My friend sent me this link this morning. I felt like it was perfect considering my last couple of posts on parenthood...LOL
enjoy.....
The MOM Song
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Little more about living with E ;o)
I wanted to clarify a little something about our little man.
Adopting E in the shape he was in, was the exception not the rule.
Most of the kids that are available for adoption that have HIV are relatively healthy, come home already taking meds and are doing great, or don't even need them yet and do great as well.
When we first accepted E's referral he was 'healthy'. We sent our paper work in, it was received on Friday and on Monday we received the news that he was in the hospital in very serious condition. I feel like we accepted him at just the right time, so that he would know that he had a family waiting for him. To give him hope and something to fight for. There were a a couple of other precious children that went to the hospital with him, that didn't live to see a new family here on earth. E is a miracle in many ways. Our Ped told us not to expect him to live... and now look at him!!! ;o)
So here are some of the fun things about living with E.
He has a scrappy streak... this kid doesn't take any crap...lol If you saw the pictures of he and N playing with our Christmas house guest you will know what I am talking about. Josh is 6' 8" and about 190lbs. E would attack his knees so that Josh would play with him. E literally comes to just above his knees... too funny.
He's also mischievous. He LOVES to 'pull a fast one' on you. He loves to sneak up on you and scare you. The other night D was on the computer and I was in the living room. E comes in puts his finger to his mouth to say shhhhhhh, with a look as if to say (don't say anything, I am gonna get him!) then he takes off running into the office and shouts out to scare daddy. Then come screaming and laughing back in to me when daddy tried to catch him. He also enjoys hiding when one of us comes home from work. Even if you see him first he will still run into the play room to hide from you... yelling "hide" the whole way. ;o)
He loves music and loves to dance. Oh I wish you could see him little face and body when he dances. He has no rhythm. But he works i. ;o)
He says "Uv you" in the sweetest little voice. And caresses your face.
He is stubborn to a fault. And while I always say this is something I think will serve him later in life, it doesn't always work out so well when you are trying to deal with a preschooler...lol Nor is it helpful when you are trying to keep from an activity that is bad, and he's determined to do it any way. He's one tenacious little dude!
He loves to sleep in. And while I completely understand this desire, it is also something that doesn't work well when we are trying to get ready for school in the morning. And it doesn't really matter when we put them to bed, he still hates getting up in the morning...lol
He loves hot dogs and pasta. He only drinks milk and water.
He's smart as a whip, he already knows most of his colors, some letters, and can count to 5. He can tie things together in pretty intricate knots, and he colors within the lines. He loves to have a schedule, and things done a certain way.
He knows daddy will "ficks sit" (fix it), daddy just fixes stuff...lol And he also seems to have more of a sense of safety when Daddy is around. I know how he feels! ;o) I like having daddy around too.
He's just started wanting to know "why?". I know Amanda can relate...lol
He's just been a blessing to know and watch grow. I just love this kid!!!!!
Adopting E in the shape he was in, was the exception not the rule.
Most of the kids that are available for adoption that have HIV are relatively healthy, come home already taking meds and are doing great, or don't even need them yet and do great as well.
When we first accepted E's referral he was 'healthy'. We sent our paper work in, it was received on Friday and on Monday we received the news that he was in the hospital in very serious condition. I feel like we accepted him at just the right time, so that he would know that he had a family waiting for him. To give him hope and something to fight for. There were a a couple of other precious children that went to the hospital with him, that didn't live to see a new family here on earth. E is a miracle in many ways. Our Ped told us not to expect him to live... and now look at him!!! ;o)
So here are some of the fun things about living with E.
He has a scrappy streak... this kid doesn't take any crap...lol If you saw the pictures of he and N playing with our Christmas house guest you will know what I am talking about. Josh is 6' 8" and about 190lbs. E would attack his knees so that Josh would play with him. E literally comes to just above his knees... too funny.
He's also mischievous. He LOVES to 'pull a fast one' on you. He loves to sneak up on you and scare you. The other night D was on the computer and I was in the living room. E comes in puts his finger to his mouth to say shhhhhhh, with a look as if to say (don't say anything, I am gonna get him!) then he takes off running into the office and shouts out to scare daddy. Then come screaming and laughing back in to me when daddy tried to catch him. He also enjoys hiding when one of us comes home from work. Even if you see him first he will still run into the play room to hide from you... yelling "hide" the whole way. ;o)
He loves music and loves to dance. Oh I wish you could see him little face and body when he dances. He has no rhythm. But he works i. ;o)
He says "Uv you" in the sweetest little voice. And caresses your face.
He is stubborn to a fault. And while I always say this is something I think will serve him later in life, it doesn't always work out so well when you are trying to deal with a preschooler...lol Nor is it helpful when you are trying to keep from an activity that is bad, and he's determined to do it any way. He's one tenacious little dude!
He loves to sleep in. And while I completely understand this desire, it is also something that doesn't work well when we are trying to get ready for school in the morning. And it doesn't really matter when we put them to bed, he still hates getting up in the morning...lol
He loves hot dogs and pasta. He only drinks milk and water.
He's smart as a whip, he already knows most of his colors, some letters, and can count to 5. He can tie things together in pretty intricate knots, and he colors within the lines. He loves to have a schedule, and things done a certain way.
He knows daddy will "ficks sit" (fix it), daddy just fixes stuff...lol And he also seems to have more of a sense of safety when Daddy is around. I know how he feels! ;o) I like having daddy around too.
He's just started wanting to know "why?". I know Amanda can relate...lol
He's just been a blessing to know and watch grow. I just love this kid!!!!!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
6 Months Home...living with E
We have been home now for almost 6 months and man, what a time!!!
We have to put together our 6 month report so I thought I would share a bit with you about how life has been.
I would also like to show you a bit more about how God performs miracles.
These were taken just before we arrived in ET to pick him
This was taken last week.
Can't wait to see how things look in another 6 months... God is SO good!
We have to put together our 6 month report so I thought I would share a bit with you about how life has been.
I would also like to show you a bit more about how God performs miracles.
These were taken just before we arrived in ET to pick himThis was taken last week.
And this one in the last month or so.
Pretty amazing huh?!
We met a wonderful mother while in ET and she said several times that she wanted to see him after he had been home 6 months. ;o)
We have learned SO much in these past months.
What we have learned in these past 6 months has been tremendous, both about ourselves as well as about E.
