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Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
New Blog coming soon!
We've been busy here recovering for the hustle and bustle of the holidays, trying to catch up on the laundry (is that even possible with 7 people living in one house, along with 3 dogs & 2 cats? I think not!), getting the kids back to studying, trying to get my TMJ jaw splint covered by insurance, (sadly, they won't, so it will eat up 1/2 of our health care spending account, to have one made) and setting up a new blog with the help of our friend, Donna Laurie.
The new blog will be a place where we can sell my fleece, tied blankets, Asian dolls, books and other items and our Goldendoodle puppies, that will help us with our budget, as well as free up some very needed space in our house. It will also be a place where we can help support several causes, that we care deeply about, by allowing us to give part of the sale of several different blankets, to help those causes. We will also occasionally donate a blanket or other item, to help a family raise funds for their adoption, by way of a auction or raffle. All of the auction/raffle money will go directly to that family and the winner will get a blanket or other item and we will donate the item, as well as the shipping cost. We will also do fund raising for specific children's medical expenses, from time to time.
With the new blog designated to only things we have "for sale", it will free up space on our main blog and on my Facebook page, to write about our family, our lives, our passions, our faith and not all this other stuff, that can often "clutter" the other pages, pun intended.
We will still continue to post about causes, & children in need of prayer and/or medical funds, on our Facebook pages and our main blog page. Hoping to utilize the main blog for deepening my faith, and increasing my writing & photography skills in 2012. I am determined to write a book about our adoption journey, Marissa's story, our story, by making the time to blog and increasing my confidence in my ability to do justice to our story and at the same time, give Glory and Honor to God for it all.
We pray that 2012 will be a better year for everyone, both financially and health wise, as so many are struggling in those areas right now and also that we may all deepen our faith and our compassion for others, so we can all work together in making the world a better place for all!
Hope you will all check out the new blog: Doodlebug Blessings, when we post the link!
Blessings, Kim
For those that seek to understand The WORD, I stumbled upon this website earlier today
http://missionalthoughts.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/one-of-the-most-misquoted-bible-verses/
It explains about Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare, and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. We've all seen this verse in various forms, but do you know who He was speaking to and why? Do you really KNOW what it means? I encourage you to read the link above and always remember JOY: Jesus, Others, Yourself, do all things in this order and you will find JOY in your life & in your heart.
The new blog will be a place where we can sell my fleece, tied blankets, Asian dolls, books and other items and our Goldendoodle puppies, that will help us with our budget, as well as free up some very needed space in our house. It will also be a place where we can help support several causes, that we care deeply about, by allowing us to give part of the sale of several different blankets, to help those causes. We will also occasionally donate a blanket or other item, to help a family raise funds for their adoption, by way of a auction or raffle. All of the auction/raffle money will go directly to that family and the winner will get a blanket or other item and we will donate the item, as well as the shipping cost. We will also do fund raising for specific children's medical expenses, from time to time.
With the new blog designated to only things we have "for sale", it will free up space on our main blog and on my Facebook page, to write about our family, our lives, our passions, our faith and not all this other stuff, that can often "clutter" the other pages, pun intended.
We will still continue to post about causes, & children in need of prayer and/or medical funds, on our Facebook pages and our main blog page. Hoping to utilize the main blog for deepening my faith, and increasing my writing & photography skills in 2012. I am determined to write a book about our adoption journey, Marissa's story, our story, by making the time to blog and increasing my confidence in my ability to do justice to our story and at the same time, give Glory and Honor to God for it all.
We pray that 2012 will be a better year for everyone, both financially and health wise, as so many are struggling in those areas right now and also that we may all deepen our faith and our compassion for others, so we can all work together in making the world a better place for all!
Hope you will all check out the new blog: Doodlebug Blessings, when we post the link!
Blessings, Kim
For those that seek to understand The WORD, I stumbled upon this website earlier today
http://missionalthoughts.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/one-of-the-most-misquoted-bible-verses/
It explains about Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare, and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. We've all seen this verse in various forms, but do you know who He was speaking to and why? Do you really KNOW what it means? I encourage you to read the link above and always remember JOY: Jesus, Others, Yourself, do all things in this order and you will find JOY in your life & in your heart.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
My made-up Chicken Spaghetti Recipe
Empty 2 cans chicken broth in crockpot with 2 cups water, add more water if needed. Add 3-4 bay leaves and some Italian seasoning, I used the McCormicks Italian seasoning grinder, 3-4 cloves of garlic finely chopped. Place whole chicken in broth, set crock pot on high for 2-3 hours, until chicken is done & ready to fall off the bones. OR:(you can cook on low heat all night, even better) I carefully took the chicken out and placed it on a platter, like you would a turkey, and removed the skin & bones. I poured the broth into a large glass container to cool, as I will use the broth later by freezing it when cool for chicken noodle soup & other recipes that call for chicken broth. I also removed the bay leaves & discarded them. I separated the chicken into small pieces, but not to small, it just falls apart. Place back into empty crock pot, Add 2-3 cans tomato sauce, or jarred sauce & 2 cans of diced tomatoes, or freshly diced tomatoes. Add 2 T Italian seasoning, 1 T Basil, 1 T. Oregano and either 2-3 cloves finely chopped garlic, or garlic salt to taste. Let simmer for about an hour or more, until hot.
Serve over pasta or rice, we used angel hair pasta and topped it with freshly grated mozzarella or parmesan cheese, serve with salad and French bread. Glass of wine, optional! Delish!
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| Grace almost 14 |
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| Jade age 13 |
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| Jalin age 8 |
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| Ava almost 9 |
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| Isaiah age 5 |
Friday, November 25, 2011
Fleece Tied Blankets, dolls & more, time to update the blog, it's been a while, I know
Asian Play Dolls, Books etc.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1587175432946.85494.1042601344&type=1&l=a0c4679e90
Fleece Tied Blankets:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1005013679266.1639.1042601344&type=1&l=27b836ac4f
We have been praying for a way for me to help with the finances, with not being able to work outside the home right now and I remembered that I still had mountains of fleece from making fleece, tied blankets for families that adopted with our help, when we were still working in adoption and from the military fleece blankets that I made for troops in Iraq, while Justin was over there with the U.S.M.C., that I haven't touched for over 2 1/2 years now, so I decided it was time to get it out and offer blankets for sale on my Facebook page, to help pay off the medical expenses from our host child's surgery. A couple of the prints, we have also set aside for Love Without Boundaries, St. Jude and for the education fund for Isaiah's 2 foster sisters in Guatemala, so they can go to school and various other fund raisers that come up from time to time. One of which came up yesterday, when we learned of a little girl in Uganda in need of URGENT medical care in the U.S. and her adoptive family needing to raise $15K within 48 hours in order to complete the adoption and bring Esther home ASAP along with her baby brother. We understand the financial hurdles that come with medical care and with international adoption. If you can, please click on the Stonebrooks link on the side of this page, under blogs I'm following and read their story, WITH FAITH ALONE.... OUR JOURNEY TO UGANDA and help this family if you are so able, every $10 adds up and can make all the difference in Esther getting the medical care she desperately needs, in time.
