Answering the questions....part 1

Starting with Amy's

1) What is your guilty pleasure? I'm gonna let the pictures do the talking here. This picture is of "my space." When I walk in the room, whoever is sitting in my space in my comfy recliner, knows to get up - without being told - unless I happen to say, "oh, it's OK, you sit there." Which doesn't happen all that often - trust me.

To the right, looking at the picture is a basket in which I keep my extra large heating pad, my blue squishy neck roll pillow, my favorite green throw and my house shoes. To the left is my table on which you will find the remote controls to my TV and such, along with the TV guide, magazines and currently a cheesecake recipe book. On the bottom shelf are tapes I have recorded to watch, a notebook to keep track of what's on the tapes, just in case I ever get around to watching them, a highlighter for the TV guide so I can mark all the educational shows, a bottle of Jergen's hand lotion - just like my grandmother always used and my "stash."

The kids know better than to get into this particular stash of candy - they have their own - currently it's Easter oriented. Mine is a delicate blend of hard candy, chocolate from Ghiradelli that Bill left for me to find this week, some Taffy that I have had in the freezer which he put in my Christmas stocking, a half eaten box of Milk Duds which go great when squished around a Dove caramel, Dove caramels, Bulls Eyes caramels and Sugar Mama caramels. The irony that I currently have temporary caps on both sides of my mouth does not escape me. I'll share this little tidbit of information with you, too. It takes a LONG time to suck a caramel down to a liquid. This I know. Even then, it sorta gets stuck in your throat and it's always good to have your adult kids around ready to rush and get hot water to pour down your throat to melt said caramel. Not that I know this from experience or anything...... I'm just guessing.

2) If you could only impart one thing to your children - what would it be?

The knowledge that God loves them more than they could possibly imagine. He will never let them down, never leave them, never turn his back on them. That even when things happen that we don't understand, there is a reason for it.

3) If you could give each of your children (and two grandchildren) one gift - what would it be?A close, personal relationship with God........and a good sense of humor. Those two things will take you far in life.

Jodi asked : Did you always know you wanted to adopt or did that come to you later? I would have adopted Wesley from the moment he came through our door. But I was never determined to adopt until the day that they took Tiffany from our home. Tiffany had been with us in foster care for over 2 years when she was taken --- the first time. She came back and forth a couple of more times over the next 2 years before she went to a relatives to stay. The hole that she left in our family has never been filled. And never will be. I considered her my daughter and still do. I fully expect her to show up on my doorstep someday. When I saw how Jacob was affected by her leaving, I wanted more permanency for him especially. At that point I started looking into children available for adoption, not just foster placements.

Teresa wanted to know:
1. Do you think you'll ever move to Virginia? Look at your #2 question silly girl - you already know the answer to this one!
2. Why not? You've met my family. They all live HERE.
3. Where would you go on your dream vacation? Madison Heights, Virginia :)

Melene, a rabid NC fan had the gall to ask
1. Why in the WORLD do you love Duke so much? :) I'm mostly curious about this since you don't live in that area. Sadly, I have no good answer to this one. As long as I can remember, I have loved them. I remember watching basketball when Andi and Zac were just about in the 3rd grade and we were Duke fans. I think their coach is great and all we ever had around here was Bobby Knight. I would rather not send a kid to college than have him play for that abusive man, so being an Indiana fan was just not an option.

2. What is your favorite Bible Verse? I have several. When I'm in a hurry, waiting on God to get with my time line, I like Habakkuk 2:3 "But these things I plan won't happen right away. slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, be patient! For it will surely take place. It will not be late by a single day." I keep that one on my computer. And as always - Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

3. You and Andi have one of the most incredible mother-daughter relationships I've heard of. What do you have to do as a mother and daughter to get it that way and keep it that way? Thanks. I'm pretty proud of it myself. I asked her and she said it's because she has learned to just agree with whatever I say and tells me I'm always right. - Just kidding, she's not even here.

I have always listened to Andi - not cut her off just because she was a kid and I knew better than she did. We kept a journal - together. If she was upset about something that she wasn't ready to talk about, she would write it in the journal and slip it under my pillow. This certainly made for some interesting bedtime reading for me at times. Then I would write back and put it under her pillow. This can keep you from saying a lot of things in the heat of the moment too. This is also how I learned of her first kiss by a boy - she wrote it in the journal and put it under my pillow. I have the journal now and when I die, she will inherit it.

I never particularly tried to be Andi's friend when she was growing up. I was without a doubt, the MOST strict parent out of all of her friends' parents. By far. But Andi knew when she was grounded, it was non-negotiable. We did do a lot of things together with her friends and their mothers. There were about 6 girls and their moms and we had a lot of fun over the years.

I let Andi do a lot growing up, let her bail out of only one thing she committed to doing (cheerleading as a senior) and supported her in every way possible in her ventures, short of doing the work for her. I'm still that way. Only now the tables are about equal and she and Jacob are as big of help to me with the kids as I am to them with Sophie.

I saved this little email that Andi wrote me awhile back (pre-Sophie) as to why she admired me. I don't know what prompted her to write it, but maybe this will help explain it better than I can. The subject line was Why I Admire You.

Because you did such and excellent job raising me and now I can see how you are raising some of the people I love the most- my brothers and sister. Because you have always set an example that I am proud to follow today and give advice that is practical and thoughtful. Because you go out of your way to help others and expect no recognition for it. For all the little things you do for others when you think no one is looking, but I always am. Because you are a woman of your word and of God's word and I know I can always count on you. Because you continue to set an example of what a good mother is and does so that one day I will be a good mother. Because you never gave in to me on important issues that I didn't agree with you on. Because you love my husband as much as I do and are by far the most gracious mother in law that I know. Because you are funny and friendly and giving. Because you always have been and always will be someone I can be proud of and be proud to call my best friend. All this and a lot more. - Love- Andi

Geez, is that kid sweet or what?!?

4. What made you start writing a blog? My friend, Amy - from the first questions - encouraged me too. Some of Carly, Wesley and Ryan's biological family read my blog, so I'm sure they appreciate the opportunity to watch the kids growing up - even if it is just in picture and words.

5. Do you think Andi's new baby is a boy or a girl? I love this question. Yes, I do think it's a boy or a girl. Seriously though - although I do seriously think it is a boy or a girl, but if it's NOT, then we've got a National Enquirer cover to put in the baby book, but all that aside -- I have my reasons for wishing for either. If it's a girl, I think they will have a third child to try for a boy, but if it's a boy, then I think they will be done.

Of course I thought I was done after 2 kids also (said the mother of six) so who knows?