I think one of the biggest surprises we have had is the ease of living with a child with HIV. That is not to say that we don't anticipate issues in the future, although those will surely mostly be due to stigma and lack of education. But all the health issues we have had have been secondary to the HIV. With the g-tube (that has turned out to be a Godsend even though it terrified me in the begining) E takes his meds without issue. He takes them twice a day with out argument, it takes all of about 2 minutes, and he is down and playing again. If we are going to be out when he is supposed to take them we just take them along, we excuse ourselves from the activity for a moment, do meds and then again... off we are back to the activity. No problem.
It just takes some creativity and flexibility.
We do still see the Dr monthly while we make sure all the other health issues are under control and his meds are working. As of Jan 19 he is up to 31 lbs, and the numbers that tell us that his ARV's (Anti-Retrovirals) are working are fantastic! He's pretty much a normal healthy boy now. Thank you God!
We do not keep his status a secret, nor do we announce it to every one we meet. We do have one acception to that rule, and that has been the new daycare he is in. Since we had had N in the old daycare for more than a year and felt we knew them well, we disclosed E's status. This ended up biting us in the butt...almost literally...lol They looked for ways to get him removed, non of which were truly valid, so we removed him ourselves.
There has never been a case of transmission in a daycare. Normal universal precautions are to be taken with all children. I can tell you that the CDC has deemed it safe to live 'normal' lives and attend school or daycare and since they tend to be over the top cautious, daycare is a non-issue. I completely understand the fear that can be involved, and know where it comes from... however if I thought my other children living at home were at risk, we would not have pursued this adoption. And heck they are more likely to get into scrapes at home rough housing than anywhere else...lol
We have been stretched farther than we thought possible, and know we have more growing to do. We have been blessed beyond belief by our friends and family. Friends that have stepped up to the plate to help in countless ways and loved our children, and supported us through some scary times. For family that began with concerns but have also stepped up and embraced E with open arms and love. Just the other night at my dad's birthday party E went up to Dad, held his hands up to him to be picked up, said "Uv you!" and gave him a huge hug and kiss. Dad had tears in his eyes, as he was one of the nay sayers who has been won by the love of a little boy.
If I had it to do again, I would. If D would let me, we would be heading back soon. He feels like we are done and is happy with life as it is. ;o) And that's ok. I will pray for God to either give me a peace with what we have, or give him a nudge that there may be another child waiting for us to give him/her love and a home. ;o)
Monday, January 26, 2009
Wisdom
Since my "wimpy" post I have been doing alot of thinking and praying about, well, my roll as a parent.
This morning I received a devotional via email that gave me 2 great verses.
"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you." James 1:5a (NLT)
"Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding." (NLT) Proverbs 2:2-3
I started out parenting at a young age and when we decided to adopt after parenting for many years I thought it would be easier. I had learned through trial and error growing up with my children. Perhaps that was where I stumbled a bit. You never know it all especially in parenting. And hearing where I need to grow and change, while painful, is a good lesson. Because regardless of what I may think, Z's assessment of my parenting short falls, are his reality.
I can learn from what he told me. As Lisa said, there aren't perfect parents, but I feel we are to strive to bring up our children under God's love. I frequently pray to love my children with the heart of God. When we first brought N home, and we were in the throws of learning about each other and dealing toddler AND adoption issues, I often rocked him to sleep crying out to God for His Grace and strength and to be given the ability to love his child, this gift with the heart of Christ. And He gave me that love.
I have been thinking about how I will need to grow as N and E grow. With N we will deal with childhood issues, adoption thoughts, and unfortunately racism. He will need to know that we are parents that can listen, understand and love him unconditionally. We will need to be firm and loving and understand that he will experience things that we never have, and give him guidance as to how to handle these issues. E will have the added stigma of his illness. I can't be a parent that isn't willing to hear that I have places to grow and improve and strengthen.
So I ask Christ today give me the wisdom to parent as He would have me, with His heart and His grace. I know I will fall short. ;o) I will just continue to pray. ;o)
Thank you all for your words of encouragement and support. And also the reminder of those times when I was a teen, and not so nice myself. Can't be but so arrogant and "holier than thou" when you are reminded of your short comings ;o) I prefer to be humbled. ;o)
Blessings
This morning I received a devotional via email that gave me 2 great verses.
"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you." James 1:5a (NLT)
"Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding." (NLT) Proverbs 2:2-3
I started out parenting at a young age and when we decided to adopt after parenting for many years I thought it would be easier. I had learned through trial and error growing up with my children. Perhaps that was where I stumbled a bit. You never know it all especially in parenting. And hearing where I need to grow and change, while painful, is a good lesson. Because regardless of what I may think, Z's assessment of my parenting short falls, are his reality.
I can learn from what he told me. As Lisa said, there aren't perfect parents, but I feel we are to strive to bring up our children under God's love. I frequently pray to love my children with the heart of God. When we first brought N home, and we were in the throws of learning about each other and dealing toddler AND adoption issues, I often rocked him to sleep crying out to God for His Grace and strength and to be given the ability to love his child, this gift with the heart of Christ. And He gave me that love.
I have been thinking about how I will need to grow as N and E grow. With N we will deal with childhood issues, adoption thoughts, and unfortunately racism. He will need to know that we are parents that can listen, understand and love him unconditionally. We will need to be firm and loving and understand that he will experience things that we never have, and give him guidance as to how to handle these issues. E will have the added stigma of his illness. I can't be a parent that isn't willing to hear that I have places to grow and improve and strengthen.
So I ask Christ today give me the wisdom to parent as He would have me, with His heart and His grace. I know I will fall short. ;o) I will just continue to pray. ;o)
Thank you all for your words of encouragement and support. And also the reminder of those times when I was a teen, and not so nice myself. Can't be but so arrogant and "holier than thou" when you are reminded of your short comings ;o) I prefer to be humbled. ;o)
Blessings
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Parenting...is not for wimps
This has been a weekend that has tried my parenting bone... severely.
Friday night Z came over for dinner. We were having a nice dinner until he began to tell me my faults as a parent including being arrogant and holier than thou, as well as facilitating and perpetuating family arguments. This was all over a nice dinner. geez... nothing like hearing your faults from one of your kids. Our history is a long one, his father and I are divorced, have been for 17 yrs. We started young and I know I wasn't always the best mom, I know I have some faults... but these words still hurt. Heck I was feeding him dinner and enjoying family time and then ... bam! Out came the barbs.
I decided to take it to the Lord. I didn't react to him. Just listened and waited to see if there were truth to his words. And to be completely honest went to sleep licking some wounds. As little E would say "That's no nice!"
