New babies, pirates, giving and Father's Day

Had an exciting weekend visiting family and friends and topped it off with a wonderful afternoon with my dad to celebrate Father's day!

I headed to Dallas to meet the newest addition to our family, baby Harlow. She is precious and sweet and new and we are OH so happy to have a little baby in the family! Getting a new cousin at 30(something) is FUN!

I headed over to my dear friend's house for a little pirate action and good will. 

First off, I have to tell you, this lovely lady trusted me with her boys as their FIRST baby sitter in the USA, which is pretty awesome considering 1) I don't have children of my own 2) she had never even seen me around children and 3) I brought candy... and thank God she did, b/c I fell in love with two of the cutest little boys in the world! SO... that #3, that was my first mistake, luckily the boys didn't know it was candy, so it slipped away into a bag never to be seen again, when I realized they had not been introduced to the sugary sweets yet. THEN  a few months later I mailed a holiday box full of candy and toys and it hasn't stopped and she still says we are friends! Here is where I made the second mistake. Balloons!!!!!  They are fun, festive and all the kids love em,! Well, not all parents love them because apparently ceiling fans and pecan trees love them too, which makes parents not so hip to the craze, so lets just say, I probably won't be giving any more balloons to short humans. On the other hand, I did point out that balloons in a tree is like a birthday tree, and if we can decorate a tree inside for Christmas, why not have helium filled ornaments in the tree outside for your birthday!

Erin is a great mamma and already teaching her beautiful boys the lesson of giving and sharing. Instead of birthday gifts, she ask everyone to make a donation to a charity. This year she chose my kids in Africa and the babies at the Gladney Center. Two wonderful programs and I can't begin to tell you how generous her friends are! I walked out with almost 20 pairs of shoes and there were diapers piled high for the sweet babies at Gladney Center. There is something about having friends who share the love for helping others and joining forces to help the needy, makes my heart feel full and warm. My dear friend, if you are reading this, I think you are an amazing mamma, I love your enthusiasm, and outlook on life! Thank you for keeping me included on your beautiful journey!

Sunday afternoon was spent with my Dad, we had a Mexi food feast while we enjoyed great conversation and fun times with my parents and niece. 

No trip to the folks house is complete without a ride to the river and to check out what Dad has been doing in the river "parks". Dad drove us around while I took some pics in the back seat.

While I was there,  I got to check out the video my Dad is making of his Alaskan cruise, I think I hear Hollywood calling for his production talent now! Before I left, they loaded me up with lots of blessings to give Issaiac in Zambia and I headed home. I am surrounded by giving people, every time I turn around the amazing people in my life are helping others and that is such a sweet feeling to see!

I am so blessed, I have a family that loves me, and I love them. I have friends who share their hearts and kids with me, and I hope to one day do the same. When I carve out the 8 hours a day I spend at my job, and look at the rest of my life, I couldn't ask for more love, happiness and joy.

Keep in touch...

lessons, homework, tests...

So... MR and I took a meditation class, well, it was like a five week coarse, once a week for several hours we would go to the Houston Zen Center for serious "teaching".  There was homework, projects and practice requested of us, and well, if it wasn't official before, it is now, I am NOT a good student! BUT, I do admit it, in an open session when everyone else is talking about how they aced it all! No shame, I just didn't do my homework!

Much like college, I did not do the reading assignments outside of class, I did not practice my meditation as often as I should, I never ate an apple mindfully, I could never mindfully open a door, I failed, miserably! BUT, not unlike college, I still managed to have an instructor who is a patient, kind woman who let me "pass" the coarse. She told me with the most peaceful smile in the kindest way that it was, "okay, and when you are ready to sit, you will". Well bless her peaceful Zen heart, I hope she is right, because after this week, I need some serious "mind stilling sit time"!

There was a lesson that I really loved and thought that I had totally grasped it, but like all lessons, you don't know how you will really do until you take the test. AND not UNlike most tests I have taken, I FAILED!!! MISERABLY!! --- total random thought coming now...You know how they say in marriage that you become a little like your partner, well if I could take a few things from the MR, like, being a good student, keeping my mouth shut, and having more patience that would be GREAT! Instead I think I have taken on the liking ice cream, love of travel and learning to have lazy days (not bad at all, as long as the ice cream is still frozen).--- So my proud lesson learned/lesson failed goes like this:

Lesson:
When to speak, ask yourself these three questions:
1. Is it true?
2. Is it helpful?
3. Is it the right time?

