Welcome to Sin City...

After three days in Las Vegas, I discovered why Sin City is an appropriate nickname for this glitzy spot in the desert. If you are not really into blowing money, drinking, expensive shopping or women who left most of their clothing at home, then Las Vegas is not the place for you. I'm pretty sure my mouth hit the floor several times at some of the clothing the girls were wearing (or lack thereof). Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the relaxing mornings to myself. We enjoyed spending time together just the two of us. We loved our massage and most of the entertainment during our stay. All that being said, I'm pretty sure the words "Let's go to Vegas" will never come out of my mouth. If he had another business trip to Vegas I would want to go with him just to spend time together but I would want to do that no matter where he went. As for Vegas...I came...I saw...I left...once is enough for me.

the Venetian Resort...

The view from our suite...
Daddy (sporting the deer in the headlights look) and his business partner at the Trade Show showing off their best statue pose. Both were hoping to take home the Harley Davidson motorcycle but no such luck.

Our entertainment:
-Jay Leno...
No photos allowed during his performance but he was really funny.
-Blue Man Group...
I was a little freaked out during the performance. It was weird but enjoyable. They were just freaking me out with their eyes. Every time they would come out into the audience I would just cringe when they got close. It takes a lot of talent to play a PVC pipe with drum sticks and still sound awesome.

-Chris Gardner...
the Pursuit of Happyness starring Will Smith was based upon his life. One of the highlights of our trip was hearing him speak.
-Spamalot...
We were supposed to see Phantom of the Opera but the performance was canceled. This was not Phantom but it was good.
-KC and the Sunshine Band...
ummm...interesting. A 57 year old man singing passionately to women my age, sweating profusely and "taking us back to 1976". We weren't born in 1976. We bailed on him and headed for a gondola ride...
complete with singing gondolier...

Inside St. Mark's Square. Yes, this is INSIDE. The clouds moved across the "sky" like you are actually outside but it was daylight all day long. It was amazing! The statue was actually a real person.

Outside the Venetian Resort Hotel...Caesar's Palace...
All dressed up for the Gala...
Daddy's business partner (and friend) D and his lovely wife MWe loved the hotel and all of the entertainment. We enjoyed the time together and the company of good friends. So long Las Vegas...it's been an interesting experience. :-)

Top 10 things I learned while in Las Vegas...

• The Venetian Hotel was 5 stars. The food was 3 stars. The service was 5 stars. Canyon Ranch Spa at the Venetian was 10 stars! Wonder how they can afford such luxury?

• Shopping at Frederick's of Hollywood and/or Victoria's Secret for everyday clothing is normal and accepted

• There are no rules for billboard advertisements

• It is acceptable for Australian men in very tight pants and bow ties to advertise their "show" on the street corner

• If someone is flicking what APPEARS to be a baseball card in your face DO NOT TAKE IT! (Think baseball cards for "ladies of the evening" complete with photo in uniform, physical statistics and contact information--enough said)

• Everything is ridiculously expensive--ex: (1) "All American breakfast" via room service--$34.00

• If desert winds are greater than 30 mph it is not safe to be outside...especially when the pool is on the roof and empty pool chairs are blowing over
  

• If the sign says "European Bathing" you do not belong there
  

• It is not uncommon to find people laughing hysterically and drinking Corona at 6 AM after a full night of, well, who knows what? (noted during our 6 AM departure Friday morning--no, I wasn't one of them)
  

• Many moons ago someone dubbed Las Vegas "Sin City". Their description still holds true.

Photos and commentary to follow.

The Chapman Family...

We are still in Las Vegas and are headed home in the morning. Today my heart is heavy after hearing the news of the tragic death of Maria Chapman, daughter of Steven and Mary Beth Chapman. She was 5 years old, the youngest of six children and their third daughter adopted from China.

The Chapman's have a special place in my heart as they do for many in the adoption community. Not only have I always loved his music, as a couple they have such a passion for the very same thing God has laid on our hearts: adoption. They have used the fortune they have been blessed to encourage and provide adoption assistance through their charity Shaohannah's Hope. I have heard their very powerful testimony about the adoption of their girls and it is an inspiration to many.

