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Ending with the Details

It seems a long time since I updated the blog. I had originally thought I would quit blogging about the time that I gave the girls their “100 Good Wishes” quilt, but then I kept adding entries.

This blog began as an adoption blog, to record our travels to adopt our first daughter Josie and then Clara Rose a couple years later. Since then I have updated the blog with many pictures and stories of happenings in our family life. In the mix of it I have also included a few more “adoption” themed posts. Over the years I’ve kept primarily to the superficially simple stories of family.

Josie is now 7-years old, doing very well in first grade, has lots of friends, is starting to do playdates without me or even her sister tagging along, is very particular about what she wears (although she isn’t into fancy clothes), loves her IPod touch and pop music, and is overall a happy, inquisitive, and  strong willed young girl.

Josie doing crafts at a Birthday Party

Clara Rose is nearing her sixth birthday and is already, ALL about the boys. She has several friends who are boys, prefers to wear superhero shirts like the boys, and plays basketball better than most of the boys her age.  She is overall almost always happy, likes playing-up being the baby of the family, and is forever the performing comedian.

Clara Rose with her Game Face on!

 

We are entering a new stage with the girls, one in which they are developing a greater ability to understand details of their lives and ask more detailed questions. They are developing a greater sense of themselves as a single individual and not just as extensions of mommy, daddy, their siblings or our family. Oh of course they have a sense of themselves as part of our family and our family as a whole, but they are coming to an age where they recognize themselves as individuals all on their own as well. It is quite something to witness, glimpses of them here and there in public interacting with other kids, teachers, and coaches when they are unaware of your presence.

Along with this new era come more questions about adoption and questions of “why?” Many of these questions we only have the answer, “I don’t know.” The details of these conversations are personal and I feel humbled that Josie and Clara Rose feel comfortable enough, safe enough, and find me trustworthy enough to talk to me about their feelings being adopted. Feeling are conflicted and confusing because you can be happy and love what you have and also miss, want, and grieve what you barely remember or were not ever able to know. These feelings are not mutually exclusive—they are simply and complexly feelings that are felt.

 As they get older they tell me which pictures I am and am not allowed to post on FB, when it is and isn’t OK to give them a hug or kiss in public and all of that good stuff that comes with growing independence. They are clearly telling me when it is and is not OK to share parts of their lives outside of our family.

Me, Josie, and Clara Rose making Christmas Cookies

 

This brings me to a point in which I feel that this adoption story is no longer mine to share—it is my daughters’ and with them it will remain except for when and with whom they decide to share.

So, this is my last post on the blog. I will still be around reading and occasionally commenting on blogs, but I do not intend to start another blog. If anyone wants to be friends on FB, send me a request.

Best to all—I have learned much from some of my followers whom I have not ever actually met.

Halloween Parties

Oh my, have we been busy party-ing it up all over the place!

Josie had her first "big kid" school event!

A scavenger hunt through a corn maze . . .

AT NIGHT!

She was thrilled!

It was a family event and we went with some of our

friends who also attend the same school as Josie. 

There were lots of yummy snacks and a hay ride to and from the corn maze.

We had a blast trecking through the maze with our flashlights and

we found all of our stamping stations for the hunt!

The next day we went to our YMCA's annual Halloween Party.

Their outfits pretty much reflect their personalities!

Clara Rose is Bat Man-- a superhero!

Josie is a beautiful Goddess! 

We again linked with our friends for this party and had

a great time!

There was a hayride through the woods. 

A few healthier snacks.

Lots of games! 

And creepy, crawly, slimy, stations where

you had to guess what was in the pumpkin.

Clara Rose, always the comedian, managed to come up

with answers that got a roaring laugh from her audience. 

We've had a great festive season leading up to Halloween!

The Ghourls are super excited to go Trick-or-Treating!

Spooktacular Season is upon us

Playing a bit of catch-up . . .

The ghourls and I made our annual visit to the Jack-o-lantern Spooktacular Patch!

This cute display was set-up near the beginning of the pumpkin trail.

Much to pink and prissy for Clara Rose.

Josie loved it!

As expected, the pumpkin trail was engulfed with hundreds--

Thousands (yes, seriously) of jack-ol-lanterns 

Traditional faces, happy, sad, scary, silly . . .

Magnificent carvings--  

The ghourls always like the few that have a green light inside. 

I like the super big ones!

If you look closely, you can see there is another jack-o-lantern

in the big one's mouth! 

At the end there is a small forest area filled with

a few super sized jack-o-lanterns as shown above

as well as assorted sizes all throughout the trees. 

Moving backward--

Clara Rose went to a birthday party--

she was invited by the birthday boy. 

We've enjoyed some nature walks during

to take in the pretty colors of Fall. 

Explored new playground equipment.

Made fun new discoveries stomping around

familar hiking grounds. 

