Siblings

I can not wait to tell you about our crazy Easter weekend,

but I need a good chunk of time to explain,

in gross detail,

how it all went down.

So, it will have to wait another few days.

I am busy today trying to gather 

some cute images of the kids 

for a mysterious friend who wants to do something with them

for my Adoption Shower that is coming up on Sunday.

Images that are similar in nature to these sweet gems:

Ladybug and T2

Ty and T2

Yes, you heard correctly...an adoption shower.

My dear friend, A, who has saved my life, 

(literally...she was an EMT that saved my life...if you have not read this post, you MUST read it now!)

was also the twins' foster mother before I was.

She is still a huge part of their lives 

and when the adoption was final, she asked if she could 

do this for us...throw an adoption shower for me.

It felt weird saying yes...

the twins are not babies and we have had them for 16 months,

so we don't need anything, but

I agreed she could throw a celebration with the stipulation 

that there are no gifts.

Well, that didn't work out so well.

People were asking what we would like or need

and the answer of "nothing" was not getting the job done.

So, I reluctantly made a list of things we could use:

toilet paper,

paper towels,

napkins,

laundry detergent,

tissues

and

two college funds,

please and thank you.

But, some mysterious person has requested digital files of the kids

and so now I am intrigued.  

I wonder what that person has up her sleeve?

So, today I will be collecting and sending pics from the past 16 months

to a mysterious friend and I will get to find out

what is up with that on Sunday!

Wordless Wednesday: Success!

This Year She Has Mastered Blowing Bubbles :)

The Year of Me Project- Week 16- Squeezing in Time

Hey y'all.

I ain't gonna lie.

It has been one heck of a week.

If you follow me on Facebook,

you already know the craziness that

was called Easter here at These Nine Acres.

And if we aren't friends on Facebook,

why the heck not...

get over there and friend request me!

For those of you who don't do the Facebook thing,

trust me...

it was hellacious.

And so I need a bit of time 

(like a year and half)

to tell you all about how the weekend went down,

and that is not gonna happen today.

So, what I will tell you today is that due to

the insane situation that has been my life

this past week,

I have found ME time

but only to do very quiet things

squeezed into the dark of the night 

when I was not taking care of the rest of the family.

I think that was the longest sentence EVER.

Can you say, run-on?

So, this weekend I was able to watch the movie,

The Romantics

(hated it)

and

finish the book,

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet...

(loved it)

both of which I will be reviewing soon on my 

Movie and Book page, respectively.

And that is about all that was happening here.

I am squeezing in me time today to get a haircut and color,

so at least I might feel human again,

but that is about it.

Hopefully your holiday weekend was a lot better than mine!

A Glimpse of Life on These Nine Acres

Things you can tell about These Nine Acres from the following images:

1.  We are a laid back, informal gang...even gypsy-like.

~Notice...T1 is in slippers...outside.

~Ladybug is barefoot..the go to look for me as well.

2.  Spring is a muddy time with animals.

~see the holding pen for the horses...yucky blucky mud.

Spring is also a time for fixing the fence line...

Especially since our neighbor drove through our fence this winter,

taking down a post and the electric line.

(The thingy in Brian's back pocket is 

some sort of fence fixer tool.  

You are so welcome for the specifics.)

Our boys embrace their feminine side...

case in point, Rontu, one of our two barn cats.

He wears a purple flea collar well for a boy, no?

Exhibit B-

T2 drives a pink Barbie Jeep like no other.

And proudly I may add.

The girls here at These Nine Acres embrace freedom...running, jumping, twirling, dancing...

all either barefoot or in slippers.

White slippers at that.

Should have seen the grace stains.  *sigh*

And finally...

These Nine Acres

is a home.

Our funky, crazy kid filled, animal filled, busy, laid back home.

And you are welcome here any time.

Have a fabulous Easter weekend to all of my Christian friends out there!

May the joy of this season fill your hearts 

and spread from you to fill the

souls of others.

See ya Tuesday...

I am taking Easter Monday off to be with the family!

The Dark Side of West Side Story

As many of you know, 

Brian and I hold season tickets to 

The Hippodrome in Baltimore.

I love musicals and I have always wanted 

to go as much as possible.

For years Brian held off because musicals 

IS. NOT. HIS. THING.

He normally falls asleep and starts snoring 

and twitching which then leads to him 

bumping elbows with the poor soul seated next to him.

But, this September will count 2 years

of an amazing birthday gift of season tickets

and he has suffered through some of the shows

while he has enjoyed others.

Either way I am glad he makes the effort for me

because he knows I love it.

It also forces us to plan a date night

about once a month when we 

get to go out and have dinner and a show.

With 4 kids, that is a must!