Pretty good lesson, right. You are trying it right now aren't you! I was so proud of this lesson I shared it with my niece and nephew, to which my SIL said it was the best thing I had ever told them (point for Aimee the GREAT, heck, 10 points if I am marking it down!! ) I felt like such a smarty pants, A+ student, really slangen' knowledge on them like I was a pro! So that's great, fun high, on top of the world...but then came the test...

I found myself failing miserably when presented with a real life situation, where, I should have reviewed the three questions...and here is how that would have broken down...

Aimee, is what you want to say true? YES, Dear Lord every word and I should shout it from the mountains!!!! (I am winning this)
Is what you have to say helpful? UHHHHHHH, who are we trying to help (shouldn't that be in the question...) (not a complete fail yet)
Is what you have to say right for this moment? OOF, when we say "right time" should we define that??? (EPIC FAIL)

NOOOOOOO, where did my Zen mastery go (I mean, I got the certificate, so I can say mastery, right?)? Where did that knowledge I fed those sweet young minds go? Why did my mouth keep moving when my heart was saying so loud and clear SHUT YOUR FACE? I don't have an answer, I have no idea, I would like to think my mouth has it's own little mind, and that it wasn't my fault, or that some crazy alien took over my mind and sabotaged me, but I think if I am really trying to learn the lesson and be better next time, I have to admit, I got lost in a moment, I let emotions take over and I need to practice harder, pay more attention, be more aware.

Failing this lesson made me think of so many things that continually boggle my mind! Mostly with God and what he is doing in my life, how I treat the people dearest to me and why can't I control my crazy!!! I don't have an answer for the last one, but lets blame it on hormones, which we all know are uncontrollable  and create all kinds of crazy situations like over indulging in chocolate and crying!

Failing made me think that God was trying to show me a weakness and give me an opportunity to take control, stand up and seize the moment, be the person you are trying desperately to be, the person the HE sees you as and knows you can be... thank the LORD he is forgiving, and hopefully he will react to my failures as my college professor and Zen Master and give me a "certificate" in the end! At the basic root of it, I got selfish, I got petty, I let things outside of my control effect me when they shouldn't!  I struggled, my heart knew what I did was not good, nice, or kind and my head was stubborn and took over. I was right, it wasn't helpful to anyone other than me, and NEVER would have been the right time...  May a cooler head prevail next time! Admitting you have a problem is the first step to fixing a problem, right????

So I made peace, I apologized for my outburst, I thanked for the response and reaction of the other, and now I am letting it all go. I had to reach out and say thank you, I mean, if my ugly flag can fly high, if I can show my crazy, then at the end of the day, the part of me that I actually like and want to be should have a chance to shine too! C'mon Aimee, step up, be so sweet, you can DO IT... full on sideline chants were coming out loud and proud!

Maybe in the end I am getting closer to passing the test... another one coming in an hour... chanting my "May I and all beings be happy and free from suffering" on rotation with "Breath", and pray to God that he can hold my hand and not let my mouth run a muck! I will keep you posted...

keep in touch

UPDATE: I didn't fail, wouldn't say I passed with an a+, but not a fail- here's to hoping I get a break from awkward lessons for a while- two test in one week can wear a girl OUT!!! 

One year ago...

Scar, the word has a negative connotation, but if you think about it, a scar is like a badge if honor, it says "something happened right here, it healed and there is a forever reminder". I have a scar on my heart, but it's not a pain, it's a mark from a total explosion of love, laughter, happiness, fear, anticipation, joy, pride and hope! A year ago my heart went BOOM! I met the six most handsome, loving children that have forever scared my heart! 

A year feels like a lifetime, I feel like I have always loved them and known them. I feel like I have worried a lifetime of worries of safety, health, acceptance, progress and confidence. I feel like I have been doing this for a lifetime, and it's only been 365 days. 

A year is a long time, but what this next month ahead of me feels like, is a million years! I am trying so hard to take the lessons learned in our recent meditation class and be present in the moment. There are so many awesome things going on around me and I am so afraid I am skipping right over it all to get back to my sweet boys! I am breathing, although sometimes not slow and mindful, I am taking a breath and trying to keep smelling the roses God is laying out in front of my face TODAY! It is HARD! There are spreadsheets for packing, lists for gifts, so many things to do and I literally want to get on my flight RIGHT NOW and be there. I CAN WAIT, I will wait, because the reward of what greets me in Zambia is worth the wait! 

I can't wait to share my trip with you, but selfishly, I can't wait to see how this year plays out. I should get 5 of my boys back in my camp group (one is in a government school and can't leave for a week). The most exciting thing is, I get to go to all 6 boys homes, bless them with a months worth of food, warm blanket, pillow, soccer ball, toys and lots of love! 

Please pray for our safe travels and findig my boys in good health and happiness. 

