Gone for the week...

We are all packed. Well other than bathroom essentials that will be thrown together in the morning.

Got the new swim suit...blech... talk about motivation for getting ready for summer!...LOL

You all have a blessed week.  Talk to you when we get back.

oh and say a little prayer for our dogs, our oldest and our friend J will be watching the house while we are gone.  oh my! ;o)

Disney HERE WE COME!

2 days till Disney!

oh my goodness!

What a crazy couple of days.  

Washing clothes, and more clothes, and making lists of things to pack.  

Budgeting money, making reservations.

Calming N.

Rejoicing with E.  

Making last minute plans for the house while we are gone.

We got a call from Give Kids the World today to confirm that we are coming and that we are to meet a greeter and get our mini van.  Oh how exciting that was!  I am not sure who is more excited now me or E?!

Have to do some last minute shopping tomorrow.  Tried on my bathing suit...... need I say more?!  ugh!

Mom came over tonight to bring us fun little to go bags.  And some treats.  My mom is the greatest she thinks of all the great stuff.

I am looking forward to some get away down time with my family.  Just fun!  And then getting to hug my Erin!  Oh by the way wish her a happy birthday, today is the day!

Say a little prayer for us as we travel.  Talk to you soon! :o)

Let's Party!

My niece... check out the blue lips ;o)
Cause I love this face!

And look Z showed up again!  YAY
My beautiful S...
My mom and her Gk's


E loves to laugh at N... is he too cute or what?!

Say cheese!
The name has been altered to protect the innocent...lol

5 Days till Disney!!!!!  

Please Help

Two days ago I wrote of the devastating news that Ethiopia and most importantly Ethiopia's children had lost an incredible angel, Mrs Haregewoin Tefferra.

She ran an orphanage for mostly HIV+ children and now they have to be taken care of quickly. An organization from NY has stepped up to take custody and sort through paper work but they need help. They have assumed full custody of the 42 HIV+ kids are prepared to take responsibility for the 17 HIV- children.  Most of these children are babies and toddlers.

Please follow this link to see how you can help.

Even if you are unable to help financially please pray for these children.

ONE WEEK!!

We have had such fun planning for our trip. And are a little apprehensive. ;o)

The boys ask every day if they can count the days until we leave to go to Disney. We have a large calendar on the wall that I have been crossing days off of so they can see how close we are. I have written "Disney" in huge letters on the 26th and then Daddy's birthday on the 31st. They are excited for both. We have told them we think we will be doing ice cream sundae's for Daddy's breakfast that day. I know I know... indulgent, but when the ice cream parlor opens at 730A.M.... how do you resist? ;o)

We talk about the things they will see and get to do. E wants to hold a Dolphin at Sea World. We think he may change his mind once he ses one. He's not thrilled with the idea of feeding fish to them though...lol He thinks it's "no nice"... still working on explaining that one. ;o) He asks about the airplane and Rocket and Buzz and the rides. He wants to go swimming and see the animals. I can't wait to see his little face when he gets to finally see all the things he's been imagining!

N has been losing his listening ears again more frequently so we are a little apprehensive about the trip with him. This is big stuff and big stimulation so we are trying to prepare him and ourselves for a good time. Letting go of the things we can and being firm on the things we have to....all while keeping consistent. He totally gets the concepts, when we talk to him and get him to explain things about his behaviors and why he does them... what he was feeling and how he may better react. He can repeat back the rules and all the right answers. Now if we can get him to remember those when he's in the throws of not listening that would be AWESOME! ;o)

We have been able to better handle his tantrums so that's a wonderful thing, they aren't as out of control and can be calmed much more easily. I believe he is finally getting the concept that he misses more when he crashes than if he calms quickly. ;o) It's a hard concept for a 4 yr old. Shucks it's a hard concept for an almost 40 yr old. I am still reading "How to Behave so Your Preschooler Will too..." I LOVE this book, it's so changed the way I think and react to things. Maybe it's helping him too? ;o) Will you pray for us all while we are on our trip? ;o)

A little funny: We are going to eat at the NASCAR cafe at Universal Studio's for daddy's birthday the last night we are there. Erin's family will be eating with us so I called to make reservations. The group sales person asked how many checks we would have for our 18 people. I told her only 2 checks because there were only 2 sets of parents and 14 kids. There was a pause....... I just laughed. I'll bet it's the first request like that that she's gotten. ;o) I love it.

I can't wait to see them!!! I know this will be the trip of a life time for all involved.

Sad News

If you have not read the book There is No Me Without You, you are really missing out.  I read it about 2 years ago and it changed my life.

