Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.~ Ps. 127:3

Here comes the rain!

2012-02-10T22:51:00.003-05:00

When it rains, it pours. And the outpouring of the Lord is something I can get used to. He's blessed me 4 times with sweet wonderful children through the miracle of adoption and today, this day, he has blessed me again.

Today, after months of waiting for the formal okay, a little girl from around the world was matched by China to be our daughter. And I could not be more humbled that God chose me to be her mom.

Within the next 12 weeks I should be boarding a plane to bring this sweet girl home to us, her forever family.

Thank you Lord for this day. For the Referral. For the updated photos. For the miracle of adoption.

A Thank You to My Loves

2012-02-10T13:17:00.005-05:00

My sweet loves, all 5 of them, decorated the house for my birthday while I was at Bible Study. The next day they woke me up to lots of handmade gifts and cards, that night they cooked me a wonderful meal and cleaned it up while I read a book an relaxed. I couldn't ask for a sweeter family.

I am blessed.

Heart. Mind and Soul. And so-not-a-Stepford-wife.

2012-01-20T12:32:00.006-05:00

The ladies in my life. They are fabulous. Lovely. God-fearing. Supportive. Encouraging. And yet each of them has something I want. One goes on lots of vacations.~ Another has kids in public school and she has free time to get her nails done and have coffee with friends.~ Yet another has a house that is not only immaculate but she also has a house keeper. ~ And let's not forget the one who has a nice career and a get away with her husband each year. None of these things are wrong. But what is wrong is this....Part of me wants to be part of each of them.

I am a stay home mom. I homeschool my kids. I rarely get my nails done. My house is rarely immaculate and vacations, although we take them, are done on a dime. At times I escape my reality and mentally enter my friends realities. I go on a trip down "Wishful Thinking". I dream of that vacation alone with my husband, getting my nails done while my kids are at school, laughing over coffee with a friend and then going home to a quiet house that is immaculate because kids aren't there all day to mess it up. And when I do this, I miss the point of my life. I miss who I am. I miss who I was created to be. I miss the blessing.

One day, I had the chance to have coffee with a friend. It was the middle of the day. Her kids were in school. My kids were at home with my servant-leader-husband. This friend talked about her days. I dreamed of what it would be like in her shoes. I left the coffee time knowing my heart was in the wrong place. I sat quietly in my car, head down, asking the Lord to reveal to me what was missing in my heart at that moment. Something, something didn't feel right. Only He could point out what it was.

Then it happened. I saw a miniature movie flash before me. A movie of a ladies life. She was devoted to her Savior. She had been called and set aside by the Creator of the Universe for a special work. He had entrusted her with much. He never gave her the desire to carry a child but had given her the desire to love the orphan. As a matter of fact, he had brought to her life 4 orphans that were now her children and another was on the way. He gave her The Fatherless. He gave her his own. She worked tirelessly at this calling. Teaching them. Raising them. Rearing them in academics and to honor the Lord their God. Her life would be fully devoted to this calling. She would be the mother of many. She would stand out among the crowds. Some would snicker at her. Some would praise her unjustifiably. Some would recognize the calling. She was set apart. She was the Lord's hands and feet. She was, well, she was....me.

I didn't need to be them. I needed to be....me. I fell in love that day with the life the Lord flashed before me. I fell in love that day with my calling.

Don't get me wrong. I have always loved my calling. But I have led a double-life. Loving what I have. Wishing for more.

Let us not wish for more than the Lord's call upon our life. Let us not grow weary in the work of our hands. Let us honor the Lord our God with all our *hearts*, *minds* and *souls*. Let us love what the Lord is doing in our life. What has he put in front of you? Whatever it is, it's from Him. It's His calling in your life. Grab it with both hands and love it more than a fudge-covered-chocolate-brownie. Love it more than you love your neighbors life. Love your calling because it's the gift of your life the Lord has given you. Don't be afraid to blend in if that's what God has called. Don't be afraid to stand out like a freak-show if that is what God has called. Don't be afraid. Let go. Let God. And while we are at it, let's encourage one another to be different from each other. Let's encourage each other in our uniqueness and let's see how far from the Stepford Wives we can possibly get.

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” - Luke 10:27

"A capable, intelligent and virtuous woman, who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far ABOVE RUBIES or pearls." ~Proverbs 31:10

Christmastime

2011-11-28T16:48:00.001-05:00

Ah!!! The holidays are among us and what's the holidays without a trip to your local Apple Store?! So while I and my girls went googly over all things starting with 'i', our budget was a constant reminder that we must remain thankful for what we do have. And so in the spirit of frugal thankfulness, I simply downloaded a new free-app to my old-already-paid-for phone. And what was that app? ~ the free blogger interface ~ I figured with my upcoming China trip, I should figure out how to post blogger updates from this phone. So here's my free-frugal-thankful-post while at the mall and on my iPhone.

Merry Frugal Christmas

7 years of EXTRAVAGANT love

2011-11-09T09:21:00.007-05:00

When God gives you a special gift and that gift changes your life for the better and brings you immense joy for 7 years, then that day is quite special. And as we contemplated celebrating Kya's 7th Gotcha Day, we wondered "How can we make each child's Gotcha Day anniversaries just a little more special? A little more memorable?"

Flowers from Dad for his tiny sweetheart are a must every year.

And then we took her to Pandora. Because a girls first fine jewelry really should be from Dad.

It's a little extravagent for us at this time in our life, but so is our love for this child, for all our children.

EXTRAVAGANT LOVE
There is always a reason not to splurge on the ones you love but sometimes you must push those reasons aside and just do it. This was one of those moments. We didn't want to wait another year to start this special tradition.

And so she picked out her first charm. And next year she can pick out another charm. And every year on her special day (and all our girls special days), they can pick out a charm for their Adoption bracelets.

We hope this tiny memento in the form of a bracelet will outlast even their parents. When they look at it, they will remember the moments, the love, the bond we shared as a family formed through the miracle of adoption.

Fall is all around us

2011-11-09T09:04:00.005-05:00

Living up here in Maryland has been fabulous to see the seasons change. Fall is one of our most favorite times of year. You begin to eat warm food again instead of summer salads, hot teas instead of iced tea, the leaves are colorful, the air is crisp and the fireplace is cozy and life seems a little more romantic.

We have a family tradition of having a Family Fall Party here at home. This year we actually found a family that is also free on October 31st every year to join our celebration, so we picked them up off the street and invited them over. No, really, these are our dear-dear friends that have become our Maryland family and we are so blessed to have them in our lives.

All dressed up and ready for some fun.

Wrestling with Uncle Kenny.

Working hard on pumpkin carving.

Showing off their hard work.

Givin' some love.

Birthdays are special

2011-11-09T08:55:00.003-05:00

Every year in October, our family treks from Florida to spend Autumn's birthday with her. It's always a special time. So special and filled with family moments that I get too busy and then too tired to post her birthday pictures. This year, I remembered!

Autumn had spent a week in Florida, drove 15 hours straight to get home with the grandparents and as she arrived we suprised her with a Mini Birthday Party Celebration.

On her actual birthday Autumn chose to spend it at the Chinese Buffet with friends of the family and then come home to open presents.

