A Ewing Christmas

Today we...

Took lots of pictures with our new camera...

Used up almost all the paint in our new ColorWonder paint set...

Baked up lots of cookies and made lots of tracks through the snowy grass...

Made the cutest snowgirl...

 

 

 

 

And even enjoyed a quiet moment swinging in the trees. Just me and Emily, the setting sun, and the sound of her camera snapping pictures in the background...

  



 

 Today was a day to see life through Emily's eyes...

Yes, Today was a Christmas, I wish would never end.

 



If you give a toddler...

If you give a toddler a baby doll, she'll ask to give it a bath...

And once she's started the bath, she'll see you with your camera and will want hers too...

 

If both your cameras are out, she'll want to start a camera stand-off...

And once you've started a stand-off, she won't be able to not giggle...

And when she starts to giggle, she'll make her mama love her that much more.

 

 

Dog-Gone Devilish

This story begins in the bathroom. The bath tub to be exact.

Emily: begins by crying from an injury. The pain too terrible to continue with even the greatest of bubble baths.

Mom: swoops in and picks the Princess up carrying her lovingly to the bed. Reassuring her all the way that everything will be okay.

Emily: With cuddles required, she rests comfortably on her mother's chest. Her mother smiling with pure joy.

Suddenly a thought is conjured up, a devilish smirk crosses the young Princess' face, and the Princess jumps to action...

Her lofty goal...

To lick with gusto her very surprised and shocked mother's face.

Mom: Pushes back but not after letting out a chuckle or two (mistake #1).

Emily: Fights back any and all retreats, holding strong to her mission, smiling as she fights back the giggles as she listens to her Dad roll around the bed laughing (mistake #2).

______________________________

 

Mission Completion: Check!

 

Lesson Noted: Double Check!!

 

Final Scores:

Princess: 1

Mom: 0

Dad: -2  (yep, that'll teach him for laughing)

 

Pirate Chores

Even pirate cuties must scrub the deck every once in awhile...

 

My Life in Retrospect

So where have my family’s memories been these past few months? Obviously I haven’t really been posting them on here. I must admit, I have started writing them about a 1,000 times, but each time ending it with a feeling of “blah”.  Don’t get me wrong, the memories were great…Emily’s third birthday was nice, our vacation was fabulous, and Halloween was wonderful and exciting (Emily’s maturity on understanding things is really starting to show). But each time I have started writing I have felt bored over everything I have written.  I have nothing spunky to write, so I can’t help but wonder who actually would care…oh wait, my sister does (yeah, I really do hear ya, girlfriend).

So just in case you wanted to know, I’ve re-written these posts several times. But I guess I need to just rip the band-aid off. My life isn’t funny or humorous (although I try to imagine that it might be); if fact, it’s really quite boring. However, for some reason I have about 5 people that keep coming back, so I must be doing something right.

So for journaling purposes, this is my boring-to-others-yet-wonderful-to-me life…

Halloween 2012

Who says pirates can't be cute and adorable...

And who says pirates can't be scared of strangers...
Instead just choosing to hang out with mom and dad...

 

And who says a pirate's loot has to be captured by a pirate...

It's practically the same if the pirate's mom or dad finds it for them...

 

 

And who says a pirate has to actually look at the camera...

 

 

Now that would just be crazy...

 

 



Corpus Adventure

September was a very exciting month for the Ewing household. It was the month of our first official week-long-can't-get-away-from-each-other vacation, and I have to tell you that it was worth all 84 e-mails that welcomed me on my return to work.

Day 1:
We traveled and traveled and traveled. We were exhausted when we arrived to Corpus, but that didn't stop us visiting the beach. Our condo was on the waters edge and Emily loved it! Every morning it was the first thing she pointed out and it was the first place that she wanted to go.

 

Day 2:

Our day was filled with a trip to the Texas State Aquarium. We fed the sting rays, watched the dolphin show, and wandered aimlessly throughout the exhibits attempting to catch Emily's attention with each new fish. Although at first she didn't seem too interested, she did enjoy seeing the dolphins and the "Dory" fish. It wasn't however until she rode the elevator that she REALLY fell in love. Not one tear was shed when we left the fish, just when we left the elevator.

