Pathetic Mother

I pick up Hannah tomorrow morning & I'll be the first parent there.  

Might just leave tonight & sleep at the gate.   

It is so pathetic.  

She has only been gone since Monday & I miss her SO MUCH!!

I didn't think I'd miss her this much. 

I thought I'd just love having one on one time with Lily .. 

which I have .. don't get me wrong 

but life isn't right without Hannah.  

I am dying to see my girl & hear all about her time at camp!!  

I think this camp thing is way harder on the parents!!! 

 

Lily & I had a very mellow week ..... 

minus our time in the basement bathroom during tornado warnings.

Aaah, making good Kentucky memories!  

This time I brought in a table & chair for her & my laptop so she could play computer games.   

Maybe I am actually getting used to all of this crazy weather!

Here is a bit of my sweet Lily from this week .... enjoy!

Tornado warnings & chilling in the john.  

 Hair cut time ... just took off about an inch to clean things up.

 How adorable is she??!  Oh my goodness!

Besides my anti-biotics making me feel like I have morning sickness 24/7 

- which is not humanly possible -

life is good!

The girls & I will drive on Saturday (12 hours) to see my family 

& for Hannah to have a follow-up bone marrow biopsy at the NIH on Monday.

I will post Camp pictures once we get to the East Coast.   

Cannot wait to see my Hannah ... 

only 11 hours & 49 minutes!!!  

All God's best,

Pathetic Mother of a First Time Camper 

Hannah is at Camp

The drop off went perfect.  

Hannah & I enjoyed talking during the 3 hour drive & looking at everything on the beautiful back roads of Kentucky.

Lily enjoyed some movies in the back 

& told me "I am being very patient, Mommy" -- she knew we were in for an entire day of driving!

Hannah was SO excited and SO nervous

but SO excited!!!  

I think it helped that the girls & I had spent the weekend at this camp center back in March.  

Hannah felt comfortable knowing where the dining hall is, where the craft lodge is, etc.  

She led the way out of the van to the check in area.  

Hannah is ready for some horse back riding ... and a week of fun, fun, fun!

Waiting with Lily for her physical exam at the Medical Center.  

This place has a full medical center.  Kids can get chemo during camp, if needed. 

 Blood pressure was a little high .. probably because she was so excited!!!

 Everything checked out ... no lice, no fever ... 

just a lot of excitement!!

Hannah didn't want to pose for any pictures so sorry no pictures of her adorable cabin & bed.  

This is the absolute cleanest camp ever!  

It is so perfect for all of these kids that have been through so much .. and many that are still going through so much!  

After we gave quick hugs Lily & I wrote a message for Hannah to see when she leaves her cabin.

When we pulled up to the gate at the camp they directed us to the check in area & told us to get her medications out of her suitcase.  

I told them that Hannah doesn't have any medications & we all cheered 

and then I started crying.  

It is just unreal to imagine how far Hannah has come since Summer 09.  

Sometimes the emotions of her healing just pour out.

Thank you, Lord!! 

Lily & I are off to the pool ... enjoying the good life of Summer 2011!!

Summer Fun

I've got some crazy summer strep throat & pink eye in both my eyes.  

I look like I have been hit by a very large truck.  

It is not pretty!

Earlier this week, the girls & I went to a friend's house for a play date.  

The girls had a great time playing while I got to visit with 2 nice moms 

& enjoy some normal before my body decided to revolt & get sick!

Here are a bunch of pictures.  

Enjoy!

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hannah loves being "the teacher" ... Lily doesn't always love being "the student"

but on this day it went well.  

For at least 5 minutes!  

 Hannah & her sweet friend, Meredith ... 

they have such a blast together & actually posed for a picture!

 The rest of the time they were doing this ... 

dunking each other, going down the water slide & swimming for hours!!

 Lily & her little friend, Teagen.  

They are so cute together!!

 Their backyard is like a park.  

I had invited this mom to join us at the public pool, not knowing her house is a mini-resort.  

No wonder she invited us to come play at her place instead!!

Lily's absolute favorite: 

the tire swing.

And fun with sand ....

while holding a blanket & "baby".  

Gotta love life for these precious 3 year olds!!

 We are truly enjoying this summer.  

I am so thankful for some fun time here in Kentucky.

In the next few weeks we start our summer travel plans. 

Hannah leaves for sleep away camp on Monday.  

She will be gone for the week at this amazing place!!   

It is a week for kids with Hematology / Oncology issues.

I am excited for her to meet other kids that have experienced similar

trauma & be able to have a wonderful camp experience.  

Please pray she does well being away from home!

All God's Best from HOME, 

My Sister

I had a wonderful childhood.  

Worse thing: I had to eat peas.

I still hate them.

My sister, Miriam, lives 2 hours up the road.  

Major bonus after moving across the country from Califronia.

Miriam is the most organized person you could ever meet.  

She makes Martha Stewart look like a slob & a hoarder.   

I love her & thank God for our friendship ....

 it is more than I ever dreamed it would be 

when we were teenagers fighting over clothes.

 She is an incredible blessing to me.  

To our family.  To her family. 

Last weekend the girls & I went to Miriam's place in Indiana 

& had a wonderful time just hanging out.

 Of course, my camera was out taking pictures 

....in manual mode (eek!).  

These photos are far from perfect but great memories.  

 Good thing I am not a perfectionist 

with my camera.... or anything. 

My girls love these cousins!!

