LOVE IT!!!

Peek-a-boo
One of his favs right now-thanks to Toy Story 3

I often get saddened by the fact I don't have any babies in my home anymore. I LOVE the baby stage, the little clothes, their smell, holding them, their coos.......

But.....I am enjoying each stage after that with my kids, like playing real games instead of pretend animals ALL the time. A new thing, is that my kids are enjoying watching movies that I actually like. We watched Elf on Thanksgiving, and they LOVED it. Now I catch them saying, "I am standing in a store and I''m singing." And burping and saying, "Did you hear that?"

Part of the reason they liked it was Will Ferrell because he is in another movie favorite of ours, Kicking and Screaming. His name is Phil Weston in it and one day Thatcher was playing and out of the blue said,"This is Phil Weston's stuff." We cracked up! So now Will Ferrell is known as Phil Weston and everything he does is hilarious to them.

So move over The Grinch you have been replaced by Elf as our new go to Christmas movie.

I love that we have a similar sense of humor.

Pulled In

Today I went shopping for Christmas presents for my kids. I had a plan and we decided to do 3 presents for each kid, one want one need and one spiritual. I made my list and set off to get it all done today.
I know Christmas is not about presents...........
I am determined to help my children know the real reason we celebrate.......
I hate shopping and the commercialism of our culture.........
Yet it took me 5 seconds in a store and I forgot ALL of that. I can't believe how I almost got pulled into the idea that I am not a good parent if my kids don't have 20 presents under the tree and I don't spend a certain amount on them. It was like I was in auto-pilot.....see toy....must buy it....see toy....that's cool.....child needs it.....that's neat....how cute.....buy.....buy.....buy.......
I didn't go overboard, like I felt like doing, I did stick to my list and our goal of 3 presents each. However, I am just amazed how easily we can get pulled in to what our society tells us is appropriate. How to dress, how to talk, how to pick your mate, how to parent your children, how many presents they need at Christmas, how many cars you should have, what is success.......
I am glad I have a compass that points me to the truth or I would be lost.

30 reasons to be Thankful

Since I turned the big 3-0 this year, I thought I have at least that many things to be thankful for. So here they are:

1. God-who loves me for me and not what I can do or be. Who gave His all to make a way for me to know Him. Who comforts, gives me peace, gives me joy, no matter what my circumstances.
2. my husband-who loves me even when I am not nice or look nice and is a wonderful father.
3. my children, those in my arms and heaven and those not with us yet!!!
4. my parents who encouraged my faith growing up
5. my siblings who gave me great memories growing up.
6. Mica, who constantly encourages me to be a better mother, friend and prayer warrior.
7. Michelle, who shares my heart and obsession for orphans and adoption.
8. Nicole and Derrick-who are great examples to us in too many ways to count.
9. Nicole H. who is generous All the time.
10. Emily who goes to Zumba with me and doesn't laugh.
11. my church
12. my house
13. we have a vehicle
14. Dave Ramsey-Yes! we are almost debt free!!!! And we will never go down that road again!!!!
15. ability to feed my children
16. freedom
17. Bible
18. God's Children Adoption Agency
19. blog friends, who encourage me by just being real with their lives, joys and trials.
20. Adoption process- taught us how to really have faith.
21. I have the option of Homeschooling my children and I get to be part of the process of them learning.
22. I am healthy, my children are healthy
23. Travis has a dependable job
24. God has opened my eyes to the hurting people in the world and that we are called to reach out to them, love them, feed them, support them, and through those actions-they will know God
25. worship music-I feel so close to God when singing to Him
26. sweatpants
27. nature and how creative God is
28. hugs
29. ability to hear my children's sweet voices say "I love you, MOM."
30. forgiveness

These are not in order of importance necessarily and obviously this isn't ALL I am thankful for. So I forgot you or something really obvious, please don't be offended, this was a quick list.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Oh my heart!!

Please go and read about this little girl. My heart is so aching for her and the life she could have if a family stepped forward. Her smile. ....Her eyes. ....they tell so much.

becausehecalled.blogpsot.com

Happy Monday!!!

Fundraisers

Just to update you on the adoption front:

*We are currently waiting to hear back about our match of the two little girls from Haiti. Amy, the agency director is in Haiti right now and we are hoping that when she returns we will have good news from her.
*Our homestudy should be completed soon. -Please pray we will have the money needed to pay this.
*Our dossier is almost complete. We are waiting on a couple things to come in and then we can make photo copies and such. Of course we still have the lovely FDL to wait for as well.