The day after her birthday she chose to go shopping and buy her first Skate Board with her birthday money. Sister, Kya, decided that was a great idea and pulled money from her own savings to also buy a skateboard.

Happy 8the birthday baby girl. We love you!

My Lily of the Field

2011-10-07T11:50:00.000-04:00

As she sat quietly out on the deck alone, blowing her bubbles, I caught glimpses of her from the corner of my eye. She's growing up. She's getting big. She's going to make a fine young lady one day. One day all too soon. And I couldn't help but capture this moment of childhood in photos before the moment was gone.

Confessions of a 'Material Girl'

2011-09-23T18:03:00.000-04:00

It surprises me sometimes how very different the mindset our Western World is from other cultures and that of our Biblical Ancestors.

A Contest:
In Biblical Times woman considered the command to be fruitful and multiply as serious business. In fact, if they weren't multiplying, they were giving over their maidservants to multiply for them. Just look at the story of Leah and Rachel in Genesis Three for one example. It was literally a contest to see which wife would have the most sons.

Quiver Full:
The more the merrier was seriously acted out. Lots of sons was considered a blessing from the Lord. "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."

Barren Woman:
Isaiah 54 even tells "barren" (childless or infertile) woman to rejoice and not because they are childless but because there are so many children that need a mom. So many! More children than the fertile woman.

Sweet friends, I'm not judging. I was once very westernized in this area as well and in some ways, still am. Each time the Lord says "go. adopt. go. now." I indeed go and go happily BUT think and even say "this is it Lord, I'm done. No more." The Lord is showing me the error of my western thinking slowly. There has not ever been one huge revelation, one giant leap where I said "I want a gazillion kids." I am stubborn. And the Lord is patient to work slowly on my heart. But as he does, I see it. I see the falsehoods I once held too.

My western thoughts included:
1 child, esteemed private schools, an escalating career, a beautiful car, exotic vacations, lavish dining, beautiful furniture, and a very large knock-your-sox-off-diamond ring (you get the picture)

I grew up and loved (and still to this day dance to)...Madonna's Material Girl: We-are-living-in-a-material-world-and-I-am-a-material-girl. Yep, even typing it makes my shoulders bounce. It's a great tune. But, its meanings run deep within us and shapes who we become, what we decide, what we hold to and yes, even how we JUDGE others (oh, no, judge? did I just say judge? Us, conservative Christian gals would n.e.v.e.r judge, now would we? Oh, yeah....I did.)

Judging. So what did I judge? Whom did I judge? Shall I tell you? Will you loathe me? Will you judge me back? I judged the mom with lots of kids. Yep, I did. I judged the stay at home mom. Yep, I did. I judged the mini-van driving mamma. Yep, I did. Honest engine. I did. I even made terrible, unrelenting comments that were nasty-heart-sickening-comments repeatedly saying all them mommas did was watch soap operas and eat bon-bons. Lord, how naive. Insensitive. Judgemental. Selfish. Cruel. Unloving. Un-christlike I was. Lord, forgive me. All moms, everywhere, forgive me? Please. I have seen the error of my youthful thinking.

Now gals, if you think I have changed 180 degrees the other way and am now judging you because you: have a career, use private school, have only 1 or just a few children, drive an expensive car, go on exotic vacations and have beautiful furniture. You're wrong. I made envy you to great lengths but I'm not judging you. Now you know envy and judging are 2 different sins and I can only work on one thing at a time, alright? Be patient with me. God's not done with me yet.

Accountability:
We are accountable to the Lord. Only the Lord. Not to a subscribed western way of life. Not to modern ideologies. Not to each other even. Only to the Lord.

The only thing I want to share is that once I opened up my heart to the Lord in this area of my life, he began revealing to me a plan, a master plan. A plan that I never dreamed up. But he didn't reveal it all at once or I might have shot myself or maybe drank one too many martinis. Okay, I've never had a martini, seriously. But had the Lord said "You will stay home, homeschool, have 5 (or more children), drive a mini van and live for bon-bons" I would have seriously taken to Martini's and burned my Bible. I am so glad he was slow with me. I am so glad he was patient. I am so glad he changed me, is changing me.

Open your heart to the Lord today. Lay your plans down right now. Surrender yourself. God will make you a new creation. God will bless you richly and shower his love upon you so much your heart will burst.

Bracelets Among Us

2011-08-01T13:51:00.004-04:00

We are so close! ~ 75% of the funds needed to complete our adoption are literally in our bank account!

We have fully funded, through fundraisers and donations, the $5,100 orphanage donation fee.

~ Thank you ~ Thank you ~ Thank you ~

All we have left to raise is the Travel Cost. They are estimated as such:

Dawn's Air: $1500
Joy's Air: $900
In China Cost: $4000

There a few ways in August we can chip away at this last bit of the cost.

One of those is these incredible bracelets made by Kya & Autumn's best friend, Isabella. Isabella and her mom worked tirelessly hand-making these and sold almost $200 worth! Now, we have a few in our possession to sell as well.

Email me at dawn.clark@me.com to place your order!

The bracelets are $5 each and the headbands are $6. I know for sure we have pink and grey/white headbands. Email me if you want something specific and I will check our inventory. If you are mail ordering yours or using Paypal please add $1 extra to your final purchase amount. But email me first to see what we have in stock.

Our Joy Overflows

2011-07-18T10:19:00.006-04:00

Well, because I don't have enough to do or enough confusion: Not only do I have a website for Joy but now I have a blog for her too. My logic was this: The website is nice to have all the various pages for updates, fundraising, cost analysis, time lines, etc. BUT, when I travel to China the blog will be nice and simple (and easy) for uploading pictures and updates about our first few days together. BUT, since I started the blog, I have found it easy to use it to pour out my heart. I miss my girl. I have so many thoughts, feelings and words and very little outlet for them. A journal is hard for me anymore. For some reason, my hand cramps with extreme pain when I try to write more than 1/2 page in my journal. But, my blog allows me to type with comfort. Then as the year rolls to an end, I am able to copy/paste my words from my blog into a photo album, a keepsake for our Joy.

So here is her blog: http://joyfromtheeast.blogspot.com/

For now, the blog has only tidbits of info, a few pics and later as I travel it will be how I communicate daily.

Today, I was blessed beyond blessed to post updates photos of our waiting Joy to her new blog.

~ She is beyond precious. I am beyond blessed to have these photos. My heart is overflowing with pure Joy today! And, as I want to cry out in anguish over the wait, I try to focus on the thought that 'soon Mom and daughter will be united, soon'! ~

A little trip to the river

2011-07-04T11:44:00.003-04:00

Summer

Awe, it's a breath of fresh air.

Beaches ~ Fishing ~ BBQ ~ Hiking ~ Friends ~ Family

I love these summer moments.

A Little July Hike

2011-07-01T18:34:00.009-04:00

We've made this same hike before...in the snowy winter...at the end of spring...now, in the summer. Anytime of year, this hike is wonderful.

Lunch by the water

The 5 kids at play

Boys being boys

And, girls exploring nature

These moments are the moments that make life special.

Down on the boardwalk...

2011-07-01T17:23:00.007-04:00

We just love, love, love Baltimore Harbor

We took my little brother their for the first time last Saturday.

