Twenty Thousand Words

Photographs by Nicole Gourley http://www.spiritsbreezephotography.net

Happy Valentine's Day from our family to yours!

Ramona

Memorable Moments

This is my favorite video clip of all time. It features my girls in one of their many hilarious interactions. I guarantee you will smile, and it's highly likely you'll laugh out loud.

Speaking of laughter, here are Liliana's latest and greatest comments...

"Mommy, I wish it was Christmas, so I could have a jackhammer. I'd use it to break up the ground and dig for worms and rocks and toys."

(When helping Leila to stand) "Just believe, Leila. Just believe. God the Father almighty will protect you!"

"Mama, keep an eye on me, because I'm doing something bad."

Hope your day is filled with memorable moments!

Blessings, Ramona

Blessed Beyond Belief

It seems that the weeks are flying right by. I've had a few bouts of homesickness, but overall, I'm loving our new home and community. We've been soaking up the sunshine and warm temps, renovating this quirky house and getting to know our new friends. While Hattiesburg is definitely trailing St. Louis in the things-to-do-with-kids category, it is not lacking in kind, caring people...and that's really important to us.

We're also thrilled about our large property. The girls play outside most of the day (left: Leila sitting in the grass on a sunny afternoon), and we are all fascinated by the wildlife. We have so many beautiful birds, lizards, chameleons, frogs and insects to keep us company in the yard. At the same time, we have met our nemesis: fire ants.

No matter what the weather is like, the girls love to keep each other company. I couldn't be happier about the way their relationship continues to grow and blossom. They absolutely adore one another. I love seeing the way Leila's face brightens when Liliana enters the room and observing Liliana's sweet words and actions. As Leila's birthmother aptly put it, "They're two peas in a pod!" (Left: sisters cuddling on the sofa, like they do almost every morning.)


Liliana is already psyched for this year's Mardi Gras festivities, which are set for the mid to end of February. I'm particularly stoked about the unlimited supply of King cakes during the next six weeks (a perk of living close to New Orleans)! Like last year, we'll be celebrating in New Orleans with friends. Our hotel is located in a family-friendly area right on the parade route. And, contrary to popular belief, the daytime events really are for families (i.e., we shout to receive beads).

This week was very momentous for both of our girls. Liliana began riding her bike without training wheels. Aside from forgetting she could steer (and trying to eat the azaleas a couple times), she was a natural.

We are thankful to have a long driveway for perfecting new skills. Each day, I grab a piece of chalk, walk to the 3/4 point of the driveway, draw a line across it's width and write, "STOP." And Liliana swipes the chalk and adds an extra line to the "P," making it an "R." She thinks it's so funny, and I think it's cool that she can write all of her letters!

Precious Leila is already six months old, and she learned to sit without support this week. On Monday, she was very unstable, toppling over every minute or so. But by Wednesday, she was able to sit for almost 30 minutes! She's a rock star!

Although getting here has been quite the journey, we are so blessed to be a family of four. We absolutely adore our precious daughters, and we thank the Lord for them every single day!

Reflections and Resolutions

Farewell 2008, welcome 2009! To say that last year was a roller coaster is...well, a major understatement. Pregnancy, miscarriage, foster placement, legal risk adoption, 600-mile relocation, new job, new house, new school, new church, new life. Enough said.

Today I find myself quite reflective and resolute. I've been examining my experiences, and I know what I need to do. Since I like to keep my promises, I won't vow to exercise daily or become a vegan. And against my better judgement, my resolutions will be neither objective nor measurable. Instead, I'm focusing on the state of my heart and my relationships. So, here goes...

In 2009, I resolve to:
* Be a phenomenal friend.
* Err on the side of generosity.
* Do all things in love.

May this be the best year yet!

Many blessings to you and yours,
Ramona

My Beautiful Girls

From Our Family to Yours

Merry Christmas from Mississippi! Here we are on the beach in Ocean Springs during a visit with Wade's brother & family. We've been enjoying unbelievably warm temperatures this week. In fact, I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt right now, and I've had to run the ceiling fans to cool the house. Is it really the end of December?! It feels like May!



Liliana and I have been tackling the heaping boxes that once covered our dining room floor, and I'm psyched to have only a few left! Finally, there's light at the end of the tunnel. It'll be so nice to have dinner at the dining room table for the first time.

Here are the girly-girls on our new sofa (thanks to Hudsons, my favorite store) in the living room. They're so cute together. Liliana dotes on Leila, and Leila smiles and laughs at Liliana like nobody's business!

Wade and I are absolutely stoked about being so close to the beach. There's no place we'd rather be than in the warm sand on a sunny day, and now we're just a short drive away. Liliana and Leila will be such beach bums this summer.


We are also enjoying more frequent date nights than we were able to have in STL, thanks to retired Grammy and Grandfather (Wade's parents). We attended a Christmas party last night, and we had so much fun that we were the last to leave!

Liliana seems to be adjusting a bit better the past few days, now that we've unearthed her favorite toys. She is on Christmas break until the first week of January, so we'll have plenty of time to play and enjoy the this crazy warm weather. Liliana is still falling pretty frequently, which is a major concern. I had to pick her up early on Monday after a serious faceplant on the classroom floor. And on Tuesday night, she fell against the corner of the coffee table and gashed the back of her head. Poor darling! We're praying it's just the stress of the move and nothing grave. Please pray for her!

