Well It's About Time, Huh?

It's been almost two weeks since I posted! I am sooo ready for June and for this full-time job to be over!!

The winds of change have blown over our little abode again. This Kaleidoscope blog was created due to the fact that we were starting our adoption journey again to a little country called Haiti. We were going to adopt a son. People gave us money. We did everything we were supposed to do. Apparently we aren't supposed to adopt again or it just isn't God's timing.

Not sure about any of it.

I do know that I have fought hand, tooth and nail with God over this and guess what? He won. ; ) There isn't enough room on here to tell the craziness of our adoption attempts over the past four years and more specifically the past year.

The doors are shut.

Maybe we are trying too soon or maybe we are called to just have our one precious, darling PandaGirl. That's right, I said PandaGirl. I have just had the hardest time typing Rainbow Brite on this blog. I thought it went along with the whole colorful kaleidoscope thing.

This is the last post for Kaleidoscope, which means I need a new blog. Only I didn't want to go directly back to Pandapalooza. Sooooo----go here to see our new adventure.

Thanks for hanging with me through this sporadic season and for changing your link to me...again. If you can, comment on the new blog so I know you've come over to the new place! ; )

Happy Gotcha Day, Rainbow Brite!!!

Five years ago today, we held our darling daughter for the first time. What a ride it's been!

Thank you, Lord, for infertility and the grace You have shown to us by the blessings of learning how to parent this sweet child. Please, continue our journey with unending mercy and let us be the parents You have called us to be. All to your glory.

February 2, 2004.

GOTCHA DAY!!!


Wasn't she just the CUTEST CHUNK?! This is actually on the second day we had our girl.

Though Rainbow Brite's actual Gotcha Day is today, we celebrated yesterday so we could leisurely enjoy our time and not rush after school and work. She chose to eat here:

RB's nickname from the nannies in China is Cha-Cha. Believe it or not, that's the name of the frog, too! LOL!

We celebrated with a Volcano, sparkler and all!

RB decided that she wanted to adopt a panda from Build-A-Bear and name her "Sunshine". Every girl-panda must have a special bath before getting her lovely wardrobe, right? So cute!!

I just LOVE the "Dressing Room" for the little stuffies to try on their outfits! Too cute! Sunshine ended up with a dah-ling little red and white halter dress number as well as a Tinkerbell outfit, too! Oh--I could go slap-crazy in that place! LOL!

I can't believe that we have been parents of this amazing little girl for FIVE years now! What a blessing that I never could have imagined!!!

Happy "Jana Day" to Me!

Today is January 31st...."Jana Day". (Yes, my name is Jana in case I have never put that on my blogs.) Back in 1992, a few days after Mister Green proposed to me, he was just so in love that he gave me my own day. So I not only get my Birthday, Christmas, Valentine's and Mother's Day, but I get my OWN day as well! I just love my man. You're gonna laugh at what he got me. After watching a VH-1 Classics about Def Leppard and we realized how incredibly musical, artistic and perfectionistic these guys were in making their music I really wanted some old 80's tunes from them to work out to on the treadmill. Though most of the lyrics are HORRIBLE, they were always one of my favorite bands!! For whatever reason, iTunes doesn't have any of their music to download so my man found it online somewhere and had it shipped here this week. Yesterday, on the way to work I had my car stereo cranked up really loudly and I was rockin' out to Def Leppard like I was 17!! LOL!!!!! Toooooo funny to see, I'm sure. I know that I don't want to fill my head or heart with the junky lyrics, but DANG, those boys knew how to ROCK! I love me some good ol' 80's rock. Monday is Rainbow Brite's Gotcha Day, so I'll be back then for some pics of what we do for that celebration.

Have a ROCKIN' weekend! ; )

Ice Ice, Baby

This is ice. Yesterday we were told that we were to have the "worst ice storm in years" by our local weather people. We were out of school so as to not be in danger. That was fun. Got a lot done.

No ice.

Today? ICE. Another day off from school. Yeah! Except when we have to make up the stupid day in June---I will be more than ready to be finished with my job at school. Today will be fun at home again. I think I might throw up in June.

Rainbow Brite was so excited to wear her traditional Chinese outfit to school yesterday. Her choice. Love THAT! ; ) We celebrated the start of Chinese New Year by eating out at one of our favorite Chinese food restaurants. NOT a buffet. I really don't like those kind of places at all. It cracks me up when all those "Chinese" buffets serve pizza, Mexican food and all kinds of fried anything. No matter--we love our precious Chinese daughter and all the interesting heritage she brings with her.


We have a huge ICE STORM here in The Lone Star State so we have NO SCHOOL today!!! Wooohoooo! I am planning to clean, work-out, do my Bible study, play with Rainbow Brite, have some snuggle time with Mister Green, look at some blogs and maybe, just maybe I can pull out my dusty scrapbook stuff and lay out a few pages. Guess I better get going if I'm to pull all of this off in one work day's time. LOL!

