Bit the Bullet

I know that I still owe you more pictures from Palmetto Bluff, but we have been busy at the Holt household and I haven't been able to sit down to the computer in a while . . .  I haven't even checked Facebook! (gasp!)  Here is what we have been up to:

A.  A lot of swim team practice for Ward
B.  First lake trip of the summer (there will be a post on that)
C.  Taking Mary, her boys, and Ward up to Camp Alpine
D.  More swimming and swim team, including Ward's first swim meet tonight (I will take pictures and hopefully video)

But the point of the post . . . I have finally bitten the bullet and gotten another appointment with the orthopedic surgeon on Friday to schedule my ankle surgery.  My ankle is perma-swollen and the pain is really getting to be unbearable.  I can't exercise or it swells to about the size of my calf.  Exercise is my stress-relief so I have just been a joy to be around lately.  I am hoping to schedule it for early August, once the kids are back in school and I am not going to the pool every single day.  Let's hope that I can make it until then.

Palmetto Bluff, Volume II

Volume Two of Palmetto Bluff includes lots of pool pictures.  For those of you not in town, I think that the most shokcing of these pictures is how much Ann Park has grown up.  She has lost all that baby fat and is really turning into a stunning little girl, if I do say so myself.  Plus she loves the pose for the camera so we have a TON of pictures of her!

Sam loved the baby pool!

Tripp and Cher Cher!

Mr Serious = Ashton

Ann Park "relaxing" in her intertube!

Here are some of Sam playing in the water shooters. He loved standing over them and it was just too funny!!

I think that this is the only shot I got of Hope.  Thank goodness her daddy is good with a camera!

Again, Mr. Serious!!  He is such a doll and really not always serious in person! 

More to come later!  I think that I will do some adult pictures in the next installment!

Adoption update

We finally got some good news on the adoption front and things are chugging along.  A while ago I reported that our homestudy was complete, but that ended up not being correct.  I was so upset about the whole thing that I could not bring myself to write about it or I would end up in tears or just plain mad.  Long story short, our homsetudy was supposed to be back to our agency from the social worker in March, but it didn't happen until last week for a lot of different reasons (which really don't matter in the long run).  The waiting was very frustrating (esp. because our documents that are in the homstudy can get "old" and have to be re-done through no fault of ours) but I am trying ot trust and find comfort in the knowledge that our little girl isn't ready for us yet.  The waiting will be worth it, I keep telling myself.

But now the homstudy is in the hands of our agency and they are trucking along.  Out of all the documents (hundreds, literally) there was only one small mistake and we have already fixed it.  Hopefully they will all head to the Secretary of State at the beginning of next week to be apostilled.  (What is that you ask?  Apparently a notary isn't enough for foreign countries and all the documents going to Russia have to have an apostille from the Alabama Secretary of State.)  At the same time, the documents are going to be sent to Russia to have them translated.  That will take about a month and then we wait to find out what region we are assigned.  Then more waiting.

Small steps.  But steps nonetheless.

Palmetto Bluff, Volume I

I am going to have to tackle the Palmetto Bluff pictures in installments, or volumes, because there are just so many and I don't have any energy tonight.

The first set are the kids playing "turkey."  Ward - my child with the best imagination - thought that the palms in the yard looked just like turkey feathers and had Tripp and Louise following in his footsteps.  They were "gobbling" all over the yard and had the best time.  I wish that I got some of it on video!

Starting up the fun!

Louise had THE BEST time and is such a sweet girl!

Tripp had a little trouble with his "feathers" but finally got it!

Hiatus

Sorry about the short hiatus on the blog.  We went on the annual Upchurch family trip to Palmetto Bluff, SC (more on that in another post) the last week in May.  It was amazing. Then, when we got back, I had one of the busiest weeks of my life.  As many of you know, I am/was president of an organization that puts on a ginormous party the first weekend in May every year to raise money for the Alabama Ballet.  So as soon as I got back from vacation, the pressure was on. 

I have to say that all the hard work (beginning last August) was well worth it.  The event was beautiful and a great time was had by all, including me.  I am beyond exhausted.  The only thing I can compare it to is the way I felt after my own wedding.  It was hard to go to work yesterday.

So that is why I have been absent on here.  I will resume regular posting soon and I promise to get some good pictures from Palmetto Bluff on here of the Upchurch clan.  We took over 300 pictures so there is alot to go through!  Stay tuned!

Charting

As most of you know, the Holt clan has some issues with the growth chrat.  Well, I need to edit that.  I should have said that the Holt boys have had some challenges getting on and staying on the growth chart.  At least they are not fat, right?

Well, we had some good news as far as Sam today.  Not only is he on the growth chart at a whopping 24 pounds and 34 inches - he is in the 10th percentile!  I am so pleased.

Oh and he got a finerprick and a shot and did not shed a tear.  He was enthralled at watching his own blood during the fingerprick and then looked at the nurse who gave him the shot with his mean eyes.  It was actually quite amusing.  He just did not understand why this lady in the pink scrubs (otherwise known as pajamas as Sam kept calling them) was hurting him. 

So that is two doctors appointments this week (dentist on Monday and pediatrician today) and not a tear shed by Sam.  He is my little tough guy!

Choo Choo!

Yesterday we had Sam's 2nd birthday party.  His birthday is on Thursday, but this past weekend was the best time to have his party.  We had a train come and the kids played in the yard.  A good time was had by all, especially Sam.  I still can't believe that our "Baby Sam" is about to be two.  I still remember, like it was yesterday, when Ted introduced dad to Samuel Upchurch Holt and seeing the tears immediately fall down his face.

Here are way to many pictures for all those who could not be there.  I already posted them on Facebook, but these are for those who do not have a FB account - mom and chollet!

His ckae matched his invitation and was the cutest cake we have ever had!

Sam woke up from his nap and went straight to the train!

He wanted to drive right away!

Checking out the horn.  Beep!

No really, let me drive this thing!

Cher Cher and Papa brought a "BIIIG TRUCK"

All smiles

I am "TWO" (still working on the right number of fingers)

First train ride with cousin Katelynn 

so sweet!

The Bruno boys - Paul Vincent is Ann Park's best friend!  He was a little shy at first but warmed right up once the party got going.

Ann Park and Reed Warburton

Ward and his band of thieves - Frank Hancock and Wilson Holt

Bennett Holmes took a minute to warm up

but he loved the train rides with daddy!

Bill Hancock and his girls

Ann Park and her buddies

two Sams

Cake time!

Come on daddy!  Get those candles going!

Blow them out!

Good job!

Ward and friends

Look!  Mommy made it in a picture because she took it of herself!

Silly Papa!

Sam on his birthday present from Mommy and Daddy - A Buzz Lightyear riding toy!  Sam was in heaven the minute he saw it and refused to get off the thing - he even ate dinner on it while riding.  He cried so hard when we made him take a bath and go to bed.  He kept on asking for his "Buzz 4 wheeler."  And it was the first words out of his mouth when I woke him up this morning.

Some Holt eyes

the last train ride of the day!

and guess who was on it?  All Holts!