The Vine

A little over nine years ago, Bryan and I spent hours writing our family vision.  It had such an impact on our family that I decided to create a personal vision for myself.  I refer to if often.  It helps me focus on the things that the Lord has called me to do...the things that are my purpose for living.  At the top of my vision,  I placed an excerpt from a book that was written in 1882.  We have lost our focus as women.   

 

Please read with me today as I examine one aspect of my vision...calling...heart:

Woman is compared sometimes to the vine, while man is the strong oak to which it clings.  But there are different kinds of vines. 

Some wreathe a robe of beauty and a crown of glory for the tree, covering it in summer days with green leaves

and in the autumn hanging among its branches rich purple clusters of fruit;

others twine their arms about it only to sap its very life and destroy its vigor, till it stands decaying and unsightly; stripped of its splendor, discrowned and fit only for the fire.
Home-Making

What kind of vine are you? 

What kind of Oak have you helped your man to become?

Genesis 2:18

 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

 

Our Team

 I am not sure why, but individuals think they have a right to ask questions and analyze your family once you reach a certain size.   I have seen many eyes bulge out of their sockets once they find out that we not only have many children, but that we also choose to home school them as well.  Once they pick their eyeballs off the floor, the questions will begin.  The most common questions are, "How on earth do you get it all done?  How can you meet every ones needs?"

This one of my favorite times of each day.  I love snuggling with the little ones!

I can answer that question in one simply word-TEAMWORK!

Gracie always watches over her little Sis while I teach the Littles.

 

My children help out so much.  I am blessed that they care for one another.  They are quick to help out in anyway possible.

  


Zeke watches over Myla while I grade papers.




 They couldn't do it without me and I couldn't do it without them.






Myla naps with Caleb so I can help Grace with her math.

 We are aren't perfect.  We have our days.  We have our stresses, but we are a team that is playing to win.

Weird But Wonderful!

We were able to start decorating for Christmas the last few days.  What a fun activity!  The "little people" have been so excited. 

After I finished a hanging the stockings on the mantle, I took a step back to look at my work.  I wanted to make sure they were spaced properly. 

As I did so, I had one of my "moments".  It was one of those moments that it hits me that I have seven children.  Seven huge blessings that I am responsible to love as the Lord loves me.  It is my job to teach them all ways of the Lord.  Bam!  The thought hit me right in the heart!





I have these moments often.  There are times that I think, "Lord, it is so weird that I have a newborn and one who will be 18 years old in just 2 1/2 months. 
Father, I will be changing diapers and looking into college at the same time.  Please give me the wisdom to balance it all."


I find it strange that when Myla is in Kindergarten my oldest will be out of college.  Who knows he could even be married.

 My life is a crazy, but I love it.  I wouldn't trade it for the world.  It is a weird, but wonderful life.

I Thank the Lord

I can't even begin to tell you the miracle that adoption is.  It is amazing.  It is a joy.  It is from the Lord. 

I had heard individuals say  that they had a child through the miracle of adoption, but I can tell you that I NEVER would have understood had I not had little Myla placed into my life...my heart.

When we started the journey to adoption, I felt as if I had to find a needle in a hay stack.  I knew the Lord had a child for us, but there were a thousand paths before us.  How would we ever know which road would led us to the new little Elliott? 

It was overwhelming for not only did we need to find and walk down the right trail, but we also had to raise money in the process.  I cried out daily for the Lord to help us...guide us. 

In the midst of calling on the Lord, we had agencies tell us to be prepared to wait at least two years.  Many told us to be prepared to show our profile to birth mothers at least twenty times due to the fact that we were a large family. 

Little did we know that the Lord would miraculously give us a child in 8 short months from the day Bryan and I sat in our bedroom and said yes to adoption.  Who would have thought  that we would hold our Lovie just 4 1/2 months after our home study was done?  Much to every one's surprise, we were matched with Myla after our FIRST profile showing!!

I thank the Lord that we said yes each time that I hold our Treasure and breath in her baby scent,

 

I thank the Lord that we didn't make excuses. 

 

I thank the Lord that he revealed his plan and gave us this blessing to cherish forever.

 

I thank the Lord that I have been able to experience the miracle of birth and adoption.

 

I thank the Lord for ALL of my children. 

 

I thank the Lord for a husband who faithfully follows the Lord even when it is hard...when others think he is crazy.  Not many men would adopt a child on a single income when he already has 6 children!!

 

I can't begin to tell you how blessed I am! 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

The Blessings of a Large Family

I forget the number of children we had when  we started to receive comments about our family size.  We have been helping individuals with their counting skills for a while now. 