After the aquarium we headed out for dinner, but not before we stopped in Mustang Island where we actually saw a riding cowboy and a beautiful mermaid! As you can tell Emily was really excited about stopping to take a picture.

Day 3:
We went back to Mustang Island and played in the sand and water. It was our all-day beach day, and by the end of the day I couldn't help but wish that we could have had another. It was a blast!

We even brought our surfer expert, Mr. Turtle. He helped us to navigate the waves like a pro.

We finished up the evening dining by the waters edge at Joe's Crab Shack, followed by a night out on the town seeing Finding Nemo 3D.

Day 4:
We left for San Antonio to see Grannie Annie and Pawpa. Stopping along the way so we could climb rocks and see more fish at the San Antonio Japanese Gardens. 30 minutes later, we (or should I say myself) reached the point of exhaustion, so we were more than excited to take up residence for the rest of the evening on Grannie Annie and Pawpa's couch.

 

 

Day 5:

On our last day in San Antonio (and our last day of vacation) we checked out of our last hotel and headed back to spend the afternoon with family before we ventured back for home.

 

Once home, we unpacked, did laundry (I'm fairly certain that it multiplied while we were gone), and talked about how fast the week went by. Our only wish now that it's done...is to fast forward to next year's vacation!

 

 





A Simple Picture

I hold a picture in my hand. It's a simple picture, but it's a picture that I stare at in awe. I've looked at it a thousand times today, each time falling more and more in love. I haven't met the person that stares back at me, but I yearn to talk to her. I yearn to know her. She's eight year's old, beautiful as can be, and has what sounds like a wonderful personality.

I hold a picture in my hand and can't help but wonder...have we found the one??

Where Happiness Dwells

I can't help but be in awe sometimes by how Heavenly Father works. Bringing people into our lives to change us, inspire us, and to make us into a better version of ourselves. Our little family began it's journey 7 years ago, and at the time I knew I wanted to be a mom. Through discussions, Richard and I decided to move into parenthood completely at the will of Heavenly Father (that is if Heavenly Father's plan worked with Richard's...no more than 3 kids. ha ha!). Four years later our family finally started with the guidance of the spirit. Emily was born and I finally got to experience my dream of being a mom. I couldn't have been happier!

When Emily was 18 months old we met Mrs. "Nanny" Maure. When we met her we were needing a wonderful home, someone loving that would take wonderful care of Emily while we were gone at work. We searched the Internet and without any idea as to where to go, her number just turned up. One of the reasons why I loved Nanny Maure was her history. She was a foster mom to over 20 kids and a mom to 6, 3 of which were adopted. When we met her we instantly knew that she was where Emily needed to go. Days turned into months and through lots of conversations with her, terrible stories of sadness were shared. These stories of her past with foster kids were of innocent children suffering from abuse and abandonment. They literally broke my heart and I couldn't help but be grateful for a family full of love. A family that I could call on for help.

Less than a year later while driving the thought entered my mind, "how about you become a foster mom". As soon as the thought entered, I instantly pushed it aside and reminded myself that although my heart might desire to help, the position of my resources and my time were in my opinion less than stellar. There was logically no way that I could ever even adopt a child let alone become a foster parent. Several more times I felt the impression on my heart and could hear the words "you can do it!" Each time though I quickly reminded myself how insane the idea was (Richard throwing me in the looney bend if I ever suggested it, insane). Days turned into weeks and I couldn't help but notice the change in my heart when I read stories of various acquaintances and their adoptions. I found myself to be envious of them and the joy they felt as they gave of their heart.

