The madness of March 2010

I am making an effort to catch up on some backlogged blog posts. As I've mentioned before, the three blogs are kind of our scrapbook and memory book. It is amazing to me how memories begin to fade so quickly when you are my age. ;-) So, instead of attacking some of my seemingly more pressing tasks, I am choosing to work on catching up. Not only do I need some closure, I need it NOW!

March was a bit of a blur for our family. On March 10th, my dad had a stroke and we were completely shocked by that news. God's hand of protection was on him and things were not nearly as bad as they could have been--for which we are extremely grateful.

Lindy and I were able to go to Kansas to visit my parents during Lindy's spring break right after Dad got home from the hospital. I think having two of his favorite girls around was good medicine and rehab for Dad/Grandpa, or at least that's what I'd like to think. ;-) I know it was sure better for us to see him and spend time with him in order to get that feeling that he was going to be okay and get better, as well as to see Mom--who was so diligently taking care of him. I helped Dad take care of some business while I was there but Mom also planned some play time for us, too, which was completely unexpected and really appreciated.

Highlights included:

Going to The Toy & Miniature Museum and helping Barbie celebrate her 50th birthday.
No cameras were allowed inside. :( Lindy loved seeing all the different Barbies from the past and present and I had fun spying the Barbies from my era.

Making biscuits, gravy, and scrambled eggs with Grandma. YUM!!
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Checking out the Fairy Tale Town play area at Crown Center.

Crafting at the Crayola Store, also at Crown Center.

Bathing in Grandma's big tub! Totally luxurious.

Getting a manicure--pink crystal, of course.

Thinking a big surprise was a new fairy pencil (aka lost treasure) box ONLY to later find out it was a foreshadowing of the Disney On Ice show. Totally flitteriffic! AND last but not least...
EXPERIENCING SNOW!!!

Yep, Kansas got a nice blanket of snow and we were utterly unprepared after coming from the 80s but we had lots of fun being out in the beautiful snow. To say Lindy loves the snow seems like an understatement.

I want to thank all of you who prayed for my family during my dad's health crisis. So many of you have continued to check in with me about him and that means so much to all of us. Your words of encouragement really helped sustain me during that emotional time for me. Dad is doing great. He was cleared to drive, has graduated from his various rehab therapies, and is back to work on a full-time basis. We are so grateful!

Other activities in March included meeting a blog friend on vacation in Austin and San Antonio from the Philly area (my old stomping grounds). We met Jen, Dan, and Katie for dinner down on the Riverwalk. They had been in Austin to have a reunion with their travel group. Along with them they brought some friends of theirs visiting from Reno--Erika, Todd, and their sweet daughter Madison. We had a great night visiting and showing them some of the sights of the city. Unfortunately, the pictures I took outside of the Alamo were too blurry and exposed wrong for me to publish here. Anyway, the evening was a great reminder of some of the wonderful bonds that come from adoption.

Pretty girls...
Madison, Katie Min Min, & Lindy

It was hard to capture all the girls at once when there was so much for them to see at the Riverwalk!

When in Texas you have to try BlueBell ice cream. Lindy was more than happy to introduce her new friends to this local favorite. I found chocolate EVERY where when I did the laundry later!

This spring was a great year for bluebonnets and wildflowers. Sadly, I only had one short and not very prosperous outing with Lindy because of many things we had going on during their short season. I am kicking myself now for not getting out there again but there really is more to it than pulling over on the side of the road and sticking your kid in a patch of flowers. Here are some of my favorites from our single outing.









One of Lindy's favorite books is Pinkalicious. A long time ago I had seen an advertisement that there was a musical based on the book. For a couple of years I had been waiting to see if it would come locally and I was thrilled when I finally saw that it was coming to our fantastic Magik Theatre. She actually got to see it twice and loved it both times!




That seems to encompass most of what was happening in March for Miss Lindy Li. I need a nap before I can think about tackling April...