Our hearts break for their tragic loss and also for their son who was somehow involved. To mourn the loss of a daughter and comfort a son must be an unbearable burden. For months I have been in love with his new song "Cinderella". He wrote the song for his daughters Shaoey, Stevie Joy and Maria. Both Daddy and I were brought to tears the first time we heard it together. We could see MG in that song and what perspective it brought to both of us as we take on the day to day challenges of parenting. Today, the lyrics take on new meaning as the irony of "Cinderella" has played out in an unimaginable way for this family. From this day forward it will remind me of a little girl named Maria Sue Chapman.

There's a ball at the castle and she was invited...

Today, on Thankful Thursday, Maria Sue Chapman is in heaven dancing with her Heavenly Father. Please pray for the Chapman family as they grieve the loss of their precious child.

Today, on Thankful Thursday, I desperately want to go home, hug my babies and never let them go.

Life at the Womble6's...

While we were away our little people spent most of their days with Aunt A and their cousins. MG was there all four days. J was there two full days and two half days. They love playing together and I think they all had a great time. For those of you counting right now...YES, you counted them correctly. My sister-in-law cared for SIX kids this week. She volunteered to help Daddy in his quest for me to travel with him. Not only did she care for my babies, she emailed me photos so I could see what they were doing while we were in Las Vegas. I didn't get them until Thursday but they were a welcome sight. Two boys vs. five girls. Sorry boys. You both are completely outnumbered this week. I think you better get used to it. You are going to be outnumbered in our family for the rest of your little lives. :-)
This is our niece E (well, she's really a G but we call her E). She was loving on MG after she talked to me on the phone. I only talked to MG a few times because she cried when she heard my voice. Thank you for comforting her E. Aunt A later told me that my sweet MG would not take her shoes off...not even to sleep. That made me a little sad so thanks for not telling me that when I was gone.
We love you all...A, A, E, E, EG and J. Thank you for loving on two more kiddos this week. Aunt A--if there were medals for babysitting superheros I would gladly host a ceremony just for you. :-)

Vegas Baby...

It is the eve of 2008 trip #2 with the hubby and I'm pretty much feeling like this. I have never left my babies up until February and now three months later I'm leaving them again. I feel like such a bum. Maybe all of these little trips are a little test run for our two weeks in China...both the unbearable amount of time away from the children and the big taxi rides in the sky. Maybe?

Just in case I haven't made it clear I'll state this fact once more: I ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY HATE TO FLY! I would rather drive to Las Vegas in the car with two screaming kids in the middle of July with no air conditioning than get on that plane in the morning. Nevertheless, I will get on the plane and I will go...

because our children will be loved, protected and in capable hands, because my hubby wants me to go, because it is only 3.5 days, because I have a cute dress to wear for the Gala Dinner (black, of course), because while Daddy is "conferencing" I'm going to be lounging by the pool, because we get to do super cool stuff while we are there, because we will have a great time.

So, I KNOW what you are saying right now. Go, Mommy--Have a good time--the Womble 4 will be fine--now be quiet--pack your bags and hit the road. OK, I will do all of those things for you if you will do this for me (this thing called friendship is a two way street, ya know?). First, pray for all four of us this week while we are away. Pray we are all safe and healthy the entire time. Second, pray for Mr. Pilot men (because thankfully there are more than one of those dudes up there). Pray they put their game face on and realize they are taxiing two parents who need to go on this trip but more than anything want to arrive home safely on Friday (no turbulence, easy landing, at 1:35 sharp, without any plane delay). Could we put an emphasis on "SAFELY"? :-)

T minus five hours, 35 minuates and counting. Gotta go sleep a little before tomorrow arrives...

Hugs to all,
Mommy

Cubbie Bear Celebration...

Last fall, J began AWANA Cubbies at our church. AWANA is a wonderful program for children promoting scripture memorization and parent-child activities at home. Each week we worked on the memorization of a Bible verse. Each Wednesday night he went to Cubbies to learn about Jesus, receive credit for reciting his Bible verse to his teacher all while having a BLAST with his fellow Cubbie friends. J LOVED every second of Cubbies and put up a fuss each and every week when he had to leave. He recited ALL 30 verses for the year and received every patch he could have earned.

