Thank you for Praying!!

Wow- I have some good news to post!! To be quite honest I am surprised about this, being a christian it may seem like I did not have the faith in God like I should have. I prayed for a miracle but doubted... I guess I have learned a lesson. About a month ago I posted about my cousin's son Brian who had brain cancer. He had just had a severe stroke and was sent home from the hospital to be "with" his family. There was nothing they could do for him. I don't have any of the specifics but yesterday I got an email from my cousin- I was nervous to open it... But guess what that- mountain moving, gasp giving, awe inspiring God did now?  (this quote is from Linny's blog !) Brian is doing much better. His mom said he is still fighting and amazing his doctors! He has made changes for the better and is making some progress towards recovery! He will start in home physical therapy tomorrow. They have been doing some themselves and it has been helping!

The stroke was quite severe so he will be entering into a rehab facility soon for physical, speech and occupational therapy. He has a long road ahead of him but he is determined to get better. They are so thankful for all the prayers, thankful that he is still with them and hope that he will defy the doctors and make a full recovery.

I do not know what Brian's future will be but I do know that I have a thankful cousin- they are thankful for every moment they can spend with him, They are thankful for the many prayers that are coming their way, they are thankful for his progress and it give them more hope with each day!

Thank you so much for you prayers and please keep praying! God hears you and it is so appreciated!

Blessing to you,

Jean 

Why am I Blogging?

I researched curriculum so much this weekend I gave myself a migraine. Oh my, my head hurt! 

I have been thinking about the question "why am I blogging"? I really want to make sure I am doing it for the right reasons. I am terrible at people pleasing, by that I mean when I do something just to please others (look good in their eyes, pretend I am someone I am not) it never works out. For many years I tried and I consistently fell short and then would beat myself up over it. I cannot be doing this so that I have followers, so that everyone loves everything I say, so that I am the funniest, have the largest family or I am the most eloquent writer. I just have to be me and hope to touch a few hearts while documenting our journey through life!

As the years have gone by I have adopted a new philosophy- I am here to serve and please the Lord. Hopefully, by doing so I will be helping others- hopefully, I can bring someone some joy, some support in their adventures in life, support during their adoption journey, maybe some words of wisdom or ideas from my experiences, a good laugh, a smile, a feeling like "oh yeah, I know what she means".  My desire is to visit others blogs so I can share their journey, continue to learn a few things,  grow in my faith and get a little comradery on this island I have created. This island of being 50, having older kids and small kids, adopting and homeschooling.

 (If anyone knows the correct spelling of comradery please help! I even googled it but the blog still says it's wrong?)Aargh

This blog adventure started on the "journey to me" site where we jotted down our thoughts to our new child and documented our journey to China. Now it is more than that, it is not just for our adopted children it is for ourselves and for our new friends. It helps us keep our head above water and our attitudes in check. It is heartwarming to know you are not doing it all alone. Yes, our Lord is with us but we are also able to bring a few friends along for the ride- bloggy friends.

My hope is that I will be able to joyfully share our adventure with those that are interested, encourage others to adopt the precious children and be supportive of them. It is kind of a ministry in a way!  I think we are all ministering to each other - and that is a good thing!

Success in church!

Please everyone mark this day on your calendar!! Anna sat thru church!! It is a first for our sweet Anna!! We are elated!! Of course she did sing a few renditions of "Winkle Winkle little Star" (no twinkles, it was just a winkle) and abcdefghijk-elmo-pqrstuvwxy and z. But the most important thing is we all were there through the whole service and it was enjoyable. Don't ask me about the sermon but you can ask hubby! He listened, I was too busy thanking God for the moment!!

We have often tried to bring the girls to church but it often ends up with hubby in the narthex chasing Anna while Sarah and I are in church. So for us this was BIG!!  At times Hubby and I would sneak away to church and refuel for the week! Johnny would stay home with the girls. That worked for awhile but this is much better!

