7.23.2011

some updates...

I thought I'd revisit some previous posts after having a few folks ask "whatever happened with the...?"

Update #1:

So, for starters, we'll begin with the garden. Many of you may remember the beginnings of our garden back in April...also known as Jude's dream playground full of "dut."



Well, here are some pics of our garden today...






And now for two "mystery" pictures...please help me out on this one. Our wonderful neighbor saw our attempt at a garden this spring and brought us several plants he'd already started in small pots, but none of them were labeled. We spent a good month trying to guess what some of them were. This next one looks like some type of cabbage, but I have no idea how you "pick" it, or how to know when it is ready to be picked! It definitely looks like it's almost ready for a Cabbage Patch kid to sprout, so help me out if you are a gardener...Mom? Sis? Anyone?


And now, this one made me laugh pretty hard. I was certain it was squash. It had beautiful yellow blooms and I even had 2 others tell me they also thought it was squash (I don't think they looked that closely : ). I kept thinking it was going to turn yellow. If I waited long enough.

I waited until it became gi-normous and couldn't stand it any longer. I brought it inside, sliced it open, and lo and behold, it was a cucumber (I know, I know, you knew that from first glance, didn't you?). I broke out the Ranch dressing and had a snack, celebrating that I actually grew food that I could eat, with my own two hands. It's such a rewarding hobby.


Update #2:

The Farmers' Market Interview.

Well, it never actually posted, so it must have been really bad : ). Not really, I just think they decided not to continue writing on the market at that particular time. Or at least I am going to tell myself that. Moving along...

Update #3:

Flowers for Addis

I told you I would post pics of our flowers at the market. Here are a few.



I also snapped this picture of our sweet boy. I love his interest in our soap. There is something so cool about seeing him hold the product that helped bring him (and now his future sister) home to us. He holds it to his nose and makes really loud sniffing noises and says, "Mells good, Mommy!" I love his expression.


Update #4:

Baby girl.

We are in the homestudy and paper work process right now. We are on a wild goose chase, visiting government buildings, getting physicals, drug tests, fingerprinted, having our septic tank inspected, etc... I forgot how much I disliked the paperwork the first time around. I imagine it must be similar to the way a mother experiences the pains of labor, yet miraculously forgets just how bad it really was and decides to do it again...and again. God's grace. Yet I know in the long run the paperwork is really the easy part. This part, I can control. It is the "wait" that unnerves you and becomes almost unbearable. I have almost forgotten how difficult that was. But it was worth every second. 









7.11.2011

crack, with butter on it

I think age 2 and a half is magical. Jude is a little man now, full of ideas and opinions and...just life. He now has an opinion about what he wants to do, what he wants to eat, to wear. He even tells us which way to go when we're driving! He is very observant, and if he feels like you are taking a different route than what is familiar to him, he will ask you to turn around or go "dis way," as he points his finger in the opposite direction.

As far as his clothing, he is most particular about his shoes. Up until recently, I could not get him to wear flip flops (which he lived in last summer) and he only wants to wear his checkered Vans slip ons. It does not seem to matter to him when I explain that they do not match his outfit : ). Also, if he ever asks to wear his white shoes, it is important to know that he is asking for his "light up" shoes : ).

When it comes to food, he eats about 10 different things. Among his favorites are frozen Go-Gurt (with "Light Queen on it" aka "Lightning McQueen") and peanut butter crackers or "crack, butter on it" as he puts it. He is constantly cracking us up. Here are a few of his favorite phrases of the moment:

Awwwwe, Mence! translation: Awwwwwe, Mannnn!
Wok woll, Mommy! translation: Rock n' Roll, Mommy!
Yes, way! his response to "no" or "no way"
I uh ew! translation: I love you!
Carry you, Mommy? translation: Will you carry me, Mommy?

Yesterday was monumental as it marked our 18th month of being home as a family. And today was extremely monumental, but I will let Jude tell you why...


Yes, we finally completed Jude's "re-adoption" process this morning. He is now a full-fledged American citizen with a Georgia birth certificate and his name is officially "Jude Abreham Pruitt" rather than "Abreham Richard Pruitt" which is what his name legally became when we adopted him in Ethiopia (adoptive father's first name, his birth name, our last name). We were allowed to snap some pictures with the judge. Richard made fun of how giddy I was during the whole process, but hey, I'm the mama and that is what mama's do when it comes to their children's big moments in life. So forgive my cheesy, over-the-top smile, but I was proud...


We had the privilege of having the wonderful Judge Conner finalize our case--she was so awesome that at one point she even got down on the floor to play cars with Jude!


Jude asked me to "Click. Pic." his line-up of cars


Jude showed Tow Mater to Judge Conner

How awesome is she?

I'm a proud mama today.




7.07.2011

you still there?

I'm sure there is a good chance I have lost any readers who have followed this blog--I've somehow managed to make it almost a month without posting. I honestly thought I would post a lot more during the summer, but somehow life just got even busier. However, a busy life makes for good blog posts--or at least good pictures : ).

We spent this past week with "Aunt Na" and her family at Hilton Head Island. We had a great week, but I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Jude with Uncle "Woy"
Jude and Uncle "Woy" had a lot of fun together...

digging in the sand...

riding bikes...

sword fighting...

and napping.

Actually, Jude did a lot of napping...




I know this one is sideways, but it was too cute not to share

And this was Jude only minutes before, seeing fireworks for the first time...

don't you love how he kept his hand close by,
just in case he needed to cover his ears?


We had a lot of great family time together...

 no one told me I was supposed to make my "mad" face...


oh, I love this kid...pure joy

and on our last night, the 3 of us had a grand finale...
Jude's first movie! 

Jude was glued to the screen the entire time. He didn't move or talk (except for the occasional "Go McQueen!") the entire time. He did, however, cheer LOUDLY at the end, when all the cars returned home to Radiator Springs. He held up his Tow Mater truck and yelled, "Back Hooooome!!!" He was so excited and so proud. As for Richard and I, we had more fun watching Jude than the movie : ).

Tomorrow we return to the Lilburn Farmers' Market, this time armed with my newest, latest project: 

Flowers for Addis

This time last year, I was making some little fabric flowers for a headband for myself, and I started thinking about adoption and how I felt called to return to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and it just kind of dawned on me. Addis Ababa means "New Flower." I would make these flowers to raise money to return to Ethiopia for a child that God has handpicked for our family. Flowers for Addis.


I will be sure to post more pictures of Flowers for Addis after tomorrow's market. And if you are reading, I promise not to go so long without posting again. We've just been having too much fun!