Month 5 on our adoption journey!

Little Miss has a new saying she likes to use VERY often.."Caleb dooes it."  She uses it at various times when it is handy like when she is caught in a wrong behavior or when something is destroyed.  Before I can even open my mouth.."Caleb dooes it."

We found the first thing that Little Miss is scared of...hummm...Baby Goats!    They are perhaps the most docile creatures known to man, but for some reason these creatures that are popping up everywhere scare her!

She loves mashed potatoes the best I think of all her foods that are non-cheese items!

The kids are so great at coming up with interesting conversation material. This week we have been discussing, "what if Chickens laid...." and they have said cream cheese, marshmallows, Hershey kisses (which Jonas said they did do that?!), strawberries and many other great things to think about and today Caleb added TVs!

 Caleb has separation anxiety about leaving all his baby goats to go to the movies and dinner tonight.  He said, "Mama, I am going to miss those baby goats tonight."

We told Jeb we were going to G-ville tonight to sign the adoption paperwork and I loved his reply, "She is worth it." So cute and so true.

She loves to say, "momma come get your baby girl," when we are getting out of the shower! I love the way she says "baby girl." You'd just have to hear it!

 The girl LOVES sour cream.  With some "cream" to dip in, I can get her to focus on eating some meat.  She'd rather just eat veggies and fruits, which I am fine with ...but occasionally meat is good. 

when you have 2 brothers your dolls might have nine toes...but she doesn't care!  She'd prefer wrestling and throwing them anyway at this point.  

The sixth month and then forever!

 This marks the last month that we will be a pre-adoptive family.  We have really already signed all the paperwork and now we just wait on the court date.  This Mother's Day will be super special as we dedicate our Little Miss to the Lord.  This has been such a faith journey and I am so happy to say that God has been so faithful to make us brave in the hard times and give us so much grace along the way to becoming a family of 5.  She is so totally delightful, though strong-willed, and so easy to love.  We transitioned to a big-girl bed last night (seems like things with her have been in fast forward so I am trying to cherish every day even more) and she slept beautifully.  Daddy did the tucking in and stayed for a while while the fairies on her lamp danced them both to a sound sleep.  My dad used to fall asleep in my bed all the time so it was sweet to go in and wake him up.  It brought  back so many memories of my Daddy's TLC.

When Jeb and I went to wake her up this morning (as he still always wants to do) he said the sweetest thing:  "this is like the first day at Disney Wold."  He says the cutest things about her like, "she says the cutest prayers," and "you are so adorable."  Jeb can be quite the loud and sometimes annoying handful lately, but at his core and in his essence he is really the most loving, compassionate child.  I am blown away be some of the things he says about God and his natural inclinations to enjoy others and care about them.  I feel so blessed to be his mother.  When I got his report card, I was beyond proud at how he has  navigated the real world in 1st grade and then I put it down and really thanked God not for any of his "accomplishments" on paper, but for who he is.

Thanking God that our search and rescue mission was a success! Mildred the cat is home and my team of explorers (3 kids and 2 dogs) is so happy! She will not be doing anymore waterfall hiking ever again probably. Cay is calling Bailey a super hero now since she came over the hill with the cat...it was really a true Homeward Bound scene in the woods this morning!

So very overjoyed to be a mommy to three this Mother's Day! I can't imagine life without kids. These are truly some of the best times of my life and though I realize that I can't slow it down any. Thank you God for the little souls you entrusted to me...I feel so honored.

Worth sharing!
Natural Child: Any child who is not artificial.
Real Parent: Any parent who is not imaginary.
Your Own Child: Any child who is not someone else's child.
Adopted Child: A natural child, with a real parent, who is all my own.

So little time, so just to sum things up in our world these days!

This just about sums up the Jman these days! He likes football! He love to be the wide receiving and he likes that it is rough! 

This just sums of Skeeter Girl!  She likes things that are not particularly toys like this gardening bag!  She has it all packed up for today's world. She has her pistol and some rocks.  What else could a girl need?  She was meant for brothers.  She is a tom boy!

This is my middle.  He loves all his pets and they love him.

Praying for My Babes

Recently, I have really been thinking and praying about what I think my children's really important gifts are.  These ideas are what I am going to pray we can nurture.

Knothead-  compassion! He really sees needs and likes to meet them.  He once noticed that a kid at school did not have a jacket in January.  The day that we went to ask the teacher if we could give him one, he showed up with one!  Still, I thought it was especially sweet for him to notice. He also has plans to give away a football with not much usage since he just got a new one for his Bday.  I am so proud of the joy he finds in giving and meeting needs. He was happy to give us 20 bucks out of his piggy bank to give away to Samaritan's Purse gifts this year.  He came up with that number on his own and I thought it was pretty generous for a 7 year old. 