I do know that I don't react well when other's are in a bad mood...lol I tend to then get in one, I have struggled with this for a long time. I have prayed about it for a long time too, I WANT to be the one to pull others out of their moods. I just usually am not that person, and it does totally bug me.
Then Saturday morning I was workin out, trying to work out some of my angst by punching and kicking with my Turbo Jam. And I kid you not the 40 minute work out took me 2 hours because the little guys would not stop whining, fighting and were over all not great. Every 5 minutes I was stopping the DVD, panting and sweating and asking them to stop what ever it was that was causing the other to scream. I ended up sending myself to my room after D came home because I was just in a foul mood. Punching and kicking weren't working.
So today, church was great, Sunday school was great. Then we get home and S pulls a teen moment. ugh, if you parent them... or if you have been one... you know what those are... where the teen tries your last nerve and makes you angrier than you really should be.
Button pushers... ALL of them. ;o)
These are the times when D says to me... "And you want MORE?!" And I can almost agree with him. I want SO badly to be a good mom. I want to give my kids happy times. I don't want to be holier than thou, I don't want to be the strict one. But I am also very aware that it's not my job to be their friend. I am very aware that I don't always make good parenting choices.
So for you parents out there... what do you do? How do you move past the teen barbs and painful remarks? How do you move past it when you have a morning when you just want to run out the door screaming because you just can't listen to a 4 yr old whine one more time?
I want to count my blessings. I know I am blessed, I do know that. It's just not always easy to remember those things when you are trying your best to be your best and fail miserably.
lol, it just occurred to me that I might need to go back to my God is Good post... maybe it will help? ;o)
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Friday
It's been an interesting week.
So glad it's Friday!!!
Had the inauguration. I was surprised by the emotions I felt since I wasn't sure he was the right choice politically. ;o)
Wednesday the boys had a great day at school. But I have since decided that I am no longer going to post that there are good days. Every single time I do, the next day isn't so good...lol I am not a superstitious person at all, but I have found a pattern I don't like, so I have decided not to post good days at school. N is still adjusting to having a new little brother so we have some acting out times that tend to go over the top. He's so funny and smart and great so often that he's very much like the boy with the curl. When he's good he's very very good and when he's not...oiy! Watch out...lol
Yesterday I decided since my cough and illness junk seem to be gone, I would pull out my Turbo Jam. It's a great stress reliever, and I so need to get my body moving again. I am feeling it this morning, but gosh it felt good to exercise again! Something about the punches and kicks is very cathartic.
I also I found Facebook last night. Now I have known that it exists, but honestly didn't want to get drawn into it. I don't have a lot of time to follow it. But I have had enough people invite me to join, that I thought I would. LOL if you have Facebook you know what I spent last night doing. Gosh who knew there were so many people on it?! Some people I never would have guessed! And this morning I was invited as a friend with someone I haven't seen in years and had lost touch with. I am so excited to get home and see everyone's stuff. My Z has already tagged most of my pics, and warned my S that she better be careful...lol hhhmmm wonder what that means? ;o)
Had to get work done on my van this week. It's inspection month and of course a dash light came on... isn't that always the way? Well, this inspection cost 400.00! And there is like 1600.00 worth of work still to be done. But we got it passed. And will wait for money to fall from the sky for the rest of it. God provided the money needed to get it inspected so we will just trust Him for the rest. Even if we have to drive it broken for a while. As I said yesterday, at least I had a way to work, even if I was a Popsicle when I got there.
So the weekend looms, and we have no major plans. I think hanging out with the kids cleaning house and enjoying some down time is in order.
I pray you all have a wonderful weekend!
Blessings
So glad it's Friday!!!
Had the inauguration. I was surprised by the emotions I felt since I wasn't sure he was the right choice politically. ;o)
Wednesday the boys had a great day at school. But I have since decided that I am no longer going to post that there are good days. Every single time I do, the next day isn't so good...lol I am not a superstitious person at all, but I have found a pattern I don't like, so I have decided not to post good days at school. N is still adjusting to having a new little brother so we have some acting out times that tend to go over the top. He's so funny and smart and great so often that he's very much like the boy with the curl. When he's good he's very very good and when he's not...oiy! Watch out...lol
Yesterday I decided since my cough and illness junk seem to be gone, I would pull out my Turbo Jam. It's a great stress reliever, and I so need to get my body moving again. I am feeling it this morning, but gosh it felt good to exercise again! Something about the punches and kicks is very cathartic.
I also I found Facebook last night. Now I have known that it exists, but honestly didn't want to get drawn into it. I don't have a lot of time to follow it. But I have had enough people invite me to join, that I thought I would. LOL if you have Facebook you know what I spent last night doing. Gosh who knew there were so many people on it?! Some people I never would have guessed! And this morning I was invited as a friend with someone I haven't seen in years and had lost touch with. I am so excited to get home and see everyone's stuff. My Z has already tagged most of my pics, and warned my S that she better be careful...lol hhhmmm wonder what that means? ;o)
Had to get work done on my van this week. It's inspection month and of course a dash light came on... isn't that always the way? Well, this inspection cost 400.00! And there is like 1600.00 worth of work still to be done. But we got it passed. And will wait for money to fall from the sky for the rest of it. God provided the money needed to get it inspected so we will just trust Him for the rest. Even if we have to drive it broken for a while. As I said yesterday, at least I had a way to work, even if I was a Popsicle when I got there.
So the weekend looms, and we have no major plans. I think hanging out with the kids cleaning house and enjoying some down time is in order.
I pray you all have a wonderful weekend!
Blessings
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Buurrrr
ok, I know there are many out there that are colder than me, I have already admitted to being a wimp...lol
But today I am still trying to warm up. Had to take my van in for a pesky dashboard light, and to get it inspected. So I am borrowing my mom's old car. Now my mom isn't all that possession driven, but she LOVED this car. She's had it for years, it's a 1992 Diamate. It was beautiful in it's day. And with 157k miles I am surprised it still runs. The thing is that the heat only works when it wants to, this includes the defrost. So this morning I piled the kids into this frozen car, with no heat(I got to sit on the icy leather seats) and drove them to school. It's only 5 mins from the house, so it wasn't so bad. But then I had to drive the rest of the 20 mins to work in it. Oh my goodness... it's 27 degrees outside. My toes are STILL frozen...lol
I kept thinking to myself "I am grateful to have a car to drive" I must have repeated that 100 times on my way in to work. And then had to laugh as the heat came on as I was pulling in to the parking lot.