When I am there, at the harbor, I get that "awe, this is home..." and "life is good..." feeling.

It's just one of those feel-good favorite places.

Multitude of Thanks

2011-06-27T20:14:00.006-04:00

See this lady...the one in the pic...what an amazing lady she is. Since we were fundraising for our adoption, we couldn't bring ourselves to pay for a hotel. She welcomed all 6 of us into her home. Not only that, she bought all the food. Not only that, she prepared all the food. Not only that, she contributed to the adoption expenses above and beyond her own means.

There is only one word for a woman like this.

That word is....

Wait for it.....

It's......

MOTHER.

Mother, I love you. Thank you for your generosity. And to John, who is the world's best step-dad, thank you! We love you both!

Welcome Summer 2011

2011-06-25T12:48:00.001-04:00

We've been in Florida all week welcoming in summer.

Thinking, preparing, dreaming

2011-06-17T10:13:00.002-04:00

Hotels:
Thinking of hotels. Where I can stay and be safe. Where we can walk to dinner close by.

Shopping:
Where can we stay where shopping is around the corner. Shopping! She'll come with nothing. She'll be 9 years old and own nothing but the clothes on her back. I cannot pre-buy anything because she's 9. Not only do I not know here size, I don't know what she likes. So shopping, we will be shopping. She will need clothes immediately.

Things to do:
I hear there are many things to do in Xi'an. I look forward to exploring my new daughter's birth city with her. Since I'm traveling alone, I'll have lots of mom-daughter bonding moments. What's the city like? What will my trip be like?

Someone else took this photo. It's the Remnan Sqaure in Xi'an.

So much to think about.

So much preparing to do.

So much dreaming.

And lots and lots of praying.

Missing my girl today. Getting excited.

Unexpected Blessings

2011-06-15T08:39:00.003-04:00

Sometimes the blessings we receive mean so much to us, that we must really stop and make note of them and give a Shout of Thanks!

This is one of those times.

Last night I poured my heart out to my husband about how I am running out of time to do all I have to do for the family, the house, the adoption, the fundraising. I need help and the only one that can help me is God himself. So Dale tells me to take a 10 day break from it all and at the end of 10 days we'll see where and how God has led.

One of the many things on the BIG TO DO LIST is make beanie hats for the babies at the orphanage. We are supposed to take gifts to the little ones left behind. We have taken bottles, medicine, clothes, bought washing machines, etc in the past. But now funds are so very, very tight. Okay, funds are not tight. Funds are, well, non-existant. So, we have all this yarn and decided we would learn to make beanie hats. But to make 25-50 beanie hats for extreme-novice crocheters is an overwhelming task. I have never crocheted anything worthy of ever giving away and Kya is just 7 years old. But we were going to give it a whirl. And so it sat on the BIG TO DO LIST.

After pouring out my heart to hubby last night, I wake to this blessing.....

Do you know what this is? It's beanie hats for babies. Not just any babies....for babies in Chinese orphanages. Someone is asking us to deliver them to our child's orphanage. She is 16 years old and has made 400 hats for Chinese orphans, and she needs us to deliver them for her.

BLESSINGS!

That's what these hats are!

BLESSINGS!

White Picket Fences

2011-06-14T11:54:00.004-04:00

A lure for me for many years is a simple life.

Simplicity!
That doesn't mean boring. It doesn't mean giving up living in the modern world. But it does mean that I take a few drastic measures. For one, it means that not every child in my house has their own extra curricular activity. It also means that family dinners are a priority; sitting around the table, bowing our head in thanks to the Lord, talking with no TV on. It means not yelling for someone across the house, but walking over to them to speak. It means that we don't drive a new car until our old one dies. It means making the most of the home we have. It means living frugal and not keeping up with the neighbors.

Simple living depicts certain pictures to me:

Apple Pie

Grilling hot dogs

Sprinklers

The ice cream shop on a hot summer night

~ and ~

white picket fences

What does a simple life look like to you? What would you do for that vision? What would you give up to have your life simplified?

It's a sweet thing to ponder. Enjoy a moment to ponder this idea. Perhaps on your patio or back deck with a cup of coffee or a glass of lemon aide. Go ahead and ponder. Ponder all day if you want and just be still.

Left Behind....

2011-06-09T09:13:00.001-04:00

This is a special video. This is the video that inspired my heart to adopt a 5th child. I was comfortable with my 4 children, comfortable in my home, the size of my home, didn't want to expand our budget, stretch our resources or rock our boat (especially in THIS economy). But, then Lucy.....Lucy's little face shined upon my computer screen, I was reminded of the desolation around the world, the lack of hope, the need for us to be God's arms and feet. How can I sit here and be so self-absorbed when "the least of these" suffers so? This world is coming to end. It is. We will not be here forever. Our lives are but a vapor. We have 1 shot, only 1, to make a difference and this is our moment. If we do not grasp it, we will miss it and in so doing, we will miss the blessing. Oh, friends, I don't want to miss the blessing. I don't want you to miss the blessing.

Not everyone is called to adopt. It is a calling. But we are are ALL called to care for the orphans. Do you see the conditions in this video? Do you see the numbers of children that need to be cared for? That care is not free. It cost someone, somewhere lots of money to care for them. When we go to China, Joy will walk out into the light, she will have a hope and a future. But, that orphanage will have then cared for Joy for 9 years and paid all of her expenses for 9 years. And so, in order to give back, we will be required to donate $5000 to the care of the children left behind. We need your help. It's that simple. We need you to help us raise the donation amount to give to the children left behind.

Since 2003, Dale and I have personally funded $133,000 for this cause. The cause of the fatherless. Our work is FAR from done. This is our life calling. But, we are running out of own resources and we simply are asking for $5,000. It seems like a lot but in comparison, it is not. Please help. Please.

Leap. Now. Really? Yes, really!

2011-06-03T16:58:00.001-04:00

Why must we do things we find most uncomfortable, most unpleasant? There are things we could do for God that, well, are easy. So why can't we just do those things? But that is just now how it works. He ask us time and time again to LEAP. I always say that when God speaks you have two choices. Obedience and Disobedience. So when he ask you to LEAP, do you LEAP?

Well, we have leaped. We are not doing this for recognition, a pat on the back, to be a saint. We simply LEAP because to not do so is actually scarier than the LEAP. I don't ever want to be outside the will of God. So even when the will of God for my life seems uncomfortable, unpleasant, hard work, I know that being outside of his will, well....just sucks. How's that for 'religious talk'? It sucks, it does. There is no other word that better describes it. You just don't want to find yourself outside his will.

So, here we are,

~ Uncomfortable ~

We must raise $10,000 to adopt the child the God has led us to. This leaves us most uncomfortable. We are givers, not receives. Yet, God has asked us to be receivers. To fundraise. To admit we can't do it on our own. To LEAP. To TRUST. And, so to be 'in his will', we are fundraising.

For some the words "rescue mission" are taboo. Some really dislike the idea of fundraising for a "particular child". So folks let's not call it a rescue mission. Let's not raise funds to "save this child". Let's raise funds to be in the center of God's will. Let's raise funds to help out our brothers and sisters in Christ who are called by the God of the Universe to adopt 1 more child. Will you help us? Will you help with the massive expense?