I've had the blankets on my FB page for a while now and have not sold very many, so decided that it was time to blog about it too and trusting God that people will not flame us. It's been hard to even admit to anyone that the medical expenses were as high as they were out-of-pocket and to even ask for any kind of help at all, but we have 5 children still at home that we also need to be able to care for. Plus, we are selling items we clearly do not NEED, in order to pay off these bills. We also have several Asian, Play Dolls for sale, some books and also some furniture to sell. I have a Maple WILLETT drop leaf table and 4 chairs for sale, that is in good condition, with only minor flaws for an antique table of it's age. Pictures available upon request. We've listed on Craigslist as well and are adding items we don't need as we go along. I may have some more furniture, if the boys decide they don't want us to continue holding onto it for them any longer. We hate that it's just sitting here collecting dust and not being put to good use for someone else that really needs it. Need to go through more of the kids clutter too, but it really is hard to find the time to do it all.
We'd love to have our kids go back to "traditional" school, but public school is simply not an option here, schools here are ranked 48th in the country & the bullying & violence etc. is horrible and private school for 5 kids is not realistic with our current budget, by any stretch of the imagination. Just for the school through our church, which is much less than other private schools here, it would be another mortgage payment for us to send all of the kids to school there. Our only options are financial assistance or scholarships. Some of our 5 at home, still need to be homeschooled, based on their needs, as I can give them one-on-one time and at a pace that is better for them emotionally and we will continue to access them as individuals and look at their educational needs and do what we can to make sure that they are getting all the support that they need, whether they are homeschooled, or if we find a way for them to go to private school. In fact, we recently went to an open house at an all girls high school and are praying about sending Grace & Jade there for 9th - 12th grades and have started the process to apply for financial assistance &/or scholarships. It is an excellent school with strong, Math, Science and Fine Arts departments and a wonderful environment for girls to be all they can be, without distractions, worry about clothes, make-up, peer pressure etc. The girls LOVED what they saw when we attended the open house and both want to either go there, (St. Cecelia Academy) or to Father Ryan high School, if at all possible and we wish this for them as well.
Having the two older girls in private school, would allow me to work more one-on-one with the younger 3 and allow me time to pursue some projects I have had to put on the back burner this last year with hosting a child, homeschooling, and all the medical drama of this past year. The main thing I want to accomplish myself, is to finish the book about all of our adoptions and our sweet angel Marissa and to take a photography class, a writing class and to see about selling Real Estate or doing home staging. Our experience with realtors these last few years have been horrible, so I would love to try my hand at it, having gained some insight as to how we wish we had been treated and that is to really LISTEN to what the buyers NEEDS are and not just want the commission from sales. Between the economy, the housing crash, and realtors only wanting a commission, we've learned a lot of valuable lessons, the hard way and I for one, would love to help other families avoid the same pit-falls we have had.
Even though we have been through so much, we are still incredibly blessed, we have 5 children still at home, who are doing remarkably well medically and emotionally, we have a roof over our heads, Steve has a job he loves and a part time job, we ALL wish he could quit, but we have no choice right now, but we know we are blessed to have 2 jobs for Steve, when so many are unemployed in this country due to the economy, we are both doing much better medically, we avoided the dreaded C word with another member of our family, thank GOD alone, and our Faith is still strong. We look for blessings in everything, but still have good days and bad days just like everyone else. We are thankful for our little jumping bean Jalin, who makes her Daddy smile each day when he comes in the door and she wants to jump high with her Daddy, for our little whistling, chatter-box Isaiah who makes sure there is never a dull moment when he is awake, for our sunshine girl Ava, who loves the camera, is always smiling & and laughing, who wants to be in commercials & T.V. , for our Jader-Bug who has a ferocious appetite for reading and for our beautiful Grace who is such a big helper. Our children have really come so far and we are so proud of all of them, we don't have any quitters, that's for sure. We are so blessed that our older 2 boys have the love and support from our family still in Kansas and that Alex has completed his Associates degree, is playing in a band that he loves and working nearly full time and that the VA ordeal for Justin, should soon be over and that he has the support from his Grandma Connie in getting to all those appts. & that he seems so happy with his girlfriend Tori and we are so thankful for our wonderful friends who have prayed for us, with us, cried with us and those that have been a shoulder to land on, when we have needed it the most.
We would appreciate prayers that 2012 will be a better year for all of us and we greatly appreciate it if you would take a look at the blankets & dolls we have for sale. They would all make wonderful Christmas gifts and would allow me to help my family financially and clear some space at the same time.
We pray that 2012 is a better year for this country, for all of you, for Peace & Love to blanket the world we live in and for HIS LOVE to shine through even the darkest days, for all to SEE. Remember CHRIST in CHRISTmas this year and that HE is the reason for the season and not the retailers out there, when shopping, shop local family businesses and not just the big box stores, donate to some great causes out there who are the HANDS & FEET for ORPHANS, daily, donating of their time, talent, prayers for the least of these, you too can make a difference. Vowing to end the clutter at our own house and remembering more to be the Hands & Feet and give of ourselves where we are able to and we are teaching this to our children. Give a Gift that KEEPS ON GIVING whenever possible. We can all make a difference in this world, if we do this more & give our HANDS & FEET to our communities, to orphans, to the homeless, to the least of these, to ministries all over this world, there are so many that sacrifice so much and if we all helped, their burden being HIS hands & feet, would be that much lighter, & less stressful, so often they can't sleep thinking about the baby, child, family, they had to turn away, as the funds weren't there to help, when they were needed, or crying themselves to sleep when help came too late. That is my greatest wish this holiday season, for everyone to SEE HIM and ACT, "There are two primary choices in life: To accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them." ~Denis Waitley~ for no more hunger, no more orphans, no child turned away, or waiting, because of funding not being there, for PEACE, not war, for this to happen, we must all do our part, problems don't go away by themselves, it takes the world, not just one person, not just a village, one country, it takes everyone, everywhere being HIS hands & feet.