I remember one time  we were at the mall and this lady was counting our children with her pointing finger.  Bryan looked at her and said, "Six.  We have six children."   She gave us a dirty look and rushed on. 


When we had Myla at her first well check, we were placed in a waiting room for newborns.  There was a couple already seated in the room.  The man looked down at our baby seat and said, "Is this your first?"

"No, this is our seventh," Bryan replied.

"Holy S____.  You have got to be kidding me.  I am sooo sorry," the husband loudly proclaimed.

Bryan smiled and said confidently, "Sorry?  Why are you sorry?  I am thankful.  They are a blessing."

I am sorry for the children whose parents think they are a nuisance.
 
I am sorry for the families whose patriarchs don't see them as blessings.

I am sorry for the many people who miss out on the benefits of a large family.

Here are Myla's thoughts on her large family:

I always have someone to feed me.

 

 

 

 

I always have

 

 

 

 

someone to kiss me.

 

 

 

I always have someone

 

 

 

 

to hold me.

 

 

 

 

I am never afraid.

 

 

 

I am never alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am loved by MANY.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am always protected.

 

 

I am read to often.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am adored by all.

I am blessed. I feel sorry for those who miss out on the love I have.  My family is a blessing.

Watch Out Bears!

A couple of days ago, I told Drew now that he was a big brother he would have to protect his MyMy Girl.

He proclaimed, "Otay, I will det my dun.  Don't worry, Myla. I will protect you."

 

As he was running down the hallway, I questioned him as to why he needed a gun.  He yelled back,

 

"I have to protect her from the bears."

Even though the only bear we have seen in Ohio is this little "pooh bear",

 

he has taken his job very serious.  He cherishes his sister.  Being a protective big brother takes

alot out of him.



Happy Birthday Itsy

Our little Itsy Spider is turning 6 today. 

It is hard to believe that our little princess is so old.  She came into our lives weighing just a little over 5 lbs. 

While she was in the hospital, a wise nurse with alot of experience told us that she was a dainty little thing. 

Oh, how true her words came to be.

No one in our family has been as delicately pretty as she has been. She is one that contains a quiet beauty. 

In a house filled with outgoing people, Hosanna is at times unnoticed until she starts to sing.  Oh, how she loves to sing. 

 Happy Birthday our little PRAISE giver.

I am a PROFESSIONAL!

I was having one of those days!  It was a day that I was sick of myself.  Sick of that fact that I am not really good at anything.  I have always just lived my life in "middle land".  I was a middle child who graduated in the middle of my class.  Don't get me wrong I am not at the bottom of the list for which I am thankful.  I am however lower than  all of the people who excel at all that they do. 
Well, it was during dinner that the Lord once again showed me that He has a sense of humor.  We had just finished the last bit of food when I took over washing the dishes.  The older children were all busy so I started my piling artwork to let the air do the drying. 

 

As I finished the last of the dishes and observed my beautiful art work, I felt as if the Lord had said, "See you are good at something. You are a professional stacker."  Tears rolled down my cheeks as I fought the urge to pee my pants.  I couldn't stop laughing...crying.  Once I composed myself, I walked into the living room only to see the next form of art work glaring back at me. 

The laundry.  I am truly a professional.  Please don't be jealous.  You can be just as talented as me if you have enough children and work hard to balance the stacks and piles.

 

The Fingerprints of God

When I gaze into the face of this little treasure, I see what everyone else sees.  Her chunky cheeks warm my heart.  Her deep dark eyes energize my spirit.  But what I see most of all are the fingerprints of MY LORD, THE CREATOR OF HER LIFE.

 

I look upon the scriptures found in Psalms 139:13-16 from a whole new light.  Her version of this passage would read something like this:

 

 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my birth mother’s womb and my mother and father's heart.
 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you

    when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

 One of the fingerprints of God that blows my mind is the fact that during the time that Myla was being placed in her mother's womb, Bryan was in Guatemala.  It was there that we knew from the bonding experience he had with one of the orphan little girls 




Bryan with the little princess who the Lord use to show us it was time to start our adoption journey.  Thank you little one for your sweet spirit.

that we were to adopt and to do it now.  Little did we know that as he wrote about this little girl not having a Daddy that our little girl was so loving placed into the womb of her birth mother so that one

day Bryan would be her daddy. 
Praise you, Father, for placing her in his arms.

 

Dear One

Our

 Sweet

 is

 4 weeks.

I can't express how dear she is to us ALL.