You say it's your Birthday my Birthday

Yes, today is my Birthday. So, if you know my real name and are wondering.....no I was not born in the summer. Crazy, I know.

Today, was just another day. Except I relaxed just a little bit more than I normally do everyday. However, I did start sanding the dresser that I blogged about here. Yesterday, I bought turquoise paint to begin painting it. I decided I needed to accomplish some projects before Baby L (Yes, we have decided on Baby L) is announced and we are rushing to get everything done. We have not started on her room because her room is actually Con's room right now. He will move to the basement and GG and Baby L will share a room on the main level of the house close to our bedroom. So, we will not start the rearranging of rooms until referral.

Yesterday we went to dinner and bowling with my family. Hutter had never been bowling before and it was so cute. Of course, I did not take my camera so I need to steal the photos my mom took with her camera to post.

This last year of my life I have...

*sent my firstborn to 1st grade
*potty trained a two year old successfully, almost
*decided to adopt
*lost 40 pounds
*read my Bible more than ever in my life
*had my first patient die unexpectedly in a crisis situation and learned to gieve and rejoice in the Lord through it
*probably gained a few more winkles
*worked in the mission field for the first time on my own
*read tons of parenting books
*have developed a more intimate relationship with God and Studly
*got my first spider vein, depressing
*cut my hair short after 6 years of long hair

Goals for this next year

*travel to Korea and bring my baby girl home
*continue on my journey to a better relationship with our God
*make a decision about homeschooling and possible start that new chapter for my family
*prevent more spider veins, compression socks here I come
*continue improving my nutrition habits-stop the sugar frenzy
*love on my family more than ever

Glad to rejoice in being another year older!

Off to work tomorrow, hooray!

Sara, please pray

I wanted to share this family with you. I have never read this blog but found it through another adoption blog. This dad just lost his wife just a few short days of becoming a daddy for the first time. I believe this mother had cancer however miracluously through our awesome God gave birth to a baby girl name Chloe. The mother started having convulsions/seizures which resulted in swelling in her brain. She has gone to be with our Lord and this family needs our prayers. Prayers to get through this storm and for this beautiful new baby that God gave this father.

Tiny green creature

The boys are starting to discover the tiny creatures of this world that God created each with such uniqueness and purpose. This new discovering is spent with hours of playing outside under our deck in the dirt and mud to find the tiniest green crawling creature. The other day Con came running inside with a tiny green crawling hopping creature holding onto it by its long tangle leg between two fingers yelling "Mama I need a jar!" I knew I kept spaghetti jars on hand for a reason. So, I poked many little holes in the lid with a sharp knife all while praying at the same time that I would not cut myself while jabbing the lid or that that tiny green crawling hopping thing would not slip through the two tiny fingers grasping its little leg and lunge for safety onto me! God answered my prayers. And we were all safe including the tiny green crawling hopping creature inside his jar. Of course, the creature needs to be fed by his new owner with a cherry tomato because I know when I am captured by my leg and shoved into a jar that I am just starving by that point!?




The boys continued to google over this tiny green crawling hopping creature also known as a grasshopper for over an hour. I was thankful for our new pet which gave me plenty of time to cook dinner quietly. The grasshopper did try to join us for dinner however I do have a new rule for the house. "No creatures at the dinner table" which was establish that very night.

I love seeing the boys starting to interact and work together to discover life outside the home. Hutter has profoundly increased his vocabulary and sentence structure in the last two weeks, which is one of my most favorite parts of motherhood. I love having conversations with a miniature Studly me and seeing his personality blossom. He is getting to the age where he knows what he wants and will try his hardest to articulate it into a sentence to express his desires. However, as most two years old, the sentence sometimes is not quite understandable from a normal human ear. His latest desire is what he wears to bed for the night. He always wants his "Bap Bam" jammies. Also know as "Batman" jammies! I think I clean them almost everyday so that his little desire can be met on most nights. However, he will settle with "din'sore" jammies also.