The cost is over $23,000. We started out with $13,000.

“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26

Dale and I have pray that God would use our story to inspire others to adopt. We believe that there are many who will respond to God’s request for them to LEAP if they knew and saw just how God can work when it comes to the Fatherless. You simply LEAP and God shows up by using those around us to embrace his plan, embrace the orphans and the call. In the month of May we raised over $2,400. We still have $7,500 to go.

Will you help? Will you be part of the mission that God has set forth? Will join us?

Our Adoption FundRaiser

2011-05-17T14:58:00.005-04:00

Our 7 year old daughter, Kya, drew the design for our fundraiser t-shirt.

We are heading back to China for our 5th adoption and this time, well, we just don't have all the money that is needed for the $23,000 mission. We need to raise $10,000 of the funds. ...Seriously!...We have no back up plan. We must fully rely on God to multiply our efforts. We truly beleive he wants to use this adoption and these fund raising efforts to show others that lack of funds should not stop us from adopting. That children are a blessing from the Lord and He will bless us, bless you, if we just have faith.

So, with our Faith, Hope & Love t-shirts
(The Greatest of these is Love)....

Will you please be part of the miracle of adoption?

Order by May 22nd for the discount price of $18.

ORDER INSTRUCTIONS:

Please repost on your FB page and email to your friends/family to help bring JOY TO THE LORD!!

Payments can be made through our ChipIn acct on the sidebar of our blog THEN email size/# of tees with your address to dawn.clark@me.com

A JOY-filled Mother's Day

2011-05-10T20:03:00.004-04:00

Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. - Psalm 127:3-5

As a mother, all mother's days are special. No matter what happens, I'm still a mom and that's a blessing that nobody can take away. I have 4 incredible children that have been a blessing to me in so many ways.

~ Kya is smart and tender.
~ Autumn is creative and crazy.
~ Lily is spunky.
~ Aaron, my only son, is full of laughter and kisses.

I love them each so differently, so dearly, so deeply that each Mother's Day I am beyond thankful for them.

....BUT.....

Some Mother's Day are just EXTRA special.

They bring us a little EXTRA something we didn't expect.

And sometimes they bring us great JOY.

This Mother's Day was one of those Extra Special JOY filled days

because

...we got a letter from China...

....a letter that said....

I am going to be a mom AGAIN

and her name is

JOY

This our Joy, our 5th child, the one I have waited for, the one I have prayed for.

~ Ms. Joy -- you are indeed a miracle and a blessing. And you make our Joy Complete! ~

Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
John 16:24b

It's Spring

2011-05-05T01:33:00.003-04:00

From time to time, I look back at my blog here and think "Wow, I have some beautiful kids. And beautiful memories." I don't update much. We all have this thing now, you know, called "Facebook" and it's seem easy to post a picture each day or an album there on a special day. And, well, blog-land gets forgotten about. But what a beautiful collection of memories we gather here on these blogs. Let's be honest, it's really for us, not for the world. We like to look over our entries and remember how precious time is. How fleeting it is that our kids grow up and change. How blessed we are to have these special moments worthy of blogging over, worthy of capturing on camera. Worthy of remembering.

Today I post a few special memories from the past few months.

A family field trip to Annapolis...my sweeties, all 5 of them...how I adore them.

Another family field trip. Washington, D.C's Cherry Blossom Festival. Me and my Bug. She's grown so much and just celebrated her 4th birthday.

My son. My heart-throb. Running through the sprinklers on a warm Easter Sunday. I love him. Oh, I love him!

Look at my beauties. Kya and Autumn, all growing up, becoming such wonderful little ladies. Here they are on Easter Sunday in their "twin dresses". They just bless me so much. It's amazing to watch them grow.

Lord, thank you for these little ones, for my love Dale, for all the blessings you bring me each season of my life.

Suddenly My Girls are Seven

2010-12-17T19:03:00.006-05:00

I'm not quite sure what happened to the 11 month old baby I once held or the two 2 year old toddler I once chased. I loved them dearly. They grabbed a piece of my heart I may never, ever get back (and quite frankly, I hope I don't get it back since I gave it to them forever.) But, here in front me now, stand these two beautiful, striking young ladies that I love in a vastly different way. In a way that says "you're not just cute, you're not just cuddly, you're mine. You're mine forever. In every way you grow, in every way you change, in every season of life, in all you do, you're my child and I love you."

Moments We Cherish

2010-09-21T12:27:00.002-04:00

This day was just one of those days I cherish and always will. All the kids, all the friends, the little talks, the games....these sweethearts all lives so far away now, but they are always close in my heart. I love each of them as my own (thankfully 4 of them are my own!).

~ meeting Jake & Emma: the newest members of 'the clan' ~

Jacksonville Museum

2010-09-21T12:15:00.003-04:00

During our August trip to Florida, we were sure to get some homeschooling in by visiting the Museum of Science & History.

~Kya absolutely did not want to enter the Planetarium Theater, but during the show she decided it was "the coolest thing EVER." And, that is why we sometimes 'make' our children do things they don't want to do. ~

~ Autumn is not so sure about this body display as she reluctantly poses for a photo-op. ~

Blue Hawaii

2010-08-08T18:39:00.006-04:00

A little paint brings a lot of smiles to one little girl.
The girls had so much fun actually helping to paint the walls.

Kya wanted her room painted blue. Since her and Autumn share a room, Autumn agreed and off they went with Dad to get blue paint.
BUT
...as we are painting Autumn says something to the effect of 'she'd rather die than sleep in that room with blue walls'. ~ I think she realized she missed her moment to protest the blue when purple is her favorite color. So after some discussion we decided to separate the girls into their own rooms. When we get back from Florida in a few weeks, we will create a "purple Chinese" room for Autumn.

~In the meantime, here is Kya's Blue Hawaii. ~

It's very, very bright, but so are the smiles of the little girl that resides here.

Remembering When

2010-07-21T17:05:00.005-04:00

The day I said "I do", I meant it.

I mean it even more today.

Dale, I love you, I love you, I love you!

A blessed little visit

2010-07-17T09:37:00.004-04:00

My 13 year old brother, Joel, visited us for just over three weeks this summer. We had such a sweet time with him. We celebrated the 4th of July, caught lightening bugs, roasted s'mores, went to the movies, fishing, washed cars, attended VBS, made a trip to Washington DC and created wonderful memories. He, Kya & Autumn all caught their first fish, rode the metro for the first time and had their first slumber party staying up late in pj's and watching movies even after mom and dad were asleep. It's hard to say goodbye, but we enjoyed our visit and look forward to next summer.

Here are the photos from our last fishing trip to celebrate Joel's 14th birthday.

Happy 3rd Birthday Son

2010-07-06T16:06:00.000-04:00

Aaron Gabriel ~ son of my heart. He fills my day with laughter, my arms with hugs, my house with pitter patters and dinosaur growls. He loves Thomas the Train, McDonald's French Fries and Chuck E Cheese as if they were the main thing the universe evolved around. At the age of 3 he knows his ABC's, colors, shapes and can count to 13 and even 18 by skipping 14 of course. :-) He loves to read to himself but not be read to. He loves music and his guitar but can't sit still in a music class. He spends mass amounts of time digging through books and playing his guitar and using anything he can for railroad tracks. Some days he naps and other days he turns his room upside down but he always sleeps through the night. He's always happy to see me. He loves his bath and thankfully because he literally rolls (and I mean rolls) in the dirt and mud. He is all boy. He is my boy and I am blessed.

