1st Birthday Party

Hope and Halle's first birthday party fell on a VERY warm day. Schedules were full and the timing wasn't easy, but celebrating these precious little miracles 1st birthday was a joyous event none-the-less! Our princesses were adorable in their silly hats mama had to buy them to wear each year. :o) They loved their cake! And of course during the singing Hope swayed back and forth. Halle kept trying to grab Hope with a fistful of cake as if to say "Look at this great stuff sissy!"

The cute birthday girls! You can see T~Bella and Graci playing together in the background, holding hands of course!

What is that on your head Hope?!

The boys in their pink princess party hats were a sight to see. They had so much fun celebrating their little sisters special day. More celebrating to come next weekend because several family members couldn't make it this weekend. The girls scored some adorable outfits, twin baby dolls

and a stroller, swing and playpen for their babies!

Of course T~Bella was thrilled with the girls' new toys! Chad made a sweet and fun slideshow of tons of the pictures of girls with 1 song for 0-6mos and then another for 6-12. It's amazing how they've grown and how healthy they are now! Praise God! Halle decided to wait until everyone left, and then Ed and Jan came over when they got home, to take her first steps! Four to be exact! I will post their 1 year pics later today...

Where did April go?

I can't believe it is May and it's been nearly 3 weeks since I've posted here! My friend Toni emailed me, nudge, nudge... :o) So what have we been up to? Dance classes, TaeKwonDo, several birthday parties, social worker visits, counseling appointments, scrapbooking retreat (me) and camping (Chad and boys), homeschooling, crafting, trampoline jumping, duck and chick tending, nature walking, TONS of baby carrying all while 7 kids had 2 different colds in the last month. Argh! We also have an ornery pregnant kitty and the kids (and I!) cannot wait until she delivers!
Here are some pictures from the last month or so...

Choc chip letter pancakes with whipped cream! Doesn't get much better.

Crazy but wonderful!

These deer found their way into our backyard!

Halle is nearly walking now!

Angel catches a big fish!

Doing the dishes just got a little bit harder.

T~Bella with her twins. Their names? Halle and Hope of course. ;o)

I never got to the girls 11month post but the above pictures were taken then. It is so hard to believe they will be one in just ten days! Wow! Tomorrow is an important court-date and your prayers are appreciated.

Chad will get on tonite and post pics of their camping trip. I wish I took pics of my retreat. It was wonderful but I had my nose in my scrapbook the whole time! It was worth it. I came home with ALL of 2007 in an album and the beginning of 2008. The kids loved it and it was the fist time T~Bella and Angel got to see their pictures in a family scrapbook. I think the two nights of 5 hrs of sleep was worth it! Plus it's a good thing to miss your kids. Thank-you to Grandma Sharon for her wonderful care of my sweet babies!!!

As a side note this is where we stayed. It is owned by SPU, so being an alumni it's very inexpensive to stay there...

"In 1890, the U.S. Army opened a newly built fort that was to guard the entrance to Puget Sound. Located on Whidbey Island, the fort was named “Fort Casey”in honor of Brigadier General Thomas Lincoln Casey, the last U.S. Army chief of engineers. Fort Casey became part of the “triangle of fire,” along with Fort Worden and Fort Flagler, and its big guns were first fired on September 11, 1901. Within 20 years, Fort Casey was the fourth largest military post in Washington, housing 10 officers and 428 enlisted men.
The Army used the fortification until World War II and, when Fort Casey was decommissioned in the 1950s, Seattle Pacific University became the property’s owner — updating and renovating the buildings for groups like yours. Today, SPU continues to welcome school groups, churches, nonprofit organizations, and outdoor education classes to this remarkable historical site.
Known as “Camp Casey” by its many returning visitors, Camp Casey Conference Center continues to offer groups like yours the ideal place to reflect, excel, discover, and grow."

http://www.spu.edu/depts/casey/

Ducks and Chicks!

We got four new chicks and 2 ducks a few weeks ago! They are just so much fun. Aidan is their primary caregiver, under Chad's supervision, but we all get daily cuddles in. Unlike our last chickens, these will not be free-range enjoying the bugs and worms on our 2/3 acre as well as two ajoining neighbors! Because of some not-so-nice (okay maybe just hungry) racoons, they'll have to stay in their pen. We did already have a baby chick die from being smothered, we think, so we bought one new chick and one duck. We couldn't just buy one new baby because it won't be ready to join the bigger ones until it can stick up for itself. So Chad built a little pen within the big pen. I was hoping for a pen in the garage so we could hold them more often but he reminded me just how messy ducks are. They spray their water all over! I cannot find the many pictures we've taken, but are a few pictures of our sweet new duck Popcorn!

