PLAY TIME!

It was hot today!! The kids asked me to get out the sprinkler, but I didn't know if they had their swimsuits from last summer, or if they needed new ones! The girls said they both needed new ones (of course). The boys said they still had their swim trunks from last summer. I told the boys to try them on first and see if they still fit! Austin said YES...they still fit! Dylan said YES...they still fit! So, off to Target we went to buy the girls new swimsuits!

When we got home, the kids put their swimsuits on and...outside we went! When my son, Dylan, came outside.....I almost choked on my drink!! I said "OH MY GAAAAAAAAAAA....Dylan.....I thought you said your swim trunks still FIT you"!! He said "I know, mom.....they DO"!! Well, needless to say....we'll be going BACK to Target tomorrow to get this boy some new swim trunks!!!

This quickly became the Austin and Lauryn show!! They were having a "spraying war"!! Lauryn is little, but she doesn't back down!!

Though this sprinkler doesn't look like much.....when the water comes on, all of the little colored things start waving back and forth, shooting water in every which direction!! It is really quite entertaining!!

Dylan and his tight-fitting swim trunks! I mean...they are SO tight that he can't even pull them UP all the way!!


Anyone see any "muscle" here?!

My Carli girl!!




Are they precious, or what!!! I am one proud "mama"!

This is NOT so precious!! These two are truly ALL boy!!! I should have seen this one coming!!

SOPHIE AND ABIGAIL (OUR TWO CATS)!

I have to post about things like this for our out-of-state family members! We don't see them too often, so this blog is a way of keeping in touch and sharing all that is going on here in our home!

About a month ago, we had to take our cat (11 years old) to the vet. She had been really sick for a long time! It finally got to the point where we could not take care of her anymore (she contracted an awful virus, and NOTHING was making it get better)! I knew that our kids would miss her terribly, though! Our vet told us of an "office cat" that he had taken in over a year ago whose owner brought her in and signed a consent for euthanization. Our vet said this cat had to be given pills every day, and the owner could no longer do it. The vet said he just could NOT bring himself to euthanize this cat!! So, our vet asked me if we would be interested in "trading" our very sick cat for this "office cat"! And, I said YES!! So, we have had the honor of taking in a wonderful cat named "Sophie"! We love her to pieces!! She is a bit "odd" and I don't even know how to explain it, but....we love her nonetheless!! Ironically, she looks very similar to our other cat, Abigail.

This is our Sophie! She loves to look out the window!! She just turned 3 years old!

This is our Abigail! She likes to just lay around and be lazy!! She is 6 years old!

Sorry for such a "boring" post, but I wanted to introduce Sophie and let everyone see how much she resembles our Abigail :)

Believe me when I say that I feel horrible for having to take our cat of 11 years to the vet, and leave without her (I cried big time)! But, I have found SOME peace in knowing that we actually "rescued" another cat!

HALEY COME HOME!

I've been busy trying to start gathering things for Haley's "adoption keepsake box"! We started this tradition with Austin's adoption, and he just LOVES to look through his box and see all of the neat things we've collected and put in there for him!


We started keepsake boxes for our twins, Dylan and Carli, when they were born and they have accumulated so many things over the years that have been added to these boxes! Although we don't have any keepsakes for our adopted children from the time they were BORN, we do have quite a collection of keesakes from the time they were ADOPTED and "born to us"!!


Lauryn is always thrilled to look through her box too! Her most prized possession is the outfit that she came to us in (she especially loves the shoes). And, the many things we bought in China for her! Her infamous ladybug blanket!! Also one very special American Girl doll (Spring Pearl) that is no longer made.....I'm sure she will cherish this one day!!


So, when Dylan and Carli want to get out their boxes and look through their baby pictures, the ultrasound pictures, their first baby blankets, etc., our other kids will also have a box that they can look through and feel special too!!


Now that I've been ranting and raving....I sort of lost my train of thought! Oh yes....Haley's box!! I bought her first couple of items online today! I can't wait to get them!! They're nothing really "exquisite"...but, something I hope she will like! They're from the 2008 Beijing Olympics!

This is a key ring with all 5 of the mascots on it!! Isn't it cute?!

And these are lapel pins! Again, all 5 mascots!

I have also put together a little package for Haley. One of the families who will be traveling soon offered to take a package for us! I am sending the photo album that I've been working on!! So, she'll have plenty of pictures of her new family! And I'm also sending some jewelry!! She loved the last pieces of jewelery that we sent, and it just made my heart MELT to see the pictures of her smiling sooooo big when she put that jewelry on! She must have felt like a little princess!

This is the photo album! I decorated it myself! It's filled with pictures of her family! I hope they will let her bring THIS home!!

This is the envelope I'm sending her things in! Yep....I decorated this too! I was in a "decorating" mood, I guess! I need to get back to scrapbooking! I think my inner-self really misses it!!

We are so thankful for families who travel and offer to take pictures of our little girl, or offer to take a package to her! We are soooo anxious for her to come home!!

WHERE IS OUR LOA?!!! HURRY UP AND GET HERE ALREADY!!!