OK. That Was Good.

Who watched? It was awesome!!!!! Two FULL HOURS of NEW show! Woohoooooo! Been waiting since last spring to find out more! Loved it.

I know. Not a fabulous post, but it's all I got right now. Smile. ; )

Staying Occupied 101

Sticks Out Like a Sore Thumb

Last night we had some friends over to watch the OU/UF National Championship game for college football. (I didn't even know this game was on, but was informed by Mister Green and our friends that we'd be watching it. LOL!)

Anyhoo-our sweet friend asked if we'd ever noticed the little white arrow between the E and the X on the FedEx logo.

Well, no.

We can't say that we have ever noticed.

But NOW....

it's ALL that we see!!!

Once you see it you will first laugh and then go crazy trying to NOT see it everytime you see the logo.

FedEx was a sponsor of the game last night. We went crazy.

Have a blessed weekend! ; )

Divine Intervention?

Do a search for J*ett T*ravolta and tons of info. comes up about how his parents deny his Autism because of their Scientology beliefs. I am a speech therapist with six different adolescents with Autism. I actually enjoy being around all of them. They are so unique. So intriguing and mysterious. When you watch the video online of their family in Paris just a few weeks ago, there is NO mistake that he is Autistic.

*Disclaimer: I am not licensed to diagnose Autism. I am going on my own professional experience in therapy with children with Autism.

If you aren't familiar with the "look" of Autism you might not see it, but anyone who is around Autistic children KNOW there are certain characteristics. J*ett fits the bill. I already prayed for this family to love their son more than Scientology. I pray that a Believer in Jesus Christ will make their way into the T*ravolta family's life and lead them to a relationship with Him. Then, I pray that they will use their high profile status to take down Scientology just by the public admission that their son had Autism, it was not conjured up in his head and that so much good can come from all of this. This has the potential to be HUGE if John will just see The Light.

So many Holly*wood celebs promote their "faith" leading so many others to follow the same beliefs as them, but we know as Believers of the One True God, according to the Bible that He is the way, the truth and the light. Maybe this whole situation will be used for His glory and many will come to know Him through it. Just maybe.

Post for Specific Group

Excuse this post if you don't have a clue who these people are! LOL! This post is specifically for several readers who are personal friends that all used to attend the same church a few years ago. Our friend got married last Sat. and these are a few of the pics.

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Thought y'all might want to know who C's bride is. Her name is Heather and they seemed to be perfect for each other. Very cute! Sweet ceremony that Bro. B led.
The wedding was about an hour and a half away from us making it even FARTHER from Arlington. It was held in a teeny tiny chapel that she has wanted for along time meaning a short-list of invites.



Anyone recognize these handsome fellows? ; )

Do y'all remember that they took us to the airport when we went to China and then were at the airport upon our return with Rainbow Brite along with a couple of you?! Sweet memories!

Miss J---one of my FAVORITE people in the world!! ; )

GAP-girl, GAP-filled.

My sweet girl looks so cute in her GAP outfit from her grandmother and her aunt. Her new haircut fits the look so perfectly! ; )

Better than that kind of GAP....Mister Green and I are so blessed to say that on Saturday night Rainbow Brite came to us very seriously and told us that she was ready to be "baptatized" and that she wanted to ask Jesus to come into her heart and forgive her sins.

Praise You Lord!!!

We have been talking a lot in the past year about what it means to be a Christian, a Believer. I wanted to be so careful to not lead her into any kind of decision that was not truly of her own desire. We carefully assured her that the decision of following Christ is totally up to each person and that we couldn't make the choice for her.

I cried last night. I couldn't help it. The emotion was too overwhelming. The moment she prayed with her own words to our Living God and asked to be His child was like none other I have ever experienced. It wasn't pride, but rather complete and utter gratefulness that He so chose to bless us with our daughter and allowed us to be the ones to lead her to Him.

Even though it was her choice to get her hair cut, she was a bit upset that "princesses don't have short hair!". I showed her a picture of Princess Diana and told her that she was a REAL princess and had short hair. That helped a bit. Now my sweet baby girl is a true princess for all eternity. When your Father is the King of kings it makes you an heir...no matter your hair style. ; )

She still needs some guidance and making sure that she really understands concepts of Christianity for her age level, but we are looking forward to her own Daddy being the one to baptize her soon.

If you read the last post, you know the heartache felt in our home over the past year. God just knocked our socks off with blessing in starting out this year with a bang!

We are separated from God by our sin. Jesus filled the GAP for us. For my daughter. Thank you, Jesus.







People were bringing little children
to Jesus to have him touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this,
he was indignant.
He said to them,
"Let the little children come to me,
and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of God
belongs to such as these.
I tell you the truth,
anyone who will not receive
the kingdom of God
like a little child
will never enter it."
And he took the children
in his arms, put his hands on them
and blessed them.

Mark 10:13-16