Adoptions and Road Trips

Friday!  My Favorite.  I look forward to posting Willow's Week on Friday Fave Fives with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.  I missed posting Friday Fave Fives last week.  We were a bit preoccupied with a major lifetime milestone.

1.  They're OURS! They're ALL OURS!

Zoe Grace and Liam officially joined our family on April 18, 2014.  After almost two and a half years of waiting, and more waiting, my daughter and son-in-law signed the adoption papers!

Daddy joined remotely for the court appearance and celebration.

(One more reason you should always thank military personnel for their service.  They give up so much of their personal lives to provide safety and security for their country.)

With the judge.  

2. That was on Friday.  On Saturday, we said our goodbyes, hopped in the car and started east.  Six days.  Nine states.  California, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida.  The fave here is two fold.  I'm thankful that my spring break coincided with the adoption so I could ride along on the trip.  I'm thankful that we were safe.  No accidents, no car problems.  2,500 miles.

3. I love road trips! Camera in hand, I documented the miles.  No, I won't bore you with the dozens of photos of the endless highways.  But here are just a few... (if you scroll down to earlier posts, you can see pictures from the first two days)

Light at the end of the tunnel.

Almost there.

4.  Best hotel.  Houston.  After a truly scary first attempt at sleeping in Houston, we moved to Omni Hotel Houston to sleep safely.  (More on that later; it deserves a separate post)  My son-in-law should be awarded some kind of medal of valor or honor or persistence in protection for arranging this for us late at night.  The staff at Omni Hotel were amazing. Our room was ready with beds prepared and so many little extras added.  Zoe Grace and Liam had gift bags waiting, filled with food for the fish.

"Look at all those fighting fish!"

5.  Have you noticed the photos??  Faces forward.  Finally, we are allowed to post photos of these beautiful children.  Here they are with their beloved cousin, The New Boy.

Fave Fives in November

So begins the month of giving thanks which ends in the celebration of Thanksgiving in the US.  I like to focus on gratitude and thanksgiving all year, each week, each day, and Friday Fave Fives helps me do just that.  Here are my faves for this week:

1.  This comment from a friend's facebook page.  It made me LOL.

The worst part of exercising is when I fell like I'm going to throw up and pass out and then the instructor says, "Now that we've warmed up, let's get started..."

2.  I continue my obsession with reading Louis L'Amour books.  As The Professor states, they are not great literature, but every once in a while L'Amour nails it with a brilliant and entertaining sentence:

"His background was unknown, except that it seemed more than probable that it had included a postgraduate course in the unrefined arts of murder, mayhem, and assorted varieties of robbery."  

The Trail to Seven Pines

3.  This week, although I was unable to join in the celebration, a little girl was formally adopted into her forever family.  The Professor and I are 'honorary grandpa and grandma' to this sweet girl and her big sister who also call my daughter 'Auntie Mimi'.  Her mama told me a couple of weeks ago that after October 30th she was giving me permission (and, indeed, encouragement) to post photos of their new daughter. 

Welcome HOME!

Little Miss N with her mama and sister

4.  Yes, there has been knitting.  The last Christmas stocking, which is for The New Boy, is nearly finished.  Isn't it just adorable?

5.  Sometimes it's just serendipity.  I was in the right place at the right time to be gifted this beautiful yarn-- hand spun silk and wool, hand dyed in my favorite blues.  There is 14 oz, certainly enough to make a vest, or maybe a sweater.

What has happened in your week to produce in you daily thanksgiving?