I have loved all the productions we have seen in the past almost 2 years 

UNTIL this one.

I was so disappointed with this production of West Side Story.

I love the original broadway show, so when 

I saw and heard the cast for this touring production, 

I was saddened by

their voices...they just seemed to be off pitch and annoying.

In addition to being disappointed with the cast,

I was highly annoyed at the rude

and obviously less educated and cultured audience members 

who kept yelling, "Speak English!"

during the Spanish speaking parts of 

the dialogue and the songs.

Really?

And then there was the 8 foot tall guy

(ok, so I am exaggerating, but only by a little bit)

who was sitting in front of me

that I could not see over.

I had to either practically crawl into Brian's lap

or in the lap of the lady next to me

(not a pretty option...and I will tell you why in a second)

to see the dang show.

And then there was the aforementioned lady sitting next to me.

Ah, yes.

She was quite the character. 

Apparently, she thought she owned the armrest

that divided our chairs

and not only did she hog it the whole show, 

but she insisted on crooking her arm 

in such a manner that placed her elbow

in my personal space.

And by personal space I mean right into my stomach.

And in that hand she was holding her rum and coke,

which instead of bringing the drink to her mouth to sip,

she would lean over, head now in my chest area

and SLUUUUUUURP

her drink.

In. My. Personal. Space.

But that isn't all.

She also had a cold (or allergies from hell).

Fabulous.

Instead of coughing politely

by covering her mouth with her sleeved elbow,

as all of us know is proper etiquette,

she would turn her head 

toward me (not toward her son on the other side of her)

and proceed to hack up a lung

In. My. Face.

All the while her drink is precariously shaking 

over top of my lap

from the convulsions her body was making.

And then, of course, 

one would need a drink after such a coughing fit,

so she would lean over 

In. My. Personal. Space.

and SLUUUUUUUUURP

her rum and coke 

AGAIN.

Yeah, I have been to better shows.

But, you know what?

It was a night out

and that counts for something.

Wordless Wednesday: Stalking

Tis Hump Day.

Wednesday before Easter.

Middle of the Week.

Make it a good one, y'all.

Spring Grass

Spring grass is finally coming in here 

at These Nine Acres.

For those who aren't familiar with horses, 

the transition from winter hay to 

spring grass is not an easy one 

on the horses' digestive tracks.

Spring grass has a ton of nutrients in it

and the pasture should be cut down at least twice

before letting the horses

onto it to feed in the spring,

otherwise, the horses can become sick.

Pioneer Woman, Eat Your Heart Out!

When I heard Brian was going to begin 

letting the horses in the pasture for a few hours at a time,

I knew the horses would be excited and anxious,

so I grabbed the camera and headed outside.

And my feeling was correct...

J.C., who has recently been stalled for a foot injury

(you can see the wrap on his front foot)

was so excited that he actually leapt up,

all fours off the ground.

I had never ever seen him buck before!

I have seen him jump and I have seen him 

rear before, but never buck like that!

I was just glad to capture it on film

so that I had proof!

Who would think a Clydesdale would be that limber?

And for those who are wondering about Brian's dress code

in the first picture, no, he does not make a habit 

out of wearing a dress shirt while working with the horses.

He had just gotten home from work

(where he as to wear a suit)

and threw jeans on with his muck boots

so that he could quickly let the horses out.

But, to tell you the truth, it isn't such a bad look, is it?

All dressed up on the top and cowboy on the bottom?

Pioneer Woman, eat your heart out.

The Year of Me Project- Week 15

This week I did lots of stuff for myself crammed 

into all of life's other moments.

One of the things I treated myself to was a new ap

that I LOVE for my phone called Retro Camera.

All of these images were taken with the new ap.

I did not edit them AT ALL.

What you see is what you get.

All I did was transfer them to my computer and upload them here.

No resizing, no sharpening, nada.

My cat looks a little too close to a beached whale.

And while I am on the subject of doing things for myself,

can you see the tall white drawers in the background of the kitty picture?

Yeah...I have this space in my bedroom that is total wasted space.

Nothing would fit on either side of the built in entertainment center

and I was looking for YEARS for the right piece to put there.

I found the perfect set of drawers last weekend 

and after a bit of cleaning up and vacuuming 

out dead stink bugs 

(not a good idea, btw, because they still stink going into the vacuum when they are dead),

it was ready to go 

and made its debut in that useless space.

What girl would not be thrilled at having more drawer space!?!

But, I digress...

Another thing I did for myself this weekend was head to 

my girlfriend's 40th birthday party.

The weather was HORRIBLE, dangerous even,

(don't get me started about the idiot I saw hydroplane and crash

on I83 Saturday night.  OMG.),

but many of my friends braved it anyway 

and headed to downtown Baltimore to surprise

the guest of honor.

