Well...

How is it that two months have gotten away from me since I last posted?!  All I have to say for myself is that it has been extremely busy around here, and there are many changes taking place.
We are MOVING! We had been somewhat prepared that this would be happening, but it still came as a bit of a shock as well (or maybe I should just say it is a bit surreal). We had been feeling like God was calling us to somewhere different, but we had no clarity on where or when or how or even why. Then.... "everything" started happening. Brad was laid off from his job (praise God that He had given Brad a "heads-up"). After sending out several resumes and applying to several jobs, he was offered a job in Oklahoma....definitely a God story all by itself.
And So...we are moving from our home of 10 years. It is a bit hard on the kiddos. They have all taken root and grown up here through those years. Our family has grown... we started with 3 little boys and we are now blessed with 4 more children. It is challenging this mom to say the least! Sorting, clearing and packing up the belongings of a family of 9 is quite the task. We are making repairs on the house, cleaning and putting it up for sale. Did I mention that Brad has already left the previous job and begun work at the new one. He is rocking it .... driving 4 hours a day, working 8 hours, and coming home to maintenance, updating plumbing, and making the repairs needed to get this home ready for sale.... not to mention, still being dad to 7 kiddos who demand and need his time  He has even found bits of time for us to take a date-night here and there. He is definitely my "Mr. Incredible"! 
 I am so grateful to friends from near and far who have come and worked so hard to help us. Special thanks to Mr. Clayton, Mrs.Connie and the K-krew for taking time out of their Spring Break to come help us get the homestead ready. Wow, the work that got done was amazing, and the time of fellowship we shared was even more so. Thanks to ladies from our church family who have come out to help me paint. We are blown away by their serving hearts and their love for our family.
  Of course, all of these changes make our children from hard places have stress and anxiety. We continue to keep open communication with all the kids but especially with those who seem to struggle more with change. Most of the kiddos are accepting that the move is inevitable, and everyone is trying to view our upcoming changes with a sense of adventure. We have traveled a few times to "check out" areas where our new home could potentially be, and the kiddos are finding positive things about the new state, town and place. We are trying our best to balance the work load and family time, trying to keep things as much the same as possible for the kids until the house sells. The "girlie" girls have 2 more months of dance and an upcoming recital to look forward too. Baseball season is upon us; however, we are not quite as involved with that this season as in the past. We had to shave a few things as we don't know an official move date yet. We do have a certain young baseball player who is playing with his team from last year at area baseball tournaments. He would have been so disappointed if he couldn't have played at least some this year (he loves baseball beyond words). We are still trying our best to keep our homeschooling on schedule. I am so thankful that I kept pushing the kids to complete extra skills and work. We have had to take several days off in order to complete projects and preparing the house to sell. More than likely we will be doing a bit of schooling this summer to complete the year, but it will give the kids something to do in what I refer to as the "boring"(their word, not mine!) parts of summer. 
   All in all...we are managing. We are just busy and going all the time. My days are full, and I fall into bed each night with little energy to do much else (hence, the lack of blog posts); however, I am renewed each morning and my strength comes from Jesus. I am so very blessed, and I would not know what to do if I weren't serving my family and glorifying God. He has given me my hearts desire of being a wife to my wonderful hubby and a mother to my many. He is stronger than any of my challenges...Oh Praise Him... hallelujah!!
    I will do my best to update as our move progresses, and as always it is my hope to continue to blog as often as possible. I hope that I still have a few followers left our there in bloggy world. Until next time...
  

A Month in Pictures...part 2

Our Church's Christmas Play:

 

Nate chose to do a speaking part in the play. He was a "city" kid, and he did a fantastic job!

Mia had a speaking part as well! She was a "city" announcing the arrival of the famous singer Rae-d-ence coming to the city . She was quite animated and did a great job! 

The "City" Kids Choir. Can you see Levi there in the background?

And then, there were the precious "Country Angels". Love all these sweet darlings so very much! But..., the one in overalls has my heart!

All the performers!

 Toby's Preschool Christmas Party: 

All of his classmates sharing their Christmas treats.

"I am going to break this thing open!"...Pinata Fun!
 



"Look at the tree I made, momma!"
 



Toby and his "besses fwend"
 

Christmas Cookies:

Anxiously waiting to frost the cookies...

Some of the finished products

Christmas Day:

We tried to steer our Christmas away from lots of gifts; however, with lots of kids there seems to be lots of presents.

The kids are opening presents from their Grandma, Grandpa and their Nana.

Two of Toby's favorite gifts... Monsters, Inc.!

Garrett showing Nate his gift that he had asked for...

