Home Sweet Home

These are just a couple of the many pics I take of Miao thoroughly enjoying his new family. (The smiling/laughing one is just how I snapped it. No adjusting or anything. I think it is hilarious!!!) The perks of having a loving family FAR outweigh that awful ol' cage he had to share with two other kitties in the shelter. Amazing what some TLC can do to the spirit. Hmmm.....kinda reminds me of a sweet baby girl from China. Sharing a crib with at LEAST two other babies in the orphanage. Makes a world of difference when someone chooses to love. Thank you, Lord for my daughter (and my kitty-cat).

Ballet-Week #2

It seems that little Miss Panda-Girl remembered some stuff from last week. She sauntered in the class like an old pro. It was fun to see her feel confident in what she could do. I could just eat her up because of how adorable she is! Whether she pursues balllet or not doesn't matter to me in the least. We want her to be who God has called her to be, but she DOES have great body shape, form and movement for ballet....something my "sturdy" thighs were NOT shaped for! I made a much better cheerleader than a gracefully flowing ballerina. Maybe next week I won't post more ballet pics, but the little black outfit and her hair were just too much to pass up!

I'm Just a Bag-Lady

I admit it. I am addicted to purses and bags. I have quite a few, but would seriously have tons more if I had the money. I LOVE THEM! Small ones. Big bags. Leather backpacks. Tailored. You name it and I can find a use for it. The only problem is that I love each one in this picture so much that I have a hard time choosing which one to carry. I know. This is such a difficult and pressing decision to be made on a daily basis, what with the world and all it's problems and such. This is huge! Backpack is a must for any kind of shopping so I am hands-free...the best! Bags are great for stuffing, say, snacks, drink, change of clothes for Panda-Girl, book, magazines. Tailored are usually trendy and these are fun, too. The mess on the bed in front of these purses is all the trash & treasures I found in them! Needless to say, I am NOT much of a sorter, but rather a stuffer. I don't even have my actual BAGS pictured. That's another story!

Heeerrrre Kitty-Kitty-Kitty

Is this the most precious thing ever?! Miao discovered that the computer monitor had little pictures on it that moved. Just the thing for a kitten to bat around with his paw. The wallpaper we have is a full screen of Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia. This pic of the little cat looking square into the face of the BIG cat was just too much.

Women of Faith!!!!!!!

This was my first time to attend the Women of Faith conference. I am almost too overwhelmed to even think right now! What a blessing! What perfect timing in my life to attend! What a Presence of the One who made me!!!!! I have experienced nothing like it with so many Bible Believing Women in one place! Maybe 65,000? Not sure exactly how many the complex holds. Amazing voices lifting praised to the King of Kings!


I went with a group of women who have sort of taken me under their collective wing and they call me Baby Girl. I love it! We all go to different churches, but are united by our faith in Christ. One of them got us "platinum" level seating which was just incredible! We had our own suite and easy bathroom access, which as any woman knows in a place with 65,000 other women needing to potty, THAT came in really handy!!!

One of the biggest blessings was that I felt led to sponsor a child with World Vision. Her name is Talent, she lives in Zimbabwe and is 3 years old just like our Panda-Girl. I thought it would be greatly beneficial for her to "grow" along with this little girl all the way across this world. A little girl surrounded by AIDS, poverty, no medicine, no school, you get the picture. For $35 a month we can provide food, education, medicine and most importantly the message of the gospel of Jesus for at least one child. We are so blessed and don't even know it.

The core women of this conference have been doing this for 11years. They are beautiful women with JOY unbelievable! Go look up each one on their website. On top of those awesome women we were able to hear Sandi Patty, Max Lucado, Natalie Grant and Robin McGraw (Dr. Phil's wife). I love Dr. Phil now MORE THAN EVER!!!!!! He and his wife are such devoted, godly faith-filled people!! Praise GOD that they are now in Hollywood. After Robin spoke she was doing the courteous wave to the crowd and then we all ERUPTED with HUGE whoopin' and hollerin' because DR. PHIL came out of the crowd and onto the stage! It was such a blast!!! (They are the ones in this picture). He said that since she escorts him off the stage on the show everyday that it was his turn to escort her off!!!! So fun! They said that she will be on the show more prominently and that they have made a decision to bring God, faith and Christ onto the show!!!! AMEN! Finally, a celebrity using their platform for the Truth!