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

Hope you're all having a wonderful Memorial Day! It's HOT here!! I took the kids to the parade this morning! I love that we just have to walk to the end of our block to watch the parade! Talk about convenience!! Dad didn't come with us because he has to work today (12-hour overnight shift), so he stayed home to try and get a nap before going to work!

We took these pictures in our backyard before going to the parade! We borrowed a "backdrop" from one of our neighbors!! Isn't it pretty?!! I'm going to send these pictures to Haley with her next care package!

And now for some parade pictures.......

Waiting for the parade to start....

Still waiting.....

Ah....FINALLY!! The traditional motorcycles that always lead our parades!! My favorite part of the parade!! I LOVE that there are always so many motorcycles, and they just ROAR as they drive down the street!!

There are so many of them that the front riders were already up and over the bridge (and out of sight)!!

The marching bands are another favorite of mine!

My husband's favorite part....the Corvettes!! There were a lot of them this year! He'll be sorry he missed it!! But, I took a lot of pictures for him!!

We're home now! Someone has been carrying her pillow around, and is looking a little sleepy to me!! I think maybe she's ready for her nap!!

Yep...it won't be long until she's "out"!! It will give mom some time to get things done around the house and get dinner started! Hope you all enjoy your day!

BUSY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!

Hope you're all having a great Memorial Day weekend! Yesterday (Saturday) was our wedding anniversary! We spent it at home with the kids, and had a cookout! We skipped the traditional "mom and dad's night out" and opted to have a nice meal at home that the whole family could enjoy (this was Dylan's idea)! The steaks were GREAT!! My husband marinated them in sake (sock-ee), soy sauce and ginger! If you've never tried it, you must!! As luck would have it, our camera battery was dead, so I plugged it in to recharge it and......forgot all about it! We didn't take ONE picture yesterday!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!

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Today has been another busy day! We shopped around (3 different places) for a portable air conditioner! The first two places were sold out! We finally found one at Target! We needed it for the girls' room! It is the hottest room in our house! We have central air, but that room is ALWAYS hot! So, now the girls are officially "hooked up"!! Their room has been nice and cool all afternoon!
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We also spent more time outside today...my husband mowing the lawn....and I was trying to finish planting the last of my flowers before we have the mulch brought in! Here are some pictures of the flowers that I've planted.....

Okay, I didn't PLANT this one, but this hanging flower basket is sooooo gorgeous! I almost thought about not getting it because of the price, but I couldn't resist!!

This is one of the four different colors of day lillies I put in. Orange, red, pink and white! They're very nice!!

Here's the red day lillies! They almost look like a dark pink here, but they're red!

I also put in some cala lillies!

We added a weeping cherry tree (instead of planting bulbs)!


These are Japanese dwarf lilac bushes! They only get to be 3-4 feet tall. We planted a bunch of these in front of our picture window!! We had evergreen bushes in front of our window up until last year when they got some type of fungus, and we tried very hard to save the bushes (they were 30 years old), but after several hundreds of dollars trying to save them, we decided to just have them pulled out. So, now we've added some color to our view with these pretty lilac bushes! I can't wait until they get bigger and form a nice hedge under our window!!

Lauryn was daddy's helper today!!

Do you see that camper behind them?! That baby is coming out of hybernation next month and we are going to do some CAMPING!!! I'm soooo glad it's that time of year again!!

THE KIDS SPENT MOST OF THE DAY RIDING THEIR BIKES, AND PLAYING WITH THE NEIGHBOR KIDS!

NEXT SUMMER WE ARE GETTING A POOL....A REALLY NICE...BIG POOL!! WE'RE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT! POOL PARTIES AT THE DENICOLO HOUSE!!






Tomorrow we're going to the Memorial Day parade and having another cook-out! I hope you all have a safe and wonderful Memorial Day!

PLEASE SAY A PRAYER FOR THE CHAPMAN FAMILY

Can you imagine the joy of preparing for your son's graduation from high school, celebrating your oldest daughter's engagement, and then tragedy turns your world upside down....

A wake-up call to all of us parents who have teenage drivers in our homes. We MUST reinforce how very cautious they have to be when backing out of a driveway.

I just can't IMAGINE what this family is going through. Please remember them in your prayers!

© 2007 Tucker Photography.(Left to right Will Franklin, Maria, Steven, Shaoey, Mary Beth, Stevey Joy, Caleb and Emily)

MARIA SUE CHAPMAN, DAUGHTER OF STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN, DIES IN ACCIDENT AT FAMILY HOME

NASHVILLE, TN...5/21/08... At approximately 5pm on the afternoon of Wednesday May 21st, Maria Sue Chapman, 5 years old and the youngest daughter to Steven and Mary Beth Chapman was struck in the driveway of the Chapman home in Franklin, TN. Maria was rushed to Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital in Nashville, transported by LifeFlight, but died of her injuries there. Maria is one of the close knit family’s six children and one of their three adopted daughters.