Gone Fishing

2010-07-05T16:56:00.000-04:00

The weather has been unbearable. The temps have been in the 100's (102-120) in the afternoons. We had planned to go to the beach on Monday, July 5th but thought better of it. Instead Dale took the kids to Wally-World (Walmart) for new fishing poles & supplies. (I found live worms in my fridge later...yuck!). That night when it dropped into the 90's, we headed out for a picnic and fishing (and no the worms were not our picnic dinner.) :-)

4th of July 2010

2010-07-04T16:35:00.000-04:00

We have not seen fireworks in a few years. A couple of the kids are sensitive to the sound. This year they were ready for the fun though. We did keep our distance by staying in the mall parking lot, across the street from the main event but the time together was still sweet and the display was really pretty.

Down on the Farm 2010

2010-07-03T16:24:00.002-04:00

We made our second trip to Clark Eliok Farm. Last year we went for Lily's birthday, this year for Aaron's birthday/4th of July weekend. My little brother Joel is visiting and was able to go with us. Lily & Aaron rode their first pony and we were able to enjoy the hayride this year. You don't want to miss the picture of Lily kissing the goat!

Another June Hike

2010-06-14T13:22:00.006-04:00

Hiking with the kids in the Patapsco Valley, along the river, followed by a picnic under a tree and a good book in the shade.

~This beautiful part of the valley is just about 3 minutes from our home. This is also the same site we took our "snowy hike" this winter. ~

My Sweetheart and I

2010-06-14T09:07:00.001-04:00

Dale and Dawn after the I Will Rise concert.

Kya in the Children's Choir

2010-06-14T08:50:00.003-04:00

A Walk in the Woods

2010-06-08T16:13:00.008-04:00

A walk in our woods on a beautiful June afternoon....

Strawberries 2010

2010-05-29T16:12:00.000-04:00

This was our second year going to the fields and we enjoyed it even more this year. The weather was beautiful, the kids helped more and the berries were oh, so yummy & the jam turned out great.

Mother's Day Tea

2010-05-09T13:02:00.002-04:00

Another Year Gone, Another Year Ahead

2010-05-07T09:01:00.006-04:00

We just finished up our school year here at Camp Silly.

We completed this wonderful series from My Father's World. We used their Kindergarten and First Grade (learn to read programs) and we loved it very much. So much fun!

We are taking a nice LOOOONNNNNGGGG (12 week) summer break to pick and can strawberries, visit DC, vacation in Florida and spend time being completely lazy, taking naps, watching movies, running through sprinklers and eating lots and lots and lots of ice cream.

Yet, we are all very excited about the upcoming school year. We hand selected our science topics and projects -- all just waiting in the closet to be devoured. We received our history literature in the mail and the girls screamed with exciting. It's almost hard to take the summer break (but we need it). Here is "some" of what we will be picking up with in the fall. As much as I just adore MFW, we have decided to take a break from a structured curriculum and do something with less structure, leaving room for more time to explore science & history topics at our own pace.

A Guatemalan Princess Turns Three

2010-04-22T17:46:00.006-04:00

It started out with a little plea
Please, God, please, oh let it be
Please fill my arms with love so dear
To love and nurture year after year
I'm not worthy to love one of your own
But if you allow, your grace will hone
My abilities to give of me
To guide and love and grow to see
The Lord above called her his
No DNA nor flesh could hiss
at the love of a Father from above
or at a Mother who waited in love
To hold her forever was what I asked
And God above said yes, at last.

Now you are three, how could it be
You here with me though and that's how it was meant to be
No doubt at all, sweet girl, you were meant to be mine.
It was all laid out by the Father's design

My Little Daisy's

2010-04-15T11:49:00.003-04:00

Is this not the cutest bunch of girls?!

I am so blessed that my girls get to hang out with such Godly, sweet little ones, and that they have such a fantastic Troup Leader!

Easter Easter Easter!

2010-04-08T12:55:00.006-04:00

How we LOVE Easter!!!!!

This was our 2nd Easter in Maryland (the place we weren't supposed to stay - cough cough), Lily & Aaron's 3rd Easter home with us, Autumn's 5th Easter home, Kya's 6th and mine & Dale's 10th Easter together. Lots to celebrate!

We spent most of it outside enjoying God's creation on His Glorious Resurrection Celebration.

We hope your Easter was AS COOL as ours!

Not Everything is Beautiful

2010-04-01T16:30:00.003-04:00

We all wish that every project we did turned out great,
every moment with our kids is sweet,
and nobody ever gets snippy with each other.
Right?

NOT TODAY!

This was officially the worst Easter Egg project EVER. The eggs are ugly and the attitudes were not much better.

BUT, I can say this...near the end, it was so bad, we all just started giggling and couldn't stop laughing at ourselves. We then made the best of it and dug in with both hands, getting messy. We renamed them Dino Eggs.

2010-03-29T14:58:00.007-04:00

Wow! Over a month has gone by since I posted anything. So much has happened in a month. Many of you that know us, know that Autumn finally has her palate closed and it was QUITE the ordeal (1 scheduled surgery, 1 emergency surgery and about 15 days in the hospital). She had a vein and muscle from her leg transplanted to her mouth and all areas seem to be healing well.

We celebrated Autumn's 4th Gotcha Day and Dale's 49th birthday both at the hospital.

When we went into the hospital it was Winter. By the time we came out, it was Springtime.

This is our March began...(building snowman mountain at night after the blizzard left about 4 to 6 feet of snow)

And this is how our March ended...(a hike through our forest with Kya, Autumn, Hope, Joel, ChinChin & Angel)

And a 3,500 egg Easter Egg Hunt....

And on March 21st, we celebrated our 1 year anniversary of moving to Maryland. Let me just say, we love Maryland. We love Florida, don't get me wrong and one day maybe I'd like to move back. But this experience of the different season, to experience it all is completely amazing to us.

Cannon Balls

2010-02-21T16:22:00.003-05:00

Kya was mentioning how she missed doing cannon balls in our pool at our old Florida home. So.....she made do.....

A Wintery Hike

2010-02-21T16:10:00.004-05:00

Fun in Florida & A New Puppy

2010-02-21T16:00:00.004-05:00

We had a nice time with our family in Jacksonville, escaping the blizzards in Baltimore.

While we were away, Dale had gotten us all a puppy for Valentines! She is a Mal-Shi (Maltese - Shih Tzu mix). We have named her Angel and she is so sweet. She should grow up to be about 8lbs. THANK YOU SWEETHEART!!!

~more photos of our Florida trip can be found on Facebook.~

Travels! Travels! Travels!

2010-02-06T15:25:00.001-05:00

The kids and I made it to Florida and are having a great visit. On Saturday we spent the day with our dear friends from Bits & Pieces. We love you Bella, Krista, Vito and Zsa Zsa! Can't wait 'til next time.

