (so nice when someone else cooks) =D... then we just hung out and visited. It was a great day from start to finish. This evening Trevor and I went to Target for last minute Easter shopping. It was so nice to hang out with my boy!!!! I do not have a picture of Trevor to post this evening but I will for tomorrow's post.
Happy Easter!!!
~Amy =D

Friday, March 21, 2008

Our Good Friday












For many reasons Good Friday is a sentimental day for me, I am always much more reflective on my life and the one who gave his life. It rained here much of the day which I think is very fitting as it is a bit of a bittersweet day. I did however have a wonderful bible study at church with Rod, we had a nice visit as well (CJ did too, he met with Rod in the morning). I came home, gave the girls a much needed bath along with a day at "Mommy Amy's beauty shop" I styled the girls hair and gave them a nice foot massage with some thick, yummy smelling lotion, took off old nail polish and well... just spruced them up for the weekend of family get together's. Trevor is on Spring Break so it was nice to see him around the house too. Once Trev was done with his paper route, we took the kids to China Chef for our traditional Friday night dinner of sweet and sour chicken, General Tso (hot) and a cheeseburger =D
Since we had no major meltdowns at the restaurant, we decided to take the girls to see the Easter bunny at the mall (I'll post the picture later). Anyway, we only had one family ahead of us so the girls didn't have much time to change their minds... when it was our turn, Rachel walked right up and let me put her on his lap...Miss Linz wanted NOTHING to do with the "Easter boony" she started screaming and shaking and would not let CJ put her down so he walked away from her and I stood watching Rachel as she sat on the bunny's lap with a funny "deer in headlights" look...snapped the picture and moved very quickly off his/her lap!!! It was hilarious! So the picture is of Rachel only, both Linzhi & Trevor decided to sit this one out...maybe next year =D
After the mall we dropped Trevor off at his friends house for a little get together and we came home to start coloring our Princess eggs. Rachel has been eye balling these eggs all day, we decided to name them after family members as well. =D Linzhi just wanted to hold them and I believe she licked one too...that's our Linz...with her arms being so limited she uses her mouth for almost everything, this is something she'll be challenged to break once her arms get moving more to her favor. WHAT a day that will be!!! Come one June 16th!!! That is our first visit scheduled with Shriner's Hospital in Chicago.
I also have decided to get my blog revamped, I put an order in and I'm so EXCITED to see what Danielle can do...more to come on that!
Have a wonderful Easter to whoever reads my blog =D
Amy










Monday, March 17, 2008

Jesus, Easter and Goldfish Crackers


On Sunday evening, I sat the girls down on the couch with their evening snack of Goldfish crackers, milk for Rachel and water for Linzhi... They were anxiously awaiting our favorite book to end the night but I thought it was time to tell them the kid friendly version of the last week of Jesus' life. Holy week is very sentimental to CJ, Trevor and me and I really wanted to girls to be introduced to Easter other than "The Easter bunny" so I took the Crucifix off the shelf, the girls were able to touch the nails in his feet and hands, his hair, and his "towel" then I began the story of how Jesus gave his life for us. They were looking at me with big, tender eyes, both girls said in concerned voices a few times "poor Jesus" Linzhi of course repeating Rachel, it was very precious for me to see how they felt pity for him, they were both concerned that he was hungry and thirsty on the cross and asked me if "someone gave him a water bottle" I said no, he didn't have anything to eat or drink. So as I continued to talk I saw Rachel pick up a Goldfish and gently put it to his mouth, I didn't say anything and she didn't either, I don't even think she saw me looking at her, it came right from her heart and I know her heart belongs to Jesus! Now Linzhi kisses everything and the golden Jesus on the cross was no exception, I think he was kissed 4 times total =D. After I told the whole story the sad and the happy parts, we held hands and prayed to Jesus and asked him to stay in our hearts forever! I did this same thing with Trevor when he was little and I have to say each time is just as precious for me to see my babies loving the one who died on the cross for them, for all of us. My prayer is that my children never leave the path of God and that they always share the reason for the hope and joy they have with others.


Many Blessings during Holy week~

Amy

China day at Children's Corner!!