More than five years ago, Chapman and his wife MaryBeth founded The Shaohannah’s Hope Ministry after bringing their first adopted daughter, Shaohannah, home from China. The ministry’s goal is to help families reduce the financial barrier of adoption, and has provided grants to over 1700 families wishing to adopt orphans from around the world. Chapman is a five-time GRAMMY ® winner and 54-time Dove Award winning artist who has sold over 10 million albums and garnered 44 No. 1 singles.

The Chapman family is so grateful for the incredible outpouring of love and support at this difficult time.
If you’d like to meet Maria and express your condolences click here
By mail, send to PO Box 150156 Nashville, TN 37215.
In lieu of flowers, the Chapmans request any gifts be directed to Shaohannah’s Hope.
Funeral Arrangements for Maria Sue ChapmanFRI May 23rd Visitation 5-8pSAT May 24th Memorial service 11a at Christ Presbyterian Church2323 Old Hickory Blvd, Nashville, TN(615) 373-2311
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MY BABY IS RIDING HER BIKE WITHOUT TRAINING WHEELS!

What a huge milestone for our Lauryn! She asked us to take off her training wheels yesterday because she wanted to be like the big kids! We were very hesitant to do this, but we thought....what's the harm?! Oh my goodness, did she ever SURPRISE us! She is cruising around on her bike like it is no big deal! She's only FOUR years old!!

WAY TO GO, LAURYN!! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!!

MY FAVORITES!

I don't have any "big" exciting news for my blog, but I thought I would change the tune of my blog and move onto something a bit more uplifting! I was going through some old pictures on our computer (putting together a picture book for Haley) and I came across some of my "favorite" pictures of the kids! So, I thought I would share them with you!

P.S. The Brooks & Dunn song is also one of my favorites!

THIS IS LAURYN SLEEPING WITH HER DADDY AT GRANDPA & GRANDMA's HOUSE THE VERY FIRST DAY SHE GOT HOME FROM CHINA!! THEY WERE BOTH EXHAUSTED!!


THIS IS LAURYN's FIRST DINNER IN AMERICA (OLIVE GARDEN)! DOESN'T SHE LOOK TOTALLY THRILLED?!! IT LOOKS LIKE HER DADDY WAS HAVING MORE FUN THAN SHE WAS!

THIS WAS DYLAN's FIRST DAY OF WEARING GLASSES! HE WAS SO WORRIED THAT THE KIDS WERE GOING TO MAKE FUN OF HIM! HIS DADDY REASSURED HIM THAT ONLY "COOL PEOPLE" WORE GLASSES!! SO, THESE TWO "COOL DUDES" POSED FOR A PICTURE TOGETHER!!

THIS PICTURE WAS ONLY TAKEN A FEW YEARS AGO! CARLI WAS MOMMY's ONLY "LITTLE GIRL"! SOON, I WILL HAVE 3 LITTLE GIRLS!! WOW, HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED!!!

I REMEMBER THINKING HOW CUTE SHE LOOKED WITH HER HAIR LIKES THIS ! SHE WILL PROBABLY THINK THIS IS A HORRIBLE PICTURE WHEN SHE GROWS UP, AND SHE'LL SAY "MOM, WHAT IS UP WITH THIS HAIR-DO?"!!

THIS WAS DYLAN AND CARLI's BIRTHDAY (JUST A MONTH AFTER AUSTIN GOT HOME FROM RUSSIA)! OH THE DAYS OF LOSING ALL THOSE TEETH!!!

THIS WAS AUSTIN AT THE BIRTHDAY PARTY, ONE MONTH AFTER HE CAME HOME FROM RUSSIA!

DYLAN & AUSTIN (CHRISTMAS 2004)! ARE THEY CUTE?!!!



DYLAN & AUSTIN (CHRISTMAS 2004)...DAD IS A BIG MICHIGAN FAN!!

MY CARLI!! I'LL MAKE A LADY OUT OF HER YET!!

THIS WAS TAKEN IN THE FALL OF 2004!

THIS WAS LAURYN ON HER 4th BIRTHDAY LAST JULY (WHAT A LITTLE ANGEL)!



CARLI & LAURYN (SILLY GIRLS)! I'M SURE THEY'LL THANK ME SOME DAY FOR TAKING THIS PICTURE OF THEM IN THEIR LONG UNDERWEAR!!

ARE THEY ADORABLE, OR WHAT?!

I LOVE THIS PICTURE OF JESSI! THAT's A PLANT BEHIND HER (SHE'S NOT WEARING FEATHERS)!! DOES SHE HAVE A GORGEOUS SMILE OR WHAT?!

JESSI AND CARLI (CAMPING)!

HERE A QUACK, THERE A QUACK...

EVERYWHERE A QUACK QUACK!!

LOOK HOW MUCH HALEY HAS CHANGED! THE FIRST PICTURE IS THE EARLIEST PICTURE WE HAVE OF HER FROM OUR ADOPTION AGENCY. THE SECOND IS ONE OF HER MOST RECENT PICTURES! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE PRINCESS! HOPE SHE CAN COME HOME SOON!!!