FB Friday

May 25, 2013 ~ Half Afro Up-Do (The pictures really don't do it justice. It is really cute!!!)

We got to go meet little Ruth Luella Hemmings this evening!!! She is a precious little gift from God to David and Teresa!!!!

May 27, 2013 ~ A benefit to being up in the night with a little girl who had a nightmare - the little girl slept until 8 a.m. A secondary benefit - the little girl's daddy let her mommy sleep until 8:30!!!!!!

Maya K had LOTS of spiritual questions tonight. We have talked with her a lot about Heaven since she came home, but have not approached the topic of hell. She started asking tonight about the place where people go in the fire. All I can assume is that she learned this information while she was still in ET. Sooooooo many questions about things that she does not understand yet, but I did my best to answer in ways that she could grasp. The question that stood out to me tonight was, "Mommy, if I go to the fire place because I don't tell God 'sorry', and you and Daddy go to Heaven because you tell God 'sorry', will you be sad that I am not there?" Please be praying for my little girl's heart and that she will come to an understanding of God's gift of salvation. And please pray that God will give me the words that I need to answer her questions in ways that she will understand!!!!

May 28, 2013 ~ Maya K has been home for EIGHT months!!!!

Maya K talks. A lot. When she is tired, she talks even more. Example. "Look Mommy!! Pretty sky!! Very pretty sky!! Pretty trees!!! Pretty flowers. Pretty grass!! Pretty.....what dat? Pretty blue thing!!!"

May 29, 2013 ~ Flat Twists ~ Here is my newest attempt :-). I'm happy with how they turned out, so now we see how long they actually look good!!!

I just told Nathan that I am interested in buying some "Gorilla Snot". Yep, this is what learning how to style my little girl's hair has done to me!!!!

May 30, 2013 ~ Guess who is turning SIX today?!?! (Thanks to Debbi for the picture taken last week in CO.)

May 31, 2013 ~ Success!!! We just made a trip to WalMart for Maya K to buy two things (with Bday money) that she has been talking about for a long time (a boat for the bathtub and a brush for her baby's hair). AND we also bought some Bday presents for a friend (which Maya K had to decide what she was getting BEFORE we went to the store). This is a HUGE step because Maya K has a very hard time making decisions. She started to get sidetracked a few times but I kept reminding her what we were there for and didn't let her change her mind when she saw something else. We are home and she is happily brushing her baby's hair!!!!

"Maya K you are a CRAZY girl!!! Maya K, you are just a CRAZY girl!!! Maybe Mommy a cat. No, no, I not call her a cat. I call her a puzzle. Yes, too funny to call her that. No, no. Maybe I call her an oven. Maybe I call her cat food. No, cat can't be person. One, two, three, four, five. One puzzle. Two puzzle. We will, we will, we will, we will (x10). Waaaa, Waaaa, Waaaa...." (goes into high pitch singing/humming) ~ quote from Maya Kisanet Joy Maxwell

This is just to show what her hair looks like when we take a style out :-). Keepin' it real!!!!

FB Friday

May 18, 2013 ~ We are having fun in Colorado. Maya K is in heaven with twin cousins to play hide and seek with, a grandma to make cookies for her and to "help" with the turkey, a grandpa to let her dig with a shovel outside in the dirt, aunts and uncle to laugh at her silliness (another aunt and uncle to arrive tonight), and LOTS and LOTS of toys and "new-to-her" books to read!!!

May 19, 2013

May 20, 2013 ~ We spent the day at the North Pole, Colorado. Maya K had soooooo much FUN and loved every single ride she went on. NOTHING scared her!!!!

Having fun at the North Pole.

May 22, 2013 ~ Maya K: "I stopped it."
Nathan: "What did you stop?"
Maya K: "My yawn. I didn't want Mommy to see it."
Nathan and me: "??????"
Maya K: "Maybe Mommy see it and say no swimming at motel because I too tired."
She was FULL of funny quotes in the car today :-). We left CO this afternoon and started our trip home. We had a GREAT time with my family, but are definitely looking forward to getting home tomorrow!!!!

May 23, 2013 ~ Home. I love home.

May 24, 2013 ~ We have next to NO FOOD in our house (ate it all before our trip) and I have next to NO DESIRE to go grocery shopping. This could be a problem.

I found a good reason to quickly unpack and get everything put away after a trip. (No, I did NOT quickly unpack and get everything put away today. Wishing I had.) A friend's water might break and you might be needed to watch her little boy :-). It's a good thing that he's been good about not getting into everything!!!!

FB Friday

May 11, 2013 ~ I went to WalMart without Maya K this afternoon. As I was checking out, the check out lady (who I think is from the Sudan) asked where my daughter was. I told her that she was at home with my husband and she said "I like seeing you together. It is special to me."

As we were putting Maya K in bed tonight, she started asking her "usual" questions. "Why do we have books? Where did Mommy get the books?" etc. Nathan told her that I had bought a lot of the books when we were praying and asking God to give us a little boy or girl. Maya K was fascinated by this. "Mommy asked God for me? How did she hear God? Did you (Daddy) ask God too?" It was a very sweet conversation!!! Then, as we were telling her that it was time to stop asking questions and go to sleep, she asked Nathan, "How did Mommy get YOU????"

