A Foreshadowing...

A few weeks ago we went to a birthday party for a sweet little girl named Maddie

(Jet's #1 Georgia girlfriend).

She was turning 2 and I immediately saw the foreshadowing of my little guy's 2 year old birthday to come (in just 3 months! Somebody get me a paper bag.).

It was an adorable party at a really fun place called Gymboree Play and Music. Jet did so well playing and exploring the room full of toys and other kids. His favorite thing in the world drew his attention immediately...

...and pretty much held his attention the entire party. But there was so much to do!

Slides!

(Jet's got his "who in the world is THIS lady?" look on his face.)

Maracas!

(notice by the last picture - Jet has thrown the maracas.

No other kids did that. Just mine. Great.)

His own personal baby to crawl around with!

(Jet doesn't understand why no one his age likes to crawl anymore? It's so much fun!)

I could see it on his face he was having fun.

You can't see it? Oh that's cause he doesn't smile for pictures.

But apparently he comes by it honestly.

Yeah - don't we look like Mr. and Mrs. Sunshine? lol.

I promise we were ALL having fun!

I even caught a glimpse of the bunny face.

I got such joy out of watching Jet walk around the party. He was so cautious amid all the other galloping children - but I could feel myself beaming at his little steps of independence as he would join the group.

There were games - this one game was a kind of "musical chairs" where the kids marched around in circles and when the music stop you had to freeze! And not only freeze - but the object was to be inside a hoola hoop when the music stopped. Jet is nobody's fool. He wasn't taking any chances. He found his hoola hoop and camped out.

He was somewhat of a loner - but it was a rather intimidating set up - a room full of GIRLS!

But I did catch them chatting about the cute little boy who was kinda shy. :)

But of course, the beautiful birthday girl still holds the key to Jet's heart.

He just doesn't know it yet. ;)

Then it was time for cupcakes.

As I watched Jet coveting the cupcakes...the phrase "hungry like the wolf" came to mind.

And he mercilessly devoured them.

(Thank you Miss Kristin for risking your hand to quickly remove the plastic decoration...I have no doubt he would have eaten it and not thought twice about it. He was clearly ravenous.)

The way this boy likes sweets is ridiculous. But again. He comes by it honestly.

He literally never put the cupcake down. He would let it hover over his plate - then raise it again to his mouth. It was his golden treasure.

I love how daintily Maddie ate the crumbs off her cupcake paper BEFORE indulging in the cupcake itself. Too cute!

And the look she gave Jet as he stuffed his cupake (paper and all) in his mouth...priceless.

In fact, Jet's eating habits posed a distraction for both of the little girls on either side of him. lol.

Soon Jet was finished and looked down concerned at the icing on his hands

(never mind the enormous bright yellow goatee he had managed to produce around his mouth! lol.)

He managed to solve the "dirty hands" issue just fine.

And that was that.

We tried to end the day with a quick picture of Jet and the birthday girl...

Not sure what this exchange of looks says...but the two of them together... perhaps it's another foreshadowing? All I'm sayin is - on the off chance they get married one day - this will go on the front of their wedding announcement. :)

Happy Birthday Maddie!

Thank you for a wonderful day!

Because...

Some days...you don't really want to have a blog topic. You just want to look back at the past week or two and remind yourself of all the little happenings...especially when there have been big happenings. Not bad happenings. Just big. And while there are things you want to say, thoughts you want to express, lessons you have learned...some days...you just feel the need to put aside the heavy a little bit longer - and take a deep breath of the "lighter side."

You need to smile, and laugh, and write.

Just because.

Because when you're sick over Valentine's weekend - you don't get a chance to post all your lovely "love-day" pictures you had intended.

Because when your baby wakes up from his nap as Justin Beiber - you have laugh...

..and take his picture...

...and smile at the sheer cuteness of him.

Then laugh some more.

And admittedly you will now have caught "Beiber Fever" and become an adoring fan - just because he reminds you of your little boy after a nap.

Because when you give a baby a cookie - he won't just eat it.

He'll examine it.

Nibble it.

Try to cram the whole thing in his mouth.

Make a mess with the sprinkles.

Admire it some more.

And magically make it disappear.

And he'll have no idea where it went.

Because he's precious - perfectly, innocently trusting that Mommy has more cookies just around the corner...

And of course...he's right. :)

A Little Love

"Love Language"

If only all lover's quarrels were this simple. ;)

And yes - there was really a cupcake - it was Miss Maddie's birthday party - and yes Jet did try to eat hers after already DEVOURING his! More to come from this day... lol.