I am changed for the better and hope that you will buy yourself tickets for next year. You MUST buy them almost immediately for the tickets sell out very quickly. Thank you, Lord, for your perfect timing of allowing me to experience this phenomenon. I have caught the Contagious Joy!
www.womenoffaith.com
www.worldvision.org/hope

EEEEWWWUUU GROSS!

The fun of having your very own blog is the opportunity to post whatever you want, well, within reason. I know this picture is gross. It is MY foot! The other day Panda-Girl and I were shopping for groceries and I let her "help" push the buggy. While I was looking for something on the shelf and following closely behind my little helper, she was having the time of her life just singing and dancing while doing her job of pushing the said buggy with a joyful heart. She kicked her leg back and proceeded to take off half of my toenail. It didn't hurt really, but it did scare me, because I wasn't sure if blood was going to start spurting out any second. I told the little helper to go to the front of the buggy, because I was going to push now. I also told her that she really hurt Mommy's toe and that we have to be careful. The sweetest and almost heart-wrenching moment then happened. As Panda-Girl is standing on the front of the buggy and holding on she is looking up and talking to well, just listen......."Dear God, please forgive me for kicking my Mommy's toe." OHHHHH! I told my sweet baby that it was JUST an accident and she did NOT have to ask for forgiveness. I am glad that she sees the importance of going to God FIRST with our troubles.

What About Baby?

Before we adopted Panda-Girl, I bought this sweet little Asian looking plush doll. I loved it because of the eyes. They were made to look like those gorgeous almond eyes that my daughter has been blessed with. From the moment Panda-Girl got this doll she was in love. The doll ended up with the name "Baby". Baby has been in almost all of the pictures we take of Panda-Girl. She has traveled, been tinkled on, thrown-up on, dragged everywhere, thrown in the washing machine and truly loved. Only in the past few months have I noticed that Baby doesn't really get played with that much, though she still gets hugged and slept with at night. Now this week the inevitable news came to my ears.......Panda-Girl said that she loves Sparky (her dalmation) MORE than Baby. That made my heart so sad. I know that she has to grow up and that is good. I am glad that she doesn't have some security issue and just HAS to have Baby to function, but just the fact that MY baby no longer loves HER Baby the way she used to is.....well, kinda sad. Granted, I certainly don't want her attached to Baby in High School and walking into her Freshman year with Baby in her backpack, but for now let me mourn the loss of one era and move on to the next. My 80's girl instinct is to tell Panda-Girl, "Nobody puts Baby in the corner!". HA! I guess it's just evolution.

First Day at Ballet

First day at ballet!!!!! What a blessing to my heart. My daughter in ballet, looking darling, telling the teacher that she talked funny, trying to manually separate her feet for First Position, twirling when she should be standing, wiping her nose on her beautiful sheer skirt, acting like Angelina Ballerina (the Mouse) when she should be in Second Position....what can you say for a 3 year old's first day in the ballet? PandaPop and I had a blast watching our sweet little baby girl doin' her thing!

Happy 14th Anniversary to Us!

August 22, 1992....I married my love! We are so blessed to be best friends. The blessing that I love most about us is our crazy sense of humor and the laughter that we experience on a daily basis. Even on yuckie days when life seems overwhelming we somehow can make each other laugh. We quote movie lines, see the weird in things, laugh at ourselves and have a very close kindred-spirit kinda time together. We can't claim riches monetarily, but nothing compares to what the Lord has given us over the past 14 years of marriage. The bottom line though is that it takes TONS of work to make a marriage last. "Last" might sound infantile to someone married a VERY long time as compared to our meagor 14 yrs., but those married a long time will attest to the fact that a great marriage doesn't just happen. It takes effort, prayer and communication. We are blessed. I am blessed. Happy Anniversary Panda-Pop, even though the computer delayed this post for a couple of days. I love you infinity X 2!

Wild Ones...

We had the best time watching our darling girls in their matching zebra letter shirts. The moms get such a kick out of getting together to chat, see the girls interact and to watch other people's reactions when they see all the girls clumped together. Usually MommySpice and I get the question, "Are they twins?"...talking about SpicyGirl and PandaGirl. This picture might not show it, but when they are standing together they really do favor. We were so excited to take these pictures and of course all the girls wanted to do was play hence the reason for no smiling. Little toots!

