He Is Mine, and I Am His

Time Flies

How in the world do minutes go by, days, weeks, and years all in a flash before our eyes.  I am reminded of this daily.  Time is fleeting.  I do not have enough time in the day to do all the things that I want.  I really would love to blog everyday and pen the moments that are so precious, but it is just not possible.  The times when I do have a moment I am dead and cannot formulate a coherent sentence....I think the effects of 4 children, maybe.
This weekend we were blessed to spend time with friends, amazing friends....friends you laugh with, remember with, cry with, and most of all LOVE to be with.  Time has flown.  It had been 6 years since we were all together and not just seeing each other in passing.  In six years we have 8 children all together.  Our children had a blast this weekend.  It was beyond great.  We make memories every time we are together.  We laugh so hard we cry and just about wet your pants...hehe.

 

I Smell Fall

I know Fall is coming.  I can smell it in the air.  The air blowing through the windows is so refreshing and crisp.  The weather last week was GREAT...this week has been swell too, but man, last week was breathtaking.  The kids love playing outside in this perfect weather.  They do not come to the door a million times complaining that it is hot, instead they do not want to come in when called.
With Fall comes baking and lots of it.  I love to cook!!  And it is so much more pleasant when the heat from the oven isn't running me out of the kitchen.  On a side note, Logan and  I are being tested for gluten allergies and he is also being tested for casein (milk protein), egg, and soy allergies.  I have been doing tons of recipe research trying to prepare myself for the worst and how this is DRASTICALLY going to change my cooking and the recipes that I know by heart.  I hope the results are negative and I hope they are positive.  Negative means I don't have to change the way we eat (although, we need to eat healthier than we do, but don't most people?), but then positive means something can be fixed, we have some answers,  and I can do that.  Do you really know what all gluten is in????  Just about everything!  If the tests come back positive then eating out will pretty much be a thing of the past.  We shall see...
Last week the boys started DaySchool.  Logan attended last year.  He was hesitant about going back this year but has been loving it so far.  This is Carson's first year and he is LOVING it.  They go on Tuesday and Thursday mornings for a couple hours.  Those couple hours allow me to really get some school done with Olivia.  When the boys are here it takes us every bit of 8-4:00 to get completely finished up.  Olivia is loving school this year and is doing so well.  She is reading fantastically with such expression and emphasis on those sentences with exclamation marks too.  And Leia, well, some days plays in her little kitchen with no complaints at all while we are doing school and other days she thinks she needs a desk with pencils, crayons, and everything else she can't have.  Today was a whiny, "Hold Me!!" day.  So, what did Mommy do while adding fish to the fish tank?  Why of coarse I held the little rascal. 

The Boys on their 1st day of school

Surprise

To catch you up a little.....
I have a new niece!!!  Wow in one year I have 2 nieces and 1 nephew!!  And will soon be adding more!!  Super excited about all these babies.  My hubby worked long hours last week, so he could take off the entire day last Friday.  I had the car loaded and we headed out Thusday night and drove all nigth to Brownfield, Texas.  We made awesome time and arrived at 5:30am, 10.5 hours later.  The kids did awesome and slept the entire way (well Logan and Leia just dozed off and on, but they did great).  We checked into our hotel and caught a little nap, grabbed lunch, and then headed to see that baby.

SURPRISE!!!!

Aaron and Lisa had no idea we were coming.  When we got there David called Lisa and asked her what she was doing.  Then she asked him, "What are you doing?"  He answered, while ringing the doorbell, "Well, I came to see your baby."  She said, "What did you say?"  David laughed, "I said I came to see that baby.  Come answer the door."  She was in complete shock.  I love giving a good surprise.  She probably thought I was completely rude, because ever since she had the baby, I have only texted, not called.  It is super hard for me to keep a surprise a secret.  I want to tell sooo bad....so I didn't call her.  Then there was no temptation to give in and tell her. 
Short version....we had an AWESOME weekend.  And the icing on the top was getting to see Lance, Leslie, and Caysen while we were there.  It had been way too long that is for sure. 
We headed out yesterday morning and arrived home 11.5 hours later.  The kids were complete angels the entire way.  There was no whining, crying, fighting, screaming.....just pure traveling bliss for Mommy and Daddy. 

 Uncle David and that sweet Teneley

 Sleeping Angel

 Hmmmm

 Olivia and her baby cousin

 Mr. Caysen

 Very sleepy little girl

 Logan

 Olivia playing with her horse

 Angle Eyes....Caysen

My 4 Raboins......ready to be tucked in.

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."