Sarah was amazed at the little girls in their pretty white dresses making there first communion. I told her soon that would be her. Before I started on all of this I wanted her to understand who Jesus is and what it means to have faith in him.  She seems to already have a heart for the Lord - for what is good and kind. She is such a wonderful child!

I was never taught about faith and love for our savior. Religion was not discussed in our family. I think it was because my parents didn't really know where to begin or how to teach it. For me it was a wonderful gift from God that I discovered at 13 yrs old while in confirmation but I am sure that having loving parents had a lot to do with it. I am so thankful for the gift of faith, however it has made it challenging for me to teach my children about our Lord. I really don't know how or where to begin. I am just praying and trusting God that he will lead us! I do have to say- so far, so good! Thank you Jesus! If anyone one has some helpful tips- please share them!

Today was a wonderful day- the temps were mild and the girls were outside with Dad working on the yard! At one point Jim was picking up the leaves that accumulated on the patio while Anna was playing with the hose. Yes, she was a bit wet and we changed her immediately! Sarah was with me getting a bandaid on one of her many owies (sp?)- otherwise one of us would have stopped her! That is life with kids- never a dull moment!

We are looking into getting a swingset... someday, maybe? So we spent the morning playing at Rainbow play systems. The girls loved it and even met another little girl from China! Her mom was asian so I assumed that was their birth child. I was so glad when they started talking to us and told us their daughter was from China- same province as Anna! We can't help but be attracted to other families with Asian children.  Yet, I want to be socially appropriate and careful not to say the wrong thing! 

While every one was enjoying the day I was looking into curriculum for next year, it is actually fun to do! I am excited to homeschool these precious girls! Sarah is amazing and I am guessing that Anna will be a joy to teach also!!

Thank you Jesus for a blessed day!

I will add pics soon! Sorry, I have been a bit slow with the camera!

Happy Birthday Mark and More Big Nursery Rhymes News!!

I am sad to say there are no Happy Birthday party pictures for my sweet boy. He is away at college and we miss him so much. In the past I have been the worst Mom at sending gifts- so my dear son Mark let me know that and it still took 3 weeks for me to get the package off to him. SINCE it was so close to his birthday it became a birthday package! He was not disappointed!! He got gift cards to al the nutritious places around the campus- any place that had something that resembled food and was better than the campus food, a t-shirt, flip flops, his favorite TV series on DVD's and another funny set of DVD's - which I will not disclose the name of because I do not approve of it... even though I did buy it for him. Also included was candy and gum! The dentist must love me now!

He will be coming home for a short visit in a couple weeks (mother's day weekend)! We are all looking forward to giving him a big huge hug!! 

Mark has a heart of gold. He s a wonderful son, brother and friend. He adores his two little sister and he will be working for me again this summer as our ... Manny ;-).

Okay, the real reason is jobs are scarce, he gets home too late to even get one and I can use a little help over the summer. That works for me! (No Montessori and no other babysitters)

Today the girls were singing nursery rhymes and I just want you to know that Mary now has a little man... Yep, no lamb, it's a man.

And the other big news is the weekdays have been shortened from 5 to 2! The girls were singing the days of the week song and all I heard was Monday, Tuesday, Monday, Tuesday, Monday, Tuesday! I have no idea what happened to Wednesday, Thursday and Friday BUT they're gone! So enjoy!

It's okay to cry... and Thankful once again on a Thursday!

Last night I was really feeling it- my mom passed away one year ago and even though I have done very well with the loss, there is something about the anniversary that brings it all back. I remember her last conscious days where I said over and over to her how much I loved her and that she was the best mom ever and that I was going to miss her sooooo much. That day was such a blessing because she was able t0 tell me over and over again how much she loved me. Words I will never forget and I hold so dear. Of course again as I type the tears are streaming down my cheeks. Hubby and I have decided you never really get over losing a parent, the pain just dulls a bit as the years go by. It was very hard for the first 3 months, I missed her terribly and I wanted so much to share things with her- Anna's progress, our journey to Sarah, how and what the other kids were doing, our soap opera, yes, I said our soap opera! It was very helpful when I asked "Prayers that Move Mountains" to pray for me- truly I felt the sadness lift and was able to positively move forward.

