Summer's End

I love so many things about every season.  I am always so ready for one to end and the other to begin.  I don't really think it is the temperature that makes me so ready for the change (well, maybe just partly), but the different seasons of life.  Summer brings swimming, the smell of freshly mown grass, lots of homemade ice cream, lots of grilling outside, and tons of outdoor activity.  Then fall comes along with beautiful changes of color everywhere, pumpkins dressing porches with beautiful blooming mums, cool crisp nights, kids in cute lil costumes, and a huge Thanksgiving feast with family all gathered together.  And, then before you know you we are lining the halls with holly and the fire is crackling and hissing, and we are curled up under blankets snuggling on the couch, bundling up to build snowmen, the small of vanilla and all other baking goodness wafting through my home.  The holidays come and go (along with a million birthdays around here) and then we are all ready for the first signs of spring, cleaning out flower beds, planting new lil budding beauties, playing outside without bundling up, pulling out the flip flops, and just watching God's nature come to life. 
I don't think I will ever think of a calendar year as January to January.  I mark a year by the school year.  It ends at the end of May and starts at the middle of August, and everything in between, well, just doesn't really count.  So, I hate to see the summer end.  But, on the other hand, I am oh so ready for what fall brings. 

This summer I would say Olivia has learned to swim completely and I am very confident in her.  She sinks to the bottom holding her breath and blowing bubbles and then can pop right up to the top.  That is such a relief for me.  She can swim below and above the water.  Logan has moved beyond floaties.  He can hold his breath but has not yet mastered the art of blowing bubbles.  He is fearless and jumps in any way.  I will say Carson has made the most progress.  He will now enter the water without screaming and gnashing of teeth and can actually smile while in the water.  And what can I say about Leia...well, she is just a sunbathing lil babe.  She just leans back in that floatie, gets her hair a little wet, kicks back with her shades and enjoys some sun. 

We had planned to continue our homeschool through the summer, but we just had so much fun that we couldn't find the time to fit our studies in.  So, here we are at Summer's End and starting a new year. 

All I can say is the boys were not being cooperative...hence the reason for more girly photos.

Right Now

I wonder right now what Carson and Leia's birthmother are doing.  Is Xio Chi, Leia's birthmother, on the other side of this world sleeping peacefully, or is she crying, or is she working, on the street starving, homeless?  Is Mong, Carson's birthmother, at peace or is she living the nightmare that she was while she was pregnant with Carson? 
I think of these women daily.  I really thought time would heal my longing of wonder.  But, it has not, and I am afraid that it will not.  I usually don't talk about it, but then someone will say something and it brings a reason to say something about these women.  And, today is no different.  A Mama waiting for a referral with His Hands asked today, "How did you receive your referral?"
And this was my response,

We received a phone call on Christmas Day asking us if we could Skype. Leia's birthmother asked to choose her adoptive family and requested that she be able to tell us herself. It was one of the most emotional days of my life. She told u...s that she wanted her baby girl to be with us. She wanted us to be her family forever. She said that she knew we would love her. This woman on the other side of the world, choosing to give us her child. It was just as emotional as when Carson's birthmother said "I choose you, he is better with you" (in broken English), and then handed me her child with tears running down her face.

 Girls and Guys.....you also receive tears of unfathomable emotion when you receive that referral. You dream of what that child looks like and then in an instant you know. You know what God has chosen. A MIRACLE!!!

I wish I could tell them everything from when they said their first word, started crawling, walking, using a fork, singing in church, saying their first prayer....

and maybe one day I can sit and tell them these things.  I love these women and am so thankful they chose US. 

Xio Chi and Mong, I pray that you are comforted and know that your children are loved and that you have peace in your hearts.  Your love will always be made known to these precious babies.

Across the Rainbow

On the other end of the rainbow there is a little one waiting in Korea for their family to be theirs.  That little one is waiting for a life of love.  And this family is not waiting to give that love.  They started giving their love when they decided to add to their family and make it "Minus 1" again.  Please check out their blog and this totally cool, colorful, rockin, rainbow raffle that ends tomorrow at noon.  Just click on the photo and it will take you straight to the rainbow of "Got Love!"

Circle of Prayer

Join is in "Circle of Prayer" today. 

