It's All Fun and Games...

Fall Family Fun

2011-10-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

A few family pics from Fall festivities....

...and a couple more

2011-10-27T05:57:00.000-07:00

Where to Begin?

2011-10-12T17:24:00.000-07:00

Oh, hello there. Fancy meeting you here.

It has been a very, very, very (like 100 "very-ies") long time since I have updated this blog. Yikes! Sorry to anyone who has been wanting some activity! It's not that there hasn't been any blog-worthy pictures or stories. It's just that I haven't had a clue where to begin to share all that has gone on and continues to go on at a very fast clip here.

For starters, I added our newest family picture from this summer over there to your right. I think it turned out pretty well for having so many kids to get to cooperate. They were bribed with ice cream. My "good mom" bone has a hard time admitting that, but it's true and you may as well know it.

I've also added some new links over in the "Places I Frequent" section. There are some folks God is using in amazing ways amidst great suffering to bring about His Kingdom. I love them and admire them and want to join in the work God is doing through them.

So much else I could share, I think maybe another post soon.

A Delay and a Funny Story

2011-03-30T04:51:00.001-07:00

In Adoption news, we learned last week Friday that we aren't leaving "any day" to bring the kids home. The Embassy over there would like a bit more information before issuing visas. This isn't all that unusual, just a bit disappointing. We know that they will join this family physically at the perfect time, God's time, not a minute too soon or late. We're told we should hear something in about 8 weeks. We're getting so very anxious!

On a more humorous note, here's a funny story for you: Yesterday, Chris and I were cleaning up after dinner and The Littles were playing together in the living room. They were a bit giddy because we were all going to play outside after the dishes were done (I know...simple pleasures...). Chris told them to find something to do for a few minutes and then we'd head outside. In deciding what to do for those few minutes Hanna offered a suggestion, "Hey Drew, want to play Lazarus? You can be Jesus". Chris and I were absolutely ROLLING in the kitchen! I don't think Drew had a clue what she was talking about but in true Drew fashion he agreed, so off they went. Hilarious. We'll be laughing about that one for a long time I think.

Ever Closer...

2011-03-11T05:22:00.000-08:00

I don't know how many folks actually check this blog anymore, but for those who may and for my own memory-keeping, I'm posting the latest news in our adoption journey. As of yesterday, we know that the adoption agency has obtained the kids' new birth certificates with us listed as their parents. How cool is that?!?! The next step, we are told, is to get passports for them and then send our whole case to the U.S. Embassy over there for review. The Embassy will invite us to come pick up the kids once they've reviewed and approved our case. We are told this could be very soon. Wow! We are really nearing the end of this waiting part of adding these three precious people to our family. It seems that all we've done for the past year is wait for something. Really, to get technical, we've been waiting on something adoption related for almost 2 years. We began this journey down the foster care road almost 2 years ago. I can't help but smile when I think about the past two years. God's hand in all of it is so very evident. We really had no clue what we were doing, except following a call from God to open our hearts and home to "the kids who wait the longest", this was our mantra. I'll forever remember those two years as the years God spent grooming all parties involved for what He was planning to do. Waiting, there's a lot of "stuff" that goes along with that word. I think there may have to be a seperate post on that in the future. But for now, I'm basking in the joy and anticipation of a long awaited promise about to be fulfilled. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!! I can't wait for all of you to meet these beautiful children of God!! It won't be long now...

Eric Ludy - Depraved Indifference

2010-12-21T17:03:00.000-08:00

No Average Discipleship Allowed

2010-12-15T06:56:00.000-08:00

I love this daily e-devotional! This one challenges me and I love that. I pray with all my heart that the last paragraph will be true of me every day of my life.

Jesus Knows You Can Have Exceptional Faith
by Jon Walker

“Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.” Mark 11:22-23 (NLT)
This devotional is by Jon Walker, editor of the Daily Hope Devotionals and author of Costly Grace: A Contemporary View of Bonhoeffer's ‘The Cost of Discipleship.’

"Jesus saw it as a matter of fact that his disciples would be able to develop a noteworthy faith."

We often speak of a radical faith in Jesus and what we mean is an extreme faith where someone is committed to Jesus to the exclusion of anything or anyone else. We think of someone who sacrifices everything, who irrevocably alters his or her life in order to follow Jesus. The sacrifice is so significant that there is no turning back to the old way of life.

We are amazed by this sacrifice and we tend to think these people have an unusual and exceptional faith. Yet, the truth is their exceptional faith is what Jesus expects of us all.

In a sense, we’ve been lulled into believing there are two tiers to discipleship – there’s the basic plan and then there’s a premium package for the more pious. We think there are only a few among us -- monks, missionaries, and ministers – who are called to be more saintly while the rest of us must settle into an average discipleship.

Jesus, on the other hand, saw it as a matter of fact that his disciples would be able to develop a noteworthy faith. He said, “Have faith in God.” He didn’t say, ‘Only some of you should have faith in God.’ His command to have faith includes you and me. And, because he’s told us to grow in faith, we can not only be certain we can develop greater faith, we can also know he is working to help us become more faithful.

Jesus says our faith is based upon our trust in him. We will see the power of God working through us when we believe it will really happen and when we have no doubt in our hearts. As Pastor Rick teaches, our faith increases through our obedience to Jesus.

Jesus calls every one of us to develop an exceptional and extraordinary faith. He won’t allow us to settle into a ‘discipleship’ where we think Jesus may mean what he says but we’re not sure; or a ‘discipleship’ where we sort of agree with Jesus and sort of live according to his commands. He knows God created us for so much more.

For us to confidently live out our Decade of Destiny, we must learn to trust that Jesus really means what he says and that he will do what he says he will do. Instead of trying harder to be a faithful disciple, we must learn to trust him more.

That trust will allow us to see the kingdom of heaven like the man who finds hidden treasure in a field. He re-sorts all of his priorities because nothing is as important as buying the field. Our trust in Jesus will make us like the shopkeeper who finds a rare pearl and realizes everything else he has pales in comparison and so he never looks back to the things that once were important (Matthew 13:44-50). You will be someone who is characterized by an extreme faith.

Birthday Buddy!

2010-12-10T05:17:00.000-08:00

It's a very special day at our house! Lukas is 8 years old today! Happy, happy birthday buddy boy! Oh what life you have brought to this family, the full belly laughs, the stubborness, the sweetness, the temper tantrums, the busyness ending in crashing on the couch before supper, the kind words that choke us up, the deep thoughts that are a window into your heart, and on and on.

We'll be partying it up tonight in honor of the birthday boy. I love celebrating birthdays with our family. It's so much fun to watch the events play out, the birthday boy or girl with perma-grin, the siblings doing their best to stay out of the spotlight, the opening of the gift with the inevitable help from 6 other hands, what a joy and a blessing!

Here are some pictures of Lukas through the years. Enjoy!

A Love Story and Holy Ground

2010-12-09T05:17:00.000-08:00

This post may come out as a whole bunch of rambling, but I'm going to give it a whirl anyway.

After what has felt like an eternity, we have received our adoption court date, February 14! This is going to be a Valentine's day for the books! It also happens to be Little Man's birthday (I can't write his name here, but it starts with A)! What a day for celebrating!

Waiting can be such a crazy thing. I thought that we had become quite good at it after having several opportunities to practice, not really the case. Although, I can't imagine waiting "well" for something so amazing as an adoption. One huge wait is coming to an end and some pretty big emotions have come up for me as I've been reflecting on this journey God has been laying out for us.

The thing I keep coming back to as I've been pondering, is the realization that we are standing on holy ground. God's Hand has been so very evident throughout this adoption process. The evidence of His work in bringing all of the pieces together at just the right time can be traced back for years. I am just in awe of Him. He has covered even the tiniest details and that makes my heart just sing. These children have endured some of the ugliest results of sin in this world and for that I am sad and even angry, but (I love the word "but" because it means the story doesn't end there!)my hope for them, and all of us, lies securely with our Mighty, Merciful and very personal God! He has been pursuing these children (and all of us) since before they were born, and that is Love. That's the Love I plan to celebrate this Valentine's day!

There's a song that has been swirling through my mind for months now. You can listen to it HERE. I've also included the lyrics below. It's my heart's song when I think about what God is doing on this earth.