Now I read sweet Linny's blog and I feel that this dear family has taken enough from the opposition. It is time saturate them in never ending prayer. They are constantly on my mind. Children are so precious- and I think of how worried they must feel, sick with worry, wanting to make it all better for their precious Autumn. She is such a beautiful girl! I love how she is unique and goes to the beat of a different drummer. Please pray for the family, for wisdom of the doctors, for healing, for God's grace and comfort.

As I was sobbing last night thoughts came in and out of my head. My Mom, Autumn, Linny, their family, a big decision we need to make soon, my mom, the orphans, the hungry, the homeless, my mom, my dad, the children on waiting child lists, and our next child who is waiting for us in China. After awhile I couldn't figure out which one I was crying more about?

After all that I was wiped out and unable to sleep so I watched the soap opera (tivo) that my Mom and I had watched together so often... in honor of her!!

Today is a new day, no more tears, just hope! Sometimes you just have to have a good cry!

What am I thankful for-

1. great parents

2. the gift of faith

3. the gift of the holy spirit

4. these adorable little girls that run around our house and the 5 big kids that we adore!

5. food and a home

6. adoption loving, family loving, Jesus loving friends I have met through blogs

7. our FCC playgroup- great moms and adorable kids!

8. the freedom to worship and to homeschool!

Thank you Jesus!!

Bits and Pieces!

We are to the point where I am seeing bits and pieces of my/our former life and it is a good thing. Our family is at a very comfortable point. Sarah is sleeping in her own bed, she will get her ears pierced when big sissy Kate comes home. That means that Johnny and I can watch our favorite show together. Hubby and I have more time together! I still help her get dressed sometimes but she does much of it on her own. She brushes her own teeth now! She is awesome at picking up after herself and can make her own bed (but I still do it half the time).

Anna can be in the house with out my constant attention- however if she is quiet for awhile I better start looking for her!! I can now go on my computer and finish an e-mail- I just tell the kids I will be done in a minute and then I can help them. The 4:00 time is no longer dreaded. The kids visit or play with Johnny, they may watch a show or we will be outside- they will even play by themselves for a little bit! 

They now understand that Mom needs a little time to get things done in the house- pay bills, do laundry, make appointments, Blog ;-)!

One of the best things that is happening right now is I am back to listening to my christian radio station in the car and I love it!! It is so uplifting and refueling!! It just makes my day!!

In the morning I am able to have about a half hour before waking the kids! I just need that time to slowly wake up, get my energy and get ready for the day. ( maybe catch a little GMA and find out the weather!)

But even though this is quite nice we are ready to do this adventure again and we can hardly wait! We know our child is waiting for us and we want to get to her asap and bring her home! Because of our age we know we have a deadline- a time when the answer is a plain and simple NO. So while it is yes, we are going for it!! 

What about this lovely moment in time? It will happen again and I am sure I will enjoy it just as much as I do now! Maybe that's what makes it so sweet- if I always had that time I think I wouldn't appreciate it and I would be lonely and bored. Thank you Jesus for this incredible opportunity to bring your children home!!  

Dinner Date with a Bloggy Friend!!

What a blessing!! Our blog date was wonderful! Let me tell you, this is one of the nicest families you will ever meet!! Before we met then I was getting myself all nervous- I had those dream like visions of forgetting an article of clothing or my teeth falling out- you know those nightmares that really make you panic. I quickly found out their was no need to worry- they were as sweet and down to earth as you can imagine. Lori is more petite than I expected, she has a soft voice and she is kind hearted- which I am sure you all know from her blog!

Both families got along so well- I wish I could have brought more of mine- I know they would have enjoyed it. Sarah was pumped- she has a lot of personality and this was a brand new audience. Sometimes I would be thinking of something I wanted to say and boom, it was gone because my sweety went through all her math facts for this dear family.  That's life! Lori, if I think of it again I will e-mail you. Okay I am as proud as punch at how Sarah is doing in school BUT the best part is how excited she is about it!!