This last weekend we went to two family church events with food, games, blow up jumping things, and fellowship. The children had a blast and we enjoyed the "almost" free events also. On Sunday, I began researching homeschool curriculums and talking about it with Studly. He is all for it and told me to go for it. Which really means "we" go for it. My strong points are math and science and Studly is great at English. He will be helping out with the schooling also if we decide to take this path that we feel God is leading us too. I think I have some really good ideas on where to start and what to start with and I am getting excited about this opportunity.

No news for our baby girl. I am getting more and more "So when will she be here?" I love that people are interested and trying to be involved but if I have to hear that for the next year I am going to go even more crazy. Believe me, when I hear something I will be shouting from the rooftops or at least showing off her picture. Hehe!

Wordsome Wednesday

Shower


or bath?


I choose shower with clothes???


whatever buddy!

While I am Waiting

Well, tomorrow official means three months of waiting. God only knows when our baby girl will be announced. I have actually been doing quite well with the wait. Some days I get a little anxious and tearful because I can picture the referral call and I have imagines of the day we get to go to Korea to get her. All those emotions and thoughts bring on some crazy feelings. I guess that it what this journey is all about. Going into this adoption I did not realize the type of journey we would be on. Adoption is such a surreal way of trusting God, going with the flow, trying to stay patient, and serving my God, all while I am waiting. What an amazing adventure. I love the fact that God stepped us out of the comfort of our everyday life and puts us here. This adoption has pushed me spiritually, I have realized that my comfort zone is not where I want to be. I have experienced God's direction to live more radically and truely trusting Him day by day. I am thankful for this adoption for many more reasons than I ever thought of when I started.

But while I am waiting

I will continue to serve Him, worship Him, and remain hopeful that it will come soon.

I don't know if every one knows this but Stanton and I are both going to Korea. Feeling nervous about us both leaving the country with four children here but I have faith God will protect us and bring us all home safely. I told myself I would do anything for my children. So, I will travel many miles to get my precious baby girl. I want to experience it all and I am not going to let Satan scare me from doing that. I mean who can say they went on a week vacation with only the hubby, spending quality one on one time with him, enjoy an amazing country, eat lots of food, roming and shopping, and bring home their daughter too! Oh, it sounds so great and we will be doing it, hopefully, within the next year.

Someone shared this song with me and I want to pass it on. This is one of my favorites right now and explains where I am at in my life right now!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6X71sXagUY
Hope you enjoy it.

So, three months behind us, how many more?

Crazy

Oh, where Oh where has my camera gone this time? Oh where oh where could it be? Oh looky... there it is right next to me!
I have not taken any pictures lately. Hence the lack of posting lately. Posts are just not fun without pictures.
I think I am unconsciously boycotting my camera because I don't like it but don't want to spend the money to buy the one I want....Canon Rebel XSi if by chance you wanted to know or not.

Con started practice for flag football this last week. He practices Mon/Wed every week from 6:30 to 8pm. Crazy, right? Last year he played for the YMCA but we decided to put him on a club type of team this year. The other crazy thing, they wear helmets and pads while playing....for flag football? I guess to get them ready for next year tackle. No, it really is fun to watch him. But this schedule of school all day, come home eat dinner, go to practice, and run home shower and in bed is making me realize another reason for homeschooling. This morning we had to get up to do his homework before school because we did not have time last night and Con was exhausted! How am I going to do it with three kids in sports? Plus two in sports in another town? For example, E is starting flag football also. Both the boys will have games on Saturday. The problem...E plays 60minutes away from us. I haven't quite figured that one out yet but I will. Somehow we manage our family.

I have been trying to think of a new blog name for us...and the only thing that comes to mind is
"Yours, Mine, Ours, and adopted!" Yep, that pretty much sums up our craziness.

However, as I am typing this post it is quiet in my home with no noise except the washing machine spinning my urine filled, dirty playing clothes to freshly white cotton, during the middle of the day. Most mothers can't say that who have four children! So, I will just sit here while the sun beats through my filthy windows warming me and enjoy this peaceful afternoon while Hutter is asleep, Con at school, and GG and E are 58 miles, or something like that, away at their other home being missed.

And just because I can't post two in a row without pictures, here is a random picture that I found on my camera from the other day that Con took by himself. Atleast the camera is getting some attention...



Not bad photography for a six year old, if I say so myself!