Holy by Watermark

Holy presence, gentle brush of angel's wings
Creatures strange, breathing heavenly breaths
Encircle the throne...still they are saying...

Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
All of heaven is singing
Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come

Mighty God, strong to save
Who can compare?
The earth is Yours, and all that's in it
Every knee will bow
And every tongue will sing...

Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
All of heaven is singing
Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come

May You be worshipped on the earth in this moment
As You are worshipped there in heaven at Your throne

All this time, even before, You've been worshipped
All this time, forever unending, You'll be worshipped
All creation singing...

Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
All of heaven is singing
Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
Who was, and is, and is to come
Who was, and is, and is to come

Exactly...

2010-11-18T06:57:00.000-08:00

We Pray For Children

We pray for children who put chocolate fingers everywhere, who like to be tickled,
who stomp in puddles and ruin their new pants, who sneak Popsicles before supper,
who erase holes in their math workbooks, who can never find their shoes.

And we pray for those who stare at photographers from behind barbed
wire, who can’t bound in the street in a new pair of sneakers, who
never go to the circus, who live in an X-rated world.

We pray for children who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions, who
sleep with the dog and bury the goldfish, who hug in a hurry and forget their lunch
money, who cover themselves with Band-Aids and sing off-key, who squeeze
toothpaste all over the sink, who slurp their soup.

And we pray for those who never get dessert, who have no safe
blanket to drag behind them, who watch their parents watch them die,
who can’t find any bread to steal, who don’t have any rooms to clean,
whose pictures are not on anybody’s dresser, whose monsters are real.

We pray for children who spend their allowances before Tuesday, who throw
tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food, who like ghost stories, who
shove dirty clothes under the bed and never rinse the tub, who get visits from the
tooth fairy, who don’t like to be kissed in front of the carpool, who squirm in
church and scream in the phone, whose tears we sometimes laugh at, and whose
smiles can make us cry.

We pray for those whose nightmares come in the daytime, who will eat
anything, who aren’t spoiled by anybody, who go to bed hungry and cry
themselves to sleep, and who live and move, but have no being.

We pray for the children who want to be carried and for those who must,
for those who we never give up on and for those who don’t get a second chance.
For those we smother … and for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind
enough to offer it.

Ina J. Hughes

Guatemala 2010

2010-11-02T12:42:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the pics from Chris' trip to Guatemala. He was working on an orphanage called Open Doors which is affiliated with Paradise Bound Ministries. They have a very informative website if you're interested in learning more about them.
I'm not going to try to tell you about Chris' experience there as I know I will not do it justice. Maybe I can talk him into writing about it here. Or you may just have to ask him. :)

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Fall Festivities

2010-11-01T12:19:00.001-07:00

Holy long time without posting Batman!

Fall has been quite busy around these parts. Derek has been busy with football and now is finishing up the season with an All Star team. We're looking forward to the tournament this weekend!

The weather has been fantastic this Fall so the other three kids have enjoyed lots of time outside.

Chris spent 10 days away for a work project in Guatemala. I'll try to post some pictures from that. In his words, it was "life changing"! Amazing work God's got going on there!

Enjoy some pictures from our trip to the pumpkin patch and all dressed up for trick-or-treating!

(On a side note: No word from Ethiopia yet....I'll keep you posted!)

Every Time!

2010-09-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

Drew and Hanna love to have apple slices for a snack. This is how I find Drew's apple slices when he is finished with them. Never fails. One perfect little toothy bite from each.

Look Who's Four Today!

2010-09-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to Miss Hanna today! Wow! Four years old...amazing! She woke up this morning wondering why she wasn't any bigger than yesterday. Good question. It would make sense that if you wake up another year older you should wake up larger as well!

We're very excited for the birthday festivities over here. Hanna is off to her first real day of preschool today where she will celebrate with her new teachers and friends. Then tonight she chose to have pizza and chocolate cake with her family. She's having a hard time waiting to open her presents and keeps trying to guess what they are. She tells most people that her daddy is making her a huge doll house. Not the case. Hopefully she's not too disappointed!

Happy birthday Hanna! We love you so very much!!!!

So They Say It's Your Birthday!!!

2010-08-23T11:28:00.001-07:00

Drew B. is the BIG #2 today! Not so baby-ish anymore! He'll still tell you he's a baby though, maybe I should stop telling him that.

It's hard to believe that he's two years old already! With a busy family life, two years have just whisked right by.

Drew is still sweet as ever! He has been exhibiting his fair share of terrible two-like episodes, so we know he's normal. He loves to make us laugh and he'll do just about anything to do it, fake burps and farts at the dinner table, wearing strange things and pretending he hadn't noticed, and then my all time favorite, forcing a fall but pretending it was an accident and yelling out "booooom!!". If the old adage that children do what they see is true, then apparently we have some issues in our home! :)

Here are some pictures of the birthday boy in his first two years. I'll try to get some of the festivities soon.

Enjoy!

Pool Days

2010-07-30T06:19:00.000-07:00

Pool days, pool days, dear old zero rule days....
Well, we do have pool rules but not having anything we must do at any given time, this is priceless. I love summer!

Favorite Things...

2010-06-21T16:14:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again...time for making strawberry jam!! I love it. It feels like Grandma and Mom and Summer and childhood all smooshed up into jars....mmmmm....delish!

Pocket Change

2010-06-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

I'm a slow learner. It's true. I've been witness to some really amazing God things in my 33 years. You would think I'd have learned to wait with excitement and anticipation for Him to work in unexpected and mighty ways.

A few of our friends, along with their families, began collecting pop cans and bottles in order to raise the funds necessary to ship some baby supplies to our missionary friends in Ghana, West Africa. These friends are starting a baby home to care for little ones no one else will care for. I honestly didn't expect that we would get very far with this fund raiser, maybe a few hundred dollars. Care to take a guess at the total?

One thousand, eighteen dollars and forty cents!!!!!

No joke people!

Ten little cents at a time (plus one check). Just amazing!

The picture is from Saturday. We had the kids help out by going door to door collecting pop cans and handing out flyers. They did such a great job! They were racing from door to door and arguing over who got to talk once the door was answered. Kids helping kids! Love it!!

These two...

2010-06-10T04:54:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of school for Derek and Lukas. I'm just amazed at how quickly time is flying right past. Derek will be in 4th grade next year and Lukas will be in 2nd. They've both grown a lot over the year and they are looking so HUGE! I can imagine far enough down the road to the day they will tower over me. At the rate we're going, it's not far off!

These guys have their moments of not seeing eye to eye, or getting on one another's nerves. They also are GREAT buddies. They really both have such kind hearts. I feel so blessed to get to watch God growing them into young men of faith. Derek's prayers can make the hair on my body stand up straight. Lukas leaves notes around the house that bring tears to my eyes every time.

As they're getting older and gradually they are gaining more and more responsibility for their lives, I feel less and less able to protect them. I feel a bigger and bigger sense of urgency for bold prayers on their behalf. I know that the only One who can offer any real protection to them is God. In reality, I can't protect them from this world. I would leap tall buildings and climb high mountains if I needed to. But the bottom line is that the protection I want for them and the protection they need isn't physical. So I carry on as Mom, prayer warrior.

Endings and beginnings, they always make me sentimental and reflective.

Beach Babe

2010-06-07T16:45:00.001-07:00

Hanna is a gal after her Momma's own heart. She l.o.v.e.s. the beach! She doesn't lie in the sun sipping delicious beverages like her Momma. But she really likes scooping sand and combing the beach for treasures. I forsee many'a lazy beach day in her future. Smart gal, that one.

Again!!

2010-06-04T05:57:00.001-07:00

Drew may be one of those people who loves living on the edge of danger. He loves to be tossed and flipped and spun. He can NOT get enough! Chris was tossing him in the air at the beach last night and he cried and cried to get him to do it "again". These pictures make my heart pound but they're stunning at the same time.

Love for Orphans Transforms

2010-06-03T05:53:00.000-07:00

This is a great article by Jedd Medefind who is the President of the Christian Alliance for Orphans. I love it!!!

Unwanted infants in ancient Rome were often disposed of via the practice of “exposing.” Whether undesirable because it was malformed, female or simply inconvenient, the child would be left alone, outside the city walls, without defense before glaring sun, icy winds or roving animals.