Lucy and Anna were a bit shy at first but once they got out of their seats they were all over the restaurant. They are such adorable 3 yr olds and both of them have no intentions of being potty trained! I wish we lived closer so we could have a little play group!! ( and coffee, prayer time and chatting for the Moms)

I honestly left there feeling so blessed that the Lord gave us this opportunity to meet such a wonderful family. I was also thrilled that my hubby had such a good time- I didn't need to ask the girls I already know they did, too! This blogging, this prayer support that we give each other- it is a good thing!

Thank you Jesus- for this opportunity! 

Now I have met Sally and Lori!! Who is next??

A little update on the jerseys- although it was kind of funny- I really did feel bad about it. Of course as a mom we feel worse than we really need too. When we got home I called the team manager- good friend of mine and told her the situation. She was as nice as could be and put my mind at ease. She felt her son's uniform looked pretty good after taking a mud bath on the field- whew. Thank you Jesus, again!

I have to be off to bed- I promise to post pics tomorrow!! Mine will look a lot like Lori's!

Just a little side note!

Well it turns out that I didn't ruin everyones jersey (I mean hubby didn't ruin everyones jersey). No, there was one boy on the team who forgot their jersey in the hotel. He ended up wearing the extra team jersey the coach had... guess who that boy was... yep, you guessed it, our son Johnny! His white jersey is lookin fine! That's because his mother is so good with the laundry!!

Oh my! I can't help but chuckle!

Believe me when the boys get home and their Moms' see their jerseys... I won't be chuckling. I might have to go get a job to pay for them! 

So we are driving to the next game and my dear hubby who is always so good with directions is driving and driving  and driving and driving. 20 minute later I looked at the street signs honey you forgot to turn, we are going the wrong way. He immediately says no... oh no, I did. He turned around right away and says "thank you honey for being so nice about it" I held back an obvious smile, this doesn't mean you can gloat about it and use it on me later. Smile again! Sure honey! We did have a good laugh! 

We missed the whole first half and part of the second half. Well at least Anna had a much needed nap. 

Hi Kelly!! Please add yourself as a follower!! I am stuck on an odd number! See you soon! 

Road trip!

This is Sarah's first road trip- we tried to explain what we were going to do before we left but it was hard for her to understand. After one hour in the car we heard "almost there?" aaahhhhh, no only 5 1/2 more hours honey! The girls did great in the car! They watched movies, sang songs, chatted, had some snacks and dosed a little bit. We only took one quick bathroom break! When we told Sarah we would be staying in a hotel she just couldn't quite figure out what that was, even though we had stayed in them in China. It was all new to Anna, she was excited and sleeping at night wasn't what she had in mind. Jim and Anna shared a bed- he thinks we should trade kids tonight... I think not!!

Sarah has seen quite a few new sights! She usually yells "look, look"- in such a way that hubby and I practically jump out of our seats! It might be a plane, or a tree, or a yellow flower (I believe they are called dandelions- ahhhhh choo)- something along those lines! We drove by a huge truck- which I was amazed at and I pointed out the incredibly large tires- sarah replied yes I see those tigers. This happens everyday- She gets her words mixed up, it is so darn cute. 

We watched the first game in the pouring rain- another new experience for S! After the game we decide to be heroes and wash the teams soaking wet, filthy dirty soccer uniforms. We gathered them up and off to the laundry mat we went, with the girls! Hubby and I were moving fast- coach wanted them back quickly. While they were in the wash we ate at McDonald- yuck, I mean nummy!

We hurried back to get the clothes into the dryers. We were running out of time so we put the uniforms in the plastic bag- but they were very hot and it melted the bag- they all fell on the floor. So we scooped them up and put them in the trunk- which was clean because I just cleaned it! When we got to the hotel we put them in the lobby for the boys. Sounds good, right... wrong... oh boy... they were a wrinkled mess, oh boy again the numbers and lettering started to melt in the extremely hot dryer, the were kind of stuck to each other, oh my, they weren't even very clean. Panic was coming over me, we just ruined the teams very expensive uniforms! I could feel a hot flash coming on so I did what any other woman would have done - I fled the scene and let hubby take the blame!!  And here I am now blogging to you!! 

