HeartRocksHome

Getting Acquainted

Is delightful.

Today at 2:00 p.m.

For most folks...the waiting waiting waiting is over. The jolly fat man has come and gone...BUT for us the anticipation is at a peak. 
In just a few more hours we will have that Sweet Avery Baby Cakes - HOME.
Really really home.

 

Note to Little Avery

Just to let you know.
One of your big brothers loves frogs.
A LOT!

In fact sometimes he even ACTS like a frog....

Just so you know.

We are so ready to meet you Miss Avery Sweet Baby Cakes. (And O hopes you will like frogs.)

I guess every family takes a picture on a "red couch" in China as they adopt a sweet China baby. This is Avery and her MOM AND DAD!
Jess shared on her blog that there are 1.4 MILLION orphan children in China.
That is staggering, isn't it? 
But we know of one less. ONE LESS.
And she will soon be home with all her family.
A real family.
YAHOO.

Merry Christmas, really MERRY CHRISTMAS.

 
 

 

In the meantime - we wait

She said "actually". I am thinking she says "actually" - she is three...mercy.

Little Sum Pie Jo Jo (cute nick name,huh?): "Actually"
Grandma: "Actually?"
Sum Pie Jo Jo: "No, Grandma, you don't say actually - I say actually and you say, What." 

The countdown

In just twelve little days.
I can hardly wait.
We are all so excited.
Finally!

This gaggle of goofy grandkids will be here.
We haven't even met Rebecca Rose, yet?

Oh, we've heard her baby noises on the phone.
We've kissed the computer screen where her sweet picture is.
We've imagined holding her and feeling her downy soft skin.
HURRY!
In twelve days we are going to mug on these sweet kids.
I can hardly wait.

Of course, preparations are taking place.

That means I must do some cleaning in that magic room. The oldest granddaughter here, Autumn, last time she was home, walked into the magic room abounding with bits and bobs in an amazing array of disarray and looking about said, "Oh, Grandma, this room is - is (I know that "messy" was on the tip of her tongue, but she was kind) interesting."
So off to that interesting magic room, in an attempt to create a  little bit of order, we might want to play in there when they arrive.

I have piles and stacks. I love piles and stacks, don't you?

Then after working on book making I noticed a pile/stack of the taken apart...book cover removed books and loved the look. (As my son said, you can't judge these books!)

Yes, is the answer, they have that delightful 'thrift store perfume' smell.
Yum!

The Christmas without presents.

Was a Christmas with GIFTS.
Inspired by this talk, our family decided to give the gift of 'something memorized' to one another for Christmas this year.
The only guideline was 'something memorized'.
It was stunning.
No, it was sacred.
You know that feeling that comes when everyone is gathered and hearts are knit together as one and then a sweet spirit seems to fill the room?
That was a bonus part of this gift.
Gifts that required thought and preparation and heart felt effort.
For our family it worked so well  - we will not being going back to the presents, we are staying with gifts.
A small sampling. Owen, our six  year old Grandson recited this from memory. With hands in his pockets, twisting one foot and then the other.
Ashtyn sang, like an angel, for us all the verses to "Christmas Bells are Ringing".
Sam our handsome boy, recited Isaiah 53. Yes, the entire chapter.
Another son learned a long passage in Spanish, a language he use to speak fluently and is afraid of losing and so forced himself to remember and memorize.
Jess recited this...you know there is something that also happens to the listener when a document is recited from memory.
Jill shared several verses from 3rd Nephi.
And much much more. That is just a smattering.
It was a holy and sacred day.

P.S.
 I have to confess, I did have a melt down about a week before Christmas, what was I thinking, not loading up the shopping cart and bringing home...gaily wrapping and dispensing presents to all these people I love? It was hard. In Costco one day, I had to go back and hide in the appliance section and sobbed into my cell phone to our oldest son, (RR was not available by phone)  "I don't want to do this, I don't think I can go through with this, it is too hard, I want to buy presents, everyone about me is buying for the people they love and I am just getting GROCERIES. I can't to it."
He proceeded to tell me in a pretty firm voice, to "snap out of it."
Which I did - sort of - as I sobbed and blubbered my way through the check out and all the way home.
Looking back, how silly of me.
The gifts continue to give...and I know for sure that next year I will still remember what we gave one another this year.

Maybe I need my head examined, or what was I thinking?, or it wasn't as simple as I orginally thought, or it may appear mindless until you tackle doing one hundred of them for four different kids, OH. MY!

I thought it would be fun to make a little Christmas Countdown for the grand this year.
After seeing this really cute idea.
I decided to make these into the little countdown.
Each little packet to contain a little treat or words.

I decided to keep it really simple so the little task (sing - hum - share)  could be easily be done at the supper table.
I have to say the first fifty were pretty fun, then it somehow got really confusing and not so fun.

But now they are done and delivered..it is fun again.

I hope the Littles enjoy them.
Happy Holydays - Grands...Grandma loves you to the moon and back...and hey, if you receive a note that was intended for a cousin - just grin and carry on remembering Grandma gets confused sometimes.

Hello, nice to meet you little Bunker Bean

He came almost a toddler...at 9.9.
At only 18 hours old:

And Momma - the princess who is always smiling...has her smile on...

Dalton Samuel is here safe and sound.
He is yum-a-licious. And Hungry.
We're planning some serious baby snuggles.

The Princess has chosen

We have a winner...The winner was chosen in a very highly scientific and quality controlled manner. Nothing but the honest and true best folks, nothing but the best.
First of all Princess Little A (this little girl is truly a princess..she doesn't act like a princess, no that is not what I am saying, she IS a princess - true blue through and through) she wanted us to go to the 'castle' for the drawing,

where she waved her magic wand over the slips of paper.
Then enter Princess H - in full princess attire - minus the glass slippers, she arrives to conduct the actual drawing from the cute cardboard box.

Now for the drawing - as the suspense mounts - are you ready?

Oh look - she reaches in and draws the winning name..oh who, oh who, is it?  (Actually this is just a great way to show off a couple of our Grands and keep everyones attention, aren't they just the cutest?)

Stephanie. YAHOO - Stephanie you won Chloe.  An email is coming your way to request a mailing address. Congratulations.
We may just have to do this again, very fun. Thanks for playing along.

HeartRocks

And love the little grape hyacinths peeking up thru the crack...

These are some my Grands found for me.