I pray that my van is fixed by the end of the day, the dash light issue is covered by my warrenty and the temp rises throughout the day and that my toes thaw some time soon...lol
Oh a HAPPY note!
The boys finally went back to daycare today after their test day last Friday. They were fantastic! The director was so thrilled that they even got "Good Boy Tickets"!!! That's even better than stickers. When the director called me at the end of the day to tell me the good news, I cringed when I saw the number on my caller id. But she sure made my day with happy news! Perhaps we are at a turning point and settling in. ;o) Praying for more good news today!
Happy Thursday to you all!
But today I am still trying to warm up. Had to take my van in for a pesky dashboard light, and to get it inspected. So I am borrowing my mom's old car. Now my mom isn't all that possession driven, but she LOVED this car. She's had it for years, it's a 1992 Diamate. It was beautiful in it's day. And with 157k miles I am surprised it still runs. The thing is that the heat only works when it wants to, this includes the defrost. So this morning I piled the kids into this frozen car, with no heat(I got to sit on the icy leather seats) and drove them to school. It's only 5 mins from the house, so it wasn't so bad. But then I had to drive the rest of the 20 mins to work in it. Oh my goodness... it's 27 degrees outside. My toes are STILL frozen...lol
I kept thinking to myself "I am grateful to have a car to drive" I must have repeated that 100 times on my way in to work. And then had to laugh as the heat came on as I was pulling in to the parking lot.
I pray that my van is fixed by the end of the day, the dash light issue is covered by my warrenty and the temp rises throughout the day and that my toes thaw some time soon...lol
Oh a HAPPY note!
The boys finally went back to daycare today after their test day last Friday. They were fantastic! The director was so thrilled that they even got "Good Boy Tickets"!!! That's even better than stickers. When the director called me at the end of the day to tell me the good news, I cringed when I saw the number on my caller id. But she sure made my day with happy news! Perhaps we are at a turning point and settling in. ;o) Praying for more good news today!
Happy Thursday to you all!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Wow
Gosh what a day!
What a feeling.
I could not.. still can't... get over what a feeling this inauguration has begun in me.
Did you watch it? Even if you didn't vote for him? I will admit to not being sure he was the right choice... not because I didn't like him, but because our country is in such a state right now it seemed maybe someone with more exerience may handle it better. But I can see that perhaps his fresh approach, his enthusiasm, his ideas, the new ones will be the thing that sets us aright?
I was in awe watching pictures of the Washington DC mall on TV. I have been on that mall, it's pretty stinkin big! And it was packed... and those flags waving. What a sight!!!
The feeling that seemed to permeate the whole place, the news reporters even seemed to have a sense of excitement... real personal, not the 'reporter' excitement. ya know?
I don't remember caring much about hearing the inauguration speeches in the past, or even caring really about the ceremony. But there was this sense of anticipation that I could not get over. I just sat on my couch yesterday glued to the actions thinking I was watching history in the making.
I sure pray this is what we needed to move in to a place of security, of peace, of working together for the greater good.
E sat with me on the sofa during the speech, and while I am sure he didn't really understand it, he sure understood the excitement. He just sat and smiled. lol, N could have cared less...lol He just wanted to eat his lunch. Maybe someday he will understand the importance. ;o)
What a feeling.
I could not.. still can't... get over what a feeling this inauguration has begun in me.
Did you watch it? Even if you didn't vote for him? I will admit to not being sure he was the right choice... not because I didn't like him, but because our country is in such a state right now it seemed maybe someone with more exerience may handle it better. But I can see that perhaps his fresh approach, his enthusiasm, his ideas, the new ones will be the thing that sets us aright?
I was in awe watching pictures of the Washington DC mall on TV. I have been on that mall, it's pretty stinkin big! And it was packed... and those flags waving. What a sight!!!
The feeling that seemed to permeate the whole place, the news reporters even seemed to have a sense of excitement... real personal, not the 'reporter' excitement. ya know?
I don't remember caring much about hearing the inauguration speeches in the past, or even caring really about the ceremony. But there was this sense of anticipation that I could not get over. I just sat on my couch yesterday glued to the actions thinking I was watching history in the making.
I sure pray this is what we needed to move in to a place of security, of peace, of working together for the greater good.
E sat with me on the sofa during the speech, and while I am sure he didn't really understand it, he sure understood the excitement. He just sat and smiled. lol, N could have cared less...lol He just wanted to eat his lunch. Maybe someday he will understand the importance. ;o)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Historic Day
Yesterday was Martin Luther King day, and today we celebrate the inauguration of our first African American President.
I am not going to get all political or anything, I just don't get that into politics. lol No one roast me. I have followed this election, and probably paid more attention to it than any in the past.
I believe I voted my conscience.
No matter your opinion, or views, Barack Obama is our new president. He is now our leader. He is the president of our country, something some thought they would never see.
I found myself emotional about the coverage of this day, as I realized that Obama was paving the way for my children to have something to be proud of. At this time because they weren't born in America they cannot become President, but they can see that if they choose to do something no one thought possible, they just might achieve it. Even my S, who is working towards a law career, can possibly someday grace the office of the most influential person in the world.
I kneel in prayer today that this man chooses to make right decisions. Ones that will bring our country to a place of peace and prosperity. That he chooses to stand for the right, and not necessarily the popular. That the country would embrace him and work together towards unity. I am committed to pray for him and his administration. I look forward to what will become of the coming years.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
God is Good
You know what ... in a time when there is SO much turmoil in the world, I have found myself being in awe of the many ways God blesses me.
In the little things that I used to take for granted. I feel SO full of Him.
I haven't been as faithful as I would like in reading His word, I haven't been as active in church activities as I would like. But I find Him in the little stuff... in the mundane. In the things that others may find silly or minute. I have been finding blessings.
This weekend we have been able to be part of a spiritual teen weekend, it's called Chrysalis, the youth version of Emmaus, an ecumenical spiritual weekend although it's sponsored by the United Methodist Church. We have been involved in Emmaus for almost 10 years so we have a ton of wonderful family in Christ there. Today was a day that we could go help behind the scenes. And I got to watch my daughter join in with the other girls and play dress up and make up, for a special dinner that they do. She was helping to serve. I just love that she's involved. She wasn't sitting in a corner moping because she had to give up her whole afternoon and evening out with friends. She was having a ball, joining in and loving it. She is a child that lives in the world, goes to public school and is surrounded by all things worldly but still chooses to love the Lord and does an amazing job of working for and with Him. Although she is drawn to the world regularly...I am really a proud mom!