I will post pics later! Off to another game! I'm standing on the side with the other team!

Thankful and it happens to be Thursday!

Okay I have been buried under mountains of laundry. I never got fully unpacked from spring break, I have been trying to homeschool, we had a birthday celebration, along with the easter holiday and we have had 3-7 active kids in and out of the house for the last 2 weeks. Of course they all do their laundry... here... at my house... okay, their house... in my laundry room... that I share with them. So today Sarah and I had a marathon laundry day and it was good!! Little Sarah had done lots of folding in China, I showed her my technique, she caught on right away and well, yep, it's all done! Go Sarah, Go Mommy, Go Sarah, Go Mommy- we are doing the laundry dance!! While folding we were rockin to the local christian music station! Did I mention we got our school work done, cleaned the car inside and out, had a bangs trim and made it to our ESL class- definitely a yippee Jesus day!!

So what am I thankful for... wow, so much!

I am thankful for a sweet little 9 yr old girl who is so fun to be with!

I am thankful that we will be traveling to KC and we will be meeting our bloggy friend Lori and her family!

I am thankful for my washers and dryers- they are wonderful! They are able to conquer any laundry task!

I am thankful for our dear Lord and even when the opposition rears it's ugly head we know he is there and he will guide us to the truth, to what is good, and what is right. We will follow him!

I am thankful that little Anna's diaper is dry in the morning... now if she will only go in the potty we will be all set! Any ideas? I am seriously thinking of offering candy!

I am thankful for the spring weather that has managed to find MN!

I am thankful for bloggy friends that post comments and are so encouraging of our journey! I am thankful that I can hopefully encourage others! This truly is the road less traveled, we might as well travel it together!

Blessings to you!

Jean

News Flash- Check out my friend Laura's blog , she is having a contest and it looks like fun!!

He's Waited a Long Time for This Day!

15 1/2 years to be exact! Finally the day has come that our youngest bio child- Johnny is my height and he is taller than his big sister, Kate. Out of all the kids Johnny has been slow to grow. (I think he cares so much because he loves sports, especially basketball and height would helps in that sport!) He is thrilled to have now reached 5'8". Johnny looks just like my Dad, who claimed to be 5'11". He is hoping for more height but we will take what ever we get! Sorry Kate- he's got you beat now! I do think it bothered big sis a little bit. But, no worries Kate, you have a couple precious sisters that may (okay probably won't) reach your height. We grow them every size in our family- hubby is 6'2.5" and has a sister that is 5'2" and I have 2 great aunts that barely reached 5'.

If he does keep growing this would mean I am back in the front row of the family pics- arghhh, That is not where I want to be...

I Got My Verse On!!

I got my Wild Olive Tees in the mail!! I love them!! The funny part was trying to get hubby to take a picture of me. He is not a good photographer and we were rolling on the floor laughing. Okay, I may be a little picky but if this pic is "of me and going on my blog"- I better look younger than I really am!! So here is the advertisement for the adoption loving, family loving, Jesus loving, 50 and over crowd!!

Armed and Ready for Battle!

Anna didn't want anyone to break her egg, so she hid it!

We have a family tradition on Easter Sunday- it's an egg fight! We take our beautifully colored eggs and smash them together to see who will come out the winner. The winner has the egg that did not break BUT broke others eggs. You do get to use both sides but once one side breaks you are out of the championship round. This year it was Sarah and Johnny that shared the gold medal. There is technique involved but I haven't quite figured it out yet, maybe by next year! After that event we enjoy many hard boiled eggs and egg salad!

Last year Katie and her friend shalacked (SP?) the eggs to give them extra strength. We were very suspicious of them and caught them red handed- they were immediately disqualified by the judges. Actually they just picked another egg and we continued on with the fun!

