Category Archives: Emma

What you’ve missed

14 Monday Jun 2010

Posted by in Adoption, Dave, Emma, Family, Frankie, Friends, haiti, Journey, life, mission, Uncategorized

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Oh my.  Yes it has been that long.  So instead of taking a month to blog about it, here is what you have missed…

  • We are full on in camp.  Dave is with Student Life this week and Rush of Fools at Wake Forest University.  I’m wishing I was there.  Emma’s with him.  I don’t think she slept last night dreaming of camp.
  • Wayfarer camp.  Week one was a great success.  It’s amazing what a group of people and can accomplish when you work together.  Loved being a team. Met some great new people.
  • Talking about camp.  I thought I’d figured out a way to never do housing or connect groups again.  No such luck.  Housing was fun and I’m busy into housing this week for our next Wayfarer Camp next week at Anderson University.
  • Loved knowing Dave and Reichley were able to catch up with 3DM.  I was sad I missed them.  We are always blown away after having any conversation with them.
  • Emma lost her front tooth last night.  She looks hilarious!  I’m happy but sad at the same time.  They are growing up way to fast.
  • Talking about growing up and making some major decisions…  we heard Sam Norris was baptised Sunday.  So proud of that little man and his life.  Brings much joy to my heart.
  • Trying to figure out a way that our family can start hosting people in our home.  No clear pictures yet on how that will happen but it’s exciting.  Just need a few more bedrooms.
  • Frankie is IN LOVE with his daddy.  A wonderful but not so good thing when daddy is gone all summer.  He had a 1 hr cry fest on his way home from camp missing him.
  • Talking about camp, Frankie seemed to enjoy his first experience.  Not too sure of the  loud music or why daddy was on a stage but hey… he’ll figure it out sooner than later.
  • Izzie won’t stop talking.  She wakes up talking and goes to bed talking.  She is having a hard time with her “r” sounds so she is constantly cracking me up.
  • Playing tennis in 95 degree heat is probably not a smart thing to do in the heat of the day. But I’m still so in love with the game.  It keeps getting better.
  • Hot Hot Hot.  If you live in the South then you know what I’m talking about.
  • Pool time is a regular for us.  The kids would spend hours there if I would let them.
  • Excited about some new adventures with this company.  Can’t wait to share more soon.
  • I know a celebrity!  Kristen from Rage Against the Mini Van and adoptive mom and friend is heading to NY Tuesday  to be on the View this Friday I think.  She’ll be talking about blogging and adoption some of my favorite things.
  • Blogging, oh how I love you.  Check out my new blog title in case you missed it.  So long Chapter Two.  Hoping for good things in store for Fingerprints on my Walls.  There is a purpose for the title as the next few years unfold.
  • I’m missing Haiti.  My heart thinks of it everyday.
  • I miss my Haiti connection friends in Houston, Tampa, Austin,  Little Rock and PA and CA and MI.  Why can’t we all live in the same town!  I guess I’m really thankful for blogging and facebook.
  • Some people in the Wayfarer Family are expecting…  Finally!  Will be good to have more babies running around soon.
  • Tried the Spicy Chicken Sandwich and well, it was too spicy for me.  Dave Loves it.
  • Thankful to DVR Toy Story for the kids.  Finally some “boy” themes instead of princess around here.
  • Everyone keeps talking about their beach trips. Would give anything to take off my shoes and go for a stroll.
  • I’m making rice crispy treats for a shower tomorrow night… I’ve never made them before.  Lame I know.  I’m thinking I’ll just buy them!

Blessings Friends.  I’m back at it once again.

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Mom, no fair.

17 Wednesday Sep 2008

Posted by in Emma, haiti, Izzie, life

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Last night I was tucking Emma into bed.  Doing our normal snuggle time before the lights get turned out.  All of a sudden she says to me… “Mom it’s no fair!”  And I asked her “what is no fair?”  She says “it’s no fair that I don’t live in Haiti.”  And I asked her “why is it not fair that you don’t live in Haiti?”  She said, “They have bunk beds there and a trampoline.” 

That was sure out of the blue.  Both our girls are very familiar right now about Frankie and where he lives etc..  And at the Maranatha Children’s Home where Frankie is they have rooms of bunk beds and outside in the courtyard is a trampoline for the kids to play on.  She see’s those pictures and wants to live there. 

Being the smart and wise mom that I am, ha!  I fully took the opportunity to grab Dave’s laptop and spend time with Emma talking about the devastation that hit Haiti this past month.  I took her to the Real Hope for Haiti site and walked her through the pictures of people in need of water, getting water, damages to the houses there etc.  She just sat there and then said, “momma, that is so sad.” 

I love these moments with our children.  Moments to teach them that the life that we live here in good old Reidville, SC is not the life that other people have the opportunity of living.  I hope and pray my children will always be aware of the blessings in life and also the realities of life.  This was just one of those moments with Emma that I hope got her mind thinking a bit.  After looking at pictures of Frankie before we shut down the computer, we then went on to pray for Haiti and the people there who are in much need of hope and help after the massive rain that has hit them. 

I turned out the light and left the room.  My heart heavy.  There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about life and the balance of it.  To be honest… ever since coming back from Haiti in May I am in constant internal struggle of what is real, what is important, what matters, what am I doing with my life, etc.  Each day I enjoy the presence of my girls  and my family through laughs, play, squeals and I am well aware that there is a little boy in Haiti who does not even know us and he just finished a day as well that I was not a part of.  And that is ok, that is this process but it’s so weird to me.  I also think about the ministry struggles of ministering to a generation here in the USA and then I try and grasp the ministry experience that people like Lori and Licia are doing in Haiti.  I often wonder if I am doing enough with my days, is there something more I can do to help out in this world etc.  I’ll be honest… I’m at a moment/season in my journey where life is taking me at all angles and at the end of the day I really can’t process all that my heart and mind are experiencing….. 

