Briana The Landscaper and Gardener

Like the outfit? I think it is the perfect planting outfit, don't you? ;)

As you can see, spring has officially hit Georgia and we have been mulching, pulling weeds and planting. Briana stayed overnight with Gramma and Papa the night of the Bon Jovi concert and then Gramma offered to let Bri stay one more night. Bri was more than excited to do so. Doug and I got to rest a bit and also get some things done around the house without a 3.5 year old under foot. But now I see why Gramma and Papa wanted her to stay. They had her doing manual labor around their house. She was raking leaves and throwing seed in their yard. I totally get it now. ;)

Here she is raking with Papa...

Throwing seed...

Putting down some more grass seed...

The morning that Bri was going to be dropped off by my parents, Doug and I got up early and started putting fresh mulch in the islands of our front yard. Briana arrived about 11:30 and immediately wanted to help us in the yard too - even though she had helped Papa in the yard the day before.

Getting the mulch in a wheelbarrow...

Let's rake this out...

I'm a yard girl...

For several weeks, I told Briana we needed to go buy flowers for our flower pots on the back deck. I told her she could pick out one of the pots to be her special pot and that she could pick her own flowers for it. She was soooo excited. So the next morning, after mulching day, we headed to the HD to pick out flowers.

Here we are on the car ride over...

She ended up with a little stomach bug that afternoon, so we waited until the next day to actually plant the flowers.

Put on the gloves...

Put in the soil...

Now time for watering... (It was actually slightly chilly that morning, thus the Minnie Mouse socks that were thrown on before planting.)

Voila!

And here is Briana's very special flower pot...

Now that I am back on my feet again, I am really loving spring (except for the enormous amount of pollen in the air). This time of the year is so beautiful in GA. Happy Spring!

Black and White Wednesday - Bubble Bath

Well, I'm posting this a night early. The picture was so cute I wanted to post it early. She just takes my breath away...

Just Because She Is Cute

I snapped this with my iPhone the weekend before last - we were heading to buy plants at Home Dep0t. Bri was just too cute in this shot. :D

A Night With My Man Jon, Oh - And Doug Too ;)

He sure is purdy, isn't he? What an amazing concert! The last time Doug and I saw Bon Jovi was in January of 2006. This time the concert was 4/15/2010. Briana spent the night with Gramma and Papa, so it was a date night for Doug and me. You might remember the post from last the last concert. We had no torso shot opportunities this year, but Doug still has that slight "man crush." Snort.

When we first got there, a woman sitting behind us was already trashed. She was trying to high five us. It was actually pretty funny. I wonder if she even remembered the concert when she got home. (I picked of some of her excitable "Wooos" on my video.)

What is so amazing about a Bon Jovi concert is that everyone knows every word to every song. The audience sang the first verse of "Dead Or Alive" to the group. It must be amazing for the group to hear their song being sung back to them - so many years later. I have several videos posted below that I took and a few I swiped of the concert from U*Tube. My camera memory was filled at the end and missed the two best songs. I'm glad I was able to find them!

*Please remember, if you hear me singing a little bit on the camera, please do not judge. I'm slightly off key. But it is because I couldn't hear myself. Really, that is why. I promise. I really do promise. I sing great. I really do. Crud - I posted despite the fact I'm off key, so you can't make fun of me - ok? ;)

Enjoy the pics and video!!!

Jon Welcoming Atlanta Fans...

Meant To Follow...

Hallelujah...

Runaway...

I didn't take these next two videos, but these are two other awesome performances they did that night. Dead or Alive...

Livin' On A Prayer...

What Would We Do Without Friends?

When I started to get back on my feet again after being so sick for so many weeks, I was finally able to make play dates again for Briana. One of the first we had was with Angela, Laney, Halee and Hadyn a few weeks ago. We all met at the playground in their neighborhood one day, and then a few days later they came to our neighborhood playground. I remembered to bring my camera to the play date at my neighborhood playground. We've also had a couple of play dates after gymnastics class with Briana's gymnastics friends (Corinne, Skylar and Matthew), but I haven't brought my camera to those play dates (bad Lisa). I am definitely going to bring my camera next week to gymnastics!

Once we started having play dates again, things started feeling like they were returning back to normal. That definitely helps in the healing process. Really, what would we do without good friends?

Enjoy the pictures of the play date. It was filled with swinging, climbing, lunch and picking up mulch and placing it in plastic bags. Who know playing with mulch could be so fun? The kids were covered in dirt from head to toe!

Black & White Wednesday - My Blessing

Wow - it's been a while since I have participated in Black & White Wednesday. The last several weeks have been tough on me. I dealt with lots of fear, lots of sickness, lots of sadness and lots of uncertainty. I thought a second child was coming into my and Doug's life, a sibling for Briana, but it was not meant to be. I'm still sad, but my beautiful daughter gets me through each day with smiles and laughter. She is truly my blessing.

