Mothers Day

For Mothers Day the kids each made me a card telling me why they love me.

A lot of Katheryn's is stuff that Kyle actually does (me too, but motherly Kyle). But I love her line "My second reason is well, you made me and if you didn't make me I wouldn't be here"

And I love that she signed her name as Kate.

Nick wrote his flower out as well. His writing has gotten so much better!

Nick also got to practice his typing.
This totally made me cry. Especially the "she likes the same movies that I like"

They also each made me a drink coaster for my hot tea.
I am the luckiest mommy!

And I think my kids get part of their crazy from me

Love

I finally got organized for our LOVE shirts for Valentines day. And of course took it as a photo-opportunity!

It wasn't all just smiles. 

I got some really, looks from Katheryn

And some no more pictures faces

But I still got some smiles

And some family love

14 Years and counting

The summer of 1999 seems so close and yet so far away!

But June 22, 1999 saw two people who have known each other for many years, reconnect and start that going out together.

And we didn't know it then, but what we actually did, was start our life together.



Look at those fresh young faces.

All that energy and up for a good time  

A couple of adventures

You know how some people say that they found their soul mate.
What really is a soul mate? Something lovey dovey that people say when they are in love...

It means someone who will dress up because that is what you like to do
(He might not look happy - but he was smiling on the inside)

And dress in costumes for murder mysteries, not just once but many times

And of course when the kids came along, that didn't stop us from dressing up!

We enjoy together

And we have grown together

We have become grown ups together
(or at least give the illusion of being grown up)

We started as 2 people who found each other, started a life together
And then worked on a couple of other lives

We became a family together

And learned how to be parents

We learned how to face challenges

And found that we really and truly are right where we should be, with who we should be.
Because we really do work well together.
The optimist and the realist (and we switch back and forth between these)

Because in 14 years we have had a lot of fun,
We do silly stuff
And know that it is silly and fun, and we don't care
If I get an idea in my head, I know that if I run with it, Kyle will come with me

 We can be who we are, who we are meant to be, and who we want to be.

   

And calling each other crazy is perfectly acceptable and encouraged

So 14 years has brought us a number of changes
Because these kids just out having some fun together

Turned into a life together

Our 14 year anniversary remains with our lives full of love and laughter

Proud Mom

Just because

Love these kids!

My favorite kind of Valentine!

Someone you Love

Everyone has someone they love, and someone who loves them back. I bet you can list off, more than one, more than six, people that you love and love you back.

Take a moment to imagine if you didn’t have anyone who loves you. Take a moment to imagine if you were not surrounded by family and friends.

Take a moment to imagine what it would be like to be a 4 year old boy, living in an orphanage, without a family all because you were born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. And in weeks or months you were facing being moved to an ADULT mental institution, because you were born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. Because your forever family was waiting in the US to adopt you, but today you are in your orphanage in the Ukraine.

Now imagine YOU could do something about this. Imagine helping to donate the funds needed for this international adoption (which is expensive) to get Shea home to a family that loves him. YOU can help. In just 3 months (since Joanna found him) over $6,000 has been raised, but almost $8,000 is needed, and time is running out for Shea.

So if you can think of people that you love and love you back please, PLEASE take a moment to SHARE LOVE, Share Love with Shea.

Click on the ChipIn to donate. It is simple and easy and safe. (I’ve done it myself). Just a couple of dollars and a couple of minutes helps Shea get home to his family just a little faster.

This was really meant just to be a comment on Facebook - but it just got away from me.

Shea is so close to getting home! So close to being surrounded by family who loves him, even if he has spina bifida and hydrocephalus. Spina Bifida and hydrocephalus should not be a death sentence, it should not mean a lifetime in a mental institution, it should not mean having no one to love.

You can follow Shea's journey at http://savingshea.blogspot.com/ (If you aren't already).

(Shea is a boy even though he's often dressed in pink!)

I can't even imagine if my Nickolas was born at a different time, or to a different family, in a different country how his life would not be apprecited, how he wouldn't know love and family and laughter and know that he'll be kissed when he goes to sleep at night, and when he wakes up in the morning. All because of what he was born with, all because of spina bifida and hydrocephalus.

