Buns, Bells and Baby dolls

Buns...

My middle child LOVES to play video games. I can't tell you how many times I hear "Mommy, can I play Wii?" in any given day.

He's not quite as fond of clothing. Often he wears just enough to cover his buns. 

This is how I found him the other afternoon.

Bells...

I love the sound of the Salvation Army bell ringing outside stores...so do my kids! We never pass that red bucket without making a donation. I think it's a wonderful opportunity to teach children about the importance and the joy of giving.

Baby dolls...

[An open letter to Walmart]

Dear Walmart,

I shopped at your store tonight. I was in the market for a baby doll...one with beautiful brown skin. Your shelves were well stocked and there was a variety of dolls to choose from. Some of the dolls talked, some of the dolls walked, some came with accessories, some had a twin. But not a single doll was brown. I stood there...shocked. Then I looked around at the other shoppers. Many of them...most of them had brown skin. It just doesn't make sense to me. I'm so disappointed...so sad. I, and I'm sure many other mommies, would appreciate it if you would adjust your inventory. I'm bringing a little Ethiopian princess home to her forever family and she's going to need some baby dolls!

Gingerbread Fun...

Every Christmas, our family decorates a gingerbread house. It's one of our favorite traditions!

We start with lots of colorful, sweet decorations.

Then we all wait patiently while Daddy puts the icing on the house. He's a real pro at this!

The boys make a plan for decorating the roof of the house.

Finally...the decorating begins!

Mommy takes lots of pictures...

The final product?

A beautiful gingerbread house.

A fun evening with family.

And tummies full of candy!

Sleepy Thoughts and A Happy Heart...

It's past 2AM. Everyone is asleep...everyone but me.

At 4:00 yesterday afternoon, all I wanted was to crawl in my bed and sleep until morning. While watching TV with Kyle tonight, I fell asleep more than once. But now...when I actually have the chance to sleep and should be sleeping...I can't. 

So instead of just laying in bed thinking about sleep, I'm here. Sitting on the couch in our very dark family room, writing about sleep. I hope to be actually sleeping shortly after this post is written. We'll see.

Let me start with a quick adoption update...

Last Saturday, we had our first home study interview with our social worker. It went really, really well. For some reason, I had prepared myself for an interrogation. Something formal...intimidating. It wasn't that way at all. It was a very casual, comfortable conversation. She asked us questions and we were able to ask her questions too. We were given valuable information and insight. 

Our next interviews are scheduled for Friday, December 17th. Kyle and I will meet with the social worker individually this time. I'll go first...at 1:00. Then at 3:00 it will be Kyle's turn.

And now for the post I really sat down to write...

I often quote Proverbs 15:13 to my little ones. It says...A happy heart makes the face cheerful. Let me just tell you...I love this verse! It's a great reminder to find happiness, joy, contentment not in our circumstances, but in what God has done for us. It also reminds us that the expression on our face should be evidence of the joy in our heart.

God has made my heart happy and my face cheerful in so many ways recently. Some were small things, some were silly and some were incredibly powerful. Here are a few...

Olivia, who is 2, likes to tell me secrets. Several times this week, she put her head very close to mine, cupped her little hand around her mouth and whispered with her precious lisp, "Sthecret!". That's it...her secret is "secret". Makes me giggle every time!

Last Sunday, one of the couples in my parent's Bible fellowship class gave my mom an envelope and asked her to give it to me. When I opened the envelope later that afternoon, I found a generous financial contribution to our adoption. The generosity of this couple that Kyle and I have never met overwhelmed my heart with gratitude and made me smile through tears of joy!

After a long day at work, I found a large Diet Dr. Pepper from Sonic (my favorite) waiting for me on my front porch. A precious friend of mine knew how tired I was and left the special treat there for me. Her thoughtfulness warmed my heart and I smiled with every sip!

And, finally...the kids have been playing "Christmas" lately. Olivia always plays the role of Mary and one of my boys...usually Evan...plays the role of Joseph. The other morning, Evan was pushing Olivia throughout the house in a toy shopping cart. (When you don't have an actual donkey, a shopping cart will do...right?) After watching them for a few minutes, I asked, "Where are you going?". Evan replied, "We're going to Bethlehem to count."

So cute and so funny how their little minds learn and process...and sometimes misunderstand...things. The blessing of being a mommy to my three little ones...that makes my heart happy and my face cheerful!

Now...it's time for bed. Night night, y'all!

Home Study

At 10AM on Saturday morning, Kyle and I will meet with our social worker for the first of four home study interviews.

We're excited! Until now our adoption journey has been all about gathering documents, completing forms...lots and lots of paperwork. This is the first time we'll sit face to face with someone. 

We're also a little nervous.

Prayers are very much appreciated!

Come, Thou Fount...

Hubby has the day off. We're enjoying a lazy morning at home.

In a little while, Kyle and Evan will go have lunch with Joshua at school. Olivia and I are going to run some errands. If you ask her, she'll tell you that she's going to "hang out" with Mommy.

Tonight we'll head to church to watch Evan sing in the preschool choir performance. Can't even tell you how excited we are about this!

I sang the hymn below with my church family Sunday morning. I'm still singing it today...might just be my favorite!

Have a blessed Monday!

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Calls for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet,

Sung by flaming tongues above.

Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it

Mount of thy redeeming love.

Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,

Till released from flesh and sin,

Yet from what I do inherit,

Here Thy praises I’ll begin;

Here I raise my Ebenezer;

Here by Thy great help I’ve come;

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,

Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God;

He, to rescue me from danger,

Interposed His precious blood;

How His kindness yet pursues me

Mortal tongue can never tell,

Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me

I cannot proclaim it well.

