Blur

My week has been a complete BLUR. 

I am surrounded by sickness and sickness only. 

My days are running together. 

My nights are sleepless. 

When I am able to focus, all I see are my lovies in a complete state of illness.

We had a sick Christmas and I am sad to say that we are going to have a sick New Year.

The Lord has shown me so much during this time. 

One of my favorite reminders of this season is the fact that  my children do love and care for each other deeply. 

They have sacrificed for each other. 

They have cared for each other even when no one is feeling well themselves.  

I hate this illness, but I love to see us working as a team.

I love to see the love.

 

Myla's First Christmas!

Even in the midst of sickness, we had a wonderful time together!  How can we complain?  We have each other.  We have the love of our Savior.  It was a joy to celebrate HIS birth as a family of nine.

 

Myla was all smiles.  She had a wonderful day.

 She was wide eyed as we gathered together to read the story of Christ's birth.

I love this magical little picture of Myla with Isaiah.

  She must have known we were going to unwrap gifts.

 

Of course, our boys were goofy. 

Even though Drew had a fever, he joined in on the celebration.

 

Watch out!  These ribbon bandits might attack again.

I will keep the moments I have with my children in the scrap book of my heart.

I cherished the love they had for each other on this special day for it will help me through the days when it seems as if they have none.

 I will never forget the joy in their faces as they received gifts from us.

Our Christmas wouldn't have been complete with out our parents.

 We celebrated with my parents last week.

Bryan's parents braved the sickness and came over to be with us anyway.

Blessed.

 



Christmas Eve Traditions

We have a great time each Christmas Eve.  This year was no exception.

 

Long ago, Bryan decided the kids would arm wrestle him to see if they would be able to open one gift early.  Only one child needs to winner in order for everyone to receive an early present.

This year Libby must have lifted weighs to prepare for the big event.  She was able to slam Daddy's arm to the floor at the last minute.

We also give each child new pajamas on Christmas Eve.  Once everyone is dressed and ready for bed, we play games and watch

It's a Wonderful Life.

 

We were blessed.  It would have been a perfect night except for the illness that started to sweep through our crew as we prepared to celebrate the Savior's birth.

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas!!

 

May the Lord bless you this Christmas as you reflect on his birth, love, and sacrifice!

Myla's First Snow

As I glanced out the window on Friday, I observed the thin blanket of white covering the ground.  It hit me that this was Myla's first snow.  It is funny how the simpliest things will bring forth a wave of thoughts that leave me pondering all day long. 

Why would the snow bring forth a time of reflection?

Simple, our little princess is from Arizona.  Her Birth Mother has never seen snow.  It is a reminder to us that even the snow on the ground will bring forth a drastically different life than  she would have had if she were not in our hearts and lives.

 

Thoughts like these always leave me wondering...praying that I will be all that she needs me to be.  It brings me to a place of determination that I will not let her, her Birth Mother, or the Lord down. 

I will fight for her.  I will strive every day to show her the love we have for her.  I will try to represent the Father to her each and every day. 

 

With each day that I ponder these things in my heart, I will fall before the Father and ask for him to guide me as I love on our Arizona Princess...the child he chose for us. 

Super Woman

The other day a women asked, "Are you Super Woman or do your kids help out alot?"

She asked because we have seven children, and we allow them to play on competitive sports teams.   

 

Of course, I answered, "NO, I am not Super Woman!"

 

As I got to thinking about her comment, I realized in a way I am a Super Woman!

 

 

I am a SUPER, busy WOMAN

 

I am a

  SUPER blessed WOMAN.

 

I love it!

When Bryan came home last night from work,

 

Drew went running out the to greet him yelling,

"Daddy, you missed me!"



Daddy and his buddy, Drew

 

The Blame

My dear husband has been telling me for months...ok, years that times are changing.   He has been warning me that we need to prepare our children for the times ahead.  We haven't done anything different than we have before; however, we have stayed up talking and sharing with one another the ways we can help our children. 

 

We feel that we need to continue our daily reading of the Word with our children and discuss the ways of the Lord through out each day.  We need to help them to be strong Warriors ready to fight for Truth. We need to help them see that the Lord needs courageous followers who will never waver from the path Christ laid before them. 

 

This past Friday was yet another reminder that much needs to be done for our children's future.  As I was reading the blog, No Greater Joy,  I found the words that expressed it so well.  It was written by the author's friend on facebook.  Please read and remember that this is our fault.  We have strayed from the Truth.  We have strayed from the Father. 

 

We have a job to do.  Let's get at it and teach our children to follow the Lord as we unashamed follow the Saviour.  Be courageous.  Be a Warrior.  Be a teacher.  Be an uncompromising follower of Christ...one our children can use as an example.

