because I'm a blogging mom

Now that it's warmer, we have been leaving the back door open some. Bates can open it and he goes in and out to the back yard (which is fenced) by himself. And let me just say, I'm loving it! It gives him such a sense of freedom and he can play outside by himself and be safe!

He normally just goes onto the patio and yells for the dogs. He's yet to really venture into the grass unless I come out with him.

Yesterday morning, after breakfast Bates went out the back door and I started to clean up the breakfast mess. I saw him down at the back of the yard chasing Barley. All of a sudden he was hollering for me. It wasn't a hurt cry, more like a scared cry.

I was in the process of getting my camera anyway so I headed out the door with it.

I snapped a few pictures as he was running towards me.
He was hollering "Help! Momma! Cold!"

Of course I scooped him up and took him in but I couldn't help but laugh when I saw this picture.
Poor little guys socked feet had gotten wet and then cold! We took his cold wet socks off and warmed his feet up and put some dry ones on him and he was good as new.

One more time, just cause it makes me laugh....

Welcome Home, Olivia!

If I had a top five list of favorite places in the world, at the airport for an adoption homecoming would for sure be in the top three!

This weekend we had the honor to stand in the crowd and welcome home sweet Olivia from South Korea.

Olivia's momma and I met at an adoption support group meeting. We became friends, of course. I think both Laura and I could be friends with anyone. I got to witness some of the most gracious waiting for Travel Call I've ever seen. Olivia was referred to her forever parents just days shy of the agency running out of Emigration Permits. They had a long 10 month wait, with few updates and pictures, before they could finally bring Olivia home. I was amazed at the grace, courage, and patience Laura and John had during their wait. But the day finally came and they walked through security with their daughter!

We had to wake sleeping beauty up from his nap to get to the airport!
Not only were we there to welcome home Olivia, but there was another group there to welcome home a sibling group of three from Ethiopia. Yeah for another airport homecoming!

And another added bonus, as we were waiting for Olivia a whole bunch of soldiers were coming home. I stood witness to the sweetest mother and son moment. Down the terminal walks this soldier and from the crowd this little boy shouts "MOMMA" and takes off running to jump in his mother's arms. I don't think there was a dry eye in the group. We were privileged to welcome home these soldiers!
All of Bates' buddies were supposed to be there, but they were all sick, so Bates represented the Korean kiddos by himself.

But Silas was there in spirit on his momma's cell phone!
Laura's friends has the most organized airport homecoming ever. They had shirts made for all the kiddos with their names in Korean monogrammed on the front and tons of super cute signs!Laura's parents traveled with them and here's the tired and very proud grandparents coming home. Sweet Annelyn couldn't wait to hug her grandmother!And then down the terminal came the family of three.
And I'm not the only one who makes their husband carry all the bags!

Annelyn ran to give her YaYa a hug and get a look at her cousin.
Sweet Olivia just wasn't so sure.
The welcoming party continued, but chasing my two year old trumped taking lots of pictures.


We are so glad they are home and Olivia is now safe in her mom and dad's arms! Olivia is a tiny tot, just like B. She is almost as tall as him, though. I sure do love all these tiny tot Koreans!

Welcome home, O, Welcome Home!

Heart and Seoul

Tonight we celebrated our first and last Valentine's day as a family of three!

Nick and I did a babysitting swap with our friends, Amber and Troy over the weekend. Nick and I got a date night on Saturday. We went to see The King's Speech. Great movie, we really enjoyed it. And it's the first movie we've seen since Bates has been home!
Bates had a Valentine's Party at school today.
Bates is really into Mickey Mouse, so I made him a Mickey Valentine mailbox and Mickey Valentines with handmade chocolate heart suckers.
Nick called me an overachiever. But dang, they were cute.Bates got a valentine in the mail from his grandmother and granddad. He carried it around for a while. When Dad got home from work he asked him whose valentine he had and he said "MINE!" He asked him again whose it was and he said "BATS!" (aka Bates)

Bates also came home with this laminated art project. I'm pretty sure the red hand prints are supposed to make a heart, but my little guy he's just so into doing his own thing. We call it creativity!Today I planned a fun family dinner. I wanted it to be special for Bates and something a little different. I used Mickey Mouse, his favorite, to decorate.


We were going to have a heart shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's but they were OUT! Bummer. So we ordered Jet's deep dish, which is better anyways. And I made chocolate fondue for dessert. We had all the dessert fixings to dip, strawberries, pretzels, marshmallows, and bananas. Bates loved it!




Then we let Bates open his little gifts.

He got Mickey Mouse stickers, a mini Mickey Mouse that fits perfectly in his pop-it (pocket), and a stuffed Mickey dolls.




He kept giving Mouse hugs and kisses!


He LOVED them. He carried the mini Mickey figurine and Mouse doll around the rest of the night. In fact, Mouse even went night night with him!

the Asian red-neck

Last week I was reading my friend, Julie's blog. Julie's son Will is oh.so.adorable! He and Bates are destined to be big buds. Julie had Will dressed in a "wife beater" as a joke and I asked her where did she find them, cause you know, every good TN boy needs him a wife beater.

Today in the mail, guess what Bates got!

My little Asian red neck! I find this simply hysterical!

It just so happened he had on his UT sweat pants which makes it that much more funny!






And my favorite shot, for some reason he wanted his pants off and then he "mowed". If that doesn't say Tennessee red neck, I don't know what does!

Watch me grow: February

It's time for our monthly Watch Me Grow.

Some little fella did not want to have to sit in the chair to have his picture made. We had a meeting after church, so Bates didn't get down for a nap till 2 so he was just waking up when his aunts and uncles started showing up to watch the Superbowl. So needless to say, he would have rather been playing with them then taking pictures.

It took letting him hold his "mouse sishing" to get the picture, but hey, pick your battles, right.


Then we had to add the hat.
Some tid bits for the month.

• As you can tell, we are still really big into "mouse"
• Bates loves to read his Bible. He brings it to me all the time and asks me to read it. He carries it around the house and will sit in his chair and read it to me. It sounds like this "..... gibberish.... Bible.... gibberish..... happy..... gibberish.... Bible.... gibberish.... Jesus."
• When we rock him at night Nick and I sing him some songs. He's started singing along with us and it's so cute. He only sings one word from each song over and over. Here are his favorites: Put me in your pocket-he sings "pop-its". Jesus loves me-he sings "Jesus". You are my sunshine- he sings "happy" (this one is my favorite!)
• I'm back to just being "momma", but Nick is officially "my daddy" and it's kinda endearing.
• It seems like every day he has new words and he's speaking so clearly now.
• He calls himself "BATs" with the emphasis on "BAT" and he can identify Brodie in pictures. He kisses his pictures and calls him "Brobie"

I'll leave you with this picture. Check out the size of the fish Bates caught!