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above.

O that day when freed from sinning,

I shall see Thy lovely face;

Clothed then in blood washed linen

How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;

Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,

Take my ransomed soul away;

Send thine angels now to carry

Me to realms of endless day.

Scraps...

On Thursday afternoon, I sat in my parents' dining room and stared at what remained on my Thanksgiving dinner plate.

A small strip of turkey...

A bite of broccoli cheese casserole...

A spoonful of mashed potatoes...

A few crumbs of a dinner roll...

Scraps.

The meal was over. Family members were moving on to other areas of the house. The clean-up was about to begin. But I couldn't think about the dishes or the pumpkin pie to come.

As I looked at the scraps on my plate, all I could see was
the gaunt faces
the swollen bellies
the pleading little hands
of hungry children all over the world.

I imagined how starving children in India, Africa, China, Guatemala, America might eagerly devour the food I was going to simply throw away...what I was too full to eat.

My heart is heavy...aching.

 

In recent months, I have asked God to break my heart for what breaks His. He has. And, like any heartbreak, it hurts.

 

To be continued...

A good day afterall...

Before I started writing tonight, I read my last post. I laughed out loud after reading about the way I "worry and fret". Love that wording...such an understatement. My Bible Study sisters might describe it differently...they would likely say that I "freak out" or "flip out" or "break down". Ha! Love you, ladies!

The kids and I are out of school all week for Thanksgiving. I'm excited about the break and look forward to celebrating the holiday, but must admit things got off to a rough start this morning. Lots of whining, teasing and arguing on the kids' part and very little patience on my part. By 9AM, I was thinking that this might be a long day and a very long week.

At our house, bad attitudes are sometimes best cured by distraction. So the four of us ventured to Mardel to find a new Christmas family devotional. We found a great little book with devotions and activities that are perfect for young children. (We're going to start it after Thanksgiving...can't wait to share more on this later!) Then we headed to the library. Everyone had fun looking for books to check-out and, by the time we left, all that whining and arguing had turned to smiles and giggles!

And tonight I got to have a little mini-date with Joshua...a trip to Target. Not exactly exciting, I know. But when we got there I treated him to an ICEE and a bag of popcorn. Joshua was thrilled...all of the sudden grocery shopping became a special time alone with Mommy. We talked and laughed and he was a great helper...keeping track of our list and putting items neatly in the cart. I thoroughly enjoyed my stroll through the aisles with him! It was a great reminder of how important it is to have those quality, one-on-one times with each child. It also served as a reminder that it doesn't have to be perfectly planned, exciting or expensive to be meaningful.

And finally, each week we receive a weekly email update from our pastor. In today's update, he included a quote that I just love. It's so true and so beautifully written. I just had to pass it along to you.

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." -Thornton Wilder

Catchin' up...

I haven't posted anything in two weeks which means we've got some catching up to do!

On the adoption front...

Good news! Our social worker received our background clearances and we have our first home study interview scheduled. On Saturday, December 4th, Kyle and I will meet with her together. At that time, we will also schedule the other required interviews...one for Kyle, one for me and one with the whole family at our home. We're very excited and eager to move forward!

And more good news! My precious mom is in the midst of her very own adoption fundraiser. She is baking her yummy peanut butter pies and selling them to friends, family, coworkers and church members. All of the money raised will go directly toward the cost of bringing our daughter...her granddaughter...home from Ethiopia. How sweet is that! Love that mom of mine!

And through it all, I continue to learn. More than ever before, God is teaching me to rely on Him and Him alone. There are times that I, in my flesh, worry and fret about the adoption...the cost, the timing. Each time, He reminds me that He is in control. He set our family on this journey of adoption. He will carry us through it and see us to the end.

I love how Jeremiah 29:11-14 is written in The Message. In these verses, God says...

I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen.

When you come looking for me, you'll find me.

Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed.

What a promise!

That's all for now. I've got more to share, but it'll have to wait. It's way past my bedtime. I promise...I won't let two weeks go by before my next post.

Have a blessed Sunday!

Orphan Sunday

Tomorrow is Orphan Sunday...a day for Christians to stand for the orphan.

While not everyone is called to adopt, God's word clearly commands believers to defend the fatherless (Isaiah 1:17) and look after the orphan (James 1:27).

There are more than 140 million orphans worldwide. There are many ways to look after them, defend them and care for them...

Adoption.

Foster Care.

Prayer.

Financial Contributions to organizations such as Show Hope or Lifesong for Orphans.

Support and/or encourage adoptive families.

Mission Trips.

Sponsor a child through an orphan care ministry.

Throughout the day, I will be praying for orphans. I will once again ask the Lord to break my heart for what breaks His. I will ask Him to show me what more I can do. I will commit to following His direction.

Will you join me?

Learn more at... http://www.orphansunday.org/

Just Treats!

The truth is...I'm just not a big fan of Halloween. 

Gruesome masks, scary decorations, blood and gore...I think I'll pass.

But fall, family, carving pumpkins and kiddos dressed up in cute costumes...those things definitely call for a celebration!

So last night we had our second annual "Halloween" party.

Grandparents, aunts and uncles and a precious cousin were our honored guests. 

We had yummy Cowboy Soup for dinner and Grandma's Warm Apple Crisp for dessert.

It was a wonderful night!

Olivia was Jessie from Toy Story.

Evan was a Ninja!

And cousin Kendall was Super Girl!

And my favorite thing about the evening? 

We were blessed with two tickets to Game 4 of the World Series.

Joshua got to go with his daddy...a very special night that he will never forget.

Happy Monday, y'all!