I hope that Briana feels (and will continue to feel) that Doug and I are her blessings too. I often talk about how she makes ME feel and what she does for MY life. With her only being 3.5 years old, she obviously doesn't talk to me about blessings in any sort of depth yet. Yesterday, she told me she loved me about 20 times throughout the day, so she seems to be a pretty happy, loving and secure little girl right now. I know she loves me and her daddy with all her heart. And she knows that I absolutely adore her and that she is my everything. I tell her that every day. She truly completes me.

Bri is starting to process things about her life before her daddy and I came into it, and I of course worry that the growing knowledge of her past may begin to taint the very happy and carefree life she leads right now. You've all heard the saying, "Ignorance is Bliss," right? When her realization comes, I hope that I (and Doug) will be able to help Briana understand that despite her losses (biological family, birth country, medical history) that she can lead a very happy, blessed and fulfilled life. I'm going to do everything in my power to help her know that and to help her accomplish that. I will respect her past and honor her feelings regarding it, but I also must help her focus on the present and future. Why? Because I am her mom, she is my daughter and that is my job. One I will gladly do. She has made my life so happy and that is what I want for her life too. This amazing girl has so much potential. I know with her outgoing personality, intelligence, talent and sense of adventure along with the support of her family and friends - she can accomplish anything. I will be her biggest cheering section.

"When we lose one blessing, another is often most unexpectedly given in its place.” - C.S. Lewis.

"Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her: but once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game." - Voltaire

"Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful." - Joshua J. Marine

So this Black & White Wednesday, I dedicate to my beautiful blessing. I hope I can give her every happiness that she gives to me...

Please visit Lisa's site for more black and white photos:

Briana Rides A Horse

Above is my girl waiting to ride Elvis the horse at her friend Kaitlyn's 5th birthday party (on April 11). She waited in line so patiently. It was a beautiful spring day and Bri was of course ready to party in normal Briana fashion.

Here are a few pics of Briana enjoying her ride on Elvis the horse...











Here she is waiting in line. Doesn't she look so grown up here? Sigh...



Waiting for the cake with her new horse hat with her name on the back...



Silly faces!



Kaitlyn was the birthday girl. She really pulls off the tutu and cowgirl boot look. How does she make it look so chic?



After most of the guests went home, we hung out a little while and Briana got to ride in Kaitlyn's and Ashlyn's (Kaitlyn's sister) cars in their backyard. Ashlyn decided to ride on the hood while her friend Cassie took the wheel...



Ashlyn taking Briana for a drive...



Cassie and Briana - big smiles...



Now, Briana did attempt to drive the Corvette with Doug's assistance. Let's just say she wasn't ready yet. Yeah - it was pretty scary. She couldn't figure out the difference between the brake and gas - and steering we won't even talk about. But hey, she is only 3.5 years old. She's got plenty of time to figure it out. If we ever actually let her drive on the road. ;)

And let me add one more thought. We have been to five birthday parties already this year and it is only April. We have enjoyed horses, princesses, balloon drops, scavenger hunts, baby dolls and more. I'm not sure what in the world I'm going to do for Briana's birthday party. Birthday parties certainly aren't what they used to be. Every party we have been to has been ultra fantastic!!!

"I Was Waiting For You"

I had a conversation with Briana a few days ago. She noticed a picture of me and Doug from when we were dating hanging on my wall. We were only teenagers in that picture (oh so young). She said, "I want to be in that picture too." I told her that Mommy and Daddy were very young in that picture and it was taken a long time ago. I told her she wasn't even a blink of an eye yet. She said, "No Mommy, I was in China then - I was waiting for you." My girl is so sweet. (insert tear)

She talks a lot now about being with her foster mother in China who took care of her when she was a baby and that Daddy and Mommy came to China to get her when she was a baby to bring her home. She is really beginning to process things now. She still has no real concept of her birth mother yet or being in someone else's tummy at one time. I know the realization is coming though.

Now we all know she was too little in China to know that Mommy and Daddy were coming to adopt her, but it sure does sound nice, doesn't it? And wouldn't it be nice if deep, deep down, she did know somehow we were coming for her? Maybe she could feel our love somehow across the ocean. It's a nice thought anyway (grin).

Easter Weekend

Passover, Easter and my mom's birthday were all within a few days of each other this year. Saturday morning of Easter weekend, I was able to help Bri for a little while decorate some Easter eggs. And even though I was sick (and unfortunately I didn't realize how sick I was), we went to my parents' house for a little while on the Saturday evening of Easter weekend to celebrate all three special occasions. By Sunday of that weekend though, I started feeling really, really sick (and I started really feeling like something was wrong with the pregnancy) and unfortunately Easter Sunday was a bit of a blur for me. I did manage to snap a shot of Briana finding her Easter basket that morning.

Here is Bri decorating her eggs...



And finding her basket...

Here we are celebrating my mom's birthday a couple days early...


Easter weekend was a tough one for me, but we still managed to have some good moments. Here's hoping for a better Easter next year...

Flashback Friday

My sweet angel. Taken January 2008...