And since we have been involved with this community for years my may squeeze, D, who is the guy that can do all... got drafted to help. There's a TON that goes into the weekends logistically, and my husband knows how to get it done. I love that he's the guy that will step up to the plate. He's always been that way. He's the guy that stops on the side of the road to help a person with a flat tire, or push their car out of the way when it breaks down. He's the guy that will talk to anyone and tries to make the frowning grocery store clerk smile. He's the guy that ran to help a guy in a mall parking lot when he had been shot in the head, and held him while he died. He's the guy that is just there. He's not perfect by any means... sheesh boy neither am I but I love that he's the guy to count on. I am so proud to be his wife.
I know this is probably a really self indulgent post, but then again it's my blog...LOL
I just feel like I need to hold on to these times when I feel full. Full of love and joy, and of my Lord. These times when I remember those things that I love about my family and those around me because there are times when the world just seems too big. When dear dear friends lose jobs and businesses, when children are sick with things that at the age of 3 ask if they will ever grow up. Those times that seem like we are all lost. I know that our God allows us to see the good stuff and I want to make sure to notice it. I want to tell my daughter that I am proud of the young lady she is becoming, more than I yell at her for texting (26k this month Aaron). I want my husband to know that I am the luckiest woman in the world to have him for a husband. I want my little sweet boys to know they are gifts, truly gifts from God. I need to tell my oldest that he too is a gift and that I am SO proud to call him son.
Take a minute today and tell someone that you love them. Thank God for allowing them into your life and for giving you another day to tell them what they mean to you.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Cold
Goodness it's cold here!
I know many of you that read this are going to call me a whimp because you live in places that are this cold all the time. But it's in the teens here at the beach. We just don't get this type of cold weather here.
The boys did well yesterday in school. N had fun and was great, such a wonderful helper. E on the other hand is still learning about group activities and how to work as a team. ;o) It was the first day so we are looking forward to growth in them both!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Homework
The boys start preschool again tomorrow and when D went to drop off paperwork and payment they gave him a folder with homework. They have homework every day. oh joy...lol
Hi/Lo Thursday
This post is part of "Hi/Lo Thursday" on Riggs Family Blog (www.riggsfamilyblog.com):
Hi:
I believe the Hi of the week was God's surprising provision of Don finding a 100.00 bill in his jeep. We are struggling financially and needed to pay a bill, and this was certainly "penny's" from heaven. The money was not the joy, the provision was. Thank you God!
Low:
I actually have to think of a low. ;o) I think the low would be watching S navigate through teenagehood and boys. ugh She has recently ended a relationship, that she knew she needed to, but then being the romantic that she is, she decided she had made a wrong choice too late. She actually did make the right choice, but you can't tell a teenager in pain that. ;o) It's tough to watch your child pain.
Blessings to you today!
Hi:
I believe the Hi of the week was God's surprising provision of Don finding a 100.00 bill in his jeep. We are struggling financially and needed to pay a bill, and this was certainly "penny's" from heaven. The money was not the joy, the provision was. Thank you God!
Low:
I actually have to think of a low. ;o) I think the low would be watching S navigate through teenagehood and boys. ugh She has recently ended a relationship, that she knew she needed to, but then being the romantic that she is, she decided she had made a wrong choice too late. She actually did make the right choice, but you can't tell a teenager in pain that. ;o) It's tough to watch your child pain.
Blessings to you today!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Miracles (this one's kinda long ;o))
Some people say that God doesn't do miracles any more. I have to say that I disagree.
We may not see burning bushes or water turned to wine, but I have seen miracles in the last year that have me truly amazed at how He works.
Little miracles like D finding a 100.00 bill in his jeep on a day that we truly needed it. To huge ones like the miraculous change in my son in the 5 short months since he has been home.
Way back when we adopted N we were convinced that we would some day be back to adopt another child. When we began researching this idea again we were sure of the fact that we wanted a waiting child. A child that was waiting for a family. We weren't comfortable with waiting months for a child. Not because of the wait, but we truly felt led to adopt a child that needed us. I am not sure how to convey that in terms that don't sound like we wanted to be saviors, but in a way that we truly felt led to the lost. That's not to say that any child that had lost it's family for whatever reason isn't "lost" or any less in need. But knowing there were children in orphanages waiting with out much hope just tore at our hearts.
We prayed ALOT, we asked for miraculous signs. And God provided them, so we moved forward with a child that was HIV+. It's a personal, HUGE, lifechanging decision. We had all the same concerns other's have. Why? Can we contract it? Would our kids be at risk? How would others perceive us? How would our child act? Would the child we bring home and love die before we're prepared? Can we afford the costs? Will people shun us?
God provided all those answers and provided our miracle son.
If you had seen the picture we received of him when he received his welcome package you would know. We just cried. He was in such bad shape. His illness and some complications had just drained and ravaged his body. I will tell you, and if you were reading back then, you know how very hard it was to see his poor sweet little face.
If we ever needed a miracle from God, this was it. We needed the courage and strength to move forward to jump into the unknowns. We aren't a people of unlimited resources or bank accounts, nor do I have the luxury yet of being able to be a SAHM. We asked God for a miracle and we got it. He provided the money, the time, the people, the resources, the strength, and the glorious friendships that carried us through those first few days and months.
Have you seen our recent pics of him? Do you see anything other than a beautiful precious happy boy? That is nothing short of a miracle. When we fist heard news that he was in the hospital in May our pediatrician told us to be prepared for his death. And now look at his life filled eyes!
At each turn when we weren't sure what to do with ourselves, and where our resources were going to come from. And our Lord has never failed to provide.
Over the last 2 months when we pulled the boys from daycare and had friends come to the house to watch them. We haven't had a day that we were short. We are truly blessed by those that took the time and patience to care for them and provide a stable environment for them in our home. What a miracle it is that it happened at this time when college kids were home, and they needed money, and we needed them. ;o)
What a miracle it is that when D and S were at Kmart they met a woman who directs a daycare in a church that has openings for our boys at a price we can swing? It's close to the house and they are eager to care for N and E. They start Friday.
I could go on and on, but you would be here all day or maybe even week ;o)
I am so very thankful that we have a God that still performs miracles. I pray that I always have my eyes open to His ways so that I never miss them.
We may not see burning bushes or water turned to wine, but I have seen miracles in the last year that have me truly amazed at how He works.
