Today I was tagged by my dear friend Lisa in San Antonio to write a post about "I Remember when..." Well I have been tagged before and I have miserably failed at honoring the request. I will blame it on sleep deprivation. But, this one I will tackle..

• I remember crawling into bed with my big brother while he was babysitting us to watch the movie Airport.
• I remember my parents sitting us all on the couch in our living room when I was 8 to tell us we were moving to Minnesota from Chicago. I remember thinking, "where is Minnesota?"
• I remember ice cream dates with Daddy!
• I remember the smell of Grandma Kathryn's Cinnamon Rolls & Potatoe Bread
• I remember my first ice skating teacher telling me the only reason she yelled at me was because she loved me...
• I remember Donny Osmond and the lunch box I had with his face on it!!!
• I remember my Teddy Bear,Chester!
• I remember Short & Sassy Shampoo and my first Dorothy Hamill Wedge Haircut!
• I remember getting my driver's license
• I remember the apple green paint on my bedroom walls!
• I remember loving Wheat Thins and Tab.
• I remember my favorite maroon Lee cords
• I remember seeing the Olympic Flag and the Olympic Rings on the ice in Lake Placid where I had the priviledge of skating in the Opening Ceremonies.
• I remember how scared I was to leave home at 18 to skate for a year with the Ice Follies
• I remember my Dad calling me in every city for 9 months to check in on me and my friends
• I remember the way my Mom helped me when my first marriage failed
• I remember talking to my Dad on the phone after his stroke.
• I remember the first thing Jeff ever said to me when we met
• I remember Jeff getting down on his knee and asking me if he could take care of me forever?
• I remember the excitement of getting our first puppy?
• I remember the joy when we found out we were pregnant with Ainsley
• I remember Ainsley's labor & delivery and the first time I held my precious gift..
• I remember how devastated I was when I learned my Dad had cancer..
• I remember what I was doing on the morning of 9/11/01.
• I remember the day I recieved Jesus as my Lord and Savior
• I remember Jeff saying, "I think God wants us to adopt a baby from China!
• I remember waiting for Ruby.
• I remember the tears of joy when we learned that 10/24/05 had made the referral cutoff
• I remember hearing the words, "congratulations you have a healthy and beautiful daughter and her name is Yue Meng Ru"
• I remember holding my sister the night her husband died.
• I remember praying over an empty crib in Nanchang with my precious husband the morning of Ruby Tuesday.
• I remember whispering "I love you" in Chinese to Ruby Mei the moment I held her for the first time
• I remember Ainsley's first days of school
• I remember incredible girlfriends who wrapped me in prayer and friendship when Jeff was sick.

The list goes on and on with 43 years of memories. Some happy, some hilarious, some sad, but all part of my story! Lisa - Thanks for asking me to remember......

Love, Di

Today I am thankful for:

• My husband who works so hard, and loves all of his girls so much!
• As Kim reminded me, of my RQ October friends who waited and celebrated with me.
• For a bible study teacher that made the "beautiful attitudes" (the beatitudes; Matthew 5) so clear to me this week.
• For my sister who included our adoption story in her sermon at chapel on Monday!
• For Ruby Mei sleeping through the entire night last night!
• For Ainsley's precious questions about eternal life...
• For the hugs and I love you's that I get from my daughters!
• For how well Ruby is attaching and coming out of her shell more and more each day!
• For the humbling daily reminder that patience is not my biggest strength
• For the five 5th grade girls that I get to work with at our church on Wednesday nights!
• For parents that are healthy!
• For my friends that are long distance that I miss talking to or seeing like Kim, Lisa, Shauna, Glenna, Jane, Tracy, Marjie...
• That my friend Lisa is DTC and that I promise to faithfully pray her through her wait no matter how long that is!!!
• For spending time with Liz yesterday...
• Last but not least, that Madison is home and doing so well!!!! And, that Julie looks incredible after having a baby a month ago, and getting no sleep!!!! You amaze me!

Blessings, Diana

Most Dad's are probably home watching game 7 between Cleveland and Boston. Not Ainsley's Daddy. He is her date tonight at the Hannah Montana concert!!! He surprised her yesterday with tickets. This will be a night she will never forget! Her first "real" concert (we don't think the Wiggles counts here!) She is a huge Hannah fan, so she was so excited. They called me after the Jonas Brothers were finished! She sounded so cute!!!! I loved my husband a lot before tonight. But, watching him get ready for a night like this, makes me love him even more!!!
My guess is she will be sound asleep when they get home. I can't wait to hear the details from her in the morning! A priceless night out with Daddy! It doesn't get much better than that!

-Diana