I met my sister-in-law in NYC the week of the 3rd and had a fantabulous time!!! Her beautiful (inside and out) daughter lives in Brooklyn and was our amazing tour guide for the week. If there’s a newspaper out there looking for a food editor, I know just the one! Amanda knows the best holes in the wall with the most amazing food! Most times, we just sat back and let her choose our appetizers, our entrees, even our desserts (except for the one night I put my foot down and would NOT share my creme brulee!). One of our favorite restaurants had no sign on the outside, just chalk written on the building! And the bathroom was hysterical! The tank was hung from the ceiling, but there was no chain to yank to flush the toilet. Since I’m only 5′2″, I had to literally climb onto the toilet seat and use the traditional kind of flusher to flush the potty. Fortunately, there was no alcohol involved at that point. The laughter in itself could have been disastrous!!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Great Music

Look How High the Tank Is!!!!
(And the Flusher’s at the Top!)

In addition to the tasty foods, we also enjoyed beautiful clothing boutiques. For the most part, none of us could afford anything in those stores, but the clothes were beautiful, and I love boutique shopping versus department store 10-of-everything shopping. I did find a precious store in Brooklyn where I dropped a little money and could have stayed a little longer. And, even though I prefer the boutiques, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED H&M’s Buy One Get One Free! Free definitely works for me! And for the shoe lover in me, I found the cutest black moccasin boots with fringe all over them. I even did a rain dance in them just to try them out. (They’ll be on my feet at church Sunday!!)

No trip to New York would be complete without numerous rides on the subway. My sister-in-law, Danea, is quite the subway guru! We did “consider” taking a train to Queens one night, but Danea saved the day once again and got us on the right track, literally. By the end of the week, I was feeling pretty dang proud of ourselves!! We could push and shove with the best of them!!

Danea in Her New Yorker Pose on the Subway

As for the end of the week, the best was saved for last. “Wicked” was our Broadway choice, and an amazing one it was! Truly amazing! I loved every single moment. The acting was fabulous; the singing was incredible; the set design was amazing; and the men’s restroom…..well, let’s just say that it wasn’t quite up-to-par, but it was available! (Jia, Kitty, and I can sing almost all of the songs now, and I even bought the book. I’m considering standing on the corner of my street in my Wicked T-shirt and singing for the neighborhood!)

But the VERY best part was just being with Danea and Amanda (and her sweet friend Wendy). I love my Danea! She has loved me the best and loved me the longest and known my best and my worst!! She has been my lifeline, my laughter, my therapist, my heart since I was 19 years old, and I LOVE HER!!!! Spending that time with her was priceless. Her daughter, my precious Amanda, saved my life when she was six weeks old. (She understands.) I have watched her grow into the most beautiful woman, so full of life and compassion, such an amazing friend with huge dreams and the free-est of spirits. As I write, I picture her dancing down the streets of Manhattan while Danea and I sang “On the Radio” over and over and over and over and over and over again! I picture our somersaults as we threw our bodies into the air and landed on the bed - sometimes on each other!

Aunt Kitty and Niece Amanda!!!

Amanda, Danea, and Wendy

Amanda Dancing Her Way Through the City

I can feel my Danea’s hand in mine as we cried to “For Good” in “Wicked.” “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.”

My Precious Friend

And New York will NEVER be the same!!!

Just thought I’d post a few pictures from the weekend with the girls. Seven very different girls who had a great time together, laughing, telling jokes, sharing deep secrets, crying, praying, and forging new friendships. It was a wonderful, wonderful weekend!!

The Friday Night Spread - Roast and Potatotes!!!

Anita, Angela, Jeannie, and Corina

Angela, Corina, Anita, and Jenna

Sarah Begging Me to Take Her Picture! HA!

The “juicy” pictures couldn’t be taken because I forgot to bring my battery charger! What happens in Breck stays in Breck!!!

Mom driving. Jia asks Dad, “Daddy, what’s Mom doing?” (Probably the same question asked by many passengers in my car!)

Driving through a lot of cattle land with strong “cattle” stench in the air.
Jia: “Did someone in here toot?”
Mom: “No, Jia, it just smells that way because of all of the cows outside.”
Jia: “You mean the cows are trying to go poop?”

