27 months old

At 27 months old, Rocco is a very active little boy. He is always busy and on the go. Most recently he . . .

1) is sleeping in his own bed!!! (His first night was June 13th)
2) has learned the colors blue, red, purple, and yellow / he goes around telling us the color of everything around him

3) uses the potty when we set him on it AND he says, "Poo poo"
4) walks down steps without holding on to our hands or the railing
5) signs and says "Granddaddy"
6) loves to ride anything (tractor, golf cart, car, truck, toys)
7) makes the sound of a train
8) calls us by our names without prompting
9) says "mama" instead of whining when he wants me
10) kisses me and winks at me when he wants something or when I've told him No

11) enjoys hiding (he puts his finger up to his lips and says, "Shhhh")

12) cuts his eyes sharply to the corner to make his flirting look (daddy taught him this)

13) makes himself fall backwards in his blue chair and laughs so hard he gets us tickled

14) sits through a movie for about 25 minutes ("Spirit" Disney horse movie)

15) enjoys shows like the Wiggles, Tigger and Pooh, Little Einsteins, Curious George, and Handy Manny

16) continues to grow every day (he is tall enough for a 2T but his waist and bottom are small enough for a 9 month)

17) still takes a bottle at night

18) shows early signs of reading. When he plays with the letter magnets on the fridge or when he looks at words on a page he'll say, "Ahh, iii, ahhh, ooo, eee."

VBS 2008

VBS is one of our favorite times of year. It is always exciting to see what God is going to do.
The theme was "Outrigger Island" (A Hawaiian Luau). This year was our first Vacation Bible School at Lakeview Baptist. Jason has been the pastor there since last November, and I knew our church family were in for a real treat because they'd never seen the crazy/dancing/cheering/kid-loving side of him before. He led our songs and closing ceremony with so much enthusiasm. On Friday the girls were declared the winners for the Penny March, and Jason got a pie in the face! All of the money collected went to missions.

I loved watching Rocco get involved with the "AAAAHHH Pizza Hut, Ahh Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Ahh Pizza Hut, McDonalds" song. And yes, I know this song has nothing to do with church, but the kids loved it. Rocco also did the motions to "Father Abraham". His Nana Carolyn stayed with him in his 2/3 year old class.

It was very new to him because he'd never stayed in the nursery at this church before. So with all the commotion, swarm of kids, new teacher, and just the entire 3 hour activity packed night, he was somewhat overwhelmed. He did not like to stay in his class during the story time. I'm not sure why because Ms. Penny was so sweet, and Maile was even in his class. He cried off and on so Jason had to join him. In the end, he did do crafts, eat (not a lot), played on the playground, and did the motions to the songs. We debated whether to let him finish the week out or not, but in the end he completed all 5 nights. I did not follow him around each night because I taught the lesson for 1st/2nd and 3rd/4th graders.

The Holy Spirit spoke to the hearts of the children this week, and I'm excited to say that NINE kids invited Jesus into lives and accepted His forgiveness for their sins. On Wednesday night four kids stayed behind after the lesson was over to learn more about salvation. They prayed that night to accept Him. When we got home, another girl called us and said she also got saved! The next night another girl told me that she talked with her mom about salvation once she got home. She said the lesson the night before on Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection meant more to her than it ever had. I could see from her expression that she had had the Ah Ha! moment and realization that only the Holy Spirit can bring. She got saved the night before as well. On Thursday night 3 more kids got saved. I was so pumped and excited! God is truly amazing!!

Just to prove it, take a look at these boys. Everyone of them is a miracle. A few years ago, some ladies of our church at Live Oak decided to fast and pray over three women who had not been able to have children. If you combined the years of trying for each woman, it was more than 20. I was one of those women. Today Phyllis has twin boys, Teresa has Matthew, and I have Rocco. God answered our prayers, and all 4 boys were in the same VBS class this year.

Reunited with our Vietnam Travel Family

The last eight days have been filled with so much laughter and fun. The Carlson family left their home in TX to vacation with us in GA. They were the "trolls in the cave." Their family of 5 made our basement their home-away-from home. We met them on our adoption journey in March 2007; it could only be God who allowed our paths in life to meet. During our 3 week stay in Vietnam we got to know Don and Kim Lan because they were adopting a 27 month old girl from the same orphanage that Rocco was in. Being in a foreign country, we really bonded together as fellow Americans and adoptive parents. We were there when each others babies were delivered and our long labor finally ended. This amazing process brought us close together and has caused us to become lifelong friends.

So when they decided to come to GA with their 2 boys (which we'd never met before) and Maile, we were thrilled! I began making a list of all we could do in the country. And boy our friends from the big city had no idea what lay in store for them once they arrived in Cave Town.

