VIRTUAL SHOPPING

We are saving pretty aggressively for this adoption, which means any spending beyond necessities and birthdays is virtually non-existent.  But IF I were to go on a shopping spree right now, here's what would end up coming home with me.

First up, Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour blush.  I am obsessed with makeup lately.  Which is funny, really, because I generally have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to putting on makeup.  However, I have channelled my inner teenager and have been watching YouTube videos about makeup like nobody's business.  I may need an intervention here.  But anyway, one thing I've learned from my research is that this is basically the blush of all blushes here.  So of course, I want to try it.  I believe the color I have here is called Captivating.  How fun is that?

And while I'm on the topic of beauty products, here is another one I've been wanting to try - NYX Butter Gloss in Apple Strudel.  I am not generally a lip color gal (mostly because I'm insecure) but these seem to be a light and sheer option.  And since I'm feeling bolder with my makeup choices, I thought I could venture out just a smidge.  I am expecting this to be more like a lip gloss than a lip stick.  I guess if I ever get it I'll let you know (though this is pretty inexpensive so there is a chance I could make the exception and try this one!).

Moving on to a home related item, isn't this shelf just the cutest?  It's the Universal Expert Beech Wood shelf from West Elm. (On a side note, do you remember the episode of Friends where Rachel and Ross are obsessed with Pottery Barn and they keep telling Phoebe they have bought antiques from the time period of Yore?  Ross says something like "It's the rustic bird cage, large."  I just reminded myself of him telling you what that product was called.  I could have gone on to say it was the "small".  I will just go ahead and say what you are all thinking.  Dork.  There, that's better, and let's move on.)  I am picturing it under my cabinets right next to my coffee pot, with my sugar bowl on top and my two favorite coffee mugs hanging underneath.  I am desperately trying to curb counter clutter.  Hopefully this would help me and not just give me another surface to stack stuff on.  Regardless, it is simply adorable!

Up next is this darling jacket.  Apparently, Loft now has a new brand they carry called Lou & Grey.  It is basically the brand of my dreams.  It's a cross between work appropriate and casual in a light color palette that works on us pale girls.  If I wear black I always fear I look like Wednesday Addams.  And additionally, I was just thinking I would like a jacket nearly identical to this one, and the next day poof it appears on the internet available for purchase.  So we can infer here that I possibly have magical powers and if you'd like me to imagine anything for you, I happily will.  I kid, I kid.  Did I mention I am getting over a cold?  That could be the reason that I am so odd today.  That, or it's just my normal.

Here is the last item in my virtual shopping bag.  It's a beeswax candle.  I had actually heard recently that beeswax candles can help relieve allergies.  Is that true?  I have no idea but I have crazy allergies that are going to start bothering me in about a month (right about the time the weather gets BEATIFUL.  Yeah, thanks for that, nose.)  I am always up for trying things that will help me find relief from my itchy eyes.  They are the worst.  This particular candle is probably more than I would actually spend, um, ever, but the packaging was cute.  And since this shopping trip is purely virtual, I can do that.

So those are my picks.  Have I inspired you to try any of them?  Or maybe put together a list of your own?  If so, have fun and happy shopping.  I will tell you we are in the middle of preparing for the world's largest garage sale (okay, exaggerating a bit).  It is our first fundraiser for our adoption and though it might kill me, I'm super excited about it and will give an update on how it went in a couple of weeks.  Right now, I'm just praying for no rain and for people to show up!

OUR EASTER

We had a jam-packed Easter weekend, full of some really great family time.  By Sunday night, we were exhausted!  I don't have a lot of words to describe everything, but here is a quick recap.

Friday night, I honestly don't remember.  Nothing too special, I guess.

Saturday morning we did errands and played at the park.

Saturday night our niece Jessica got married.  The wedding was at Hoyt Sherman Place and the reception was at West End Salvage.  It was all very "them."  Mason did so well during the wedding and reception, though he did have help from his favorite big cousins...and Angry Birds.  Three of our nephews stayed over with us that night, so yes, it was me in the house with five guys.

Sunday morning Byron took the big boys to help him set up at church, then we enjoyed a nice service.

Sunday afternoon we had an Easter meal with Byron's family, and we left stuffed.