Blessings Always, Kim
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1587175432946.85494.1042601344&type=1&l=a0c4679e90
Fleece Tied Blankets:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1005013679266.1639.1042601344&type=1&l=27b836ac4f
We have been praying for a way for me to help with the finances, with not being able to work outside the home right now and I remembered that I still had mountains of fleece from making fleece, tied blankets for families that adopted with our help, when we were still working in adoption and from the military fleece blankets that I made for troops in Iraq, while Justin was over there with the U.S.M.C., that I haven't touched for over 2 1/2 years now, so I decided it was time to get it out and offer blankets for sale on my Facebook page, to help pay off the medical expenses from our host child's surgery. A couple of the prints, we have also set aside for Love Without Boundaries, St. Jude and for the education fund for Isaiah's 2 foster sisters in Guatemala, so they can go to school and various other fund raisers that come up from time to time. One of which came up yesterday, when we learned of a little girl in Uganda in need of URGENT medical care in the U.S. and her adoptive family needing to raise $15K within 48 hours in order to complete the adoption and bring Esther home ASAP along with her baby brother. We understand the financial hurdles that come with medical care and with international adoption. If you can, please click on the Stonebrooks link on the side of this page, under blogs I'm following and read their story, WITH FAITH ALONE.... OUR JOURNEY TO UGANDA and help this family if you are so able, every $10 adds up and can make all the difference in Esther getting the medical care she desperately needs, in time.
I've had the blankets on my FB page for a while now and have not sold very many, so decided that it was time to blog about it too and trusting God that people will not flame us. It's been hard to even admit to anyone that the medical expenses were as high as they were out-of-pocket and to even ask for any kind of help at all, but we have 5 children still at home that we also need to be able to care for. Plus, we are selling items we clearly do not NEED, in order to pay off these bills. We also have several Asian, Play Dolls for sale, some books and also some furniture to sell. I have a Maple WILLETT drop leaf table and 4 chairs for sale, that is in good condition, with only minor flaws for an antique table of it's age. Pictures available upon request. We've listed on Craigslist as well and are adding items we don't need as we go along. I may have some more furniture, if the boys decide they don't want us to continue holding onto it for them any longer. We hate that it's just sitting here collecting dust and not being put to good use for someone else that really needs it. Need to go through more of the kids clutter too, but it really is hard to find the time to do it all.
We'd love to have our kids go back to "traditional" school, but public school is simply not an option here, schools here are ranked 48th in the country & the bullying & violence etc. is horrible and private school for 5 kids is not realistic with our current budget, by any stretch of the imagination. Just for the school through our church, which is much less than other private schools here, it would be another mortgage payment for us to send all of the kids to school there. Our only options are financial assistance or scholarships. Some of our 5 at home, still need to be homeschooled, based on their needs, as I can give them one-on-one time and at a pace that is better for them emotionally and we will continue to access them as individuals and look at their educational needs and do what we can to make sure that they are getting all the support that they need, whether they are homeschooled, or if we find a way for them to go to private school. In fact, we recently went to an open house at an all girls high school and are praying about sending Grace & Jade there for 9th - 12th grades and have started the process to apply for financial assistance &/or scholarships. It is an excellent school with strong, Math, Science and Fine Arts departments and a wonderful environment for girls to be all they can be, without distractions, worry about clothes, make-up, peer pressure etc. The girls LOVED what they saw when we attended the open house and both want to either go there, (St. Cecelia Academy) or to Father Ryan high School, if at all possible and we wish this for them as well.
Having the two older girls in private school, would allow me to work more one-on-one with the younger 3 and allow me time to pursue some projects I have had to put on the back burner this last year with hosting a child, homeschooling, and all the medical drama of this past year. The main thing I want to accomplish myself, is to finish the book about all of our adoptions and our sweet angel Marissa and to take a photography class, a writing class and to see about selling Real Estate or doing home staging. Our experience with realtors these last few years have been horrible, so I would love to try my hand at it, having gained some insight as to how we wish we had been treated and that is to really LISTEN to what the buyers NEEDS are and not just want the commission from sales. Between the economy, the housing crash, and realtors only wanting a commission, we've learned a lot of valuable lessons, the hard way and I for one, would love to help other families avoid the same pit-falls we have had.
Even though we have been through so much, we are still incredibly blessed, we have 5 children still at home, who are doing remarkably well medically and emotionally, we have a roof over our heads, Steve has a job he loves and a part time job, we ALL wish he could quit, but we have no choice right now, but we know we are blessed to have 2 jobs for Steve, when so many are unemployed in this country due to the economy, we are both doing much better medically, we avoided the dreaded C word with another member of our family, thank GOD alone, and our Faith is still strong. We look for blessings in everything, but still have good days and bad days just like everyone else. We are thankful for our little jumping bean Jalin, who makes her Daddy smile each day when he comes in the door and she wants to jump high with her Daddy, for our little whistling, chatter-box Isaiah who makes sure there is never a dull moment when he is awake, for our sunshine girl Ava, who loves the camera, is always smiling & and laughing, who wants to be in commercials & T.V. , for our Jader-Bug who has a ferocious appetite for reading and for our beautiful Grace who is such a big helper. Our children have really come so far and we are so proud of all of them, we don't have any quitters, that's for sure. We are so blessed that our older 2 boys have the love and support from our family still in Kansas and that Alex has completed his Associates degree, is playing in a band that he loves and working nearly full time and that the VA ordeal for Justin, should soon be over and that he has the support from his Grandma Connie in getting to all those appts. & that he seems so happy with his girlfriend Tori and we are so thankful for our wonderful friends who have prayed for us, with us, cried with us and those that have been a shoulder to land on, when we have needed it the most.
We would appreciate prayers that 2012 will be a better year for all of us and we greatly appreciate it if you would take a look at the blankets & dolls we have for sale. They would all make wonderful Christmas gifts and would allow me to help my family financially and clear some space at the same time.
Blessings Always, Kim
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Tsunami from Katie Cramer's blog, please stop by with a note of comfort for her family
Heart breaking, but we understand all too well, how hard this road is to travel and there will be no "end of the road" on this side of heaven, only when it is time for us to go home, we will SEE the end of the road and SEE the FACE OF GOD and our children who were called home too soon, again. http://katiecramer.org/
this is from Katie's mom:
Thankfully, the night ended well. I picked up Randy Alcorn’s book, Heaven, and my heart was comforted by these words:
“Job, in his anguish, cried out in a vision of striking clarity: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:25-27) The anticipation of seeing God face-to-face, in our resurrected bodies, is heartfelt and ancient. …
“…We need not wait till the New Earth to catch glimpses of God. We’re told his “invisible qualities” can be “clearly seen” in “what has been made” (Romans 1:20). Consider the trees, flowers, sun, rain, and the people around you. Yes, there’s devastation all around us and within us. Eden has been trampled, burned, and savaged. Yet the stars in the sky nevertheless declare God’s glory (Psalm 19:1), as do animals, art, and music. But our vision is hampered by the same curse that infects all creation. One day both we and the universe will be forever cured of sin. In that day, we will see God.” (page 175) Hallelujah!