We wasted no time getting them to the Willis farm. It was our first stop. I took Kim Lan and Joseph for a wild golf cart adventure down the big hill . . .while Jason took Maile, Rocco, and Samuel for a ride on the tractor. They speared the hay and stacked it. Later, nine year old Joseph got to drive the tractor himself. And then Kim Lan took her turn at it. Talk about a city girl gone country. Don, the kids, and I laughed so hard we almost cried as we watched her bounce around on the hydraulic seat and try to spear the hay (which she turned over on its side). The farm experience would not have been complete without having fed the cows. I took Kim Lan and all of her kids to feed them. When we stopped the golf cart to talk to Carolyn, my mother-in-law, Joseph (the cautious one in the bunch) saw his chance to escape. When we realized he was gone, all we could see was a little speck of him far off in the distance running for dear life with a cloud of dust behind him. He did NOT want any part of the cows or bull. Smart kid. Turns out I wasn't the smart one when I put a bucket of sweet feed and a hay bale in the back of our golf cart. When the cows realized what delicious goodies I was toting, they were hot on our trail chasing all of us. I couldn't drive fast enough. Thankfully they didn't turn us over. Poor Maile talked about it for the longest. "Them cows try bite me!"

One thing is for sure. The adventure at the farm would be hard to beat. Kim Lan learned that the big circles of shredded wheat were actually hay bales AND that not all cows look like Elsie (they can be brown, red, white, or just plain black).

The next day after our church service and every one's nap, we went across the street to ride my neighbor's horses. Rocco and Maile experienced their first ride on a beautiful horse called Liberty. She was a gentle beauty and was just the right horse for their first experience. The Allens even had a small saddle just their size. Rocco took it all in so serious, and Maile enjoyed riding with her hands around Rocco's waist. They were the cutest pair you've ever seen! Little man didn't want to see it end. He loved it!! Perhaps it was because he had a pretty cowgirl holding onto him.

But I'd have to say the cutest shot I took of them was later that afternoon when they were about to give each other a kiss in Wendy's restaurant parking lot. Just look at these Ninh Thuan kiddos giving some love after being apart for 15 months. Too sweet! Don't you love the chemistry between them?

All of us ended Sunday night with some putt putt golf. Here's a shot of us and our Ninh Thuan babies. I am amazed that God not only blessed us with a precious son but also gave us lifelong friends through our adoption journey.


Maile out putted us all. For it to be her first time on the course, she sure impressed us. She was a natural.
Rocco's game plan landed him a hole in one every time, though I don't think he actually played by the rules.
After bath time when they were in their pj's they were the cutest. They played and played until bedtime. The next day they woke up to even more adventures together!

On Monday Jason had to go back to work, so it was up to Rocco and me to see that the Carlson's had another memorable experience out in the country. We chose to take them to the park 5 minutes from our house to show them the cave, creek, and pond. We fed the ducks and fish and explored the cave through the narrow tunnels and steep climbs. Their favorite part was filling up their cups with fresh spring water. Kim Lan had never done this before. Just like Maile and Rocco, she was adopted from Vietnam. (She came to America during Operation Baby Lift. She has an amazing adoption story.) I just love the way all 3 of them can do the squat!

The next day we stayed close to home but still managed to do some shopping for some Martha Jane's fudge and souvenirs. They also saw the elementary school where I work and met my principal. And we just had to make another trip to the cave to get some more fresh spring water. I just love this shot of them in their "Life is Good" hats. They borrowed them from the store for a photo shoot. I took tons of pictures of them while Kim Lan shopped. After I took a picture, they would run to see what they looked like and run back for another pose.

The next morning we put them in traditional Vietnamese dress for a photo shoot. I love this candid shot of them laughing at the cat. They look like a little prince and princess!

On Wednesday the kids had a blast playing at Sparkles, a gym with big inflatable slides.

Our nephew, Drew, met us there. He and Joseph became good buddies during the week at the Vacation Bible School we had at our church each night.Our Chic Fil A lunch was a delicious yet quick one. We had to head back home so nana could get Rocco for his nap. The rest of us headed to the lake with our boat. I believe swimming in the river was the kids' favorite part of their entire stay with us.
Thursday morning we had to say our goodbyes to Don and Maile. He had to get back to work and took Maile with him in hopes they could get a quick flight on standby. Trying to fit 5 people on standby from TX to GA took them an entire day. Kim Lan and the boys decided to stay a few more days (we were SO glad).

Look how much this sweet little girl has changed in 15 months. Below is Maile and Uncle Jason in March of 2007 in Hanoi, VN. Underneath that is Maile in June of 2008. We love you Maile girl!