Missing the sun...

That 80 degree day on Saturday was SO nice! But the rain is gorgeous too~you can't really loose living in WA. I was in a training on Seattle for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. It was a great training and confirmed my thoughts on the girls. They are not showing any of major symptoms of the disorder but may be low on the spectrum someday. I'll be going to part II down in Kent. There is so much to learn about FASD; this first training was 6hrs and just a start. It is the leading known cause of mental retardation and yet it is 100% preventable. Whenever a mother is using drugs she is usually drinking as well, so Hope and Halle were most likely exposed, but it depends on the timing and frequency.

About the sun, Chad got some sun while mowing; he got all the back and front yards done! Hope and the boys were with Daddy and Halle, T~Bella and Angel spent the day with Grandma Sharon and Nana. They made cinnamon rolls and went to the park. No pictures from that day but here are a couple of Hope watching the rain fall on our deck this morning. She also spotted a woodpecker and a pair of squirrels! She's our music girl, but also our nature girl, I think. :o) Ethan found this bonnet and put it on Hope. She didn't even try to take it off! Halle would've likely ripped it off and crawled over to the trash can.

When you say "Hi!" Hope waves.

Check back tomorrow for an 11 month update and pics of the girls. And later today I am going to post about our new chicks and ducks!

Home Sweet Homeschool

Work books are not the bulk of our learning, just something to keep little hands on task sometimes, while mama does the dishes. Hope thinks they're fun though!
Aidan and Hope enjoy an early morning cuddle.
My goofy Halle-girl explores the whole great room now! Baby gates are up! I'm not sure why you can enlarge the pics by clicking on them sometimes and not others, but click on this one to see Halle's new teeth! :o)
T~Bella and Ryland have lots of little worm buddies they "keep" on the deck. I think they do this to keep the rest of the brood from feeding them to the chicks and ducks.

This one is named "Wiggly Worm Keller".

I've been meaning for a month or more now to sit down and write out some thoughts on homeschooling. It's after midnight, and most likely my houseful of little ones will not remember it's Saturday and will be bustling early, but here goes...

It is funny how the Lord works, and how He uses different people and events in our lives. And how each season of our lives can bring out such strong and yet varying opinions on what is best for our lives.

These matters of the heart are so very personal and yet they are always the first thing people ask about! It's been pretty peaceful so far, no real deep or sharp conversations as of yet. One neighbor, specifically responding to our choosing to homeschool, pointed out how she nearly didn't let her son play on a particular team because she knew the coach was not as admirable a man as she would've hoped would coach her son at this impressionable age (9). But she had to allow him to be strong and know how to respond to tough situations such as this coaches yelling, aggression and physical nature. What!?! Ummm, anyway so how about that snow fall today??? :o)

No, we do not need our children to learn how to be adults and face the music, tough things out, or become a missionary just yet. No, mine were not ready for the mission field. Yes, everyday living is the mission field but without my guidance, they're not ready. Maybe other people's kids are, mine are not.

And I did have a friend, though I cannot recall who at this time, say "Well I think it's okay for Christian's to choose to home school, if you're okay with sending the world to hell in a hand basket!" Yikes! The more I think that one over the more I'm shocked that I didn't bite back. ;o) I do not believe my God to be so small and impotent that we as Christians, by choosing to educate, and enjoy, our children at home, could possibly be determining by that choice to send SO very many people to hell. Unbelievable. I will never judge another Believer for not choosing to home school, and all I will hope for is the same courtesy. And so far so good with our close friends and family.

But as the days go by and we struggle to iron out a good routine, with the Maxwell's Keepers of their Home's help, we're on our way to a smooth transition into a joyful and exciting time with our boys. I have such peace and confidence that God has for us to do this. Is it daunting? Oh yes, there are times that despite having a BA and graduating with honors, that I feel under qualified. There is so much I will need to relearn as I teach. But I am smart, creative, I am fun-loving, I adore my Savior and I treasure walks in His creation learning every single thing I can. I notice details and I share that with my boys. We are learning to to learn together as a family so much more so now as well! It's a beautiful thing!