Pray together with us

that more will seek to spread the good news of Jesus,

more accept the commandments of Jesus,

the Orphan will be know LOVE and JESUS and have HOPE,

adoptive families will find needed funds to bring their child(ren) home,

the poor will find food, clothing, shelter, and HOPE, FAITH, & LOVE in Jesus,

the widow will receive the care that she cannot give herself,

that families in pain from the loss of a loved one will find peace & comfort,

missionaries will receive the financial & emotional support to continue God's work,

for the persecuted,

those who are emotionally and physically hurting will be HEALED (oh Yes HE can!),

help us to stay on the straight and narrow path,

and everything else you want to tell God. 

Pray together.  Become Prayer Warriors for one another. 

Sun Salutation

I try my best to exercise 3-4 times a week, and I am rarely able to do it alone.  Logan decided he wasn't going to participate this morning, but the other three were great little Yoga buddies. 

The girls do a pretty good Sun Salutation.....

 I think Carson is trying to do a lunge.  Pretty good form if you ask me.

Take a few minutes today and make a healthy choice.  You will be glad you did.  

Proverbs 31:17

"She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms."

You may need that strength and stamina to climb the foothills of a jungle, down a deep valley, to the farthest point in the dessert to teach someone the Gospel and serve the "least of these."

Why Not?

People ask, "WHY?"  Why do you want to travel to Costa Rica? Why do you want to spend your money doing that?  Why do you want to spend your vacation time doing that?  And so on....

This Is WHY........

There is nothing that can melt your heart faster than that of looking into the eyes of children.  Their eyes tell so much about their life, the sadness and the happiness.  You see their smiles and then you see there is no Daddy anywhere in the picture, they have no food in the house, no toys to call their own, and you really wonder how can they be smiling.  But, they do and they don't know anything other than what they are living.  They don't know there is anything else in this world, anything better or anything worse.  This is their life day in and day out.  This could be a child that doesn't have a parent that knows Jesus is real.  And then I say, "Why Not?"  Why not travel around the world and spread the story of Jesus and what He did for us and what we can do to live eternally with Him?   

This young woman pictured above has a story.  She has a story that deserves to be heard.  She is persecuted for her faith in Jesus and yet she presses on.  Some may already know this story, but I will tell it again and again.  Because it deserves to be told.  She cannot he hear to tell you, so I will.  Her mother's family has rejected them because they do not practice the Catholic faith.  This young woman went against her school.  She refused to bow down to the Virgin Mary.  She professed to all there that she would not bow down in idolatry.  Her mother took a stand against the community.  This young woman has been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor.  She will know nothing in two years or less.  But right now, she knows that Jesus died for her.  She was washed in water and made a child of God.  He is her great physician.  The doctors cannot heal her, but He can.  Pray for her!!!   Pray for a miracle!!  Because He CAN cure!!!

So, this is why.  I could go on with a million reasons why.  God gives enough reasons why we should do this.  I think the better question is, "Why Not?"  You tell me why I should not. Give me a reason why God would want anything less than for my heart to be broken for the broken-hearted?  Let Go and Let Go.  Let Him break your heart for the "least of these."   

Aggghhhhhh!!

Agggghhhhh!!!!!!!!!! That is the sound that is so familiar at our house right now.  Leia is revolting against David and I.  I broke all the others of their paci at a much earlier age.  Olivia was 13 months old, Logan about 15 months old, and Carson was about 12 months old (he really could have cared less). Leia really wasn't a paci baby until she started cutting like 8 teeth at the same time.  I know if I had broke her from it earlier it would have been much easier.  But, I felt so guilty because we went to Costa Rica in May and I didn't want to take it away from her right before we left her, then I went again in July and didn't want to start it then, then she had these really huge nasty molars breaking through., and so the saga has gone on.  I finally decided Friday night was the night we were going to start.  I cut the end off and told her it was broke.  She screamed for about an hour and has done so every night since.  She was not a happy camper in church yesterday afternoon, did not take an afternoon nap yesterday, and has just overall been very unhappy with me.  The other babies in this house just got it when I told them the paci was broke....well, she gets it and she is mad about it.  She shouts and screams at Liv from her bed at night pointing at the drawer where they have always been located.  Then she becomes really unhappy when nobody will give in to her screaming and sobbing theatrics (and yes, it is very theatrical).  This too shall pass, and soon I hope.