May 12, 2013 ~ This has been a blessed first Mother's Day for me. However, I am also remembering Maya K's birth mother and how on Mother's Day six years ago she was carrying my beautiful daughter in her womb. She gave Kisanet life!!! She didn't get to spend much time with Kisanet here on earth and I pray that someone told her about Jesus' gift of salvation so that she is celebrating this Mother's Day in heaven. I am humbled and blessed that God has given me this child I prayed for. Maya K has accepted me as her mommy and I pray that one day she accepts Jesus as her Savior!!! Happy Mother's Day!!!!!

Nathan is introducing Maya K to the "wonderful" world of computer games tonight :-). He is definitely doing more of the actual "gaming" but she is having fun sitting on her daddy's lap and yelling at the compute screen with him!!!!

Maya K is teaching her daddy how to do a "tip-toe twirl" on the trampoline. It's pretty amazing!!!!! (I REALLY wanted to record this "lesson" but Nathan forbade me!!!)

May 16, 2013 ~ We leave for CO this afternoon. So much to get done!!!!

We are four hours closer to our final destination (Colorado). Maya K go to go SWIMMING for the first time tonight!!! She loved it!!! And, even better, she LOVED the hot tub with her mommy!!!!

Maya K's First Time SWIMMING!!!!!

FB Friday

May 4, 2013 ~ "I love God. Do you know why I love God? I love God because He's cute!! He's cute because the Bible say that." ~ Maya K
While her theology might be a little off, at least her heart is in the right place!!!

It's a little blurry, but I had to share Maya K's sense of "style" for bed tonight :-). I "heart" this girl!!!

May 6, 2013 ~ Maya K: "Mommy, may I .....?"
Me: "No, you may not."
Maya K: "May I say 'Why?', Mommy?"
Me: "No, you may not."
Maya K: "May I say 'Why?' I may not say 'Why?'?"
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

May 7, 2013

My Daddy reading to my sister and me. This picture was taken when we lived in Togo, West Africa. I honestly cannot remember a time when books were not very special to me!!! I am so thankful that Maya K loves books!!!

My childhood is filled with memories of my Daddy reading to me. I'm so very blessed to now get to see my Daddy reading to my daughter/his granddaughter!!!!!

May 8, 2013 ~ As we got in the car from a quick trip to Target in the rain, I informed Maya K and "K" of three of the top things that put me in a HORRIBLE mood. 1) Being lied to, 2) Children arguing with me, and 3) Rain!!! Then I quickly had to add a fourth; 4) Maya K squeaking her shoes in the car!!!!

"Mommy, can God fly? Does He have wings? Why He not make people fairies? I want to be a fairy. PLEASE God make me fairy!!! God do.....what that called, Mommy? Mmmmmmm....cle????"
All this because I have started telling her about the many miracles that Jesus did when He was here on earth!!!

May 10, 2013 ~ What a blessing to attend the college graduation of my little sister today!! I'm proud of you, Kristi, and am praying for you as you move on to the next chapter of your life!!!

FB Friday

April 27, 2013 ~ Mixing lotion. Love my KitchenAid.

April 28, 2013 ~ Guess what today is the 7 month anniversary of????

Nathan - "Maya K, please behave in the car."
Maya K - "Yes, Daddy. I will behave."
......Long Pause......
Maya K - "Daddy, what is 'behave' mean????"

Since we had an afternoon service at church today, we decided to eat an early dinner and go to the park. It was a BEAUTIFUL day!!!!! I kept thinking about where we were just seven months ago and praising the Lord for His goodness!!! My family is very special to me and I want to savor evenings like this together!!!

Rollerblading around the pond with Daddy.

Maya K absolutely LOVES rollerblading with her Daddy!!!

Coming down the slide :-).

I can't believe she has been home for SEVEN months!!!

Maya K and Daddy

She's definitely got a little "attitude" sometimes!!!

Pretty girl!!!!

Maya K and Mommy

I "heart" this girl!!!!

April 30, 2013 ~ What a beautiful morning spent at the zoo!!! Maya K, her friend "K", and I had a lot of fun feeding the goats and fish, playing on the playground, watching the fish, and imitating the monkeys :-).

"Mommy???"
"Yes, Maya K?"
.....long pause.....
"Ummmmmmm.......I lost my question."
THAT doesn't happen very often!!!!

May 1, 2013 ~ My version of a busy day has changed in the past 7 months. Today's busyness that is stressing me out consists of getting Maya K moving, fixing and eating pancakes before "K" arrives, a bath for Maya K, getting us both dressed and ready for the day before it's time to leave for a craft at the library, rushing home to get lunch on the table and the girls down for quiet time (which is MUCH needed for Maya K since she was up 2 1/2 hours past her bedtime last night), trying to get school done with the girls and maybe a trip to Aldi for groceries, and dinner on the table early because then we leave for Maya K's gymnastics tonight. Somehow it seems to all revolve around Maya K and "K" :-). I also need to get some laundry done, dishes washed, and a bathroom cleaned. Oh the stresses of a SAHM :-). I do truly love them!!!!

May 2, 2013 ~ Maya K and "K" are watching "Eloise at the Plaza".
Maya K: (pointing at the TV) "Is this Bible? Is this true? This really true? Really happen???"
Me: "No, Honey. This is not a story from the Bible."
Maya K: "Just pretend story? Not for real."

May 3, 2013 ~ We bought Maya K a mini trampoline last night. She is in love!!!!

"God, snow going to stop later? In Jesus Name, Amen." ~ Maya K