Oh Happy Day!

Some out-takes from a recent photo session for a partnership between 

Sparrow Fund and Laureen Burke Photography.

Love these candid images!

Fields of Gold

You'll remember me when the west wind moves 

upon the fields of barley.

You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky 

as we walk in fields of gold.

Silly Saturday Morning

I filled most of my time waiting for Isabel either reading or writing blog posts. I lived vicariously experiencing what motherhood would be like... especially to a tiny Chinese baby girl.


I also remember being disappointed when folks would suddenly slow down their blog posting after the chid got home. And while I know, logically, that this was an inevitably reality, I found myself sort of sad. I wanted to know what  Life After the Adoption was like.

The irony, of course, being that I am now one of those people.

Life continues. All the more busy with this new baby>toddler>little girl. And so, I find myself with a child at the halfway point of her Kindergarten year and stand in awe at how quickly it has all passed.

Life is good. Isabel fills my life with joy. She is a pack rat, a lover of laughter, the ocean and cheese.

And so, if anyone is still reading this blog, here are some photos from yesterday morning. They totally convey her personality.

Late Spring Arrival

March, a month of blossoming...
a month of growth... a month of love...
though late eventide has not appeared
in my room window
the air states spring is on its way
to wrap and engulve the joy
of sweet freshness.

~ Celine Berghmans

Head....

to tail

Yup! That's his tongue.

Bird that Scared the Tar out of Isabel

Stunning Animal

Beautiful weather,

amazingly rich zoo,

spring breaking through in smiles and blossoms ...

a perfect afternoon.

New Blog

Last month I read several blogs who were participating in Project 365. Basically, it is a challenge to post a picture a day for a year. At the end of the year you get a glimpse into what your day-to-day life was like. There was something about it that I both liked (capturing an image a day) and didn't like (it was too broad for me). Then I saw a variation that I really liked over at Stepping on Legos. Nicki chose to take the challenge but focus on one color a month. She posted this at the end of the month and I just loved it! It was just what I needed to get started.

And so... I started another blog to capture daily images of our life with a monthly color theme. I started February first and just finished the first week. The color theme this month is RED. You can check it out here.

B+W Wednesday

"Water, Water Everywhere..."

After going to the symphony to see a Green Eggs and Ham concert

(you just got to love cities that encourage a love for classical music from a young age),

a friend and I headed down by the river with the girls

who ended up having an absolute blast playing in the fountain.

It was a much appreciated afternoon in the 70s.

Not bad for January!

{Click on pics to make them larger}

Water Nymphs

Post-Symphony fun.

Wings and Springs

Who knew a fairy outfit and a Slinky could be so fun?

No Need for the Wii...

An afternoon play date turned into pure energy once the music began.

(Now.. if there were some way for me to bottle it, I could be a millionaire.)

Variations on a Theme

After a rather eventful morning [Florida welcomes Arctic Tundra weather, a bottle of water accidently spilling on beloved teddy in the car, arriving at church to find out the schedule has been changed and we are 2 hours early!], Isabel and I decided to head on home and make some ornaments for Valentine's Day.

I had originally planned on making these for Christmas but the time got away. And so... warm and toasty, back at home, with a log in the fireplace, we decided on a variation on a theme. I followed the same directions but limited the cookie cutter shape to a heart. The fun part came when we used pieces from Isabel's Snap Jewelry Kit on the dough. The designs turned out quite beautiful. We poked holes in the top of the hearts with a straw and have them drying on a cookie sheet. Afterward, we'll string them with sheer ribbon and hang them across the doorway in our dining room. It should be sweet. (Thanks for the idea, Lucia!)