Wordless Wednesday

Memories...Old and New

"Watermelon smiling on the vine.
It's summertime and watermelon time.
It's red in the middle and green on the top.
Makes your tongue go flip-a-de flop
Watermelon smiling on the vine."

"Watermelon smiling on the vine.
It's summertime and watermelon time.
It's green on the top and red in the middle.
Just as sweet as a tune on a fiddle.
Watermelon smiling on the vine."

I can still hear my grandaddy singing this song....and soooo many others. Most of my memories of him when I was a child had a little tune in them. Even sitting at the kitchen table for lunch, he'd sing a quick, funny little something just to make me laugh. I have a cassette tape of us singing together and it's just priceless. These are the types of memories I want Sophie to have. Simple afternoons, fun little tunes. Just days filled with whatever her little imagination comes up with. Thank you Gradaddy....miss you.

Sophie's Stories

I'm about to attempt to tell a story that unbeknown to me started Sept 16, 2008 and unfolded before my eyes August 11, 2009. There are many sides to this story. Today I will focus on mine, giving insight to some others. Where to start....Just days after receiving our referral, I was on the ball and send out my first care package to our daughter. In it was a disposable camera. We had the film developed in China and of course looked at them just as soon as our guide brought them back to us. But it was when we got home that I REALLY looked at them. It seemed that most of them were taken in the same place, same time, just snapping to use up the film. However in one of those shots, standing beside Sophie was this adorable little two year old. It deeply sadden me. Thinking that this child would never get a chance to have a family of her own. I remember telling my mom that I would go back and get this child in a heartbeat! For the past 11 months I have often though of this little girl.....Fast forward to last Monday....I received a email from Savannah's mom telling me about this women and her little girl Jazmyn Rose.
"Last week I got an amazing e-mail from a very nice lady named ___MRS.K___ who had accidentally came across Savannah's web page (the first one we had, through adoption voyages). She was blown away at finding out her daughter's gottcha day was on the day same as ours, in the same city of Chongqing, and her daughter was from the same orphanage. She gave me her daughter's web site and I just broke into tears and was stunned, I grabbed my orphanage photos and told Brian I thought the little girl I had been praying for was this Lady's daughter. I e-mailed her attaching a pic of the little girl sitting on steps with Savannah and she instantly e-mailed back in tears saying yes, yes this was her daughter Jazmyne."
Jazmyn would help take care of and play with some of the smaller children. Her mother is trying to locate these babies for varies reasons. One being that her agency did not allow her to send a camera to China therefore she is hoping to get precious pictures of her daughter before she came home. Another reason is to reach out to the Qian Jiang Babies that her daughter loved and cared for. (This little girl has an awsome story.) There have been so many families to come forward with pictures of her daughter that she wanted to try to give back too! She has pictures of some of the Qian Jiang babies just as they were getting out of the van. Their FIRST few minutes on the streets of Chongqing, right before they would meet their new families. So she has been trying to find these families. SOOOO, on Tuesday, August the 11th, two mothers who never met, we able to give each other a very precious gift.....Pictures of their little girls! Thank you so much Melinda for forwarding that to me. Pictures are just priceless!

The Call...Sophie DAY!

One year ago today....for me this day will be forever burned into my memory. This is the day my dream became a reality. After all that time of dreaming of my daughter, in no way could I have EVER imagined this glorious child. That morning we knew that we would receive our call that day. (our agency makes calls a day later than most)We had no idea what TIME it would be. Finally that afternoon the phone rings and at that time what sounded like the most beautiful voice in the world says..."It's a girl!" Then came the details...name, birthday, weight, her love of music, it was to say the least, surreal. Next she says..."I have send you an email with her picture!" Folks...that was the longest afternoon of my life! The first time I saw my daughter, I wanted my husband to be with me! So the wait began...again! But he did come home early. I was ready too. Ya know, you never really know what your reaction will be. When we sat down at that table and downloaded that picture, I just knew the first thing I'd do was cry, but I didn't. (that came about five minutes later) I was in SHOCK. Is this for real! I had been addicted to RQ and seeing referrals every month for the past year. It was like, ok is she really mine. Man,,,what an awesome day that was. And I know most don't celebrate referral day, but after three looong years of waiting, today, at Conner Lane, it's Sophie Day! And to all my travel buddies...Happy One Year Referral Day!

Pictures!

Moma's little helper! Sophie just loves helping me fix dessert. And believe it or not this is her first time eating corn ON the cobb. Normally I cut it off for her. Then of course I had to put in her chill down mode picture. This is a normal evening at home. She usually chills out on the couch for about thirty minutes (around 7:30) before going to bed. Couldn't ya just squeeze those cheeks!

Getting Back to Normal

Things have calmed down alot around here. It's been really nice. I thought this weekend was suppose to be a total wash out, so I planed to stay in....do some much needed cleaning and also cook a big meal. And that's pretty much what I did even though the sun did come out and I could hear the pool calling me...I stayed in. I rather enjoyed it too. It was therapeutic! William and the boys went crabbin'. (good thing I cooked) Sophie and I had the house to our selves!
Sophie is doing some major teething right now. Poor thing. She's cutting six teeth. How long does it take for those bad boys to come in! Two started coming in a couple of weeks ago and they are still not all the way through. She's been really good though. A little cranky and clingy, but who can blame her.
Oh and her new word right now..."com'on!" and she has the hand motion down pat too.
And the whole watch what you do thing....I take one dog to work with us and this week, I got a little busy in the office with a customer while Razz decides to gulp down some water. As I turn to see shoe strings hanging down each side of his mouth, here comes Sophie to the rescue. She saw mommy was busy and ran into the kitchen, grabbed his slobber rag and began to wipe his mouth. It was too cute. She sure does keep her eye on mommy during the day!
Next week looks rather calm too. Our only appointments are at the salon!