Monday, November 9, 2009

Family goes to concert!

It is just crazy to me sometimes when I look at pictures of my sweet family, that only a couple of years ago, I didn't even see a glimmer of this!
To be honest with you, I was so caught up in Jake's illness, that I had totally put my own hopes of a family on hold. When I was contacted by Ellie's birthmom, I had JUST begun looking at adoption agencies and was actually going on a site I had found looking at precious babies from Guatemala. WHO KNEW?!?!

And here we are... going to a concert together, and realizing that all dressed up, we had better be thinking ahead to Christmas card pics!
YO DAD! Eyes on the camera! This one could have been IT! All adults know you just keeeeeep on smiling. The fools behind the camera are the ones doing the monkey faces and mooing like a cow, et al, to get the girls to smile. It is our responsibility to just look at the camera and keep that smile plastered on your face!
I just love my little family. I am sure that you are all like, "duh. Who doesn't?" and I can appreciate that. But as I post these pictures and just take the time to look at them, I kinda bubble over with JOY at my tribe!
Hey you two bowheads.
I try to see similarities, and every blue moon, maybe I see one. But in these pics, NOPE. I don't see it. Both are beautiful, but in totally different ways! Brown hair/ blue eyes. Blond hair/ brown eyes. Did you know that these are both recessive traits? And speaking of... have I mentioned that Ellie's birthmom told me recently she is considering a future in medicine and is particularly interested in genetics? She should find this particularly interesting. The rest of you.. not so much, huh?

Uncle Chris was at the concert. And speaking of concert... let me tell you about it. PawPaw Raborn was instrumental in getting Ray Price and a couple of other bands to Monroe to play a concert with all profits to go to the JOR Foundation. The family/ JOR team served at the door and wherever help was needed.
This is typically not a family deal. It is much more of an adult deal! But. I had no sitter! I was in a bind. And I KNEW I had to be there because anything that has JOR on it, needs ME at it!

In case you don't know. This is Ray Price.
And this is the strings part of the Cherokee Cowboys band. I particularly loved this part of the music. He had a big band with him, bigger than I expected!
I learned that he is also called "the voice". And I can see why. Even at his late age, he has a smooth and mellow voice! It was kinda like an old time country singing. It was fun.
Fun? Funny? SHE thinks so!
This is how Ellie rode home!
When we caught her with her finger up her nose and told her that was "Gross", she decided TWO fingers up her nose would be double gross and get us double upset! Sooooo.....
She also refuses to keep that upper buckle locked. I DREAD the day she learns how to undo the bottom snap. It is a WAR to keep her in her seat!

Enjoyed the night! Ray Price and the Cherokee Cowboys will go down as my girls' first official concert!

Peace out. Mo

19 comments:

Jennifer said...

omg...those girls are adorable! Cute cute tribe you have there.

Michelle said...

Such a cute family! :)

MLP said...

I love hearing you bubble over with JOY for your tribe. I think you guys are just precious and perfect in every way. Those girls are so blessed to have you and Todd and vice versa. God is so good!

I SO would have kept those doll babies if I lived closer! Oh what a treat that would be!!!

Lovin' Gabbi Girl's owl dress!

By the way, the family pics are great. You might could have one of your photo shop friends (Jessi?) switch Todd's face on that one?!? Just an idea!

Kathryn said...

First of all, why didn't you call when you needed a sitter? I would have flown right down. Really!

Second, I LOVE RAY PRICE! How totally cool! For the good times....

Ahhhh. What a great voice.

Vicki said...

Melanie, You have such a beautiful family!

Sarah said...

I remember those humble adoption beginnings and our first connection through Sophie and Guatemala! I am so happy that your girls found YOU! The family that you were meant to be! You are all gorgeous and so very blessed!

breanna said...

refusing to wear the buckle...we JUST got over that stage!! NOT looking forward to it again!!!

i have to say whatever tricks your photog used to get the girls to look was working! I need to learn them!

Bj said...

Oh wow Mo...I love Ray Price...I sing karaoke on an Internet Radio Broadcast every Saturday evening (5pm till 11pm cst). We broadcast live to the troops and one of my favorite songs to sing is his, "For The Good Times"...so glad you and your family went and enjoyed it...wish I could have been there...and your family pics are "price" less...love 'em...have a great day!....huggers, Bj

Melissa said...

