Winging it...

The kids sang last Sunday night at church. I, of course, forgot until Sunday morning. No worries... apparantly my kids can pull it together quickly just like their daddy. I recorded this while they were practicing before church. I think it was only their second time through it. They did much better during the service but I think it may have been tacky to record then.

Another birthday

Happy Birthday to my wonderful Brooklynn. You will always be 'my baby".

Easter Pics

I don't have any. I know... I am terrible. I have given up on cute dresses and beautiful pictures on Easter. The truth is... the weather is always terrible Easter weekend. I do feel like I missed out on something when I am looking at all the adorable pics I see on other's blogs and FB. I have Easter picture envy. Instead of being frustrated about this, I just wait until Mother's Day to pull out the cute outfits and take pictures. I'll get some pictures up then.

Dancing with Joy

I hope you are enjoying this Easter with Joy and Celebration!
Witness how this Houston Church celebrated for all to see and to give.

We Can Give Clean Water

Celebrate

While we were gone, we celebrated Kaleb's 7th birthday which just also happens to be the same date we were in Ethiopia having our embassy day. He has been our son for 3 years. He is such a joy and we are so blessed that God chose us to be his parents and raise him. We can't imagine our family without him. We love you, Kaleb!

Road trip sing-a-long

How do we manage so many hours in a car? Well- the kids play games, read books, color and sing. This song never stopped! As soon as they would quit singing it, someone else would start humming it again. At least I have kids that know all their 50 states. We dream of visiting them all.

More of Colorado

After the first day in Co, we drove across 70 which is the best drive in the world! You go over high mtn passes and so we went into snow. Then we stopped at Colorado National Monument before crossing into Utah. Beautiful!


The Mtn pass on 70


Snow, snow, snow


Colorado National Monument. There's just no way to capture the beauty in a picture.

We're HOME!

Ok- Again... you didn't know we were gone but I know it's not the smartest to post when we are away.

Kurt had to work in Salt Lake City last week so we all went! They paid for the week's hotel, Kurt food and gas and we added a few days on either weekend. I have lots of pics and things to share but need to find my cord that connects the camera to the computer. I still haven't finished unpacking.

Here's some from the beginning of the week that are already on the computer.



We drove straight through to Colorado- yes 22 hours. Everyone did great! We love our "roadtrips".


Garden of the God's in CO Springs.


Kurt- desperate to climb despite all the posting to stay off the rocks without permit.

Kurt's Home!

Ok- so I never posted that Kurt left but he's been in Haiti for the last 10 days. He went with his sister, Nicolle, his sister-in-law, Laurie, and his niece, Sarah, joined them the last few days. Nicolle's husband, still lives and works there with relief efforts so they stayed with him. He was able to work on a new orphange site and then they traveled to look at some more possible building sites. Nicolle and David have created a nonprofit working with orphans and they now oversee and fundraise for a pastor who is caring for 45 orphans. They are building a new orphanage on beautiful property. You can go to Eyes Wide Open Int. to donate to their orphanage.



Pastor NaeNae and his family and the children they care for






the current kitchen


The beautiful property that they are building a new orphanage on


Nicolle, Laurie and Sarah- I'm NOT jealous at ALL :(

Season's changing

Basketball season is over. It is fun but I am so grateful it is over. We don't have to rush our evenings to get kids to practice and we have our Saturdays back! Yae! We don't play spring or summer sports so now I am just looking forward to spring to relax, play outside and go hiking.
Brooklynn doesn't play any sports yet. She says she's scared of balls. That makes me laugh. I'm in no hurry to have all 5 involved. Juggling 4 is hard enough!

Beauty in the midst

It's been a rough few weeks and stress is high but today I got to enjoy Koryn and Brianna in the speech meet. They both received excellent ribbons. I am so proud of my beautiful girls. Say a prayer for my dad, Fred, who is in ICU. He had a ministroke and 2 surgeries in the last week. Recovery has been rough but I am hoping he is finally starting to heal. There's a few other things going on but I'll share them later.

Ethiopia

If you are involved in the adoption world at all, you have heard the news that Ethiopia is decreasing their adoptions by 90%. It has hit the adoption world very hard. It is heartbreaking for those already in the process because they don't know what that means for their own child they are waiting on. The reduction comes because of all the problems that have arisen with allegations of corruption in the adoption process. Yes- there have been problems that need to be addressed but there are still countless children who will suffer. True orphans who will never know the love of a family. Sick children or special needs who will never have a future or die, esp. those with HIV. I am so saddened for everyone.
The other tragedy is that the adoption world is actually taking sides in their reaction. They are fighting and dividing on their stance and that does nothing but tear us apart. We ALL want ethical ways to take care of these children.
One of the great debates is that some of these kids have living parents who gave them up. We criticize that as if it weren't ethical but we don't criticize American's if they do it. Parents give their children up for adoption in the US because they want what is best for their kids. Foster children have parents who cannot take care of them and eventually many are able to be adopted. Shouldn't that be an option for a poor or sick parent anywhere else? Don't we all want our children to be loved and provided for?
I KNOW that there are many stories about lying and unethical adoptions and they need to be researched and handled. I believe there are different ways than just a blanket decrease in adoption. The legitimate children who need help are the ones that suffer.
Please be praying for Ethiopia and their leaders. Also, be praying for adoptive families. That we would be united in our focus of the well-being of the children- even if we have different ways of viewing the solution.
For more info, go to:

US State Dept.

beliefnet.com

To sign a petition that will tell ET that you disagree with this decision, go here.