 

"We teach our children that there is no God, that morality is tractable and reducible. So what do you expect? We teach our children that there are no losers, that everyone wins. So when life teaches them failure they can't handle it. So what do you expect? We teach our children that losing touch with reality is "recreational". So when they do drugs, it's OK. So what do you expect? We teach our children that you don't have to earn respect, it's automatic. Then they get frustrated when they don't get respected. So what do you expect? We teach our children that it's OK to kill babies in the womb. Then shouldn't it be OK to kill children in the school? So what do you expect? We teach our children that it's wrong to pray on the football field, on the basketball court on the baseball diamond. So they learn to prey on each other. So what do you expect? We teach our children that the truth can be offensive. So they speak lies and pretend. So what do you expect? We teach our children that reverence to things in antiquity is passe, so history is left to obscurity. So what do you expect? We give our children television where every form of deprivation is acceptable. So they grow up depraved. So what do you expect? Sadly, we can expect more Newtowns in the near future. We are reaping what we have sown. Children learn whether we want them to or not. Don't blame the guns, blame our teachings." Shared by Doug Billings

Three Years Old

Grab your tissues with me, friends. 

 My little Warrior is three years old. 

This  Mommy's boy is not a baby anymore. 

My heart aches for the days that have flown by me. 

Pushing all of my feelings aside, I reflect on all that this little guys is. 

 

 Drew is a boy who makes everyone smile...laugh. 

 

This little man is a joy to the hearts of the young and the old. 

 

He is a friend to many. 

 

 A real piece of art. 

 

Happy Birthday, Drew.  You are a blessing...a gift. 

To the Bus Dreaming Mommies

This post is for all the homeschool moms who have brief longings for the big, yellow bus to pick their children up for maybe just a day.  The moments are brief, but they are real.  The children are not grasping a concept that they have been taught a billion times in a million different ways.  Or perhaps the kids are having a day filled with whining and arguing.  Or it could be a case of I just want to be the mom syndrome.

 

All of  these thoughts lead to feelings of complete failure...complete longing to just let someone else do the job.  But then the Lord sends that all to familiar tug and allows you to remember that this a calling he placed in your heart.  A calling you need to carry through no matter how many times you are convinced that you will fail your children.

 

For all of you out there who battle the dreams of the bus, please read the following post written by a missionary homeschooler, Addisyn Block, who was in the public school system at one time.  Allow it to give you the encouragement needed to continue in times of wiriness. 

For all of you who do not homeschool, take time to pray for your sisters who do.  Please read this post as well.  It may help you understand a little bit of your sister's calling.  We need to fight together.

Here is the link to her blog
http://lifeasamissionarykid.blogspot.com/

I have also placed it below.  Happy Reading.

 

What I've learned as a homeschooler

I used to think that homeschoolers were weird. I was right. We are pretty different.:)

When I was in public school, I never really fit in. I tried. I tried buying the name brand clothes, but there was always someone prettier. I tried being athletic, but I wasn't the best. I tried being smart, but I was never the top of my class. What I have come to learn, is that no matter how hard you try, there is always going to be someone better, and you are never going to know who you truly are until you decide that its cool to be uncool. When you decide not to follow the crowd and just be who you are- that's when you will be the best- the best at being you.

I remember when I first decided to start homeschooling, someone told me that was going to make me unsocial. I told them that if the things others were doing to be social after school- drugs, drinking, having sex, and making it seem like God doesn't exist were what they considered social, then I prefer to be unsocial thank you very much. :)

At home we always joke about how I'm the valedictorian, cheer captain, soccer captain, school president and the homecoming queen in my school of one. While of course we are just kidding, it kind of makes me realize how silly all of those titles can be. Most of the time, its just a popularity contest. While many of these things are good things- and there are many talented people who work hard towards these accomplishments- sometimes, people act like its the end of the world when they are not chosen. I have come to learn that you just have to be yourself. Because, while you may be the valedictorian and homecoming queen in your school- you could move anywhere else and not be. True happiness means discovering who you are and what God has called you to be. Because I'm pretty sure when you stand in front of God one day and He asks what you did with the life He gave you, He'll be more concerned about what you did to make Him known than what you did to make yourself known.