If you look on the screen you can see his class with their silly faces. J is on the back row behind the boy in the red tshirt. I think he has his hands on his face.
Receiving his award from his teachers: Mrs. Leanne, Mrs. Angie and Mrs. Cheri
At a loss for words (and a smile) with all of these people staring at him. J, at a loss for words? No, I'm not making that up.
J, we are so proud of you. There is nothing we would rather see woven into your heart than the love of Jesus. May you continue to seek Him in everything you do.

Our little graduate...

Our big boy celebrated his last day of preschool with the annual End of the Year Picnic. It was pretty cool outside so it was moved indoors (thankfully). Whisper the lamb and preschool director Ms. Sherri were there directing the children during their performance. Whisper is the chapel mascot and his job is to help the children learn how to behave in the God's house. J and his classmates gave a stellar performance of "If you're happy and you know it" followed by the parental tearjerker "Building a Better World" complete with vocals, instrumental music and sign language. There was not a dry Mommy eye in the house. Here he is making the world go "round and round" with that big ole J smile on his face.Next, Ms. Christy presented him with his graduation certificate and preschool notebook filled with stuff he had done from the entire year.Then the children blessed the food with the Lord's Prayer. Look at our little man standing tall with his head bowed, eyes closed and hands held in prayer. I didn't even know he KNEW the Lord's Prayer until today. Please, everyone take note of his friend to the left who was afraid she was going to miss something. Normally it's the other way around so I like to point it out when someone else's kid is not following the rules. It makes me feel like I'm not alone. :-)Here he is showing off his notebook...and with his teacher Ms. Christy...We are so proud of our little man. He has come so far and I know he has many many more days of celebration to come. It feels as if another chapter is complete and a new one is opening before us. I have mixed emotions about this transition but I still have a few months before I need to acknowledge it. In the meantime we are going to enjoy our last summer before Big Boy School and cherish every last second of it. We love you JTW and we are so proud of you.

Building a Better World
by Peter & Ellen Allard

We're building a better world
We're building a better world
We're building a better world
One person at a time.

Chorus:
And the world goes round and round,
the world goes round and round and round.
And the world goes round and round,
the world goes round and round and round.

We're building a world with love
We're building a world with love
We're building a world with love
One person at a time

Chorus

We're building a world with peace
We're building a world with peace
We're building a world with peace
One person at a time

Chorus

We're building a world with friends
We're building a world with friends
We're building a world with friends
One person at a time.

Chorus

We're building a better world
We're building a better world
We're building a better world
One person at a time.

Chorus

Heartbreak in China...

If you know me in real life, you already know that I have a love for little people. As a Mother of two and a pediatric nurse by profession, little people are my business. If you have known me longer than say, 4 days, you also know that I have a sincere passion in my heart for little people without families. By definition they are orphans but in my vocabulary they are precious little people who need Mommy's and Daddy's. I just don't like the word orphan. If you have known me longer than say, a week, you know that there is a piece of my heart that belongs to China. It is a culture I have never experienced first hand, yet, for some reason it holds such a strong sense of presence within my heart. I know why. She just isn't here yet. Today, that is my problem.

On Monday afternoon, Sichuan Province, China was hit with an earthquake reaching 7.8 on the Richter scale. It is now estimated that the death toll may reach 50,000 people, possibly more. With the recent cyclone in Myanmar and now the earthquake in China, it seems tragedy is everywhere. Yes, tragedy strikes here in our own backyard. I recognize that. However, we as a country have many more resources to deal with the problem at hand. I wish I knew why these things are happening but once again I am reminded there is only One who knows the answers to these kind of questions.

This morning I received an email update from Jenny Bowen who is the director of Half the Sky. I read it. I wept. I wept big ugly Charlie Brown tears. I had this startling moment of fear. Is our daughter there? Is she safe? My heart tells me she has already been born. If so, who is caring for her during this tragedy? Is she in a province far away from Sichuan? If so, what about all of the other children in the orphanages of Sichuan. When their world was literally rocked, who comforted them when they were afraid? They have nannies who are responsible for who knows how many children at one time. They do not have a Mommy to hold them close and tell them, "Mommy is here. Everything will be OK." It is in times of tragedy we draw close to our family and those we love. Have you ever stopped for one second and contemplated what it would be like for a child who didn't have that choice. To search for the face of someone who loves you with the unconditional love you deserve but that face never appears. That is what Monday must of been like for the children in the orphanages of Sichuan province. I can only take comfort in knowing that He was there comforting their hearts when their Mommy's were not.

