The Dinner Table

Mercedes and Fernanda's second grade teacher, Mrs. Breen, was hanging this up on the bulletin board in the hall as we were leaving today. It's Fernanda's story. It's our story, too! All those crazy afternoons in the kitchen are so much less important than our thankfully memorable dinnertimes! Think about joining us for one of these meals - there's always room for one more around our table.

With Papi!

Rosemary, Marilyn, Fernanda, Papi Chema and Abraham. Papi is the "Foster uncle" to the girls and Abraham is their "foster brother." There is no one kinder than Papi Chema!

Antigua, Guatemala

Here are the girls with Rosemary's "foster sisters" in Antigua, an artsy town in Guatemala. See Rosemary Paulette, Fernanda, Marilyn and Mercedes.

Back to Guatemala!

The five of us returned to Guatemala this June to visit with the foster family. Here we are finishing lunch at a local restaurant.

If only it were true...

Mercedes presented me with this portrait this morning. As you can see, she had to move some of the words around. I promise the title was all her idea!

Fun At The State Fair

"Our State Fair is the best State Fair. Don't miss it, don't even be late." One of the girls favorite musicals is State Fair so every time we drive by the state fair grounds they sing that song. This was taken at the State Fair in August 2006 after visiting the IU booth - see face tattoo on Rosemary. I showed this picture to a friend and all he could say was, "What cheap mothers they have making them share one drink!"

Fun with Ms. Molly and Mr. Lou

The girls love to hang with Molly and Lou Perry. Here they are at a friend's house in June, 2007. The Perry's wedding in 2005 was the first wedding the girls ever attended - and it was at Notre Dame. Lou is in the striped shirt, Molly in the white shirt and l. to r. is Rosemary, Mercedes and Fernanda.

Alright, everyone! This took ten minutes! I may have to skip a shower this morning. Happy?

L to R, Mercedes, Rosemary and Fernanda on July 13, 2007 in new shirts from Seattle.

Heaven on earth - High Hopes Orchard in New Hampshire! We visited last October. Here Rosemary laughs watching Cousin Russ and his wife Tammy race Fernanda to the bottom of a very tall slide! http://www.highhopesorchard.com/ 

Here is Fernanda, our fearless bicyclist, setting off again on an adventure around the block. Last September (2005)! (I'm so sorry I'm so slow getting these posted. It takes no time at all to post them - but it takes forever to get to the project of posting!) 

So, the first day of school pictures from last fall didn't turn out so well, I had to take them again a few days later! Top to bottom Mercedes, Fernanda and Mercedes on Aug. 26, 2005. We examined last year's first day picture to make sure we had the pose correct! 

Here we are on August 11, 2005, the day our adoption of the girls was approved in court! We celebrated with a walk downtown around Monument Circle and lunch at Bertolini's.  

Here's the whole family in Cascades at the Opryland Hotel. Cathy, fresh out of meetings, is a little more formally dressed than the rest of us! The gazebo behind us is a revolving restaurant! 

Here they are, the dancers at Opryland! L to R, Fernanda, Mercedes and Rosemary. There were so many great places to dance there - all we really need is some good music and a little floor space! 

Our three girls loved to watch the dancing waters at Opryland Hotel when we went there in April 2005. They loved the lights and music! 

Mommy Cathy loves me. She is my best, best, best mom ever! She carries me like a baby. I was five. She loves me. She likes me. She takes me on rides like to school. And she takes me to Chente and Matias' house. I like my cousins. They are my friends even though I don't see them. (Mercedes)

The Easter Bunny came over to our cousins' house. He was not a real Easter bunny. He is a fake Easter Bunny. He give us candy and eggs. He is my uncle! (Fernanda) 

Mommy Cathy helps a fisher girl cast a line into our friends' pond. Everyone (except Mommy Sarah) caught a fish that day. I was too busy capturing memories. Bill and Marilyn were our neighbors at our first house on 41st Place. They've moved way out into the country and spend all their time fishing and mowing the lawn! That, and teaching our girls how to enjoy country living. 

Rosemary and Fernanda captured here last summer playing wedding with the new gazebo in our backyard. That backyard hosted a LOT of weddings last summer. The gazebo was a gift from Mommy Sarah's mother.

Mommy Cathy and the girls in front of "Touchdown Jesus" at Notre Dame. L to R Mercedes Rosemary and Fernanda. This picture will mean a lot more to them when they know what football is, and what Notre Dame football is.