Levi's Nerf Gun...one of his favorites

Mia looking at her stocking gifts

Nolan and his girlfriend... she got to spend Christmas Evening with us. Nolan is wearing his gift from "Santa". He asked us for a chain and picked this one.

A month in Pictures...part 1

Well, we made it through another crazy month at our house. I still remain somewhat in denial about how fast a month can go by when you really aren't doing anything amazing...just living life. Maybe it has something to do with our living life in the moment. We just enjoy each day to its fullest... doing our best to work on and complete things that are necessary for our large homeschooling family. I, personally, love to just sit back and take it all in. I love watching my kids in "action" doing all the things they do whether it is school work, playtime, or family time. I know that my time with them will be oh so short, and I want to treasure each and every moment! Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry and lots of times we fight, but we love this chaotic, messy, mixed up family and would not trade a moment of our lives together! We cherish the time we get to spend together and the love that we share.

              Basketball Practice and Games:             

Nate decided to try basketball this year. He is playing on a homeschool team. He loves the sport and since this isn't a very competitive team, he is enjoying the time that he plays.

 

Nolan has aged out of the baseball program here and so, he has taken up basketball. He is playing on a homeschool team as well. He really loves the sport and is playing well.

 

Garrett is playing on the same homeschool team as Nolan. He is liking the sport as well. Just look at those moves!

              Snow days:

Our first snowstorm of the year... it arrived a few days before Thanksgiving. The snow stuck around for a few days and then melted away.

 

Snowball fights

 

Making a snowman

 

Family Visits:

 

The snow left and the cousins arrived for a fun-filled Thanksgiving weekend. These are the cousins from momma's side of the family. We are missing 3 of the kiddos; sure wished they could have been here.

 

These two... always been close and love to be crazy together!

 

The "girlies"

 

Toby was quite taken with his cousin Ryan. They had so much fun!

 

Special Needs: Love and Family

The following is a post that I wrote for Joy in the Journey. Visit them at http://joyinthejourneyadoption.blogspot.com and read some amazing stories of moms sharing the amazing journey of adoption.

Special Needs: Love and Family

I remember so vividly the days of paper-chasing. Amongst the many piles, one paper stood out… the “special needs” paper requesting that we make a selection of those special needs that were acceptable to us.  My husband and I agonized over that paper. We spent many hours, over several days, tearfully discussing and praying over what we could handle taking into consideration that we already had three very rambunctious boys. After all, we had always left that in God’s hands. Who were we to make those decisions? How could we ever make them?

                In November 2005, our paper-chase was complete, and our dossier was logged in. After prayerfully considering those special needs, we had made the decision to go the “traditional” route for a “healthy” little girl. We thought it would be the best decision for our family. We felt like we would not be equipped to handle any extra care that might be required for a special needs child. However, what we thought and what we felt were of little importance when God was calling. As the wait for adopting “healthy” children began to increase, we began to feel God tugging at our hearts and moving us in a different direction. January 2006 would bring news of a waiting 16mth old little girl through our agency’s waiting child newsletter. Our hearts were captured from the moment we read the words in that email, and we knew that this was our little girl, our Mia. We were blessed beyond measure to be accepted as this treasures’ forever family.   Yes, God had indeed turned us in the direction of special needs!

                God would lead us to adopt 4 special needs children over the next 5 years. Each of our children is distinctly unique and amazingly wonderful! Two of our children were born with varying degrees of cleft lip/palate. Although, CL/CP is not an “easy” special need, it is a very manageable one. Managing this special need requires a devotion of time and energy. It is an ongoing process that requires many years of attention including speech theraphy, surgical procedures and working with a team of doctors for the continued care of the child. We are so thankful for all the resources available to us and to a very talented and devoted CP/CL team. One of our children, adopted as an older child, came to us with many special needs. Some were diagnosed at the time of adoption, and some have been discovered over time. The needs that we knew about included Hepatitis B, Microtia /Atresia and hearing loss in one ear. Despite the fact that Hepatitis B sounds intimidating, it is a very workable disease within the modern parameters of western medicine. Dealing with this special need requires trips to a hepatologist and keeping the health of the child in focus.  Dealing with Microtia, Atresia and hearing loss are only slightly more of a complication. Since our child was born with a malformed ear, with little to no hearing in that ear, she had learned to listen and hear with only one ear. After consulting with a specialist, the decision was made to surgically form and give her a non-working ear. This constructive surgery required 4 different surgeries spanning over one year. The benefit of this type of surgery was two-fold for our daughter. In addition to giving her self-esteem a boost, a constructed ear would give an avenue for future hearing if necessary. We have since dealt with many other special needs for this child including myoclonic epileptic seizures, facial asymmetry/ palsy, and Reactive Attachment Disorder. Each of these special needs requires medical attention. In addition, RAD requires lots of work and determination. Our youngest came to us with the diagnosis of malnutrition and developmental delays. The papers we received were a bit vague about a true diagnosis, and this child has been thriving within the loving arms of our family. Depending on the severity of this special need, it requires medical attention, additional nutrition and lots of special care and love. Yet, none of these special needs (or any others for that matter) prevents children from needing the love of a forever family, nor should it. Really, the only special need these children have is the need for a family! As we go about our everyday lives we often forget that our children have special needs. Sometimes this repression is because we are so busy with the sheer number of our children but in large part because we choose to forget. We have always looked upon their needs as gifts from God…the things that make them who they are to be. In fact, these special needs are so much a part of whom they are that we forget that there are any differences.

