WHILE I HAVE BEEN SICK...

Because I am sick, today Taiger looks like this:

At least he is feeling a little better!!

While I have been sick, Taiger has had to entertain himself. Here are some of the various activities I have seen him do to keep himself from being bored to tears while Mommy lays in bed sick...very, very sick...:

TOOK THE VACCUUM HOSTAGE

SAT AROUND NAKED BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ONE TO DRESS HIM.

SAT IN A BUCKET

SAT IN A BUCKET AND READ TO HIMSELF

SICK

WE. ARE. SO. SICK.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SPRING TIME!!!!!

Everyone at our house is SICK! Poor Taiger even has a fever!! It is rotten, but today the sun was shining! And, despite the sickness coursing through his tiny body, I decided it would do Taiger and I both some good to go out in the sunshine. So, I bundled Taiger up and I pushed him in his little swing in the sun. At one point I asked him, "Do you know Mommy loves you?" He smiled so big and nodded. It warmed my heart!!!!! He then told me happily, "You smell like Breclyn". This cracked me up!! The dirt beneath the swing was exposed, the grass having been worn away from many tiny feet, and the snow was melted away. Taiger inhaled and told me he loves that smell. I asked him if he knew what that smell was, and when he said no, I told him it was the dirt. I am glad he likes that crisp, heady smell. As I pushed Taiger in his swing, I sang to him, something I always do when he is swinging. Today, I sang all the songs I knew about sunshine, being happy and SPRING! One gives me chills, no matter how warm I am. It is so spiritual, and as I sing, the words always display in my mind such happy images, all painted in a soft, glowing sunny color of goldish yellow.

"On a golden springtime, underneath the ground,
a tiny seedling lay asleep, until the sun shone down!
AWAKE! AWAKE, oh little seed! Push upward to the light!
The day is bright! With ALL your might, reach upward to the light.

On a golden springtime, Jesus Christ awoke
and left the tomb where He had lain, the bands of death He broke.
AWAKE! AWAKE, oh sleeping world! Reach upward to the light!
The Gospel true is here for you!
Receive it's wondrous light!!!!

Taiger's Lion and Sitting Under Bar Stools

So, once Taiger held his little stuffed lion, he didn't care it was pink...HE LOVED IT! He hardly lets it go (which warms my heart...go me for picking out a good gift!).

Yesterday, he spent a good hour and a half sitting and laying under the bar stools. I couldn't figure out why he wanted to be there, but he did. I sat in the living room by him, working on the computer or talking with him, so I knew he was not stuck and was okay. I would ask him if he wanted me to hold him, if he wanted to get out and play, etc., but he was happy sitting under the bar stools with his pink lion. When he did get out, he laid on his lion. He had me bring his other favorite stuffed animal, Baby Panda, to play with lion. The three of them snuggled and wrestled. It was charming.

Gifts from Cupid set up for Taiger to see in the morning.

The pink lion...it's cute, huh?!

Taiger under his bar stool with the pink lion

Happily under the bar stool...I have a strange son! :D

Eyes that melt my heart!!!!!

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day was a happy day! Taiger gave NaiNai potted tulips and a small balloon that he picked out for himself but then wanted to give NaiNai...so sweet! That night, I went to dinner with Jeremy, and sweet little Taiger helped me get ready. It was so heart warming and endearing to have him helping me. SO CUTE! When I came home, I went into my bedroom, and our bedroom was decorated!! Earlier in the day, while I was at work, Jeremy had covered my bed AND Taiger's bed in fake rose petals. He had left chocolates, a rose and a stuffed dog on my bed, along with a cool collage of pictures of Taiger, Jeremy and me! On Taiger's bed, he had left a Pirates of The Caribbean PEZ dispenser, a box of pirate chocolates and a baseball tin with a giant cookie inside. Taiger was so excited! I could not believe it!!!! A while later, there was a knock at the door and outside was a HUGE balloon, a CUTE teddy bear and a BIG boquet of GORGOUS flowers! There was no card, so we didn't know who left them, nor did we know for whom they were! Bryttan claimed them, and we all let her. The flowers are sitting on the piano now, so we all can enjoy them anyway. The balloon is floating around the house. But the BEAR she will no share! :D She LOVES it and sleeps with it. I HAVE to just SHOUT at the top of my lungs, "THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!" to whoever left that fun Valentine! What a wonderful surprise! It was so nice of whoever left it!!!!