We are ALL adopted

Third Day- Children of God

Random Pictures

Here's just a few random pictures of the kids. Brooklynn is in a pouting phase and so one day I took pictures so she could see what she looked like.


The pouting didn't last.


Kaleb and Brianna enjoying a warmer day.


Have a great day!

I Refuse

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this song!
I pray that this will be the testimony of Christ's church.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

I read this today on another blog and thought it was so beautifully written that I wanted to share it. It is by Amy, an adoptive mom whose family has recently been called to be missionaries at an orphanage in Guatemala. Here are her words:

Someone commented to me the other day about how strong my faith was when I was sharing with them about our going into full time missions.
And it took me off guard.
I guess that’s because I don’t always see myself as being that strong in my faith. I guess that is because I know my humanness. I know there are days that those wars inside of me are raging. Days where my flesh is stronger than my faith. Days when I question. Days when I can do nothing but fall to my knees and beg Jesus for His strength.

But it is there, on my knees, that I have grown without my even realizing it.

What the Lord has shown me is that too often we live in a ‘Satisfaction Guaranteed’ kind of world.

We are told that before we take that first step, before we invest-we have to have some sort of guarantee that there is something in it for us.

Before we step out in faith, before we say yes, before we move- we need a guarantee.

A guarantee that it’s safe.

A guarantee that it will be easy.

A guaranteed that it will all work out.

But there really is no such thing.

The only guarantee we will ever have in this world is in Him.

Only, even in that we get confused.

People often believe that if they are good Christians, show up at church, tithe, volunteer and read the bible that there will be some sort of guarantee in this life.

Yet that is not at all the case.

Because you see, regardless of our faith- there will still be sickness, greed, loss, war, injustice, disease, famine and sometimes- bad things just happen to good people.

Sometimes people step out in faith and adopt a child and it is not happily ever after.
Sometimes people get married and that spouse does not remain faithful.
Sometimes we bring a child into this world to only loose them in a tragic accident.
Sometimes a missionary goes out to reach the lost and it cost them their life.
Sometimes our friends doesn’t treat us like a friend at all.

And we are left with broken hearts, broken dreams, broken bank accounts and we wonder where God was in all of it.

But the truth is- God never once told us our lives would be easy. He never once told us we would always be happy or always feel satisfied.

What He told us was that when we went through the trials in this life He would always be there...
regardless of our circumstances.

Our willingness to act, to serve, to give -has nothing to do with a guarantee and everything to do with our love for him- and not ourselves.

No one can guarantee you if you adopt a child it will be a happily ever after story.

No one can guarantee you if you don’t it will be either.

No one can guarantee you happiness.

No one can guarantee you that tragedy, pain or sickness won’t come if you make all the right choices and do all the right things.

No one can guarantee you that there will even be a tomorrow.

But what I can tell you is that if you choose to live your life trying to stay safe, trying to cling to comfort, ease, and perfection- then you will never have truly lived.

And one thing I can guarantee you is that God didn’t give you this life so you could just exist.

Trust me, you and I are not here for our comfort, happiness and ease.

There is a world full of opportunities out there for you to serve...a world full of hurting people who need to know Him ... a world full of opportunities to make your life count.

One day when we stand in front of the Lord- He will ask us what we did with the life He has given us.

Did we believe He was worth the effort, worth the risk, worth the sacrifice?

Or did WE get in the way of truly living for Him?

So if you are waiting for some sort of 'satisfaction guaranteed' before you take that first step-before you step out onto the water...

Then you are missing the point.

Because one day, when you are sitting at the feet of Jesus, then and only then, will know complete satisfaction.

And that is a guarantee.

To read more of their story, go to Building the Blocks.

Coupons, anyone?

Since I have spent way TOO MUCH time on the computer and watching tv the last few days, I decided to look up some new coupon site. These are ones I heard recommmended on tv so I figured they must be good ones. I found great coupons at

www.coupons.com
www.smartsource.com
www.redplum.com
www.groupon.com

and then I get my Giant Eagle coupons.

I always use coupons but now I've got more and I can't wait to use them!

Sickies

We have our share of sickies lately. We've had 4 with fevers over the last week and 5 "out of commission". Kurt and Kaleb are the only 2 that have escaped it. After days of stuck at home doing nothing, I may go crazy by the end of the day! I'm not thinking everyone will be better by tomorrow either. Ugh!

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