APRIL 14

Last weekend was a fun weekend away with our married children and their spouses. Friday turned out to be a cold, rainy night, but Saturday was a gorgeous, knock-out day!! The highlight of the weekend was sitting outside with Lindsay and Kristin watching Allen and the "boys" playing frisbee and go swimming. It was very relaxing and so EASY. This is a scenario that doesn't happen very often. Amazingly enough, someone suggested a quick dip in the lake to cool off. I ran to get my camera to catch the excitement! The dip in the lake was just that - a quick in and out! We (girls) were amused (and quite impressed) at the bravado of the boys to face this challenge.

It made me glad to see Allen spending time with our adult children. It made me happy to catch up with them as well. Allen was the one-man-show at our house for over 20 years. How fun that there are as many boys as girls in the family ranks now. The best part about this last weekend was seeing our kids...all grown up, happily married and making good choices. Thanks, guys for taking the time to hang out with us!

WELCOME BACK

This is rather ridiculous, but I think I am going to give my blog another go-around. I told myself that if I didn't start writing before one year had elapsed, well, I would need to close up shop! I know...it has been more than a year and I'm pretty sure that there is no one out there that is still checking my blog, but I have decided that there are lots of good reasons to start blogging again. My purpose will be a bit different than the first time around. We are three-and-a-half years down the road from the adoption. Life as a family of 8 (...or 10 when I count my wonderful son-in-laws) is now the norm. I rarely think about my OLD life-life before the adoption. I don't even notice that my youngest children are a different color. They are in my heart right next to my first three children. I don't think that they notice either! It's a beautiful thing. All this chit-chat is to say I am going to TRY to start writing again! I guess I don't really care who reads my stuff. But just so you know...it will mostly be details about my family and my thoughts. If you are not interested, thats ok. If you are...read on. I just need to write.

The last year was filled with big events! Graduations, a wedding, family trips, my father's passing, soccer, basketball, tennis, baseball and lots of other school events, exchange students, holidays, celebrations and tragedies in the lives of people that I know. I don't think my life is so different or busier than anyone else's, but looking back at ONE YEAR of life makes me realize how quickly the days go by. It makes me thankful for all the good things I have and all the great people I have to love. My primary reason for blogging is to record events in the life of our family. It is perhaps a good way to keep us connected.

I heard today of three people who have recently had a rough go of it. Life has taken a sudden and unfortunate turn. It made me so sad. It also made me grateful. For someone who has reached the half-century mark, I enjoy good health, have an intact family and have lots of good things to look forward to. I am indeed blessed and I need to work harder on being a grateful person. I know I can do better at enjoying each day, but there is definitely room for improvement. My second purpose in blogging is to share my journey in learning to be a gracious person. Maybe I could even encourage someone else??!! Nothing could make me happier.

SO - here we go. There are lots of cool things that I could say about this last year, but for now...I will just take it one day at a time. For anyone who is still out there reading...welcome back!

BAHAMAS

This year, our family split up for our spring break adventures. Lindsay, Kristin, Steph and I went on a cruise to the Bahamas a week ago and Allen, Roselyn and the boys got to go to Arizona for their spring break. It probably wont happen again this way, but for this year, it seemed like a good solution to some scheduling challenges.

My time with the girls was fantastic! It was fun, relaxing and just good to spend some time together. We made a visit to the spa, hung out at two amazing beaches, enjoyed some great food and had a great time simply watching people. The highlight of the trip was a dolphin encounter for Kristin and Steph. Thanks for the good time, girls!

PICTURES OF BELIZE

BELIZE

Belize. I guess I never thought I would visit this little country but here I am in my shorts and a t-shirt with the ocean and palm trees in plain view. Yep. I'm here alright! When I started my blog three years ago, Allen and I were on vacation in Mexico. That was when we received the call from the Philippines with 3 children on the line waiting to say...."Hi, Mom and Dad!" That trip marked the beginning of a remarkable chapter in our lives. In my mind, this trip brings some closure to that chapter. Allen and I have had a lot of time to talk about our journey. We've also had time to think about the next chapter. Mostly, we have had time to just be together and relax. It has been good.

Some of you have asked to see pictures of our trip. As soon as I get home, I'll post some. The name of the resort is called Hamanasi. It is a quiet resort in the southern part of Belize. There is no night life here, no shopping (to speak of), no TV's in the rooms, very spotty cell service, and internet is available only in the lobby area. The restaurant and bar close down at about 10 p.m. and in general, the people here are soft-spoken. It's not for everyone, but it has been a perfect get-away for Allen and me.

We went on a hike in the jungle one day. It was a 2 mile hike with a rather difficult climb to a secret pool and waterfall. It was a fun adventure. The pool was beautiful...something you would see in the movies! The other adventure was a snorkeling trip. As luck would have it, we were the only ones who signed up for that day. A private snorkeling excursion! The ocean was calm and the sun was shining! We saw stingrays, an eel, and many, many beautiful fish! It was also a wonderful experience. The last adventure was a bike ride into the sleepy town of Hopkins. It was so interesting to talk with some of the local people. One woman had a hemp shop in a school bus. She lived in the back of the bus. Her "shop" was in the front. A reminder that we were not in Kansas!

The worst thing here is the presence of sand fleas or "no-see-ums". We try to wear bug spray. Allen has discovered Angry Birds on my phone and has become slightly addicted. It's fun to see him wasting time... The best thing here is time. Time to sit and read, to talk, and to sleep. Tomorrow we go home. I like it here...but I look forward to being at home again too. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

SLEDDING ON CHRISTMAS EVE

Christmas Eve was such a fun evening. After church, dinner and presents, we went outside for a time of sledding. Allen and the boys had put lights up the night before which made it very festive and fun! This was a fun highlight for me! Great to do something TOGETHER!!

INTERESTING DISCUSSION

I have recently had a few people ask me some interesting questions about our family. For me, the "new" normal has now turned into the "regular" normal. I think less and less about adoption and more and more about our family...the way it is. I guess that there are still folks out there that have questions about our blended family. Here are two such questions that caught me off guard recently.

I called to leave a message for one of my kids at the school and the receptionist asked if she should refer to me as "Mom". "Does he call you...Mom?" My first inclination was to say..."Of course, he does!! What else would he call me? I AM his mom"...but I thought better of it realizing that it was simply an innocent question. I know that she is a very nice person and would never intentionally say anything hurtful. It made me realize how fortunate I am that I don't just have three more kids living with me...I have three more children that are nestled in my heart...and I in theirs. Our kids have called us "Mom and Dad" from the very first phone call to today. Just for the record, I love being called "Mom" by my kids. All of them.

I was sitting at a table with R,R and R when a well-intentioned lady started asking questions about the children. They were present when she asked..."how long have you had THEM...and will you be keeping THEM forever to raise THEM as your own?" I was slightly irritated, but (again) tried to be gracious as I answered the questions. Inside of me, the protective Mother Hen was rearing my head. I know that people mean well in their curiosity about our blended family, but sometimes...

I am truly thankful that we have felt an easy bond with our Filipino children. We certainly do love them. We feel that they love and are connected to us as well. It is a blessing. It doesn't alway happen that way.