Just checking

My stinkin' computer keeps kicking me off everytime I try to post pictures!!!! I am soooo mad at this dumb thing right now I could......well, you know! I have darling pics of Panda-Girl's playgroup from yesterday in matching outfits and today is my 14th wedding anniversary and I have some pics of Panda-Pop and I that I want to post!!!!! Very upset right now! Maybe it will work later. I do have the best man in the world as my best friend and hubby, but I sure would like to post the pictures and THEN write about it! HMPH!!!

Just for Fun

I read these questions on another blog that I frequent. I have come to know that these questions and the like are called "memes" (pronounced meem). They are in essence a self-focused, all about me, look at me, this is who I am kinda communication. I don't look at them as anything negative, but rather a fun way to express who you are. It makes you look at the small details in life that comprise your personality. I love reading others' memes and I love writing my own. If you think this list is too long, then just take your little mouse and click over to someone else.....or even better, come up with your own meme.

1. Do you sleep with your closet doors opened or closed? =CLOSED. I cannot sleep with closet even cracked! Crazy, but true!
2. Do you ever take the soaps and shampoos from hotel rooms? =No, because I like my own stuff better.
3. Have you ever had sex in a hotel room? = Well, DUH! Sorry, Mom I know you don't want to think about that! ; )
4. Have you ever stolen a street sign? =No, but I was soooo tempted when we lived near Clear Lake by Houston. There was a street with my name and I wanted it so bad. Don't know what I'd do with it, but I sure wanted it.
5. Do you post-it notes? =Yes, especially the tiny ones for scrapbooking. I put them on pictures and label the event.
6. Do you cut coupons out but never use them? =I did for awhile, but got tired of them piling up and expiring so now I don't even bother. Wal-Mart is usually the cheapest anyway. I know, I am helping the big bad company do more business, but on our income we have to go with the least expensive store.
7. Would you rather be attacked by a bear or a swarm of bees? =Must I seriously answer this? I would rather die than either!!
8. Do you always smile for pictures? =Yes! When I try to look solemn or sexy I just end up looking like a RE-TARD! I just stick with fun and sassy.
9. What is your biggest pet peeve? =Being a passenger while someone else is driving. I am a HORRIBLE passenger and all my friends know it!
10. Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out? =OUT! My hubby and I both kick the sheets out. Otherwise I feel tight and restrained, plus at least one foot has to get air through the night or else I suffocate!
11. Have you ever gone #1 in the woods? =Of course! When you gotta go, you gotta go. Granted, I was a child the last time I did this, but would do it again if nature called.
12. Do you chew on your pens or pencils? =No. I used to in HS, but once I figured out how gross it is I stopped.
13. What is your favorite animal and why? =Giraffes. I can't explain it and don't know where it came from, but I just love those guys. Domestically, I love kitty-cats.
14. Do you like popcorn from those big tins? =Only the caramel and the cheese. Typically I just like micro.
15. Could you marry the person you are with right now? = In a HEART-BEAT!
16. Is it okay for a guy to wear pink? =No. Pink is reserved for FEMININE attire....wait my hubby has a pretty cute dark pink
t-shirt with a navy collar. Hmmmm. Double standard, I guess.
17. Do you still watch cartoons? =I have a three year old. Enough said. I do love watching them with her. I love most kid things, though.
18. Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had it? =Do you think I am going to tell you where the X is? Forget it!
19. What do you drink with dinner? =Water or iced sweet tea at home. Out for dinner? Dr. Pepper, Tea or water
20. What do you dip your chicken nugget in? = ketchup, gravy or honey mustard
21. What is your favorite food cuisine? =TEX-MEX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
22. What movies could you watch over and over again, and not get tired of them? =What About Bob?, The Sandlot, Chocolat'
23. Were you a boy scout or girl scout? =No, but I was in 4-H. I didn't show animals, but was a multi time state winner in public speaking contests.
24. When was the last time you wrote a letter to a person on paper? =About a year ago.
25. Favorite kind of sandwich? =Hmmm...favorite? Depends on my mood. PB&J, my egg salad, turkey with bacon, lettuce, avocado, swiss, and ranch on a croissant.
26. Best thing to eat for breakfast? =Big ole country breakfast with hash browns, eggs over-medium, bacon, Jimmy Dean sausage, biscuits, gravy, pancakes & syrup, and milk. OK that is HUGE, so everyday is usually Honey-Maple MiniWheats or Raisin Bran.
27. What is your usual bedtime? =10:30 PM I AM A MORNING PERSON!!! NOT A NIGHT OWL.
28. When you were a kid, what did you dress up as? =Don't remember.
29. Do you read the newspaper? =No, never have been interested. I get my news, from TV or internet
30. How many languages can you speak? =One and a half. English, Spanish....just enough to look like a loco gringa rubio
31. Do you have any magazine subscriptions? =Creating Keepsakes, Parent, HomeLife, ParentLife
32. Are you in love? =YES! I am celebrating 14 years of marriage with my Lover-Doll (our pet name) on Aug. 22nd
33. Which are better? Legos or Lincoln Logs? =......who cares???They are both boys' toys to me.
34. Red or white wine? =I don't drink, but I think I'd choose RED!
35. Are you stubborn? =Depends on the circumstances. Small details? No ...My convictions? You better believe it!