About six months later, we received a single phone call that changed our world. During that phone call we learned of a baby that came into this world in not the best of circumstances. My heart and spirit ached for him and for the life that he was now going to live. A life that he didn't deserve. Following that conversation, Richard and I both realized that simultaneously we were feeling the same thing. A feeling of loneliness, sadness, and pain. We spent the next few days stuck in a daze, barely functioning as our minds wandered in circles from confusion. Finally after buckling down and pleading with Heavenly Father for understanding, we prayed, fasted, and opened up our heart. The answer didn't come easy to me as personal doubt constantly filled my mind, but one impression kept coming back. An impression of loneliness and sadness that someone very special was missing from our home. Someone that I couldn't give birth to.

We attended our first CPS informational meeting about a week later, and we were both filled with peace. For the first time, we knew exactly what we were supposed to do. There was no question about it, we were supposed to adopt.

Since that phone call and our decision to move forward with adoption, we have experienced a mired of emotions. Everything from terror and fear to peace and excitement. When Emily was born, I got to feel the joy of being a mom. And now as we reflect on our future adoption and the possibility of fostering in the future, I feel an even stronger sense of joy and completeness (the kind that I can't even for a second describe).

I know in my heart that this is what I'm supposed to do and that Heavenly Father has been preparing me for this mission. I know without a doubt that this will be tough (I remind myself constantly that this won't be an easy-peasy cake walk), but I also feel strongly an impression that it will bring blessings beyond comprehension to our family!  So although yes the future scares me beyond words, we look forward with indescribable love and excitement for the upcoming year. I don't know who or what the Lord has in store, but life is sure to be wonderful!

 

_____________________________________

So here are the facts:

• Agency Chosen: The Giocosa Foundation. Giocosa is an Italian word meaning "the place where happiness dwells."
• Adoption/Foster Requirements: A total of 32 hours worth of training. Training will include: 15 hours of class "PRIDE" training; CPR and first aid training; restraint training; medication training; medical designee training; infant/toddler training; SIDS and shaken baby syndrome training; and discipline/supervision training.
• Classes Started: Monday, September 10th
• Classes Will End: Monday, November 5th
• Estimated Paperwork Completion Date: January 2013
• Initial Age Range Seeking: Somewhere between the ages of 0-8 years old.

Caterpillar Dance

When the day is done and our tummy is full, there's nothing like sitting down to read a good book...

"Arrrr!" Sneak Peek

I must admit that I have a love hate relationship with Halloween, costumes, and my sewing machine. Every year I have BIG plans...BIG I tell you! I sit down and imagine the coolest costume ever (I tend to be an overachiever when it comes to crafts), and although I start out having a blast challenging myself, my joy quickly turns to disgust as I run out of time, steam, and patience. Case in point...Emily's ballerina shoes 2 years ago. I for some reason thought it would be fun to spend 2 Saturday's toiling over those 2 itty bitty shoes. And although after 2 prototypes I was frustrated, I was also very proud. I made ballerina shoes without a pattern. Go Me! (never mind Emily's frustration with me at the end of the experience)

This year though, I promised myself that I would practice restraint. Nothing extreme...nothing overly complicated. Just simple.

So my preparations started out like any other year - me sitting down thinking about all of my fun options. I thought for sure that I had one more year where it was all about my choice, but it looks like after 3 years, Emily actually has an opinion. Golly O Molly!

And so she has spoken...

I'm not sure where her love of pirates came from, but it was evident after listening to her talk about them incessantly that I needed to give her two choices - she could either be a pirate or a fish. It was of course pirates all the way!

So there's your little sneak peek. And this year, I can promise you that I am only pulling out the sewing machine for 3 little pieces. The ruffly sleeve extensions (we already own the ruffly shirt and black ruffly skirt. Yay!), the sash, and the felt boot covers (which by the way, I have already made some in my day...so I know how to do it. Woo Hoo!). That just leaves me buying some nice black church shoes (who can't use some of those anyways), a cheap party store pirate hat, and some sort of "pin" type item that I can use to make the sash extra special.

Now...I just have to figure out how she's going to carry her candy. Maybe I should go simple with a Jack-o-Lantern??? Nah! A homemade fabric bag that looks like a treasure chest with sewed in jewels sounds so much better (and down right cute I might add!)...

Yeah...that sounds simple, right???

