Saturday, October 30, 2010

Pumpkin Party 2010


::Click on collage to enlarge::

After spending the day with some fairly new girlfriends at this place where we had tons of fun, but there were waaaaaaaay too many people there, PP, PG and I enjoyed the second annual Pumpkin Party at a friends' house.

So fun!!! Great fellowship, pumpkin carving, yummy goodies to eat and the perfect fall temps made this another night to remember. Here is a glimpse at last year's gathering.

We also got the very, VERY important phone call from our caseworker for which we have been waiting. Drumroll........we ARE the family that CPS has chosen for PandaJOY!!!!! There is still the mediation and more meetings and a judge and all that, but as it stands at this point it looks like we will be getting her. It is NOT 100%, because anything could happen, but we are so incredibly humbled and hopeful. There will be much more for me to post about this when the appropriate time comes. For now, please pray that all will happen in the Lord's perfect time.....but quickly! lol!



Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Fever & Fame at First!!!



First time ever that
the
Texas Rangers
are in the
World Series!!!

I think all of Texas has Ranger Fever!!!

Our church is fired up even more that David Murphy of the Texas Rangers Baseball Club attends our church!

Sweet!

Back in 1994-98-ish I was a huge Rangers fan and watched games even when PandaPop wasn't home. Somewhere along the line I lost interest, but never lost touch because the Rangers ballpark is just 30-45 minutes away from us depending on the traffic. Everywhere you look are Ranger t-shirts, hats, signs, etc. I pulled out my visor from way back when today and wore it proudly to church tonight along with PP's jersey. Walked up to pay for dinner and the darling kitchen crew had this huge basket of Cracker Jack free for the taking with a little blue star on them that said, "Go Rangers!!"

Right before we moved to this church we had a last hurrah on THAT side of the Metroplex with some free tickets that someone blessed us with. PandaGirl loved going to her first pro game! Click here to see the pics. Don't know what happened to the background, but I could no longer see the words. Oh well! lol!

We Texans are all about cheering on the Rangers in the World Series and the biggest fans are at our First Baptist Church!!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Any Volunteers From the Audience?

I was told yesterday by my dear friend who is the foster mom of PandaJoy to "gather my people and tell them to get on their knees". Methodically the mountain is being chipped away and some final decisions are being made very soon for her case. We are down to the wire and want to continue to be faithful, patient and surrender this entire process to the Lord. Yes, we want her in our life, but only if it is God's plan. I am already trusting for those of you who love us or have come to know me through this blog will pray for just that.

The irony of all this culminating now is that next week will be the one year mark of the trauma we endured with this whole situation. Still pains my heart to think about it, but know we did the right thing.

Thank you so much for caring about our little family.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

A Bunch of F Words

Forty
Fat
Fit
Fulfilled
Frumpy
Frothing
Freaky
Fun
Frugal
Festive
Fed-up
Fidgety
Friendly
Fickle
Focused
Fantastic
Fit-to-be-tied
Ferocious
Faint
Fatigued
Farty
Forty

Since rolling over the 40 hump this past September 4th, on any given day, at least one if not more of those F words can describe me. Well, can't really say that I'm "fit".

Turning 40 has really hit me square in the face like no other birthday has. I have always enjoyed my birthdays and have looked forward to the next with no fear. I'm not making this up, but there is truly something different, at least for this chick, about moving into this new decade. I have had many more wonky days than "normal" ones. It's like I am no longer young. Simply not there anymore.

I'm not depressed about it, but rather just wondering what the heck has happened to me. Like, why on earth do 40 year old women, including yours truly, have the hangy-down cheek thing around their nose and mouth? Why has my mouth turned south? My lipstick now feathers and bleeds. Really? I can see why people get facelifts.

I have needed to lose weight most of my life. A year or so ago I did lose 30 lbs and was on the way to going down another 30, but somehow lost sight of my goal and have put all but five of it back on only this time I feel like a stuffed sausage in the same jeans that I had before I ever lost the weight. I am fatigued all. the. time. I keep blaming it on eating too many carbs or too much sugar yet I keep on eating too many carbs and too much sugar as if none of it "counts".....until I put on the Jimmy Dean Jeans. Once I pull up the zipper, walk to the computer and sit down in the chair I realize, "Dang! I have to stop eating all those carbs and so much sugar!" Then lunch comes around and I forget about it all again.

Round & round the cycle goes. (Anyone my age remember Ratt singing that? It always gets stuck in my head when I hear or say round & round).

I started taking Zumba last week at our local community activity center. LOVE IT!!!! However, my knees have never been the strongest part of my physical self and both of my parents have had DOUBLE knee replacements. Doesn't look so good for my future knee health, does it? I made a specific trip to the mall to purchase Nike Musique shoes that are made for pivoting so I don't blow out my knees while just getting started with the whole Zumba craze. I adore the music and the fun dance moves, but this lard butt is acting like she's 20 instead of 40. My heart is there, but my knees aren't following.

Neither is my buttocks.

I gained three pounds since starting Zumba last week. Isn't that great?!! I have sweated my self to death and was able to pack on three pounds. Way to go, Me!