In 374 AD, the Christian emperor Valentinian banned the practice. But for centuries prior, a marginalized group gained a reputation for rescuing these children: Christians. The early church was known, even among many who despised it, as a people who defended the orphan. Believers went outside the city to find infants abandoned there, taking them in, and often raising them as their own. This witness was one powerful factor in the vibrant life and growth of Christianity in its first 300 years, and at other high points in history as well. It can be that way again.

Last month, 1,200 Christian orphan advocates from across America and beyond gathered in Minneapolis. At moments, the ethos and interactions felt almost electric. As one band leader expressed, “It felt like that was the first time I’d been worshipping and every person in the room was really a Christian.” I understood what he meant. From families with adopted HIV+ children, to foster parents, to individuals serving the fatherless around the globe, the spirit of that community carried the feel of the early days after Pentecost. As best I can discern, here are four key reasons why:

Caring for orphans reflects the heart of God. From Isaiah’s call to “defend the cause of the fatherless” (1:17) to James’ placement of orphan care at the heart of “pure and undefiled religion” (1:27), the biblical mandate is clear. But this is not merely God’s expectation of us; it is a mirroring of His own character. “He defends the fatherless,” declares Deuteronomy 10:18. Describes the Psalmist, “He places the lonely in families.” To be like our heavenly Father, we’re invited to do the same.

Caring for orphans makes the Gospel visible. At the heart of the Christian story is the God who pursued us when we were destitute and alone. He adopted us as His children, and invites us to live as His sons and daughters. Perhaps nothing makes this truth more tangible than when Christians follow in their Father’s footsteps, opening heart and home in unconditional affection to the child that has no claim upon them but love.

Caring for orphans defies the gods of our age. Darwinism’s sole ethical imperative is to ensure one’s own genetic material carries forward. So like Gideon tearing down his father’s idols (Judges 6), we assault this dictate when we seek to ensure the survival, and thriving, of a child that does not share our genes. Meanwhile, the purposeful sacrifices required to love this child flout the demands of other gods also, from materialism to self-actualization to comfort. The cost must be counted. But—compared to the depth and richness found along the path of caring for orphans—these false gods are shown to be as lifeless and unsatisfying as statues of bronze or wood.

Caring for orphans invites a journey of discipleship. “I see these kids changed,” explained a woman who helps Christians get involved with foster care, “But I think the parents are changed even more.” It’s true. Every family I know that’s opened themselves to parentless children has not gone unaltered. And though the road can be hard, even painful, virtually always it leads closer to Jesus. Expressed one adoptive mom recently, “People have said, ‘Oh, aren’t they lucky, you rescued them from whatever.’ And I think, Are you kidding? I’m the lucky one. I get to be their mom. And I get to be daily rescued from my selfishness, and my impatience, and things that are just as disease-ridden in my soul.”

Ultimately, here’s the result I see again and again: love for orphans transforms. It transforms children as they experience love and nurture they’ve come to live without. It transforms individual Christians, as we encounter Jesus deeply and personally in a destitute child. It transforms the broader community of believers as well, pulling us corporately beyond a religion of self-development to a costly-but-muscular faith. Finally, love for orphans transforms a watching world, as it sees—perhaps for the first time—the Gospel embodied.

Close friends from Washington, DC, Tom and Leah, adopted a little boy from an African nation two years ago. He’d been found, abandoned, at the edge of a forest, umbilical cord still attached. “He was left for the hyena,” described the old woman who discovered him when the newborn’s cry startled her milk cow.

When I heard that story, I couldn’t help thinking of the early Christians, going outside the city walls to take in abandoned infants. I feel the same about what’s going on in Colorado, where so many Christians have adopted from the foster system that the number of children waiting for adoption has been cut from nearly 800 in 2008 to just 365 today. The same goes for countless partnerships between U.S. Christians and churches abroad to care for orphans within their home countries as well.

Christians are again becoming known as a people who defend the cause of the fatherless. As we do, the world won’t be left unchanged. Neither will we.

Jedd Medefind serves as the President of the Christian Alliance for Orphans

Day Maker

2010-06-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

Lukas came home today with the most precious thing in his backpack. It's a writing piece done by a classmate. She writes, "Dear Lukas, The important thing about you is your heart is so wonderful to me!" Your friend, "L"

What a sweet little girl! I'm certain she has no idea how much this brightened his mommy's day!

Lord, may it be so!

2010-05-24T05:54:00.000-07:00

Care for those Jesus cares about
by Rick Warren

The Lord replied, "Don't say, 'I'm too young,' for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you." Jeremiah 1:7 (NLT)
"Maybe you've been waiting for some supernatural feeling or experience, but God has already stated his call for you. The Great Commission is your commission, and doing your part is the secret to living a life of significance."

Whether it was Sarah claiming she was too old to be used by God or Jeremiah claiming he was too young, God rejected their excuses. "Don't say that," the Lord replied, "for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don't be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you." (Jeremiah 1:7-8 NLT)

Maybe you've believed that you needed a special "call" from God, and you've been waiting for some supernatural feeling or experience, but God has already stated his call for you. He doesn't want to use just some of his people; he wants to use all of his people. We're all called to be on-mission for God. He wants his whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole world.

If you want to be like Jesus, you must care about what he cares about most; you must have a heart for the whole world! You can't be satisfied with just your family and friends coming to Christ. There are over six billion people on earth, and Jesus wants all his lost children found.

The Great Commission is your commission, and doing your part is the secret to living a life of significance. Jesus said, "Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live." (Mark 8:35 LB

...oh and a couple more...

2010-05-16T13:33:00.000-07:00

20-ish Months

2010-05-16T13:25:00.001-07:00

So much for 18 month pictures for Drew. That milestone has come and gone. He is, however, the only child in this family to have ever had 21 month pictures taken! Enjoy a few...

What Makes God Smile?

2010-05-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

This is another of Rick Warren's e-devotions. It's so good! I hadn't ever thought so specifically about what it really meant for Noah to go ahead and build an ark and then round up all those animals. Truly an amazing display of faith!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

God Smiles When We Trust
by Rick Warren

"By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn't see, and acted on what he was told. . . . As a result, Noah became intimate with God." Hebrews 11:7 (MSG)

Imagine this scene: One day God comes to Noah and says, "I'm disappointed in human beings. In the entire world, no one but you thinks about me. But Noah, when I look at you, I start smiling. I'm pleased with your life, so I'm going to flood the world and start over with you and your family. I want you to build a giant ship that will save you and the animals."

There were three problems that could have caused Noah to doubt:

1. Noah had never seen rain because prior to the flood God irrigated the earth from the ground up (Genesis 2:5-6).
2. Noah lived hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean. Even if he could learn to build a ship, how would he get it to water?
3. There was the problem of rounding up all the animals and then caring for them.

But Noah didn't complain or make excuses. He trusted God completely, and that made God smile.

Trusting God completely means having faith that God knows what is best for your life. You expect him to keep his promises, help you with problems, and do the impossible when necessary.

The Bible says, "He takes pleasure in those who honor him, in those who trust in his constant love" (Psalm 147:11 TEV).

It took Noah 120 years to build the ark. I imagine he faced many discouraging days. With no sign of rain year after year, he was probably criticized as a "crazy man who thinks God speaks to him." I imagine Noah's children were often embarrassed by the giant ship being built in their front yard.

Yet Noah kept on trusting God.

In what areas of your life do you need to trust God completely?

Trusting is an act of worship. Just as parents are pleased when children trust them, your faith makes God happy. The Bible says, "Without faith it is impossible to please God" (Hebrews 11:6 NIV).

Careful What You Wish For and God's Sense of Humor

2010-05-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

Today began as many other days. I woke up, had some coffee, watched the news, spent some time in devotions and then checked emails and such. I had a few minutes before the big kids needed to be up for school so I was checking some of my favorite blogs. I read one blog post about how the routine of life can become so mundane. I really related to what the author had written. I was getting quite worked up over it. I wanted to throw my hands in the air and shout an "amen!", "preach it, sister!". I wrapped up my computer time feeling discontented with the monotony of daily life.