Rooster-service. He loves to work hard and help others! He lives to assist Daddy on the farm and even helping me sweep and pick up around the house.  He prefers to be working then to be doing nothing. 

Skeeter--She is my encourager!    She is born cheerleader! She loves to say, "Good job bruder." or "Good running Je-Je."  She even encouraged me just the other night.  She called me and Daddy into her room as she always does to "tell us sumpetin," which is really a delay tactic, of course. When Daddy arrived she said, "I love you Daddy."  I said, "What were you going to tell me?"  She paused and thought... "You bootiful."  I melted. 

Flarp and Skeeter

 When anyone asks Skeeter what she wants this year for Christmas her reply is interesting, "a pooper sounder."  Yes, folks FLARP is a big deal when you have two "bruders" and one of them got his pooper sounder for his birthday in November and would only let you play with it sometimes!

Then, I was looking for a word to help us remember some of our family values J and J thought that FLARP was the right word, and though it really is "inappropriate" as little J likes to say, none of them are forgetting it.  So, we talk about FLARPing decently often these days and it does not mean what you think:

F--FUN--we are going to have fun together.
L--LOVING--our family is going to be loving.
A--A-team--we are going to work as a team helping each other.
R--RESPECTFUL-we are going to try our best to respect each other.
P--PEACEFUL--PROMOTING PEACE--we are aiming to be peace promoters in our home.

So, this 2nd week of trying to be more "flarpy" I decided to give out awards to the kids for meeting some of those expectations.  I thought it was a good idea until Skeeter wanted her "sword" and Rooster wanted something tangible for his award.  He still asked me this morning for his award.  I just can't make him understand after 2 days that some awards are just pride in making good decisions and being noticed! 

It has been a fun few weeks and my Christmas stress has been pretty low this year! Yeah! We even made our own homemade play doh and I am not crafty AT ALL!  Still, that is what they are busy doing even as I type.  I love our family and investing in our relationships. 

Random Acts of "kid-ness"

a chair to get into "the club" that was here

 One of the things I love about parenting, but that honestly drives me mad some times is how I basically move around the house picking up and despairing about what the little tornadoes have been up to, and what I will have to put back, clean up, throw away or straighten up next.  Again, playing outside is just so much better.  Anyway...some days it rains and we are just stuck.   I also know that these "random acts of kid-ness" will not last, and that I will miss all these little strange sights around the house. Today I took pictures of a few of them. 

Oh my Cay's Aquarium project. They are all out sunning while he naps.

camping out with lantern and baby

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

One of the fav things about winter for my kids.  Now that we have added a girl she gets a blankie  thanks to Skeeter. 

Random Family rumblings...second month adoption reflection

A natural cheerleader! 

We had a fun bowling outing with our small group and friends! 

First trip to the zoo! You loved it.  The Gibbons were really putting on a show and you loved all their funny noises.  You had so much fun on the big playground with your brothers. You think you can do everything they can.

Fun at the zoo!

Silly kids

This girl .loves to get eggs! 

Classic!

Farm Finger Painting in the mud.

Little J is getting really opinionated about his clothes...ugghhh...so now I am hoping to say each weekend, "you pick 3 and I pick 2" so that he can wear all his clothes instead of just a few.

Cay and I are setting a lot of traps in the woods these days for animals.

Little Miss is really noticeably better at some physical things like two-feet jumping, running over rough terrain without falling, and climbing up fences, walls, and banks with great gusto!  She has also learned to master the forward flip!

YES, they called us with a girl but she is a rough and tumble little two-year-old tomboy!  Really, she is a wild woman with lots of personality but a really strong will.  I am so tired.   She is a lot of fun, but she is also testing us at every turn to see what we are going to allow.  She is just more into things than any of my kids EVER were.  She's like a little tornado!  She loves to do all the things the boys do, play with balls, wrestle, run, chase chickens,  jump on the trampoline, drive the Powerwheels (and she is an amazingly good driver to have very little to no experience), play outdoors, etc., and she has really just fit here likes she's always been here! 

We are going to remain close to her foster family (elderly folks with 7 kids and 3 adopted ones)...they are such godly people.  We took them dinner last Sat and visited with them and had a great time. She was so excited to have both worlds there and left happily with us.    2 of their kids came to see her and so we got to meet some of their extended family who have loved her so well these past two years.

I am hoping to raise a very strong girl. I think I have just the candidate in this little one b/c she rises to every challenge so far!

This is supposed to be for dolls?! 

