Loving and Letting Go

Last week we said goodbye to three of our senior friends. It was a tough week to lose so many in a short time. The girls were spent with grief over the loss of their dear sweetiepie, a friend of more than 5 years. He was in his nineties and wasted away with cancer but always an encouragement to them and eager with a smile and a hug.

Another elder friend Jo we hadn't seen for a while due to being hospitalized with cancer. It was sad to not be able to see her one last time for a sweet memory. Lastly there was our dear recluse of a lady who always welcomed the girls in but never went out much herself. The last memory we have of her is right before Christmas she tried to dance with the little girls as she steadied herself with the cane, that day she looked mighty spry. We went to the funerals and paid our last respects and comforted one another in our grief of having known and loved these great characters.

The older girls are pondering whether it is worth it to keep visiting the elderly when they die seemingly so quickly (in their perspective). They question if it is worth the investment of their hearts to love someone they will lose so painfully and have to wobble under the burden of grief. They have yet to make a conclusion, but we continue to make our visits and spread our sunshine and love where there is opportunity.

There has been more than a shower of tears this week and lots to pray about and people to pray for. I wonder if it is not for the expansion of our hearts, a garden for God's compassion to grow for the least, the lost and the forgotten. That is where my faith holds me. I hope that my dear daughters will also see that loving is a worthy investment that yields great rewards. I hope they see that walked out in my life.

The Green Team

Isn't this a team you can rally behind? What's with the green?

Well, their Irish Grandmother sent them the sweaters as a Christmas gift,

so they are celebrating being

Chinese-Irish-Italian-Americans.

Can we add some more hyphens?

Sweetpeas Strange and Various Recipes - Totally Original

Ketchup with Ice Cream

Peanut Butter with Tuna and ketchup and crackers

Tunafish with chocolate bars

Ketchup Soup - borrowed from a much older friend

2 packets ketchup, hot water, stir and drink....delicious?!

Honey Mustard with Pickle on lemon slices

Makeover gone wild

These wild and crazy girls cannot stop themselves from being silly. They delighted themselves in getting a makeover and I wanted to share the results. Can you tell who is who? I was stunned at the results, thankfully it isn't permanent.

The Adoption is COMPLETE!

We are ebullient and full of thanksgiving as we announce that today we went to court and finished the adoption proceedings making our family complete in the eyes of the judicial system.
I am so overwhelmed with gratitude and relief.

Here are some photos of the day, to share our joy with you.

Happy New Ears

Sweetpea has waited a very long time in Sweetpea days to have the longed for ears pierced. On New Years day we went and did the deed.

She was excited to be doing it as she would then "match" her sisters. Yet, the anticipation of the pain was getting to her so I threw on some numbing cream for the placebo effect.

She sat right there and let them double pierce her ears without a squirm or tear. Afterward she was not pleased that this form of torture had been visited upon her, and even the purchase of a desired pair of kitty kat earrings did not change the souring of the heart.

Only days later is she getting the desired reward for her pain and efforts. People are noticing the beautiful flowers in her ears and commenting. She loves the attention. She's good about getting them cleaned and so far so good.

She is emotionally complex about her ears I think. Having lived most of her life at having her one ear in near constant pain and then the consciousness of not being able to hear well I think she likes having something positive to gild her ears.

Let's see what the ENT says when we see him next to talk about the surgery. He might not be very pleased we have done the piercing at this time. Ah, well a girl can only wait so long for modern medicine.