Keep in touch...

In my backyard...

I have started a new adventure! I am volunteering with an awesome not-for -profit for children in a private foster program with all hopes of placement back with their biological family or adoption with a wonderful forever family. 

I visit a home once a week with five beautiful kiddos! Because of confidentiality issues and the children's safety, I can't give you names or details like I can for my Zambian boys, but I want to share some general details and stories along this journey. 

There are three little girls who have so much energy and at any given moment there is an outcry of giggles, screams (the happy kind most of the time) and attention grabbing "look at me!!! Look at me!!!" pleas. They have more energy than the sun and after each of my short visits I am exhausted! The toddler is a sweet thoughtful kid, he loves reading books and pointing out all the things he knows! And last but not least is a special sweet tiny baby. 

I have played with a lot of kids, I am used to the being turned into a jungle gym, rolling in the ground in tickle matches, running around till exhaustion sets in. I am not a pro with kids, but I act like one enough that I am comfortable enough.

But something I am not familiar with, is tiny babies. The smallest ones that start with a very rough road ahead. So when I got to hold this little guy, who hadn't slept in too long and wanted to eat but was totally exhausted, well he brought me to a place I had never met! I scooped him up thinking he would either scream at me or poop on me (that is usually what happens when I hold new babies)! He snuggled in, ate half a bottle and fell asleep, in my arms. Little girls screaming all around, reading a book to a toddler and he just slept in my arms the whole time. I had to pinch myself when I left that night, because I could not believe for one second that he didn't poop, he didn't scream AND he fell asleep, deep sleep! It was so peaceful amist complete 2-5 year old chaos! 

I cannot wait to go back and play and love on these kids. 

Get ready for a lot of Zambia talk- till then 

Keep in touch...

Oh and don't forget...

Although, safe and sound in Houston TX, I still blog from my phone- it works from me. So for grammar, spelling, spaces... Not a worry- you can figure it out! Xoxo keep in touch

 

Getting back to it-

I  going to start blogging again, getting ready to go back to Zambia, got sweet letters from Kennedy

and Chola

(the two boys we sponsor)

 Mimi and G- daddy got a letter from Isaiac, and KS got a letter from Rabbi- thank the LORD our boys are in school, eating at least once a day and getting a glorious lesson of a POWERFUL word our Gif and  a phenomenal education- there is not a chance these kids won't be futer leaders and history changers for the nation of Zambia!! 

I am leaving on the 4th of July... What an amazing day for our nation and for me to be setting off on such an important trip. Independence is a funny thing- we have it, we love it, we take for granted. My boys, they are working towards it, been gifted the opportunity of it, are striving for it- and with the love and support of so many here in beautiful Texas USA they will have it! No more poverty, no more hunger, no more "I wish I could got to school", "I wish I could have a hot lunch" no more, "I wish I had a chance, a future" NO MORE! It's INDEPENDENCE day- starting the day they met me- no way, no how, not for one second more could I let  

MY BOYS go without, and I can't wait to see what a year has done! Each of my sweet kids is in school, and I can't wait to see the leaps and bounds they have jumped to get to where they are in July! 

It's May, I have a bag packed, 

donations have been coming in and I am sorting through what is the most needed immediately, everything else will be sent in a huge container later in the year when we open Della's house. 

God has been good to me, and I can't wait to see what he has planned for this next year of my life. Xoxo -keep in touch! 

wrap up 2012...

I am running a little behind, so I will quickly catch up on the wrap of 2012. I had another 21st birthday, celebrating with my family, MR and Lemon. It was a fun night, lots of yummy food at one of my favorite Italian spots and MR got my favorite cake to boot!

 

Christmas went too fast, as always. Lots of family gatherings, lots of yummy food and of course my annual gift of sickness from our beautiful neice (or at least that is who I think it was...).

 

We spent NYE with dear friends and yummy Mexi food!

 

Now we are about to wrap the first month of 2013! Where does the time go? SLOW DOWN!!!! Seriously, I feel like the train has left the station and I am still working on my spreadsheet to prepare for the ride! Whoa nelly! Can someone please press pause and let me catch up!

 

2012 was a great year for me, so many things changed and blossomed in me. I am truely looking forward to see what 2013 brings!

 

Big plans for this year! I am heading back to Zambia to see my sweet kiddos. I have already started packing, and plotting on how to "accidentally" miss the flight back and have to stay for a while!

 

We are raising money to build a home at the Tree of Life. It will be named Della's house after the MR's grandmother. I am so excited for the 12 children who will be get to have a warm, loving home with plenty of food and attention! If you would like to help us meet our goal, let me know.