Cute cute cute. When my heathens learned to unbuckle, I would pull the car over when they did and tell them that the car wouldn't go if it was unbuckled and that we couldn't go home until it was buckled. Worked every time. Well, that and a visit from my brother the cop telling my son that he was going to take mommy to jail if he didn't wear his buckle. LOL

Liloia Family said...

Adorable pictures of your precious family!! The concert looked fun, I love concerts! Ellie is so funny with her fingers up her nose. Those pics made me laugh. Thank you for sharing.

Sandy P said...

Good luck with the car seat wars! I have expected it with my own 2 year old, but we have avoided it. But, I have heard of people having to pull over every 5 minutes to deal with it! Those little ones are adorable.

Denise said...

Go Ellie Sue! I love the fingers up the nose!

Dottie Phillips said...

What a beautiful family! I am sooo happy for you. The girls are sure getting big.

I got so fed up with the buckle deal that I went out and bought a different type of car seat. She can't get this one undone. Kind of an expensive way to resolve the situation but considering that it was typically just Brooke and I in the car, I didn't have any help and couldn't always tell when it was unbuckled.

Since I am notoriously LATE...there was no pulling over every 5 minutes! lol

It's a Graco - Nautilus - the buckle is different on this type. The one I had before looks very similar to what you have in the pic. I got the new one either at Walmart or Target ... can't remember. Good Luck!

snekcip said...

Mo, I would have never "pictured" our raising a little one at this age, esp since our nest was EMPTY! I was dreaming of GRANDBABIES at this age! God has abundantly blessed us w/GRANDBABIES and "a new baby" of our own as well!! As I've stated before, our plans are NOT God's plans!

On the carseat drama! My Bree would scream and holler as if she was being buckled in the electric chair! I thought the adjustment were too tight, and loosened them a bit! I knew this was NOT the problem, when on a quick errand I decided to let our schnauzer ride along. There I'm am at the light, in my own little MOMMY BLISS and peered in the rearview mirror and like to had a heart attack! There sat the schnauzer in Bree's carseat as Bree waved to the car behind us in the back window!!!! How would I have explained that to a cop! I immediately stopped the car, put the dog out the seat, adj the buckle (w/her screaming or not)! I dropped the dog off home and headed straight to get another carseat! I purchased the GRACO NAUTILUS *or in this case GRACO for NAUGHTINESS* and after a good talking to we haven't had a problem since!

* Disclaimer-dog was not injured or hurt in this story* LOL

Melissa said...

Hey!
Your kids are way too cute! :))
We have put velcro on the buckles and harness so that when she touches it, it kinda "pricks" her??- Does that make sense? It definatly makes her not want to unlatch herself. Hope that helps!!

Kenzie Holley said...

Funny!! Looks like you guys had a good time!

Amanda and Mikayla said...

I have the Graco Nautilus carseat, and there really isn't a way the kids can get the bottom buckle undone because you have to reach from underneat. Mikayla undoes the top part all the time, but she CAN'T get the bottom :-).

Carrie said...

Yes, you should be proud of your happy little family. You completely deserve it!
Lovin' the pictures of Ellie's "attitude". She is such a little PISTOL :)

Beth E. said...

What a beautiful family! Your pics always make me smile. I love those girlies of yours! Todd ain't half bad, either! ;-)

FYI, my sister and I look nothing alike, and my mom birthed us both! My sister is blonde and has blue eyes. I have brown hair and brown eyes. Go figure...

I remember the battle I had with Bo over car seats. I had to tell him, if you unbuckle your seat belt or get out of the car seat, the car stops and you get a spanking. He tested me a couple of times, but when he found out I meant it, he stopped.

It takes consistency...you know know the saying, "Say what you mean and mean what you say." I had to follow through. I hated to do it (it always broke my heart when I had to discipline my kids), but I also knew that if we ever had an accident and my children were injured - or worse - because they weren't buckled in properly, that I would never be able to live with myself.

Sometimes we have to do things we don't really like to do, in order to protect our kids. It's not easy being a parent, but it's totally worth the challenges! ;-)

Hugs,
Beth