This year Katie and her friend Sarah from Iowa colored eggs with the girls! They really enjoyed it! Sarah is convinced that America is a good place after all. She let us know about a week ago she does not what to go back to Ch*na! I am glad about that, she's our daughter and she is here to stay!

Thank you for your responses regarding our new neighbors. I will tell them that many people are praying for them. God bless you!!

Please pray for our new neighbors

I have a lot to say about this week end but for now I need to say this. I know that there are some incredibly cool bloggy friends out there that would love to pray for this dear family. 

Friday was a beautiful day here in MN! The girls and I were outside enjoying the afternoon. It was only about 52 degrees but it was sunny and we were so happy to be outside!! I stepped in the house for a moment and Sarah came running in "Mom, Mom police". "Yes, honey I hear it too, but they are only driving by, they are not on our street..." until I looked out the door, and right there in front of our house was a squad car with flashing lights. I quickly went outside to find a 13 yr old boy in the front yard right across the street. I asked him what's happening and he said my mom collapsed, she is barely breathing. As I looked up I saw 2 more squad cars drive by our little private drive ( it is very hard to see). So I told Sarah to stay with Anna and I ran to the corner to flag down the police cars, 4 more came and an ambulance.  The girls and I waited in our driveway, a neighbor girl was with us. We said a prayer for the mom and the family. They took her in the ambulance to the hospital. Her car was left in the driveway. Everytime I looked at it I prayed for her. I felt very concerned and so hoped that she was okay.

Today... as hubby and I were going to take a walk, the young man (25 yrs old) that now owns the house was there with his wife and their 10 month old son. It was his mom that collapsed, it was his 13 yr old brother that was running in the front yard, it was his father that quickly arrived 20 minutes later. His precious mother died of a ruptured aorta. She was 49 yrs old and has 6 children. The young man that owns the house was her oldest child, the 13 yr old was her youngest, he is devastated, they all are- they are all so young. Please pray for this family. They are in shock, they have lost someone so precious, they have lost their dear mom, grandmother, wife, and friend. She was helping her oldest son clean his new house and helping him prepare for moving in- isn't that exactly what momma's do. We have only just met them but our hearts ache for them.

It was about a year ago that I lost my sweet Momma. She was 83 and I was 49, there is a big difference losing someone at that age compared to what they are going through... and it was very hard for me.

God please bless this dear family, they so need prayers, they need you, dear Lord. Please join me in praying for them. Thank you dear friends!

Tying a tie??

Is that how you spell to tie a tie?? Tying? Hmmmm?

We have four older boys- one in high school and 3 college aged or older. We are batting zero as far as being able to tie a tie. The worlds is a bit more casual now so they seldom have a need for a tie but you'd think at some point their parents would have taught them- who are their parents anyway??

Every time one of them has an interview, a wedding or a dance they come running to Dad for help! Johnny had to wear a tie throughout the basketball season when ever there was a game. Jim would pre tie them for him when he was going out of town. 

Sarah slipped on the floor in the kitchen. She right away says" call 911, we have an injury. Hurry up get some help here!" It was pretty funny! Whenever we hear a siren her ears perk up, she notices them all the time! In China you would call #0* if you needed help. She so often pops up with interesting fun facts about life in China!

Can anyone tell me why they do the star in Ch*na??

Blessings to you! 

Thank you!!

I want to thank Linny, Lori, Lori and Jennifer for your wonderful comments! I so appreciate them! Bible verses are never cause for concern- they are always guiding us! Do not be afraid to offend even if you do not know the person- you can't go wrong when quoting from his book/ and from his word!!

Whether you prayed or not we are doing very well- makes me think you did! The crabbies are gone- keep praying if you can- they would love to find an opportunity to sneak back in! Sarah had an incredible day with school! We reviewed and I thought we would need to spend the next 4 days reviewing but WOW she did it all perfectly today and even read her first book to Dad- truly a thank you Jesus moment!! It was from the HOP (Hooked On Phonics kindergarten series), the book was "CAT"! Only 4 months home and she is eager to read! I did not expect this but we are thrilled!!

