Grow Where You are Planted

Scarlett's First Family Day

2011-01-28T21:23:00.000-05:00

A Few Random Pictures, and Family Day...

Scarlett is VERY particular about what she wears and sometimes she is so insistent to wear certain articles of clothing, even when it's not the right time. For example here, she insisted on her hat (and this is the ONLY hat she will wear) even though we were not going outside. She wore it all day, inside.

On January 15, 2010 Scarlett joined our family and in that time she has blossomed and grown and been an absolute joy to all of us. To celebrate the big day, we went to a small Korean restaurant here in Cleveland called Korea House, and it was AMAZING. The decor was simple and the food delicious. We all enjoyed ourselves. Here are a few pictures.

Raggedy Ann was a big hit.

A Little Photo Shoot and a Classmate's Gymboree Party

2011-01-09T21:23:00.000-05:00

Scarlett was on her way to a friend's birthday party at Gymboree, and since she was in a really good mood, I snapped a few photos before we left.

This is her new little table. She needs a little help getting on the chair.

Seriously. Could you not just eat this child? Sometimes I can't even handle her cuteness!

Once we got to Gymboree, she was for the most part just an observer, until they broke out the bubbles and the parachute.

Scarlett always like to sit when she sees a piece of furniture that is her size. She doesn't care much for chaos.

I marveled at her when it was cake and ice cream time. I was fully prepared (see bib) for her to take a dive straight into that green cupcake and cup of ice cream, but you would have thought she was Princess Diana having tea. She daintily ate what she was interested in with her spoon, and had maybe a couple of crumbs in the corner of her mouth at the end. I can only shake my head at the difference between this girl and her brothers at this age. Wait, she is neater than her brothers NOW! Lol!

I had to take this picture because after I buckled her in her seat I looked at her and this is how she was, not a bit of complaint. She looks so uncomfortable with head smushed in her coat like that. I did adjust it, but had to take the pic.

Bananas and such.

2011-01-04T13:54:00.002-05:00

Scarlett has only recently begun to enjoy bananas. I think she's making up for lost time.

Shaker Heights has a fantastic library and a wonderful playroom for toddlers. Scarlett and I decided to check it out today.

Where does this go?

Here.

Yay!

Got my necklace. Got my baby. I'm good.

Pensive

Hmmm.

This is fun!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T10:35:00.000-05:00

Eddie's sister, Sandra, came to town from Chicago and together with Eddie's parents, we all went to dinner on New Year's Eve. It was a long, 5 course meal, but the kids did great. Happy New Year!

Whenever I take her picture, I squat down. Now, when she sees me with the camera, she squats!

Scarlett with Aunt Sandra and Ruby

My sweeties

My Guys

Blogger is driving me Cookoo

2010-12-28T23:56:00.000-05:00

Just so you know, I know my blog looks horrible. Ever since Blogger changed things around I have had the hardest time figuring it out and consequently I've hardly posted at all. So I just wanted to say, hang in there with me until I figure it out! Happy New Year!

It's Been a Busy Year!

2010-12-02T12:10:00.002-05:00

Phew! Between Scarlett's homecoming, moving to Ohio, selling a house, renovating a house....it's been a whirlwind year! I thought I'd recap with a little photo review...click here.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelehners/sets/72157625514509968

Flickr

2010-09-25T23:30:00.004-04:00

Grrr! I was so excited today when I saw that Flickr will now let you click "Blog it" to add pics from your Flikr sets directly to your blog. But unfortunately, I can only do it one pic at a time and today was SUCH a big picture day and I don't want to sit at this computer for 5 hours. So in the interest of time, here is the link to the pics. Enjoy. http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelehners/

Jake and Zach on the move

2010-09-25T23:24:00.001-04:00

IMG_1408
Originally uploaded by jlehner

I love this photo of the boys. I don't know why.

Hanging out with Mimi

2010-09-25T23:15:00.001-04:00

IMG_1400
Originally uploaded by jlehner

Scarlett went to visit Zach at lunch at school.

2010-09-25T23:06:00.001-04:00

Scarlett went to visit Zach at lunch at school.
Originally uploaded by jlehner

She loves being at Zach and Jake's school.

A Day at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, and more

2010-09-25T22:59:00.001-04:00

IMG_1637
Originally uploaded by jlehner

A few new pics

2010-09-08T10:52:00.003-04:00

Just uploaded new pics to Flickr...