Sammy and Rocco had a big time in the kiddie pool while Jason and Joseph took Don and Maile to the airport.

Kim Lan was on one of her walks. Each morning before we woke up she would walk 4 to 6 miles on the country road we live on. I've lived here for 11 years and can't say I've done that. She and I joke that she is my Asian twin. We have so much in common - except for the whole exercise thing. I prefer to spend my mornings in bed.

Friday was our last full day together. My nephew, Drew, was with us so we took all of the boys to the big town. We saw the clock tower and went shopping down Broad Street. One of the ladies in the kids' clothing store asked if all 4 boys were mine. I explained who everyone was but thought secretly to myself how cool it would be to have that many boys! After a quick walk over the bridge and a little more shopping we headed home for Rocco's nap. Tonight was the last night of VBS and was so much fun. We had water slides for all the kids!

Today, the day for our goodbyes, came all too soon. It's amazing how a friendship that was formed on the other side of the world is still going strong today. The Carlsons are an amazing family and we are so blessed to have them in our lives. In a few hours, they'll catch their flight back to TX and we may not see them for another year. . . but they are close to us everyday in our hearts. And thankfully we have txt messaging. I'll have to see what I can do about a txt messaging plan. Maybe I'll even get a cool phone like Kim Lan's so sending a short text won't take me 30 minutes!One day we may write a book together. A comedy one that is. I've laughed so hard this week I hurt. Both of us put together are crazy nuts. When we'd laugh no one around us seemed to get it. That's why we've decided we're going to have to put a disclaimer at the front of the book, "Results may vary."

Kim Lan, I already miss the smell of popcorn in my kitchen. Thanks for teaching me all about air popcorn and making sure we all got our daily servings of it. Oh, and next time I'll be sure the golf cart is running good so we don't get stuck out in the middle of the woods again!

You're so smart!

We're always telling Rocco that. And when we do he proceeds to point to his forehead and tap it, which means "smart" in sign language. So pardon me if I have a proud mama moment; the purpose of today's blog serves to remind me later of all the neat things he did at just 2 years old.


Within the last week he has done really well identifying things that are blue. He's also doing better with red. But last night he added a new word to his color schemata as he was reading a Wiggles book with nana. Later he showed me what he had learned. It went something like this.

Mama: "What color is Anthony?"
Rocco: "Ahh boo!"
Mama: "Yeah! That's right! What color is Murray?"
Rocco: Putting his teeth tightly together, "Rrre."
Mama: "That's good! What color is Jeff?"
Rocco: "Poo poo prr pur!"
Mama: "You're so smart! Yeah!"

I cheered so much for him that eventually he got to where he would say the color and squeel. I guess he was just mimicing me.



While he was upstairs with nana playing in his toy room, he brought her many pretend foods to eat. They would "munch" on oranges, tomatoes, boxes of popcorn and such. Then, he brought her a bowl, spoon, and pot holder. "Do you know what that is for?" she asked him, upon which he set the pot holder on the floor, put the bowl on it, placed the spoon inside and started to blow on it like it was hot. It's amazing how much he observes and takes in at this age. Just the other day I couldn't find my cell phone until I looked on the couch and saw Rocco with it up to his ear. Not sure who he was having a conversation with but he sure did look cute!



This morning he did something that cracked me up. Little man is ingenious and so creative in solving little problems. On the changing table we were doing our usual tickle time. It really gets him when I eat his belly up. "Raise your arms." Of course he wasn't going to do this because he knew what was coming. "Touch your hair. Where's your hair, Rocco?" Without hesitation, he took hold of his legs and lifted his feet to his head. Little genius. Not only did he do it, he managed to keep me from tickling him!

Mtn Campus

What started out as a trip to the strawberry patch ended up as a picnic at the local college campus. Believe me when I say we were very disappointed to find after a 40 minute drive the patch would not be opened until the next day. Instead of chalking it up as a loss, Carolyn, Drew, Rocco, and I took the opportunity to do something we'd never done together before. We headed up to the mountain campus and ate a Zaxby's lunch. The campus is beautiful with waterfalls and natural ponds filled with wildlife like swans, geese, ducks, turtles, minnows, and bigger fish. We even had an unusual encounter with the wildlife. A white duck just waddled up to me and BIT me! Right on the ankle. And only because I walked near the pond to get a closer look at the pretty gray duck. Then, the Canada goose decided he would try to eat my pants. It was obvious these weren't your average birds. They were quite bold and grouchy! Besides the duck encounter, we had a great time. The boys played on the playground, and we all enjoyed our walk on the beautiful grounds. It just goes to show you can take a sour situation and make lemonade!

