Did you miss me?

OK. I know it's been too long. We've been busy.

Last week, we headed to Orlando to see Jenn, Gregg and Raymond. WHAT fun! Jenn and I got the chance to talk, sew and the babies got a chance to play. Except Raymond is about twice the size of P so he could have pounded her. But he was SO good with her. Anyway, it was great fun. Thomas and I also really enjoyed our first visit to IKEA. And it took P. a few days to get used to the BIG dog. She would start crying nearly every time he came in the room. (see photos below) Raymond has just a few toys ...






Our second big shock of the month happened last Friday. I got a call from the visitation center. P's biological mom wants to see her. So, long story short, she was able to visit with her today. We also learned that P. will have a little sister sometime around December. Wow! What a surprise! All day long I kept repeating the words of the following verses in my head in hopes to calm my nerves:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 )

Jenn and I also have decided to sale baby items together. She has been doing this for a couple months online, and now that I have more time I am ready to join her. We still have a lot more to do - I hope to add many more items in the next few days. So you will have to continue checking in on us. The name of the store is Tangerine Dreams Baby.

Hope all is well with each you.

Oh, and promised. Here are some more photos of our trip home this month.

Teaching and Stitching

Here's a sweet photo of us in Wilmington, NC last month - enjoying the waterfront shopping. I'll try to add more photos of our time in NC in some of the upcoming posts.

So, you may be wondering what is happening here since S left. Well we have certainly had more time on our hands. Nothing keeps you on your toes like a busy little boy. But we have taken this opportunity to do several things.

First, and foremost, since Thomas spends so much time on the computer -- reading, writing, etc -- we figured it best to get P started early. She has taken to the keyboard ... it has lots of buttons and things to press. Typing and learning to use a mouse are part of her weekly schedule. Don't you think she is doing quite well for herself? =)






We also have been teaching P how to swim. After swimming this week I took this photo. We were reviewing the lesson. In this picture she wanted to demonstrate how you are suppose to move your arms about to stay afloat.



And when she is sleeping, I have plenty of time to sew. (she likes all the space in the crib). This is her napping on Saturday.




She is a good sleeper, which means I've had plenty of time to put a few projects together, including bibs and burb cloths, blankies, baby pants, and a tag blanket. Here are just a few pictures of some things I've done. Although, I've done much more. I was trying to sew tonight. I actually sewed a roman shade earlier today for the dining room ... and need to do one for the kitchen. But my fingers are literally bruised and hurt from picking up straight needles. So, I decided to post on the blog instead. OK, enough with that, here are some photos of what I've been up to.








I also put this quilt top together during P's afternoon nap on Saturday. I was absolutely amazed to have it done so quickly. One thing that sped it along was that I bought a pack of 5" charm squares - so they were already cut. I got this pack of charms in Gatlinburg, TN last summer. The sashing and smaller squares came from my stash of fabric. It is not a good picture, I will have to get a better picture later. The fabric collection is Moda's Fall back in Time. I still hope to add a border or two, I just don't have the fabric yet for that part.



Oh, and I can't forget Thomas. He installed a ceiling fan in his study this weekend. Which is working great! There was a short in the overhead light in this room - it hasn't worked for probably a year. Plus, it was always hot in here. So voila! It's done!

Summer Stitchin

Things keep moving around here ... except for the computer which seems to be at a crawling speed these days. Arrgh.

Speaking of crawling, P. is getting closer and closer to moving forward. So, I figure that without much time left, I should try my best to get everything organized before she's on the go.

We got a quick email from S's grandmother on Sunday. He is doing well and seemed to enjoy the plane ride very much. He also has been fine - she said no crying or any worries. I was so glad to hear that. I hope it continues to go so smoothly. Thomas and I are doing really well the transition. We know that is was a blessing for all of us, and only good came from the situation. We were truly blessed to have S with us for 8 months, and now others will be blessed to have him. We truly see this situation as an opportunity for him to bless others. I was reading Acts 15:22-41 this weekend, a story of several of the prophets traveling for the purpose of encouraging others and strengthening churches. In this passage Paul, Silas, Barnabas and others are traveling around quite a bit; it reinforced my opinion that S. has left to encourage, strengthen and bless others.

Besides trying to get some things organized; I've also spent some time sewing in the last month. I recently finished a very large quilt - I'll have to find the photo to post. And also, at the top of this post is a picture of some crazy pants I made P. My hope was to make some wacky pants and I wanted to practice making ruffles. So they are pretty wild.

Missing S

We got back from NC on Monday ... the trip was great. More on that later.

Tuesday afternoon, P. had a court date. Or, rather her parents did. Her mom did not show. However, a guy did show up that possibly may be the father. I was very shocked. I nearly fell out of the chair. We have not heard from a dad before or seen one. He wants a paternity test, so the hearing this week was postponed until Sept. 2nd. The trial was also set for Sept. 15th -- my birthday - hopefully I will get some good news that day. We have no idea if he is interested in custody. It is my understanding that he showed up because they found him and served him papers ... I have no idea what his desires are.

Yesterday was a tough day; after nearly 8 months .... S. left. It was very hard to imagine him gone and now that he is, I feel so bad for him. I can not even imagine what he must be thinking, wondering where we are and why we left him. It's hard to imagine that this is the best option for him. It seems so cruel to let him be so happy and have a family, and then strip him of it. I keep reminding myself he is with family, and that he is young enough to adjust and forget us. I figure the faster he forgets us, the happier he will be.

Not having S. around has made things here much quieter. He was full of life, energy, happiness, and kept things hopping. Here is a stream of some of favorite photos of his time with us.