Am I the only one who daily struggles with stuff like this?  I have to think that I am not alone.  The hope is that I know that I am not alone.

Saturday with the girls…

09 Saturday Aug 2008

Posted by in Emma, Izzie

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It’s always fun times at the Rhodes house.  Emma had her best friend Mary Chandler over today to play.  We’ve tried to get them together all summer and finally did.  Emma cried when she left.  I told her we will have many more play dates for sure.
Emma and Mary Chandler

Emma and Mary Chandler

Izzie, well she had quite the day as well.  I’m in the kitchen with the girls finishing some cookies we were making and in walks Izzie looking like this… 

Dear child, what is on your hands?

Dear child, what is on your hands?

A trip upstairs tells the tale.  Someone had fun brushing their teeth.Oh What a mess! 
Looks like someone was having fun!

Looks like someone was having fun!

Instead of getting mad, I decided to reward the behavior by telling her to “say cheese” at the camera!
Still getting the stuff out of the carpet!

Still getting the stuff out of the carpet!

What did you have for breakfast?

02 Saturday Aug 2008

Posted by in Emma, Izzie

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Way too much going on in our world.  Dave just got home yesterday from camp #9 and he is officially done with summer camp.  Thank you Lord!  This past week I was in total survival mode.  Hopefully we’ll be posting lots of “new” news soon.  But till then just to give you an idea as to life in our home with dad gone…..

I was rushing my morning shower hoping the girls would “be nice” for a few seconds.  When I got out I thought things were way too quiet.  When I left the girls… they were sitting and watching some cartoons.  When I went back to check on them…. Here is what I found… mind you it’s 8AM in the morning…..

I love my sister. She gives me chocolate ice cream for breakfast!
I love my sister. She gives me chocolate ice cream for breakfast!

Emma somehow managed to get Izzie in her high chair and hand her one of my chocolate WW treats.  Just had to take the picture and end my long strike of no blogging.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Storing up Treasures

02 Wednesday Jul 2008

Posted by in Emma

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Emma is a treasure collector.  It does not matter what it is, if it’s shiny it’s a treasure and it goes in her plastic Cinderella treasure box.   She’ll find a washer or a screw or a piece of glass in the road and it goes in the treasure box.   Little rhinestones that fall off of a costume or beads from a broken necklace.. It’s precious treasure to her.

Recently I have been missing some of my jewelry.  Ever hear of Emily Ray?  Well her stuff is fabulous and you can normally find it in boutiques that sell Brighton etc.  Well “THE” EMILY RAY is from good old Spartanburg, SC.  Since her home office is here, they always do an outlet the first weekend of every month.  I’ve gotten some great deals on great things in the past years from there.  I have some items that are called Hoopla.  They are gems that you can put on any kind of hoop earrings.  They come in all colors. I love them and in the past 6 months I’ve been missing two of my sets.  Figured I just misplaced them or left them somewhere.  I’ve been known to do this.  But I have looked for them everywhere and had given up a month ago on ever finding them.

Well with Emma being gone this week I’ve been doing some extra cleaning around the house and you’ll never guess what I found?  Yup my hoopla in her treasure box.  Hmm… that little stinker.  It gave me a good laugh!

Emma’s Treasure Box:
 Treasure Box

Look What I Found!:
2008 268

 

A family weekend

29 Sunday Jun 2008

Posted by in Emma, Family, summer

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We have had such a wonderful “family weekend.”  Dave got home late Friday night and the girls we so excited to see daddy sleeping in our bed when they woke up Saturday morning.  We had lots of morning laughs yesterday as the level of energy around here was at it’s max.  We headed off to an early lunch in Greenville and enjoyed our favorite pizza place and then walked to get our ice cream.  Izzie was back home in time for a nap while Emma enjoyed a dip in Nana’s pool.

Last night “Uncle Vegas” aka David Reichley came over to watch the girls while Dave and I headed out for a date.  David is Courtney’shusband.  Courtney  and the kids are currently up in Pittsburgh with her family and David is here working.  He’s a big famiy guy and it’s funny watching him not to know what to do with himself as his family is away.  So he’s offering to come and hang out with our kids.  He’s crazy but we really enjoyed getting a date night.

When we got home all three of us watched “The Great Debaters.” What a great moving that was.  Dave and I really enjoyed it.  It’s amazing all the stories out there that have never been told.  Did I mention we really enjoyed this movie?

Tomorrow, Dave heads back out to camp.  This time he will be at a Student Life for Kids camp in Talledega, AL.  He is taking Emma with him.  She has been talking about “camp with dad” since last summer.  When she came home last summer she looked like this….  Needless to say she can’t wait to get on the road tomorrow! 

Hero for the day

18 Wednesday Jun 2008

Posted by in Emma, summer

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I was a hero today.  Two old guys in chairs looked at me funny when my little girl screamed out time and time again… Praise the Lord!  We caught one!  I just gave the old men a grin.

Emma and I have talked about catching a fish in the ocean since last summer.  Nana even brought her a net for this time at the beach.  When I say fish I mean a little minnow.  So after a lot of hard work on my end and a huge bunch of luck, I caught a small crab in a shell and a little minnow. 

It was worth all the joy on her face.  After the Praise the Lord outbreak she went on to say that catching a fish is all she ever wanted.  I hate to tell her differently but for now it’s nice to be the hero.