PLEASE don't go....DON'T go....

OH, sweet summer!  How I love thee!!! 

Every summer I get the 'back to school blues'.  Don't get me wrong, there is a lot to be excited about.  New things for the kids to learn and discover.  But I LIKE having layed back days  with the kiddo's.  We ban all extracurricular activities during the summer.  Just maybe 1 camp per kid and that's it.  We hang out...ride bikes, play with neighborhood friends, go to the pool, the park, play sidewalk chalk.  It's kind of heavenly.  Even with 'the ban'...we still end up running and going more than I intend...appointments!...getting 5 kids caught up with dentist, check ups, and SB clinics, regular pt/ot stuff...still BUSY...but at least there's no sports/drama/running to school 3 x a day...which gives us LOTS of fun times!!!

SO, I get the back to school blues.....  sniff, sniff......

PLUS, Sammy tends to get all out of sorts with schedule changes so I have to 'toughen up' and anticipate ALOT of melt downs, and tough times with his attachement issues.  Poor guy!  We will need to do lots of attachment work to help him cope with him new routine and everyone elses's new comings and goings.

BUT, we do want to be upbeat...so here's lot of photo's of all the fun we've been having!!  I'm including the May wedding of my nephew in Florida that we just got the pics of...JUST LOVELY!!!  My family was beautiful if I may say so myself ;)  AND a fabulous meeting of some adoption friends!  Our children are from the same orphanage in Jiangsu China...and when we traveled for Will, we took gifts for this families daughter Kimi.  I had a wonder meeting with her and have stayed in contact via phone, email, and yahoo groups!  They traveled through our town via the interstate while vacationing and we met for an afternoon and picnic lunch!  What a blessing and a joyous afternoon!

I hope everyone has a great last few weeks of summer...soak it in friends, it's slipping through our fingers!!  and may all your children LOVE their new teachers and new school years!!!  PRAYERS for nothing but the good stuff!!!

Oh yeah,  I bet you noticed I gotta a tattoo...yes you read correctly...a tattoo.  It's a long story, but the short of it is I've wanted one since I was 25, but my VERY conservative hubby has alway squished that idea QUICKLY!!  For some reason, her pulled in the tattoo parlor on vacation and said "go for it"...so I did.   and yes, it hurt, and yes I like it...so what if I'm a 40 year old inked Mamma!!! hahaha!

Jessa was in "Seuscial the Muscial"  that's her in the orange!  It of course, was fabulous and I was a very proud Mamma!!

                                                  Crazy face painting at an adoption fund raiser! 

                                              These three all had their start at the same modest orphanage in Huaian China...but BOY look at them now!

                                                   Myra and Kimi, Kentucky July 2012

                                       Myra and Kimi, Huaian China January 2011

As many of you know, we adopted mamma's, like our families big!  This play date only had 4 mamma's claiming this big group of kids!  But boy did we have fun!!!!

                                       Like many of you, we too had a CRAZY heat wave this summer and did just about anything to stay cool!

                                                     Yes...I HAD to buy this sign and it's now hanging in my basement!