With faith, hope, and love,
Sherrie
Happy Chinese New Year!
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR, 2011, YEAR OF THE RABBIT! Hope your year is filled with wonderful blessings from the Lord, prosperity, good health, happy memories, good friends, lots of love & much JOY from our family, to yours!
Blessings, Steve, Kim, Justin, Alex, our angel Marissa Faith who is always with us, Grace, Jade, Ava, Jalin, Isaiah and Zach too!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
We have 8 goldendoodle puppies. 4 have found their forever families and we are keeping one of them, so we still have 3 black females that are super cute that are still available. They will be ready to come home on Valentine's Day.
They do not shed, so are great for those with allergies, they are great with children and adults, (super family dogs). Parents are 48 lbs. mother (Standard poodle, black) and 65 lb. golden retriever, father.
Two of the three that are left are very small and I doubt they will be as big as their mother even. They have shiny, black, wavy coats and are full of personality. They love affection and also love to play.
They are eating well on their own already.
If interested, please e-mail us for more info. Money from the sale of the puppies helps with Zach's medical bills and his adoption expenses.
Blessings, Kim
They do not shed, so are great for those with allergies, they are great with children and adults, (super family dogs). Parents are 48 lbs. mother (Standard poodle, black) and 65 lb. golden retriever, father.
Two of the three that are left are very small and I doubt they will be as big as their mother even. They have shiny, black, wavy coats and are full of personality. They love affection and also love to play.
They are eating well on their own already.
If interested, please e-mail us for more info. Money from the sale of the puppies helps with Zach's medical bills and his adoption expenses.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST
PLEASE PRAY FOR KATIE, she is home with her family and they are embracing every moment they have left here on earth with their beautiful daughter.
http://katiecramer.org/
My heart is breaking for her family. I so wish, that no other family would have to go through what we have. These children need HOPE, we need to find CURES for CHILDHOOD CANCERS, as their young lives are being cut short and sadly, pediatric cancers are not getting funding like adult cancers.
CHILDREN are our future. Katie is 16, she should be going to school, sporting events, texting her friends, talking on the phone, shopping with her mom and friends, laughing enjoying LIFE and not waiting to be called to her heavenly home.
PLEASE PRAY FOR Katie and her family, as they say good-bye to her. This will be the hardest thing they will ever go through in their lives, but they will also never be the same, when she is no longer with them here on earth.
We know that she will always be in their hearts, we know that they will SEE her again, but that doesn't make this time any easier, that's for sure.
PLEASE pray for strength, love, compassion, peace that surpasses all understanding, as they say good bye and learn to live without her here with them physically. It will take them forever to understand the why's, but my prayer is that they will always put their trust in the LORD and know that they are NEVER alone, that He is always with them now and forever. I pray that they will SEE blessings all around them and know that Katie is ok, healed, happy and still with them in their hearts always, until they can hold her in their arms again.
Blessings, Kim
PLEASE SUPPORT CHILDHOOD CANCER RESEARCH
http://katiecramer.org/
My heart is breaking for her family. I so wish, that no other family would have to go through what we have. These children need HOPE, we need to find CURES for CHILDHOOD CANCERS, as their young lives are being cut short and sadly, pediatric cancers are not getting funding like adult cancers.
CHILDREN are our future. Katie is 16, she should be going to school, sporting events, texting her friends, talking on the phone, shopping with her mom and friends, laughing enjoying LIFE and not waiting to be called to her heavenly home.
PLEASE PRAY FOR Katie and her family, as they say good-bye to her. This will be the hardest thing they will ever go through in their lives, but they will also never be the same, when she is no longer with them here on earth.
We know that she will always be in their hearts, we know that they will SEE her again, but that doesn't make this time any easier, that's for sure.
PLEASE pray for strength, love, compassion, peace that surpasses all understanding, as they say good bye and learn to live without her here with them physically. It will take them forever to understand the why's, but my prayer is that they will always put their trust in the LORD and know that they are NEVER alone, that He is always with them now and forever. I pray that they will SEE blessings all around them and know that Katie is ok, healed, happy and still with them in their hearts always, until they can hold her in their arms again.
Blessings, Kim
PLEASE SUPPORT CHILDHOOD CANCER RESEARCH
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Christmas Season
Christmas is over, but we are still taking a much needed break. School will start again on Monday, hope the kids are ready to study.
We stayed home for Christmas, but were able to fly Alex home for about 5 days, but it went way too fast. He finally got to meet Zach and of course Zach adores him already and would try to walk for Alex, but not as often for Mom and Dad. the boys really enjoyed having him around and I think the girls did as well. We all miss him already and are praying that it works out for him to move here sometime within the next year.
Sadly, Justin had to work Christmas week. He was greatly missed by all of us, but he really needs the hours and is trying hard to get back on his feet after finishing his 4 years with the USMC.
The 4 youngest got scooters for Christmas, Isaiah, Jalin and Zach's are the 3 wheel type, while Ava got a Razor scooter in PINK of course. Jade got a new bike for Christmas as she and Grace were getting too tall for their old ones. Grace asked for an ipod for Christmas and she decided to wait until her birthday in February for a new bike. Ava got an ipod shuffle and the 3 younger ones all got handheld learning devices from Vtech or Fisher Price and they are all sharing each others and they love them all., which is great.
Steve and Alex were able to go to hear some live blues and I think they had a really good time. Alex was calling his friends to tell them all about it, as soon as they got back to the house.
We finally closed on our house in Kansas on December 10th and you have no idea what a blessing that was and the timing could not have been better.
We got about an inch of snow Christmas Eve and Day and it had not snowed here on Christmas for 40 years. Luckily it is all about gone now and it is suppose to be in the 60's on Friday. That's my kind of December/January weather! Beats the bitter cold and frightfully cold winds in Kansas any day, but we do so miss seeing our Kansas family, that's for sure. Hopefully, now that they house is sold and CLOSED, we will actually be able to spend some real family time with everyone, when we come home again.
December 18th, Steve and I celebrated a quick dinner out at Red Lobster for our 28th Anniversary, as we had Lobster at the Lobster Pot in KC during our weekend honeymoon. Thought it would be appropriate to have surf and turf to celebrate. The brief quiet was nice for a change and eating dinner while it was still hot, was an added benefit.