36. Watch a soap-opera? =No-gave that up in college, but back then was addicted to Days of Our Lives. Real life is MUCH better than a soap.
37. Sing in the car? =In the car I am Celine Dion!
38. Dance in the shower? =I'm a bath-girl
39. Dance in the car? =Go Panda-Mom, getcha groove on....YES!
40. Ever use a gun? =Does my watergun count?
41. Last time you got a picture taken from a photographer? =A year and a half ago on Panda-Girl's Gotcha Day anniversary we took a family portrait
42. Are musicals cheesy? =Depends. I love musicals, but my attention span usually doesn't last. I just saw Phantom of the Opera on DVD a couple of weeks ago and LOVED IT!!!!
43. Is Christmas stressful? =NO! I totally LOVE the "hustle and bustle". My tree is up the day after Thanksgiving and we are watching White Christmas, having hot chocolate no matter the weather.
44. Favorite type of fruit pie? =Haven't you ever heard of the Chocolate Tree? I like those the best. ; )
45. What did you want to be as a kid? =An aerobics instructor. HA!!! Totally cracks me up! I wanted those white Reebok hightops with the two velcro straps, where leggings and a head set! My big butt could use a little aerobics about now.
46. Do you believe in ghosts? =No, but Ephesians 6 in the Bible warns us that there is spiritual warfare going on over us every breath we take. We do not struggle against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness. Thank you Jesus for watching over me!
47. Ever have a deja-vu feeling? =Yes and it CREEPS me out, but in some weird way I like it, too.
48. Take daily vitamins? No, but I should
49. Wear slippers?=pink, soft slip-ons in the summer; pink furry, fluffy in the winter
50. Wear a bathrobe? = lightweight after a bath, huge royal purple cuddly one in the winter for fun.
51. What do you wear to bed? =I love satiny slippery pj capris or nightgown, but I also have a great pair of jersey knit pj bottoms with a t-shirt that drives Panda-Pop wild! I tried the no clothes thing at the prompting of some friends and I was so paranoid that the house would burn that I couldn't sleep. Again---close your eyes, MOM! ; )
52. First concert? =Amy Grant when I was in 9th grade
53. Walmart, Target or K-Mart? =Walmart still has the best prices, but TARGET has a MUCH better atmosphere and it is never as crowded, plus ours has a Starbucks and I LOVE caramel fraps!
54. Nike or Adidas? =I have always owned Nikes, but lately we are into New Balance.
55. Fritos or Cheetos? =Cheetos, but I love Frito Pie
56. Corn nuts or Sunflower seeds? =sunflower seed.....corn nuts can break your TEETH!
57. Have you ever chosen a boy/girl over a friend? =Yes, but I saw him first. Turns out is was the demise of me for a couple of years back in '89-90
58. Ever take dance lessons? =when I was 3
59. Can you curl your tongue? =yes, and roll it sideways, too......See, I told you, JenLo, that these answers were eerie!
60. Ever won a spelling bee? =never was in one, but hav alwaayz bin a goode speallor. : )
61. Have you ever cried because you were so happy? =the day we opened our email together to see the face of our Panda-Girl from China. We had waited soooooooo long and the moment was overwhelming. She was more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. So Blessed!
62. Own any records or record player? =We have a few of collector records, but they are SO important that I can't remember what they are. hmph.
63. Regularly burn incense? =NO!!!! Brings back really bad memories of a time when I did! I love candles and can't wait for fall to burn the pumpkin spice ones and Christmas for the apple, cinnamon yeah it's Christmas ones.
64. Who would you like to see in concert? =Newsboys, Third Day, Jeremy Camp, Kutless, Jars of Clay
65. Ever been in love? =again, I say DUH! Panda-Pop has my heart forever.
66. Hot tea or iced tea? =iced SWEET TEA hands down!
67. Tea or coffee? =depends on my mood and the weather. When I have coffee I love one sweet-n-low, vanilla caramel creamer or go to Exxon and get a French Vanilla Cappuccino----my favorite!
68. Favorite kind of cookie? = Chewy chocolate chip....there is no other cookie worth my time.
69. Can you swim well? =I won't drown, but I certainly won't be swimming in a triathalon anytime soon....or ever.
70. Can you hold your breath without manually holding your nose? =Ummm....who CAN'T do this?
71. Are you patient? =Yes, no, yes, no, yes........oh just hurry up and make a decision for crying out loud!!! I can be very patient when I need to be.
72. Ever won a contest? =yes, lots. Nothing ever athletic, but I have been blessed to win countless other things...blah, blah, blah.
73. Ever have plastic surgery? =Does this mean do I WANT it? Hmmm....
74. Which are better, black or green olives? =Gag me with a spoon, barf, I think I'm gonna throw up......does that answer it?
75. Can you knit or crochet? =never tried, but I bet I could learn
76. Best room for a fireplace? =bathroom......seriously, did someone actually THINK up these questions?
77. What is the best way to show affection? =to my cat? my daughter? my hubby? my friend? Varies depending on the person and my mood and their need. I am a very huggy-touchy person.
78. Would you rather do without your cell phone or car? =Cell phone. At camp this summer our phones didn't work and it was so awesome for a whole week!
79. Do you have any regrets? ='89-'90, see #57
80. Did you do well in high school? =cheerleader, homecoming queen, salutatorian........don't think WOW yet, I graduated with twenty-one people. Somebody had to do those things. ; )
81. Do you still talk to people from high school? =No. Don't live there anymore.
82. Have you ever been betrayed by a friend? =yes, but who hasn't? The more important question is have I ever betrayed a friend? OUCH.