The picture below is me ready to go!

(Before my hair was destroyed by the 

torrential rain and ridiculous winds).

My nose really isn't curved...it is the shadow...I swear.

For Laure, who always asks me why I take pictures of my feet :)

Glass bottles decorating T1's room

I just love me some little piggy toes on a girly-girl quilt

My favorite think spot

Another thing I did was FINALLY purchase

a cushion and pillow for my 

all time favorite think spot for this time of year...

my front porch swing.

And to top it off, 

I actually found a few minutes to break them in a bit.

And although it wasn't alone time,

I did get to have a fun date night with Brian

on Friday night...

but that is a whole different post...

So, it was a great week for Me.

How about you?  How was your weekend?

Cheesy Smiles and Riding Bikes

Taken with the "Toy Camera" ap on my Ipod

We are all smiles here at These Nine Acres

now that spring has arrived and the 

daylight lasts past dinner time.

We have been spending some quality time outside

getting some much needed fresh air

and exercise.

T2 has learned how to ride a big bike with training wheels,

as opposed to a trike,

and T1 is getting better by the minute at learning how to 

"puddle" her trike...

that is when she is not too enthralled with being filmed

and crashing into the rocks.

This weekend is another crazy, busy one!

Thank you to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law

for keeping all four kiddos tonight

so Brian and I can go see 

West Side Story tonight at the Hippodrome!

Hooray for date night!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

I will catch you all on Monday.

Springtime at the Barn

Nothing like a bit of greenery and some new born animals 

to make you smile.

Happy Thursday everyone!

Wordless Wednesday- Spring Illusion

Upside down or Right side up?

Couldn't resist this spring puddle :)

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

xoxo

Quick Pics Because I Promised

My four beautiful children...Ty, Ladubug, T1 and T2.

T2 and Me!
Taken this morning on my computer.

I'm working with Jodie Otte yesterday and today,

so haven't had time to post, so I thought

I would throw up some quick pics so you can 

be formally introduced to T1 and T2.

Twin 1 is my daughter and I will call her T1 because she was born first.

T2 is my son :)

I prefer not to use their real names here on my blog since it is open

to the internet,

but here are their beautiful faces.

I will catch up with you all very soon.

xoxo

The Year of Me Project- Week 14- Music Therapy

I don't know about you,

but when I am stressed or in need of some time alone

and want to block out the world,

I turn to music.

I have fallen in love with my Ipod Touch

and I already have 266 albums

and over 1,300 songs.

I have eclectic taste when it comes to music...

I have everything from Aaron Neville

to Adele,

to Hinder,

to Pearl Jam,

to Yanni,

to Air Supply

to the Dixie Chicks,

to Michael Franti,

to Chaka Khan,

to Flo Rida

to the Beatles.

I also have instrumental yoga music for relaxation and contemplation

as well as exercise music that features 138-158 beats per minute.

One of my favorite quotes about music is

"Every life has a soundtrack."

Isn't that so true?

How many times do you hear a song on the radio

and it takes you back to a moment in time

that you associate with that song?

A former boyfriend,

a prom,

your wedding,

your kids' favorite songs.

This past week was so busy with Brian's birthday

and then the parents coming into town

and the adoption,

that I didn't find much Me Time.

But, I did manage to grab a few minutes here and there,

put on my earphones,

crank up my Ipod and zone out to the sound 

of my favorite songs.

And since we are talking about it today, here are a few of my favorites right now:

and there are so many more...I had to force myself to stop.

And for those of you who were stopping in to see the twins'

beautiful faces, rest assured I will post some pics tomorrow.

:)  Thanks to everyone for the emails,

private messages, Facebooks posts,

and blog comments 

congratulating us on our growing family.

It means the world to us!

Until tomorrow, my friends,

xoxo

The Day My Life Changes

I can't believe we made it here...ADOPTION DAY!

It has been such a long and winding road.

Isn't it amazing how a journey of a thousand miles

starts with one simple baby step?

I still remember the phone call I made

to my dear friend, A, who was the twins' foster mother

before me.

 I remember distinctly the first question I asked her was

"Are you sitting down?"

and the second was:

"What are the chances we will be able to adopt the twins?"

"Slim to none." was her answer.

And then she had a question for me...

"Are you crazy?"

She didn't ask me that question because 

there was anything wrong with the twins...

she was asking because I had a 12 and 10 year old

at the time and this would be starting all. over. again.

Not to mention she knew the heartache and struggles that this 

road less traveled would hold for us.

After all, she had been a foster parent for years 

and knew the system.

But there was something there...

a whisper in my heart the very fist time I saw 

their sweet faces...

Days and nights of thinking and rethinking 

and dreaming and what-if-ing.