It is now nearly 1:00 p.m. and I take back all of those thoughts and feelings of discontentment! I love monotony and routine and predictability! I will not wish for life to be more exciting ever again!

I think that God had a blast this morning reminding me just how blessed I am! Let me recap for you:

The boys got off to school with no issues. The little kids weren't up yet when I returned from crossing the boys over to school so I headed to the laundry room to get some things going in there, same old routine. There had been a problem a few days ago of a red piece of paper being left in a pocket and bleeding into a load of light colored clothes. I hadn't had any luck getting the pink stains out so I bought some color-bleed remover. I left the clothes to soak in the sink in this remover over night. Well, I think overnight was too much soak time, because the pink clothes were now tie-died clothes. I was a little miffed about this mishap because the clothes were some of my favorites of Hanna and Drew. I had to talk myself down from the ledge, reminding myself that they are only clothes and there are plenty of other clothes in this house. I moved on from the ruined clothes.

Drew was awake and calling for me when I left the laundry room so I went to get him up. I was greeted with the lovely and familiar poo smell that greets me in his room almost every morning. He had a huge smile for me too and so I didn't hold the poopy diaper against him. Off we went to change it.

Hanna was awake and singing in her bed by the time I finished changing Drew, so he and I went in her room to get her up. She hid under the covers, giggling, because we always pretend that she's nowhere to be found and I have to look all over the room for her. When I finally threw back the covers to "find" her, I also discovered that her sheets were soaked. This happens quite often. We got her out of her wet pjs and into some dry clothes and took the sheets off the bed and brought them to the laundry room. Problem solved.

We headed to the kitchen to get Hanna and Drew some breakfast. They began eating happily so I ducked out to finish getting myself ready for the day. I got clothes out of the closet and headed to the bathroom. On the way, I stepped in something wet. I bent down to get a closer look and realized that the dog had peed on the corner of our bed and the floor as well. After bringing the dog in to rub his nose in the pee and reprimand him, I put him outside and then went to work on cleaning the carpet and getting the bedding off to wash. At this point, I was beginning to be agitated.

I finished getting ready, the kids finished their breakfast, we got their clothes on and we headed outside to play. All was well. At one point, I ran inside to grab a snack and use the bathroom. I could hear the kids around the back of the house through the bathroom window so I peeked out to see what they were up to. I glimpsed Hanna pulling her pants up. She has been in trouble before for pulling her pants down outside and going potty outside so I wasn't very happy about the possibility of her choosing to do it again! I headed out there to check out the situation and turned the corner to find a very large pile of poop with small footprints all around it. Hanna had pooped on the back patio and Drew had walked right through it and all around it, leaving poopy, size 7 crock-prints. I quickly removed Drew from the poop pile and took off his crocks for washing later. Hanna was put in her room for dealing with later. I scraped the poop from the patio and then power-washed the area. The crocks were cleaned and Drew was bathed. Hanna received her consequences which of course are consequences that make my day suck too!

Since settling into our consequences and Drew going down for a nap, the day has become much more peaceful. I've had some time to reflect upon the day.

I've learned that I have two ways to look at life:
Way #1:
-I have two big boys who are cooperative and excited to go to school
-I have a baby boy who greets me each morning with a smile
-I have a daughter who has a happy song in her heart and "plumbing" that works
-I have a washing machine and dryer that work
-Each member of my family has more than enough clothes
-I have a dog that makes my kids happy
-I have all the time in the world to clean up poop and pee and food messes
-I have a husband who lets me complain about all of these messes and then he laughs with me and reminds me what really matters

Way #2:
-All I ever do, day after day, is clean up messes and solve problems. My life is boring and has no meaning.

I feel so much better when I focus on the blessings in my life! Thank you, God, for reminding of this today. And thank you for the pinched nerve in my neck that will be there to remind me for days to come!

This is the day the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!!!

Double Digits!

2010-05-05T04:52:00.000-07:00

Today is Derek's TENTH birthday! What a big day! We're praising God for the blessing of Derek today! It's been so much fun to watch him grow these past 10 years and we are anxious to watch as God unfolds His plan in Derek's life from here forward. What a great kid!

My ten words to describe Derek are:
KIND
LOYAL
RESPONSIBLE
GENEROUS
DEPENDABLE
TRUSTWORTHY
HILARIOUS
ADORABLE (dont' tell him I said that!)
ATHLETIC
HARD-WORKING

So give the birthday boy a big hug and smooch if you see him today!!

The Arrow Pledge

2010-05-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

I'm reading this book called One Million Arrows by Julie Ferwerda. It's a call to Christian parents to be intentional about raising their children, and other children who need spiritual and/or physical parenting, to change the world. It asks, "Will the world change your children...or will your children change the world?" The author encourages parents to take responsibility for their child(rens) spiritual training. She states that parents can't leave this responsibilty to the church or the school alone.

I won't give you the whole book here but I'd highly recommend reading it.

In the book, Ferwerda tells the story of a man who leaves the U.S., along with his wife, to begin caring for and raising street children in India. Over time, God gives this man, He goes by Papa, dreams about these children. He sees them as arrows to be sharpened in the fear of the Lord and then shot out all over India to be used by God in the battle against darkness. Papa believes that God has called him to raise up one million arrows for Him, thus the title of the book. Papa says, "God said that all children are arrows in the hands of the mighty Man, Jesus Christ. All we have to do in order to evangelize the whole world is to take the arrows and place them into Jesus' hands." These street children graduate from Papa's training homes and almost all of them choose to enter into missions. There is a pledge that Papa has written, all of the graduates learn it and recite upon graduation. It says:

"I take a stand to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with my hands, to serve all mankind.
I take a stand to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with my feet, to spread the Gospel to all the ends of the earth, no matter the cost.
I take a stand to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with my lips, by proclaiming the Good News to all who hear, and by edifying the body of Christ.
I take a stand to honor Jesus Christ with my mind, as I meditate upon His Word.
I give my earthly treasures and all that I possess to follow the way of the cross.
I commit to love my family, orphans, widows, lepers, the wealthy, and the poor, the way that Christ loved the church.
I surrender my will and life to His will and life.
I commit to the service of the Lord by being a good steward of my time.
I surrender my body to the perfect will of Jesus and, should my blood be spilled, may it bring forth a mighty harvest of souls.
I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation, and to everyone who believes.
As a soldier of the cross I stand with the Apostle Paul in stating that, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain."
Lord Jesus, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
I love my country and my fellow citizens, and I claim my country for Christ."

What kinds of things will God do with millions of young people who are willing to stand up and recite this pledge, meaning every word from the bottom of their hearts? It gives me goose bumps just thinking about it!

Of course, all Christian parents want their children to come to that commitment to Christ and I want that so very much! It's just that I don't want to stop there! Good manners, good grades and being productive members of society aren't cutting it for me as goals for my kids. All of that sounds very safe, but it sounds boring too. Are we called to a safe life as Christians? No way! There is nothing safe or boring about living a life sold out to Christ and His work. I want to raise kids that know that God has made them in order to use them to do big things for Him! I want to raise razor sharp arrows for the Lord! I'll cry like a baby if He chooses to launch them outside the limits of our little city, but I'll be one proud mama too! Praise God, it's not all about this life. I don't have to hold anything back out of fear in this life, including my kids.

I love this quote from the book:
"Hold it all loosely. Use it all for His glory. He wants everything."

A Reminder From Rick Warren

2010-04-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

I recieve a daily email devotion from Rick Warren. I don't think he knows how much I love reading them. I'm sure he has no idea who I am or that I exist. God knows. He's been teaching me through these daily devotionals for a few years already. Sometimes He uses them to encourage me, to show me His love or to remind me and teach me something about Him and His Truth. I thought I'd share today's here. It's a Truth I need daily reminders of. How about you?

Surrender: Let Go and Let God Work
by Rick Warren

Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7 (GWT)
Surrendering your life means:

•Following God's lead without knowing where he's sending you;
•Waiting for God's timing without knowing when it will come;
•Expecting a miracle without knowing how God will provide;
•Trusting God's purpose without understanding the circumstances.
You know you're surrendered to God when you rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda, and control the situation. You let go and let God work. You don't have to always be in charge. Instead of trying harder, you trust more.