Enjoy a look at our time with "The Three J's"

  

I love you, Miriam --

thanks for a wonderful time together 

& for letting me snap pictures the entire time.

All God's best from HOME in Kentucky,

Three Years & Never Forgotten

Three years.  

Went so fast.  Went so slow.  

It is just hard to believe Roisin has been gone three years.  

This photo was taken of Roisin & I on September 15, 2007.....

and that is Jane, her youngest, behind us playing with our hair.

I love that I have this photo ... 

this memory of being with Roisin at Bridget's soccer game ... 

living life as normal Moms to healthy kids & just being great friends 

on what turned out to be an incredibly important day in my life:

The day Lily was being born somewhere in China.  

 September 15, 2007

Roisin was a great friend.  

To everyone.  

She was so fun.  

You would never know that on this day she was in a lot of pain.  

A lot.  A lot.  

A lot of pain.

but she wanted to have a good time with her girls on the lake 

& be the fun Mom that she ALWAYS was.  

She made the best of it all ... even when she was dealing with chemo side effects. 

 She made us laugh .. short sheeting beds on our girls weekend away,
putting undergarments over clothes

& pretending to smoke pot with one of my tea bags.  

Wonderful Irish wit!!!!

She loved my sister, Rachel ...and connected with her as a treasured friend. 

Roisin was selfless, kind, fun, easy going, understanding, caring, empathetic 

& kind ... did I mention kind??  

She was just the kindest soul.     

But above all ...
Roisin was a wonderful Mother.   

She took care of her three beauties
& made her house the "hang out house" for their friends.

 This is Danielle ... now about to be a Senior in High School.  

I have a message saved on my phone when

Roisin thanked me "for taking care of my Danielle" 

on a trip Danielle & I took together to the East Coast.

This is HER Danielle.  

Always & Forever. 

 And fun, fun Bridget ... going into 10th grade.  

She has the same micheveous sparkle in her eye that Roisin had.

I love it!!

This is HER Bridget.

Always & forever. 

I remember snapping this picture in July 2006 & 

praying that Roisin would be there for many birthdays to come. 

This is HER Jane.

Always & forever.

Now Roisin is in a place she wants all of us to know about ... 

she is with the Lord in a real place ...
Heaven.  

She is more alive today than she ever was here on Earth.

Each of our days are numbered.  

None of us know which will be our last breath. 

Take pictures.  Make memories.  Cherish the moments.  

Most of all, be prepared for Eternity.

All of us have a pre-set appointment to meet the Creator of the Universe.  

and He loves us so much & wants us to know Him!

To know His peace during times of struggle.
To know His forgiveness.
To be enveloped in His love.

To experience His joy.

To walk in His grace ..His Amazing Grace.

I am so thankful for the peace of knowing that Roisin
is without pain in a wonderful place where I will see her again one day.

Selfishly, of course, I wish she was here.
For her girls.  For her friends.  For her family.

She will never be forgotten.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"For God 

SO LOVED

the world that 

HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON, 

that whoever believes in Him 

SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE."  

- John 3:16

"And the testimony is this, 

that God has given us 

ETERNAL LIFE, 

and this life is in His Son."

- 1 John 5:11

The Summer Party Has Started

Hannah's last day of 3rd Grade was on Thursday at noon.  

What a victory!!  

Her first FULL YEAR of school since Kindergarten.  

Thank you, Lord!!!! 

For the past 7 weeks ALL Hannah has been able to think about is the 

Day Camp she had planned for some 3 & 4 year olds.

Really.  

All she could think about.

All she wanted to talk about 

.... for hours on end. 

There was a written schedule.  

Signs.  

Typed invitations to the parents.  

She, of course, was the Camp Director.

I was just the lowly Assistant.

 She had all the kids holding a jump rope walking to the backyard.  

One of the older siblings stayed & was a huge help (seen here bringing up the rear of the line!).

 This is Will from six houses down.   Adopted from China.  Same age as Lily. 

 All the kids except Lily ... she was too busy to get in the picture!

 Baking cookies.  

This is Teegan, from China, same age as Lily.   

How cool is that?

 Then Hannah & Meredith decided to have a full on water fight ...

 These camp leaders went crazy!

 Trying to take a group picture.  

Just call it Camp Shanghai ... 75% of the camp was born in China. 

 Lily being a nut!!!!!  Love her!

 And also this summer ...

Lily is playing T ball!!!!!

So cute!!! 

Here is Lily practicing her swing with the Coach.

 And the swing ....

 And the hit!!!

 Run, Lily, Run ...

 Getting to First!!!

 Touching the bag ... and holding her massively too large helmet!!

And, last but not least ..

if you need us ... 

 We will be at THE POOL!!!!!!!

 Having a good time ... making Summer Memories!!!

 Filling buckets ...

 Putting our toes in the water ...

 And I just couldn't resist this adorable summer photo .... 

How cute is she!!!!! 

 She checked out the big kids tube ...

 And of course made it all a party .. that's what life is for this girl!!

 Just about every minute is all good ..... when you are Lily!

 Unless it is the first day at the pool & Mommy forgot to bring "Baby" into the pool area.  

Good thing "Baby" was just in the car.....

These tears didn't last long.

But I did snap a picture ....

Sorry, Auntie Mom!!

We are already in Full Summer Swing ...

excited for Hannah to be off & the schedule to be relaxed!!

All God's best from HOME,