One year with Miss Belle

Though according to the law our Hannah isn't TECHNICALLY a Mize (the adoption isn't finalized yet), we are celebrating our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY/ "Gotcha Day" with Hannah! It amazes me that a whole year has gone by since that little munchkin came home. What an overwhelming and exciting time for all of us. The poor little dear didn't know WHAT was going on. Praise the Lord she did attach to us very quickly and her big brother attached to her immediately. I look back a year ago and have a mixed emotions. It was so exciting and fulfilling to bring home Hannah and it was miraculous and a deep God moment (two weeks previous we'd been in a terrible accident and God MIRACULOUSLY spared my mom, Zeke, and my life and we were pursued in this adoption story and it seemed like Hannah was dropped down into our life quickly from the heart of the Father). The sweet thing had been in many loving and PRECIOUS people's homes and hearts yet never had the chance to grow deep roots in one specific home or family. Our lives turned upside down and inside out, and though it was and is to date the greatest challenge of my life, it is one I'm thankful we've gotten the chance to have. Our Hannah came to us with noticeable delays and is now, I feel, advanced! She is a true miracle baby, her name means "favored one" and I believe it. Hannah's complete story from the womb is a miraculous story and reminds me of God's great love for her every time I think on it. What a testimony to God's love towards Hannah and the power of stability! She counts, she jumps, she climbs, she has a crazy strong core (and I mean her abs), she LAUGHS (we waited about four or five months for that one), she talks, she runs fast, she swims...if we could only get her to EAT more!! I've quoted this before and I'll quote it again:
"He knew we needed her." -Marilla Cuthbert from Anne of Green Gables
He did know we needed her. I know I did. She has helped me to tackle so many flesh issues, she has helped me to see God's love for me, she has pushed me to strengthen myself in my identity in Christ and my completeness in Him, the Lord is truly healing me through her (and Zeke), she has made me stronger, she has softened my heart for orphans, she has helped me see the calling on my life and the responsibility God has entrusted to me by choosing me to mother her tender heart. We are blessed to be called Hannah Belle's mom and dad.
"You could have picked anybody, God, but you picked me. Thanks." -Veggie Tales

Bless her heart. She looks so sad here. I love the look on Zeke's face...is he concerned that she's sad or is he thinking how pretty she is? Who knows!

This was one of the most beautiful pictures of God's love to me. To the left are Candise's supporters and to the right are our families. Candise, Hb's birthmom, wanted to dedicate Hannah to the Lord and to us at her home church. What a beautiful site.

"I do dat."

Watch out LADY!

Maybe there's been a time you've been following a lady in a minivan and she's being granny-slow rounding the bend and you just want to scream, because YOU have places to go and people to see. Maybe you feel that she is being a bit TOO cautious in that minivan. I thought of that lady today. Maybe she's being slow, not because she has a Baby on Board, but because she has children in the back seat with Doodle-Board Pros and every time she hits a Bots Dots or a minor imperfection in the road or ACCELERATES at too fast an RPM, her preschoolers proceed to burst forth with frustrations and shrieks. Maybe proceeding with a little extra caution will lessen the tension level in her upper back. I mean, maybe. Maybe she's just anal.

(NOTE: In no way am I implying that I have a minivan, as I relate to the lady in that commercial in ONE way in that thinking of driving a minivan makes me cry myself to sleep at night.)

Gotcha Day Anniversary!

Today is Zeke's GOTCHA DAY! "Gotcha Day" is the anniversary of our children coming home to us. Some people celebrate the day the adoption is finalized, but we celebrate the actual day the Lord brought our chosen children home. It is a super special day to us. It makes me emotional thinking about it. Three years ago today, we drove up I-85 to an attorney's office and met Ezekiel Jackson, our strong and uplifting son, and left changed forever. It is amazing and intense on so many levels. That in Zeke's case, we learned of him and brought him home in under 48 hours, that God CHOSE Zeke for Chris and Katie and that God CHOSE us for him, that we get to participate hands-on with what the Lord does with us as adopted children, that God let us in on His plans and let us have Zeke. We are so blessed. Out of all the people in the world God could have chosen for Zeke, He chose me. That blesses me to tears. Today, I'll put my frustrations, irritations, bamboozlements, and complaints aside and soak up this story. Now, tomorrow's another story, but for now I celebrate! Yay God!