Leila Bean (as we affectionately call her) now rolls over, sits up and is eating rice cereal, carrots and sweet potatoes. She likes to be in the middle of all the action, especially when there's a large group of people. The term "social butterfly" is a really an understatement for her. She would rather "talk" to and watch people than sleep!

We feel very blessed this holiday season, and we wish you every happiness. Merry Christmas and much love to one and all!

The Latest and Greatest

I can't believe we've been in Mississippi for six weeks. The time has flown by, especially with the holidays in full swing. We are loving it here, much to my surprise. I thought I might like it, but I certainly didn't expect to love it!

We've got a fabulous new church family, and we feel right at home. We're making new friends and getting connected to the community more quickly than I could have imagined. The people are so friendly and welcoming. Of course, it's also wonderful to be near Wade's family. We see them almost every day, and they've been a tremendous help during this time of adjustment. I'm so thankful that God has surrounded us with love and blessed us in this new adventure.

As for our home, it's coming right along. We have almost two acres of beautiful land, with a large number of giant pine trees in the yard and azalea bushes lining both sides of our long driveway. A small creek runs along the back of our property, and Liliana enjoys hunting around for acorns, pine cones, berries and other treasures. Our front yard is large enough for a respectable pick-up game of soccer or football. Although we haven't met many of our neighbors, we're planning to venture out with the stroller this week. Left: our family in the back yard on a warm December day.

We're especially psyched about the weather here. Today was sunny & 70 degrees, and tomorrow the forecast calls for 80-degree weather! On December 15th, no less!

Despite the warmth, we're decked out in Christmas spirit. We decorated our tree a couple weeks ago (here's Liliana in her "Santa's Little Helper" hat), and Santa visited last week. Liliana hid when the jolly man arrived, while Leila stared in wonder. At least there were no tears, which is a major improvement from last year. After St. Nick left our home and flew back to the North Pole, Liliana asked, "Mommy, does Santa have feet and toenails under those boots?" When I said, "Yes," she asserted, "Well, I think he's just a human being dressed up like Santa." Amazing. She's four stinkin' years old!

On a more serious note, please lift Liliana up in prayer. She's still having a difficult time adjusting to our new home, and her daily behavior reflects it. I know she'll eventually grow to love it, but it saddens me to see her struggle right now. She has such a tender heart, and I pray that it heals quickly.

As for Leila, she is still as sweet as ever. She's probably the most happy and social baby I've ever known. We are enjoying every moment with her, and so thankful that the Lord brought her to our family. She is now sitting up with support, eating rice cereal and sweet potatoes (like a good Southern girl) and rolling over. Leila "talks" and smiles all of the time, and she's the life of every party. She's such a blessing. We're thrilled to report that our adoption will be final on April 15th...just four short months away!

Save the date, St. Louis friends, because we'd love to spend time with you when we're in town! Hopefully we'll be there in Jan. for a wedding, too. We'll keep you posted!

Now, a little about Wade. My dear husband is working so hard these days. He's the executive business director for Pine Grove, a major residential treatment provider in the area. Not only is he thriving in the new company, he is also renovating the house and taking extra time to be with the girls. Both Liliana and Leila are so excited to see him when he returns home every day. It's absolutely precious to see their eyes light up (and Liliana run to the door) as soon as they hear him come in. If only every child loved Daddy so much!

Well, I certainly hope ya'll are rejoicing during this advent season. We sure are!

Many blessings to you,

Ramona the Southern Belle

Southern Thanksgiving

Christmas is just around the corner, and I'm lovin' every minute of the holiday season. This is my favorite time of year. It's magical, even without snow. Here is a sample of our Thanksgiving festivities...

This Thanksgiving was very special for us. Not only was it our first holiday in our new home, but we were also blessed to spend it with thirty family members. Much to my surprise, my mom even journeyed to Mississippi to enjoy a taste of Hattiesburg! It was a joy to have her with us for the week, and we are hopeful that she'll make it an annual trip!

Leila was the life of the party, smiling, laughing and "talking" nearly every waking moment. The entire family fell in love with her. Even though she wasn't feeling her best (fighting a cold), nobody would have known it. She is definitely a little social butterfly...and we love it!

Liliana had a ball with her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins in town. Her favorite activities were Hungry Hippo (or, as she calls it: "Rhino Rampage") and creating crazy concoctions with spices, baking ingredients and food coloring. Her final project was a very strange-smelling "chocolate pudding" with meatballs in it. Yum!

After our Thanksgiving lunch and November birthday celebration, the guys played a serious football game on the front lawn. I couldn't resist capturing the style and sportsmanship of our fellas in this photo. Nice form, Wardy!

At the end of the day, we all cuddled up in our jammies and relaxed at our cozy casa. Here's Leila with her Blabla, Chloe (thanks, Aunt Marcia). She loves having her own toys and dolls to hug and, well, eat. Everything goes in her mouth now that she's teething!

Happy holidays, one and all!