Sunday Snapshot- Playing with light!

On the fourth of July EVERYTHING was cancelled here.  So we went to the pool, had a bite to eat, and then as it got darker broke out the glow sticks and daddy brought his uber cool daddy laser light thing!

I brought out my tripod, and super lens!  We were all amazed at what we could do - and it ended up being a blast!

All of the green ones were on Bulb mode - shutter open while daddy wrote so a tripod is a MUST!!

A sneak preview of the babies name!
If you look at the little bit of blur on the "N" it's actually the sprinkler spraying the light!
This was so FUN!!

 This was so cool - the laser light on pulse!!

Shooting on the giant pine tree in front of our house!

Our very first attempt and we LOVED it!!

Glow sticks on manual focus

Love this but someone couldn't wait their turn - hmmm who has the blue glowsticks?!?!

And I LOVE this one of our littles!

Canon 5d with 50mm lens - and most important A tripod!!
Most of these are SOOC as the more I processed the worse they looked LOL!

Welcome Home!

You know, this fourth has hit me differently than ones in the past.

I come from a military family, so does my husband.

We both were in the Army - my dear sweet husband jumped out of airplanes in Alaska LOL!

So to say that we love this country has always been an understatement.

But after spending our time in China just 6 months ago - I can truthfully say that I was never so grateful to return home.

To a country where you can achieve as much as you want or not

A country, for the most part, that allows you to succeed or fail.

A country that does not restrict what we say, read and most importantly believe

Especially when it comes to religion.

We may all have our differences,

But I am so thankful that my dwarf children can someday aspire to be president - of a company or the country if that is their dream.

Thankful that a little boy can have surgery so that he will have the ability to walk

AND to prosper.

Although all of the 4th of July celebrations were cancelled due to the fire, I realized that we actually celebrated on Dec 23rd this year -
 When we landed in the US
and a stranger stamped our packet
and welcomed us HOME ~ including the 2 newest American citizens.

Happy 4th everyone!

Sunday Snapshot - awesome Daddy

(Now let me preface this post with the fact that this fabulous man of mine took the littles to get their haircut while I ran the biggers to their camps for next week.  Ummm, THIS picture was taken 2 hours after the ones below!  Yeah, our little evil genius talked his kind hearted daddy into something he has wanted for years LOL!  And you jsut gotta love a man who is willing to survive the wrath of a momma for allowing not jsut Brahm get a mohawk but for him to order one for his brother LOL!)

Why we love daddy!

You gotta love a man who never wanted children and now almost has a half dozen.

Tristan - "He takes me to the gym, and helps me to get better"

Morgan - "With everything going on, he still has time for us"

Brahm - "He gets me pop"

FeiFei - "He makes breakfast"

 Cav - he loves Daddy "he-cuz" perfect!

This man of mine who works 6 days a week (for as long as I can remember), who didn't want kids and most definately didn't want to adopt, is one of the most incredible dad's I know.  Happy Father's Day honey!

Happy Halloween!

What a fun night we spent with friends.  Living in an area where all of the houses are on atleast 5 acres isn't really conducive to trick-or-treating.  But our friends always seem to remember us and invite us over. Besides having 60 degree weather (we live in Colorado it normally is COLD!!) we sat by the outdoor fire and the kids went around to the neighbors houses.  It was a blast!!

Princess and her friend dressed as an old man - great costume.  I already mentioned we went with mainly store bought htis year, but I don't think I mentioned the plethora of WHore looking costumes (and I don't use that term lightly at all!  This was by far the longest skirt we could find PERIOD - and the worst part is that she is NINE!!  Still she had to wear biker shorts underneath but over her tights.  I was really a cute costume - Frankensteins girlfriend.  But man does she look like a teenager in this picture!

Werewolf from Gymboree with some nasty teeth!

Aren't they so cute!

Mafia ganster - I was jsut thrilled he actually got to wear his suit for something!

Halloween Party - Kindergarten style

Perhaps the most interesting part of this entire adoption is how we now treasure each event - as in this will be the last Halloween before our kids arrive.  Next year will be so different sharing this special occasion with our kids for the first time.  The other part of this is that I realize that my little man will soon be smack dab in the middle.  He will no longer be my baby.

**As a side note it will be interesting if he becomes a true middle child or actually the oldest of our youngest.  He is not quite 5 years younger than princess and then we will have all three little within 21 months!**

Ok back to what I was saying.   I did NOT sign up as room mom this year, or even to volunteer in the classroom - I know horrors right!  Anyhow, I did sign up for the craft for the Halloween Fall Festival.  So a few days ago little man and I went off to Joann's to find a craft and possibly a special treat to make for his class.  We found great frames for the kiddos to color BUT we also found a SO EASY looking treat of mummy cake pops.

THAT was what I spent the night making last evening.  Those ladies who make these cake pops look awesome on their blogs are fabulous, magical, I have absolutely no idea how they make these freakin things LOL!  I finally after my third trip to the grocery store came up with these pops.

The kids LOVED them and my family are so thrilled with the mistakes!!

THe best part of the day - little man said BUT mom they look like mummies who woke up - don't you see the eyes!  Yep little man I see the eyes and the white frosting NOT but thanks for not making me feel like a total culinary failure!

His part was fun, he had a blast & I was so thrilled to meet so many nice kids in his class that were polite, well mannered and best of all - liked my baby - even in his store bought costume LOL!  (I mentioned earlier post that between adoption paperwork and continuously checking forums for information this was the first year I didn't make anyone's costume!)

Don't you jsut love his eyelashes!

Let the festivities begin!  I can't wait for next year!