Look who's 1!

Oh my sweet, sweet baby boy. I am lucky to be your mom.

Thursday Thirteen (randomness)

I haven't done one of these for awhile so I figure it's about time:

1. I started work this week. I must admit, it was quite lovely to receive flowers from my two favorite coworkers for my first day of work.

2. It was also lovely when my little family stopped by with some of my favorite candy.

3. And also lovely to be using my brain again. (No, not all of the day was lovely but I'm choosing not to focus on that right now.)

4. Back before my maternity leave I used to stop at a coffee shop a couple of times a week for a morning cup of joe. Mr. Server would ALWAYS remember my order as well as everyone else's I saw in there. I decided to stop in before my first day. J-L knew this and joked that he would still remember. Guess what?! He DID! (Keep in mind that I only went there once or twice a week and it had been nearly a year since I had been there.) Wow. Seriously, this guy should be working for the CIA or something with a crazy memory like that. Although, remembering all his customers' coffee likes is a lovely use of that talent too.

5. Being back at work after a year makes for an odd combination of feeling like a new employee and yet feeling ohsofamiliar.

6. We got the permits for building a new room in the basement. I guess this is really going to happen.

7. All that rain yesterday ALL DAY? Yeah, quite a lot of it ended up in our basement. So, my evening was made up of going through cardboard boxes of stuff and J-L's was made up of vacuuming up water. What fun! Although, I'd been wanting to go through those boxes forever so this finally gave me the push I needed.

8. Our chubby little boy is not so chubby anymore. He spent the first 6 months in the 95th percentile. But at this week's appointment? Yeah, down to the 50th percentile.

9. Unlike Jack, I have been eating too much of late. I know it's comfort eating and it's related to the transition going on now but it has Got. To. Stop.

10. It's funny how different things interest different people. Both with our renovations and with purchasing a new computer the truth is I just want to hand someone some money and tell them to do all the work for us. The decision making involved in either of those holds no interest to me whatsoever.

11. J-L has been on holidays these last few days. And, while it's been good for the transition for our family it's been hard being the one at work when the other 3 family members are at home hanging out.

12. Now, that being said, my husband is also making supper tonight and THAT is a pleasant and rare treat – not necessarily him cooking but rather being at work and not even for one second having to think about what it is we're going to eat tonight.

13. It's my son's first birthday party this weekend. I'm beginning to lose my little baby.

A family of 6 in 6 easy steps

One day you live in Romania and you live with a family who is kind and generous. And you feel blessed and you want to bless in return and one day have people from other countries living with you.

And then one day God gives you a much bigger house than what you were looking for and a kind husband who not only puts up with this dream but fully supports it in ways you couldn’t have imagined.

And so you proceed with having an international student living with you. And it is good. It is work and challenging but it feels right.

And then you have a second international student living with you and it is not good and you feel hurt and vulnerable and wonder if maybe you’re not cut out for this after all.

And then one day you get an email from your first international student and he is asking to come and live with you again. And can his sister too?

And suddenly, out of the blue, you’re having discussions about renovations and adding another room in the basement and…

It is good.