A Little Bit-O-Fun...

Woke up this morning ready to make homemade pancakes and very excited to be "off" of work for a holiday. Now that I am working five days a week I REALLY appreciate the time being at home and with my family which is where I am supposed to be. Smile.

Went here today looking specifically for a kitchen island for the new house we are moving into next week. Found one and can't wait to show you!!!! It is sooo awesome and waaaaay better than what I was even thinking of! Woohoo!



The COOLEST thing happened when we got to the store. I've only read about other bloggers actually getting meet people they have been blogging with in person, but today it happened to me!!! We were walking out of the restrooms gearing up for the 26mile hike through the store's maze when I looked up and instantly recognized a blogger mom with a little girl from Taiwan. I immediately said, "Hey! Aren't you a blogger and this is your daughter, Laney?!" What a hoot!!!! We live just about 45 minutes away from each other and had communicated awhile back when we first looked into adopting from Taiwan. It was a GREAT and FUN meeting! You can check them out

HERE!

Aren't these just the CUTEST little cups and snack bowls from IKEA?

Have been wanting a stair-step spice rack forever and finally picked one up at The Container Store. Love looking at all my spices now! LOL!

Made this yummy cherry pie from scratch. Helloooooo Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.

PG, PP and I sorting construction paper for the new Kindergarten class as volunteers.

Don't you just LOVE to sort things?! ; )

Well---thankful for the long weekend, but it's back to the grind in the morning....thank you, LORD for the job!

Call to Prayer, Please

I am fully aware that most of you do not think of the country of Haiti in your daily list of to do's. We, however, after starting our adoption process to get our son from there have kept it at the forefront of our minds. Hurricane Gustav that all of America is looking at as a threat to the coastline hit Haiti today. The actual landfall was about 5 hours away from our little guy, but there is devastation none-the-less. The food supply there is already minimal and lacking---the hurricane season makes it all the worse.

Last week our program coordinator from our agency went to Haiti for a visit. I asked her to make sure and take lots of pictures, but more importantly to SPEAK the precious name of Jesus over him. Not only did she do that, but the photographer grabbed him and started speaking and praying blessings over our son. That brought tears to my eyes and joy to my soul. He is a world away, but right here in our hearts. God knows exactly the plans He has for him and can protect him far better than we can.

We have a little heart down there in the middle of all that water. Please pray for his safety, ability to get adequate food and shelter and for his care-takers. It is great knowing who he is up-front in the adoption process, but it makes us hit our knees even harder since he isn't in our care. Thanks, y'all.

Chinese Fever...

Around the PandaHouse we are breathing in all things China right now. PandaPop and I have always made a point to watch the opening ceremonies of all the Olympic games that have come along through the years. This year with the games being in Beijing, China, we are extra pumped about watching and PandaGirl is excited right along with us even though she really has no clue what she is excited about! LOL!

This Friday we are planning to get Chinese take-out and watch the opening ceremonies at home and enjoy all the hooplah surrounding the games.



We have also been very intrigued with Samantha Brown from The Travel Channel and her "Passort" trips to China. These shows have gotten PandaGirl thinking that China is the best place on earth! ; ) We have always told her that when she is around 18 years old we will LOVE to take her back to visit.


I didn't really like visiting China all that much when we got her, but there was alot going on during that time to where I didn't fully get to enjoy the culture. Now after watching these great shows.....I can't wait to go back---especially with my darling daughter and see it through her eyes.


Tonight on Larry King Live, the Steven Curtis Chapman family will be giving their story about the loss of their Chinese daughter Maria. Though their pain is unthinkable...God has again made something good come from something tragic. MILLIONS of people will hear about God's goodness despite pain through them.

A New Thing...More to Come Later

We have started a new adoption. Our prayer is that THIS time is for real. We believe the Lord led us straight to this new place--one we never thought of before. I will give more details later when we get more details for ourself. My heart is torn between trusting God for everything versus falling on my own anxiety to get everything done NOW.

We are asking all our personal friends and I am asking YOU, my blogging friends to pray WITH us for finances, the match of our child to our family, and overall process. We want our heavenly Father's will. Thank you in advance for the prayers lifted on our behalf. We are already praying blessings back on you.

There is a long road ahead. One that we started 4 1/2 years ago, but is just now coming to fruition. I am so excited to give you details, but I must wait until the time is right.

I have added a widget on the left hand side called "Chip-In". It is open for anyone to help us out financially with the adoption. We want no one to feel "guilted" into anything, but we are opening up all doors for the Lord to bless and to bring our baby home to be a part of our family. It's all in His hands anyway.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

4th Fun!

We had a very relaxing and fun time with both sides of our family this weekend. We got to visit with my brother and sister-in-law, niece and two nephews who we don't get to see very often as well as celebrate my dad's 69th birthday which is on July 4th. Truly blessed.

PandaGirl on her new swing at PandaPop's parent's house.