Sunday night we made lunch with my parents and celebrated my mom's birthday with Cheesecake Factory dessert.  We left even more stuffed.

I didn't get many good pictures of the weekend in general, but I did manage to get some really great pictures of the boy. And we really just want to look at those pictures and say how handsome he is, right?

Okay okay I know that's a lot of photos.  But he just makes my heart soar!  He is a little boy that is constantly on the move, so these action shots really represent him.  And while I'm sharing photos, here's one I took of the birthday girl.  Isn't she beautiful?

BUNNY BAG

My sewing machine had been silent for awhile, and recently I just had the urge to create something. Somewhere in the online realm I came across this bag and I knew I wanted to make something like it for Mason.  I figured out a rough pattern and a about an hour later (generally spent 20 minutes at a time spread over three sessions) I had this!

I didn't take any photos along the way and this is by no means a tutorial, but if you are wanting to make something similar, here are a few tips.

1.  Embroidering the face is one of the first steps you will do.  It probably helps to use an embroidery hoop, but I do not have one so I just went for it.  To secure it, I used a fusible lining that I ironed on to the back.

2.  If I were doing this again, I would have stabilized the sides and bottom of the bag with something sturdier.  I used a few scraps of fusible lining, but it was pretty light and just what I happened to have around.  The ears actually stand up by themselves, but since the bag is not structured, they tend to fall over.

3.  When you are sewing it all together, pin the crap out of that bad boy to help all the seams line up properly.

Even without a pattern (or much of a plan for that matter) this project was super simple and now I have the urge to keep creating!

MASON PAINTS

This post could also be titled kid projects I liked doing more than my kid or also I probably missed my calling and should really be a famous artist with my mad skills.  Has a nice ring to it.

So, I found another project on Pinterest that I wanted to try with Mason (originally from here).  It looked easy enough, and ever since the bathroom activity Mason has really been into painting.  The premise of this activity is that you dip an old plastic card (gift card, hotel key, etc.) in paint and drag it along your paper, or in this case, empty cereal box.  And then you are a world class artist.  The end.

I just taped the box to the counter so it wouldn't move, then I showed him what to do and let him go for it. With my first swipe I was pretty much addicted so when Mason asked me to help I didn't back away.  I am such a dork.  Even as I was painting, it was fun to listen to him describe what we were painting.  He talked about making buildings and then asked me to make a bridge.  So even though it looks like blobs, his little mind was running wild.  I love it.

When the paint dried, the box buckled just a little bit, but I would still love to cut a portion of this painting out and frame my little artist's work.  You could also cut it into shapes and make some other type of craft project with it.  I will say, the reason we used the odd color combination that we did is that most of our paints have been sacrificed to the bathtub and I haven't picked up more.  I do wish that the colors went together a little better, but I guess we'll just have to do the project again.  And when we do, we will do it side by side so Mama gets to do it too.  Have fun trying this with your little ones!

Update:  I realize that I don't have a picture of the finished product.  Just trust me.  It's pretty amazing.

MY NEW LIGHT

My precious moments of spare time are often spent doing the following things:  reading blogs, online shopping, and perusing Pinterest.  And usually these things have something in common - the overall design and decor of my house.  I love to see other people's homes.  I love to read about projects that I could do, or get ideas for paint colors, or daydream about getting new light fixtures.  I realize that might not be how everyone chooses to spend their free time, but I can't help it.  I just like design (and light fixtures).

Usually, all of the ideas that I get from looking at all of the online eye candy is out of my price range. Especially now, when all we can really focus on is finishing our basement and paying for our adoption, it's really really out of my price range.  But every once in awhile, something sneaks in on my radar at just the right price, and that is why I was able to snatch up this new light.  And boy, am I glad I did.

Among the many many people with unique and beautiful homes that I like to drool over is one gal from the blog Under the Sycamore.  I really love her whole space.  She has such an eye for vintage and color while still maintaining a (mostly) calm feel.  She curated a collection for Joss and Main, which I'm sure I've talked about before.  (Click here if you aren't a member yet - don't worry it's free.)  Well, I happened to catch it with nothing particular in mind to buy.  I just wanted to see what kinds of things she picked out.  But very quickly this baby caught my eye.  And well!  I was smitten.