Pictures

It's Been a While

2010-09-01T00:06:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends and Family:

Thank you for your patience. This move was a doozy! We've made lots of move, but this one was by far the most complicated. It was grueling. But that's behind us and now we are back to living a normal life. The kids have started school. They love it. Everyone is happy. Even the dogs are happy. Our community is amazing. We love our home. Our neighbors are nice. All is well. Saturday morning I woke up and rode my bike to yoga. When I came home, we all rode our bikes to the farmers' market. (Scarlett was in the Burly trailer attached to my bike). Afterwards the boys swam in our pool and I worked in the garden. When Scarlett was up from her nap, I rode my bike again (with her in the trailer) to the grocery store. When we got home we packed up our red wagon and walked to our neighborhood block party where we met nice neighbors and the kids had fun running around with all of their new friends. A typical school day looks like this: Scarlett and I walk the boys to school (6 minute walk). We then walk to the library, or park, for some toddler time. Then we might walk to the grocery store, or hardware store, or whatever. Then home for a nap. We walk to pick up boys from school (3:30) and they usually hang around a while and play on the playground or play kickball. We walk home, swim in the pool, do homework, usual nighttime stuff, and we start over the next day.

Anyway, blah blah blah. Here are the pictures:

(FYI...I have been trying to upload these pictures to this blog for 4 days with no luck. Soooo, please click here for the Flickr photostream!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelehners/sets/72157624728844219/

Catching Up

2010-05-31T14:17:00.000-04:00

Again. Life moving too fast. Too much going on. Only a few weeks until the big move and my back is still messed up. MRI revealed bulging disc...getting an epidural on Thursday. Meanwhile, the kids continue to fill our lives with joy. Here a few of our moments from the last couple of weeks:

Jake received several awards at Awards Day on the last day of school, among them: straight A's for the whole year.

Meanwhile, like Zach's award's day the day before, Scarlett chose to hangout Stage Right, with her favorite magic marker and pack of gum my friend Betsy gave her (to shake, not to eat:) ).

A little later she decide that it was time to walk straight down the aisle and up towards the stage....

The last day of school was fun for all us. Betsy Altmyer hosted a wonderful pool party at her house....

Zach lost his first tooth....but before we see that picture, let's look back to the day he sprouted his first tooth!

Awwww. Now here is my baby boy, with his first tooth LOSS. At 7.5, he was REALLY ready for a visit from the tooth fairy....

And here are just a couple of cute shots of Zach and Scarlett. He loves her so much.

Award Day for Zach

2010-05-20T21:13:00.000-04:00

Today was Zach's award day at school. He had straight A's for the whole year and we are so proud of him. Not necessarily because he got straight A's, but because he really worked hard all year. He put everything he had into every assignment. He never missed a day of homework and reminded me if our afternoon got so busy that we might not get to it. He had lots of self doubt with his reading, especially when he was accelerated to chapter books. I don't know what it was about the *chapters*, but it really intimidated him. He forged ahead, however, with his teacher's encouragement, and now he loves to read.

Scarlett was very busy throughout the entire event. I chased her all around but I managed to see Zach get his award and not lose Scarlett in the audience. Eventually, she wanted to hang out in this one area, to the side of the stage, so snapped a few photos...

ADOPTION DAY!

2010-05-19T14:51:00.001-04:00

Scarlett Beatrice officially is our daughter! Today we drove to Houston, Mississippi where a very sweet and kind Judge Burns issued Scarlett's adoption certificate and gave his decision that she would be our daughter forever more. Wow. It all happened very quickly but at the same time it feels like it took years to get here. Wait. It DID take years to get here. So nice that this is where we ended up.

After court, we drove back to Columbus, with our attorney, to get our paperwork processed at the Chancery Court's office. We took that paperwork to the post office, to send off for her birth certificate. We figured we'd let her mail it herself.

Then our super nice postal worker decided Scarlett needed a special stamp:

And lastly, I will leave you with one more photo of our girl and the lady-like way she likes to sit in her stroller......

Good Times

2010-05-18T15:17:00.003-04:00

So much is happening, so fast. I think I'm better off just making a bulleted list to update you:

We are closing on the "flip" house today. 1 down, 2 to go.
Our contractor for the house in Shaker has been chosen, and they will begin work their soon. (painting, new light fixtures, etc.)
We are finalizing Scarlett's adoption tomorrow!
My back is messed up. I had a really PAINFUL cortisone shot yesterday and I went for an MRI today. I had to get up and leave as soon as they stuck me in that tube...I couldn't take it...major claustrophobia.
The boys' last day of school is THIS FRIDAY. I can't believe it.
Jake and Zach are doing great at their MANY games each weeK.
Coco, our insane dog who we adopted from the shelter has gone awol. It has been 2.5 days with no sign of her. Ruby, our golden retriever is completely distraught over her sister's disappearance and has not been eating. I refer to Coco as insane b/c really, she is. She's not mean at all but she is just a little bit cookoo. If she were a human, she would definitely be in an institution. Nevertheless, we love her and miss her and hope she comes home.

