Finally & Never

Bear with me.  This post might be all over the place.  But you need to understand that there is a box of Girl Scout Cookies - Lemonades, to be exact - sitting next to me.  Calling my name.  And I dare not open them, because I know I won't stop at one.  I just wanted to look at them.  Enjoy them a bit, and think about what it would be like to actually eat them.

Moving on.....

++++++++++++++++++++++

FINALLY.

I finally did it.  I finally used the leaves that we picked up on Carter's orphanage grounds, and put them into a frame.

View from outside the orphanage

Is that legal?  Walking to a back office of the airport in handcuffs definitely crossed my mind when we had to fill out the customs form and state whether we had plants/nuts/seeds in our luggage.  Because I said no.  But maybe I should have said yes.  Anyhow....

Orphanage grounds

I wanted to have something that would remind us where our boy came from.  Just because it was hard doesn't mean it should be forgotten.  It should be remembered, for sure.  Remembered and embraced.

The orphanage's name-sake

The other day I was cleaning out a much-neglected cabinet and I found a frame just begging to be revamped.  So I did.  And I used some orphanage leaves.  And some paper.  And some glue.  And practiced my Russian writing so it looked real good.  Or at least satisfactory.  And this is the end product.

I gave it a place of honor in our home - and I look at it every day, and just thank God for Carter's past, as well as his future.  Because God's got beautiful things in store for our little Ukrainian-American.

Beautiful things.

++++++++++++++++++++++

NEVER.

I've started reading.  Anyone that knows me, knows that I never finish my books.  I know - never say never.  But in this instance, I can pretty much use the word 'never'.

I have 3 books sitting next to me.  And I'm anxious to finish all of them.  I suppose I need to start them first.

Be patient with me - I'm a work in progress.

My nap time set up.  See?!  Books!

Anyhow...I just started Down Syndrome Parenting 101 by Natalie Hale.  Literally, just started it.  I think I'm 20 pages in.  I've already learned so much about our boy.  In 20 pages.  Whether you're like me - just in the beginning stages of learning your new child - or already have a few (or more) years under your belt...you're bound to learn something within these pages.

In other words, I highly recommend it.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

And that's that.  A quick update from this little blogging mama.  Thanks for reading along.  I'm always surprised that you still come back to this little blog, to read what I have to say.

Thanks for sticking with me, friend.

One Thing I Know For Sure: Noon, and little boy is sleeping.  The next three hours will be bliss - nose a book, coffee in hand.  :)