I quickly asked Byron if he liked it.  He did.  I jumped on it.  And for a really great deal, we upgraded yet another feature of our home from builder basic.  The best part?  For the price I paid, I was expecting a fixture and that's it.  I was expecting to have to buy a canopy from Lowe's that maybe didn't match perfectly, but you know what?  IT CAME WITH A MATCHING CANOPY!!!  I was stoked.  Well done, Joss and Main.

Byron installed it for me with relative ease.  The instructions confused us for just a bit, but we quickly figured it out.  We're so smart.  And now I just stare up at my new light fixture.

And I'd just like to say that of course, there ARE fingerprints on it already.  Oh well.  Also the photos are grainy because I work during the day and we are living in an eternal winter.

This room has traditionally been what we call my sewing room because, get this, it's where my sewing machine is.  The grand plan is for all my crafting supplies to move down to a corner of the basement and this room will become a bedroom. So for this girl who loves to decorate and design, this light fixture is just the beginning of a transformation.  Can you say moodboard?  My only question to you is this - we're tired of the blue.  What color would you paint the walls?  Can you believe I'm leaning toward white???

A TRIBUTE TO EVERYONE EVERYWHERE

Not related to our weekend, but what a cute boy I have!

This weekend was tiring.  It was great, but tiring.  Two of our nephews, ages 16 and 18, came to stay with us from Friday evening to Sunday evening.  It is really great having them here.  They help Byron around the house in ways that I can't (meaning we FINALLY got our Christmas lights taken down right before St. Patrick's Day) and they play with Mason.  Mason ADORES his big cousins.  And they are so good with him.  They help him get dressed, make sure he eats, and are patient with him (and share their iPads) way beyond what you would expect from high school boys.

But back to my weekend.  Friday night wasn't so bad.  The boys came, we grabbed Subway for dinner, and just chilled.  I started in on some usual weekend chores, like dishes, tidying up, etc., but nothing was too stressful.  Saturday is where I started to get tired.  Have you ever felt like you work and work and work all day long and just don't have much to show for it?  That was Saturday.  It started waking early with Mason while everyone else slept.  This is not unusual, and in fact I prefer early mornings - my favorite part of the day.  We got up, and I started the coffee.  Then I washed dishes (this would be the first of many times), folded laundry, and went to the grocery store.  When I got home from the grocery store, Byron went to get his dad's ladder, I started making lunch, and when Byron got back the boys helped him take the lights down. We ate lunch.  Lunch created a LOT of dishes, probably the only downside of cooking at home.  So we washed dishes.  I helped Byron hang a light fixture (beautiful by the way...I have to take pictures and show it!!!).  We fought Mason to get him down for a nap.  I ran an errand to pick up TurboTax (finally) and started doing our taxes.  Then I started making dinner.  We invited my parents to join us, and we ate like kings.  It was awesome.  There were a TON of dishes.  So we did dishes again. And eventually, fought with Mason to get him to bed.  I was already so tired, and the weekend was only half over, that I'm pretty sure I just handed him my phone with Curious George pulled up on it and said "Watch some Georges, mama's going to sleep" and proceeded to fall asleep right next to him.  I later woke at 1:05 AM and said a quick prayer "Lord I hope he has been asleep for awhile..."

Then Sunday came.  Again, I woke up early with Mason.  All five of us got ready for church, and there was even a pancake breakfast so score, no dishes for that meal.  We came home.  We folded laundry.  We fought Mason for a nap again.  I paid bills.  I mailed some important documents.  I organized our files after getting our taxes done.  I started making an Easter basket for Mason (also going to be awesome and I hope to share!).  I made dinner.  There were MORE dishes.  And eventually the boys went home, Papa came over for a bit, and we all collapsed into bed.

