I actually had a great Mother's Day! Considering how most of my Mothers Day go, I was psyching myself up to be disappointed. I told Steve that as long as he didn't kick me in the butt, it should be better than last year. And he totally pulled through for me. Not only that, I actually got a gift...and a card! And not just any gift. It was tickets to see Les Miserables in a couple of weeks. I have been wishing and dreaming to see that ever since I was literally a little girl. So it's a dream come true! My kids even came up with a few homemade things/services that were great. As I didn't even manage to get a gift or special treatment last year from anyone, this year was a giant improvement. So all in all, I think I can tolerate this holiday if it plays out like that! It was also our anniversary which is always a good reminder to feel grateful for the man I am lucky to call my husband. For 13 years now. Time has flown by.

I just want to say some of my favorite things about being a wife and mom.

Favorite thing about being Steve's wife:

Always having someone to turn to, talk to, hold, trust, love and be loved. He's perfect for me. Being married is truly the way to be.

Favorite thing about being a mom:

Celeste: She's starting to act like a real teenager and I actually really like teenagers. I think this will be fun in so many ways.
Jonah: He loves learning about random stuff and then passing on his knowledge to me. One of his favorite pass-times is reading random Wikipedia articles about brainy stuff.
Eden: She reminds me of myself when I was a little girl. She loves to act and be in the spotlight.
Becca: She is a total Mama's girl. Sweet, loving and kind. Wants to be near me and please me. And I feel the same for her.
Charity: Oh my goodness, I have never enjoyed a baby and toddler like I have my Charity. She is sheer delight to me. She says "Ma Ma" ALL the time and I never get sick of it.
Andy: He's so special and tender and thoughtful. I can't wait to give him a home and family.
Hana: She's way too easy to love and attach to. When our adoption agency representative went to check on her recently she told them "I am praying for my adoptive family; that God keeps them well and that they come to take me soon."
Samuel: He's kicking me all the time now. What a special feeling that is. I love him already and feel blessed he's made it this far. I'm feeling hopeful he'll make it the entire way.

Well, that's about it.

I just have one more thing that has come to mind and I really would love to hear anyone's thoughts on it. Here's my question I've been wondering about:

Is it possible to sincerely love or care for someone else when you do not have respect for that person? I really am curious. So think about it, and let me know what you think. Random. I know...

Good News and Bad News

Good News:
Yesterday the US Embassy gave Hana clearance to travel home!

Bad News:
Andy has not gotten clearance.

The US Embassy wants one silly little document from Andy's brother that managed to slip through the cracks in the court process. It is the only thing holding up our clearance. Our agency has been telling me they've been trying to get Andy's brother to complete this document for weeks but that he is young, irresponsible, difficult to get in touch with, and just doesn't understand the importance of it. They had us write him a letter pleading for him to get it done and the US Embassy wrote a letter too requesting it. So with that, along with a bunch of prayers on our part, we hope he gets it done soon and we can bring both of these children home very soon. I tell ya, adoption is not for sissies. This is a long and very difficult process!