 We took Little Miss back to where she lived starting her 2nd month with us and we had a wonderful visit with their family and extended family who came to see her! They are such inspiring people and we are so blessed to be in their world these days.

Some folks keep asking how nervous I am about all this "working out" and I just keep saying that I trusted God with her for 2 years and I will keep trusting HIS best for her life. I have my palms open saying still I trust you God...use me...whatever that means for us.

Little Miss you never forget a name.  You can see someone that you have not seen in a long time and still call him/her by name...maybe you'll be a little politician.  You do love people.  You are totally energized by having people visiting us and going out and seeing folks.  You often say hi to strangers and give them high fives.

You reminded us how fun Red Rover and Ring ARound the Rosie can be!

I never eat a full plate of food anymore without your little hands grabbing bites.  You are such a good eater...of all things..broccoli, edamame, peas, and anything you can spoon!

Little Miss loves some Vanilla Ice Baby!  First of all, I don't know how I discovered this love one morning or WHY I remember every word from seventh grade--so sad.  Still, she loves my rapping.

We are learning "this is not a toy."   She wants to play with all things non-toy like pens/pencils, toilet bowl cleaners, kitchen stuff, etc.

We got all the paperwork for her court date today.  Thank you Lord we are on the month countdown to the termination of parental rights hearing.
  This is the song I am singing...


Thomas Chisholm is  the author of the hymn "Living for Jesus," and I like this one...(in case you didn't know I really love hymns despite that I can't play the piano..or sing...only pray them...)


"He leads us on by paths we did not know;
Upward He leads us, though our steps be slow,
Though oft we faint and falter on the way,
Though storms and darkness oft obscure the day;
Yet when the clouds are gone,
We know He leads us on.
"He leads us on through all the unquiet years;
Past all our dreamland hopes, and doubts and fears,
He guides our steps, through all the tangled maze
Of losses, sorrows, and o'erclouded days;
We know His will is done;
And still He leads us on."

Sweet things I noticed lately:  She asks me in exact words to sing "Jesus Loves Me."  She loves to make up songs (that sound like parts of other songs all mixed together) and sings back to me!
If  I say I like purple, she adds, "I like purple too Mommy!"  If I want a red Popsicle she'll say, " I like red too!"  My boys really never had this stage.

When we were going to church the other morning I was relaying the events to get her ready, "We are going to play with Pam and then Mommy will pick you up and then we'll get Cay."  She adds, "and then Daddy will come home and go to pool."  (She has been asking to go to the pool often b/c I think it is another new world there she wants to conquer.)  Anyway, she then added, "Daddy come home ...I KISS him." She loves to rush Daddy when he gets home and they trade many kisses. He says she's the only welcoming committee he's ever had...yes, I know I should do better.

She loves to sing Jesus Loves Me, Skinny Ma-Rink, and I've got the JOY, joy, joy..where????

The funny thing about taking kids to get eggs is that you find 8 but make it home with 4.

Little Miss you are not much of a girlie girl, but you love nail polish, chap-stick, bracelets and you even let me read all of Pinkalicious to you today!

You rode Jack and the pony for the first time!  You, of course, were not afraid and got on and said, "yee haw!"

Some people have a lot of reservations about adopting "older" children (those not considered newborns or over a year old), but I can tell you that there are some beautiful things about it!  For starters, she can talk and tell us what she wants and what she likes AND dislikes!!  We can explain changes in schedules and dropping off at places like church and she "gets it."  She might not like it, but she gets it.  She can express love and affection and say funny things!  She is already potty-training!  We can play with her and interact and bond by having fun together.  We can teach her lots of fun things and take her most anywhere with us.  It has really been a blessing that she can run along with us and jump right in with the boys!