You also know you're surrendered when you don't react to criticism and rush to defend yourself.

Surrendered hearts show up best in relationships. You are not self-serving, you don't edge others out, and you don't demand your rights.
The most difficult thing for many people to surrender is their money. Many have thought, "I want to live for God but I also want to earn enough money to live comfortably and retire someday."

Retirement is not the goal of a surrender life, because it competes with God for the primary attention of our lives. Jesus said, "You cannot serve both God and money," (Matthew 6:24 NIV) and "Wherever your treasure is, your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21 NIV).

The supreme example of self-surrender is Jesus. The night before his crucifixion Jesus surrendered himself to God's plan. He prayed, "Father, everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine" (Mark 14:36 NLT).

Jesus surrendered himself to God's will. He prayed, "God, if it is in your best interest to remove this suffering, please do so. But if it fulfills your purpose, that's what I want, too."

Genuine surrender says, "Father, if this problem, pain, sickness, or circumstance is needed to fulfill your purpose and glory in my life or in another's life, please don't take it away!"

This level of maturity doesn't come easy. In Jesus' case, he agonized so much over God's plan that he sweated drops of blood. Surrender is hard work. In our case, it requires intense warfare against our self-centered nature.

Jonas Brothers

2010-04-26T05:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at church we had an awesome group come to sing. They're called 12th Street Harmony. They are a group of guys, like 8-9, from Hope College and they sing with sweet harmony and no instruments. They do a lot of beat-box type sounds. The kids loved it!

I was sitting next to Lukas who was really loving it. He was sitting on the end of the pew and had most of his body leaning in to the aisle to get the best view he could from where we were. After a couple of songs, he leaned over to me and said, "You see those three boys up there with long hair?", "Yeah!", I said, "They're brothers.", he tells me. I was thinking it was the darkish long hair that made him say this but it gets better! He leans back over and says, "I think they call them the Jonas Brothers or something like that." My favorite part of this story is that all of this information was passed to me in complete sincerity and with all seriousness. I had to laugh on the inside because I didn't want him to know that the Jonas Brothers did not come to our church to sing.

Oh, how I love innocence. I'd like a pause button on life, so that when you're really enjoying an age, you can just hang out there for a while. That'd be sweet!

Frog Hunt!

2010-04-20T06:13:00.001-07:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Gardens

2010-04-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

The kids and I met Grandpa and Grandma S. out at the F.M. Gardens this morning. It was a perfect day for it! The little two grew weary after a while but it was so nice to spend time with Grandpa and Grandma and enjoy a beautiful morning together!

Here are some pictures from our day:

...more garden pictures

2010-04-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

The Beach

2010-03-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

The sun and warmer weather have been so refreshing! The other night, we loaded the family up in the van, grabbed some fast food for supper and drove out to the beach. It was much colder out there than it was at home but it was still beautiful. I ended up staying in the van with Lukas because he wasn't feeling very well. Chris took the other three out to the pier. It just does something to your heart to see the sun and sand and water all together. Lovely! As I sat in the van with the sun baking me through the window, I was thinking how wonderful it would be to have the opportunity to take my bible study each day and sit right there in the sun with that view and just soak Him in.....

Three Years Ago Today

2010-03-24T09:16:00.001-07:00

A big shout out to Miss Hanna today! It has been 3 years since she was placed into our arms in the Detroit airport. We were finally able to hold the little lady that we had been loving in our hearts for so many months. My mind still can't wrap around how amazing it all is. God's ways are so much greater than ours!

My prayer for you sweet girl is that in all your ways you will acknowledge the God who has always known you and will always know you and that He will help you to really live in the truth of how much He loves you! Your Ethiopian name, "Chakise", means "light" and I pray that God will give you such strength and boldness and love in this dark world that you will be a light for Him here. "Hanna" means "gracious gift of God" and you were that since the day you were born!

I love you more than you will ever know sweet girl!!!

Poor Buddy

2010-03-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

So, this morning after the boys were off to school and before "the littles" were up, I was downstairs in the office enjoying a cup of coffee and checking emails and whatnot. I kept getting a scent of something foul, like puke. I thought maybe the dog had had a problem somewhere downstairs so I checked around but found nothing. I started to hear Drew talking to himself in his bed so I headed that direction to get him up. As I got closer to his room the smell got stronger. When I opened his door, Drew was sitting in his bed covered in dried up vomit with a huge smile on his face. All he had to say was "hi mom". To be honest, I had heard him make a little fuss in the night but just like that he was quiet again. I didn't think much of it. Only Drew would put himself back to sleep in a bed of vomit and wake up as happy as a clam. Who wouldn't love that boy?

I've Joined the Journey!

2010-03-18T04:58:00.001-07:00

HERE is a link to a blog I love to read! It inspires me and makes me think. Her most recent post is one that everyone should read. It's longish but so GOOD!

Come on Buddy!

2010-03-17T04:54:00.001-07:00

I love this picture! It was a beautiful day at the cottage. We were out sledding when Drew began to back down a fairly steep part of the sledding hill as though it were a set of stairs. He found himself on a slippery slope and got a little nervous. Hanna was over there in a flash and began to coach him back up the hill. "Come on, buddy!", she kept saying, "You can do it! Buddy! Come on!". I love it when she's in "mommy mode". It makes my heart smile!

Sam and Esther

2010-03-10T05:35:00.000-08:00

I found this video on another blog and I can't stop thinking about it. It's like a mega phone in my face blastin "what are YOU doing with your time and your resources? Have you fed the hungry, taken care of the sick, visited the lonely?" I think the knot in my gut is answer enough....

Buds

2010-03-03T04:51:00.001-08:00

Drew really loves his big brothers. They are very sweet with him too. Here he's hanging with Derek while he plays on the computer. I love this picture!

Lukas' Art

2010-02-24T11:23:00.001-08:00

Here are a few of Lukas' most recent works of art. His seem to be from the Christmas season. Better late than never!

Snow Buddies

2010-02-21T10:52:00.000-08:00

It's been fun to spend a little more time outside this winter with "The Littles". Last year, Hanna wasn't feeling well and didn't care to go outside much. And Drew was a tad too young to really enjoy much time out in the snow. Hanna still doesn't care to be out for a long time, but Drew would rather not come back in at all!

Artwork

2010-02-20T05:54:00.001-08:00

The day a pile of artwork comes home from school with one of the kids, is one of my favorite. The kids' art teacher is just great and her ideas are too. Here are some of the pieces from Derek's most recent pile.
Enjoy!

I know how wrong this is, but...

2010-02-18T09:41:00.001-08:00

If Hanna finds herself in need of some time on the time-out chair, Drew feels quite sad about not having his own time on the chair once she's finished. It's probably not a great idea to let him think that it's a good place to be, but how do you say no to this face? It's become his spot in the evening too when I'm making dinner and he needs me so bad, or so he thinks. Who knew a chair could solve the problem of crying at my feet while I'm trying to get something done!?! If you have a clinger, I'd suggest giving it a try.

See how he likes the chair?

Hello, China?

2010-02-17T04:44:00.000-08:00

Drew loves, LOVES the telephone. It was becoming a problem so we got him his own toy telephone. This was no ordinary toy telephone. It's super cool! It makes lots of different noises. It lights up. The big kids love to play with it. Drew does not. He still really loves the real telephone. Here you can see that I gave in to his very precious request to hold it. He is pretty sweet. I just have to make sure to push "end" often so that he's not calling China or something.

...soon to be so amazing...

2010-02-10T04:23:00.000-08:00

The video for this song is not the greatest but I LOVE the song itself. We heard Selah perform it live at a benefit concert for Bethany Christian Services. I've heard it a few times on the radio since then. I just love it! In light of some really tough situations for some people I love very much, I'm posting it here. I love where the song says, "these are the places where grace is, soon to be so amazing!", and also, "when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord, just watch and see, it will not be unredeemed."

ENJOY!

Like Music to My Ears...

2010-02-08T12:39:00.000-08:00

Sunday at lunch, Lukas was having one of his very deep-thoughts-type talks. These crack me up. He is a thinker. He has a brain like his dad's. Sometimes I can trace how the cranks turned, and other times, not so much. He was asking Derek if he could hear him and see him when they are far apart. I don't know if Lukas thinks he has some kind of super powers or what it was that triggered this discussion but he was very serious about it. He's the sweet, trusting kid who believes everything he's told. So maybe it was a "suggestion" from a friend at church.

