Pictures of Me

I read a article last week that has changed my perception about my blogging/scrapbook. 

You see, I really hate having pictures of me on this blog. 

And the older I get, the less I like 'em. 

The most bearable pictures consist of me wearing sunglasses - then no one can see the scrunchy wrinkles around my eyes. That or some sort of crazy costume?

I also like to crop out my body and lately I've tried for some really artsy/abstract shots - like super close of my eye or the backside of my head.....but it didn't really work.

Anyway, after reading this article, I made a resolve to put more pictures of myself on my blog - to actually show up in the lives of my children. 

Fast forward to yesterday. I got this idea.....

I've decided to make Alex a "baby" book. I'm going to go back and print out all the entries about him during the hosting period, the waiting period and the adoption. It's the only option I have for his "baby" book. Besides, it is about his "birth" into our family.

This was brought on because a family who hosted two years ago is going to Ukraine this week to complete a long awaited adoption. She had mentioned how excited her new daughter-to-be was when she heard they were finally on their way. It made me take a stroll through blog-memory-lane and find the post where we called Alex to tell him we were coming. I had to scroll through a few entries before I could find the exact one and while I did I was reminded how hard I worked to get him, how excited I was, how worried I was,  how many prayers I said and how many miracles happened to get him here. Then I realized that he has no idea. And that he deserves to know his story.  That maybe he would feel a great sense of self worth realizing how hard we worked, worried and prayed to get him home? 

I am hoping he'll see just how much we love him and wanted him and how Heavenly Father moved mountains to get him here.

So, I started back to the day before we hosted - when I introduced him on my blog. 

You can read about it here - if you want.  

(All the entries are labeled "Alex's book" - I am only through the hosting period right now.)

So, as I am re-reading and trying to catch grammar and typo's and then labeling each post I want to include in his book, I realized that once again, all though it is all my words and thoughts that make up this blog, pictures of me are far and few between. I know there are many during the actual adoption process but not too many during the hosting and I remember taking a ton of photo's - not just of me but of everyone. However, I didn't post that many (connections were slower on my PC four years ago too so maybe that is why?)  so, I dug out the simple drive containing old photo's and started adding them to my blog. 

My goodness my kiddo's were little four years ago. Kambree was just barely 16, Austin 14, Devree 12, Alex 10 and my baby Ry - still had baby chubby cheeks -  was 8. 

We've all changed and I look at those pictures of me and think - dang! I look so much younger! Why in the world didn't I publish these? 

That's the beauty of a blog, I guess? I was able to go back and add pictures - of everyone - and clarify a few stories/situations and give proof in pictures that I was a part of this adventure.

I love seeing photo's of my mom when I was little. How she dressed and how similar we look at the same ages. I wouldn't say my mom's super photogenic - like me - but she's my mom and I love her and I need to swallow my vain pride and post pictures so that my kids know not only how I looked - scrunchy wrinkles and, but that I was there!

So be warned.....