Specially Marked

I have three birthmarks and my mom always said I must be extra, extra special since my two siblings don’t have a single one!  This helped me be less self-conscious of the spots, and I never thought much of them my entire life until recently.  Twelve years ago my husband and I were just dating when I told him that God had convicted me that part of His plan for my life was to foster parent and/or adopt.  After a decade of marriage we began the process of waiting for “the call.” After the first year of waiting, I did some serious praying and then near the second year mark, I began to wonder if this was really what God wanted for our family. After all, I could have another baby or finance a private adoption.  We had been praying for the protection of our future child, and for discernment to know when to say yes.  God never let go of me on my core belief that in the state system there are many children that just need a chance and lots of love in a healthy family.  Over the years, God sent my husband and I and our boys many adopted children and orphans that we have loved and enjoyed building relationships with before and during our wait that gave us much encouragement and compassion for adoption. I was really wondering if there was a child “in the system” that could fit our family’s parameters though.  During the second year, God worked on us about accepting more risks than we originally thought and about taking a child that was older. I am so glad he did.  We also brought the boys in on praying for a child to love that needs a family during our family devotions that second year.    About one month before my two year deadline I had given God (Yes, I am ashamed of myself…but oh so human and weak that he loved me enough to respond to my desperation.), I had a good cry with our small group and asked them to pray.  Then, only two days later THE call came.  Our life group must have really prayed!  She was a two and a half year old that had been in foster care her entire life.  She had been in a loving Christian foster home with folks we now love and adore!   We said, “Yes!”  Only a few weeks after that meeting, she was in our home and relishing every new opportunity on our farm.  The answer to our prayers was praying with us and FOR us.  It was incredible!  She seemed destined for two brothers.  I already felt so much confirmation of our decision to love her forever since her transition to our family was really quite natural for us all.  But, God was not done with teaching me that he’d had things under control.  Only about two weeks after her adoption day, I was snuggling with her after nap when I noticed it.  Two of my birthmarks are small spots just above each knee.    As it turns out, she now has one above her left knee in the exact location of mine.  I don’t know when it came up, but I had never seen it before.  I cannot help but think that God was clearly telling me that though she was not my biological child that even before she was formed set her apart (Jeremiah 1:5).  He had marked her special just for me, and I knew her frame was not hidden from Him (Psalm 139).  Great is His faithfulness!

 

Our own Walden Pond experience

I love being with my boys in the mountains. We had our first outing yesterday in our new canoe and it was a great time. Henry David Thoreau went to his Walden Pond for some R & R and yesterday we went to a lake much like I imagine Walden might have been for Thoreau. We stopped by and picked some peaches and then we headed for a lake down a gravel road that allows no motors over 20HP to enter. It was an an unusually cool July day and we stated until 7pm. The frogs were the only sounds around (besides my 2 kids chattering) and I had a good book about Heaven. We did some fishing (I read and laughed at Cay casting over and over) and swimming. It was more relaxing than any beach trip might I add. We had our very own private beach in the middle of the lake since the water was down for some unknown reason. The beaches I like involve no blistering sun, no sand blowing in my face, no salty ocean water, no tide coming up to worry about, nobody smoking nearby, no one drinking and picking fights next to ya, no scantily clad women parading by, no views of ridiculous tattoos on people who should not be showing that skin anyway, no lobster-baked people yelling at their kids, and no airplanes flying by advertising anything. Just frogs and fish, a few friendly kayakers coming down from the river, cool fresh water, and trees: just the way I like it!


A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting.

Be not simply good - be good for something.
Henry David Thoreau

Be true to your work, your word, and your friend.
Henry David Thoreau

Miracle Gro and the Poisonous Cheetos???

Today just after music class and just before lunch we decided to play outside for a bit. So, while we were out there I decided to Miracle Gro our new plants we put in this fall. The boys were busy helping me and I kept saying don't let it splash in your mouth, don't get it on your hands, etc.; I thought we were being very, very careful. Then, I called time to go in and we all washed up and I even changed their shirts. I got all the food to the table and Cay was shoveling it in when I noticed that his entire mouth was the EXACT SAME TEAL GREENISH BLUE COLOR OF THE MIRACLE GRO! I then took a look at his hands and noticed that they had green in every fat little crack and crevice. I started freaking out and dumping the food and re-washing his hands and checking out where he could have stashed Miracle Gro and then EATEN IT! I was wiping his tongue, re-washing hands, looking over every thing and everybody and I noticed there was some on me. I was hating myself for somehow letting the poison transfer from something...maybe my shirt? Maybe it was in his pocket? I was thoroughly confused and about to call poison control. I did not know how much he has eaten. Just then I saw that yet again there was green on his tray and hands...and mine too...That is when I saw it--the culprit--THE CHEETOS...I had picked up a new cheeto that "magically changes colors" when it is combined with spit/hands, etc. So, after calming down I realized that it was quite an odd coincidence that the color the cheetos magically change and the Miracle Gro I had just used was a PERFECT MATCH. Whew--I was so glad that I did not do something rash like take him to have it stomach pumped. Oh, the adventures of motherhood. Jeb is making fun of me about this...and he is still beating me at Uno.

First Boy Ever Injured by Bible...

I know this sounds like a Tabloid, but it is true. I was in my room having my quiet time and Jeb was in his room having his quiet time and Cay was asleep. It was a dreamy moment. Then, I hear a squeal followed by some footsteps. Yes, he comes running in claiming, "My Bible Cut Me." I was like...what did you say? Please explain. Apparently, he was thumbing through his favorite Bible (100 Ways to Know God Loves Me) and listening to the accompanying CD when the corner fell on his skinny foot and cut him. Yes, he was hurt by his Bible. I just laughed. Only my child could find a way to be injured by a book.