All the ways that homeschooling is having a positive effect on our family is amazing. Their attitudes are more family focused. There is so much more time for everything. So many more chores are being done, and with a cheerful heart, but they are not worn out, over-stimulated and ready to just veg and watch an Odyssey video. They get so much more done in one day now that I'd never imagined would be possible. Our snuggled up hour of reading each afternoon is so so sweet. The four of us curl up downstairs after we (and it is we because the boys are so integral in their care now that they're home! They love it that way as do Hope and Halle) put the babies to bed. Aidan and I trade off paragraphs, occasionally stopping to broaden Ethan and Ryland's vocabulary. We just finished The Magicians Nephew and are on to The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. There are two more to be read before we can see the next Narnia movie Prince Caspian which comes out the day after Hope and Halle turn 1 on May 15. Aidan is beyond excited.

But my point is, we truly treasure that closeness and length of time just to rest in our sweet home and read and learn and explore and enjoy one another. Forgive my mushiness, but it's... beautiful. With T~Bella and Angel in school that time alone with just my five is really beautiful and needed. I still get up early, at 5:45 most days and see Chad off to his carpool. Then I have some quiet time and wake Angel at 6:45. I hop in the shower and have T~Bella up by 7:15 and she is on the bus by 8:15. It breaks my heart when she asks me why she can't be home schooled too.

It's funny that choosing to foster children (which I know was of the Lord) would be one of the main precursors to beginning to home school. I just had to have that down time with just my guys. And it's been wonderful. I love the peace of knowing that I am walking His will for our family.

Are there hard days, where I just think there is no way I can handle 7 kids laundry, meals and mess, homeschooling, keeping up the house, all the appts. that come with foster children, all their changing needs and emotions that accompany visiting different family members, paying bills, grocery shopping etc etc? Of course! There are hard days no matter which way one chooses to educate their children. But, it's so very worth it to me to have my children close. I never thought it would feel so right! Not easy, not always fun, but so right. To mold and shape their world-views and watch over them physically. After an email about an 8 year old boy and what happened to him during recess, I got on my knees and praised God for the opportunity to home school. It's not out of fear but out of gratitude.

One last little note about the fruit of homeschooling, well not really little at all, it's huge! I've begun to love our home. I made a point to go around to ever room, every closet, every nook and cranny and I am slowly making everything warm, clean and organized. Because I am finally truly loving being at home! This quote is just perfect for this newly found contentment...

"Stay, stay at home, my heart, and rest;

Home-keeping hearts are happiest,

For those that wander they know not where,

are full of trouble and full of care;

To stay at home is best." ~Longfellow

Obviously this is not all about homeschooling, but being happy with time at home in general and being sure to care for your home. But for me it is also happiness with not having any need for MOPS, a morning at the mall, needing something on the calendar. I am not busy outside my home and it has made for a happy home and a happy mama. :o)

10 months!!!

Halle looks on, as Hope claps, as if to say "I could do that too.

If I really wanted to."

Wow, where does the time go!? Our babies are 10 months old tomorrow!

Hope Noelle...

~Returning to her newborn days, Hope's temperement is relaxed and easy-going, waiting patiently while her big sister loudly demands her bottle now, she has several different smiles that go with different moods.

~Signing for "eat", "more". Says Mama, and knows it's me! :o)

~Says Dada and knows it's Chad, has been doing that for a few weeks.

~Says Bubba, not sure she knows it's Aidan but says it around him the most!

~Scooting, pulling herself forward. No crawling yet to my delight.

~Rocking out... begins swaying back and forth the second music starts, how fast she does this depends on the beat of course!

~Complete with hand-clapping and head movement. When Doug plays the guitar on Thursday nights, you feel like you're in heaven watching her worship.

~Sleeps like a dream sucking the two fingers on her right hand and holding her blanket in the other hand.

~She loves Mama and has begun fussing the second someone has the crazy notion to take her from my arms.

~10 month stats... 4 teeth ~ 18.5 pounds ~ 28.5 inches ~ 6-12 month clothes ~ shoes size 2

Halle Faith

~Surprisingly, Halle has left her mellow days behind (handing them back to Hope?) and lets you know exactly what she wants and even more exactly when she wants it.

~She was crawling right at 9 mos, pulling up the next week and cruising the next! Slow down Hal!

~Refuses to sign, yelling at us and getting more mad by the second when we keep trying!

~Huge happy grins & non-stop delight for life. Cuddle bug extraordinaire.

~Wakes before Hope every morning, talking and playing, eventually standing and calling me.