Little miracles like D finding a 100.00 bill in his jeep on a day that we truly needed it. To huge ones like the miraculous change in my son in the 5 short months since he has been home.
Way back when we adopted N we were convinced that we would some day be back to adopt another child. When we began researching this idea again we were sure of the fact that we wanted a waiting child. A child that was waiting for a family. We weren't comfortable with waiting months for a child. Not because of the wait, but we truly felt led to adopt a child that needed us. I am not sure how to convey that in terms that don't sound like we wanted to be saviors, but in a way that we truly felt led to the lost. That's not to say that any child that had lost it's family for whatever reason isn't "lost" or any less in need. But knowing there were children in orphanages waiting with out much hope just tore at our hearts.
We prayed ALOT, we asked for miraculous signs. And God provided them, so we moved forward with a child that was HIV+. It's a personal, HUGE, lifechanging decision. We had all the same concerns other's have. Why? Can we contract it? Would our kids be at risk? How would others perceive us? How would our child act? Would the child we bring home and love die before we're prepared? Can we afford the costs? Will people shun us?
God provided all those answers and provided our miracle son.
If you had seen the picture we received of him when he received his welcome package you would know. We just cried. He was in such bad shape. His illness and some complications had just drained and ravaged his body. I will tell you, and if you were reading back then, you know how very hard it was to see his poor sweet little face.
If we ever needed a miracle from God, this was it. We needed the courage and strength to move forward to jump into the unknowns. We aren't a people of unlimited resources or bank accounts, nor do I have the luxury yet of being able to be a SAHM. We asked God for a miracle and we got it. He provided the money, the time, the people, the resources, the strength, and the glorious friendships that carried us through those first few days and months.
Have you seen our recent pics of him? Do you see anything other than a beautiful precious happy boy? That is nothing short of a miracle. When we fist heard news that he was in the hospital in May our pediatrician told us to be prepared for his death. And now look at his life filled eyes!
At each turn when we weren't sure what to do with ourselves, and where our resources were going to come from. And our Lord has never failed to provide.
Over the last 2 months when we pulled the boys from daycare and had friends come to the house to watch them. We haven't had a day that we were short. We are truly blessed by those that took the time and patience to care for them and provide a stable environment for them in our home. What a miracle it is that it happened at this time when college kids were home, and they needed money, and we needed them. ;o)
What a miracle it is that when D and S were at Kmart they met a woman who directs a daycare in a church that has openings for our boys at a price we can swing? It's close to the house and they are eager to care for N and E. They start Friday.
I could go on and on, but you would be here all day or maybe even week ;o)
I am so very thankful that we have a God that still performs miracles. I pray that I always have my eyes open to His ways so that I never miss them.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Joys of Boys
I haven't had the camera out much recently, although that doesn't mean the boys aren't being too much fun. ;o) I will try to be better.
It's fun to watch the boys play...most of the time. ;o) They have such great little imaginations, it's fun to see what they will come up with.
Here are some 'fun' things the boys have said recently that make me smile.
This morning the first thing N said to me was that he wanted a flute. Not knowing where in the world this came from, I asked him why. He said that because all the kids on TV had muscial instruments, he wanted one too. I asked him why he wanted a flute, and he said cause it makes pretty noise. He must have been watching Little Einsteins...lol He loves music so I can see him playing an instrument and loving it. I guess we will see what we can do.
E loves music too, yesteday he got out a CD that has some hymns and contemporary songs on it and wanted to listen to it. He began to shake his tiny litle butt. How fun that he thinks he can shake his butt to some good ole Jesus music. ;o)
Last night they were watching Disney, sitting next to each other on the couch, E was thoroughly enjoying himself. Ever once in a while he would burst out laughing and touch N on the arm exclaiming "Funny!"
Yesterday S had a stomach ache, she gets them when she's stressed. And her weekend included some stress over a boy (ugh!) Anyway, E and I were at the dinner table while he finished his dinner. S was laying on the couch. E says "S belly hurt?" I told him it did. E then says "Why?" (the new ever present word) I said "She stressed. Eric did it" E was then very perplexed. I just laughed. I wish you could see his confused look, it's the cutest thing. It's as if you wrote the word "huh?" on his face. SO cute!
Things are settling down quite a bit at the house. The boys are settling in together. I think this time at home with only each other to play with has given them time to bond. N is feeling much better about his place in the world, and is behaving much better. E is settilng into being a brother, although he still has difficulty sharing his things. He has the quintesential toddler attitude. What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine. He's not really interested in sharing his things, but gets very upset of N dosn't share his things. It makes for some issues. But for the most part they play really well together. I think other than the sharing issues, N really loves having a someone to play with.
We are still working on getting them into a new daycare setting, but working on it slowly. We pray that we set them in the proper place that they can both grow and learn. Where they can each have friends, and still enjoy seeing each other some.
Will you pray with us that the transition goes smoothly and the boys do well? Thank you!
It's fun to watch the boys play...most of the time. ;o) They have such great little imaginations, it's fun to see what they will come up with.
Here are some 'fun' things the boys have said recently that make me smile.
This morning the first thing N said to me was that he wanted a flute. Not knowing where in the world this came from, I asked him why. He said that because all the kids on TV had muscial instruments, he wanted one too. I asked him why he wanted a flute, and he said cause it makes pretty noise. He must have been watching Little Einsteins...lol He loves music so I can see him playing an instrument and loving it. I guess we will see what we can do.
E loves music too, yesteday he got out a CD that has some hymns and contemporary songs on it and wanted to listen to it. He began to shake his tiny litle butt. How fun that he thinks he can shake his butt to some good ole Jesus music. ;o)
Last night they were watching Disney, sitting next to each other on the couch, E was thoroughly enjoying himself. Ever once in a while he would burst out laughing and touch N on the arm exclaiming "Funny!"
Yesterday S had a stomach ache, she gets them when she's stressed. And her weekend included some stress over a boy (ugh!) Anyway, E and I were at the dinner table while he finished his dinner. S was laying on the couch. E says "S belly hurt?" I told him it did. E then says "Why?" (the new ever present word) I said "She stressed. Eric did it" E was then very perplexed. I just laughed. I wish you could see his confused look, it's the cutest thing. It's as if you wrote the word "huh?" on his face. SO cute!
Things are settling down quite a bit at the house. The boys are settling in together. I think this time at home with only each other to play with has given them time to bond. N is feeling much better about his place in the world, and is behaving much better. E is settilng into being a brother, although he still has difficulty sharing his things. He has the quintesential toddler attitude. What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine. He's not really interested in sharing his things, but gets very upset of N dosn't share his things. It makes for some issues. But for the most part they play really well together. I think other than the sharing issues, N really loves having a someone to play with.