Jake had is violin recital yesterday....here a few pics.....and video.

Shannon, aka THE COOKIE MAMA, made these adorable cookies for the kids....

Mrs. Diane, the most wonderful violin teacher in the world, presented Jake with his "Superior Ranking" from his participation and performance in the last violin festival. One more and he will receive a gold cup, which is really excited about.

This is Jake's very best friend, William. Their days together are numbered as our move date of July 9th is fast approaching. Not sure what these two boys will do without each other. :(

Here's the finale, with the whole group doing the fiddle tune "Boil the Cabbages". I dare you not to tap your foot.

2010-05-11T12:29:00.000-04:00

I had to go to the courthouse today to file the petition to finalize Scarlett's adoption. Afterwards, I let her walk down Main Street. She was so cute in her little Lucky Wang dress but I didn't have my camera. So when we got home, we had a little photo shoot.

Stevie Wonder

2010-05-10T16:57:00.000-04:00

Last week I went to Cleveland to take measurements of our new home and interview painters and contractors. My friend Jennifer went with me. Lucky us; Stevie Wonder and his crew were staying on our floor at the hotel and we were able to get this picture:

Here are the ladies we spent the evening hanging out with...so fun! The group includes his makeup artist and attorney, but Stevie-related or not, they were just great ladies!

Here are a few pics of the new digs.....

Front view house

Another closer view of part of the front.

If you look from the front door, this lake is the view.

Another view of left front of house.

This is the view of the rear of our house from the back yard.

This is the looking at the carriage house, from the main house. That's a lap pool on the left.

This is the loggia off of the side of the house. From here you can see the lake or the back yard.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

2010-05-09T23:38:00.000-04:00

Today couldn't have been better. In fact, our whole weekend was wonderful. It started with a really lovely rehearsal of Jake's violin group's annual Market Street Festival performance. It was a beautiful day and they rehearsed in the gazebo and the Mississippi University for Women. Scarlett loves to hear Jake play the violin and she loves going to his lessons and rehearsals...

Zach loves to look after Scarlett. He took her on a stroll while Jake rehearsed...

Then, Saturday morning began with the Market Street 5K race that Jake and I did together. Of course he smoked me, finishing in 25 minutes. After an extremely hectic week, I can't even explain how nice it was to just hang out with my family and the race was the perfect way to kick things off.

Here is a picture of us with our friends Loren and Bill, who each one first place in their in their age groups.

After the race we went home to quickly change clothes for Jake's violin performance....

After the performance, we all walked around and enjoyed the festival. It was a BEAUTIFUL day!

Jake and Zach enjoyed the fire fighters' water hose...

Today, Mother's Day, was great. The weather was again beautiful. As has been our tradition for the last four years, we went to the Gumtree Art Festival.

Scarlett thinks it is totally hilarious to take my sunglasses off of my face....

Yikes, It's been a While!

2010-04-26T11:30:00.001-04:00

I'm apologize to Scarlett's Mimi and Grandmother who check this blog regularly for updated pictures and information. Things have been busier than normal and it's taken me a while to get the pictures off of my camera. I've been taking lots of pictures; it's just getting them from my camera to the computer that sometimes delays things. Here are a few pictures from the last couple of weeks...

This is Scarlett at her first occupational therapy session for her arm.

Scarlett loves going to her brothers' baseball games....

Misc Photos from Today

2010-04-08T23:02:00.002-04:00

I was packing this afternoon and Scarlett decided to help....

All of these photos were taken in the living room this afternoon. Jake was practicing his violin and Zach and Scarlett were goofing around....I tried to capture it....

Today's highlight was finding the freezer door wide open in the basement. Jake likes to hunt for chocolate (Eddie sometimes hides it in the freezer) and last night he left the freezer door open. I didn't discover it until about noon today. Soooo, guess what I did all afternoon? I roasted a chicken, made enough Cincinnati chili for an army, cooked Orange Shrimp (just sauteed shrimp with a sauce made from a little corn starch, a cup of orange juice, and minced garlic), and meatloaf. Sigh. Oh well, on the positive side, I have a lot of frozen meals at my fingerprints for the week or so.

What a Fun Day

2010-04-08T22:09:00.000-04:00

(This post was actually written yesterday, but I thought I erased it so I didn't post it until tonight, Thursday)

Today flew by. I spent the whole day packing up the living room. I made sure to organize the boys baseball stuff so that when we left at 4:30 for Jake's practice (5pm), followed by Zach's practice (6pm), we wouldn't be storming out the door to the car in a frenzied state, as we normally are. I had dinner marinating and ready to go on the grill, and their after school snacks on the table. I had all of Scarlett's items packed up and ready to go. As soon as the boys got off the bus, I told them to complete their homework asap so they could get a little playtime in before we eat an early dinner. I told them they could put their bathing suits on and turn the hose on in the backyard, or spray the trampoline. The point is, I had a plan, and we were on a tight schedule. So you can imagine my surprise when I walked outside and saw this.....