So there it is. A Meme. Did the person who came up with this meme just randomly choose to stop at #82 or am I missing something of great importance? Anyways, thanks for reading. Try it for yourself. They are revealing and fun!

My friend got her life back!

My best friend has just started teaching at a private Christian school this week. She is one of the best teachers in the world. She gives her whole heart and has "ministered" to countless students in public schools just by her dedication to them and to the Lord. The problem was that she was always stressed, worked herself to death and lost out on time with her family and for herself. By faith she opted to take a pay cut and work at a private school. She told me that the number of students that she is responsible for is so low compared to her previous years that it seems surreal. She actually gets to talk to the students about morals, but along with those teachings she can say that Jesus is the One in Authority over those morals and how important it is to live what the Bible says is Truth. She gets out of school at 2:30 now as opposed to getting off at 5:00, 7:00 or even 9:00PM!!! Her whole life is changing before my very eyes....well, through the phone lines, I guess. I am so excited for her to have time to breathe. Time for her family. Time for herself. Time to.....this list is endless. Thank you, Lord for providing for her in this way. We are blessed.

Introducing...Panda-Kitty

I know that our friends are calling us crazy for getting another animal. A cat is totally independent and not as needy as a house dog. We lived with two cats for almost 12 years and I said last year that I would never do it again, but our family wanted more kitty-love. We went yesterday and adopted our new kitty from the animal shelter. Keeping in line with our Chinese "heritage" we have appropriately named our new family member Chong Wu Miao. Isn't that the cutest?! Chong Wu means "house pet" and Miao means "meow". We are having a blast calling him Miao! We love him so much already! The picture of him upside down snoozing away was taken only a couple of hours after coming home. I think bonding won't be an issue. HA! The only issue will be if Panda-Girl's nose will adjust. She started itching her nose and got a little stuffy last night. We are hoping it was just from being around all the animals at the shelter and NOT allergic to Miao. That will be the only reason for returning him. We certainly don't want to do that, but Panda-Girl ranks higher than Panda-Kitty and we will see to her needs in a heart beat.