Yesterday, I went to the store after work and bought Taiger some Valentine's gifts and today Cupid came. (As always, we celebrated the gift giving part late, as I do on all holidays, so I can buy things on sale.) From Cupid, he got a heart shaped balloon, a stuffed lion, some Valentine's that had come with posters (I bought boxes of Valentines and gave the posters and one sheet of each kind of Valentine to Taiger...the rest we will send to my nephews and nieces who don't have much), a bag of suckers and a little box of Charlie Brown chocolates. Growing up, we always got a book on Valentine's Day, so I also gave Taiger TWO books, which I had picked up on sale MONTHS ago: Are You My Mother, and a lift-the-flap book of Bible stories. He has spent ALL MORNING looking at his little Valentine cards and his books. He didn't like the lion because it was pink ;)! Silly boy!

Taiger helping Mommy get ready

Jeremy and I out to dinner

My bed!!

Bryttan with her Valentine's gifts from our secret admirer

Taiger's First Dentist Appointment

Today was Taiger's first trip to the dentist. He LOVED it! He has been excited since I told him of his appointment last week. Today, he was so excited to go!!!!

During the visit, Taiger didn't fuss or cry one bit! He cooperated and opened his mouth readily. After his x-rays, he strutted to the chair like he owned the place. After his visit, they let him pick out a prize and he was so happy!

I was thrilled at how cozy and inviting the office was. The staff were all pleasant and kind. The nurse who took his x-rays and did the initial check-up was great, and the dentist was gentle and kind. The best part? Other than a little boy who had an appointment after us, we were the only patients there! There were also tons of toys in the waiting room...a MAJOR plus! LOL! That is my pitch for their office! HA!

Being a little bit snap-happy, I, of course, took a bunch of pictures...which I will now share with you even though you all probably have no interest.

FIRST, WE WAITED IN THE VERY COZY WAITING ROOM..

THEN, THEY TOOK SOME X-RAYS!

TAIGER WAITED IN THE CHAIR FOR THE NURSE...

WHO THEN CLEANED TAIGER'S TEETH!

ATruly GREAT Adventure

My life is not my own. It is God's to do with as He will. Am I supposed to go to Africa this summer? Am I supposed to go to China? Am I supposed to get married? Am I supposed to marry Jeremy (WHO I LOOOOOVE!!!)? Am I supposed to adopt? Am I supposed to finish school (I mean, of course I AM supposed to, but I just mean, am I supposed to NOW, before anything else)? WHAT?! The best part of all this wondering is that I don't have to wonder!!!!!! GOD KNOWS! I just have to put my faith in Him. I also cannot push His time. God's will will come to pass in His time. He is greater than I. He is greater than CHina, than Africa, than the millions of orphans, than all the pain and suffering the this world. He is greater, and He has a plan! He knows how all this will work out. I just need to trust in His will, AND in His time! I cannot force God's timing. As Frodo Baggins says, "Short cuts make long delays". And so it is with taking short cuts in life. If we try to take short cuts get where we wish to be NOW, we will only cause ourselves heartache and pain. And so I wait. I wait for God to reveal to me His plan for me. I am excited to see what He has in store. What a great adventure!!

Here are some fun pictures! I wanted to arrange and label all of them, but my computer is being belligerent so they are just all up at the top and random. HA! Well, my cousin, Zach, his wife, mother and sweet little boy came to visit. They came to our warehouse and we all visited. It was wonderful! Enjoy the pictures!!

WAITING TO ADOPT! And Taiger Loves To Pretend!!

I KNOW I am supposed to adopt. I just KNOW it. However, WHEN is another issue all together. I know I can't adopt right now...but I HATE the waiting!! Other parents on the group at least know for what they are waiting...for a home study, for their referral, for their I-600 A approval, for a court date, for a travel date, for their child to come home...I know the process...I know for what they are all waiting. But what is it that I must wait for?? To be healthy? To be rich? To be married (that could be forever!)? I suppose that is the most difficult part. To not know why I must wait when I long to adopt. It is also hard because I want Taiger to have siblings, and I don't want them to be too far apart in age. Yet I know right now isn't the right time. However, I don't know if it is just not to happen now, as in THIS SECOND, or now, as in for the next year, or few years! Maybe "my" child isn't ready yet, and I just must wait until he/she is ready! It could happen tomorrow, or it could be months. I keep my eyes open, though, looking for a face that looks "familiar" to me...then I will know it is time to adopt.

Okay, okay...enough of my complaining! HA HA! You know, despite the fact I can't adopt right now, I feel really, really blessed! I have my little Taiger boy...I am so blessed and lucky to have him! I love him SO MUCH! There are so many couples out there unable to have children, and who cannot adopt, and I just feel so blessed to have my Taiger boy. He is so sweet and cute and I love him so much! I love it when he says, "Mommy? I love you!"

Tonight, Taiger was playing "baby". It went on for so long! But I loved it! He reminds me of myself when I was little...full of imagination! He LOVES to pretend and play make-believe.