And then, when I was still and listened to my soul

I found the answer.

They belonged with us.

They were born to be a part of this family.

And so the journey began.

Today is the end of our fostering journey 

but the beginning of a lifelong journey of a new family dynamic.

Four children!  

I've always wanted four children.

I thought they would all be biological children,

but God had a master plan 

and needed us to raise these little blessings...

and so He told us to wait...

(Most of you may not know that I miscarried my third child after the 12th week)

and so I thought there would never be four children.

But, I was wrong.

It was in the plans, just not how I thought it would be.

Today starts this new, beautiful, scary journey of 

 loving, worrying about, guiding, teaching,

and yes, getting frustrated with,

two more children...

two beautiful gifts entrusted to us...

a gift times two from the universe.

Thank you to all of my friends and family

who have walked this path with us...

clearing the way, 

crying with us,

supporting us,

cheering with us,

having sleepless nights worrying with us,

letting us lean on you when we were ready to quit,

and now

celebrating with us.

We love each and every one of you.

As I sit here and type,

happy tears are falling

down my cheeks

because I know from this day forward

life will never be the same.

And thank God for that.

Macros at the Waterfall

Fern Leaf

When I went on a hike this past weekend with Ty,

I took  my macro lens and grabbed a few images

along the way.

I also took my wide angle and took lots of images

of the water fall and surrounding area, 

but I often overlook the little close-up things

along the way.

 So I thought the macro lens

would help me to slow down and appreciate

the little things in life.

Macro shooting is a lesson in life...

Slow down, get close, and be steady.

Appreciate the little things in life...

Get down and dirty in nature.

That's really all there is, no?

Today my parents are coming into town

to stay with us for the weekend.

They will be standing side by side with us 

in the judges chambers tomorrow

as the papers are signed for the adoption.

My in-laws and both Brian and my brothers' 

families will be there as well.

Our wonderful CASA will be there to celebrate and

so will the foster family who previously had the twins

and are still a large part of their lives.

It will be a packed house in those judges chambers!

Speaking of which,

has anyone ever seen the inside of the judge's chambers?

Not me...I am curious what it is like.

We will be taking pictures for sure, so hopefully 

next week I will be able to introduce you to

my beautiful children...

since you all know my two oldest beautiful children already!

Until tomorrow...

Wordless Wednesday-Give This One a Title

I am not much for words today

so give this one a caption 

for me.

The Year of Me Project- Week 13- Falling Branch

This week's me time was spent first hiking with my oldest son,

who despite being only 14 is an inch and a half taller than Brian and I,

at Falling Branch...a division of Rocks State Park.

I try to spend one on one time with each of my children

and since Ladybug was at a friend's house, 

I decided to take Ty out for a spring hike.

Taken with my Ipod Touch

I know what you are thinking after seeing the picture above...

"Ty is a lot more than 1 1/2 inches taller than you!"

Well, the truth is, he was standing on a rock next to me, so that is why

I was able to snuggle right into his armpit.

I know one day this is really how tall he will be...

I also know what else you are thinking...

"If Ty was with you, than it can't be me time."

Well, that is true for part of the trip.

We enjoyed a nice hike together to the falls 

but once we were there

he wanted to go off and climb some rocks

so for about 1/2 an hour he did his thing

and I did mine.

I took pics using my Canon 5D,

but I also used my Ipod Touch

and the cool application Pano

to take some panoramic images (180 degrees) from the top of the falls:

Taken with my Ipod Touch using the Pano application

and the bottom of the falls:

Taken with my Ipod Touch using the Pano application

I haven't edited the other images just yet, 

so I figured I would use the images from my Ipod

to write this post.

Speaking of Ipod...

does anyone know an easier way to get photos and videos

OFF the Ipod 

and onto the computer 

instead of emailing them to yourself?

I also took a short video of the falls 

so you could see how LOUD it was...

perfect for drowning out the sounds of the other people

around and letting me have my me time

undisturbed by others.

How lucky am I to live within a short driving distance to this spot?

It is like Heaven on earth.

It also happens to be the place where they filmed the 

awesome movie

Tuck Everlasting!

See video below...starting at 1:04...that is where I was!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend 

and are gearing up for a fabulous week!

This week is full of excitement for us...

today is Brian's birthday and 

on Friday we will be adopting 

our beautiful twin son and daughter.

The universe is good.

Passing all of my good karma to you and yours.

xoxo

Perspective

Every once in a while it is worth taking a look at the world in a whole new way...

Perhaps upside down...

Nuthatch 

Or a little closer...

Lilac

Sometimes it is all about perspective.

A penny will hide the biggest star in the Universe 

if you hold it close enough to your eye.  

~Samuel Grafton

Have a wonderful weekend, friends.

xoxo