~Prefers Daddy to Mama nearly everytime! (gasp)

~She's our crazy hair girl with major bed-head, morning, noon & night and all car-seat rides!

~Her raspy laugh is so cute! It's kinda deep and super adorable when she belly laughs. She is going to be such a fun little girl. What I am saying?? She IS fun!!!

~10 month stats... 3 teeth ~ 20.5 pounds ~28 inches ~ 12-18 month clothes ~ shoes size 2

I will post about the boys soon. They are absolutely wonderful. Choosing to homeschool was probably the best decision we've ever made regarding our boys. We're having a blast together and they are happier, get along better, and have more time for everything including devotions, chores and outdoors. And I've noticed that they crave learning now. Both Ethan and Ryland are reading, and T~Bella is not far behind. Ryland prefers to do Aidan's 2nd grade math workbooks! This will be a seperate post for sure! More to come when I have a spare second!!!

An 'angel' for Angel

We've been pretty busy (crazy busy) with 7 kids. The house isn't always perfect (not to disparage Becca because she does an outstanding job - but you have to make a few compromises here and there). We have a hard time staying on top of our ever changing schedule. Family dynamics are a lot more challenging for sure. But for every challenge, frustration, heartache - there has been an equal or greater reward\ blessing.

For example, Angel, the 12yr old with us, seemed like she would be a huge challenge (according to her social worker, extensive file, previous foster parents, teachers, principle, etc etc). Expectations from those same sources were that we'd need to ‘send her back’ to the teen shelter we got her from within a few days. Her previous foster parents couldn’t handle her and were intimidated by her (or something like that). They said she was a 'wiccan' and was nearly impossible to get through to.

One social worker called her a 'wiggan'... We got a good chuckle out that ;)

The previous foster parents were Christians of one sort or another, and were afraid to even take her to church!!

Well, that sounded scary enough, but Becca felt God calling her to at least meet Angel herself. And as we've been learning from God more and more - living in fear is not living for or in Christ!

Long story short, we found much of what they said to be true. But what we also found was a very impressionable girl struggling for identify, acceptance, attention, and mostly just love! She is a handful to be sure... But after testing us directly with her ‘wiccan’ beliefs to see if we’d freak out as the others have, she quickly realized and began to understand what real love is about, and that REAL love is ONLY found through Jesus!

Her first prayer about a week ago over a family meal (testing us) was to a ‘horned god’. We didn’t freak, but kindly asked her not to pray out-loud anymore in our house... Since that time, she has started asking Becca and eventually me to prayer over her at bedtime (she listened as Becca and I prayed with T~Bella every night in their room). We never forced anything on her, but were there to answer questions as they came in. Now she is praying every night with me or Becca and prays over our meals (rotating with the other kids) and prays to Jesus and ends her prayers “in Jesus name”!

She’s been going to church with us with no problem, including the Thursday night Bible studies. This is very exciting to see and I’m so proud of Becca for being there for Angel in such a critical time in Angel’s life. Becca provides an excellent balance of firmness + boundaries and yet clearly demonstrates unconditional love and patience.

She's nothing short of an 'angel' for Angel :)

Please keep us in your prayers. This is a prime time for the enemy to attack on so many levels. We are doing great, but this work is mentally and physically challenging and naturally hard on relationships\families. And pray that Angel will truly pray to the one true God for forgiveness and invite Him into her heart and reserve her place with Him for eternity! [Forgot to update this... Not more than a week after this post, Angel did, on her own, pray that prayer. And her life truly changed! Her teacher noticed immediately and let us know that she has seen an amazing transformation in her at school. She is also very different now at home. She is much more encouraging to the other kids. She is more helpful and not as confrontational. She looks and acts much kinder, patient, sweet, and so on. There is still lingering pain and confusion regarding her situation, but instead of having a 'mad at the world teenager' attitude, she has a more positive, hopeful, and peaceful perspective and has been good at sharing her feelings and working through the sadness, frustrations, and confusion.]

So now when I look around and see the floors that haven't been swept for a few days, or the dishes that are starting to stack up, or my garage that NEEDS some attention soon, and seeing my grass and WEEDS starting to grow like crazy... Not to mention the constant noise and demands for attention from 7 wild kids... Well, I just smile and think to myself:

"Self, this is just what living the abundant life is supposed to look like!"

And I say a prayer thanking God for his amazing blessings and the opportunity to be part of something bigger than myself.