Now, before you think this is just a massive complaint about how hard my life is, that is not the point (plus I know it is not hard compared to some). Somewhere between Saturday night and Sunday morning, when I realized that after I got a ton accomplished, I really had barely hit the tip of the iceberg, that it came to me.  Running a family is hard.  Quite honestly, just being an adult is hard.  Not only are there bills, taxes, chores, errands, etc. that are required to keep a house running, but there is this other (huge) part about investing in people's lives.  Yes, I need to pay bills in order for Mason to live in a moderately functioning house, but I also want to spend intentional time with him where I foster his development so that he will turn into an awesome young man.  I want my husband to take down our Christmas lights and hang my new light fixture, but I also want to just spend some time talking with him.  These are ALL necessary things.  Ultimately we have to choose how to spend our time.  There are moments of crossing off tasks and moments of making memories, and we are lucky to get to do them all.  But sometimes, we have to choose, and what we choose is not always fun.  And so, my friends, my realization is this.  If you are alive, and if your family is alive, then you are doing something right.  I am so thankful for my situation - a great husband who helps around the house, good jobs that allow us to do so many things, and family close by who we can do life with.  I realize there are so many different families out there, with so many things going on.  I admire you all.  You are all amazing.  From the bottom of my heart, congratulations on a job well done.

With my mental to-do list *slightly* shorter after this weekend, it seems that I can let a bit of my anxiety go.  And although those chores will always be waiting for me, I have a special little boy and a special big boy that I will remember to keep at the top of my list.

HOME STUDY COMPLETE...ALMOST

I have wanted to write an update for some time, particularly about our adoption, but I have been so distracted by the details swirling around in my own head.  As of March 7, we have completed our home study interviews, but it will be a little while before our home study is officially complete.  For anyone wondering how the home study process went for us, well, it wasn't bad.  All in all there were four meetings we needed to complete.  The first one was in our agency's office.  And despite the fact that the heat was actually broken and we sat in a 46 degree room for two hours, it was a basic introduction about us an our home.

The rest of the meetings were all in our home.  The questions were very personal, but nothing that I wasn't comfortable talking about.  Our case worker asked us about each other, about our upbringings, about our relationships with each other's families.  She met Mason and Minnie and toured our home.  I honestly don't have a lot of thoughts about this part.  I understand that it is a necessary part of making sure we are genuine people who are cut out for adoption, and thought I wish it would go faster or involve less paperwork, it really wasn't that bad of an experience for us.  Maybe I am just plagued from the stories I hear from reading the internet and actually most people find that it isn't so bad, either?  Let me know what you think if you've been through it before.

I said we completed our home study visits, but it will actually be a little longer before our home study is complete.  Our case worker needs some time to write up her findings, first of all.  Second of all, Byron and I are required to complete 10 hours each of training.  I have actually completed all mine, but Byron still has the 10 hours to do.  (Side note - I was dreading these classes but ended up loving them.  If you need or want adoption training, talk to me!)  One of my main goals now is to make sure that he has the quality time and clean working space to focus on these and he'll hopefully complete the classes in a very short time.

Another thing that has to happen is that we all have to get physical reports from our doctors - even Mason.  Fortunately we were able to all schedule our appointments next week and it won't cause a huge delay in the process, but still, it's yet one more thing to schedule and juggle.
The last thing that gets included in our home study is yet another round of paperwork.  We have to provide proof of financial statements.  We had to get fingerprinted, and send those off for official background checks.  Because Byron lived in Arkansas for a time, we have to fill out a special form for that.  The paper trail just seems to never end.  I think that is everything that goes into a completed home study, at least to my knowledge.  I'm sure I'm missing something.  I try to maintain the attitude that if something is in our court, then we just have to keep pushing to get it done, otherwise nothing is getting done.  It has helped with my motivation through most of this, but I have gotten a little behind recently.

So what are our next steps?  Well, to my knowledge, when our home study is complete, we get to file our first official document with the Ethiopian government.  You could call it our application, I guess.  And with that, I think our clock officially starts ticking.  There are no guarantees of timing, only averages and guidelines, so I don't know how to accurately judge how long this journey will take.  In my heart, I'm praying for two years, but for now we will just wait and see and trust in God.  My small group is studying 1 Thessalonians right now, and just yesterday I found this verse:

"God will make this happen, for He who calls you is faithful."  1 Thessalonians 5:24

What comfort I find that through all of the unknowns that we are entering into, God holds the power in his hands and he will make this happen.  Can I get an amen?