Grandma bought a pool that kept the kiddos entertained for a very, VERY long time. Wooohoooo!

Awwwwwe. What a sweet pic of a loving brother and sister.

Wait. This is what we're REALLY like with each other. LOL!

Sweet cousins livin' up an awesome 4th of July making precious memories along the way.

Getting the kids...and the dog ready for fireworks!

Yeah. I was in hog-heaven lovin' on my daughter, my niece and my two nephews while we watched fireworks under the amazing Texas star-filled summer sky. Mmmm.

Uncle PandaPop soaking up every minute with one of his nephews.

Grandparents and grandkids!!! ; )

Summer Tid-Bits #2

Little Miss PandaGirl enjoying a cool summer dress in the hot Texas sun.

Met with some dear friends from a church in which PandaPop was on staff from '97-'01. We met at my FAVORITE tearoom for some lunch and chatting. God has been so good to bless me with many WONDERFUL friendships in the churches in which we have served.



Kung Fu Panda was the CUTEST movie!!!!

PG's remedy for herself to not see the previews before the movie. They have scared her in the past so this time she was prepared! LOL!

This family was (and still is!) one of our closest friends when we served at a church in Baytown, TX. They had to make the VERY long drive from there to Nebraska for a wedding and stopped by for lunch with us on the way! So fun to see them in person and see how the kids have grown. We love them!


My friend and I haven't seen each other in a year and a half, yet we had on the SAME flip flops from Target !!! We got a huge laugh out of that. She is on the LEFT and mine is on the RIGHT. We also discovered that we have the VERY same dining room table/chairs set!

Packing for a week of Children's Camp with PandaPop! Leaving on Sunday, returning on Friday.

What's this?

Miao is very disturbed and nervous about us going off to Camp without him. Right.

Thursday Thirteen #26- The Jeep

1. There is a crazy subculture of Jeep owners that we knew nothing about, but totally fun!!!

2. A Sonic drink stop is a MUST with the top down!

3. Never apply fresh thick & gooey lip-gloss to your lips with the Jeep's top down and let the wind blow your hair at the same time. Doesn't work well.

4. Every Jeep Driver you pass....WAVES at you!!!!!

5. Our little threesome is so cute in our Jeep!

6. Having a Jeep makes you feel young and free!

7. A Jeep is basically a really large Lego toy for grown-up boys.

8. Jeep stands for Just Empty Every Pocket...for cool add ons.

9. There are two types of Jeeps....Wranglers & everything else.

10. Soccer moms drive SUVs and are into soccer. Jeep moms are into Jeepin'---trailblazing, rock climbing and muddin'!

11. Dirt good. Chrome bad.

12. No side steps requires PandaPop to help his girls in & out of the Jeep and he loves that!

13. Having a Jeep is as fun as it looks!

It's a TOY!

Well, PandaPop finally got a toy that he has wanted for soooo long! Introducing....Rocky the Jeep! PandaGirl had fun naming him all by herself. My car is a black Nissan Altima named, Sophie. PG thinks they are "married" now. Hey, when you don't get more kids you just start naming your vehicles! LOL! ; )



I LOVE OUR JEEP!!!

Last night went " jeepin' " which is a new term for our house. Jeep top down, perfect temp. and a Sonic drive-by---wooohooooo! We have been down to one car for seven months so it will be nice to have the luxury of two again. Though, I will miss riding to work with PandaPop. We plan on many a grand adventure in this little baby! Wait a few days for Thursday Thirteen---I am dedicating it to this new Jeep world in which we have entered. Too fun!

Come Hither, Thou Fair Maiden

On Saturday we drove to Oklahoma to the Medieval Fair in order to get ideas for a preteen retreat we are hosting this fall as well as got in a necessary visit with PandaPop's grandparents who are not doing well at all. We had a fabulous time as a family, but also missed out on a special 13th Birthday Blessing time of my BFF's son whom we have known since he was two. We already had this weekend planned and needed to get to PP's grandparents or else we would have gone. I know they were blessed and had a great time.

PandaGirl was just darling in her dress and headpiece. With the wind blowing her dress and the ribbons, I just LOVE these pics of her in the middle of the Medieval Fair atmosphere. Let me tell you that if you have never experienced this kind of festival....let's just say that VERY interesting people come out of the woodwork for this stuff. LOL!

And as a final indulgence...THIS is what we saw entirely tooooooo much of...and I'm not speaking of the pottery. wink, wink. If we saw the top of one breastage then we saw 100! Seriously, people, one set even looked like toothpaste which had been squeeeeeeeezed out the top of the tube and just plopped over the edge. Nothing sexy about it. I just might not ever brush my teeth again.

BTW: I am completely aware that my musical selection is not even remotely close to being from the "Medieval" time period, but none of those composers were available on my music choices and this was the closest I could get to sounding courtly. ; )