Now, Derek is a very logical and practical kind of guy. He's long been too mature for make believe. He's never even once played along with our attempts at doing the tooth fairy thing. He's only nine, but this is the way he is. He's also the kid who just "gets" people. He reads body language. He knows when someone is upset or sad. He also has a gift for acting accordingly. If you need a hug, he gives it. If you seem frazzled, he helps to calm the situation. If another child doesn't catch a ball well, he adjusts his throw so he or she can catch it. You get the picture. So, I was curious to see how this conversation would go.

After understanding just what it was Lukas was asking of him, Derek gave Chris and I the knowing-eye-with-grin which means he can't really believe his brother just asked what he asked. Everyone knows that it would be impossible. But it also means he's planning to humor his brother because he doesn't want to hurt his feelings. What came out of his mouth next, is one for the memory books.

He explained that it wouldn't really be possible for one human being to see or hear another from far away unless they had a camera or a two-way. But then he said, "but when I sleep over somewhere else, I can feel you in here (pointing to his heart)". And then his eyes got a little teary!

And.then.I.turned.to.mush.

I'm going to try very hard to remember this conversation every time the two of them argue or fight...which can be often.

It truly was sweet music to my ears.....

Oh How I Love This Song.....

2010-02-07T09:56:00.000-08:00

How to Know When You've Found Mr. Right:

2010-02-06T17:06:00.000-08:00

Here's a pretty good indicator:

You wake up on a Friday morning. I would never do this, but let's say you're wearing sock monkey pajamas and your hair is a fright. You've got the same stuff on your agenda as most other days...like changing poopy diapers, reading (or quoting from memory) the same stack of books you read every day and maybe picking macaroni and cheese from the curly, long hair on your dog. You've got no amazing plans for the weekend. You're pretty much on autopilot when you head to the kitchen to get some coffee. You belly-up to the coffee pot when you notice a suspicious white envelope resting against your coffe cup. You open the envelope and are amazed and thrilled by what you find there. Your thoughtful, loving husband has planned a weekend getaway for just the two of you and has made arrangements for each of the children to be cared for in your stead. Woo hooooooooooo!!!!! This, friends, is how you can be sure he's the one!!!!

On a side note: You can also be very sure you've got the right friends when they are more than willing and more than capable of caring for your children in your stead.

"Blessed" just doesn't cut it.....

Proud

2010-02-04T19:57:00.001-08:00

I'm wondering if it's ok and/or biblical to be proud of a person or people whom aren't your children or yourself. I mean, it's normal to be proud of your children when they exhibit behavior that demonstrates something you've been trying to instill in them. And growing up I remember teachers and coaches telling me that I should be proud of something I worked hard to accomplish, and I did feel proud of myself. But is it abnormal to feel proud of a friend? It seems strange to me to be feeling this way about my friends. But I don't know another word at the moment to describe what I feel. Chris and I have had the privelege recently to be front-row spectators to some pretty amazing faith in action. It's a special place to be when you get to watch someone you love act on a call from God and to follow through all the way to the end even when it's not easy! I'm blessed to be surrounded by people who are willing get out of the boat. I'm PROUD to call them my friends! And I'm proud of them for answering the call! To God alone be the glory!

Friends

2010-02-04T07:11:00.001-08:00

Our good friends, the Harts, are enroute as I type to Ethiopia to meet and bring home their two new sons. You can find their blog HERE. Please join me in praying for a safe trip and blessed first meeting.

4th Child Woes

2010-01-19T09:36:00.000-08:00

If you look closely at this photo of Drew B., you'll notice his boots are, oh...about... TWENTY sizes too big! The picture was taken up north at the cottage the week between Christmas and New Years. Drew had gotten snow clothes from our wonderful neighbor friends but the old boy boots I "recalled" having stored away in a tub somewhere in the abyssImeanbasement were no where to be found. It was forecasted to be quite cold up north that weekend so I knew he wouldn't be outside for long periods of time. This is why I had the thought that it would be ok if he wore Hanna's old boots (purple) just this once. But I couldn't find those either. So, in the end, he wore size 13 boots with light-up bottoms that he couldn't even crawl in. And he'll have the pictures to prove how terrible his childhood was as number 4 in the family. He didn't mind at the time though. He's pretty easy like that.

Mad Face's Sidekick

2010-01-09T04:51:00.000-08:00

Since Mad Face made the blog, I figured it would only be right if her sidekick were mentioned as well. I'm not sure what he calls this face but the picture sure does crack me up!

Mad Face

2010-01-08T05:25:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure when or why this ever began. The photo is Hanna demonstrating what she calls her "mad face". I'm sure you're thinking that you wouldn't want to meet THAT in a dark alley! Enjoy!

Warm Hearts

2010-01-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

Derek and Lukas were very excited to spend time this Christmas break with some friends they miss very much. Chandler and Clayton moved to sunny Florida a couple of years ago now and the boys miss the good ole days when they could see them at school or for play dates or at a ball game or just anytime they wanted to. While time is passing quickly and the boys aren't able to see each other as often as they would like, they are still able to pick up and play together as though no time has passed at all. What wonderful friendships!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T06:33:00.000-08:00

The celebrations have all come and gone. Thanks to some wonderful advice, I was able to keep a bit of the chaos at bay and truly reflect on Jesus' birth into this world and what that really means for us. I also really enjoyed each gathering and the time spent with family and friends. We truly are blessed!

I always love the beginning of the year. I'm not really a resolution-maker, but I love the feeling of a brand new year. I love getting out my beautiful new calendar. I love paging through it and dreaming about what our family might be doing in each month. I also like to page through the old calendar just to remember all of the events and moments we've shared in the previous year. Sometimes I see what was written on a particular day and swear it couldn't have taken place that many months ago. Or I'm reminded of just how quickly our kids are growing up and how quickly an entire year seems to pass.

While I'm certain God doesn't want us to dwell in the past, I also believe we can learn and grow as a result of reflecting on where we've been. And if we shouldn't dwell in the past, it makes sense that we not spend too much time worrying about or dreaming about the future either. There's a Steven Curtis Chapman song that I love. It talks about being "right here in the moment" which is "the only moment we can do anything about". I love that!

I guess if I were a resolution-maker, this year I would resolve myself to really trying to be present in each moment. I'd like to reflect on where I've been to make sure I haven't forgotten any valuable lessons. I'd like to take all of my hopes and dreams and worries and apprehensions about the future and place them securely in God's hands where they belong. And then I'd like to soak up each and every moment to get all that I can out of it. And then I'd like to pour my heart and soul into each and every moment knowing that I've not held back any part of me. I think that this may be what God created me to do in the first place. Live!

The Cumbersome Halo

2009-12-23T05:05:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday morning was the boys' Christmas program at church. My parents arrived early to save us a seat toward the front. I was a little nervous about sitting in the front as our crew can be kind of like a three-ring circus at times. This is why we usually sit in the very back, quick exit with a smaller audience behind us. Anyway, I figured with one in nursery and two up front, we were good with four adults to one precious little girl. As it turns out, she really enjoyed watching the program and was very well behaved. Not the case with the two IN the program. Let me set the scene for you; The beautiful Christmas music is playing and the angelic children begin to file down the center aisle to the front of the church. The audience is craning and waving to their precious performers and the kids are all smiles and beaming with pride. Each child is dressed in his or her costume. Some are shepherds, some are wisemen, there's a Mary, a Joseph, several animals and of course the angels. Derek was chosen to be an angel and Lukas was a donkey (I know, hilarious). The kids all make it up to the front and all eyes are on them. I was video taping the moment. Suddenly, (you know how it goes with the "great company of heavenly hosts" and all that) our little "heavenly host" (that would be Derek) rips the halo off his head and drops it on the floor. I was slightly embarrassed until the rest of the boys in his grade, who were all angels too, followed suit and tossed their halos as well! At this point I was horrified! Not only did my kid just demonstrate that he thinks he is far too cool for a halo, he brought 4 other boys down with him. Oh how prickly I felt for the remainder of the service. During the finale I was also very excited (read with much sarcasm)to notice that Lukas, the donkey, was the only animal without his ears on; another one bites the dust. I would say that the leadership skills are down pat, now we just need to work on making it positive leadership!

