It's Fall Indeed

~ the falling leaves in our yard are gorgeous ~

~ the kids love exploring no more or no less than every other time of year ~

~ but I find it all to be so different looking and more interesting ~

~ swinging from one of the rope swings, trying many {dangerous} different ways ~

~they love to scale the highest stump & tree branches ~

~ pointing out critters & treasures such as a myriad of "helicopters" {aka Maple seeds} stuck together ~

~ imagining catastrophes where one of the boys saves the day ~

~ usually saving Hope and Halle at least once from a big nasty spider ~

~ watching and laughing hysterically as Tennyson vomits his lunch of grass ~

~ gleefully proving they know the difference between deciduous and evergreen trees ~

~ singing songs ~ playing heroes ~

mini-me

How funny it is to have a daughter who looks like me that I didn't give birth to!

Adoption Update

Adoption #2 {or is that #3 & 4?} is going well. The girls are both legally free as of Friday. We waited a month since the judge ruled Dad's rights terminated for him to have a chance to appeal and he did not. So we mailed in the rest of our paperwork for our adoption update to be done. They'll be out to our home yet again and then it will be the waiting game if we have to have background checks and fingerprints done again.

I think Annah and Viktoriya {as well as the rest of us} will benefit from the finality of an adoption. They know they aren't going anywhere but they are so thrilled to have our last name and make it final. They are such sweet girls and I'm so happy that God has knitted our family together in this way. I would've never imagined it and someday's I do still wonder what He was thinking!

Somedays I think they would be better off with a family with less children. And when I have to miss one of the boy's soccer games to go to a sibling visit with the girls I wonder if the boys are suffering. In fact last night I poured my heart out to the Lord asking Him if He was sure. {I'm laughing under my breath right now, so as to not awake 2 little girls}. He made it clear with the way He brought Annah here. We could never do to her what her previous {Christian} foster family did to her. And then with Viktoriya, having Nana and Sharon both support us in such a real way when they had previously encouraged us to not take on any more children! And that was while we still had Teighly!

So in my physical body, when the wears and tears of this world feel heavy, and when I see A & V's brothers still in need of a home, I am discouraged. I think there is no way a good nuturing Christian home will be found for every child and every child deserves one! And I kneel by my bed crying and wondering why God allows our world to be like this.

It is then, and always then, when I'm at my lowest that He meets me, covers me with His presence and His peace. He gently reminds me I am only called to be faithful to what He has given me today. I woke with a new excitement and energy to parent the ones He has given me. They are the ones I can pour myself into; I cannot burden myself with every child I see or know of. I have to focus on those He has entrusted to my care. And I must take the time to be filled up each and every day.

While I cannot be consumed by the needs of everyone I can still be on my knees for them. Please...pray for these two sweet boys who deserve parents, and a loving forever home.

"Wimming!"

Swimming, or "wimming" as Hope says nearly every day, is one of our favorite family activities. Here are my 7 treasures at our local YMCA on a rare day that I sat out...

It's really too bad

Halle is not a happier child....

Our 14 Family Ways

1) We love God with our whole heart, reading His Word and praying to Him daily.

2) We love one another, treating each other with kindness, gentleness and respect.

3) We serve one another, humbly thinking of the needs of others before our own.

4) We encourage each other, using only words that build up and bless others.
We think before we speak.

5) We forgive one another, covering an offense with love when wronged or hurt. We seek reconciliation with our family members.

6) We are thankful to God for what we have. We’re content with what we have and we are generous with those in need.

7) We take good care of what the Lord has blessed us with.

8) We are responsible and do our chores for God not just our parents. We do tasks diligently, with a cooperative spirit.

9) We try to lovingly communicate with our family hoping to strengthen our relationship, with love and honesty.

10) We choose to be peacemakers, patient and gracious even when we don’t feel like it.

11) We do what we know is right even when others do not.

12) We choose to be joyful & happy doing all things without complaining or arguing even when we don’t feel like it.

13) We tell the truth, always, being completely honest.

14) We honor our parents and obey with a cheerful heart listening to correction, and communicating our feelings kindly.

These will go here {finally ;o)}. They are adapted from the Clarkson's Our 24 Family Ways.

The Zoo {not the one at our house}

We left our zoo for a day at a larger one for lots of family fun!

We oohed and aaahed at this peacock's colors...turquise, teal, sapphire & more!

We tried to figure out what kind of silly dance the Ostrich was dancing...

We decided it was a mystery to complicated to unfold...

We admired God's creativity & longed to swim like the penguins...

We enjoyed spotting animals & showing them to each other...

We learned there is more than one way to see a situation;

it's not always just black & white...

We communicated our feelings & sought to understand one another...

We ran & we giggled; we laughed & we chased...

We rolled & we wrestled & we tickled each other...

We climbed large trees and posed for memory's sake...

We "lived" in Africa, saw their school & tried to fit in their huts...

We reveled in the color of flowers, fruit & leaves...

Admiring and adoring our Creator through His creation...

We connected & cuddled; we ate & we played...

All in a good homeschooling day!

water babies

Nov 08

Hope and Halle have always LOVED water.
"Wimming?" Can be heard here daily.
What a difference a year makes!

Oct 09

Such happy days these are...

I have my own Reptile Man