September

September is over and I don't think I posted once to the blog.

We did take the girls on a camping trip with their beloved cousins (and parents)

over Labor Day weekend, but I think those pictures got mixed in with August.

I had to make an unexpected trip back to my hometown mid-month for a funeral.

It was a sad reason for a trip that provided me an extra opportunity to visit with my Uncle and one of my cousins whom I have not physically seen since she was about 11 years old!

Now a grown beautiful woman- who just got married.

School is going well for both the girls.

Clara Rose is enjoying Kindergarten and is reading easy books. 

Josie setteled in quickly to her new school routine.

All worries of a new school and riding the bus etc., are long gone and she is flourishing in First Grade.

She loves her school, teacher, friends, and riding the bus.

Not to mention that she is doing fabulously in all her classes!

With all the excitiment of school starting and mommy going away abruptly,

we did still manage to celebrate the Autumn Moon festival- albeit a bit late.

This year we tried something new to celebrate and I think we are going to make it

our tradition for this special holiday.

We loaded up ourselves and some of our friends after school on a Friday and

headed to the coast for an evening dinner picnic on the beach. 

The girls were ecstatic to say the least to go on this fun excursion.

They had a blast playing in the sand,

climbing on the jetties, 

I brought our camping stove and heated some soup to couple with sandwiches followed

by hot cocoa later in the evening. 

It was a great afternoone and evening!

All the girls had a fun time laughing, eating, and playing. 

More beach combing after eating dinner. 

Later in the evening the big, bright moon rose over the ocean.

It was a spectacular sight!

We had some yummy cream filled chocolate cupcakes for dessert!

The girls were giddy with the day and night by this point. 

We capped off the evening with a little bit of wave chasing before

calling it a night. 

Definitely a tradition in the making!

First Day of School

All the sweetie-pies started school last week.

Clara Rose was first up on Monday.

Her First day of Kindergarten!

Well equipped with her Retro Spiderman lunchbox and batman hoodie.

Clara Rose is at the same private school/daycare that she and Josie

have always attended. They have a wonderful accredited full day program.

Clara Rose in her classroom.

Today was a big day starting Kindergarten, but not a scary day since she knows everyone. 

The big kids humoring their Dad for pictures on their first day.

They and Josie all started school on Wednesday.

This is a big year for Gabrielle-- her Senior year of High School! 

Last but certainly not least-- Josie.

All decked out with her new flowery backpack that has a big sparkly heart on the back,

flowery water bottle, and a blue flower headband.

Her first day of First Grade!

This is/was a big scary deal!

New school.

New Teachers. 

Daddy brought her to school on her first day.

She was less nervous because she didn't ride the bus. 

Before he knew it . . .

She was gone!

Engulfed into the school with all the other kids-- off to learn new and fun things! 

Josie had a great first day and rode the bus home.

Riding the bus the next day was a little scary for her, but she pushed through it.

This week, her second week, everything is old hat.

Devil's Hopyard

Here we are, at Devil's Hopyard State Forest Campground--

campsite number . . .

13

I cut out of work a little early last Friday and the girls and I

went on a mini-camping adventure.

I grew-up camping and really enjoy it.

I love sharing it with Josie and Clara Rose-- and they are enjoying this time as well.

Josie was a bit miffed at first-- this was a rustic campground.

No running water, much less frills such as Yogi and Boo-Boo bear-- there wasn't even a playground!

But . . .

There were lots of woods to explore and we happened upon this really cool waterfall, 

so she soon decided that this place was fun! 

Clara Rose is easy-- she generally thinks most anything is fun.

Soon they were off giving me little heart attacks--

one right after the other!

Exploring the water all around the falls. 

Back at the campsite I sent them on a mission to forage some extra

wood for the fire.

I mostly needed to get a few things set up without any extra "help."

Imagine my surprise when I saw them coming out of the woods carrying this big log! 

Clara Rose told me she didn't think I could burn it in half!

Huh!?  Game on!

We roasted hot dogs, marshmallows etc.

Stayed up way past our bedtimes.

That log held fast! 

The next day we were off to a Dragon Boat festival

that was nearby to the campground. 

We watched some of the races,

 some of the performances, including one by China's beloved Monkey King.

It was quite hot, we cooled off with some tasty frozen treats. 

Then we headed back to our campsite, where Wim was waiting

for us and we all headed down the wooded path to splash

around and cool off. 

More waterfall fun! 

The girls thought Wim was hilarious when he pretended to take a shower! 

Another night full of roasting hot dogs, smores, and . . .

That ginormous log finally burned in half! 

We stayed up way past bedtime again--

The girls enjoyed a little leapster time in the tent before turning off the light. 

It was another fun camping trip!

And, that is 13 pictures, from camping at campsite #13 at the

Devil's Hopyard!