Fish Drug Deal'n

I shamelessly must admit that I am sort of a drug dealer. Before you call the cops though, let me explain...

When one of my friends is having a bad day, I tend to suggest chocolate (the part where they may or may not be dieting is best not to discuss). I'm terrible I know, but chocolate fixes everything, right?

And when my husband is in remission from his obsession over fish (small house square footage does not equal 58 gallon + fish tank), what do I do? I buy a fish for his fish-obsession-loving daughter. What could ever go wrong there?? Well I'll tell you...

My story starts out with 2 fish that I compulsively purchased from PetsMart (Emily's eyes lit up when she saw that section...how could I not buy her a fish...or 2).

And that was when "Nemo" and "Chuckles" entered our family. For those who haven't watched Finding Nemo about 2,000 times like we have, Chuckles was also a character. He played the riveting role of Darla's dead goldfish (we really will feel bad if he's the first one to go...)

Two hours later when Richard came home from work, it was pointed out to me that my fish tank choice was not "technically" adequate enough for 2 fish to live comfortably (I started to gather that as I watched them ram themselves into the side about 200 times). So we had to go back to the store to get them a bigger home. My version of a bigger home...1 gallon...2 gallons...you know, small. Richard's version of course was a 15 Gallon Deluxe Aquarium Kit (oh yeah, and we had to buy more fish...of course). Yeah, my version would cost $20, his was going to cost $100, not including the stand or the new fish (insert sigh here).

So the negotiations started in the aisles of the pet store, and unfortunately I was out numbered. I had a 3 year old pulling on me to look at all the beautiful fish, and I had a husband pulling me in the other direction to discuss our "options". Negotiations were tough, but 15 minutes later we agreed to get a tiny 1 gallon fish tank. I might have also agreed to buy a larger fish tank in the near future, but that's only because he pulled out his cute face card! I know, I'm such a drug dealer!

1 fish purchase later, we left the pet store with 2 really happy Ewing's. Emily proudly holding onto her newest pet - Chocolate Sprinkles (Sprinkles for short), and Richard discussing what kind of stand he was going to build and how he was going to make it a saltwater tank eventually.

As for me, I honestly loved seeing them both light up...BUT, I'm thinking that I might need to see someone about my drug dealing side job. It's really going to cost me A LOT of money.

My Oscar

Oscar the cat is an interesting soul. He was my first real love and has been the one to see me through good times, bad times, as well as complete heart breaks. He was my first husband (even acted like a husband), and now that I'm married, he has spent the past 7 years in the midst of a love/hate relationship with Richard. When Emily arrived I worried over his absolute fear of toddlers and babies, but was quickly surprised by how much he has loved her. She's the only child in this world that he will lay down with, cuddle with, and allow to pet him. I swear, he actually has a secret love affair with her, and she in turn holds him and only him in a special spot within her heart.

As Oscar ages I find myself nervous for the day that he inevitably leaves us. Each emergency vet visit that comes up always leaves me wondering if this is the moment. Will I have to make the tough decision to put him down? Will this visit be the start of my heart breaking? Today was no exception. Lately I have been noticing Oscar struggling with eating. Although at first I thought it might have been his old age, his sudden decline in the past few days has left me imagining the worst. After realizing that he was not eating at all (including soft can food) and watching as his mannerisms would reflect complete and utter pain, Emily and I saddled him up for a trip to the doctor.

Thankfully his doctors' visit ended well and the diagnoses at the moment looks good - we just need to wait until next weeks’ major teeth cleaning before we can officially give a sigh of relief. However, this evening has given me one very important revelation.

Even with Emily's complete excitement over the thought of getting to go hang out at her friend’s house for the evening, her excitement only increased as soon as she realized that Oscar was going with us. She happily jumped in her car seat and insisted that Oscar needed to sit next to her. After that she made my heart smile and cry all at the same time...she gave me the best sight.

And it was at that moment that I realized that in the future I have a lot more to worry about than just my heart breaking. Now there's a possibility that Emily's heart will break too.