wordless Wednesday.....posted Tuesday!!!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter from the Googins Clan. We leave for NC early Wed. am. I take an earlier flight with Will and Jaymie. Jeffrey is flying in later with Jacklyn. Oscar and Bagheera our cat get to spend the week with my niece who is housesitting. The weather forecast looks good for NC, so we may be able to get into some shorts:) and flip flops. I hope to get lots of fun pictures while I am there. Will gets to meet some cousins and one of his Aunts and Uncle for the first time. It should be a fun week!

Best of buds

Don't they kind of look alike? Or am I seeing things because I'm exhausted from Jeffrey being gone all week and it's Friday?

Wordless Wednesday

Jacklyn's short essay

Together in a Puzzle...by Jacklyn Googins A short essay for 7th grade language arts.....

People. They are the little pieces of life that hold our world together. Families. These are the little pieces of life that hold people together. The people with nothing to hold on to are the lost pieces outside of the puzzle, just waiting to be chosen. Matched. Anything and that's where my journey began. Thats's where my everything began...

One hundred and forty seven million orphans. These are the lost pieces outside of the puzzle with no family. Nothing to hold on to. My brother was one of them and forever will I remember the moment when I gazed deep into his radiant brown eyes for the first time. My family of four had transformed to be a blooming family of five and the dragging months of waiting for Will had finally come to an end. But little did I know that he would bless my family to a new beginning with more than we could ever ask for. Though we gave Will a home, he gave us so much more than that because he gifted us all with great love and happiness.

When I gaze back at pictures of Will in Africa, my heart shatters to pieces as teardrops slowly crawl down the sides of my freckled cheeks. Even poor people here have cell phones, computers, and TV's, but the poor people in Africa have nothing. Some have families; but my brother was one of the millions of helpless children without a family, so that's why we gave him a home and a family. It was just the right thing to do.

My family adopting Will has taught me many important life lessons. Though the many orphans in Africa have had heartbreaking, sorrowful times, they still make the best of their situation and they grasp on to each other like brothers and sisters, together in a massive puzzle. I've learned that this really is how everyone in our world should be; we should all love each other like brothers and sisters as one big puzzle of the world.

Will has inspired my family to love each other unconditionally and to enjoy the simple things in life. He has had more of an impact on our family than he will ever know. Words can't explain all the things he has been through and the many things he has done for our family.

Thank you Will, we're glad you are a piece in our puzzle! We love you always and forever!

Wordless Wednesday

20 days til Easter

WE Got out the Easter bin yesterday and started decorating the house for Easter. We won't be here for Easter this year. We are flying to NC to spend Easter with my sister and spend a couple of days in a mountain cabin. These two need to write the Easter bunny to let them know we won't be at our house and he should deliver the baskets to my sisters house. We are hoping for warmer than WI weather so we can take part in an easter egg hunt outside without having to bundle up in our parkas!!!

OUR LITTLE LEPRECHAUN

This photo was taken the day after we flew in from Addis. We went out to a mexican restaurant and when I look at this photo I can't believe how relaxed and happy Will already looked. He KNEW he was home. He also devoured the chips and salsa! Didn't my master creative photo girl do a good job decorating her brothers photo? I have a feeling a lot of photos are going to be pretty exciting looking with the girls premium membership.

Jaymie

Here is Jaymie's creativity glowing through her computer skills on piknik. The girls are having fun with doing a lot of creative things to their photos with this program. They even talked me into signing up for the premium package.

Jack got her haircut on Wed. Now she has bangs. These will be fun to keep up with . I'm going to have to learn how to trim them myself because finding time for a bang trim is going to be a challenge. This weekend Jacklyn has a tennis tourney. We will see how she does. She has not been in one for a while. We put her in the 14 and under category to make it more challenging for her. She will be bumped to this age range when she turns 13 in May anyhow. Good luck Jacklyn. Mommy won't be there to watch because I get toooo stressed.

Wordless Wednesday

Circus time!

Will had his first experience with the circus this past weekend. Jeffrey, the girls, Will and I along with one of Jaymie's friends drove to downtown Milwaukee to watch the Shrine Circus. I'm really not a fan of the circus as I don't like to see the animals being treated the way they were, but the Willard was wide eyed and taking it all in which was fun to see. He had is popcorn in hand and enjoyed the entertainment. We had coupons for buy one get one free that we used so that was a nice money saving entertainment for the kids. We are starting to get cabin fever here and really want to be outside. It is going to be a balming 45 out tomorrow! Heatwave!

My blog is a work in progress right now...Sorry for the mish mosh of balance with it. I have to find some uninterrupted time to work on it....Stay tuned.......
Susan

Will's first year

Don't forget your box of kleenex!!!