Funniest sign (in Kansas, of course): “Please move over or slow down for stopped emergency vehicles.”
Really???? Are you sure you don’t want us to speed up or run into the back of stopped emergency vehicles?

Funniest sight: While spending the night on the road, we had to have two separate hotel rooms. Rowland and I were loading up the car while William was taking his shower. As we walked back onto our floor, William came walking down the hallway, hair dripping wet, with a towel wrapped around his body, otherwise naked.

On the way to Arkansas, second day into trip - Jia: “Where are we going?” (Welcome to our world, Jia!)

On the way home, second day into trip - Jia: “Where are we going?”
Mom: “Home.”
Jia: “What home?”

William in the middle of Kansas: “Mom, do you have any sleeping pills?” (Yea, right, William! Like Mommy shares her drugs!)

Carson was just generally funny, his cute sarcastic self! Where does he get that from??????

I’m at the cabin with two of my girlfriends and having a great time. We stayed up late last night watching “Baby Mama,” and it was really cute! I seemed to like the humor a little more than the other girls - or maybe I just laughed a little more. All in all, definitely worth a rental - especially from the $1 Red Box.

Sleeping in until 10:30 rocked!!! And I think that Anita was trying to spoon me last night so I’m gonna have to find a divider so she stays on her side!! Jean had her own bed in her own room - gotta take care of the surgery arm! Plus, I’m afraid she’ll tell her husband he can’t play with his “little brother,” Rowland, if I’m not nice!

Good morning!!!

Oh, and Anita even suffered riding in my car with my new bumper sticker!!!

Sorry, Guys, but I’m a Mama for Obama!!

I can’t wait to see how all of these personalities interact! Should be interesting!!!

We spent Labor Day at Manitou Springs climbing around the cliff dwellers’ old habitat. Since I was a sixth grader in Mrs. Sparks’ class, and I first heard about cliff dwellers, I’ve always wanted to see what exactly their dwellings looked like. William has just learned a lot about them so he was a plethora of knowledge for us all! We definitely enjoyed climbing from room to room as well as watching the ancient dancing of true cliff dwelling Indian descendants.

William Climbing Out a Window

Kitty’s View from the Top Floor

Carson Looking Quite Handsome

Tribal Dancing in Traditional Tribal Costume

Do You Think That They Really Had Speedo Shoes??

Enjoying a Picnic Lunch

Carson and His Finest Duck Imitation

After enjoying the cliff dwellers, we moved on to the Garden of the Gods. I have to say that now that I’ve been to Red Rocks, I just don’t think that the Garden is quite as awesome. Still, it was beautiful, and we all enjoyed showing off our strength!

Okay - Still Awesome, Though!

See? Colorado Really Is God’s Favorite State - Can You Blame Him?

The Kids Atop the Balancing Rock

Just thought I’d share what it looks like to drive FOREVER and a day twice in a week. I will admit that it was much easier for our kids than it was for my brother and I growing up. My parents pulled out the back seats of their van, laid a mattress on the ground, and we took toys and games and played for 28 1/2 hours STRAIGHT driving Little Rock to San Diego. (Jennifer, my beloved sister, probably owes me something for the torture!)

My children had two DVD players, two Nintendo DS game systems, IPods, Leapsters, two laptops for movies or games, and two really fun parents who stopped about every two or two and one half hours (sometimes even more often!) because WE had to go to the bathroom. Of course, each stop was greeted with more food, more sodas, and even more stuff to do in the car. The boys laughed at Mr. Bean videos for hours. (Thanks, Amy and Grant!) The girls colored pictures, wrote in their journals, watched DVDs, played their handheld games, and played with their Barbies and stuffed animals. And everyone slept A LOT!!!

First Moments of the Trip - Excitement Still Alive!!

Rowland on a Mission

And the Day Dragged On

A New Day

Carson Freshly Showered and Thrilled About the Ride

William Showered and Ready to Go Again

Rowland on a Different Kind of Mission

Ahhh….the Sweet Smells of Kansas

The Final Leg - Hope Resumes!!

On the way home from Arkansas, we made a long-awaited stop in Oklahoma. Finally, after being apart for almost four years, our Guigang girls were reunited. What a wonderful reunion - short but SO, SO SWEET!!!