This past Friday was China day at the girls pre-school. Ms. Michelle planned this on a Friday so Miss Linzhi could participate since she only attends school on Fridays....THANK YOU Ms. Michelle! The girls loved it and talked about the Dragon all weekend! I thought it would be a good idea for the girls to be dressed in the traditional Chinese dresses I brought home from China and of course the girls were so excited because they both LOVE to wear dresses, especially the beautiful, delicate, matching Chinese dresses ( I took a risk sending them to school in these precious dresses). We also brought in fortune cookies, Rachel was so excited to be able to share her cookies and her Chinese sister, she kept saying on the drive to school "Linzhi is REALLY from China and that is far, far away" She looked so serious and proud that her sister came all the way from China. It really made Mommy's heart feel good to see her girls bond even more. Oh and the dresses came home in perfect shape!
Blessings!
Amy




Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Trees, kids and poopy





















Not much to report, it's been a nice week, the weather is getting a little warmer and I'm starting to see a few buds on some of the trees. This time of year I become obsessed with tree buds, I check my trees every other day to see if I can get a glimpse of any pretty green sprouts breaking through...

Here are some cute random pictures of the kids, gram and gramp with the girls and my younger brother Sean with Trevor....Oh and Linzhi went "poopy" in the potty today at grandma and grandpa's....Yeah LINZHI!!!!! Mama's tired of diapers! :-)

Monday, March 10, 2008

Our weekend away...
































































Galena of course was wonderful and relaxing...I love going away with my husband but this time really seemed extra special. I honestly believe I haven't laughed that hard with him in the whole 6 years we've been together. Now, we certainly have hysterical moments but this past weekend we kind of became goofy teenagers...well, sort of :)

For starters we got the kids off, I grabbed some coffee (CJ dislikes coffee...what is wrong with him)??? Then off we went! We put in our favorite CD and just talked about everything. 2007 was a huge year for us in many ways, CJ started his own company, we had a major backyard project we needed to finish since putting in the pool, Trevor started HS, Rachel was found to have a heart murmur (whew, nothing serious) and of course Linzhi LuLu Belle joined the family and the whole China Journey ended the year. So this year as we made our drive to the lovely Galena we reflected on how much God was present in our lives then and now. We stopped at our regular stop for lunch...of all places Culvers! He got a burger, I got fish then I took over the driving and he took a nap until we started getting to the hilly areas and I kinda of freaked out. I have horrible fears of heights and where we live it's FLAT but the closer you get to Galena the more hilly it gets and with the ice on the road...well, you get the picture...CJ didn't sleep long :)



Once we got into town, we went right to the B&B to drop our bags and to our pleasant surprise the Inn keeper's were just lovely! The house was adorable and cozy, antiques everywhere, quilts hung in the right places and fresh flowers in our room, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and of course the thing we love the most a beautiful view of the quaint little town from our room. After we checked in we drove to Main Street. (We originally wanted to walk but it was 8 degrees...ouch). Anyway, we went to all the of stores we love and believe it or not, I didn't buy a thing! I am shocked at this and I know CJ was wondering if my body had been taken over!!!! However, when we stopped in the old fashioned candy store I did get a vanilla cream chocolate and it was delicious! Now, since it was terribly cold we decided to drive in to Iowa and stop and a couple of stores there and see if any good movies were playing, once we were done with that it was time for dinner so we went to "Vinny Vinucchies" I think I spelled it wrong but anyway, rumor has it our cute Italian eatery is "haunted" ... We didn't see any of the famous ghosts but saw a few spooky old photos near our table, I of course couldn't look long or else I would get spooked for the evening. Our dinner was wonderful and I was starving so I told CJ, I watched what I ate all week to pig out but of course, it was too much for me to finish... I had the Linguine with lobster, crab and shrimp in a light sauce with Tabasco...yummy! Oh, CJ had boring ravioli ;-)

As parents, we don't really do much on the weekends for us so going to a movie at our leisure was another highlight of the weekend. We saw "Vantage point" it was a good thriller, I really just wanted to popcorn! As we drove back to the B&B the temp had really dropped it was now 1 degree and getting colder, it made the evening that more romantic!!! We got to our room and snuggled in for the night. One of the rules the Inn Keeper told us was breakfast is at 8:30 am sharp! We were there on time along with two sisters having a "sister"weekend and a newly married couple. This was very interesting, we didn't know each other at all but the conversation flowed, we got to know more about each other and had a great time. The food was unbelievable, first they brought out poached eggs over crispy bacon with fresh fruit. I thought that was enough...oh no, then we are served banana split french toast with juice and coffee. I am not a breakfast eater but I couldn't stop myself, NO ONE has made me breakfast like that so I ate up! Gordon and Maureen joined us (Inn Keeper's) and the conversation went into 2 hours! It really was wonderful. After breakfast, we packed up, hit a few more shops and headed back...believe it or not, 48 hours was enough, we missed our kids and our little life. We're going back in September for our anniversary and made a reservation and the "Snoops Sister's Inn" We can't wait to see Gordon and Maureen again!

Oh, no ghost sightings at the B&B...darn! LOL

I posted some pictures, enjoy!

Blessings!