Just an FYI

2009-12-20T18:43:00.001-08:00

This Wednesday night is the annual Home for the Holidays special put on by the Dave Thomas foundation. Thought you might like to check it out. You can read more about it HERE.

Happy #7 Lukas!

2009-12-10T10:50:00.001-08:00

Lukas got his best birthday gift this morning: a snow day! The unexpected gifts are always so great! He did have to reschedule bringing his birthday treat and having a special play date after school but maybe it will feel like his birthday just keeps going on and on. That can't be all bad!
Lukas has chosen to have pizza with Coca Cola (mom's fav. too!) for his birthday supper and then chocolate cake with ice cream for dessert. We made cupcakes for school and for another party on Sunday. I'll post later with pictures of his present. He's going to be so geeked!
Seven words to describe Lukas are:
HILARIOUS
LOYAL
FUN
COMPASSIONATE
HARD-WORKING
HUNGRY :)
SMART

Happy birthday Lukas Jay! I can't believe you are seven today. You are still our Woogie Boy though. You're such a sweet boy and you always keep us laughing. We love you VERY much!

The December Shuffle

2009-11-30T11:15:00.001-08:00

I absolutely love Christmas, always have. I love decorating. I love making the goodies. I love family gatherings. I love giving gifts. I love receiving gifts. I really do look forward to this time of year. In the recent years I've noticed that this time of year is much more hectic than it used to be for us. I think you take the usual baking, buying and gathering, and then add all the kids' programs, parties and "other stuff" and you get a bit more chaos. I think it must take some very intentional planning and some very graceful "no"-saying to keep this time of year from getting out of control. I want to feel reflective, peaceful and joyful as all those beautiful Christmas cards are telling me. I want that. I need that. I've got a new game plan for next year: slow down, take in the wonder of Christmas because it truly is amazing! I'm going to say "no" more often and be intentional about enjoying loved ones!

I hope that you've managed to keep the chaos at bay. If you have, would you please share your secrets?

Here are some pictures of our brood that reflect the general atmosphere around here. Enjoy!

What in Tarnation?

2009-11-23T10:01:00.000-08:00

Every so often I attempt a group photo of the kids. I don't know what it is about the moment I run to get the camera! Will you look at this picture?!? It's just classic! Derek is trying to fulfill his oldest child duty by holding the same pose for as long as necessary while trying to manage the baby. I'm not sure what Lukas' deal is with pictures but it's always something with him, here he doesn't want to sit too close to Hanna...must be cooties. Hanna won't smile for pictures and usually won't even look at the camera. And Drew has just started putting his finger up his nose anytime I ask him to do something. They are ALL getting a copy of this picture in their picture books, mabye an 8X10! Frustration.

Diva in Training

2009-11-17T05:19:00.000-08:00

D'ya think she could be a Diva!?! You wouldn't want to remove the shades for any reason! Partly she just loves things like sunglasses, jewelry, purses, shoes and phones. But she also knows if she puts anything down...the "stuff monster" is going to snatch it, slobber it and potentially break it! As seen in the photos. What's a girl to do?

Oh, he looks all sweet and innocent in the photo but he's a sneaky little guy! Mmmm...cute too. (couldn't you just smooch those cheekers?!?!?)

The Baby Bird

2009-11-08T18:32:00.001-08:00

I believe I've been given the "Baby Bird" from our youngest little monster. I had been frustrated about never being able to make it to laundry day before he was running out of socks. He has several so it shouldn't be a problem to go the better part of a week without needing to wash them.

The other day, I was annoyed that he was out of socks and it had only been a couple of days since I had done laundry so I went on the hunt for the missing socks. When I pulled his crib away from the wall, this is what I found:

Chris says he was telling me off. I'm always putting socks on him, especially before bed because his room is a little cool (and I have a thing about needing to wear socks, especially at bedtime). He's always pulling the socks off and I just put them back on assuming he's only taking them off because it's a new trick or simply because he can. Chris has pointed out that the poor kid's feet are always warm and he's probably P.O.ed that his mom keeps trying to jam the socks back on his feet. Thus, the "Baby Bird". Point taken youngling.

Deep Thoughts From Lukas

2009-11-03T15:03:00.000-08:00

Lukas (on the return of Christ): "Hey mom!", "If we have to go to the bathroom right when Jesus comes back, we can just stand on God's hands when we're going up and pee off the side!"

Me (at a loss): "That might just work buddy."

The cranks are ALWAYS turning in that head!!!!

Things That Make You Go HMMMMM...

2009-11-01T09:51:00.000-08:00

As some of you know, Hanna was diagnosed with Celiac Disease last winter. I found this very strange article while searching through my favorite Celiac website. CAUTION: ONLY FOR THE STRONG OF STOMACH! Read it HERE. I don't think we'll have Hanna try this just yet!!!!

Sugar and Spice?

2009-10-01T11:58:00.000-07:00

Here you see mostly sugar, but what you don't see is all that happened trying to get one decent picture of this beautiful girl....I guess that would be the spice. She is certainly SPICEY!

Is it just me?

2009-09-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

...or is there a bit of mischief in those eyes?
Handsome but maybe a little naughty?

Free Today!

2009-09-16T18:04:00.001-07:00

Happy 3rd birthday to Miss Hanna! When you ask her how old she is she says, "free today!" hence the blog title. No, she is not free for the taking. Not today anyway!
We celebrated tonight with cake, gluten free of course. Hanna helped to make it and frost it. She opened presents. Her favorite was a box of 24 colors of play dough, not gluten free of course. We'll just have to be careful about hand washing. I don't think she'll attempt to eat it. Let's hope not!
She sang "happy birthday" to herself with the rest of us. She was the loudest and proudest. At one point she busted out with "Go Hanna, it's your birthday, call your momma!". I'm not sure where that came from but it sure was funny!
What a special girl she is. There is never a dull moment with Hanna. There is rarely a quiet moment with her either. It's hard to believe she's 3 already. Wow the places she's been...and the places she'll go!
If I were to use three words to describe Hanna they would be:
TENDER
MUSICAL
DRAMATIC
(it's so hard to just use three...she's a whirlwind of things...like sassy, loud, funny, giggly, smart, a survivor, sweet, ...I could go on and on)

Happy birthday to my sweet sweet girl! We love you girl friend!

When Did This Happen?

2009-09-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

...looking rather pre-teenish! Scary.

Girls and Pretties

2009-09-08T04:40:00.000-07:00

Since the boys have been back in school, I've had more time to play with the "littles" and actually do things that they want to do. Hanna chooses doing "pretties" nine times out of ten. She asks me, "want me to do your pretties mom?". Then we have to get out a squirt bottle of water, a brush and an assortment of clips, headbands, bows and scrunchies. My spot is on the floor. She's very serious about this "game". I get very wet, my hair gets very "pretty" and I usually lose several strands in the process. I'll have to admit though, it all feels worth it somehow when she exclaims, "Mom! It's beautiful! Daddy's gonna love it!". And I'm always sure he would.

No Dogs Allowed

2009-09-01T14:54:00.000-07:00

I walked the boys across the street (I know...it is pretty rough) for their first day of school today and this is the pathetic sight I returned to. He's scanning the play ground for his guys. Too bad they don't allow dogs in school. Anybody own an extra small size Paws With a Cause vest? He was extra naughty today too...regressing...great.

The Good and the Humorous

2009-08-30T17:56:00.001-07:00

Did some one year pictures for Drew. Thought I'd share a good one and a funny one. Can you tell which is which? I think it looks like he's either trying to work the camera or he'd like to eat it. Mmmm...pixels...

Woot Woot!

2009-08-24T05:34:00.001-07:00

Let me hear a "woot woot" for the birthday boy!!!

Oh, hey buddy, you've got a little somethin'...right...there.

Big Drew B. celebrated his 1st birthday yesterday. In some ways it's hard to believe he's been here for one whole year already. In other ways it seems that he's been here forever. I can't imagine life without him! What a buddy. He is such a blessing to us and we are thankful to God for his life and the part of our family that he is.