We are still working on getting them into a new daycare setting, but working on it slowly. We pray that we set them in the proper place that they can both grow and learn. Where they can each have friends, and still enjoy seeing each other some.
Will you pray with us that the transition goes smoothly and the boys do well? Thank you!
Great News!
I found out yesterday that Little Miss Hope has a new mommy and daddy! It's an ideal situation because the parents already have their paperwork in China so she won't have long to wait before she gets to come home!!!
Thank you all for your prayers!
Thank you all for your prayers!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Sweet moments
Today was a good day.
My boys were playing nicely almost all day. ;o) Those of you with multiple children know what a wonderful thing this is. ;o)
At one point the boys were in their play room and I was in another room, but sitting so I could watch them. As I watched I was in awe of their interactions.
E is still learning English, and as was mentioning earlier, he usually says 1 or 2 words and then we complete the thought for him. He and N were playing this way. E would say a word and N would complete the sentence. Like E would say "Truck" and N would say "The truck is a monster?" and E would say "yeah". N is such a good brother when he's not antagonizing...lol As I believe can be said for most older brothers. ;o)
I sat for a good half an hour folding laundry and other chores in view of them and just marveled at their imaginations, and how they shared them with each other. Like they had been together for 4 years instead of 4 months.
Later this evening I was in the kitchen getting things ready for dinner when E randomly walked into the kitchen and said "Mommy? Uv you!" (love you) I said "I love you too E" He then said "tank you". I then scooped him up and squeezed him tight and said "No, thank YOU".
Just before walking in here to post, S was on the phone with someone sitting on the floor in the dining room...I made a comment, she laughed and as I was walking away I heard her say "My mom's funny, I love her".
These are the moments that make mommy-hood one of my favorite things in life. My life that is Better than Good! Thank you God!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Best laid plans
I have started this year with new resolve... not resolutions... but resolve. To improve my life. Well, physically and spiritually.
And so far... not doing so great...lol
I have had this cough for like 6 weeks, I haven't felt bad, just kept trying to cough up a lung. On one occasion I thought I actually did. lol
But right as the new year started and I was excited about beginning working out again and being more careful about what I eat... BAM my cough turns into a whole body ickyness. Wouldn't you know it???!!! So there I am trying to walk with Leslie Sansone, and all I am doing is alternating between walking and hacking. SO not fun.
I decided to get to the Dr and make sure there wasn't anything really wrong with me. I also had some outside prodding...lol
I have a virus, I just have "what everyone else has". This isn't the crowd I wanted to follow. ;o(
My husband keeps giving me a hard time about making plans and then not following through. gggrrrr While I know means well, and is trying to be encouraging, I am trying hard not to bonk him on the head. Pray for me. ;o)
I am still resloved, I AM going to get into better shape, I AM going to work out as soon as I feel like my lungs are firmly attached again and I AM going to get up earlier to study the Word and exercise, as soon as my night time medicine doesn't make me feel as if my head, arms and legs have been attached to 50 lb weights.
And so far... not doing so great...lol
I have had this cough for like 6 weeks, I haven't felt bad, just kept trying to cough up a lung. On one occasion I thought I actually did. lol
But right as the new year started and I was excited about beginning working out again and being more careful about what I eat... BAM my cough turns into a whole body ickyness. Wouldn't you know it???!!! So there I am trying to walk with Leslie Sansone, and all I am doing is alternating between walking and hacking. SO not fun.
I decided to get to the Dr and make sure there wasn't anything really wrong with me. I also had some outside prodding...lol
I have a virus, I just have "what everyone else has". This isn't the crowd I wanted to follow. ;o(
My husband keeps giving me a hard time about making plans and then not following through. gggrrrr While I know means well, and is trying to be encouraging, I am trying hard not to bonk him on the head. Pray for me. ;o)
I am still resloved, I AM going to get into better shape, I AM going to work out as soon as I feel like my lungs are firmly attached again and I AM going to get up earlier to study the Word and exercise, as soon as my night time medicine doesn't make me feel as if my head, arms and legs have been attached to 50 lb weights.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Hope
I have been made aware of a sweet little girl in China that needs a home.
Her information is here.
If you are interested please contact Erin, whose info is on her site.
If you aren't in a position to adopt will you please pray for her and her new family, whomever they may be? God has a plan for this precious child! I look forward to seeing her in a home very soon!!!
I tell you I would scoop her up in a second...lol
Smart kid!
E is the cutest kid!
He surprises us all the time ;o)
We are still trying to determine his proper age, as our inital paperwork stated he was born in 2005 but his legal paperwork now says 2004. So technically he is currently older than N. WE think not. ;o)
But then E will pull a trick out of his hat that makes us wonder.
This past week we have played 2 board games. One was Chutes and Ladders, and the other was Candy Land. N is still working on getting the directions down for both...and he's a pretty smart cookie as well. But E just caught on and jumped right into play.
I have no clue if they have Candy Land in ET, he didn't seem to recognize it when we brought it out. But he enjoyed telling us the colors, if there were 1 or 2 on the card, and where he was supposed to go.
With Chutes and Ladders he also jumped right in and followed the concept. He and N are both pretty poor losers...LOL But then I am not sure I know anyone who enjoys losing, especially a 4 yr old.
E has only been home for about 4 months, and he's already recognizing many colors, learning to count, and his vocabulary is growing daily. His newest word is "Why?" (insert rolled eyes here) The thing is that he doesn't always understand the answer we give him... that or he doesn't like it...lol
As he's learning we are having fun communicating. He pretty much understands what we say, although his accent still has us guessing at some of his words... or he will give a one or 2 word clue then a gesture and we can pretty much figure out what he's trying to tell us.
He has pretty amazing fine motor skills, ie: he can color within the lines on fairly small pictures and can tie things together, even on the back of his head.
But then there are the moments where he is very much like a baby, he does this interesting reverting behavior. It's very cute, and we love to cuddle with him when he does it, but it's the thing that makes us think he's younger.
I love that we get to learn new things with him, and watch him grow, watch him learn and see how much he's blossomed.
We are SO blessed with both boys. Thank you God!
He surprises us all the time ;o)
We are still trying to determine his proper age, as our inital paperwork stated he was born in 2005 but his legal paperwork now says 2004. So technically he is currently older than N. WE think not. ;o)
But then E will pull a trick out of his hat that makes us wonder.