It's late on Love Day - and my stamina for staying up late on the computer is dwindling. There is so much to catch up on over the past weeks - but that will have to wait. I just couldn't let today go unrecognized. Not only have I been with my Valentine for 11 years today (no we didn't get married 11 years ago...we were only 15 years old then! Give us some credit!) but we spent our first of many Valentine's days together as an official couple - yep - he "asked me out" on Valentine's Day (cue collective "awww"). Romantic at 15 years old. (And did I ever tell you he proposed on the Eiffel Tower in Paris?! Now that's a good story.) But yes - together since we were 15 years old...starting Valentine's Day. I wish I had a picture handy. lol. Not really.

Who likes their 15 year old pictures? Yikes.

But here's one pretty close.

Okay crack up we were TOTALLY in college there! But we look 15!

And I promise we did begin dating at 15. ;) We just didn't age very quickly. Which is good I guess. But anyway. I digress. I really wanted to send a quick "love note" to all the loves in my life. I am so blessed to have my beautiful family, amazing extended family, and phenomenal friends who have supported and joined me in our mission to Give Love this Valentine's Day. Thank you to my sweet husband for remembering what I really wanted for Valentine's day. :)

Thank you to those of you out there who made it your Valentine's wish as well. It means more to me, and to Shea's family, than any amount of candy hearts, charming messages or blooming flowers. As a sweet friend stated - we are "so thankful that Love is not confined to one day."

Please keep sharing the love.

Today and any day you can.

Happy Valentine's Day!

From our family to yours.

Give Love

(I posted this to the Saving Shea but wanted to share it here too.)

Because it's February.

Because I just decorated my house in pink and red hearts.

Because Valentines are not just for couples...but friends, mommies, daddies, siblings, classmates and neighbors.

Because everybody needs love. And not the romantic comedy, butterflies in your stomach, plucking petals off daisies kind of love.

They need the "I'm yours forever" kind of love.

The "we can do this together" kind of love.

The "can't stop starring at you" kind of love.

The "I'm always there for you" kind of love.

The "I can't keep myself from smiling around you" kind of love.

The "I promise to make time to laugh with you" kind of love.

The "everything you say is so important to me" kind of love.

The " I couldn't be prouder of you in this moment" kind of love.

The love that lifts you up....

Squeezes you tight...

Makes even hard times feel alright..

The love that teaches you all that you need to know...

And gives you support you need to grow...

The undeniable you were made for me...

And together we make a family...

What's mine is yours...

I treasure each kiss...

And everyone deserves to feel like this...

Kind of Love.

Because real love is something that cannot be bought - only shared. We need it from the time we are born - and those of us who having loving families know that NOTHING could have replaced that. The love of family - the love I was given as a child - made me who I am today. It teaches us how to love the rest of our lives. It can never be truly expressed in the form of greeting cards, chocolates, flowers, or jewelry. Those sweet tokens and gestures give momentary happiness - it's the feeling love behind them that really means anything at all. So with that in mind, and in the spirit of this holiday of love - I would like to propose the perfect gift for your loved ones.

Give the gift of Love itself.

Give Love.

You can bring joy and love not only to those who hold your heart -

but to child who needs your help.

Give Love.

By helping one little boy come home to the family who is waiting to give him this kind of love. The kind of love every single one of these children pictured above are given every day.

The kind of love so many of us are blessed to have.

The kind of love he deserves.

Give Love.

Shea's story is a remarkable one - and it is only just beginning. He now has a family ready for him - and Shea is WAITING to come home. His family is actively completing the adoption process - eager to give Shea the love, support and care only a family can give. The only thing wecan do to help them bring Shea home as soon as possible is to GIVE.

Give what you have.

$5, $25, $50

It's not the size of the gift, but the size of the heart behind it.

GIVE LOVE.

It is so costly to adopt internationally - so much so that many people say "we can't afford that" or "it's just not possible for us". But this family has given everything they have not once, not twice, but 3 TIMES (read their blog - they are an amazing family)and is making that leap of faith to make Shea a part of their family - but they need help raising the last bits.

(And in adoption language, "bits" = $9,000!)

They need our HELP!

As a friend so honestly reminded me " Let's face it ... we all spend/waste $$$ on this every year. The chocolate is gone...the flowers die... and all you have is a distant memory of the token(s) you invested in."

How much more meaningful - how much more noble - how much more true to what love is all about - to give that money instead to this family - to this little boy -

to bring him home - to give him Love.

So help share the love...with Shea. :)

Isn't that the most adorable Valentine ever?!

It's message is simple - it's purpose sincere.

Make a donation (even just $5!) in the name of a friend or loved one - to Shea's Adoption Grant (through the chipin on the right hand margin of this page) or visit his family's blog and donate through their chipin (it all goes to his account.) Then print out these adorable Shea Valentines(see Donation Gift Cards for the printable link) and give them to your sweetie, your sister, your mother, your friend - and see their faces light up at the sweet face on the card.

I can't think of a sweeter, kinder, more beautiful way to Give Love.

Can you?

(visit www.savingshea.blogspot.com to read about Shea's story

as well as view and print these Valentines)

Thank you. With Love ~ Joanna