Mim's birthday party and weekend

I didn't take pictures this year? But we did have a wonderful birthday party for Mim at home in the garage in
the pouring rain(at times). Hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial weekend. While doing yard work and preparing for the party, we discovered a fox snake, so I caught it and had the girls touch it, plus Mim found an adult blue spotted salamander and we are co-rearing rearing two nestling house finch. We had them this weekend, but now my friends have them for the week (they need to be fed hourly during the daylight hours).  We will get them back next weekend. Did you know that a day in life of a songbird is the same as the growth and development of a human child within a year.Isn't that amazing??? Their nest was destroyed and a fellow teacher brought them to school last Friday and we have been taking care of them since.

It's beginning to look a lot like ...summer

 The wee ones are on a softball team and they are loving it

 The team is called Awesome A's

Our garden..tilled and planted it last weekend. The chicken manure had sat on top for over 1 month and then I tilled it in and some of the seeds I planted are already coming in and the plants are thriving..We put a fence up this year and planted the viney plants on the periphery of the garden in hopes of keeping the deer away.

 flowers around the yard in bloom

 our ducks

 forget me knots in bloom

our wet swamp...i.e. mosquito breeding hatchery...which btw they have hatched this week

The Truth--a vent

Mim has been terrible this year. Today, on Mother's Day she was really horrible. She pushes so hard for independence, to be like all her teenage friends yet she lacks so much base knowledge from not living in USA and with me until she was 12 1/2 years old. I really hate to say this out loud, but here it goes. I now finally understand why people hesitate to adopt older children. There just isn't enough time or years before the really ugly times begin. Believe me, they are ugly too, due to adoption and all that goes with it, due to her personalty, due to my parenting style, due to what, all of it probably, I don't know, but this ride with her has been anything but pleasant this last year.

She can't spell to save her soul (understandable), her reading level is WAY below grade level (understandable), her sense of directions and awareness of her surroundings are very poor (not understandable), she remembers a few directions for instructions and then it is gone. I can literally follow her around the house as to where she leaves her chores half done ALL the TIME!!  She is stubborn, argumentative, trying to wear seductive clothing (bra showing, skin tight clothing) to school since she has a bad crush on a certain boy. She is proving to be untrustworthy whenever she thinks I won't catch her. I just don't feel we have had enough time to allow my teaching to get into her soul and now she follows her friends advice, even if it is bad, rather than mine. Yet, she wants me to let her drive next year, and have more independence. It just isn't going to happen. The other day she asked me if she should push #1 on the elevator to go to 1st floor. She was serious, she didn't know. SUCH A HUGE GAP OF EVERYDAY KNOWLEDGE TO FUNCTION IN THIS SOCIETY and she wants to drive a huge people killing machine but can't find her way around our town and lacks awareness of her surroundings...Yikes!!!!!

When she is good, she is smiling, chatty, helpful, sweet, kind, but that Mim is far and few lately. I know we are in the terrible teens but I sure don't trust her judgment lately and that SCARES me. I love her all the time, but some days, like today I really don't like her too much and I know the feeling is mutual with her as well. If you are the praying kind, please pray for us and how we navigate through this rough year and beyond.  Thanks

Tuki has been Home 6 years

Yesterday marked Tuki's 6th anniversary since coming home. Even though it was pleasant, she did tell me I "ruined" it for her since I had to yell at her for acting her usual tired naughty self...never a dull moment with this young lady, but she sure is a joy when she isn't telling someone else what to do. LOL

 7 months old, look at that face, she knew her mind even back then and she didn't like the idea of kayaking!! Can you tell?

Still pretty in pink with an even BIGGER attitude...Lord help me,  but boy do I LOVE this girl!!

Wedding!!!

 My brother Wayne got married this past weekend.  The girls, cousin N with Wayne and Judy

 My trio of beauties

 Wayne's kids, Megan and Chris

 Chris and his wife Amy

 Wayne and Tuki, cousin Luke in the background

 Wayne and Ve

 Wayne and Mim

 Grandma Jill and family friend Jeannie

 The girls once again

 Megan and her boyfriend Eric

The newlyweds!!