Ride em' Cowboy

Rocco has a new toy. He's been bouncing and riding with his feet in the stirrups. Within minutes of his first ride he was already trying new stunts. Looks like we have a little cowboy on our hands!

Sunday Dinner at Papa's

Every other Sunday we eat lunch with Jason's big family. Cousins, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces. . . you name it. It's great. Eating is only half the fun. Afterwards the kids usually beg me to play something with them (why they come to me instead of all the other adults is beyond me - I guess they know I'm crazy enough to play any game and am really just a big kid). It's either hide and seek, some sort of golf cart adventure over the hills and around the pond, watering the garden, or trying to catch some sort of critter. Today the cousins wanted to play in Rocco's play room. Papa's house is right below ours, so we all loaded up onto the golf cart and rode up the hill for a good time. They got into all sorts of stuff. The tent was a little crammed. . .


So they decided to form their own family band.

Twenty minutes later we left to ride the golf cart again, but to our surprise it was gone. Jason had taken it down the hill for all of the men to look at because it wasn't running right. So. . . we loaded up on the old "Presidential Escort" (Jason's Ford Escort) and rode down the driveway back to Papa's. Country music was playing, the windows were rolled down, Rocco was sitting in his car seat, the girls were thinking they were so cool sitting in the back with the hatch up, and Drew was shaking his head saying, "I never thought I'd be doing this in my lifetime." We were hollering and singing. It was a fun "road trip" (although it lasted only 1/2 a mile). The kids decided they wanted to forgo the playroom next time and go on another road trip. There's no telling what we'll end up doing.

Rocco and Drew's Playdate

Drew, our nephew, came over the house today to play with Rocco. As soon as he walked in the door, little man became so excited. He immediately pointed upstairs to the playroom. They played and played. Little man really looks up to Drew. Just take a look at him copying everything he does.

So Much Summer Fun

Today is the anniversary of my open heart surgery. It is a miracle that I am alive and so healthy today. Eight years ago today I was in the ICU recovering from a heart valve repair. God has been so gracious to me and blessed me beyond anything I could ever have imagined. I believe having gone through that experience as well as having to wait on motherhood for ten years has made me more appreciative of what I have. And man have we ever been taking every bit of juice out of life the last week! We came back from South Carolina on the 8th and by June 9th we were gone again. This time to see my family. Today was catch up day. . . you know one of those days when you return from a long trip to find the pantry is running low and all of your clothes are in the hamper. At least I had some good help!

Below is a quick recap of what we did while Jason was at the SBC conference in Indianapolis.

June 12 (Thursday)

Rocco and I met my cousin Jennifer and her one year old son, Aiden, for "Playgym" at the Discovery Museum. During their play hour, they explored in free play with developmental toys, made a craft for Father's Day, danced, bounced, sang, and interacted with other kids their age. We barely caught a glimpse of all that's in the museum. He loved the large playroom filled with tunnels and slides.

June 11 (Wednesday)

Since my mom was off work today, we took Rocco back to the amusement park. We were there from 12 to 2pm and managed to ride the train, elephants, the carousel, motorcycles, antique cars, and the slide.

We had to make sure we also rode his favorite, the Wacky Worm roller coaster.

Rocco had to get his nap in so we left for my parents' house. After supper, we went back to finish getting our money's worth. There was hardly anyone there. We got there about 7pm. It was much cooler than the day's earlier 85+ temp. There were no lines. A kid's dream! It was great until they came on the loud speaker and said they would be closing at 8pm. Oh well. We made the most out of that one last hour. I guess you could say we got our money's worth!

June 10 (Tuesday)

For lunch today we went on the mountain to see one of my best friends and play with her son, Samuel. Rocco always enjoys going there because Samuel has so many cool toys and is kind enough to share them! They played inside while Heather and I caught up. She is currently in the process of adopting her second child. This time a girl from China. After we ate, the kids played in the kiddie pirate pool, swung on the zip line, searched for treasure in the sand box, and played on the swing set.

June 9 (Monday)

As Jason was leaving for the airport with a friend of his (Pastor Crisp), Rocco and I headed up to see my family. Our first stop? Stephanie's. She has two boys: Dillon 9 and Zach 2. We weren't sure what we were going to do, but we loaded up the Tahoe with the kids and headed out for a great time. We ended up driving 30 minutes or more and ended up at a McDonald's. All of our outdoor adventure plans quickly ended when a sudden storm came up. Strong winds, thunder, severe lightning, rain, and hail scared us into the bathroom as we took cover. We finally ran for it and got drenched! Soaking wet we made our way to the mall to let the kids play on the indoor playground, ride the mini car carousel, and look at the toy store. We ended the evening with all of my family celebrating my nana's birthday at a BBQ restaurant.