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." -1 John 2:15-17

Along with being unsocial, many people think homeschoolers lounge around in their pajamas every day, not accomplishing much. This may not be a complete lie, because I can do my school work in my pj's, but I promise you that most homeschoolers learn a lot. I have come to terms with the fact that I will never be a math scholar, but I am getting more real world experiences than I would get just reading a textbook. I get my business class from when I have to translate for lawyers and accountants and when I make spreadsheets for Village of Hope or take "field trips" to the bank to help with financial matters. I have gotten the privilege of working along side doctors and dentists translating for them and learning from their knowledge. They have taught me about cysts, surgeries, diagnostics, cavities, pulling teeth, and so much more. I've assisted carpenters, plumbers, and electricians and my Child Development class is the real deal. I've learned about adoption, attachment and prenatal care. No carrying around fake babies for me, we work with the real ones.

But what I love best about being homeschooled is- nobody can kick Jesus out of my school. If I want to put off my science in order to spend extra time reading my bible, I am pretty sure my teacher would be okay with that.

My name is Addisyn Block, I am a homeschool nerd- and I'm thankful.

An Aching Heart

My heart is aching today.  I don't know if it is from writing post about our birth mother for I can tell you that I love her with all my heart.  It is a love that no one could have prepared me for.  It is a love that I know that the Lord placed into the depth of my soul.  I didn't put it there.  It was his doing. 

 

How do I know that?  When we started this journey, I was one of those who prayed for our Birth Mother, but felt that she was some invisible person who I honestly hoped would desire a closed adoption.   

 

The day that we were able to talk on the phone for the first time.  It all changed.  The Spirit of the Lord reached deep into my soul.  As soon as I heard her voice, I knew that she would be a sister  who I would fight for and love.

 

The aching could also be from the saddness that I have knowing she is missing out on so much.  Her lose is my gain.  It isn't right.  Why do I get to have so much? For the lose, I ache.

This aching has turned into tears twice already. 

 

Could the aching also be from the feelings I have when out of the blue I miss our Birth Mother?  It is as if the Lord is allowing me to experience just a piece of the loneliness that perhaps Myla will have when she reflects on her adoption.  Whatever the reason, Bryan and I miss her at times.  It is a feeling no one could have told me I would experience.  Why would I miss and love someone I don't know well?

 

I know that the Lord is using the aching to mold me into the friend...sister I need to be for our Birth Mother and most importantly the Mommy I need to be for my little one.

Birth Mother Questions #3 and #4

Questions #3-Do you know why her Birth Mother needed you to adopt her?

I really feel that this question is of little importance. 

What really matters is why she chose adoption and not why there was a need. 

Why did she choose adoption?

Because she loved her child and knew that it was best for her. 

This leads me to the next question...


We journey together hand in hand.

Question #4-Why did your Birth Mother choose you?

We were told that she looked for a family where her child would never be alone...a place where she would always be safe. 
(To all you with large families, take comfort in the fact that there are mothers who want their little ones placed into the hearts of a large family.  Some are actually looking for a big family.)

She read each profile and examined them for a couple who would teach her daughter about the Lord. 

As our consultant, Tracie Loux, stated, "If God is leading you to adopt, then there is a birth family that will think your family is PERFECT!"

 Praise the Lord, she thought our family was perfect. 

We walk humbly into this job. 

 We journey into this high calling with the Lord as our guide.  It is a role that He prepared in advanced for us to do.

We love our sleeping babe.

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Birth Mother Question #2

Birth Mother Question #2-Does it scare you to have a relationship with the Birth mother?

No, not at this point. I strongly feel that there will be points in Myla's life that her Birth Mother will need us and we will need her.

I am only afraid of loosing Myla's heart by not being open to a relationship with the lady who so lovingly gave her life. She is a huge part of who Myla is. 

Our birth mother will always be a part of our life ..our family.

Even if we never speak to her again, she is a part of us. 

Even if she doesn't make the choices in life I would, she gave my daughter life and than chose us to be her parents. For those reasons, I love her dearly.

God put her in our lives. We will try our best to represent Him.


Help, Drew is hugging me to tight

 

Philippians 2:5-8

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Birth Mother Question #1

As individuals gaze into little Myla's eyes, it is very common for questions about her Birth mother to be vocalized. 

 

I thought it would be profitable to share some of the questions along with the answers that Bryan and I have so far.  I know that our journey is just beginning, so things can and probably will change.  As that happens, we will do as we always have and lean on the Lord and his Word for a new way of thinking.   

 

Question #1-Have you kept in touch with the Birth Mother?

 

Yes, we are trying to keep the line of communication open.  Our birth mother wanted a closed adoption.  She didn't have a desire for pictures, calls, letters, or any form of communication.  Once we meet in the hospital, once she saw her little baby, once a relationship was formed between us all, the door to a semi-open relationship developed.  We have had calls, pictures, letters, and birthday gifts sent.

 

Matthew 5:16

¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 

Sweet To A Mother's Heart

Nothing is sweeter

to the heart

of a mother

than watching

the making of future

Daddies and Mommies!