We had a fun weekend with cousins this weekend. Lib and her family were here and Ky. turned 3 and had a Monster Jam party.

We have had the joy of sharing our baby goats with lots of friends this past week. It is always fun to have friends over to play. Also, we have had cousins in and out during the week and I love Meg's smiles (see pics).

Cay has had to be in time out a few times lately. He has really taken to mauling his brother and head-butting. He will headbutt me, concrete, stairs, wooden floors and toys. It is odd. I am hoping he will figure out that it creates more pain than it helps.

There have been quite a few things that I have been thinking about lately or reading that really struck me. Maybe they will you too.

I have been so heartbroken over so many of my students' stories and often unimaginably horrid situations. I really sometimes wonder how some of these kids can go through so much and even half-way function. I try to share my faith as much as legally possible as their instructor...but it is a really tough balancing act. I have been impressed by both their strong faith in God and their utter hopelessness when they don't know Him.
C.S. Lewis once said, "The sources of unbelief among young people today do not lie in those young people...This very obvious fact--that each generation is taught by an earlier generation--must be kept very firmly in mind...Nothing which is not in the teachers can flow from them into the pupils." I am praying my walk will be close and steady with God so that my children/students can SEE and experience the pleasures of knowing God in a tumultuous world.

I was reading Homelife Magazine and preparing for my classes this week. I am sharing an article called "Moms Who Do Too Much" about helicopter parents as we begin our unit on writing argument papers. So, I read this article, "The Relief of Imperfection" by Joan Webb (based on her book by that title)and I thought about how I always had a believing professor at Mizzou who said, "Perfection is an enemy." ...
"Many of us play God in subtle ways. We ma have trouble conceiving than there is an equal option or goal other than ours, or that God is at work in the painful circumstances we're so determined to avoid. Matt 16:21-23 : I want you to know that in a few days I'm going to be killed, said Jesus...Peter says...there is not way we can let this happen to you. Jesus says--Peter you think you're helping, but you're really hindering Me. MY Father is doing something here. Stop trying to be bigger than God. Since we want to choose (and want everyone around us to choose) to follow Jesus and want God's purposes fulfilled, we may attempt to step in and figure out a perfect, protective solution to preventing hurt, or (in our opinion) a disastrous situation. We may actually be hindering God's strategy for insight and growth in another's life or in our church. We cannot know God's agenda for another's spiritual growth or HOW GOD PURPOSES TO SHOW HIS POWER." Wow...what a relief. Now, I do think there are times (many times) when we as believers are to "speak the truth in love " see 1 John, but then there are those times when it is best to step back and let those we care about experience the consequences of their own decisions. Both are tough and knowing when to do which really is a matter of prayer.

One more totally unrelated thing I read:
"Kids need to see their families and churches caring for the least of these." Soren Kierkegaard once told of visiting a wealthy cathedral: "The minister dressed in a velvet robe opened the golden gilded Bible, marked it with a silk bookmark and said, "If any man will be my disciple, let him deny himself, take up his cross, sell what he has, give it to the poor, and follow me." He said he started laughing at the irony of the church, but no one else seemed to notice it. I used to be sad that our church looked like a barn (BTW--it does look better now with our new addition--praise be to God for that!) but now I find comfort in its pragmatic metal self! After all, Jesus himself was born in a barn. Now, if they would stop spending so much money on lights and Hollywood effects (no church is perfect)--hee hee. Oh well, still, I do think money is spent sharing the gospel and not on showing off bricks and chandeliers.

Fall Family Fun--Part I

Besides almost being swept up in a gang fight at the mall this weekend, we had a lt of fun! No, seriously, I didn't know it, but the mall is no longer a safe place for you to take your family. We were not there long, but there is some serious gang activity, fighting, and people being thrown down and arrested. It was SCARY. I got my kids and got out of the food court as fast as I got there.

We did have fun, though, at a local farm this weekend. This is our 3rd year going and even though it is not cheap, we like to support a local agri-business and Jeb has the time of his life. This year they added a cool, huge pipe slide (his favorite thing) and a neat zip line. He also enjoyed riding the cow train, swinging in the hay and playing in the wheat box. Cay enjoyed the animals and hanging out with his buddy Ella. Jeb and his friends started the corn maze but ended up chasing each other, hiding and running from their parents. It was a work-out! We all went on a hayride and picked some cute pumpkins as well.