Quote of the Day

It's Drug Free week at school. Lots of extra counseling and extra talks about saying "no" to all kinds of drugs.

Cameron's retelling of the counselor's message today: "You know Mom, you can drink something like root beer, but it's different, but like root beer, and if you drive, you won't be able to see, at all. Then, if you hit someone, they will take you out of the car, and the other person, and you will go to prison." Moral of the story: Don't drink root beer. Don't go to prison.

Signed, Sealed?, and Delivered

Adoption Update #234...

From my email on Thursday: another form from the Adoption Specialist...then I got a phone call asking  if we could get them notarized and in LR by the Friday. I copied off the papers at home, and met Richard in LR at 11:15 on Friday. Fortunately, he was flying in from a 2 day trip in Houston. 

We met the AS at the DHS office, signed the papers, had the papers notarized in the office, and the AS followed us out of the building to FILE them. FILE them at the courthouse. LIKE, when they are "accepted" they'll put us on the docket...maybe in the next two weeks? Who knows? 

I had Sheridan take a picture of us signing...I think SOMEDAY we'll want to remember just how hard they made it all, and yet, how much we wanted to do it to have Jordan and Cameron as part of our family, officially. 

Quote of The Day: When we were waiting on our copy of the newly signed papers, Jordan asked if we were going to go to eat. (I mean, it was 11:30 and she's ALWAYS HUNGRY) 

Richard (jokingly) answered: "No, we're not eating today. At all."

Jordan: "Hey! You just signed a paper saying you would provide for me!"

Parent/Teacher Conferences : good news!

I've never been uptight about going to P/T conferences, I look at all the papers that come home, I keep up with what my kids are reading, and who they play with at recess. I'm always looking for a concerned look by a teacher, and I ask about their behavior...or anything else I should know. But, with one exception (not to be named), I've never been caught completely UNAWARE. So, this year, we've had the kids for only a half of a year, and even though we know them better than before, I wasn't sure what to expect.

It was an AWESOME day of conferences to hear all our teachers say that they enjoyed our kids in their classes. It's really what we want. We 've always encouraged our kids in school, not necessarily to always get As, and they don't always have to be at the top of the class, but they have to do their best. Both Jordan and Cameron are making LOTS of progress in school, have good grades and are being good friends to their classmates. They both have been warned about talking...but that's understandable, being Rogers and all.

Number 1: I'm thankful they like school and are doing so well.

Number 2:  I'm SO very thankful Sheridan is not only doing well in school, but ENJOYING it too!

 

INTRAMURAL CHAMPS

Lauren is on an intramural flag football team called SHOW STOPPERS. They won their first game 54-0, The second game was something like 48-0. The championship game was held in the ATU football stadium and was the closest game they've had: 25-6. And that was the ONLY touchdown scored on them all season!

I had no idea that intramural games ever went off-campus, but they have qualified for the regional intramural football championships in Stillwater, OK. No kidding.

They'll take their highlighter yellow jerseys, their armbands with plays and their big dreams to the big stage in OK on October 31. Big stuff for such a little girl!

DOUBLE DIGIT BIRTHDAY

Jordan has lived as a Rogers for 10 months. She's waited through all 7 of our birthdays for hers. It's been hard! She couldn't decide if she wanted a party like Sheridan (painting), a trip (Erin's) or a bounce house (like Cameron's). For a 9 year old, it would seem normal to want to talk about all the options a birthday party could entail...but for Jordan it was her VERY FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY. It's hard to put my mind around that.

She has had limited exposure to the kinds of parties I like to throw...all kinds actually, but with the help of her sisters we encouraged her to have an after-school party with just a few of her friends and she chose tie-dye as her theme. She doesn't care that Erin had a tie-dye party when she was 8...she was just SUPER EXCITED to have the invitations to take to school and the girls who came.

We actually started the day with her breakfast choice: waffles AND eggs. She got to open all her birthday cards and a gift from Grandma and Grandpa.

Richard met her at school with a pizza (her favorite food) and root beer (a treat). THEN, we picked she and her friends up from school and brought them home for THE PARTY!

Lauren came home to help and we had such a great day! It was beautiful outside, it was party-like inside and it kept a smile on her face for over 48 hours.

As much as Jordan has seen or been exposed to in her 9 years...she has an innocence about her because she hasn't been in a lot of different situations. Getting 4 birthday cards in the mail....never. Getting money from grandparents....never. Talk of starting a savings account...never. Having a day all about her...never.

Double digits are BIG. And it's going to be a great year!

Fall

I love pumpkins, I love cold mornings and cool evening breezes, I love playing outside without sweating and opening the windows during the days.

I can't wait for the trees on the Lane to start changing...

SWEET Saturday!

My sweet son, so like his father...a planner of surprises and a romantic at heart. (warning...many pictures in this post!)