Kayden and Jia, our beautiful Guigang girls!!!

We met for dinner at Chili’s. Have you ever asked for a table for fourteen - when 10 of them were kids? It was the first time we’d met each other’s other children since only Carson traveled when we went to China to bring our baby girls home.

Kuyler, William, and Carson (the boys minus Kolton who took off after dinner)

Jia, Kitty, Kayden, and Kenzie

Connie with Her “Twins” Kaeleb and Kambry (only one month apart)

Notice all of the Oklahoma kids have names that start with a K and have six letters! Not only can Connie and Clayton parent (and very well!) six children, they can even be creative while doing so!

All of the Kids (minus Kolton)

Rowland Fell in Love with Kaeleb!

Carson and Jia Hanging in the Hot Tub

Trouble One and Trouble Two

Kaeleb even went into the pool headfirst. Clayton jumped in - cowboy boots and all!!

Clayton and Kaeleb - Strong Men

I guess I really can’t describe the emotions of the visit. The pictures don’t do justice for the appearance of the heart. I remember Kayden as Connie’s little “monkey” riding in her sling all over China. Jia was a scared little girl, almost two years old, who hated me, clung to Rowland, and screamed for her “mama,” her foster mom. I remember being on the airplane on the way home while everyone except Jia and I slept. As I walked her up and down the aisle of that plane, I sang, “Jesus Loves Jia” over and over and over again. Finally, she allowed me to comfort her.

I remember so many of our friends and family greeting us at the airport late at night (if anyone has pictures, I’d LOVE them!!), giving Jia hugs and an American flag. She asked me the other day what her first word was, and while I don’t know her first Chinese word, I do know that she woke up in her home that first morning saying, “hon-gry” again and again. I didn’t have the awesome privilege of carrying that princess in my tummy, but I’ve definitely felt her kick in the middle of the night! I didn’t get to hear her first cries, but I am the one she runs to with her tears now. I didn’t see her first steps, but I watch her dance around the house, jump into my arms, kiss me, and tell me how much she loves me, her Mom-mom.

Wo ai ni, Xiao Shen!!! I love you, my Jia!!

Shopping today was successful!!! Fishing today was successful!!! The margaritas tonight are successful!!! The men cooking dinner for us is successful!!!!!

Oh, yeah!! And the toilet is flushing successfully!!!!

Does life get any better than this?????

No time to post this morning! Sorry! Headed to the outlet mall in Silverthorne with my precious friend Kyla!!! Priorities! Priorities!!!

(In case you were curious, Rowland has caught one fish, and Shawn is a failure! Now, they’re working on plumbing issues with the toilet! Glad I’m not a man!)

Does a buck really snort? That’s the question that keeps going through my mind. And if it does, what does it sound like? I’m assuming that it would only snort to protect its does or fawns. I’m not sure that a snort would ward off many potential enemies. Then again, I don’t know what a buck snort sounds like - or for that matter, if one even snorts!

I do know a few things about the Buck Snort, a really old bar at the end of a really long dirt road in Bailey, Colorado. I know that my husband went there with his dad and some fishing buddies about 20 years ago. I also know that Carson wrote on a $1 bill, and his daddy put it on the antler of a jack-a-lope in the bar on Sunday, Father’s Day. I don’t know too many dads that would choose this dive for Father’s Day dinner, but the Pages and the Smiths decided it was the perfect location. (Not sure what that says about our families!)

The BAR!!

Children Being Exposed to Things They Ought Not Be Exposed To!!!

Rowland in His Happy Place

Carson’s Head by His Butt

Carson’s Dollar for All Eternity

It had more character (and more names on the walls) than any place I can think of. It also had a ton of $1 bills posted all over the wall. Our friend sat under a “pervert parking” sign, and there were some interesting comments about choosing McDonalds if you wanted fast service and choosing Burger King if you wanted it your way. Basically, the service stunk, but the atmosphere was colorful and fun, the appetizers were very tasty, and the beer was cold. What more can you ask for besides good friends to share it with? Great time at the Buck Snort! And by the time the “dinner” was over, none of us really cared if bucks snort or not!

Rowland and His Bride

Rowland, Me, Shawn, and Kyla (on Percoset and beer - just had surgery!)