Today I read that the woman who the book is based on passed away.  Her name was Hargewoin Teffera.  Please take a minute and pray for all those touched by her life and those that will be touched by her death.  SO sad.

Huh?

So what do you take to a Spanish class food function?

German Chocolate cupcakes....? I think I should be worried about S's report card...lol

oh and ...YAY! 10 days till Disney!

ETA: So S has corrected me. This wasn't for Spanish class, it was for the language classes getting together today for a party. She certainly gets an A+ for effort and taste, because of course daddy and I had to taste test them. ;o) Super YUMMY!

Random fun...

Some fun with the boys...

Look Z exsists! He came over for dinner on Thursday.  He and the boys played for more than an our with K'nex.  Z and N have very similar brains, it was so fun to watch.

E loves his tricycle.  When he came home in August his feet didn't reach the pedals.

I think he's grown. ;o)

 

N was busy inside watching TV this afternoon. ;o)

Security...

A year ago today my father had a heart attack. The funny thing is that he was in New Orleans on business didn't know he was having one, drove himself to the airport and came home.
He awoke my mom in the middle of the night and told her to take him to the hospital. And today he is in New Orleans again. A little disconcerting.

He ended up having semi-emergency quadruple by-pass surgery. I say semi-emergency because they had to wait a couple of days with him in CICU to get it scheduled. It's very strange to see your father, this man with all the strength and authority, reduced to tears over the possibility of his end here on earth. My dad and I have never been best friends, we don't often see eye to eye on things when oddly enough we are very much alike. ;o) But at this time of fear he became the dad I always thought I would have been able to really truly love.

He lived through his surgery, recovered, and is back to his same old self, still not my best friend, but still my dad whom I love.

His heart issues and subesequent surgery came about 3 months after the passing of my father in law in November. I wasn't sure how to process the possibility of yet another loss of a father.

It was in that time that I was reminded of the promise I have in my Heavenly father. My heavenly father isn't going away. He will always be there. While I may not always agree with Him...lol... He is always right! He is my very best friend, He loves me no matter what, even when He's disappointed in me. He offers me forgiveness and unfailing love. He is my security. He will never get frail or sick, He will never look on me with distain or anger... I know He gets disappointed but that doesn't shake His love for me.

In this time when the economy is in the dumps, people are losing jobs, money is tight, jobs aren't secure, people are fearful and depressed. We have a security that we can count on. We may lose our jobs, or loved ones or our health, but we will never lose the love and grace of our Lord.

Just the other day I read that more and more people in the US state that they have no religion or don't believe in a "God". Ugh! How sad is that? In a time when we should be turning to Him for strength and a solid foundation people are turning away. Wonder if they blame God instead of the Wall Street dudes for the mess we are in financially?

I find my security in the fact that all this junk that happens here on earth is temporary. Like the Jeremy Camp song on my playlist, I love that there is will come a day with no more pain, no more tears, no more sorrow, no more pain....

Some day all those I love will pass.... I pray that I get to see them ALL in heaven.

Let the little children come to me

N: Momma what does God look like?
Me: What do you think God looks like?
N: People. Momma I want to pray that God helps me use my listening ears.
Me: (standing in the door of the van helping him out to go into daycare) ok, let's pray.

So there we stood in the parking lot in the van praying.

N: Thank you momma, but you used too many words.

LOL... ok note to self, use less words when praying with N.

Hey I won!

I hardly ever win stuff, and today I found out that I won this fantastic gift!!

I really enjoy reading Lisa's Blog as she fills me with inspiration, and reminders to think of others.  She is truly a woman of God!  And He is using her in some pretty awesome ways!

Thank you Lisa!!!

Love ya

Beautiful Day!

We had so much fun outside today...

Just stuff...

It's been a good week. LOL now that I've said that I will be getting a call with an issue....lol I tell you it's like some weird blog curse, that when I think things are going great and I post it, something happens...lol

I would like to ask for prayer for my D. He's been working ever night for almost 3 weeks without time off. In this time when jobs are so perilous we are more than blessed that he is employed, but I think there's got to be some kind of happy medium. He generally works from 9 pm until 7am and then gets about 6 1/2 hours sleep when he then has to get up and get the boys from Daycare. That makes for a tired, worn out, grumpy man. And understandibly so. The bummer is that there's no shift diferential, he's salary so there's also no over time. We have really missed him around the house.

The boys are getting excited about Disney. We have made a big calendar and are marking off the days. E goes to it, points and says "Disney?!" So funny.