Our first glimpse of Zeke

I love the look on Zeke's face. He's like "what the heck am I doing with these two?" He looks so ticked off. Ha!! I specifically remember calling my mom and sister about five minutes before this photo and saying, "He's so beautiful. He's the color of...a fudgesicle!"

the peanut gallery

After a trying day, there's a couple things I look back on that add a little sparkle (humor, laughs, etc) to what felt BLAH and irritating.
(NOTE: Hannah is counting down the days until crisp mornings arrive so she can wear her princess crown slippers without getting sweaty, stinky, Gouda-factory feet)

The sparkles include this dialogue:

Zeke:"OWWWW! Daddy, I have a wi-bwair-wee on my elw-bow."

Daddy:"You have a library on your elbow?"

Mom: "No, he has a RASPBERRY on his elbow." (Also known as carpet-burns.) Some just comprehend Zekaneise more proficiently than others I suppose.

More sparkles include, except this was more like just plain humor, because there's nothing sparkly about poop. We should learn our lesson this time, that after-dinner swimming is just not the best thing for our family, as our youngest dear daughter has impeccable digestive functions. Needless to say the pool is currently being shocked and the water hose turned into a Bidet (aka French toilet) for Hannah. This is ATLEAST the third time the words, "Everybody OUTTA the pool!" have been uttered in the last few weeks.

Superman is even sweeter when mom gets it from a super cheap consignment

Lest anyone judge me, save it. I learned my lesson. Never leave the cortisone cream out where little hands can administer it themselves to their bug bitten faces.

That's funny, huh? That's how the lightweight "swims" around the pool. Toes up.
Around and around she goes.

Sure he doesn't need goggles, he doesn't even know how to stick his face under and use them as goggles, but he likes them and we like him in them. He DOES know how to make a fish face and that should count for something.

Some people use tranquilizers, some people use Veggie Tales. Whatever.

My little softey

Swim goggles. These pictures make me smile and laugh out loud. And speaking of smiling...I got one of those "moments moms live for" over the weekend that make all of those, "Zeke quit sword fighting Hannah Belle", "Zeke aim for the toilet bowl!", and "Buddy, you can't take chewing gum out of the trash can to re-chew it" moments all worth while. We were riding along listening to Uncle Cracker's You Make Me Smile song and he says, "Mom? I happy. You make ME smile." Whew, that made my heart flutter just typing it out! That one's gonna get me through this ENTIRE week!

the rest of our July...

Fourth of July

One month later....better late than never is what I say!!! We really look forward to the summer lake weekends and spending some super fun time with our family. Its like Christmas in July!! The most wonderful time of the year!

Our munchkins eagerly wearing flotation devices.
Some kids play in dress-up clothes, ours prefer life-jackets.

I'm still not sure if that's the face of frustration or excitement.

my awesome cousin Katharine Anne and Hannah Belle

God Bless the USA.

Nothing like a boat full of men and fireworks.

My uncle Mark has started a yearly tradition of a hum-dinging firework extravaganza, and it is quite a great show. But it never ceases to make me belly laugh, too, as I see all those men setting up and wearing their stunt goggles all whilst to the background music of
the "Superman" theme song. Good times.

Today is the day...

...it's Zeke's BIRTHDAY-YAY! Can't believe this handsome devil is THREE today.
I'm thinking about the shenanigans that make me smile now, though they made me crazy when they happened, and about all the things that come out of my mouth in effort to put the brakes on perhaps another "kids will be kids" moment...as in:

"Zeke, don't put Lightning McQueen in the mixer!" or "Don't put McQueen in the toilet!"

"Zeke, don't pull on Hannah's head when she's hanging upside down!"

"We just don't play in the toilet, its unsanitary, that's why."

I love this kiddo, all of him. He's passionate, imaginative, energetic, carefree, dramatic, affectionate, strong, and all around heart stealer. I mean I know I'm his mama and all so I AM a little biased, but my heart is LONG GONE to this little boy. Here's to our first heart baby, picked out just for us and us for him. Yay GOD!

He's gotten good at tucking in his upper lip to give a shiny white CHEESE, eh?

That's right, three fingers, man!!

That's one sweet ducky