If Nickolas was born overseas, in this country would he be crawling around the floor laughing when he finds a bit of dog hair, then looking up to his mommy to show off his find, before quickly shoving it in his mouth as I decide if it's just extra fibre or if I should really pry his jaws open and take away his prize....

Give Love

To my SB Mommies - I am sure you have read this a couple of times - thanks to Joanna and her beautiful writing. But this is for family and friends who haven't read this, who don't know who I'm talking about when we think about Shea.

It's a reminder that everyone needs love.
So Joanna, take it away!

Because it's February.

Because I just decorated my house in pink and red hearts.

Because Valentines are not just for couples...but friends, mommies, daddies, siblings, classmates and neighbors.

Because everybody needs love. And not the romantic comedy, butterflies in your stomach, plucking petals off daisies kind of love.

They need the "I'm yours forever" kind of love.

The "we can do this together" kind of love.

The "can't stop starring at you" kind of love.

The "I'm always there for you" kind of love.

 

The "I can't keep myself from smiling around you" kind of love.

The "I promise to make time to laugh with you" kind of love.

The "everything you say is so important to me" kind of love.

The " I couldn't be prouder of you in this moment" kind of love.

The love that lifts you up....

Squeezes you tight...

Makes even hard times feel alright..

The love that teaches you all that you need to know...

And gives you support you need to grow...

The undeniable you were made for me...

And together we make a family...

What's mine is yours...

I treasure each kiss...

And everyone deserves to feel like this...

Kind of Love.

Because real love is something that cannot be bought - only shared. We need it from the time we are born - and those of us who having loving families know that NOTHING could have replaced that. The love of family - the love I was given as a child - made me who I am today. It teaches us how to love the rest of our lives. It can never be truly expressed in the form of greeting cards, chocolates, flowers, or jewelry. Those sweet tokens and gestures give momentary happiness - it's the feeling love behind them that really means anything at all. So with that in mind, and in the spirit of this holiday of love - I would like to propose the perfect gift for your loved ones.

Give the gift of Love itself.

Give Love.

You can bring joy and love not only to those who hold your heart -

but to child who needs your help.

Give Love.

 By helping one little boy come home to the family who is waiting to give him this kind of love. The kind of love every single one of these children pictured above are given every day.

The kind of love so many of us are blessed to have.

The kind of love he deserves.

Give Love.

 

Shea's story is a remarkable one - and it is only just beginning. For those who don't know - and didn't read about Shea in December - he has spina bifida and hydrocephalus, was born in an Easter Eurpean contry and is put up for adoption. He is fast approaching the age of 4, where he will be put in a mental institution for the rest of his life. He now has a family ready for him - and Shea is WAITING to come home. His family is actively completing the adoption process - eager to give Shea the love, support and care only a family can give. The only thing we can do to help them bring Shea home as soon as possible is to GIVE.

Give what you have.

$5, $25, $50

It's not the size of the gift, but the size of the heart behind it.

GIVE LOVE.

It is so costly to adopt internationally - so much so that many people say "we can't afford that" or "it's just not possible for us". But this family has given everything they have not once, not twice, but 3 TIMES (read their blog - they are an amazing family)and is making that leap of faith to make Shea a part of their family - but they need help raising the last bits.

(And in adoption language, "bits" = $9,000!)

They need our HELP!

As a friend so honestly reminded me "Let's face it ... we all spend/waste $$$ on this every year. The chocolate is gone...the flowers die... and all you have is a distant memory of the token(s) you invested in."

 How much more meaningful - how much more noble - how much more true to what love is all about - to give that money instead to this family - to this little boy -

to bring him home - to give him Love.

So help share the love...with Shea. :)

  

Isn't that the most adorable Valentine ever?!

It's message is simple - it's purpose sincere.

Make a donation (even just $5!) in the name of a friend or loved one - to Shea's Adoption Grant (through the chipin on the right hand margin of the Saving Shea blog) or visit his family's blog and donate through their chipin (it all goes to his account.) Then print out these adorable Shea Valentines and give them to your sweetie, your sister, your mother, your friend - and see their faces light up at the sweet face on the card.

 I can't think of a sweeter, kinder,

more beautiful way to Give Love.

Can you?

(visit http://www.savingshea.blogspot.com/ to read more about Shea's story as well as to view/print these Valentines.)



Thank you Joanna for those beautiful words. I hope they inspired someone out there to really think about what love means this Valentines.