We have been working on making some changes around the house with N. I was at the library the other day with the boys and I picked up this book on a whim. It's called "How to Behave so Your Preschooler Will, too!" Author Sal Severe, Ph.D. It's a great book so far and I am not even to chapter 4 yet. They concepts I have known, but are fantastic reminder's. Part of what this guy says is that kids generally fall under different types of temperments. And then he described them. It was like he was describing N! It was a little creepy...lol 2 of the temperments were him to a T! He discusses that once we get a handle on the type of temperment a child has we can then figure out how to work with it rather than against it. Well, duh, why didn't I think of that?! N is energetic and persistant... he's got a TON of energy and has a difficult time transitioning. These are things I knew, but reading this and realizing that I was RE-acting, instead of PRO-acting has been a great lesson. We have been trying to be proactive in letting him know what to expect as well as what is coming, but haven't been very consistent. We truly need to get better at that. I have seen a difference already just in trying to anticipate his triggers. Having D gone, or sleeping, or trying to be sociable cause he's so overwhelmed it's been kind of hard to get him on board with me. But I am determined, and I know he is too...lol I have also pulled out my Power of a Praying Parent book, D and I are praying specific prayers over the kids together. I know God can help us ALL learn and grow through this time.

E has been great. He's learning more each day. Talking so much more, and using more sentences...lol He uses a bunch of 2 and 3 word phrases to get his point across and he's trying SO hard to figure out how to speak 'properly'. It's so great to watch. He's SUCH a trooper. It's amazing to think that less than a year ago we were told he would probably not live and in 3 weeks he's going to be with us in Disney! We have an amazing God! He's also growing by leaps and bounds. When he came home we had to get 18month -24 month clothes and the jeans had to have the adjustable waist.... now he's in a solid 2T and some 3T. Must be all the hotdogs he's eating. That kid is going to turn into a hotgog...lol

This weekend is going to be sunny and in the 70's I hope to get pics of the boys while we are out. And if S is around, maybe I can catch her too.... of course if there is a camera out she's ready to pose so that shouldn't be too much of an issue. ;o) Silly girl.

Oh, one more prayer request. I have an aunt in Hebron for what looks like will be the month of March. She is on a peace keeping trip. She's one gutsy woman! Thank you for keeping her lifted.

Words

Today was a good day.

This morning N was helping Daddy feed the dogs when I hear: "Daddy we make a good team!" ;o)

E said his first full English sentence tonight. "Mommy, open it please." So I woohoo'd and said he was learning and getting so smart.  To which he then said "Listen! School." meaning... 'I listen in school.  duh!"  lol

Gotta love it!  I have some pretty amazing boys!

And my other 2 are pretty stinkin awesome too!  yep, life is better than good.

Tuesday

Hey ya'll,

It's been a crazy kind of weekend so I haven't really had time to get online.

D is still working nights, he's been working the past 14 or so nights in a row. It stinks! He's not getting a large amount of sleep during the day either. It was fun trying to keep the boys quiet and inside while daddy was trying to sleep.

Saturday I got to go hang with some amazing women as we began training for the upcoming Emmaus weekend that I will get to help facilitate. I love being in a room full of beautiful women that love God and want to work for him and with him.

I took the boys to the library to get some books and rent some Disney movies! WOOHOO 23 more days! We rented Tinkerbell, Little Mermaid, and Dumbo. It's been a ton of years since I watched Dumbo, and can I just say who ever wrote is must have had some kind of acid trip duting part of it. Cause it was just bizarre...lol


Sunday I was able to talk to the person at church that will be my liason with the mission committee. We talked about going to Ghana and a little bit of my hopes for the trip and he's very interested. I am very excited. I have also been talking to my contact in Ghana about what we can be doing. I can't wait to be able to move forward. Summer 2010 seems like it's SO far away.


Speaking of Ghana read Erin's post here.
The agency we used to adopt E is now working with an orphanage in Ghana that helps HIV+ kids. It's the area we hope to go visit with the church. It's a wonderful organization, and the kids are beautiful. Of course I think all the kids are beautiful! And of course there are still the waiting children in Ethiopia. That alone just breaks my heart. I look at my E and think about him still sitting in the orphanage, possibly ill or dying at this point. The kids are very well cared for at AHOPE, don't get me wrong. But they have limited resources and when they get really sick sometimes there just anything else for them to do. These kids deserve to be loved and hugged and kissed and tucked in at night.

Please pray for them. And for the parents that hear God's call to step up and love them.

Have a beautiful day! Blessings