We did the first math lesson just fine but struggled with the second. Often times it is the language that holds her up- that will come in time. I am trying to list the things that she struggles with and planning to add them in as the language improves. I hate to hold her back just because of story problems and whatever else. She is an awesome, wonderful, little girl- thank you Jesus!! 

Gods blessings to you!

These are random pics of our time in Florida! We worked on puzzles and went out for ice cream- it really was a wonderful family time!!

In Need of a Bible Verse!

Lately I have let the crabbies slowly creep back into my life. 

You know when you pass someone in the mall (lets day a crabby middle aged man for example) and the two of you are almost going to run into each other and so you pick your side to pass by but he picks that side too and neither of you are going to budge cause you assume the other one will end up choosing to go to the other side. At that point you have a choice of smiling, kind of laughing and saying oops or excuse me, but lets say, the crabby middle aged man says (will add a crabby frown to his face for effect) "MOVE OVER". Well, you were so stunned by that crabby statement and something inside you would love to come back and really get him with a witty comment BUT you are not witty and you have no comeback... The only thing you can think to say is "nooo... you move over". Now the unnecessary conversation takes a really mature twist! He comes back and says "no,  you move over". Again being the quick witted person I am I -excuse me I mean you (I prefer writing in 3rd person- I like to think it was you acting like this and not ME) comes back with a quick "no, you move over".  At that point nasty frown were exchanged both ways- his was nastier than mine of course. So, I hurry back to the table where the children are eating and what am I left with... a yucky feeling inside, muttering to myself about how creepy people can be sometimes, and a chip on my shoulder. I did win by the way I got the closest to the side we both picked to pass on- of course I was practically in the fake indoor shrubbery trying to claim my side.  

To sum this little incident up- I didn't win, I lost big time. I lost and he lost but I could have made it so we both would have won. I could have held onto my formerly cheerful attitude. I could have let God deal with him and only hoped that my grace and sunny smile would have rubbed off on him and maybe helped the bad day he was having. Instead I let myself be sucked into a crabby state by the opposition.  

Like I said, I have let the crabbys sneak in and I want them out. I want God to have full control. I want to joyfully serve him. Others can ride the roller coaster of moods if that is what they choose. I know what it feels like to be filled with his spirit, to love others and to joyfully serve him, so before I begin down the wrong road- I am takin a u turn back to my savior! 

Okay now we are at the point where I should have a really great bible verse. I am sad to say my bible is at home. (shouldabroughtit)

Can I have a little help here! I know that most of you who read choose not to comment but a verse would really finish this post off nicely!! 

Thankful Thursday- April 2nd!

Yes I know I am posting it on Friday, April 3rd BUT I meant to do it yesterday so this works!

Yesterday was our precious Anna's birthday. She is officially a 3 yr old and quite proud of it!

The day was low key and she loved every minute of it. We went to a twins game, they won (rumor has it)! It was very hot and we only lasted through the 6th inning. The kids slept on the way there and on the way back- Which made for a nice little quiet chat time for Mom and Dad. When we got back we hopped in the pool and after that it was off to dinner. The birthday girl enjoyed a little pizza with her kiddie cocktail. She had a birthday cold stone and we probably sung the birthday song 20 times to her- if it wasn't us singing she was singing it to herself. Once we get home we will do the celebration with family, presents and cake.

So first on my list is being incredibly thankful for this sweet little 3 yr old. What a joy she is!!

I am thankful that we are in Florida right now enjoying the warm weather. Spring has failed to come to MN this year.

I am in awe of our God that is creating miracles in China as we speak. Precious children are being placed in a newly formed orphanage. These children will receive the love and care that every child deserves. Definitely a "thank you Jesus" moment! Here is the blog!

I am thankful that Sarah did so well with Anna's b-day. I wasn't quite sure how it would go but she handled Anna getting a little extra TLC just fine!!