Amy


Ps... Dear Anna, sorry for the delay!!! :-)











Thursday, March 6, 2008

Galena

My husband and I always go to Galena for our wedding anniversary. We visit the same historic hotel, shop the usual shops, eat at the same quaint little Italian restaurant, hold hands and talk about our life together. Now, our anniversary is September 6th but we decided we needed a little get away so we're going tomorrow for a long weekend. THIS time we're changing up a few things, well just one. We're staying at a B&B instead of the hotel. It's call the "Snoop Sisters inn" I love the name of it and history shows three sisters did actually live there during the time of the Civil War. I'm a total history buff and sometimes my imagination gets away with me especially in Galena because of the......well....GHOSTS!!! I said it, I know it's juvenile but that's the fun of it and my hubby tries to spook me out. I'll post some pictures of our weekend when we get back :-)



Have a wonderful weekend!

Amy

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

100 things about me...

I've read these on other posts and always thought it was interesting to learn more about my blogging friends. Today fellow blogger Anna posted one about her so I say Why not, I'll try it too. :-)

1. Jesus is my Lord and Savior
2. I am married to the perfect man for me. He's my everything.
3. I adore my three beautiful children with all my heart and soul.
4. I am very close to my 5 siblings. Allison, Ryan, Emily, Sean and Sage.
5. I enjoy my parents, step parents and in-laws.
6. I have been in a on-going bible study with my dear friend Rod Franklin for almost two years.
7. I was raised Catholic and have fond memories of my former faith.
8. My first job was at the local Dairy Queen, I worked there for two summers.
9. I bought my first home at 25 years old.
10. I can be controlling (working on it) :-)
11. I laugh and cry easily
12. I wear little make-up and I love lipstick.
13. I very rarely ever leave the house without my hair and face put together (raised that way)
14. My brothers and sisters label me the "prissy" one and I am. :-)
15. I love it when my husband says "hey baby"
16. I love getting my kids excited for all the holidays. We love Easter, Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving...
17. I tend to prefer small circles of friends.
18. I love to travel especially to warm, exotic places with my hubby
19. I've been to China, Mexico, Jamaica, Bahamas, and throughout the US.
20. I'm a history buff.
21. If I'm interested in something, I have to get all the facts.
22. I am NOT a morning person
23. I enjoy my profession (Health care recruiter)
24. I work from home (part-time)
25. I am proud of my husband for starting his own company. He's living the dream!
26. I cannot go to bed if I have dishes in the sink
27. I have RA (Rheumatoid arthritis) but in remission (flared up after the birth of Trev and Rachel)
28. I work-out 3-4 times per week.
29. I don't like to work out, I have to push myself every time!
30. I have a passion for orphans around the world and in the US
31. I was 19 when I had Trevor and 29 when I had Rachel... long time between blessings :)
32. 33 years old when I was blessed with Linzhi
33. My favorite drinks are 1. Water 2. Ice tea 3. Diet Coke w/lime
34. I like to drive and listen to music to unwind.
35. I'm putting in a garden this year for the first time (with the help of the whole family)
36. I drive a '07 Tahoe
37. I can't grow finger nails so I have them done.
36. I took French in high school
37. I met my husband when we were in HS but lost track of each other until 2002.
38. I don't wear a lot of jewelry
39. I love shoes
40. I own too many shoes
41. I love Mexican food (chips and salsa...yum)
42. I like going to Chinatown in Chicago...wonder why?
43. I almost had a panic attack in China (maybe I did, never had one before so I'm not too sure)
44. I love the US
45. I'm a Republican
46. I'm pro-life
47. I like being a brunette
48. I got food poisoning in China
49. I miss my grandparents
50. I'm an over protective parent
51. I cry when I think about Trevor going away to college (he's 15)
52. I am 23 years older than my little sister Sage
53. I love American Idol
54. I watch "little people, big world"
55. I love pretzels
56. I order from Market day
57. I take Melatonin every night to help me sleep
58. I've suffered from insomnia
59. I was a cheerleader
60. I love Chinese food but my Chinese daughter does not!
61. I won't let CJ do my laundry...for many reasons!! :)
62. I went to a Catholic grade school for 8 years
63. I love to shop, especially now that I have two girls that love it too!
64. My favorite color is yellow
65. Most of my house is painted yellow (inside)
66. I love to take naps. (CJ and I take turns over the weekends)
67. I'm independent but I also know when to let it go.
68. I'm a spender, CJ's the saver.
69. I rarely pay full price for anything...I'll wait until it's on sale.
70. I wear contacts
71. I can be a little competitive (especially play bean bag toss in the summer)
72. I love summer and fall
73. I love sitting in a pool chair watching my kids swim in our pool.
74. I wear sunblock on my face all year long and I limit my sun exposure in the summer.
75. I love going to the movies, especially romantic dramas or comedies.
76. I only like to read non-fiction books
77. Adopting was harder than I thought and one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
78. I love the Chicago Bears!!!
79. I love Disney world
80. We took the kids on a Disney Cruise and had a blast!
81. I hate going to the dentist.
82. I've had hair extensions (yuck)
83. I will never get hair extensions again!
84. My grandfather was a pilot.
85. I love to host holiday parties.
86. I want to visit England
87. My brother Ryan is a musician in Nashville (very talented)
88. I love Nashville!
89. I've always wanted to live in the south, I like the accent.
90. I love weekend getaways with CJ (we leave on Friday for a long weekend in Galena, IL)
91. Always wanted to stay at a B&B (we're trying it out this weekend)
92. I wish I had a bigger kitchen.
93. I love lemon bars.
94. My grandma taught me about Jesus. I miss her!!
95. I feel blessed to have been able to carry and give birth to Trev and Rachel and to have been able to feel the miracle of adoption.
96. I wish I could speak Spanish.
97. I long to be an aunt...hint, hint.
98. I'm always the one to find a hair in my food
99. I love to take evening walks, just when the sun is about to set.
100. I love the smell of lemon Pledge :)

