Coming back.....

I know I've said it before, but I really want to try and blog more again. It has nothing to do with anyone else but me. I love to write. It always clears my mind and my thoughts. As much as I yak, writing is the only way in which I can clearly and fully express myself.

Just today I was thinking of the importance of instilling writing as a daily habit for my life. Will I do anything with it? No...probably not. But I think I need to get back to doing it again. Don't worry....I have a private blog that I use as a journal, so you will not have to hear my voice everyday.

But I slowly am trying to make small steps in my life. I have felt somewhat distant from myself for the last 3 months. (Tomorrow we have been home from China for 3 months!) There are some days I feel depressed. Some days overwhelmed. I haven't been great at extending myself to others. I haven't been ambitious about ministry. I have lots of demons of impatience and anger sitting on my shoulder waiting to pounce at the 1st little person to come my way.

Often people forget that when you adopt, it is no different than giving birth to a child. Well, actually it is quite different...but the 1st few months of life are the same. As a "new" mom, you constantly are in search of balance and energy. It takes a few months to come to grips with a new place of normal. Balance? Well, let me know if any mom ever finds that...but normal. It is there to be found, one must just accept what the "new normal" may be.

With summer vacation come and gone, we are looking forward to chillin' the rest of the summer.

I am thrilled that my kiddos are are at peace with being home. This summer is a repeat of last summer. They rarely get bored and play with each other endlessly. Sound perfect? Far from it...they fight and complain still...but as a parent one must the evaluate the majority of the circumstance. And the MAJORITY of the time these guys are content.

Perhaps I will post on some of the things we are busy doing. Sometimes I wonder that myself:)

I leave you with a few pix from our 1st stop on this year's family vacation. It is an outdoor animal reserve. It's become an annual tradition on our way to the mountains...our main destination. Of course, it's only the 2nd year in a row we've done it...so I don't know if that counts as an ANNUAL tradition:)

Lil'Rocker seemed to enjoy the day. Each year he climbs the wooden ramp in the goat pen. It's for the goats, but he seems to think it's for him. Anyway, I LOVE this photo of him. It is so him. Darn cute, but with an "up to no good" look.

Of course Sha Sha found her horses and couldn't bring herself from them. Sometimes her obsession with them frightens me (lol)

The Ringleader enjoyed himself, but had ants in his pants to get to the mountains.

Yao Yao did amazingly well. She has an incredible fear of animals. She loves them from a far but if they come near she goes into a frenzy that is almost seizure like. So, we weren't sure what she would do at a wildlife park with a petting zoo. But once again she has amazed us and really seemed to like the animals. Here she was entranced with the horses.

We had a wonderful day at the park. Baba and the kids will have to do as a family picture. You must be crazy if you think we all would do a family picture on vacation:)