Many times I look at my children and think how very blessed I am. I think of all the joy that my children bring to me, and I think “Look what we would have missed if we had not followed God’s direction to these beautiful, loving, joyful children!” We look at each of our children and see the beauty and love of God in each one. I often pause  thinking about the special treasures that all of my children are to my husband and I, and I am overwhelmed with God’s mercy, grace and love for each of us. I praise him for continuing to love me, and for continuing to grow my love for my children. My husband and I cannot imagine life without each one of our children, whether by birth or through the beauty of adoption.  Special needs adoption is most assuredly a demanding and challenging quest, but Oh my!  The joy is unequivocally in the journey!

 

Bio:     I am a wife, mother and a self-proclaimed Jesus freak. My husband  and I have been happily married for almost twenty years. We are the parents of 7 children... three boys by birth, two girls and two boys through the beauty of adoption. We are enjoying the 10^th year of our homeschooling adventure. It is through the love of Jesus that I am so blessed…blessed beyond my wildest dreams!

What Have We Been Up To?

The Month of August seemed to just disappear at our home. As we

began school, our days were filled with our studies. Least you think that we are book worms, we did take some time to have fun as well. One of our summer events was celebrating Princess Mia's birthday. It was a small, family event; nevertheless, Mia was thrilled just because she was turning 9.

 

Princess Girl's Birthday

Presents! Excitement Abounds

 We took a small break from school and spent a few hours enjoying the beautiful outdoors. We enjoyed a picnic lunch, and playing. There were many activities, basketball, tennis, swings, slides, and the like. They were all going on at the same time, and I spent a lot of time just soaking it in.

Family Time...a picnic in the Park

Rather play basketball than to eat

Many games of tennis

 Toby started going to Preschool ( he calls it preskoos), and he loves it. He attends our churches preschool two half days a week. It gives him a chance to make new friends and allows me time to  devote my attention to the other kids schooling.


First Day of Preschool

 Mandy's friends came from different states, and we all met for a fun weekend. The girls loved being together and sharing news about their lives. They spent some time with memories, but most of all, they giggled, laughed, and enjoyed being girls. Feeling so blessed that God has given us opportunities to meet and keep these girls close together.

The Guilin girls reunion

We made lots of crafts.

...and had make-up fun

The young sisters made fast friends.

Mandy's BFF

Precious Children of God

School Time

 

Where? Oh, Where did Summer Go? I certainly do not know.

Nevertheless, It is time that we give our school year a show!(Okay, that is it for my rhyming...had a little "Dr. Seuss" moment.) 

 As an annual tradition on our first day of homeschool, daddy plays the bus driver, and usually, he will take the kiddos to pick up breakfast of some sort. This year, the family decided to eat out for our back-to-school breakfast. So, what did the kiddos choose?...Chick-Fil-a, of course! Even mom was invited to go along, Hip, hip, hooray! After an hour of food and fun, the bus headed back to school. The bus driver was kind enough to allow me off the bus, ahead of the crew, in order to take pictures on this the first day of school. Each of the kiddos seemed compliant with our back to school activities for the first time in several years. I am guessing that they have realized that mom is going to make them participate in this family tradition, and there is no amount of complaining that can get them out of it! Now picture taking  that is another matter... . They always try to hide from the camera...ok, well some do that and some love to smile for their audience.

Smiling for her peeps!

Busy eating and carrying on...

NOT A MORNING PERSON!

Mr. Sleepyhead, Mr. Easy-going, and Mr.Smiles

Ready for School

How many more are in that bus?

The School Crew... still a few who don't want summer to end.

Mr. Studious?...really?...Could you please just smile?

I told the teens to let me take a serious (good) start of school picture. These are the faces I got...

