Several random things.....

Yesterday (the 22nd) was mine and Kendon's 8th anniversary. 8 years!!! My goodness it doesn't seem like it could be that long!  We had several entertaining conversations about where the kids were during our wedding and how we couldn't go on a date because that was for Kinzlee and daddy.  In the end, we decided to go for a quick date. I really needed to go to Walmart and was struggling with how long to leave Parker as this is the first time we have left him for more than 10 min or so without either one of us. We decided to go to Sweetwater instead of Abilene to hopefully shave a little bit of time off.  

We took the kids to Nanas and told them all bye. The emotions that ensued were not expected!  Parker wasn't having it!  He cried and wanted us to pick him up. We would get him playing with something else and try again but have the same response. I had all but decided we weren't going, he just isn't ready (and of course a few tears!). This is where the grief/loss/trauma of adoption comes in to play. When my other two were smaller- I didn't have a problem leaving them crying if I knew they were safe and loved where they were, they knew I was momma and that I loved them and that I would eventually come back. Parker knows this on the surface- but he doesn't REALLY know that EVERY time mommy and daddy leave they WILL come back. At this point, (without speaking badly of them in ANY way- they are very precious people in Parker's life!) he has had two mommas leave him and not come back- how is he supposed to believe I will???

Sooo.... We took him outside and got him playing on a toy he can ride- I went over and have him a kiss, told him I loved him and that mommy and daddy would be back soon and he looked up, smiled, and said 'I  lub you too'. Ian told us, "it's ok, y'all go on your date. I will take care of Parker, he will be ok!".  Man, I love that boy!  So off we went! 

I very honestly still wasn't very comfortable with this- but I wanted to spend those couple of hours just with Kendon so bad!  I sent nana a quick text and asked that she let me know if he cried for 15 minutes so we could come home. 15 minutes- I know- it isn't very long! But for him- it would be a miserablely long time!  Did I think nana and pop pop couldn't handle it?  Absolutely not!  They will handle and get through absolutely anything they need to- but it wouldn't have been fair for Parker to 'get through it'.   Ok- enough of that rambling...... Adoption is hard, tricky, and oh so very different than raising the other two, but we wouldn't trade it for any other life!  Here are a few fun throwback pictures of a very special and fun day in our journey together! 

And here is our date night to Skeet's (where I DID indulge in some fried pickles!) and Walmart. 

And here are a couple of other random things.....: 

Kinzlee has a doll that came with a carrier to carry the doll on her back or on her front. She got this out the other day and Parker insisted that he needed a doll 'aboobah' also. This is how Parker was carried by his foster mother and also how we carried him ALOT in the first month and a half. This is a huge source of comfort for our little man ;-)

I was cleaning out some drawers and came across these papers that I was oh so happy to throw away!  These are extra copies of customs declaration forms from when we were sending care packages to SK. He is here!  No more packages!