My convictions are not your convictions. Your convictions are not mine. I know that. I wish I could make you all have the passion that I have for these children but I know that God gives each of us different callings. That is what makes the world go round. What I am asking you to do is please pray for these people. For the citizens of China (and Myanmar). For our world. For these children. Not only are they without a Mommy and Daddy to tuck them in tonight but some of them are without safe shelter and basic necessities essential to life.

And today, I am asking you for one very specific prayer...IF this feeling I have is accurate...if our daughter is already born...Please pray that He will protect her. Pray for her just as you would pray for J or MG if I asked you. Pray that He will wrap His loving arms around her until we can bring her safely home to our family where she belongs. No, I do not know her. I do not have an ultrasound photo or an ever growing tummy to show for this child. She grows in my heart. For me, that is enough to make her my daughter. For me, that is enough to make me her Mommy.

Not flesh of my flesh, Nor bone of my bone,
But still miraculously my own.
Never forget for a single minute,
You didn't grow under my heart - but in it
--- Fleur Conkling Heylinger

Did you buy me a Lexus?

This morning I once again woke up to sweetness. It has been my lucky week for sure with all of this pampering from Daddy and now my babies: sleeping in until 7:20, breakfast in bed, precious hand made Mother's Day art and a lovely card made by all three of them. I'm slowly waking up, munching on my muffins and fruit when J announces I need to go look out the front door....

-----This next paragraph went through my head in about 17 seconds-----

Well, I don't know about you but I've seen enough commercials to know what that statement could mean. Open the door and sitting there in the snow is a big fancy car with a huge red bow on top and a tag that says "To: Mom--From: Santa". Well, it wasn't snowing and it wasn't Christmas. {the voice in my head} I do not WANT or NEED a Lexus. I've just gotten used to being a 29 year old mini-van driving Momma and now you want me to drive a Lexus? DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY STARVING KIDS THERE ARE IN THE WORLD AND YOU BOUGHT ME A LEXUS? That is ridiculous! I hope you can take it back or sell it to some other crazy soul because we are not driving a Lexus. ABSOLUTELY , POSITIVELY NOT! {end voice in my head 17 seconds later}

So, I'm sitting there feeling very anxious at the prospect of what might be behind door #1. How am I going to tell my sweet hubby that he has lost his mind and he has to take back my Mother's Day gift?

M: Did you buy me a Lexus?
D: Ummmmmm. No. It's not a Lexus. (looking very confused)
M: Are you SURE?
D: Ummmmmm. Yes. I'm pretty sure.

Shooooo (wiping forehead), potential crisis diverted. No Lexus behind door #1. Thank goodness. Oh, and if you are reading this and you drive a Lexus, I'm happy for you. It's just not for me.

J opened the door and behold...
Two fancy garden urns for my front porch. I have been searching for them since we moved in but you know how it goes. It hasn't ranked very high on the "needs" list when the list contains things such as a breakfast table and window treatments. They are exactly what I envisioned and I am in love with them. Thank you Daddy, J and MG!We spent the rest of the day together enjoying each other along with our own Mothers and Grandmothers. I wore my beautiful corsage (given to me by my three favorite people) to church and then out to lunch. For me, there is something very special about wearing a corsage on Mother's Day. I know most women don't wear them anymore. When I was a little girl, I went to church with my Meme and she always wore a corsage to church on her special day. I always wanted to be a Mother and couldn't wait for the day I was able to wear my own. As long as my sweet husband remembers to purchase it, I'll continue to wear my corsage on Mother's Day (even if I'm the only one wearing one).

Ode to Motherhood...

This one has been around several times but it gets me each and every time I read it. Happy Mother's Day to all.

--Ode to Motherhood--

This is for all the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up spit-up laced with hot dogs, birthday cake, and fruit juice saying, “It’s OK honey, Mommy’s here.”

Who have walked around the house all night with their babies when they kept crying and wouldn’t stop.

This is for all the mothers who have shown up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who have run carpools and made dozens of cookies for school teas and sewn Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who haven’t because they are at work trying to earn enough to keep on top of the bills.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they’ll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes and all their love.

This is for all the mothers who have sat on cold metal bleachers at hockey, baseball or soccer games instead of watching from their cars, so that when their kids asked, “Did you see me?” they could say, “Of course, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” and meant it.

