Happy 3rd Birthday, Bryan!

Today is the big day. We partied hard tonight. Maybe too hard??



Happy Birthday, Bryan! I had a blast celebrating with you today. The party continues tomorrow!

Love, Mom

What happened?

Twelve years ago tomorrow, Bryan was wearing this.

That is the exact t-shirt that was put on Bryan just minutes after birth. I remember unwrapping his blanket and seeing him in that shirt. He was so tiny, it seemed to swallow him. I remember pulling him tiny little hands from under the sleeves and counting those precious fingers. I remember unwrapping him over and over again just to look at him.

Time flies, and babies grow. My 'baby' turns 12 tomorrow. What a great 12 years it has been! Bryan has brought so much joy and laughter to our lives. There are countless stories that we tell over and over in this house about his humor and antics. There is never a dull day with Bryan, that is for sure!

Sometimes I look at how he is growing, and I get a glimpse of the man he will be. It's really an incredible site to behold. I see more and more of his dad in him every day. He is sensitive and loving like Jeff, a real "people person". Bryan is truly one of the most compassionate people I know. He genuinely cares for others, and I am so proud of that! He's also one of the most fun and hilarious people I know. He has been from the very beginning!

Tomorrow night we will take Bryan out to the restaurant of his choice (family tradition around here for birthdays). On Saturday we have friends and family coming to party in celebration of Bryan's life. Should be a great birthday weekend! Oh... and to give you a little perspective on how he's grown, check this out....

LET THE PARTIES BEGIN

Around our house, we don't just celebrate birthdays for one day. That's not enough celebrating! I mean, the celebration of life is worth far more than one afternoon of partying, don't ya think?
On Friday, my boy will be 3. Yes, I said 3. He's a genius you know. He's almost 3 and in the 7th grade already! How, you ask??? Well, Friday is the 29th, otherwise known as Leap Day. Jeff explained it pretty well here if you need more info.The point is, he has a "real" birthday every 4 years. It's a pretty neat thing actually. One website I found says that for every 1,461 births, only 1 will be on Leap Day. In the U.S. there are approximately 200,000 people who celebrate this birthday, and 4 million world-wide. We have one of those 4 million in our home!


Bryan has completely rocked our world. From the day we first finally got to meet him, he has brought more joy to our lives than we could ever explain. He makes me laugh more than anyone else I know. And he loves like no other kid I have ever known. He is truly amazing!


So... here's to your life, Bryan. I look forward to celebrating all week long!

Because I love my son....

For Christmas, Jeff & I were looking for something a little different to give to Bryan. Something he could really look forward to. Bryan is a music nut. He loves to rock out. I, on the other hand, am not. Despite the gnawing fear that I am proving the afore-mentioned clerk who called me "vintage", I will admit that I really don't like concerts. But, Bryan does. So, for Christmas, we got him tickets to the Family Force Five concert. oh yeah, baby.

I will admit that I really like this group. I mean, I REALLY like them. I have their CD in my mom mobile. I know every word. But listening to a CD is nothing like hearing them live.

This concert was in Lawrenceburg in , of all places, a flea market. Yes, a flea market. I knew immediately that I did not fit in. For one thing, my hair was not spiked. I did not have any earrings in places other than my ears, and I am 35 years old. With the exception of Jeff (sorry, hon), I was close to being the oldest one there, I am sure!

The opening bands I could have gone my whole life without hearing. I spent a great deal of that time in the lobby of said flea market, playing solitaire on Jeff's phone. But when FF5 came out, I rocked. Yes, I really did. I screamed the lyrics (mostly because I couldn't hear myself sing more than I was trying to really scream). I danced a little. I laughed a lot. I had a blast.

And I did it all because I love my son.

Bryan... you rock! I would do it again to see you dance in that circle one more time!!

Are you serious??

The other day, I was at a check-out paying for something, and the (very young) cashier said to me "I love your purse". Here's how the conversation went:

Her: I love your purse. Too cute. (while chewing her gum very loudly)

Me: Thanks. I've had it forever.

Her: No way! It looks brand new.

Me: Yeah, I've had it since I was in high school (that's true).

Her: I love vintage purses!

Me: Vintage? Are you calling me vintage? Seriously?

Her: (giggle). Have a nice day, ma'am.

Me: (gag)

Hilarious!

This completely cracked me up when I saw it on tv last night. I have been laughing about it all day long!

what a day

Jeff & Bryan are away for the day skiing/snowboarding together. I an thrilled that they can have this time together to hang out. They call it their "dad and lad" time. I am even more thrilled that I got to hang out here at the house all day doing a lot of nothing. I have read, watched tv, napped, cooked, gotten a haircut, took a bath.... you get the point. I am in my pajamas as I write this. Basically, Sparks and I have had a day pretty much like the picture you see here. No work. No worries. Good day.

I have to say though.. I really miss my guys!

Fingerprints and Frustrations

Yesterday we were fingerprinted for immigration. This will allow us to bring home a little girl from Vietnam. It was just simple routine paperwork, but it was so exciting as it brings us one step closer to having our little girl here with us.

While we were at the immigration office, another customer from a foreign country was having a very hard time understanding what was being told him about his paperwork. He was getting frustrated, and the workers were getting frustrated as well. At one point, he yelled "I cannot be denied this process!" and slammed his hand down on the counter. Instantly, there were three armed officers in the room with us. (I took a HUGE step back at that point!)

I must say that I was so impressed with how they handled this man. Only one officer spoke, and he was courteous and caring with the young man. He simply told him to continue with his questions and get his answers, but they were there to make sure that everyone was safe. The man calmed instantly. I was amazed at how quickly he calmed when someone was patient with him.

All of this reminded me of how patient God is with me. He must get really frustrated with me at times, as I tend to try things my own way so often. I must look ridiculous to Him as I slam my hand in frustration and throw a tantrum at times because things don't work out like I want them to. Yet, He is constant and He is always loving. He calmly reminds me that His way is best, and when I listen to His voice, I calm instantly. I am learning to listen to His voice FIRST. It cuts out on all of the frustration!