(more pics to come from Jacksonville)
(Tampa photos posted to Facebook)

"Just Take A Hike"

2010-01-23T09:53:00.006-05:00

At some point and time we all cross a bridge in deciding how to handle a situation...

When you get turned away at the DMV because you don't have the right docs even though your DL expires in 6 days...just "take a hike". Seriously...even if it's 39 degrees and you've had no breakfast. Seize the moment with the little people in your life.

Then when you are all done, stop by Panera and have a pastry and coffee by the fire place.

~ Dawn & Autumn's unexpected date (thanks to the DMV). ~

Updates from Abroad

2010-01-17T21:07:00.003-05:00

Some of my dearest, dearest friends are in China *right now*. About 1 hour ago they received their new 15 month old son. We were just able to video conference so I could see their sweet baby boy, Ethan William. Wow! I am full of emotions and beyond elated for my sweet friends. Here are some snapshots taken from our webcam.

My heart is so full, I don't even know what to say!
Thanking Jesus for this miracle!

Aaron & Lily Updates

2010-01-17T17:56:00.004-05:00

Well, it's been quite the month for "the babies".

On January 6th we celebrated their 2 year Gotcha Day.

And, today (Jan 17th) they gave up their cribs. They are no longer "babies" and are now sleeping in toddler beds. Lily really is under that mess of blankets. She just sleep with them over her head.

DC in the Winter

2010-01-14T16:39:00.003-05:00

My girlfriend, Jen, and her girls came up for a few days. We all went to DC one of the nights and it was neat because I had never seen DC at night time...very pretty. And it was nice to see the National Christmas Tree.

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T08:23:00.004-05:00

Goodbye to 2009!

So many memories, so many test, so many trials, so many miracles, so many blessings. There will never be another year quite like 2009.

Isaiah 25:9... "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."

Psalm 30:5...For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Snowed In?

2009-12-20T17:56:00.003-05:00

You know you are snowed in when....

You open your front door and you cannot get out...

when it takes your husband....

and 4 other men...

and a truck with a snow plow...

...to just walk out to your yard.

The Blizzard of 2009

2009-12-20T08:14:00.001-05:00

It's a White Christmas

2009-12-19T11:06:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas

2009-12-18T16:42:00.002-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmastime is here

2009-12-07T09:52:00.006-05:00

All 4 of our children were in a Christmas concert last night. The babies were just showing the Church what the parent/toddler class is like but all the tots did well. Then Kya and Autumn's class sang and danced to 4 songs. They did so well. It was sweet and mine and Dale's hearts just swelled!

Autumn is in the front row (middle) in a silver sweater and black pants.
Kya is also in the front row (end) in a red sweater and black pants.

We took these pics afterwards and it is so hard to get a good picture of 4 kids in the same photo.

First Snow

2009-12-05T12:40:00.005-05:00

The first snow of the season
and
the first snow EVER for our entire family.

~The snow is STILL FALLING, so stay tuned for updated pictures.~

May Your Harvest Be Abundant

2009-11-25T06:50:00.001-05:00

...in little and in plenty, i will give thanks...

the Lord has given me my portion according to His will,

Happiest of Thankgiving to You and Yours

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Psalm 100:4

and so she grows

2009-11-23T16:34:00.008-05:00

i wonder....

...will my heart keep skipping a beat each time i look at her
...will i keep glowing each time i see her laugh
...will my arms still stretch around her when i am old
...will my life take on different meaning as she ages
...will i yearn for the moments of yester-year
...will i ever, ever love like this again

Happy Birthday to the girl that changed our world and brought three more miracles home behind her...

...what I do not wonder is this, that I could ever love a child more. adopted or biological, there is no greater love than that a mother has for her child, excpet the love our Father has for us.

A Woman - Divided

2009-11-20T09:36:00.003-05:00

I am torn. My heart struggles with my mind and body.

I am a woman divided.

I am supposing there are many woman like me, struggling with the exact same thing. It's for those that I share my heart, so you know you are not alone. So you know I am interceding for you.

You see....there are 140 MILLION orphans in the world. Orphans? No! -- Children, lives, little people. Children with a Hope and a Future. Children that right now life seems hopeless and the future seems bleak.
~They have no mom or dad to tuck them in at night. Nannies do this? No. The nannies are few, the babies and children are many.
~Hungry? Sorry. There is only a designated feeding time.
~Sick? Sorry, not enough medicine.
~Lonely? Sorry, we can't hold you, not enough hands.
~Need a little love? Sorry, we do love you but we are just to busy to give you more than a few seconds each day.
~ Need a good cry? Go ahead but you'll have to cry alone in your crib with nobody to hold you - not because we don't care (we do!) but we just can't hold all of you.

The laborers are few but the fields are full of the fatherless. Who will labor for them? Who?

When God said "Whom shall I send?" We said "Send me". We went. Four times we went. Four times we loved with all we have. Four times we gave our lives, hearts and everything over. Four times we were blessed more than what we gave. But five?

*The bank account is empty. *The job market unstable. *I am tired. *I am up to my neck in school work, diapers, dishes, laundry, poop, pee and throw up. *I have little time left to regroup, to catch a breath. *Some days I need more grace than what I ever should be asking for.

And, truth be known, with my heart so tired, my body aching, I wonder do I have more love to give. Will I be the ugly stepmom to child #5? Can I get my act together enough to do it?

Then I have those wonderful little birdies that say "don't rescue a child" a child wants to be "loved" not "rescued" and so with guilt I back away. Then the birdies say "you've done enough". Then they say:
-"you can't save the world"
-"you are already crazy"
-"you just need to interceded, not adopt"
-"you are broke"
-"don't fund raise"... and it all leads to this...

DO NOT GET OUT OF THE BOAT. - STAY ON CALM SEAS. - STAY COMFORTABLE. - DON'T, WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T TURN YOUR WORLD UPSIDE DOWN BECAUSE GOD IS NOT BIG ENOUGH TO HELP YOU.

And so you see, all this leaves me divided. Men say they have it easy because they do not flutter up and down with hormonal emotions. I do not believe that is true. Many men struggle with budget and time and housing factors that weigh in on their decisions. Man or woman....it doesn't matter. We ALL have issues of this world that stop us from hearing God's calling in our life.

And so with my own heart and mind full of emotions, ups and downs, some days I never know if I have gotten out of the boat ENOUGH!

I do know this. One day I will stand before my maker ( a day I very much look forward to ) and when I do, I want to say "Lord, Lord, I gave that life on Earth all over to you. It was not about me. It was all about your Kingdom".

Right now...I don't know if I can say that.

~ First Tooth Fairy Visit ~

2009-11-18T19:05:00.006-05:00

It's a big moment when the first tooth of your first child finally falls out. All my close friends have experienced this before me with their children (and my 7 year old baby sister lost hers recently). Now it's our turn. Tonight, after about 4 weeks of the wiggles, Kya's first tooth finally fell out. So for the first time tonight, the Tooth Fairy will visit our house.

It is very difficult to get a good picture of a sick child, but I tried my best. Kya has been in bed, in pajamas, watching movies for 3 days now.

