Blessed by Adoption

My {new} bloggy & FB friend is fund raising for their current adoption of their sweet little Max.

He is seriously adorable!!!!!

Karen is selling these really cool car decals.  (I just ordered me one!)

Check out her blog and this post to order one for yourself!!  :)

Wow! We have been together for a l-o-n-g time! :)

Happy {27th} Anniversary to my darling husband!

Has it really been *gulp* 27 years?

Oh yeah, baby!!!!  It has!

Let's take a quick walk down 'memory lane', shall we?

My beloved grandpa walking me down the aisle.

The Ceremony.  

Why does everyone else look so serious?

Me? Cracking a {slight} grin.

Receiving the blessing. 

(This is the same pastor who confirmed me.)

Man & Wife

Woo-hoo!

Our {very small} bridal party.

(Photography just wasn't like it is today....

Didn't have a ton of choices.  

My eyes are closed; however,

this is the only one I had of the four of us inside.)

Family

(Gotta love the sun in all of our eyes. lol)

Reception fun.

Typical cutting the cake photo!

Our first dance. 

Look at me with those 'googly' eyes!

Must be love. ;)

The first day of the rest of our lives!

Well, this 'quick' walk has turned into a journey.

Thanks for indulging me.

Twenty-seven years is a long time.  Without God this 'walk' would be impossible.  He is the glue to our marriage!

We are blessed!  Abundantly!

*************************************************************************************

I actually thought our anniversary was tomorrow.

Oops!

So, no card.  Just this post!

Happy Anniversary, Dave!

All my love,

Wordless Wednesday {swimming anyone?}

That dang corn-on-the cob......

We all love, love, love corn-on-the-cob here at the ranch.
(Well, we don't actually live on a ranch...just thought that sounded good....)


As we were digging into the delicious yellow stuff tonight at dinner, Shea lost a bottom tooth!

"Look, Mom!  My tooth!  I pulled it out!  The corn.  It helped."

"Oops, I dropped it..."

"Whew, found it!"

We were all rather surprised.  To say the least.  I mean, I knew her tooth was loose.  I just didn't realize it was that loose.

This is the third tooth Shea has lost.

It is kinda bittersweet.

Let me explain:

As most of you know, Shea was born with a cleft palate and lip.  And quite a cleft palate, I must say.
So far, she has had four surgeries in the almost five years she has been home with us.
We have had a lull....like no surgeries these past two years.  (yay!)

Her next major surgery will probably be the bone graft one.  This is where a tiny piece of bone is removed from one of her hips to be grafted into her gum line so that eventually she can have implants put in.  Yeah, kinda intense.

This usually happens after the bottom four teeth have fallen out. Yep, we are on number three.  Only one more tooth needs to fall out, and then I get to call her pediatric orthodontist at Children's hospital....*sigh*
To get the ball rollin'....
The surgery ball rollin'....

Bittersweet.

Shea is so excited her tooth fell out. :)

Shea also knows this is one step closer to surgery.

Bittersweet.

The surgery that is so needed.
The surgery that will help her in so many ways.
The surgery that I am so grateful she can receive.
Because, I know that they are so many kids all over the world who need this kind of surgery and will NEVER get it!  *deep sigh*

So tonight, we celebrate all the good things, and all the little things, which we are blessed with!
Tonight, I celebrate!
I have a healthy, happy six year old who lives in a country where this kind of surgery happens.
Tonight, we had some really good corn-on-the-cob!  Really good!
Tonight the tooth fairy comes.

Tonight is a good night!

It's VBS time.....

Oh, how my Littles love VBS!

The singing, the dancing, the arts & crafts, the snacks, the playtime.....

Hanging out with friends who they haven't seen since the end of May...oh, what fun!

And somehow, with all the fun & socializing, their faith and their love for Jesus grows!

Very cool!

These two sweet little girls, who didn't know who Jesus was, are now embracing Him fully!

Again, very cool!

They're silly.

They're giddy.

They're ready to go!

I think we are all going to have a wonderful week!

Yes, 'we'.

I am doing 'Arts & Crafts' for the big kids.

Ha!

Kinda funny.

First, because I am not very 'artsy' or 'craftsy'.

Second, cuz I have to get to wear Panda ears.

PandaMania, baby!

Fireworks....two different perspectives

My Littles.

So different.

Completely!

Not complaining....just taking note.  :)

Shea is not a big fan of the 'noisiness' of fireworks.

This is her third time experiencing a fireworks show.

This is the first year she hasn't hid under her blanket.  She always wants to go......just doesn't like the booms!

Avery really and truly enjoyed the fireworks....noise and all!

She was enthralled.

This was her very first fireworks show.

Can you tell she enjoyed it?

Love these girls....differences and all!!

Makes like so very interesting.

Hope y'all had a wonderful 4th of July!

just chillin'......

Love how comfortable everyone is feeling today.

Love that my daughter-in-law and my oldest son's girlfriend can so easily hang together.....

And, love ~especially ~ how these two ladies can just chill with the Littles!

Coloring
Reading
Crossword Puzzling....(not a real word, I know....but  had to make it work with the other two.)

What a great 4th of July weekend we are {all} having!!!