In case you were wondering.....

I am feeling the need to write ONLY because I know my Auntie Lynn reads and wants the status on our fam.
This past week was on the crazy side and I hafta say it was the first time in a really long time that I felt stress! Not just the overwhelming feeling of too much to do, but pure stress. Seems so insignificant now, but I was having a rummage sale at my sister's over the weekend and if you've ever had one yourself you'll know why I felt the need to hurl myself out my car window a few times. But it's done and gone and we made some money ta boot!
I also began the process of searching for an agency for our adoption and all of the facts and figures were beginning to twist around my brain like a blood-sucking leech. In the midst of it all I was given a generous offer for financial assistance and I felt the need to jump and try to figure that all out right away too. While the mounds and mounds of rummage junk was piling up in my dining room needing to me marked and moved, I was worried again about the details of bringing a little girl home. And really nothing got accomplished and still hasn't. That's how I roll.....give me more than I can handle and I shut right down. The boys did get to to and from school and to their soccer games, which is totally amazing and I am trying to undo the mounds of accumulating clothes, toys, etc that may have gotten a little neglected over the week. I may even make dinner tonight!
Feel Peace

God is telling us, "YES"....it's time

"The reward for considering the helpless is not just the end result, but the pain, the heart pain, that accompanies it. It is cleansing to hurt when God Himself hurts; it is a good thing."

Adopting...time to cross the line....

I have been wanting to post about this, but we haven't really been at a point where I thought I could state it as fact. We are beginning the adoption process. We are at that last point where we may have one more line to cross before it's official. I can't stop thinking about it....I can't stop reading about it....I can't stop talking about it. So many emotions involved and I am excited, but scared to death. Our friends waited so very long for their little girl in Ethiopia, one family I follow just found out that their little girl has tested for HIV and cannot be taken from the country of Uganda with such a medical condition, and then there is the money.....OH YES, the freaking money!!!! So this is what I've been faced with when I tell people we want to adopt from Africa: Why wouldn't you adopt from the U.S.? We have needy children here! Or if you can't give your own children the luxuries, why would you bring more into your family? And then there's this....Oprah and the U.S. take care of the people of Africa...they'll be fine.

If you see your comment in here...well, sorry...you've hit a nerve. Here is my answer for the four-hundreth, fifty-sixth time!!!! It is our choice to take a child from poverty and bring her into our home as one of our own. When God said care for the needy did he say only those who live in your city? Your state? Your country? No, he said to care for the helpless. We are all God's children. Can Oprah take care of all 147 million orphans? I think not. And they won't be fine....they are dying every day because of conditions that can be prevented (a whole other subject). And yes it IS sooo expensive!!! Is that right? Nope! But who would have to pay for that if we didn't go for it anyway? Those sweet babies! We DO live pay check- to- paycheck, but we have descent cars, a nice house (we think), and we have each other. Our kids are not neglected, they have the necessities, and they don't go without on too many things. So if I have to teach piano to them instead of getting them lessons....so be it! If instead of them getting riding lessons we try to figure it ourselves....so be it! They are loved and we do our best. I don't know how we'll do the money part. it's the one BIG thing that is holding us back, even though we are told that the bills don't all come at once. We are not accustomed to debt and we really don't want to start now. But God is pulling us in this direction and if we wait for the money to come we could be passing up an opportunity for our whole family. We don't want this after our own kids are grown and gone...we all want this experience now. The boys have been praying for this for months! I think I may have gotten a sign yesterday when I stumbled upon this blog. This was the first thing that popped out at me:

"He didn't put us here so we could have big houses, drive nice cars, have fancy clothes, and care about materialistic things. He put us here to love the orphaned and widowed, and love those around us. If just 8% of those who profess to be believers FOLLOWED what God wants us to do and adopted an orphan OR cared for a child in need, there would be no more orphans. That's 147 MILLION children without homes and love that would be given a family, and people to love them. "I'm too old"...Better an old mom than NO MOM right? :) and "It's too expensive" isn't an excuse because God will provide. I have seen him provide for the Oatsvalls, who started out without ANY money in their adoption fund and are now waiting to travel to go get their TWO children."

I decided this must be it....

God is telling me it's time. Time to cross that line.

Scared to death, but excited as ever.

Cole's 11th Birthday

Cole's Birthday is always close to Labor Day weekend.....and he loves to camp...and hunt

(see hunter dude).

So we compromised on the glorious cake and made cupcakes....with a hunting theme
(lots of deer and elk and such on them)!

Notice the sweet deer droppings
(sweet only because they're buttercream:0))

These are some of the friends that either camped with us or drove to celebrate with Cole--can't beat a good party!
Happy 11th year of your life, me boy!!
Your MaMa loves you!

First Day of School

This first morning of school went rather well with all three boys completing chores and morning rituals at top-notch speed. I'm not so sure this has ever been done! :0) Cole is now in fifth grade with two of the best teachers you could ever imagine, (You should hear some of their stories about shark-bites and going to the moon--yes my kids believe them all). Zachary is in the third grade with one of the teachers he had last year (she is so sweet and patient and we LOVE her) , and he has a new teacher we will surely adore equally. You all know Luke's story, but one crucial tid-bit for his first day is that he chose to lay his mohawk down... to make a good impression, I suppose. :0)

This photo was right before he said, "Goodbye, Mommy!!", and I asked. "Don't you want me to come in for awhile?"(we have ALWAYS done this with the other boys). He answered with a big "Nah" that made my heart strings go weak. We walked in with him as the teacher explained some of the hallway rules. She then proceeded to encourage the kids to wave goodbye to their mommies and daddies. This is where the flood-gates opened. I don't think the tears have ever come soo easily without much thought. My sweet husband comforted his bawling wife as I entered my first day without one of my babies by my side.

At last!! I finally stopped driving endlessly and greeted my sweet boy--he missed me....I'm sure of it. :0) I may have picked up some chocolate to comfort us both. Dic and I, traditionally, take the boys out to lunch their first day of Kindergarten (Olive Garden was Luke's choice).

And a treat for the big boys too to celebrate the new school year. I'm excited for a routine, but will miss those fun summer days of wearing our jammies 'til whenever we like. Luke only goes one day this week for small groups, and then he returns again next Tuesday. You don't suppose I'll have to go through the same all over?!