This was a little harder than I thought!

Blessings,
Amy

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Not much going on here...


It's been a quiet week thus far and it's a nice change. The weather still has been cold and snowy. As much as I love snow, I am so ready for warmer weather. This is the first year CJ and I haven't gone to Mexico to thaw out and let me tell you this will be the LAST year !!! China was our big trip this year, the best trip of all!
Now, to get me through the lull until Spring, I do have a guilty pleasure and that is AMERICAN IDOL!!!! I have to admit, I've been hooked since season one. And I'm calling it now to anyone who cares, David Archuleta will win it all!!! Enough said.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

On our own...














Well, once a month CJ does monthly inspections for a client that is about 2 hours away from here so he spends 1-2 nights down in Bloomington in order to get all his work done on time so when he leaves, we're all on our own. I know this sounds sappy and corny but I miss him! He'll be back tomorrow but I still miss him! Anyway, the girls were up by 6:30 am (ouch) so that meant we definitely had an early start to our day. I am NOT a morning person, if I could sleep in until 10am every morning, I would...guilt free! BUT with kids, a PT job and all the other important and miscellaneous duties required of me I CAN'T! And some mornings it just hurts!!! :-) Well, the girls woke up in great moods and were desperate to get down stairs to play with their toys and I desperately needed my coffee. So off we went....I got three loads of cloths washed and folded, girls hair done and dressed for church, myself showered and beautified...Then, it was off to get the other "non" morning person up...TREVOR! See, he gets up for his paper route at 5:45am but he's done my 7am so he goes back to sleep but it's a deep sleep so trying to get him up requires mom to pull out all the stops. Singing off key and extra loud, pull open the curtains, threats, more singing and more threats...it's amazing how none of the above works for me but all CJ has to say is "time to get up Trev" and he's up! Kids are so different with dads, well mine are anyway. :-)
We were out the door and to church with 10 minutes to spare...The message today was so neat, I got chocked up a few times. Our Pastor is doing a series on the last week Jesus was on earth before his ultimate sacrifice. I still have not seen "The Passion of the Christ" because to see what physical pain, not to mention emotional pain he had to go through, is almost too much for me to see. I love the made for TV movie "Jesus of Nazareth" I've seen it thousands of time and still I get very emotional at the end. With that said, I am currently reading the book of Mark and ironically I'm at the same part, actually right before Judas betrays him and for the life I can't get through it without tears. It takes my breath away, I just love him so.
After church, I took the kids to one of our favorite restaurants...The Olive Garden. We got the usual. Trevor, chicken alfredo, Rachel and Linzhi, croutons, shredded cheese and plain spaghetti w/ grilled chicken, Mom, soup and salad. It was great and the girls were really good! The only piece missing was my CJ. By the time we got back into town, it was time to drop Trevor off at youth group,then it was time to pick him up! His best friend Alec came home with him for the night since there is no school tomorrow for Trevor or Rachel. With Alec here serving as another pair of eyes I thought maybe I could leave the girls with the guys while I go and spend a birthday gift card that's been burning a hole in my pocket for the last month. Trev agreed and off I went! When I came home my mom and John were over so we had a nice visit then off toe book club, prayer (with daddy on speaker), brush teeth, hugs and many kisses, lights out and bed! After this episode of "Little people, big world" lights out for me too!
Good night,
Amy