Maybe it's because I have thought about changing my eating habits, but not actually done it so all the work I've done over the past four weeks (I've been walking the deaf doggie every morning for four weeks) has been great for my heart, but has done jack-diddle for my physique. Well, now I can't say a total waste. I can see that my shape is changing after five Zumba classes, but Jimmy Dean is still my fashion sponsor.

I Goo*gled these words exactly: Fat & Forty

Believe it or not, tons of sites popped up. I hopped through a few and found that I am absolutely NOT CRAZY!!! Yay Me!

There is quite an abundance of information that says exactly what I have felt over the past couple of months. It has been like a little switch was flipped and I have turned into another being once the 40 hit and have thought it was just in my mind.

Bottom line is that I HAVE to eat better and less. I HAVE to lift weights or do some kind of strength training, not just cardio. I HAVE to be proactive. No more just wasting away life.

I am actually looking forward to getting fit and accepting that I really am entering mid-life. I have an AMAZING best friend in PandaPop to go alongside me and a beautiful daughter to watch blossom. We will be finding out in the next few weeks whether or not PandaJoy will be joining our family. This road has been extremely difficult, but hope that we have been found faithful when all is said and done no matter the outcome.

Thank you for your prayers concerning her well-being. I haven't written very much on this blog for the past several months. Mostly pictures. I haven't had much to say. I think PP and I have been on hold in some ways until we know about PandaJoy's case. Don't get me wrong. We have been living and enjoying the life we have, but we have both noticed a vacuum in part of us while patiently waiting for the state to make some kind of logical decision.

We have been THROUGH THE WRINGER with adoption over the past six years. Emotionally exhausted doesn't even begin to describe how we feel about it. It seems that adoption is a buzz word now and many people are doing it to help out a child. I guess we are just depraved because our main goal hasn't been to help a child, but rather to add to our family. We had many people tell us how brave and noble we were for adopting from China. We were no such thing. We were and still are just a couple longing for a child. No nobility there, friends.

I know that I said in the last post with the final pics of PG's party that I would for sure write about the Revelation study and I will, but just not today. Maybe not even next week. I am excited to have the entire week filled with photo shoots next week, then it's Trunk or Treat time at church, then it's November. We have been waiting and waiting and waiting for November. Hopefully, I'll be able to write something on here about PJ that involves goodness and not more questions.


If you are pushing 40 within a year or so or have surpassed that mark, please share with me something that has changed about you since entering mid-life. I'd love to know I'm not alone. ; )

Thanks for hanging with me. And my droopy cheeks.


Sunday, October 10, 2010

The Last Two...

PP-Zoe-8th-Party-5

PP-Zoe-8th-Party-6

This finishes up PandaGirl's birthday party pics. We had a blast, but now it's time to move on to the next wonderful thing that lies ahead...all things fall!

I have been mesmerized at my God the past several weeks through the study of Revelation with Beth Moore. How I am so drawn to knowing Him more because of her relentless study and vivid passion for His Word!! His Word. Ohhhhhhhh. There is so much about it that blows my mind, but this Revelation thing is just.....there are no words.

Let me just say that everything we do in this life matters.

It really, really matters.

More to come on this subject.

You can be sure of it. ; )

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Happy 8th Birthday, PandaGirl!!

PP-Zoe-8th-Party-1

We had a blast last Friday night celebrating PandaGirl's 8th birthday with a slumber party! I'm hoping that I can now use the excuse of "Oh Honey, we have already done the slumber party thing so now you have to choose such & such for a theme." LOL!! In all my smartness, I used this strategy to allow PG a sleepover at our house when I knew I could still tell the little darlings to go to sleep at a certain hour. Not so with girls any older than 7 & 8! I am NOT a night person and staying up late is a huge chore to me unless I'm doing something super fun like scrapbooking, editing pics or something else that REALLY keeps my attention away from my sweet pillow and cushy blanky. We'll see.

Here are the first two of six party collages. I am so ticked at myself for taking most of the pics with my point & shoot camera instead of my good one. You can tell the difference in the quality of the pics. For example, look at the pic of PG in her yellow shirt above: nice, vivid, crystal clear. Now look at the middle pic of all the girls at the table below: grainy, not good color and overall not pleasing to the eye. Bleh.

The party was a huge success and I was so happy to have blessed our little girl with all of it! Now, today, October 6th is her actual birthday so we are taking lunch up to school and leaving cupcakes for her class to enjoy later on this afternoon.

We are blessed with a beautiful daughter...inside & out! ; )

PP-Zoe-8th-Party-2

Monday, October 4, 2010

RMC

PP-Rookie




Isn't he just the cutest?!! I have totally fallen in love with this goober dog. Yes, he is high maintenance, but sometimes so am I. I fully know that the Lord is teaching me some life lessons through PandaDoggie.

I'm in the midst of making a quick collage of PandaGirl's 8th Birthday Party from Friday night and editing my first Senior Portraits today so for now enjoy my deaf cutie! ; )

Happy Monday!!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Pumpkin Fever

PP-FallCollage

I can't help it! I heart pumpkins soooooo much! I love this time of year with the weather changes (slowly, but surely!!), the anticipation of all the holidays ahead, the beautiful colors of fall, football, cider, caramel apples----ALL OF IT! These are shots from around our home and they each make me smile. Do you love fall, too?