Our back-to-school kick-off was a great success. This year I staggered the start for each grade level (I get to do that, you know, since I am the teacher!). It simplified the day and allowed for a more relaxed time getting each grade level started. I am teaching a Junior (Nolan), a Freshman (Garrett), a Seventh grader (Mandy), a sixth grader (Nate), 2 third grades (Levi and Mia), and then my preschooler (Toby). It is our 11th year of homeschooling, and  I love the blessing of being given this time to spend with my children! Time is going by so quickly, and I am grateful that I can be at home with them each day. Yep, It is going to be a GREAT, GREAT year!

A Summer Tale Part III

Our summer tale continues with one of our favorite pastimes. If you have followed our blog for very long, you know that we are avid baseball fans and usually spend much of our spring and summer involved in baseball games. Oh, and then there is lots and lots of Texas Ranger Baseball games to watch on TV... and listen to on the radio... and maybe, one day take in a game in person. Go RANGERS!! It is definitely the busiest part of our year. This year was no exception, except for the fact, that we had only 2 boys playing this year instead of the standard 4. Nolan, at 16, has aged out of the program and since we homeschool, he is unable to play highschool ball. Garrett played in the 13-15 year old division. It was a short lived season for his team; however, he seemed to have fun just playing the game. Nate has opted out of playing ball. He has tried his hand at playing several different years, and he has decided it is just not for him. He loves watching the games, but he prefers not to play. And THEN, there is Levi! He adores the game of baseball, and He has a natural talent in this his favorite sport! He played very well on his city team, and he was selected to play on the 8/9 year old All Stars Team.
As the rest of the events of our summer were taking place, baseball was happening at the same time. Levi and Garrett each had to miss a game while we were in Montana. Upon our return, it was baseball full-force. So, as we were caring for the K-krew, we spent many nights at the ball fields. I have to say that it was GREAT fun to blow people's minds with 11 or 12 very-well-behaved kids in tow. No one quite knew what to make of so many children, and then to think that they could all sit still and watch the game...mind boggling, I tell you!  Levi's team played 3 district games, and they won by a considerable margin. During one of the district games, Mia had a very nice surprise. Her best friend (they were actually crib mates at their orphanage...and have a unique story all their own) and family came out to watch Levi play. Mia was SO surprised, and the girls were just adorable getting to visit together! With those district wins, it meant that the All Star Team would head to the State Championship. Brad and I were able to arrange for the girls to stay with their friends (Mia at her "besties"), and we left the big boys at home under the watchful eye of friends. Levi, Toby, Brad and I made the trip to State Championship after a short break for the July 4th holiday. It was a good trip for us and the younger boys. Unfortunately, the team came up against some much tougher competition, and they didn't bring their "A" game. We lost two of the three games we had to win. It was sad not making the championship; however, the boys had a great time playing. Levi just enjoys the game so much , and it made me smile to hear him tell his sister later..."Well we lost but you know what ..they called our names and we got to stand on the baseline during the National Anthem, like REAL baseball players!!!... and I had fun playing three games!"

Pitcher...down and ready

Batter up

A Base Hit

Besties

Mia is still giggling over her surprise

  In between district games and state games, we celebrated the 4th of July Holiday. It was so much fun to share time with Uncle J, Aunt Leslie and the girls. The kids were super excited to see their Uncle as we had not seen him in about 3 years (Uncle J serves in our nations Army). They loved getting reacquainted with their Aunt and cousins who had joined us at the beach last year. It was a nice relaxing few days with lots of laughter, fireworks and food.

 

 

Cousins...Nolan was at work

The Goofy Picture

After the Holiday break (the boys practiced a lot), we made the trip to State. Loved watching all these cute boys play hard at a sport they love.

Watching and Waiting for their turn

not gonna let a ball get past me...not gonna let a ball get past me

And their OUT

I guess our Summer Tale doesn't truly end with part III. We still have a few weeks of our summer left. Next week is devoted to VBS at our church. It will be full of lots of fun times and special memories. We are hoping to make a couple of road trips to Texas to see family and to Oklahoma to visit the K-krew (I need to get some of that sweet corn, and more importantly hug on a few of those precious treasures.). We are hoping to make a quick trip up Chicago way as well... we have some friends to see and some baby's to hug. On second thought, I am thinking some of the trips may extend to the fall! That is the beauty of homeschooling, we can either take school with us or make it up later allowing us the freedom of taking some of those trips in the fall. Speaking of homeschool, we are planning, organizing and preparing for school to start about mid-August. What! School?! Man-0-man summers just seem to go faster and faster!
I hope you have enjoyed our little Tale. It never seems as if it is anything fancy, but our family stays busy and we keep on keeping on. It is my hope to make this "new wave" of blogging a permanent thing; however, once school starts up again, my life becomes more busy than at anytime. So, I am making no promises...