This is for all the mothers who have yelled at their kids in the grocery store and swatted them in despair when they stomped their feet, like a tired two-year-old does who wants ice cream before dinner, and then hated themselves for “losing” it.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children to explain all about making babies. And for all the mothers who wanted to but just couldn’t.

For all the mothers who read Goodnight, Moon twice a night for a year. And then read it again. “Just one more time.”

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who taught their sons to cook and sew and their daughters to be brave and strong. (And sink a jump shot.)

This is for all mothers whose heads turn automatically when a little voice calls “Mom?” in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home or grown up.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches, assuring them they’d be just fine once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away. And they do.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, and who can’t find the words to reach them.

For all the mothers who bite their lips, sometimes until they bleed, when their 14-year-olds dye their hair green.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips?

The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time?

Or is it the heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time?

Or the terror in your heart at 1 a.m. when your teenager with the new driver’s license is an hour late getting home?

The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 a.m. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?

Or to feel the dull ache as you look in on your sleeping daughter or son the night before they leave for a college in another city?

The need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

For all the mothers of the victims of all the school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

This is for mothers who have tearfully placed flowers and teddy bears on their children’s graves. Whose children have died from illness, accidents and the worst of all and hardest to comprehend, suicides.

This is for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation.

And mature mothers who have learned and are still learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.

Single mothers and married mothers.

Mothers with money, mothers without.

This is for you all. For all of us...

In the end we can only do the best we can. Tell them every day that we love them. Never EVER stop being their Mother and most importantly, pray.


To my own Mother (AKA Grammy), I love you.

Strawberry pickin'...

It was a lovely day for strawberry picking so we ventured out to a patch about 30 minutes from home. J and MG had a great time once they got the hang of it. I think Daddy picked most (read: almost all) of the berries while J tried to jump rows and hid from the honey bees, MG stole berries from Daddy to fill her little green basket and Mommy played paparazzi and took lots of pictures. Do you think there are bees in there?So proud of her (stolen) berries. Good thing Daddy didn't mind.MG making the LONG walk back to the farmhouse. She REFUSED to let anyone carry her or carry her basket. I had the very important job of collecting the berries she lost along the way. I discovered the phrase "hold your basket up" is not yet in her vocabulary.One final pic of the two Womble kids and their strawberry collection. It was great family time together. If you have never been--you should go. The kids had a ball and I think we've now found a new springtime family tradition.

{Interestingly enough, there were many visitors eating berries straight from the vine but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. The "aroma" from the fertilizer was a little too potent for me to ignore. It is a difficult job explaining to your children why they can't eat strawberries until the are washed. Think about it...how do you explain the contents of fertilizer to a 5 year old?}

Anniversary stuff...

a little something special for Daddy:
When we visited San Francisco in February we REALLY wanted to find an oil painting or piece of art to bring home with us. We never found exactly what we were looking for so we left empty handed. Since we came home, I have been searching for something I could give Daddy for our anniversary to remind him of our time in San Francisco. Well, a few days before D-day I finally found it. It looks just like the view from one of the vineyards we visited in Napa Valley: rows and rows of grapevines, little terracotta roofed cottages intermingling the vineyard and fog covered mountains in the distance. As soon as I saw it I knew it was exactly what he was looking for. Napa was Daddy's favorite day of the trip and since it is one of the many reasons I chose San Francisco I knew he would love it. I was right. As soon as he saw it he was reminded of the very same vineyard in Napa. 10 points for me!

a little something special for Mommy:
This morning, at 6:22 am I awoke to a pink envelope waving in front of my sleepy eyes. It was a beautiful anniversary card saying all the right kind of anniversary sentiments. Then, I read the personal note from hubby himself that revealed a sweet surprise. Daddy had taken the day off from work and I was off for a "Mom's Day Out" followed by dinner with Daddy later on this evening. This was my day...

10:00 haircut and color
12:00 lunch
1:45 massage (2nd professional massage EVER!)
3:00 pedicure
4:00 manicure
5:30 a grown-ups only anniversary dinner (of my choice)

I don't even know how to describe it. Ten points honey. Actually, I'll give you 11! It was perfection and just what a girl needs sometimes...the gift of time and a little bit o' pampering.

the Paparazzi...