Early Christmas Lights

2009-11-17T18:58:00.000-05:00

It is BEFORE Thanksgiving and I have never, ever put up Christmas lights until AFTER Thanksgiving but our girls wanted them and it sounded like a great idea. Keep in mind it's in the 50's here and that is way colder than I remember it getting at Christmastime in Florida, so it FEELS like Christmas here. Therefore, the 3 of us girls started to beg and plead and after only about 30 seconds Dale was down in the basement digging up the lights and graciously stringing them on our deck (at night in 50 degree weather and all before he grilled the burgers -- what a servants heart!!! Gotta love that man!!!)

Mom, I Ate My Homework

2009-11-12T14:21:00.002-05:00

<~Studying about the Tower of Babel>

Hands on Social Studies

2009-11-11T16:26:00.003-05:00

The further we get into our school year, the more we love our curriculum.

We spent about a week building our Bible Lands map. Autumn was sick today, our last day painting, but she came downstairs for about 5 minutes to participate and then asked for a bubble bath. Just look at the poor thing. She is so pale. But the map was just too much fun for her to pass up.

Have You Ever Baked a Rainbow

2009-11-11T16:21:00.005-05:00

We are studying Rainbows and Noah's Ark this week.

~This cookie is easily made with a sugar recipe (or store mix). Seperate the dough into balls, flatten the balls out and poor some food coloring on them, roll 'em into snakes and wa-la, you have a cookie rainbow. Science, math and home-ec all in one fun and tasty lesson. ~ poor little Autumn was sick so we made this for her to cheer her up.

Let them Be Kids

2009-11-10T16:14:00.001-05:00

We had such a beautiful weekend. The weather was lovely. We were able to spend most of it outside cleaning our garage, playing in dirt, flying kites and playing kick ball.

Volcanoes!

2009-11-05T18:02:00.004-05:00

After a week's worth of work, we have finished our study of volcanoes. The girls (and mom) are proud to show off their hard work this week.

This Morning Through My Window

2009-11-03T07:56:00.004-05:00

...the forest is waking up,

...the day is dawning,

...the geese and birds are singing glory,

...their is a chill in the air,

...dew covers the earth,

...new beginnings are possible,

...God's mercies are new.

(photo taken through my upstairs bathroom window on 11/3/09, today.)

Hallelujah Party

2009-11-01T14:47:00.005-05:00

We can't take credit for the name, someone recently introduced me to the name, Hallelujah Party and when I asked her what that was, it was the same thing we were doing at home: costumes, praise music, candy and games. Here are the pics from our Hallelujah Party and thanks to the world's greatest Dad for providing the music!

I thought this was particularly cute though: Autumn had decided her pumpkin was a sad pumpkin because he just got his head chopped off. Too funny! So she is posing sad with her pumpkin, for her pumpkin.

Aaron on the Guitar

2009-10-31T20:54:00.000-04:00

Aaron is our little rocker. Daddy snapped this video in September and I'm a bit late uploading it.

This is Home - in the fall

2009-10-31T16:37:00.003-04:00

Fall is almost over and winter is about to set in. About a week ago the girls and I went for a walk/hike around our property. We discovered parts of our property we had not yet explored and took some pretty fall photos. I wanted to take more in our neighborhood, some sites that are gorgeous but a week has passed and I missed my chance. The trees look nothing like the photos below now, just one week later.

The sign above is posted on the trees below. A little creek runs between all these trees but I couldn't get a good shot of the creek. We had to "run" back to the house for the girls to go to the bathroom. Oh! The joys of parenting.
Once you pass the creek, are the deep woods with multitudes of deer, fox and all of God's wonderful creatures that we so often share pictures of.

So, this is home. Stay tuned, the next photos of the property will be of snow!

Ladybug, Ladybug Fly Away

2009-10-22T18:05:00.005-04:00

In the Chinese Adoption community a ladybug sighting is a sign that referrals are coming soon. Well, if that is true, I guess I am soon going to be getting a referral of 42(+) children! In my foyer alone I counted 42 ladybugs in 1 day, not including the ones in the rooms, hallways, windows....

My friend Debbie was nice enough to remind us they are simply good luck and since we have been blessed with a permanent job after 16 months of searching and they all came on the day the offer came, then we have been FLOODED with good luck.

If only I were superstitious....no, I am not but I do believe God sends us love letters...in many forms.

Sisterhood

2009-10-20T17:20:00.003-04:00

A sister is a little bit of childhood
that can never be lost.

Which one are you?

2009-10-12T13:46:00.011-04:00

My girls are so very different from each other. This is how each of them spent a Breezy Saturday afternoon in October .

Which type are you?

Are you an Autumn?

Or a Kya?
Just when I am about to label one of them as lazy,
I remember this...
I am blessed to have both a Martha and a Mary.
Notice the 2nd chair next to Autumn, waiting to just enjoy the day with her hard-working sister.

And, by the way,
Burrrrr....it's starting to get cold here!

Autumn's Birthday Night

2009-10-09T23:30:00.004-04:00

It's Autumn's Day and she chose

Going to the mall,
Rididng the Carousel & Build A Bear

Then home for cake & presents with Hello Kitty

What a sweet day.

We love you baby girl and you'll ALWAYS be my baby!

Happy Birthday...

2009-10-09T17:13:00.007-04:00

to my Brown Eyed Girl.

Today she is 6
tomorrow I'll blink and she'll be 16.
How I treasure these moments because I know -
- I'll never get them back.

My Models

2009-10-01T09:40:00.003-04:00

At one point this week, each of my children decided to model.

Kya and Autumn found the bare spot in the yard, where the summer pool resided, to be a perfect stage to take photo shots of one another. And, yes, Kya is still her in pj bottoms this day and Autumn is in a karate gi.
Oh, the things they wear.

Lily wanted to be a little darling in her crib early morning.

While Aaron chose his very own route. Where did his pants go? And what is up with that shirt? Yep, that's MY son. He's a class clown all day long, non-stop.

September Activities

2009-09-15T16:44:00.001-04:00

Labor Day Weekend - Making Model Planes and Model Cars

Fun Schoolwork!

The Little Things

2009-09-10T16:34:00.000-04:00

Down at the base of South Mountain is a pretty little lake and a sweet little beach, just perfect for a little afternoon picnic and a little swim.

Peaches & Apples

2009-09-05T16:25:00.002-04:00

It's Apple Season!

At the farm, the last batch of peaches have produced and the first batch of apples were ready for picking!

Genesis 1:11
Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so.

August 2009

2009-09-03T18:32:00.002-04:00

August has been filled with wonder for us. It’s our first August in Maryland. We are surprised that the days are not so hot. Mornings and evenings are still nice and the heat is contained within a few hours of the afternoon. But August 31st changed all that. We are now in the 70’s during the day and 50’s at night. We are loving it. With the seasons changing so often you can really tell how fast time goes by and it seems to make us enjoy each other, each day, each season a bit more.

The geese still fly over making beautiful music,

the doe are growing,

Lily is getting big,

Aaron is looking more like a little boy than a baby,

A new pet joined our family,

Kya loves to talk on the phone to her best friend, Bella, in Florida,

And the girls are still each others dearest friends and love taking silly self-photos.

Autumn was very sick for a few days while Kya enjoyed the cooler weather and learned a new recipe and we snuggled up outside in the cool breeze to read a book,

Happy September!