This past week we have played 2 board games. One was Chutes and Ladders, and the other was Candy Land. N is still working on getting the directions down for both...and he's a pretty smart cookie as well. But E just caught on and jumped right into play.
I have no clue if they have Candy Land in ET, he didn't seem to recognize it when we brought it out. But he enjoyed telling us the colors, if there were 1 or 2 on the card, and where he was supposed to go.
With Chutes and Ladders he also jumped right in and followed the concept. He and N are both pretty poor losers...LOL But then I am not sure I know anyone who enjoys losing, especially a 4 yr old.
E has only been home for about 4 months, and he's already recognizing many colors, learning to count, and his vocabulary is growing daily. His newest word is "Why?" (insert rolled eyes here) The thing is that he doesn't always understand the answer we give him... that or he doesn't like it...lol
As he's learning we are having fun communicating. He pretty much understands what we say, although his accent still has us guessing at some of his words... or he will give a one or 2 word clue then a gesture and we can pretty much figure out what he's trying to tell us.
He has pretty amazing fine motor skills, ie: he can color within the lines on fairly small pictures and can tie things together, even on the back of his head.
But then there are the moments where he is very much like a baby, he does this interesting reverting behavior. It's very cute, and we love to cuddle with him when he does it, but it's the thing that makes us think he's younger.
I love that we get to learn new things with him, and watch him grow, watch him learn and see how much he's blossomed.
We are SO blessed with both boys. Thank you God!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Jesus Tuh-day?
So N LOVES to sing songs about Jesus Christ... he makes them up. Some he has heard before and others he makes up in his sweet little head. His favorite time to sing them is in the van when we are all together.
Yesterday we were in the van and he was singing one of his creations when E says "Jesus?" to which we said, yes he's singing about Jesus. "Jesus loves you!"
He smiled and then he says "Jesus?! Tuh-day?"
Translated are we seeing Jesus today?
We kind of laughed, because while we would LOVE to see our Lord, we aren't ready to see Jesus today. :o) Too many things to do here, yet.
So again today he asks "Jesus, Tuh-day?" So we told him we were going to Jesus' house, church.
He was very confused.... he wasn't buying that church was Jesus' house.
Guess we have some work to do.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Funny how things happen
My friend Cindy shared a story with me this morning that reminded me of something that happened last year that had a profound effect on our lives.
Last February we were still wondering what we were going to do with our adoption when I got a very interesting phone call.
It was a Friday and I was in Bj's shopping when my cell phone rang. It was our social worker, she said they had a situation that they wanted to run past us. Now I have heard of people getting phone calls from their social worker like this ... something totally out of the blue that ended up what really cool consequences... so I braced myself.
There was a woman with a condition that we were open to, that was pregnant with twins, due within the week and she was going to place for adoption but they didn't have a family waiting open to this condition.
I had to grip my cart to steady myself. So many thoughts swirled in my head. TWINS! A boy and a girl. I have always wanted twins, I dreamed about them when I was little and prayed both times I was pregnant that I would have twins. This was the best of both worlds, twins AND each gender!!!
I told her that I would pray about it and speak to my husband about the possibility. My head was spinning with all the thoughts that go through your head when someone tells you this news. Could we afford all the things we would need in a week to accommodate twins? Could we get cribs, clothes, did I have enough time off work at this point, could we handle twins?
Our agency was willing to do some serious hoop jumping if we decided that we wanted these babies. And can I tell you I wanted nothing more that these 2 children at that moment.
As it turned out our church's women's conference was that weekend as well. So D and I discussed and then committed to praying about it over the weekend. I then began to obsess...lol I was rooming with a dear friend... and thank you God she's still my dear friend because I know I drove her batty with my musings and desire to know God's plan in this situation...lol
The first 2 days of the conference I prayed and wondered. I spoke to the pastor's facilitating the conference and talked about it with my friend. On the last day of the conference I was no closer to an answer when during one of the talk's the pastor said something that felt like God speaking right to me. All of a sudden I just stopped wondering, I just knew those babies weren't mine. That there was a little boy in Ethiopia that was waiting for me. I could almost see his face in that moment. I knew there would be a family that needed those babies, and that those babies needed another family. I was immediately calm. All the angst I had put myself in was for nothing. God had my answer all along, I just wrestled WAY to hard with my own desires and wants. I had always dreamed of twins... and so many things about this story seemed like they pointed to these babies being ours.
The funny thing is that my husband at home wasn't at all swayed from our original plan to get our son from Ethiopia. He was relieved that I didn't come home and tell him that I wanted those babies.
God then did show us our son, he was waiting for us, and he's now home with us.
Funny how things happen. ;o)
(those babies did find a home ;o)
Saturday
It's been a relatively uneventful week. Which is a good thing ;o)
The boys have been busy playing at home with S. She is off school for Christmas break so she has been watching them for a few hours during the day. I have enjoyed some time off with them as well.
I think this time at home has really helped N with his need to grab attention any way possible. He still has some over the top tantrums sometimes, but he's settling down. He much more easily re-directed and the tantrums are much more controllable. Thank you for your prayers, they are working!!
Yesterday my parents took the boys and my niece out for a fun day. At first I was a little nervous, but they were great apparently. ;o) They went to Barnes and Noble to choose a book and a stuffed toy each and then to a pizza place for lunch. The Barnes and Noble had a train center and the boys LOVED it! N was determined to find a beautiful princess book for my niece, and he did, however she's more into bugs and dinosaurs...lol
My parents were encouraged by the great outing and may do it again. I am so blessed to have them close by so that they can do those things.
S goes back to school on Monday. I know she's really not looking forward to it...lol I remember those days, but she has had a full vacation. She has been watching the boys some, but she also had sleepovers and outings. She's one busy chicky.... Now that the boyfriend is out of the picture (thank you Lord) she is noticing her surroundings again. I am praying that God will use this time to help her fill her head with Him instead of boys and other pursuits. Only HE can fulfill that...lol
I have been reminded over and over again this week of the presence and power of our Lord. So many little prayers that I have asked for, and the big ones have been answered. Erin heard great news about her son, Abby is currently home with her family, my friend with health concerns is doing well, and even had some prayers answered sooner than we thought, my boys are growing and calming, I didn't ask for this one, but God is helping with some finances that we were concerned about, in ways we weren't even considering. Love it when He does that!! ;o)
Thank you for being a part of those prayers! Life is Better than Good!
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