He planned 3 surprises for Saturday, October 11...and ran into these hurdles:
His ROTC group was told a few days before that they would go on an overnight trip and be out of town 10/10 until 10/11 at noon.
Katelyn got primary RA duty for Saturday, which means she was required to be at the desk and have the phone until 6pm.
The game time for the HUGE Arkansas vs. Alabama wasn't announced until one week before the game.
There was a 90% chance of rain the ENTIRE DAY.
BUT...all hurdles were cleared as the day became a reality.

Saturday morning: Katelyn is notified she doesn't have duty, someone has taken it for her. She and Ryan make lunch plans...in Bentonville.
They head to Crystal Bridges museum...Ryan tells Kate they have a little time to kill before lunch, so Kate wants to browse all the art while Ryan is almost pulling her out the back door during a 15 minute delay in the rain.
They run into a friend from Mountain Home, who was "working on a project" and asked if they would pose for some pictures in front of a sculpture.
As they finished her instructions, she asked if they wanted to do any poses. Ryan had Kate face her, then he got down on a knee and asked her to marry him!

They drove to lunch...with huge smiles on their faces, and were shown to the back room of ShoGun where ALL of us were waiting! Katelyn had NO IDEA that her family was there. It was surprise #2 and it was perfect!

During the rainy game, we were freezing, the HOGS were playing well, but there was a party to plan! Ryan had invited all their college friends, and family to come celebrate. It was LATE for us, but a wonderful time to celebrate with a fun family, sweet friends and a precious couple.

I'm full of thankfulness, and hoping for the same kind of wonderful relationship that God has given Richard and I.

Senior Spirit

Fun week at Clarksville schools...Cameron and Jordan dressed up for most days...favorite team, western, hat and shade days...I don't have pictures of those. Sheridan had pink day, backwards day, and red and white day. Erin...at the high school...let's just say, she was bummed to miss Tacky Tourist day on Tuesday while she was at District Tennis.
Monday: Hippie Day (yes, she beaded her own shirt)

Tuesday: District Tennis at ATU. Won One, Lost One and out.

Wednesday: Western Day

Thursday: Dynamic Duo Day....LOVE THIS. If you haven't seen High School Musical, you won't understand.

Friday: Seniors in Red...

First Grade

Turtles, Ninja Turtles. Made with fall leaves.
LOVE this boy.

Tears

My biological children did their fair share of crying. However,
 we encouraged them to save it for the big stuff. We have a few sayings like "Whiners get nothing" and we used them a lot. They learned it early, and whether or not they had to be chastised for it more than once is possible but not probable.

Not so much for Cam. The precious boy who sings songs about Jesus, has an uncanny sense of direction, is behaving in school, and has some crazy basketball skills for his age ...just doesn't get that "Crying doesn't change anything." And the boy has some endurance!

He's never cried over ANYTHING that was of any substance. And yet, he's cried more in the 9 months we've had him than my other 4 children combined in their lifetime...and I have 3 girls!!

When he first came to us and he did this crying, I was so heartbroken over it. I let my imagination run to all kinds of things he must've endured at bedtime, or at his foster homes. But as he continued to choose to cry over the MOST menial things (when we changed the tv channel, because we insisted he cut up his pizza, not being able to play on the wii) we realized he was completely trying to manipulate us...and crying is the only way he knows how. Putting together information that Jordan has told us about their past, even as far back as 5 years ago...he's been crying for his needs and wants for many years. That's his WHOLE LIFE. It's so hard to not be emotionally moved by his crocodile tears, but they now only make me think, "Here we go again."

If you've never had to hear the cry of a child that you can't stop...well, it's horrible. And especially frustrating with a 6 year old. There is NO reasoning with an angry or stubborn child. No wonder there are so many angry adults who make devastating decisions when they are mad.

REDEEMING MOMENTS:
After his fits...it is the sweetest time of reconciliation. He can tell me EXACTLY why he was in his room, the crazy reason it all started, and how he could've gotten out of the situation he has put himself in. We hug and pray, I tell him I love him, and I always tell him..."It's like you start digging a hole, and then you get deeper and deeper and I can't get you out until you're ready to get out!...and you never had to start digging! Let's don't do that again."

I pray for his precious life, thank God for the extreme changes he has made in the 9 months he has been here, and for the redeeming work God has planned for his life.

 

"Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life." Proverbs 4:13

Election Time

Sheridan's jumping in to school and running for President of her middle school. She's got stiff competition with two of her other friends running for the same office, but she's determined to put up a good showing with a super speech and this fun poster. Elections are next week, and no matter what, I'm proud of her!

Working on It

Cam and I work on spelling words on Thursday nights. We read one or two books from school every night of the school week. Jordan has learned the parts and functions of the circulatory system and digestive system. We've quizzed on spelling words and prepositions.

They don't like unpacking their backpacks, but are getting the hang of doing their work well, so they don't have to miss something later. They are developing good habits and I'm super thankful for two teachers who are taking care of them while they are at school.