FUNDRAISERS:

I really dislike having to do fundraisers. But.......we need to.
So, an ongoing one we are doing throughout the adoption is babysitting. We, (by we I mean me) will watch kids anytime for parents to go shopping, have a date, have quiet, or run errands. Donations will be accepted and used only for our adoption fund.
Change for Haiti
coming soon
We will have bottles and jars available for people to fill with loose/spare change and then bring back to us when it's full.

Pizza Ranch
January 17th- come and eat at the Pizza Ranch and our family will receive 10% of that nights profits as well as any tips. That's so easy, right? You gotta eat! And who doesn't like a good pizza buffet????? Ok, well some people might not, Travis doesn't like buffets, but you can't go wrong with pizza!!

We have some more in the works and I will post as soon as they are ready. In the meantime-spread the word about Pizza Ranch****Monday, January 17th******

FamilyNight

I totally stole the idea of a family night from another adoptive family and it just so happens that our last name starts with a letter that also is the first letter of a day of the week-lucky us:)
We started "W" Wednesday a couple of months ago and it has become something we all look forward to. For Travis and I it is a way to make memories and traditions with our kids, for the kids it's a reason to have snacks and camp out in the living room-but all agree it's a fun time.
When we began doing this, Oliver brought it to our attention that really every night IS family night for us. We really don't have busy schedules that take us away from each other-this is intentional by the way. I am sure it won't always be this way, but for now it is important for Travis and I to be the ones who influence them and build memories with them. Even though I am with them ALL the time, these family nights together allow me to just hang and have fun. I often worry about finishing tasks in the evening while Travis spends time with the kids after being gone all day. During the day, we are doing school, housework, and sometimes it seems like I am correcting them most of the day. But when "W" Wednesday comes, I have an excuse to take that part of my mommy hat off and just ENJOY my children.

And I am BLESSED

These are very random pictures-Addis wanted to do an impromptu photo shoot.

She said,"Mom, you me, picture!" How could I say,"Uhh, No mommy hasn't even gotten ready for the day."? Thankful my children love me at my worst, and I am not just talking about physically.

Trying to make fishy faces-we will keep working on it.

Thatcher giving his bear a piggyback ride

Addis wanted to pretend to be asleep. I thought she wanted to be done but she wanted me take her picture while she was sleeping.

I will try and take some pictures tonight and post them tomorrow of our "W" Wednesday festivities.

Isaiah 58:5-11 (NIV)

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to see the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."

These are some of the pictures I sent in for Addis's 12 month post-adoption report. I can't believe it's been almost a year since we have had her home. She is a fun-ny little girl and we are enjoying seeing her little personality come out.

This was with the judge at her readoption in ND. He was so very nice and asked the boys if they wanted to sit on his chair. Travis and I were like "YA!!" but they had no idea what that meant or how cool that was. But Oliver did give him"knuckles."

Dedication Sunday- in front of the Christmas tree. She enjoyed helping put the tree up and already knows some Christmas tunes, not the good ones though. Oliver's been singing versions from Madagascar Christmas-definitely not edifying Christmas songs.

I know this is a silly picture to post, but those of you who know her background and "diagnosis" from her referral will appreciate it. Look at her go!! I am amazed at how her body has changed and how God has healed her inside and out.

WE'RE BAAAAAACKK!!

I am back from my extended vacation from blogging. I was too exhausted by the end of the day to really do much on my blog and I spent so much time and energy on reading blogs and posting on mine, I just needed a break. But I am excited now to get back into it.
I don't want to kill you with boredom and post about everything that has happened since July, but the highlights are:

*we finalized in ND for Addis and we are working on getting her social security number and citizneship
*we are starting our second adoption
*we dedicated Addis at church, which is such an amazing thing to stand up there with your child and give them back to God and then have the congregation witness and agree to help you along the way.

So that is why this blog is now Part II of our adoption journey. I guess it's not really another part, it's completely seperate, but it just sounded better than- Next adoption journey.
This isn't just to update people about how our process is going, but to hopefully inspire others to do the same or get involved somehow. There is a way for everyone to be involved and we want to encourage ACTION not just sympathy.