Well, as you might imagine, we fell off the schedule! They were actually muddier than this when I first saw them but by the time I ran in for the camera, they had hosed themselves off a good bit. I'm sure they thought they were in trouble. How could I get angry? They were having a blast, and so adorable. I had to shower them both off and wash their hair about three times each, and that took quite a while...so we ended up leaving the house in a frenzy, and with no dinner.

So we got home from practice at about 8PM, and I fired up the grill, and we ate. But the highlight of our evening was this...

By the time the evening was over, she walked 23 steps. She hasn't shown much interest in walking today though. It's OK. I'm in no big hurry. :)

Ruby

2010-04-04T12:20:00.001-04:00

My online photography workshop assignment for yesterday was to take 30 steps from where your camera is currently sitting, and then take a photo of something you see in that spot. This is what I saw. Lucky me.

I took a few more, but didn't submit these. But she's so sweet, I figured they were blog worthy:

And of course you know I can't post without showing you today's picture of Scarlett....(actually yesterday, Saturday, April 3rd)...

Blowing Bubbles

2010-04-02T21:21:00.000-04:00

Just a few pictures from today

Another beautiful Spring Day in Mississippi

2010-04-02T00:02:00.000-04:00

Well, as of yesterday we are now homeowners in Shaker Heights, Ohio. We won't be moving for a few months, which is a good thing since I have so much packing to do.

Today was one of those really busy days when I had hardly a moment to spare for anything. I managed to swing by the Palmer Home for Children and buy some herbs; I can't wait to plant them tomorrow. The boys are out of school so we will be able to do that together. I hope the weather is as nice as it has been the last couple of days.

Each of the boys had baseball practice tonight. Jake's coach had a cookout before practice, which Zach was invited to also; so it was a nice time.

The renovation project on 4th street is coming along nicely. The floors were finished today. Next week will be new kitchen cabinets, drywall, and interior paint. I'll be glad to get it finished. I am ready to hang up my hard hat for quite a while.

Here are today's pictures:

I signed up for a month-long photography workshop online. Each day and assignment is given. Today was fine a "new beginning". Pretty obvious choice, but I do think it is a pretty flower...

A Beautiful Spring Day

2010-03-31T22:14:00.000-04:00

Scarlett really loves her Kindermuzik class.

She especially loves shaking these eggs.

She had a great time today in class....

She even took her FIRST real steps today! Here's the frame by frame...

First she positions herself to stand....

Then, she crouches...you can see that she is planning this...

Then she stands....you can see her back foot begin to head forward...

Here it comes.....look at the determination on her face...

First step completed!!!!!

Zach had a lot of fun with Scarlett this afternoon on the backyard swing. It was really warm and beautiful here today. I love spring.

I mean to post this picture yesterday. I am going to miss this set up when we move. This is the door in our master bathroom that leads to our backyard. That's my dressing table to the right. When I get dressed in the morning and put on makeup, Scarlett hangs out in the Pak n Play and looks for the dogs.

HERE IT IS. THE NEW BLOG.

2010-03-30T23:30:00.002-04:00

I have really enjoyed keeping up the blog for Scarlett and recording her transition and growth. But I do have two other children, two dogs (one who is insane), and a lot going on in my life right now (home remodels, moving to Shaker Heights, Ohio, impending nervous breakdown (just kidding about that...I think))...so I figured it was time to record it ALL. Not just Scarlett. For my fellow PAPs and APs, I do have a link to the original blog so you can check out our timeline, adoption links, etc. And of course, she will continue to be a key player here on this new blog so don't worry (Mom/Carol/Meg), I will continue to update you with her most recent photos and milestones. In fact, I have a good bit to post today.

This was taken today at Jake's baseball practice with the timer on my camera. I love these boys.

Jake is getting the hang of it.

This picture melts me.

Look at Zach, flying through the air.

My friend Annis handmade this 1000 Crane Quilt for Scarlett. Annis is incredibly talented. They shaggy stuff around the quilt is a rug. The picture looks a little confusing at first. Here is a little background on the tradition of 1000 cranes: "The crane is a majestic bird which mates for life and is extremely loyal to its partner. The bird is strong, graceful and beautiful. Because of the great importance of the crane, the Asian people feel that a person who folds 1,000 cranes will be granted his or her greatest wish." Here are a few more pictures of this amazing quilt...

This is the back side. I love it.

Scarlett was evaluated today buy a team of three women. This is for the First Steps Program. This will enable her to receive the best PT and OT for her right arm, which suffered a bit of trauma at birth.