Our day at the aquarium....these guys had quite the time together!

And the girls, well, they spent their time entertaining themselves....

Pryce did some hands-on learning.....

And we all needed a good pic together.....

And, then, outside, MK made friends with this "girly" dolphin....

And, the boys, well, they decided to imitate their dolphin of choice....

And, then, the trip to Atlanta was over. And life began to take a turn for our boys.....an Athens-bound turn. Though I do believe our boys' hearts remain dedicated to their beloved Clemson Tigers, they are showing signs of peer influence when it comes to football. Today, they attended their very first Georgia Bulldog game - my hands struggle to type those words! Not only did they attend the game with their very best friends, they also were treated to box seats (thank you Aunt Becca!)! They were beyond impressed! They came home and talked non-stop for 30 minutes about the game!

This week has been a roller coaster....one day we were climbing up and needing help, the next day we were coasting by with the air streaming through our hair, and then repeat. The highlights include

• Pryce pitched for the first time ever during his opening season game of Fall baseball. (Struck the guys out, yes he did!)
• Ryan left on Sunday for a week of work away from home.
• We met up with the Gruskin family in Atlanta for a day of play at the Georgia Aquarium. (It happened to be a memorable day for us all as it was also the re-adoption day of little Junie)
• The children and I spent the night in a hotel located by one of our favorite places - Northpoint Mall. It is a fave because it has something for everyone - Apple store for my guys; American Girl for my girls; and, drum roll please.....Cheesecake Factory for ME! Yummm.
• The hotel was great fun, until, the fire alarm went off at midnight. The alarm was the loudest, most piercing sound I have ever heard. And it went off forever. And my kiddos, all four of them, slept right through it. Unbelievable. I spent the next hour lying awake in bed trying to figure out just how I would manage to get all four of my children to safety if there truly was a fire.
• I was getting the children ready for bed. There was a room with two double beds and then another room with a pull out couch. I slated the girls to sleep on the pull out couch. MK was most upset. When I asked her what was wrong she said, "I want someone to sleep with me in here." I said, "Mason-Kate, Maddox is going to sleep with you in here and mommy and the boys will be right in the next room - the door will be wide open and I will leave a light on so you can see." She immediately began to protest and cried out, "No, mommy, I need a HUMAN in here with me!"

Alas, Friday came. It was a long week for all involved. I think in all of our thirteen years of marriage and our two years of dating, this was by far the longest we have ever been away from one another. And our children. MK seems to be our one with words lately and she said the cutest thing tonight when we went to pick up Finley from the kennel. Giggling she cried out, "I am so happy. It is so much fun getting our family back together again!"

Six Months

Six months ago today, we met her. She was already a part of us, but on this day six months ago, we got to touch her sweet skin and embrace her in our arms. We were all in awe. And we were oh so excited to see her. She was so very scared.

This picture pretty much says it all. Her left hand is scratching her head - she did this a lot those first few day. Stress.

And then, ever so slowly, she began to show her sweet self.....

And she began to let down her guard.....

And this happened! A smile. Life. No more stress filled eyes. No more scratching. Just love. And hugs. And kisses. And laughter. This little girl who laid stiff across my lap on Gotcha Day, now goes limp in my arms when she is held - she is a cuddly little one. She gives random hugs and kisses to everyone, even Finley. She is a parrot, trying to copy every thing that MK says. She is a girl of many styles - she feels the more items she can get on her little body, the better off she is; either that or she is trying to make a fashion statement. She loves, loves, loves chocolate. And peanut butter. Especially when served together:) She loves a good, overstuffed purse to carry on her shoulder. And she loves shoes....her shoes, the boys shoes, MK's shoes, my shoes, anyone's shoes. Our one obstacle is leaving her. When left at home with a sitter, she is fine. No tears. Even goes to bed without a fuss. However, take her to church and she will scream, scream, scream, the.entire.time.we.are.not.with.her. We have tried it all - we have gone with her for several weeks, MK has gone with her, we have taken a blankie with her, her favorite doll has visited the class - and she still cries. I know I have mentioned this in probably every post lately, but it is truly an obstacle that wrings on my heart. She did keep it honest this past Sunday. MK asked her on the drive to church if she was going to cry. Maddox politely nodded her head yes. And sure enough, she cried. At least she is honest. Beyond that, Maddox is doing great. She has grown 3 inches, gained 3 pounds, says a firm, "NO!" Six months later, and life is good.

MKisms

MK says, "Hey mom, I can hear my heart beeping!"

When it is barely raining, MK proclaims, "Mommy, it is dribbling outside."

Out of the blue today, she announced that possums are nocturnal animals. So I asked her what that meant and she explained in great detail how possums sleep while we are awake, etc.

The other morning, I went up to get her out of bed and I walked in to find my baby girl without a shirt on and her hair in a pony tail. For one, she takes her shirt off at night and carefully places it under her pillow - this is how she sleeps. For two, she found a rubber band and maneuvered it into her hair, a perfect ponytail.