I am thankful for this incredible journey of adoption and how much we continue to learn about our children and how to handle different situations. 

I am thankful that this journey is being accompanied by God , in fact it is being orchestrated by him!! Thank goodness, we could never do it without him!

I am thankful that God hears our prayers and answers them. I am thankful that he knows our hearts.

I am thankful that baby Stellan is improving. Keep praying!

I am thankful for sunsets- they are so beautiful and they make me feel so close to God

I am thankful for bandaids - they make boo boos better instantly! Blankies help, too!

Addendum to previous post!

Hubby and I have both come to the conclusion that as our dear daughters are learning to live in America, in a family, we are continuing to learn to parent them. It is a process and one that we find very exciting! Truly, never a dull moment! We are always thinking, thinking, thinking about what we are trying to teach them and how they perceive our teaching- constantly trying to send the correct message!

Both moms' we were with the other night were so compassionate! One was a teacher and really understood where we were at with homeschooling an adoptee at 8 yrs old now 9, who says she will be 10 soon but she is pulling our leg! She so wishes the schools would offer more to these children. The other mom was so kind, complimentary and loved the girls! It was actually nice to get such positive responses from non adopting families! Thank you Jesus!! I forgot to mention one fam also had a 14 yr old daughter- she was great with the girls, too!!

Meeting up with Friends!

Three of Johnny's friends are here with their families. The boys are hanging out together and we have gotten all together twice for dinner. One of the families have a 5 yr old boy and an 11 yr old girl.  There is also a family at the pool with an 8 yr old boy, 6 yr old girl and 3 yr old boy. Anna and Sarah have played so well with the kids. It is truly heart warming to see their progress. Anna's, because she is coming out of her parallel play stage and Sarah, because she is becoming so confident in her english that she can initiate play with other children. I am happy for both of them, it is a big step in the right direction.

Sarah has quite the personality and has many of the older people at the pool chatting with her daily. Anna is as cute as a button and is sure to let everyone know tomorrow is her birthday and she will be three years old! Little Ben and Anna have really hit it off. He often invites her to lunch and give her hugs goodbye- what a sweetie!

Sarah's swimming is improving by leaps and bounds. She does much better here with us than in her swimming lessons. We have determined that a female teacher is a must for her and her next session. She can do the arm movements and kicking to the front crawl but has to stop to breathe. She is doing handstands under water and jumping in by herself from a standing position (where it is not over her head). It is a joy to see her accomplish all this in such a short time. She has come so far from the little girl that was stiff as a board in the water and afraid to get her face wet.

Teenage boys are funny. They play like puppies and have this innate need to wrestle! We have had wonderful family time but it is nice for Johnny to see his buddies. The other families have enjoyed our girls and the girls love the extra attention. In fact they love, love, love attention especially our little Sarah. We are still and I think will be working with her on socially appropriate behavior for a long time. She does not do anything that is a huge "oh no"- just little things like climb over the furniture at someone else's house, when we say we are going to leave she dashes away, refuses to wear shoes when shoes are required at the restaurant, pouts at bedtime, loudly talks about people in front of them and still loves to stare.  She is also a bargainer beyond belief, we are working on NO meaning exactly that, NO. Honestly to the general public she does great! She is charming, helpful, playful, wonderful sense of humor, good eater, pleasant, caring and everything else that is good!  The little 5 yr old boy that was with us had a melt down the first evening. It was good for me to see that- with our youngest birth son being 15, it had been awhile since that was part of my life so it helped me to have more realistic expectations for our girls. 

I have loved our evenings out with our friends. It is nice to have a conversation with big people! Because of the environment the kids were able to dance to the music, run on the beach, play catch or just play in the sand before sitting down to eat. We even caught a sunset! There is something about the setting sun that makes we want to get on my knees and thank our dear Lord! It is awe inspiring and breathtakingly beautiful! Only something our creator could have made! Thank you Jesus!!

Pics to follow!