FRENCH toast with a MEXICAN twist?

Saturday morning I decided to make French toast for Panda-Girl and myself. Panda-Pop was leading a session at a Sunday School Leadership conference and thought it would be fun and easy to cook up this treat for just the two of us. I have probably made French toast three times in my adult life and had to think through exactly what to do. I was doing a great job, had the toast on our plates, dusted some powdered sugar on, added some cinnamon for extra taste and the syrup was drizzling all over the place. YUM!, but wait---what's that funny smell? Hmm...WHAT???? This isn't brown cinnamon in my clear bottle of spices.....it's brown CHILI POWDER! Yes, I had sprinkled our entire breakfast with chili powder. By the picture I hope one can see how I made the mix up. This was a blonde moment!

Alternate Universe?

OK~bizzaro as it sounds, this morning I was putting laundry in the washing machine and was singing a little song. I am usually humming, whistling, singing some kind of song, mostly praise songs. Not that I want to sound super spiritual, but praise and worship songs are in my heart. Well, apparently my heart had a new song to sing. I found myself swaying to the tune and words of "Nightshift" by the Commodores. I laughed and said outloud to myself, "Nightshift? Where did THAT come from? Blast from the past?" I went about my business. About an hour later I had my computer playing Smooth Jazz from a local radio station (which I adore!!!) and guess what song comes on????? You guessed it! "Nightshift"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have to be in some alternate universe and had a glitch in my system and the controllers are saying, "Oh no, she's on to us! She sang the song an hour too early!" Now I know the Bible doesn't say anything about dejavu (sp?) or other bizzare things like this, but I sure had to think twice on this one. Doo-doo----doo-doo, Doo-doo----doo-doo (imagine the theme music from The Twilight Zone). Good day!

It's FUN to have a GIRL!

Despite the fact that girls can be moody at all ages and my life is sure to be full of emotional roller coasters with myself and two daughters (we started paperwork for daughter #2 this week!!! ) I can't help but be excited about the good times, too. Just because of my own personality I have put Panda-Girl in bows, jewelry, flip flops, cute clothes, etc. and her own personality seems to go right along with this trend. I don't push her to be girly, but I certainly give her ample opportunity to enjoy the fun things about being a girl. Panda-Pop & I have taught her from the get-go that jewelry (clothes or shoes, whatever) doesn't make her beautiful. God makes her beautiful. Jewelry is just for fun. She has learned this and knows how to repeat it. At this age she is just parroting what we say, but somewhere down the line she will question what makes her beautiful and our prayer is that she will remember the words we have tried to put in her mind and heart that her inner beauty trumps any attempt at outer beauty. That said, tonight when she was getting ready for church she ran and grabbed her HOT PINK (we girls learn early on that there are several SHADES of pink!) flip flops because they "coordinated" with her Strawberry Shortcake umbrella!!! Gotta love it! We had just had a short rainfall (after much praying!) and we needed the umbrella. Thank goodness for matching flip flops! The world can now go on....

She's TOO CUTE!!!

When Panda-Girl was two I made a small scrapbook of a few of the words she was saying that usually only Panda-Pop and I could translate. The irony is that I am a "former" speech therapist and was always screening kids for speech impediments. When I heard all the cute ways she was pronouncing words I just had to make a record of them to look back on and smile. Now that she is three, of course, her vocabulary has grown as has the articulation, but there are still the words she says that just crack us up! We have to remember that she has only heard English spoken for half her life, so we think she is doing quite amazingly! Here are a few examples of the pronunciations that bring a grin to our faces:


~BLANK-LET..................blanket

~CAY-RONS..................crayons

~PAPER JACKS.............Cracker Jacks

~FRWORL....................squirrel

~BAXIT.......................basket

~FWISH ME.................squish me

She is absolutely adorable and I get such a kick out of watching her grow and flourish as a beautiful little girl.