Had to make a road trip back to WI with Zach for his cast removal the week of Christmas and we are truly thankful that the weather didn't get too bad while we were traveling. Grace & Jalin went with us this time and had some fun bonding time shopping, getting Zach a haircut and having Zach meet Santa for the 1st time with Jalin. He loved it and was smiling ear to ear the whole time. Grace thought she was much too big to sit on Santa's lap, or even stand by him for that matter, so we opted for photos of just Zach and Jalin with Santa. Welcome to the world of pre-teens or should I say, almost teens? As Grace would say: "Mom, how embarrassing" I have to really watch what they say about "Santa" in front of the little ones.
My New Year's Resolution is to try to blog more and to look into a writing class to gain more confidence in my writing, so I can begin a book sometime in the not too distant future.
We were not planning another litter of puppies this year AT ALL and we "thought" we caught when Asia went into season in time to avoid just that, but sadly, Toby knew before we did and she had 8 puppies, yes 8, the morning after Christmas, starting about 1:50 AM and the last one was born at about 5:30 AM. Since she had 2 naturally last time and had to have an emergency c-section with the 2nd two, I was up all night with her to make sure we didn't have to rush her into the vet, but thankfully, she was able to have all 8 without any intention other than me being their to help her break the sacks and dry off the puppies, especially when a few of them were born very close together.
Last time she had 2 golden and 2 black and this time she had 4 black and 4 golden. Only this time she also had 3 golden boys and 1 golden girl and 3 black girls and 1 black boy. Talk about a weird coincidence. One of the golden males is almost pure white. We were really surprised that she had one that light. He should really stand out and has already been spoken for. He will be going up north to PA around the 1st week of March to our dear friend Angalene and her two beautiful boys, Dominic & Alexander. None of the others are spoken for yet, but we hope they will be, as we still have Mr. Hank Williams from the last litter. He is a sweetie and a cutie for sure, but he needs his own forever family ASAP. Toby went to the vet to be neutered a few days before Asia had her puppies. I'm sure he's not happy, but it had to be done. If anyone is interested in adopting a goldendoodle, please contact us to reserve your puppy.
We stayed home for Christmas, but were able to fly Alex home for about 5 days, but it went way too fast. He finally got to meet Zach and of course Zach adores him already and would try to walk for Alex, but not as often for Mom and Dad. the boys really enjoyed having him around and I think the girls did as well. We all miss him already and are praying that it works out for him to move here sometime within the next year.
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| Our tree 2010 |
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| Marissa's purple tree |
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| Some of the kids checking out what Santa brought them |
The 4 youngest got scooters for Christmas, Isaiah, Jalin and Zach's are the 3 wheel type, while Ava got a Razor scooter in PINK of course. Jade got a new bike for Christmas as she and Grace were getting too tall for their old ones. Grace asked for an ipod for Christmas and she decided to wait until her birthday in February for a new bike. Ava got an ipod shuffle and the 3 younger ones all got handheld learning devices from Vtech or Fisher Price and they are all sharing each others and they love them all., which is great.
Steve and Alex were able to go to hear some live blues and I think they had a really good time. Alex was calling his friends to tell them all about it, as soon as they got back to the house.
We finally closed on our house in Kansas on December 10th and you have no idea what a blessing that was and the timing could not have been better.
We got about an inch of snow Christmas Eve and Day and it had not snowed here on Christmas for 40 years. Luckily it is all about gone now and it is suppose to be in the 60's on Friday. That's my kind of December/January weather! Beats the bitter cold and frightfully cold winds in Kansas any day, but we do so miss seeing our Kansas family, that's for sure. Hopefully, now that they house is sold and CLOSED, we will actually be able to spend some real family time with everyone, when we come home again.
December 18th, Steve and I celebrated a quick dinner out at Red Lobster for our 28th Anniversary, as we had Lobster at the Lobster Pot in KC during our weekend honeymoon. Thought it would be appropriate to have surf and turf to celebrate. The brief quiet was nice for a change and eating dinner while it was still hot, was an added benefit.
Had to make a road trip back to WI with Zach for his cast removal the week of Christmas and we are truly thankful that the weather didn't get too bad while we were traveling. Grace & Jalin went with us this time and had some fun bonding time shopping, getting Zach a haircut and having Zach meet Santa for the 1st time with Jalin. He loved it and was smiling ear to ear the whole time. Grace thought she was much too big to sit on Santa's lap, or even stand by him for that matter, so we opted for photos of just Zach and Jalin with Santa. Welcome to the world of pre-teens or should I say, almost teens? As Grace would say: "Mom, how embarrassing" I have to really watch what they say about "Santa" in front of the little ones.
My New Year's Resolution is to try to blog more and to look into a writing class to gain more confidence in my writing, so I can begin a book sometime in the not too distant future.
We were not planning another litter of puppies this year AT ALL and we "thought" we caught when Asia went into season in time to avoid just that, but sadly, Toby knew before we did and she had 8 puppies, yes 8, the morning after Christmas, starting about 1:50 AM and the last one was born at about 5:30 AM. Since she had 2 naturally last time and had to have an emergency c-section with the 2nd two, I was up all night with her to make sure we didn't have to rush her into the vet, but thankfully, she was able to have all 8 without any intention other than me being their to help her break the sacks and dry off the puppies, especially when a few of them were born very close together.
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| Noel, Holly, Halo, King, Nick, Comet, Blitzen, & Joy with the pink ribbon on the bottom., we've since tried to paint their toenails instead of the ribbons, but it's already wearing off, so much for trying to tell them all apart. |
Friday, January 15, 2010
LWB Heartbridge Unit in China
Be sure to click on the link to LWB Heartbridge, to see the children and learn more about this wonderful program. LWB Heartbridge Unit, giving HOPE to children born in China with special needs, including prematurity, club feet, cleft lip/palate, cancer and other illnesses. We have adopted children with visual impairments, cleft lip/palate, bilateral club foot, cerebral palsy, umbilical hernia and we have dealt with ADD, surgeries & brain cancer, but All of our children are blessings and gifts from God, they are not defined by any special need or illness they may have. They have all brought so much more to our lives, than we could ever imagine. It has not always been easy, but it has all been worth it! These children and thousands like them are without a FAMILY to help them through their illnesses, surgeries, but thankfully they have Heartbridge which does not take the place of a forever family, but they offer them the next best thing, Hope & Healing, until they too, can be adopted into a forever family of their own. Most of all they receive LOVE and are given HOPE for a future through the care they receive in the Heartbridge programs that LWB has established in China.
Facebook lost half of my post and I cannot find it now, so will try to write the rest here:
I cannot even imagine Marissa going through her cancer battle without a family, without proper medical care, ALONE.
