Showered with Love

This Valentine's Day weekend was loads of fun! In my family, Valentine's has become a special celebration and we are trying to carry on that tradition. My home is decorated with hearts and we have a special tablecloth that we only use this month. I make sure to put together "love boxes" for both sides of the family to have and open from us. They are usually filled with small treats. We also received love boxes from both sets of parents filled with goodies for each of us.

The morning started with Boo and I surprising Daddy with our special matching shirts. I was so excited to have these "My Husband Rocks" t-shirts to wear out in public so everyone would know what an amazing man I married. Boo was in on it too and made sure people also knew she had a cool Daddy. He loved them and we loved wearing them!


Next on the list for the morning was opening our gifts from each other and the extended family members. There were lots of kisses and hugs going around. Boo's favorite gift of the day, was the two dollars ($2) that my grandmother sent her.


After opening our gifts we quickly dressed and headed out the door to get our family picture taken for the year. It's late...I know, but we just haven't been able to get it done with sickness and traveling. The pictures all turned out great!

We then found a Sees Candy shop in the mall and the Major bought me a whole pound of my favorites. (treadmill, here I come!) I surprised the Major with lunch at his favorite restaurant: Red Robin. He was very pleased with his burger and all three of us had a wonderful time together.

We headed home in time for the Major and me to catch a movie together and stop at Ikea to get a small table and chairs for Boo and her new brothers. It was a wonderful day full of love, joy, and time together as a family. Definitely a Valentine's Day to remember!

Can't you see the look of pure joy on his face?!

Mommy & Boo enjoying a tropical smoothie.

Don't you just love the matching headbands we found?!

Boo thoroughly enjoying her mac n' cheese.

Silly Mommy forgot her bib...she was a mess & LOVED it!

My Husband Rocks! - Friday...on a Monday

This weekend was so packed with wonderful memories and times together that I simply did not get a chance to write on my blog. I have lots of catching up to do and will hopefully get all the new posts written before the end of the week...especially since this weekend is going to be just as crazy!

Prompt/Theme:

1. Tell the story of your first Valentine's Day together.

For our first Valentine's Day as a couple, we were separated and halfway around world from each other. So...I'd rather tell you about our first Valentine's Day that was spent together. It was in 2005 right after we were married. We had moved to Seoul, Korea within 3 weeks of our vows and were living with another couple while househunting for our first home. I was getting discouraged because we were having such a hard time finding a place. Then, on Valentine's Day we went to look at a few possibilities. The minute I walked into the first apartment we looked at I knew this would be our home. It was small, but had tons of character to it. The neighbors around us were quiet and mostly older Koreans. We continued to look at other places, but none of them held a candle to that one. We put money down on it right away and couldn't wait to move in. It didn't bother us a bit that we didn't have any furniture to actually move into the apartment. We were just thankful that the Lord had provided such a wonderful place for our first home. That little apartment will always hold a special place in my heart...it hosted more missionaries and comforted more souls than I ever thought possible. I miss it!

Me standing in front of our first home in Seoul, Korea

Our day didn't end with househunting though. My sweet husband had planned a special getaway for us. He had reserved us a suite in the hotel on the Army base complete with rose petals, chocolate covered strawberries, and champagne. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of that evening. After a delicious dinner in one of the fanciest restaurants on the base, we spent most of our evening just enjoying each other's presence and talking about what the future held. We had no idea how hard the next 2 years would be...or how full of joy and new experiences that would stretch and grow us. We were just thankful to be together after so much separation and to have a roof over our heads to call our own.

The happy couple ready to take on the world

2. If you decide to take the advice of this article (The Romance Factor by Twanda R. Smith), tell us what you're going to do, or share pictures if you have time!

This article had some great ideas and one that I have been working on for the last week. Since moving into this house a year ago, I still haven't decorated our room. I kept focusing on the other parts of the house that most people would see and also the children's bedrooms. Sadly, our romantic haven looks more like a project space than a place to get away. In the last two weeks, it has finally gotten to me and I am starting to decorate and redo our bedroom. Finances are tight with the pending adoption, but I have been watching sales and searching on the internet for good deals. I'm hoping that by the end of the month I will have a new room for the Major and I to relax in. It will still need to be practical in some ways, but hopefully will also be a place that causes sparks to fly. I'll definitely post pictures of the before and after once I'm finished.

We're Expecting!!!!

No, I'm not pregnant...but we are expecting! Yesterday I received one of the most wonderful phone calls any family can experience. It was the call to tell us that we had been matched with two beautiful boys who were chosen to join our family. We now have names and faces of the children God has specially chosen to be a part of our family. T & M are precious little men and their Momma can't wait to hold them in her arms and see their smiles. Although I can't post any other details...let me just say that our household is going to be BUSY! The Major and I couldn't be happier. Our sons are waiting for us in Africa and we are anxious to bring them home to our arms!

These could be our children...

As I watched the following video, I was not prepared for the deep emotions it would elicit. When the aid worker stated that "these could be our children", I broke down. This was filmed in Uganda and highlights just a small reason we are feeling God moving our hearts to adopt from this country. I hope this gives you a tool to pray for the orphans not only in Uganda, but all over this world. And perhaps it will help to encourage more of us to open our hearts and our homes to them.

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress..." James 1:27.


WARNING: Contents of this video could be emotionally disturbing to some.