A big thanks to everyone who came to celebrate with us yesterday. It was a houseful of activity but that's what a party should be, right?

WOOT WOOT!!! Happy birthday Drew!! (sorry for the sugar hangover buddy....you just sleep it off)

Hmmm....

2009-08-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

Me: "Lukas. Why did you just push your sister?"
Lukas: "For some reason I just want to make her cry."

Hmmm...

Class lists come this week. :)

Sum Sum Summertime!

2009-07-24T06:07:00.000-07:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Always Love and Sometimes Like

2009-06-30T05:33:00.000-07:00

I love this picture because it reminds me that our oldest two do actually get along once in a while and they do actually like each other a little bit. They can fight with one another like arch-enemies one minute and then be best buddies the next. I'm hoping that this is somewhat normal for brothers who are 2 1/2 years apart. I'm also hoping that we have more "like" than "not like" this summer....for everyones sake!

10 months and not a chance...

2009-06-24T06:12:00.001-07:00

Drew was 10 months old yesterday. I ask you, does the child have a chance at a "normal" existence? The pink thing on his head used to be a "hairy" ball that Hanna had gotten as a gift. Lukas Jay decided to take the air plug out of the ball and use it for a wig or hat instead of a ball. I swear that no toy in our house gets used for its intended purpose, but that's an entirely other blog topic. I'm not sure who decided that Drew should wear the "hat" but once he had it on I couldn't miss the photo op. He thought it was hilarious! I'm not sure if you can tell in the picture but it was quite tight on his head, to the point that his eyes were being contorted in strange ways. He still thought it was great. He loved the reaction he got from the rest of the family and he was flailing his arms and screeching with delight. I hope he'll look back fondly upon these years....I know I will!

Eleven Years?

2009-06-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

How can that be? Eleven years have passed since Chris and I stood up before a very warm audience of family and friends to declare our love and commitment to one another. It doesn't seem possible!

God has been so good to us over all of those years. He's given us health, happiness, home, family, friends and so much more. He's blessed our feeble efforts to follow Him. He's mercifully worked situations for our good when our own efforts could've ended us up in hot water. He also has allowed us to be uncomfortable in our situation in order that He could mold our character. He's blessed us with people and places and things that we didn't even know we could've needed or wanted. He's gently and sometimes less gently grown us in our faith, in our love for one another and in our love for others. He's taught us things we didn't know we needed to learn. Most of all He's taught us so much about Himself and how He wants us to live and love in this life.

To God be the glory!!!!

Today we celebrate 11 years of marriage and God's faithfulness through each one of them!

Art by Derek

2009-06-09T05:57:00.001-07:00

Some selected pieces from 2nd grade:

Belated Birthday Blogging

2009-06-06T09:50:00.002-07:00

A very happy birthday shout out to Miss Emily!! I had so much fun celebrating your 30th with you!! Can we do it again next year when you turn 30 again?

Celebration of 40 Years of Marriage

2009-06-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we celebrated 40 years of wedded bliss for Mom and Dad VK. The weather was just perfect and lots of relatives came to join us in congratulating them. God has been so good!
Here are some pictures from the day:

Memorial Weekend

2009-05-26T05:39:00.001-07:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

9 months old

2009-05-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

Buddy boy is 9 months old! Hard to believe. I won't bore you with all the statistics and what not. I will say though that Drew is a happy and healthy boy and he's SUCH a joy and a blessing!!!

Wow!

2009-05-19T05:07:00.000-07:00

You've got to check THIS out.

And for his next trick.....

2009-05-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day

2009-05-09T09:34:00.000-07:00

Both Chris and I have been blessed with wonderful mothers. What would our growing up years have been like without them? What would we be like now had we not experienced their love and nurturing? I think about the countless hours our mothers spent with us as children, as teen agers, as young adults and now as adults. It's hard for me to even imagine life without a mother or another person to fill that role. I'm so thankful to God for the women we have called "Mom" for all of these years. And as our children call these women "Grandma" we are reminded of God's faithfulness through the generations.

I believe that the gratitude I feel for the blessing of Godly parents is a huge reason for the passion I have for children who are orphaned. I just can't imagine being a kid without parents. I know that there are some 143 million orphans in the world and I know that I can't help them all find homes. But I will praise God for each child who finds a forever family and I will continue to advocate for them. Here is a wonderful article on this same topic. Check it out if you have time.

HERE

World AIDS Orphan Day

2009-05-08T04:08:00.000-07:00

Swine Flu? Not really a big deal afterall. AIDS? I don't have the words. Please jump over to one of my favorite sites: Full House, Fulls Hands, Full Hearts. The author is a woman whom I "met" (in cyberspace) through our adoption agency while we were working to bring Hanna home. Watching and listening to her and her husband these past few years has changed me. They are two people who have heard God's command to care for the "least of these" and did something. If you're like me you'll be overwhelmed by the statistics. I have been paralyzed by the enormity of the need. I can make a difference. We can make a difference. We just have to start.

Go Derek..it's yer birthday...have a party...

2009-05-05T05:26:00.000-07:00

Nine spankings for the birthday boy!!! Did I say NINE?!?!?!? This is his last single digit-er. Oh my. Wow do I feel old. But this post is not about me and my agedness. It's about the birthday boy! Today we're celebrating the gift of Derek. He has chosen the following things to help make today special: sharing frosted chewy chocolate brownies with his class at school, having mom bring McDonalds to school for lunch, Little Ceasars pizza for supper with his favorite family and root beer floats for his birthday dessert....I kind of feel like it's a treat-day for me too!
Here are NINE great words to describe Derek on this his NINTH birthday:

SPECIAL
CARING
LOYAL
STRONG
LEADER
TENDER
LOVING
NURTURING
HARD-WORKING

We love you buddy! God has made a wonderful YOU. Our prayer is that you'll always strive to be the best YOU that YOU can be, that you'll work hard to develop the gifts God has given you and that you'll use them to bring honor and glory to HIM alone!!! It's an audience of ONE buddy!!!

My Favorite Sort of Day

2009-05-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite sort of day. I woke up slightly later than my usual 6:30 a.m. and no children were up yet so I enjoyed a cup of coffee and the morning news undisturbed. The sun was shining and the birds were chirping. I got a bit of house cleaning done this morning and then took a break to go to a baseball game. Our team lost the game but it was still fun to watch and the boys did great! The three non-baseball playing children did quite well at the game. No one got hurt or had any tantrums so we'll mark it a success. Now more cleaning while the baby naps and the older kids play outside on this beautiful day! I hope that you are enjoying today as well!

Introducing...

2009-04-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

Meet Dozer! He is the latest addition to the family. He is a Schnoodle puppy...half miniature Schnauzer and half toy Poodle. Lukas named him Dozer...yes, like the machine. He was born on March 5, 2009 and joined us this past Friday. He is doing very well and the kids are smitten with him. You should come for a little snuggle. He fits nicely in a lap of any size!

Spring Break 2009

2009-04-10T17:03:00.000-07:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Lukas' Self Portraits

2009-04-03T15:57:00.001-07:00

Lukas asked if he could take some pictures tonight so I turned him loose with our old camera. Here are a few of his favorite shots. I think he's got talent.

One Heartbeat at a Time

2009-04-03T08:23:00.001-07:00

Master Pieces by Lukas

2009-04-02T06:46:00.000-07:00

Happy #2 Gotcha-versary!!!

2009-03-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

It has been two years since "Sweet Chakise" landed in Detroit and in our arms for good. That day seems so long ago and distant, but the memories of it are vivid and precious. Today we celebrate Hanna and the process God used to knit our hearts to hers.
Happy Gotcha Day Slager Family, happy Gotcha Day!!!

Just Some Recent Pictures

2009-03-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

Half of a Year and Just Right

2009-02-26T10:22:00.001-08:00

Drew is 6 months old. I can hardly believe it. He's so much fun to watch and listen to. He's big into screeching right now. I love this age! He had his Dr. appointment last week and he was in the 50th percentile for height and weight and the 30th for head circ. I would say that makes him "just right"...not too big, not too small...just right.

Here are a few pics to enjoy. I think he may have a modeling career!

It Seemed Like Such a Great Idea at the Time...

2009-02-24T07:57:00.000-08:00