Would she have even received treatment? Would she have even received palliative care? It makes my heart hurt just thinking about it, but the fact is, children ARE fighting life threatening illnesses, diseases, disabilities, surgeries, ALONE, without the unconditional love of a forever family.
Without adoption, would Marissa have ever discovered her love for drawing, her love of animals, especially horses? Would she have known the love of a family? She loved FAMILY, she loved ADOPTION, she wanted ALL the BABIES in China to be adopted. She loved the Lord, she was beautiful inside and out, she had so much LOVE and Joy for everyone and every thing. She had wisdom way beyond her years. She was my soul mate, I cannot explain to you in words how close we were, I cannot explain to you how much her life changed me. I am forever blessed to be her forever mom. Not Flesh of My Flesh, but miraculously my own. I could not have loved her more, had I given birth to her myself. I feel that way about ALL of our children. Adoption is a MIRACLE, it is a GIFT.
Even though her life here was WAY too short, her life mattered to me, to our family and to all who knew and loved her. Her life touched thousands of people all over this world. Many children were adopted because of her, because of her life, because of her battle with cancer.
There are so many children still waiting to be adopted, in orphanages all over this world and in foster care right here in the U.S. Sadly, thousands of children will never know the love of a family. I know that our family cannot adopt them all, but that we can make a difference in the life of a child and so can each of you in one way or another, either by supporting non-profits like LWB and Half the Sky, Save the Children and countless others, or through adoption and foster care, YOU can make a difference in the life of a child.
I know of a sibling group of NINE children from the Philipines that they are desperate to find a family for. Who, will step out on Faith, to give these precious children a Forever Family, TOGETHER? They will need a village to help them with the finances to adopt them all, to keep them together, to have a home large enough for an instant LARGE family, to buy clothing and groceries for them all. Or will they remain in orphanages, ALONE and split apart? It is NOT impossible, there is a family out there somewhere, that WILL step out on Faith to adopt them all. It will not be easy for any family, but with support it CAN happen and they will be forever blessed.
I also know of other sibling groups, but this is the largest that I am aware of at this time. I have read their story, I have seen their pictures, I have looked into their eyes. They have touched my heart deeply.
I know of 11 year old TWINS in China, a boy and a girl that are waiting for their forever family as well. I have dreamt of twins, a boy and a girl, since I was a little girl. They are running out of time, esp, when the adoption process takes so long, if someone has not started any of the process yet, when they find their child. Children in China MUST be adopted before they turn 14, or they can never be adopted. There are many, many children that are very quickly aging out of the adoption system in China, as we speak. It breaks my heart. If money were not an issue, we would adopt again, most likely and it would be an older child, but with a house still for sale in KS and 5 children still at home, right now, we simply cannot, but if we can get the word out there about some of these children, maybe, just maybe, we can help some of them find their forever family by getting the word out on Facebook, or here on my blog and we can make a difference in that way.
I hope this has you thinking and praying about adoption, foster care, or helping in other way that you can, to make a difference in the life of a waiting child somewhere in this world. Blessings, Kim
Monday, January 11, 2010
It's not always easy to raise a large family, but it's worth it!
Well, life is not always a cake walk with 5 children still at home, 1 in college and another in the Marines, but it is worth it, even if I have to remind myself that on a daily basis.
I pray daily that God will lead my children to the right "life mate", one that will help them grow in Grace, help them walk in His light, someone that will help them know HIS will for their lives. I pray daily for their health, for their futures, that they will be considerate of others, that they will live by J.O.Y., by always putting Jesus first, others second and themselves last. Jesus, Others, Yourself, JOY! I have learned to take nothing for granted, but to want JOY for myself and for my children.
It has been a difficult last few weeks with everyone being sick with colds, flu, Isaiah being hospitalized with an abscess in his neck due to a nasty virus, but we are all finally on the mend and Isaiah is definitely back to his onry 3 year old self. He went to his first birthday party on Sat. to a place called the Jump Zone and he was afraid at first, but once it was time to go, he was ready to play and wanted to know if we could please come back with DADDY sometime. I told him, that yes, we would come back another day. All the flu symptoms started the day after our company arrived of course, but we managed to hold things together on most days, while our son Alex was here, along with my niece Amanda and her boyfriend Jose. Unfortunately, Jose got sick for one day and Amanda was sick for several days and we had to load her up on water, meds and tissues for the long drive back to Kansas from Tennessee. They made the drive back w/o any trouble and Mandi was feeling better a few days after getting back. Grandma Connie was sick for a month with this stuff and I was sick for a good two weeks, Isaiah & Ava were also sick for about two weeks. Isaiah & Ava still have a slight cough, but they are so much better and I think the worst is over, at long last. I will also post some Christmas photos soon as well. I managed to make Christmas dinner the day after Christmas, but at least we managed it, I made a leg of lamb with a Moroccan spice rub and it was fabulous and will most likely become a tradition at our house. I also made turkey, dressing, potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, yams, lots of treats, cookies, etc. That was great, as than we had left overs for several days and I did not have to cook much again! We also got pizza and take out as well.
We took Alex and Jose out to see the house we really want to put an offer on and they both LOVED it!
Alex agreed that the house was much more US, than the house we are currently leasing. He is very much for us getting it, but unfortunately, the sellers will not even take an offer on the contingency that our house in KS sells, so we are stuck trusting that it will still be on the market WHEN our house finally sells. We have run into that a lot here in TN, they all want CASH offers only, so that has been frustrating, but I am trying to be at peace that it will all work out how it is suppose to. I do not however want to lose this house, as I can see us creating wonderful memories there together and really making it a HOME and not just a house, like the one we are currently living in. But if we do, I have to trust that it was not meant to be and that we WILL find our HOME here in TN.
Even though our older sons are now 19 and 23, it seems they still depend on us for a lot, but they are our children and we will always be there for them, but we cannot be a constant cash cow for them forever either. Boy some days are harder than others to let them "fly free" on their own and let them fall where they may, learning life's lessons the hard way sometimes. I think without my faith and praying for them daily, I might be a wreck, but I know that our Heavenly Father, has them in His capable hands. I know we have made mistakes as parents, but I also know deep down that we have set a good foundation of faith and values for our children and that nothing can take that from them, they may stray from it at times, making mistakes of their own, but that foundation will always be there for them to come back to and I know that both of our older boys have HUGE hearts for others.
Having two girls that are now "pre-teens" can be daunting & frustrating to say the least, but I know too, that this stage will soon pass and hopefully, I will see my lovely, hormonal daughters grow into wonderful young ladies all too soon. The stomping, rolling eyes, talking back, will hopefully all pass soon enough, keep reminding me of that ok? I adore them both, they are beautiful, loving, bright and talented, they just get lost in the hormones, right?
