"Gratitude...

...is the heart's memory"- French Proverb

Wishing everyone a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

There to here...

Scanning through the pictures of our trip last March,

what a precious reminder of how far we have come.

For anyone who has adopted a toddler or older child,

the transitions come at a dizzying pace.

Eyes once full of cautious wonder...now joyful with a glimmer of mischief.

Ears once overwhelmed by the cacophony of new sounds, now happily in tune to daily rhythyms.

Hands and fingers once hesitant to explore...now eager to reach, create, touch, push, pull, etc.

A quiet little voice unsure of being heard...now fond of singing, shouting orders to the dogs, saying "no" with great authority, and laughing heartily.

Psalm 28:7

Just a thought...

"God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" ~

William A. Ward

Have a great weekend!

Did you know...

"If only 7 percent of the world's 2 billion Christians would care for a single orphan, we could end the orphan crisis."-Steven Curtis Chapman

Read the complete op-ed here:

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008811190432

Days like this...

Wow...so, while Iceland is melting, we are freezing here in Appalachia.

The calendar says it is November, but it feels more like January.

Predictions actually call for accumulation this evening,

but it seems a bit early for the shovel to come out of hiding.

Though admittedly, there is something really wonderful about the first snow...

especially through the eyes of a very excited toddler.

Days like this...hmmm...

hope there's more...

(remind me of this in February)

First snowfall

Buster wants to know where his boots, hat and scarf are.

Frozen scarecrow

Belonging...

Waiting with Maggie for "school" to start, we were sitting on some steps inside the church talking about what some of the fun awaiting might include. While we were talking, two elderly ladies on their way to bible study, stopped to talk. They were very kind and sweet to Maggie, admiring her jacket, which seemed to be of particular importance to Maggie on this day- her corduroy jacket. A wonderful hand-me-down-never-worn-before, Maggie loves it. She loves feeling the soft nap of the fabric, the big, round buttons that fit perfectly in her toddler hands.

And, that it is her very own "jak"...well, that is the icing on the cake.

It "belongs" to her, like so many of her prized possessions...favorite books, blankets, dolls, purses, oh, and tutus, goodness, it seems lately that one can never be dressed fully unless one includes a tutu!

Anyway, while sitting there, chatting with these friendly ladies, one of them asked...

"Does she belong to you?"

I explained that yes, (despite our obvious physical differences) she was my daughter, who was adopted from China. This, of course, led to some other common questions and banter before they were on their way to their bible study.

I really did not give this much thought until I went to bed. Then, as I laid there, I thought a little more...about our precious daughter...this incredible little human being...about how incredibly divergent the paths that had brought us together...and the miraculous grace God has shown by giving us the opportunity to love, care for, and nurture her. What an amazing gift, to love her as our own, though she "belongs" to Him!

Gimme an "S"...

...Yay for school!

As you can see, there's no shortage of enthusiasm for "school" (aka playgroup).

We're gonna save these photos as a reminder in about 16 years or so when organic chemistry and calculus roll around.

Shoppin' in pj's...

...On any given day around here, a trip our big "W"-mart likely would send most fashionista's hearts into distress. Though hardly a fashionista, I try to take care not to send shockwaves of embarassment to family and friends through my choices in attire. I wish more people would show this courtesy as well. Though there are many fashion "don'ts" to choose from, one is a particularly disturbing trend that seems to be gaining popularity with folks who really should know better. It likely started with the high-school crowd, and they are to be forgiven for this offense, (they are high schoolers, afterall, and not known widely for their sensibilities).

I am talking about adults wearing their pajamas out in public.

C'mon people! Where is your pride?

Sure, there is that whole comfort and convenience thing; just roll out of bed...

and you're off in your warm fuzzy jammies to conquer that shopping list.

But there is something so wrong with this...in so many ways.

The other day, while waiting in line to check-out, there was a woman not just in her pj's, but she had actually gone to the trouble of "altering" them.

She had cut them off at the knee...and voila! They were now capri's! Best described as "piratesque" capris- jagged at the bottom from the alterations, made of very thin PAJAMA fabric, and, oh yes, a personal favorite of mine...had cartoon characters all over them.

It made quite a statement.

I wanted to call Oprah, or Stacy and Clinton, or perhaps, 911.

I kept thinking to myself...did she forget? Yep, I silently thought...that's what happened, in her hurry to get out the door, she just plumb forgot to change and get dressed. Or not...

Look, I am all for the comfort thing. But there are loads of other options out there besides what you slept in all night...okay?

I recently discovered the delights of something called "Etsy". It's a wonderful place to find hand-crafted goods of all kinds. If you haven't "Etsied" yet, I encourage you to give it a try...

http://www.etsy.com/

Best, of all, you can shop in your jammies and no one has to know!

A rekindled affair...

There is something about the chilly air that whets the appetite for heartier fare. (Not to mention the mega-sized stash of halloween treats lurking in the cabinets) Around here, we are all about the delights of fresh produce and lighter meals in the summer months. But with the cool fall air, it's soup time. For me, there is a therapeutic-like quality to making a pot of soup and letting it simmer on a cold, dreary day. For most households, these are also some of the busiest days with the regimented onslaught of school and extracurricular activities. Don't know how some of you with multiple school-agers do it.

With time restraints in mind, my love for the crock-pot has been rekindled. I can still remember as a young girl when we got one- it had some sort of a faux wood-paneling look to it. It was pretty stylin' in our orange and brown kitchen. Yikes.

My first crock pot was given to me by my brother and sister in law, (though I am pretty certain my brother had nothing to do with the gift selection). As a single gal, I enjoyed using that pastel-flowered crock pot quite frequently. And that pretty little crock pot served well for a good long time, though in recent years it mostly sat alone in a dark corner of a kitchen cabinet along with other once-loved or once-sought-after kitchen helpmates. The new improved object of culinary desire has greater capacity, love handles that lock for easy transport, and varying settings. And no faux wood-paneling. Thank goodness.

How do I love thee, crock-pot? Let me count the ways... First, there is the ease and simplicity. Second...with these busy fall nights, how nice to come home and know that supper is ready. Third... there's the heavenly smell of something delish that greets you as you walk in the door. How about you? Do share my love for this crock of convenience? Any good recipes to share? Here's one to try, it is a basic recipe, and quantities of ingredients are up to you...depending on how much you want to make:

Cheatin' Chicken Soup

1 purchased Rotisserie Chicken

Vegetable or Chicken Stock ( I use Swanson's Organic Vegetable)

Red Onion-chopped

Celery-chopped

Carrots-chopped

Seasonings I use: Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage,Pepper

1 or 2 Boxes Uncle Bens Long Grain Wild Rice- Fast Cook

Pour your stock in - add to it your chopped veggies, and seasonings of choice. (I do not add salt- the stock has some (I buy reduced sodium stock)- the rotisserie chicken has it- and so does the rice) I cook this overnight on low and then the next morning add my chicken which I already deboned and prepped for the soup- cook on low all day...then, just before serving, cook your rice according to directions and add to soup. Serve with a salad, and crusty bread...enjoy!

A New Era...

Lotsa changes all around.

We elected a new President in our country yesterday.

And though I do not agree with most of our president-elect's

philosophies, I share the hope that together, we can bring about the positive changes needed to make things better.

I read Beth Moore's blog today, and her words really articulate

best what I feel and hope for all of us. Hope you can take a minute to read it

here:http://livingproofministries.blogspot.com/2008/11/united-house.html

Another noteworthy change around here in Apple-Asia is that Maggie started a

new playgroup this week. It meets twice a week for a couple hours.

She seems to really like it, and the only angst we experienced was my own on the first day. Sigh...