J is obsessed with my camera. This morning he asked if he could take our picture. I reluctantly agreed and this was the comedy routine over the next 15 seconds as he snapped as many photos as possible while we laughed our heads off...

J: Oh yeah, perfect, great shot, that's a nice one, uh huh, good job, give me a smile, a little to the left please, could you look that way, uh huh, great shot, Oh yeah...
I have no idea where all that came from but it was hysterrical. Maybe we have a future photographer on our hands?

Thankful Thursday: 9 years and counting...

9 years? 9 YEARS! May 8, 1999 was a beautiful day for a wedding but not just any wedding--it was our wedding. It was simple yet beautiful filled with memories that are forever etched on my heart. It was the best day of my life. Today, on Thankful Thursday, I am thankful...

9. I sat behind a "city boy" in Mrs. Tucker's Algebra II class in 1993
8. the "city boy" befriended me even though I was a "Liberty girl"
7. we didn't date until after high school (the week after graduation)
6. my friend Andrea imposed the "3 date rule" before I bailed (first date=no sparks...third date=sparks...look what I would have missed if I had bailed on #1)
5. I said "yes" and we didn't let the "you're too young" opinions stand in our way
4. from day one, we have always put each other and our marriage FIRST
3. for the two precious children God has blessed us
2. my husband strives to be a strong example of a husband and Father for his family
1. he chose me 12 years ago and never looked back

I love our life, our marriage and our commitment to each other. I love our children and the blessing I have been given to be with them each and every day. I love how we have grown so much over the past 9 years. I love how God continually shows us that we can get through anything with Him walking by our side. Here's to 9 wonderful years and many more to come.

Oh, the irony...

Note to self: when writing a protest sign proclaiming how self righteous one is as an English speaking American, perhaps one should use a dictionary before making said proclamation.

Hmmm...what this sign says to me is if your native language is not English you do not belong in America? I could jump on my soap box here but I'm not going to. I'll just say that perhaps her attitude has something to do with what is wrong with our culture. I think she needs a little discussion about compassion and equality (and a trip back to 2nd grade spelling).

New blog category alert just for her: **What a Stooge**

A pick me up for today...

Encouragement. We all need it---from those we know and even from those we do not. "So whether you are the one running the hard road or the one standing by watching…encourage and be encouraged! We are on this road together!"

Thankful Thursday...

I wanted to do this last week but it was a little too fresh on my heart...
Today I am thankful for my sweet friend Kara. Last Friday, Kara, her husband and her two children loaded the final boxes into their moving van and headed back to Massachusetts. They are moving back to be near their family. It is wonderful for them but sad for those of us that remain here without our E. Main St. amigos. It is unlikely they will reside here again which made our goodbye last Wednesday even more bittersweet.

Not only was "Ms. Kara" J's teacher for a time she was/is also a wonderful friend to me. I'm really not sure how we became friends. I'm pretty sure it was God filling in the blanks for both of us. What do I love about Kara? She's funny. She's smart. She can be silly with the kids one second and serious with the Mommy people the next. She is certainly the most adventurous girl I know and I admire her so much for that. I don't know anyone brave enough to willingly pack up her kids, head out in an RV, indefinitely, without her husband, while homeschooling her children, all in the name of showing her kids the world. Isn't that awesome? I'm just not that brave.

I'm cutting this off here because it is at this point I need to discuss what "Ms. Kara" did for our son. I don't have the words to really explain that in one measly post and I'm not even going to try. Kara, you know what you did for him. We know what you did for him. I want you to remember that you were not just another teacher for J. During that time, you were THE teacher for J. We will never EVER forget that and I hope you don't either.

We are going to miss you and your sweet family. J is going to miss his pals B and L. He has told me every day that he misses them already. We know this move is a great one for you guys and we wish you the very best. I'm thankful I have had the opportunity to get to know you over the past three and a half years. I cherish our friendship and everything you have done for our little man. We can't wait to see you all again "in first grade". This was J's prayer last Wednesday night...

Dear Lord,
Thank you for this beautiful world. Thank you for Mommy and Daddy and MG and Ms. Kara and B and L. Please let me be in first grade so I can see my friends again. -Amen

J has penciled you in for first grade so we have to make that happen (and at least one girls weekend in between). Can't wait...