This baseball season was Pryce's time to shine.  He had the highest batting average on his team.  He gained the most RBI's.  Third base had his name written all over it - his favorite spot on the field.  The season ended with an amazing double play by our guy.  The season ended and the votes were made for many yet our Pryce came out on top and gained his very own Mr. Hustle jersey.  Mr. Hustle is given to a player that has gone above and beyond during the current season.  

 And in other news, it seems as if we have a visitor....or two....in our very own backyard.  EWWW.  I am so not a snake person.  My neighbor called one day last week to say that she had seen a snake in her yard.  Then, lo and behold, Ryan found one in between our homes a day or so later.  AND then, he spotted who we think is the mama snake in a big tree in our backyard.....ack.  

Adoption news....MK and I spent four hours together on Friday doing paperwork.  We drove here and then there and then back to there and here and finally had it all done.  Four documents off to the Chinese Embassy in DC.....seven documents off to the Secretary of State in Georgia.  STILL waiting on our homestudy and hoping to get the call next week that it has been completed!  It cannot happen fast enough for Maddox.  She asks every single night when we are going to get Mary-Gentry.  

Mary Cathryn was our perfect playdate this week....MK loved being the one in charge and she kept these two little ones in step as they played house and Barbies.

 Pryce finished out his baseball season last week with a tie ballgame.

 They were trailing by 3 when all of a sudden Pryce made a double play for two outs.....

 and then turned around to bat and hit another double hit and eventually made his way across home plate one last time.

 On field, you could see a lot of this - the coaches doing their job, giving the children an earful on what to be ready for next.

 All in all, it was a great reason to celebrate after the game at one of our favorites, Brusters!

 Our week ended with two surprises....one, we visited my niece at her school and surprised her during lunch....two, then we left and went to visit my grandmother for the afternoon.  She was so happy to see all of us!

 Sweet Ellison....how fast time flies!  Ellison is our great-niece and we were lucky to spend some time with her over the weekend too!  

 Barbie bikes and boys....what in the world?!  MK is determined to ride her bike without training wheels so we took them off while visiting Ryan's parents.  Both boys took it upon themselves to give the Barbie bike a little cruise around the driveway and it was hard to pull them away....

 "Don’t let worldly fears get in your way if you are contemplating adopting. It’s God’s thing and He will make those fears into something wonderful."

I read the above statement on another blog and LOVED it.  So.very.true.  

The Graduate

MK and her favorite Kindergarten teacher

They are kindred spirits.  

 I think my favorite MK quote this year was about this little boy.....she proclaimed, "Mommy, he is a smarty AND a cutie!"  And she could not be more on target!  

 The three amigos.  We were so glad to see MK develop relationships with her peers.  She is a true girl....she found her "crew" and they stuck together like glue most of the year.  

And now with Kindergarten behind us, we have moved on to First Grade.  MK has been delighted to spend some one-on-one time with me during the past week.  She is reading like no one's business and her math skills are blowing me away!  One smart cookie indeed!

On a Mary-Gentry note, we are moving right along with our paperwork and hope to have our completed homestudy in our hands by the end of June.  We anticipate the rough draft to be complete this week but it must pass through several hands before the stamp of final approval is given.  

Reality

Truth be known, today hit hard. 

On a day to day basis, it is so easy to go on with our day to day lives, living, doing, and doing and living....not even blinking an eye that our girls were born with a congenital birth defect.  

They are so smart.

And loving.

And capable.

And determined.

And healthy.

And happy.

Etc., etc.

We came home with each of them knowing that multiple surgeries were in their future.  Not one.  Not two.  Probably three or four along with extensive orthodontic care.

But, firsthand, I can tell you that "knowing" a child will need surgeries and "living" a child through surgeries are two different things.  I remember taking magazines to read when MK had her palate repaired.  What in the world was I thinking?!  That was the longest 3 1/2 hours of.my.life. 

Reality.  She was no longer the child in the picture we had stared at for months.  She was my daughter, a part of me, and I could not wait to get the next update call from the OR telling me that she was ok.  

Fast forward five years. 

Today, MK and I went for an ortho consultation.  I totally anticipated them saying something to the effect of her not being ready for her big bone grafting surgery where they take bone from the hip and graft it in the gumline.  However, reality hit and we are closer than I wanted to hear.  Like, six months we will begin the official grafting prep.  Again, this is something we knew was coming but I wanted to cry when I actually heard the doctor state that it was needed sooner rather than later.  

And I looked at MK's face and I could tell she was scared.  

