Potty!

Ok. I just had to jump on here and tell you that Ava went potty for the very first time yesterday! I started explaining the whole process and preparing her to "go." Well, she sat down and before I knew it, she had gone potty! It will take awhile to know when to go, but she's off to a good start!

Also, by now you know I LOVE music, and Josh Wilson is possibly one of the greatest singer/songwriters out there right now. I found his new song on the playlist and it is SO encouraging. So, I'm putting it on here as number two for you to hear. If you or someone you know is walking through a hard time (on any given day, right?) this song will provide a good dose of hope. I love it! I really need to get a CD of his. Whenever I hear a new song I really like, it's usually him. The song is called, "Before the Morning." Yes!

Blessings to all today, and more pics coming right up very soon!

A Beautiful Easter Afternoon

Later in the afternoon, we loaded the car and headed to my Aunt Syd and Uncle Lonnie's house for our annual Easter meal. Lacy and Wes, two of my cousins, couldn't be there this year and we really missed them. Also, there's always a bittersweetness to Easter for my family as we remember my grandfathers, Jewel (PaPaw) who passed away Good Friday and Earl, (Pa), who passed away Easter morning both in 1998. The bitter part is that we all miss them and my grandmothers dearly and long to be with them again, and the sweetness is that they are with the Lord and I'll get to SEE them again someday in that place where there is NO more suffering! To be absent from the body is to be present with Lord, and at Easter and always, I remember this hope that I have.

We ate a yummy lunch and then made our way outside for the family Easter egg hunt! We used plastic eggs and animals this year for Ava, and she had a ball walking around and finding them and putting them in her basket. We all enjoyed the beautiful weather and a chance to be together, relax and rejoice in our Savior!

Happy Easter everyone!



A joyful picture with Mimi and Papa who Ava has started calling "Popi." Not Popeye :)



Opening some Easter treats.



The egg hunt traditions continue!



On the go to find more eggs.



Sharing a leaf with Popi.

Celebrating Easter Morning

This time last year, Ava was about 8 months old...



Now, Ava is almost 20 months old!



Just before Easter, Ava watched Daddy mow the front yard, and Mimi and Papa came over to celebrate Easter with Ava and bring her some Easter goodies.






He is Risen! Hallelujah!

We woke up to a beautiful spring Easter morning and came downstairs to surprise Ava with her Easter basket. She enjoyed her basket so much more this year and really played with her toys. We ate breakfast and relaxed for a little bit and then I headed off to church to help the kiddos in the peacock nursery. Ava was a peacock before she was a monkey. There are days when I miss the peacock in her! :)





Saki showing satisfaction about the rabbit she probably thinks is hers.



Daddy and Ava donned their Easter attire and met me at church and we got a few monkey pictures. The little girls with those fancy sunglasses are Scarlett and Sapphire and they are very tender with Ava. Ava got her finger pinched in a toy a few weeks back and they gathered around her and patted her and were very concerned about her boo boo. Toddler love is so sweet.



We then came home and set up to take our traditional Easter pictures in the backyard. I can't believe how much Ava has grown!












Whew, I'm glad to be comfortable and finished with pictures... for now!

Early Spring Photos

Without technology, life really did simplify for me these last few weeks. While life still remained busy, it seems that I had more time to simply sit down and recuperate than feel pressured to keep up with my in-box etc. As frustrating as loss of e-mail and blog was, it helped me reevaluate how I spend my time. You might say after two weeks that I kind of got used to life without a computer. I relied on "old-fashioned" communication methods, like a phone book, getting roofing and siding references from a neighbor, and the telephone. I realized how much I really use the computer for these days - a blessing but not always the best form of communication. So while we're back on-line, I hope to go off-line a little more and really get in-touch with those around me.

Let's see. I'll start playing catch-up by posting a few pictures from the last few weeks. These are just some fun pictures of life around the house. Ava is almost 20 months old and is full of life and energy! As she continues to grow and learn and change this spring, we are beginning to watch the China dates like hawks, waiting for her baby sister. We are very close and are in preparation mode now. They have processed through the 17th of April of 2006, and our date of log-in is the 28th. We are predicting that we'll be in the batch of referrals month after next. So, as we make room in our house for Maia, I'm ever mindful of the large room that has remained in my heart waiting to be filled with the knowledge and fulfillment of who Maia is. Life is about to get a whole lot crazier. Here we go with pictures!

Eating Bernie-O's.



I just had to post this picture of Ben and his crazy friend, Eric. There's never a dull moment around here! We had to get this chair to the basement somehow...



What ever is a girl to wear? Ava didn't miss an opportunity to join in on the closet cleaning. This was our making room for Maia's clothes day. I have kept most of Ava's clothes for Maia to wear. She'll likely be a little peanut, so I've saved clothes back to 6 months. Other adoptive moms are telling me that she may fit into them, but we won't know until the referral comes. It sure does make for a stuffed closet!





The tu-tu outfit is actually a swimsuit! She loves wearing it around the house. Oh, the days of being fashionably unconscious. :)

All Systems Go!

Hi, everyone,

Yippee-ki-yay! We are BACK on-line, and I am really glad to be blogging and reading normal size e-mails again! As you might guess, I'm behind on posting pictures, so I'm going to play catch-up this week. This isn't a very busy week and none of us are sick, so I'm going to hopefully get a lot accomplished, one being pictures on the blog!

Ben's parents, brother and their dog, Maxi, visted us this weekend, and we had a wonderful time together and enjoyed being outside in this beautiful spring weather! So, for now, I'm off to get cleaned up, and I'll be back this afternoon with some spring/Easter pictures. Whoohoo!

Love to all,

Emily, Ben and Ava

ps- Happy Birthday to my dear friend Treva and Karen A., we can't wait to see you and Paul and Davis this week! It's been too long!

still here!

Oh my. I know you guys wonder what has happened to us. We've not had any internet service for over a week and have been waiting for it to be fixed. I can't blog and post pictures and itms drivingg me crazy! I'm posting from ben's tiny keyboard phone which takes forever. We had a wonderful easter and are all officially well. I apologize for leaving you with a gloomy post. I'll be back up with loads of pictures just as soon as I'm able.

Joy to everyone this spring! I apologize for the typos in this. I need a toothpick for this keyboard!!

Just Sitting... Waiting

If you haven't popped over to Angie Smith's post on the Incourage site, I really encourage you to do so. It really blessed this weary sick soul today who's feeling the grayness of the weather outside. I still feel weak and weary after the illnesses I've had lately that have consumed me.

I needed a fruit-filling today - just getting my feet wet again in the spring mud as I walk with Him. He knows that lately, I've not even had the strength to walk - just sit with chin propped in hand and elbow on knee saying, "I'm tired Lord. I don't have an ounce of fruit to give others. Fill these empty places. Hear my heart prayers for people."

And He who is faithful sits in the mud with me and tenderly strokes my hair and says, "It'll be alright. I'm with you. Let me fill you and help you pick all of these mother weeds that are threatening your peace."

If you missed the post, it was posted on March 29th. It's worth reading.