Jade knitted a beautiful hat from a kit she got for Christmas in about 5 hours and Grace made a wonderful scarf in less than a day! I am excited to see what else they will make in the coming year, as Santa brought them plenty of yarn! They should have lots of fun letting their creative juices flow.
Finding time to schedule doctors appointments, therapy appointments for the kids since we moved here, has been difficult at best, but my New Year's resolution is to finally get all that going again "in full", no matter how hard it will be to juggle it all and possibly go back to work, either full or part time, sometime in the near future. I need some adult contact, Isaiah needs other children to play with and we could also use the extra income with our house still for sale in Kansas. Hopefully, now that we have dropped the price another 10K, we will get an offer and Prayerfully, they will have an early Spring in KS, so that people will get back out their to look at houses, esp. now that the housing stimulus has been extended and expanded. We still need to find the time and the funds to finish moving the last of the "junk" we still have to move, or pray for good weather, so we can make one last ditch effort to sell it all at a garage sale, so we don't have to move it, we also have a lot we will just give away to needy families.
I have finished reading: What Happens When Women Say Yes to God, by Lysa Terkeurst, from Proverbs 31 Ministries and I have to say it is one of the best books I have ever read and would recommend it to all Christian mothers and fathers. Thank you Alex for giving it to me early for Christmas. It is just what my soul needed at this time in my life for sure. Now I am reading another one of Lysa's books, What Happens When Women Walk in Faith and I highly recommend both books to anyone struggling with the day to day stresses of being a wife, mother, sister, daughter, it has helped me learn to relax, Trust in Him, Listen more closely, to truly hear HIS will for my life and for his will for my family. I know that reading this book, taking the weekend off by myself a few weeks ago and ending up at our new church, was no accident, that it is just what I needed and what He wanted for me and for our family. We all LOVE our new church, we are ALL excited about being here in TN for the first time, but we are VERY anxious to move closer to our church, to get the girls into school there, as the public schools here are horrible and we wanted them out of these schools, yesterday, and we cannot do that until our house in KS sells, so our prayer now, is to keep trusting in HIS perfect timing and believing that it WILL happen, as all of this feels so right, for the first time in a very long time. There is more LOVE, JOY, Acceptance, Diversity, in this church, than in any church we have gone to for our entire 27 years of married life. I feel like we will finally be able to really begin to heal from the last 8 years of our lives, that have been so difficult, with so many losses, so much pain, too many being dx with cancer. I truly feel that this church will be really good for our entire family. I know I need healing and I know our children do too, esp. our older children.
I want to live my life for HIS purpose! I want to learn to listen and HEAR Him in every decision I make for myself and for my children. I vow to SEE and Hear God more clearly this year, in the faces of my children, in the trees, the hills, the flowers, to stop and appreciate the beauty around me more and to thank Him for the many blessings in my life.
Above, Ava and Jalin , next row: Jade
I pray daily that God will lead my children to the right "life mate", one that will help them grow in Grace, help them walk in His light, someone that will help them know HIS will for their lives. I pray daily for their health, for their futures, that they will be considerate of others, that they will live by J.O.Y., by always putting Jesus first, others second and themselves last. Jesus, Others, Yourself, JOY! I have learned to take nothing for granted, but to want JOY for myself and for my children.
We took Alex and Jose out to see the house we really want to put an offer on and they both LOVED it!
Alex agreed that the house was much more US, than the house we are currently leasing. He is very much for us getting it, but unfortunately, the sellers will not even take an offer on the contingency that our house in KS sells, so we are stuck trusting that it will still be on the market WHEN our house finally sells. We have run into that a lot here in TN, they all want CASH offers only, so that has been frustrating, but I am trying to be at peace that it will all work out how it is suppose to. I do not however want to lose this house, as I can see us creating wonderful memories there together and really making it a HOME and not just a house, like the one we are currently living in. But if we do, I have to trust that it was not meant to be and that we WILL find our HOME here in TN.
Even though our older sons are now 19 and 23, it seems they still depend on us for a lot, but they are our children and we will always be there for them, but we cannot be a constant cash cow for them forever either. Boy some days are harder than others to let them "fly free" on their own and let them fall where they may, learning life's lessons the hard way sometimes. I think without my faith and praying for them daily, I might be a wreck, but I know that our Heavenly Father, has them in His capable hands. I know we have made mistakes as parents, but I also know deep down that we have set a good foundation of faith and values for our children and that nothing can take that from them, they may stray from it at times, making mistakes of their own, but that foundation will always be there for them to come back to and I know that both of our older boys have HUGE hearts for others.
Having two girls that are now "pre-teens" can be daunting & frustrating to say the least, but I know too, that this stage will soon pass and hopefully, I will see my lovely, hormonal daughters grow into wonderful young ladies all too soon. The stomping, rolling eyes, talking back, will hopefully all pass soon enough, keep reminding me of that ok? I adore them both, they are beautiful, loving, bright and talented, they just get lost in the hormones, right?
Jade knitted a beautiful hat from a kit she got for Christmas in about 5 hours and Grace made a wonderful scarf in less than a day! I am excited to see what else they will make in the coming year, as Santa brought them plenty of yarn! They should have lots of fun letting their creative juices flow.
Finding time to schedule doctors appointments, therapy appointments for the kids since we moved here, has been difficult at best, but my New Year's resolution is to finally get all that going again "in full", no matter how hard it will be to juggle it all and possibly go back to work, either full or part time, sometime in the near future. I need some adult contact, Isaiah needs other children to play with and we could also use the extra income with our house still for sale in Kansas. Hopefully, now that we have dropped the price another 10K, we will get an offer and Prayerfully, they will have an early Spring in KS, so that people will get back out their to look at houses, esp. now that the housing stimulus has been extended and expanded. We still need to find the time and the funds to finish moving the last of the "junk" we still have to move, or pray for good weather, so we can make one last ditch effort to sell it all at a garage sale, so we don't have to move it, we also have a lot we will just give away to needy families.