She is only six.  And my heart hurt today for her and for what she will endure.  

I cannot believe that MK is finishing her Kindergarten year!  It has flown by.  Monday the Kindergarten classes did an alphabet parade around the school.  MK's letter was "A" and she was an American Girl Doll.  

Of course, from the day she got her letter assignment, she wished over and over that her letter could have been "P".....she is a princess from head to toe:)

Tuesday was all about Maddox.  Her first year of ballet came to an end and she was so excited to twirl and dance for us!

She had such a sweet little class and her teachers were extra loving to her, especially in the beginning when she wasn't so sure that going into a classroom without mommy was such a great idea.

Wednesday was all about MK finishing her fourth year of ballet.  She did a magnificent job this!  

Extra bonus was having Miss Addison.  MK adores her!  

And Thursday was MK's field day.....

the competition was running high in the gym.  MK was chosen to do the Teacher Game....intense is the only word to describe this one and she took her job seriously as she helped build her obstacle and then climb through it without knocking it down....yikes.

Friday was spent working in the fields aka strawberry picking with friends.

This little one was so careful to pick the reddest of berries and then take the green stems off one by one before placing them into her container.  

And MK was done in no time with her container and ready to move on to cutting them up to eat:)  YUMMY!

All in a day's work....we were the last to leave the field but I do think we have a very diligent berry picker on our hands.

Of course, in between the events above, swimteam began this week in a frigid pool, Pryce continued his baseball hitting streaks with a 2 doubles and a triple!  The boy is on FIRE!  And we finished our week with our social worker who was able to do two more of our visits.....three down, ONE to go.  ***And it is important to note that the boys are not frequently photographed due to their lack of enthusiasm about my lens.  However, we love them dearly and trust that this is just a phase;)

Adoption

This week in between swimming and park playing and field day and last day ballet dances and baseball....and, and, and,.....adoption was unfolding in many different realms.

A talk with a good friend who is wanting to learn more about adoption.

A family was in China adopting their baby girl.  Disruption occurred.  Her needs were more than what had been disclosed.  Heartbreak.

News came in that a little one I have been advocating for is one step closer to coming home - LOA was received!

Some of our best friends are in Ethiopia and they were united with their three new little ones.  Take a visit to their blog www.threeitwillbe.blogspot.com.  No pictures can be shared but their story is one that is unfolding daily and God's hand is all over it!

And our own.....we have ONE more homestudy visit!  And she has a name.....Mary-Gentry....Maddox says it so sweetly!

Maddox's day to shine was Thursday during her school end of the year program.  To say that this little one has come out of her shell is an understatement.  She began the school year on the hip of her teacher, Ms. Lori.  She didn't cry but in true Maddox fashion, she wanted to be held tight.  

 Fast forward eight months, and you have a confident little girl who adores her best little friends, Mary-Kathryn (L) and Sarah (R), and one who was standing as high as she could on her tip-toes to make sure everyone could see her sing!

 She was so proud of herself and she sang loud and danced and laughed....we were all quite excited for her and her entertaining little self.

 Later, she demonstrated to us how she could pump her legs on the swing....so BIG!

 Friday began early with a little homeschool co-op field day!  Tug-o-war was game one and these boys took their parts seriously.....my boys were on opposite teams, oye!

 C really gave it his best....

 And then it was the return of the hose/tennis ball game....still not so sure of this game but everyone has a great time trying to capture the tennis balls.

 And the balloon toss....

 these two came out as the Champions of the Water Balloon Toss. 

 Then the chaos ensued.  Whoever says that homeschool mothers are calm and quiet, does not know our group.  Water balloons were flying and the adults instigated an all out war against anyone they could bust a water balloon on....the day was a great day of fun and the perfect way to end our academic year!

 Saturday, MK and I spent some much needed time together.  I will be the first to say that I have missed this little one and cannot wait to have her home with us for summer and school next year.  She is ready too!  Saturday it was just me and MK.  We were able to watch her ballet teacher perform early on at a community festival.  Then we went to birthday party number one.  And then back to the festival where we made all sorts of crafts, one being a clay pot in the shape of a heart - so cool to spin a pot!  And then it was off to birthday party number two.  I cherish the one-on-one time I get to have with my children!

 And Sunday it was all about family.  These guys knew exactly what I wanted, a day with them.  A day without all of the mayhem.  A day that began with breakfast in bed and ended with a picnic in the park which included a little baseball game too!  The greatest gift my children can ever give me is time just being with them...love my kiddos and their daddy!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers out there!  Hope your day was filled with joy!