Blessings and Love from our gang to yours!

pretty girls on a pretty day

2009-08-25T16:09:00.004-04:00

a summer day with a summer breeze in the low 80's in the shade, under a tree, on a blanket with your best friend....this is childhoold...

Make A Joyful Noise

2009-08-25T11:57:00.003-04:00

O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Psalm 95:1

~pause the blog music at the bottom of the the page before listening to the videos~

Kya is so exhausted from a dance party just before singing this song but she works her way through it with heavy breath.

This is funny. Autumn calls upon her sister for help and then makes them put their hands over their hearts. They are quite comical trying to sing a duet.

Showing Off

2009-08-21T16:38:00.010-04:00

...our schoolwork.

Here is what a few sheets of Kya's school work looks like.
She is using My Father's World
Copy work from Proverbs

Reading & Writing

Reading, Cut/Paste

And here is a sample of sweet Autumn's work.
Her main curriculum this year is the first level book for Handwriting Without Tears. This book is teaching her shapes, colors, number & letter recognition, in addition to handwriting. She is doing really well and we love this book very much (and all the manipulative's that go with it!)

Someone gave my mother this math curriculum and my mother gave it to me. It's been a huge blessing for us! We are so thankful. Autumn loves her Hooked on Math book, the game suggestions and the computer games it came with. She has excelled using this book. Autumn still cannot recognize her numbers but schools only been going 3 weeks. She, however, wrote them! She wrote her numbers! You have NO IDEA what a big deal that is. Just look below!

fun projects

2009-08-19T16:03:00.005-04:00

My Father's World 1st Grade Curriculum Project
~Making Alphabet Scrolls~
We were learning about ancient Bible scrolls.

One of my children as been in Occupational Therapy for a few years. We are currently on a break from therapy. I was able to find some great projects online to continue the therapy, unbeknownst to her, right here at home. One idea was a curved line race track (so that the strong hand pushes the car and the other hand holds up the body while she scoots along). I don't have a race track but I had a diaper box! So we cut it up, taped it together and colored it with markers. Wa La -- a free race track that my girls loved. It took us about 15 min plus coloring time. The coloring part was therapy for mom. :-)

Autumn was reading up one day in the Family Fun magazine and found this project. Since she loves the movie Wall-E, this appealed to her greatly. We call them Wall-E-Bots (the magazine did not since they can't use the Disney name). If you'd like to make some Wall-E-Bots or Eva-Bots, just save some cans from the kitchen. Then dad will supply the nuts, bolts, etc and some strong magnets. Hot glue the nuts, bolts, etc to the magnets. And you have a make-shift Mr Potato Head. I think they are way cuter than Mr Potato Head. (Just remind your kids how magnets damage electronics and store them away from children so they play with them under supervision only.) (Dale did this project with the girls. Mom was way too tired!)

a girl and her umbrella

2009-08-17T15:57:00.006-04:00

Around the House August 2009

2009-08-11T15:21:00.002-04:00

Three of the loves of my life,
before Church on Sunday morning.

Kya & Autumn
Pretending their jeep is in the shop.

Sometimes our husbands are right.
Hmmmm...
He's been telling me we have 3 baby deer, and he was right.

Clay Pots

2009-08-11T15:15:00.002-04:00

The girls are studying the Bible this year, Genesis to Revelation. First we learned that Bible's were originally scrolls, not books and kept in clay pots. We are still in the process of making our scrolls but here are our miniature clay pots. (We are so thankful to My Father's World for the incredible curriculum.)

Literature comes to life

2009-08-11T15:00:00.001-04:00

This year we are scrap-booking our way through literature. We have been reading The Story of Ping, a little duck that lived on the Yangtze River in China. We studied a little about ducks and a little about China (and even scrapped some of our own China pics.)

The Story of Ping.

Exapanded view of Kya's mini book.

Exapanded view of Autumn's work.

Kya proudly showing off their hard work.

Here is a clue of what country we are reading about now (and it's not China).

Summer 2009 Memories

2009-08-04T15:13:00.003-04:00

Here is the last of our NYC pictures. This was the night life. I have chosen 7 of my favorite photos to share with you. Just check out the kids faces. They have spectacular smiles!

What is it? A Fox?

2009-08-04T11:43:00.006-04:00

We have a pet in our yard that we cannot identify. Although I do believe it is a fox, I cannot tell what kind. I have searched the web a few times. If you have a clue please let me know. The pictures are blurry because for some reason my zoom is going out on my camera (just like my laptop is giving out - boo hoo!!!.). She looks a bit red in the photos and from a distance but up close she is actually blond/yellow with gray/black splotches. But here is "foxy" just hanging out in our yard acting like the family dog out there. I really think if a guest drove up they would have thought she was our dog.

Summer 2009 Memories

2009-07-31T17:04:00.002-04:00

More photos from when my family visited us over the summer. This is 12 of my favorite pictures from New York City.

You know I just love our kids. They are so cool. We had 6 young kids walking for 12hrs straight on a hot summer day in the city and they were so good! They loved the city and it was a thrill to watch their faces light up at all the things the city as to offer.

Summer 2009 Memories

2009-07-27T13:00:00.004-04:00

My mom, along with my baby sister and little brother, visited us for two weeks. We made some great memories. I have several post to do of our visit. I will post them over several days and not necessarily in order.

Today these photos are from our last day in New York City, visiting the Empire State Building. My mother is terrified of heights. I was very proud of her overcoming that to stop and take a picture. She had quite a few photos on her camera but they accidently got deleted.

Here are 10 of my favorite photos from the ESB.

Happy Birthday Baby Boy

2009-07-07T17:04:00.003-04:00

~ Aaron Gabriel ~

My youngest,
my mischievous,
my music lovin'
baby boy turned 2.

And, he very much enjoyed his cupcakes and gifts.

We Love You Aaron!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-06T09:49:00.003-04:00

It's Independance week and we celebrated as almost every one does. A little outdoor fun and a BBQ. No matter where we live, we always find a way to be outside and to enjoy some good food. That is how American's love to celebrate, right? Play, play, play, eat, eat, eat.

The Babies swam a bit while the Girls played in their "garden" (aka dirt pit).

Then it was time for our hot dogs and hamburgers.

And a few sparklers.

We are thankful for our Independance this week and always. Our children come from a country where they would not have been free and where they could not mention God. So in our family we are all to familiar with what life would be like if ours were not free. Freedom has a price. That price was death. Our country is free because men died fighting for it. Good men. Men that founded this country on Christian principles. Our eternity has a price. That price was also death. Death on a cross by the Savior of the world. Don't stop fighting for your freedom and don't think it comes without death.

"Give me Liberty or Give me Death." - Patrick Henry

It is vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, peace, peace; but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?

Forbid it, Almighty God — I know not what course others may take; but as for me — give me liberty or give me death!

End of Year Celebration

2009-07-06T09:41:00.003-04:00

At the end of every school year, every child deserves a little celebration for all their hard work. Kya and Autumn finished up their 2008/2009 school year last week. We gave them each a card with puffy sticker sheets inside, a small box of chocolates and took them out for ice cream. Now, it's on to a summer break that includes a visit from family and a trip to New York.