I have finished reading: What Happens When Women Say Yes to God, by Lysa Terkeurst, from Proverbs 31 Ministries and I have to say it is one of the best books I have ever read and would recommend it to all Christian mothers and fathers. Thank you Alex for giving it to me early for Christmas. It is just what my soul needed at this time in my life for sure. Now I am reading another one of Lysa's books, What Happens When Women Walk in Faith and I highly recommend both books to anyone struggling with the day to day stresses of being a wife, mother, sister, daughter, it has helped me learn to relax, Trust in Him, Listen more closely, to truly hear HIS will for my life and for his will for my family. I know that reading this book, taking the weekend off by myself a few weeks ago and ending up at our new church, was no accident, that it is just what I needed and what He wanted for me and for our family. We all LOVE our new church, we are ALL excited about being here in TN for the first time, but we are VERY anxious to move closer to our church, to get the girls into school there, as the public schools here are horrible and we wanted them out of these schools, yesterday, and we cannot do that until our house in KS sells, so our prayer now, is to keep trusting in HIS perfect timing and believing that it WILL happen, as all of this feels so right, for the first time in a very long time. There is more LOVE, JOY, Acceptance, Diversity, in this church, than in any church we have gone to for our entire 27 years of married life. I feel like we will finally be able to really begin to heal from the last 8 years of our lives, that have been so difficult, with so many losses, so much pain, too many being dx with cancer. I truly feel that this church will be really good for our entire family. I know I need healing and I know our children do too, esp. our older children.
Lights outside George Joneses house at Christmas
Isaiah playing his new drums, with his sister's sunglasses on
Isaiah at Jump Zone on Saturday!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Ava's "Winter Program" "The BIG CHILL"
One very blessed mom!
Steve reading the story of Christmas to the girls last year on Christmas Eve
Yesterday: Went to a doctors appt. here to get established as a patient, they took FIVE vials of blood for labwork! Yes, Five. Crazy! Talk about being light headed when I was ready to head back to the car with a 3 year old in tow and you would think that with my brood, I would have a cracker or something in the car? Nope, all stash was gone. I am suppose to go for some x-rays today, (was suppose to go yesterday), but can't fig. out how to take a 3 year old, onry little boy with me for that one. Steve has mtgs. most of the day, so there goes dropping him off there while I get the x-rays done. Tonight, Ava has her Christmas program at school, so there won't be time to go after school either. Oh well, it is a walk in appt., so will try to fit it into the schedule sometime in the next week. Nothing serious going on, just my fibromyalgia acting up again and they just want to rule out everything else, like arthritis and other stuff. Doctors office just called and the test for Rheumatoid arthritis is negative, YEAH, so the x-rays will show if it is Osteoarthritis or just my fibromyalgia getting worse. Boy, getting old is the pits, I keep telling myself that the kids will keep us young, someone please tell my body that. The other labs are all within normal limits as well, only 2 tests not back yet! So maybe my body is not in as bad of shape after all. Just wish the fibro pain would allow me to workout more, as the meds for that make me GAIN WT. Talked to the doctor about changing that medicine to something else and she said that unfortunately, that is the side effect for all of the meds that help with fibromyalgia pain. Missing the swimming pool at the other house, more than ever. Maybe I will have to join a Y or something like that here, so I can at least swim and Isaiah can too!
Steve just called and one meeting was cancelled, so I can get this over with today, after all. Only problem for Steve will be, NAPTIME! Pray Isaiah behaves himself during the worse time of his day. Really, Isaiah is a JOY, but naptimes he is a bear, he is just 3 and he is all boy.
I am determined to get some of the Christmas packages wrapped today. Also, going to see about taking a few items back, or putting them away for the next round of birthdays in February (Ava & Grace). The kids are not getting that much, clothes and a couple of smaller things that they have asked Santa for. We have the tree up and Marissa's purple tree, but not many ornaments, as most of them are still in KS in the barn at the other house, that is still for sale of course. They did show the house yesterday though, so that is at least some, good news. Guess what I want for Christmas?
The girls have their "Holiday" parties at school tomorrow and get out at 11:15! Hoping to get all the gift wrapping done before they are all 5 underfoot for the next 2-3 weeks. It will be nice to have them home to do some holiday baking with and I can't wait to do some crafts with them after they open their presents on Christmas! I got Grace and Jade some really neat Knitting kits to learn how to knit and I know they will love them. Grace loves Origami, but I get tired of picking up her paper mess all over the house, so am secretly hoping she will pick up knitting and sewing instead. At least we can keep all of that mess in one place, right? I am sure Grace will be able to figure out how to do these, as she is very good with things like crafts, art etc. Jade is too, but she would usually rather have her nose in a good book. The girl LOVES to read. Justin always loved to read as well and he still does. I hope she will always have a love for reading. "IF" Santa gets brave enough, Isaiah will be getting a drum set, so he can bang on that instead of everything else around the house and I am "secretly" hoping to instill a love of music in him, to channel all his energy and help to calm him down. He is too bright for his own good sometimes....& being so darn cute AND knowing it, does not help either.
My wish is for peace, joy, & love in our house, & more "Family Time", for our house to sell in KS and for us to find one here that is closer to the church I went to last weekend and for the kids to be able to go to the school there somehow. We just need to work out the financial part of that. Private school is very expensive here and we simply cannot afford it with our large family and with the cost of housing here, but somehow it has to work out. I cannot keep the two older girls in the school they are currently in. They have to be safe. I have to feel ok about them being there. I have even prayed about homeschooling IF we have to. Hoping for a Christmas miracle so that they will not even have to return to the current school after the break. Also, praying for our older boys this Christmas, God knows their needs for Christmas and my prayers for them. Justin will be out of the Marines at the end of March and I am so thankful that his days of active duty are soon coming to an end. Secretly hoping that Alex will move to TN to pursue his love for music, sooner, rather than later. Maybe Justin will find a school here as well, when he gets out of the service and the boys can find a place together? That would be GREAT!
Justin loves to work on cars and he LOVES to cook, one thing he got from me.... the love to cook, not the working on cars.....He even built a grill when he was in Iraq so he could BBQ for everyone. The kid can grill! He makes me hungry just talking about the dishes he comes up with on his own. He will miss the FRESH seafood from NC I'm sure, as well as surfing. I can see him living somewhere near the ocean someday. He likes to be close to the water, like Steve and I do, we just don't surf.
Having lost a child to cancer, I know I am way over protective, but I can't help it and I will not apologize for wanting them to be close, happy, safe and for them to be doing something with their passions and for us to be able to watch them grow into wonderful, loving, productive adults.
This year my goals are to be more patient, to find the time to begin writing Marissa's story, so SEE God in everything around me more, to be more thankful, to spend more time with each one of our children and with my husband and maybe just maybe we can really take a family vacation some time this next year.
Well, if I am going to get anything done before going into Franklin for the x-rays, I better sign off for now.
May God Bless and keep you in the palm of his hands each and every day.
Blessings, Kim
PS Jalin lost her first tooth last night! The tooth fairy brought her $5 She was so excited to find that in the cup on the counter this morning and wanted to know where the tooth was. I will try to post a picture today or tomorrow. BTW the TF only brings that much for the 1st tooth they lose.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
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