How TimeFlies When You are Having Fun.

Two years ago today was the first time we got to celebrate Elena's birthday!

We had just come back from China 2 weeks before and it was her 3rd birthday!!  She didn't know us, the language, culture, reason for us singing to her, and wasn't sure about the whole thing. She didn't even know what to do with presents.   She didn't know what they were.  John had to teach her how to open them.

She was such a peanut.

When she turned 4, she had had a whole year of watching the wonderful phenomenom happen to all her friends and family members, and couldn't wait to enjoy her turn.

And she did.

Today, she is 5!! 

And she is so BIG!  Even if she is my baby-for-now.  Oh how she has grown.  She towers over kids her own age, or older.  ( So much for the theory that Chinese people are petite) She will probably be taller than me.

Happy Birthday Peanut.  

I just LOVE to see you discover life.  You can't seem to get your fill in knowledge or play.

Kind of like your daddy.  <3

Who is The REAL Crazy Person????

It is January, but Spring is on my mind.

Not because of the weather, since it has been a mild winter, one of which I am NOT complaining about at this point in my life.

But because once again, we had to get our paper work in for our community garden plot!! 

This year, we are going to start with seeds.  

I ordered the seeds yesterday.  It will be amazing and exciting for all of us to see GOD's goodness and provision in the most natural way.  And YES!! I got different kinds of squash, because a certain Baby Boy loves his squash. 

Reason #2 for thinking about Spring.

About 3 or 4 years ago, my husband asked me why we don't have pets that actually give us something back, instead of draining us of our resources.  

Mind you, he LOVES LOVES LOVES the dogs and cats.  I mean, when I am away for the weekend, he lets the dogs sleep on our bed!!!!

AARRGGHH.

No comment.   :P

Anyway, so he has been asking me to look into chickens.

I told him he was crazy.

Seriously.

C.R.A.Z.Y.

The answer was no.

As in capital N and capital O.

Here it is 3 years later, and on Feb. 29, we are expecting these:

That will one day become this:

They were ordered before Thanksgiving.

I have kept it mum to most people (because they all think I am crazy) except I did mention it to a few who's brain I had to pick and gleam information.

And I got an amazing loads of books from the library.

I call the town to make sure it was all cool.  ( FYI the permit to have chickens in this town is actually more expensive than the chickens themselves.  oookkkkkkaaaayyyyyyy)

I know more about chickens than I ever wanted to, but I suppose that is a good thing.

I haven't told my parents yet.

I may have a cow in my yard after I DO tell them.  For chances are pretty good that they will have one. 

But hey!  Fresh milk!!

PS the real crazy person?? I think it is me for finally agreeing.

I am begging...and 27 things

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE go here:

Simple Scents  ( click on it)

And for for me...# 10!!!   PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.


PRETTY PLEASE??!!??!!


I know it is a little...whatever, but I really want those oils and I wrote it at 1:30 in the morning and I really should have waited till the next morning, but OH WELL.  But go ahead and vote, PLEASE??!!??!


Back to our regularly scheduled program:


27 things that I have learned in the past 27 years:


1. Being young and ignorant, is not always a bad thing.


2. I am so thankful I got married young.  


3.  And I am thankful I had children young.  I had so much energy and they kept me grounded to reality.


4. Your temporary anger should not determine your future.


5. The sun REALLY does come up tomorrow.


6. Never make decisions in the middle of the night, when everything in the drama department of your brain is wide awake and chomping at the bit, and no one is around to tell you how irrational you are being.


7. Pray Pray Pray.  And when you feel like your prayers are not being heard, pray some more.


8.  Your prayer should not be that the other person changes, but that HE work in your own heart.


9. Smile more.


10. Your spouse doesn't need to hear everything that has happened that day.  But certainly he needs to hear some things.


11.  It is better to ask how his day went, than to bombard him with yours the moment he walks in.


12. Laugh.  Laugh at the funny things, even when you would rather hold a grudge.


13. Watch him sleep.


14. Tell your kids how great their father is, even when you don't believe it yourself at the moment, because deep in your heart, you know it is true.


15. Let him relax. 


16.  Let him play.


17. Pray for him continually.


18. Do the things he wants to do, even if you think they are dumb.


19. Take his advice.


20. Unless it is unBiblical, trust him, even when his ideas sound like they are whacked in the head.


21. Time heals everything.  Don't give up.


22. Never forget who you are.  It is who he married.


23. Go to a Bible-believing church.  Every Sunday.


24. Life is simple.  Stop making it so complicated.  We women are not famous for doing that.  We are infamous.


25. The expression 'roll with the punches' was meant for marriage.  Both sides. It you stand up stiff and ready for battle, you will fall, and it will be painful.  For everyone.


26. Love never fails.  Just make sure that selfishness, anger, resentment, self-righteousness, jealousy, impatience and the such, don't wrestle it to the ground and try to choke it.


27.  Cling to Jesus.  Cling to HIM in the good times, the bad times, the great times, the sad times.  HE is the one who is worthy of every effort.  Everything else will eventually fall into place. 


Happy Anniversary My Love.  27 years seems like the whisper of a breath.  May HE bless us with many, many more.   

And then, there were 2

We had 3 cats.

I am not a cat person.  In fact, it could be said I am an anti-cat person.

I totally get all those cats jokes, and try not to snicker when I hear them when my beloved is around.  He is the cat person.

Anyway, we had 3.  The new one, Fiver, then there is Peg ( named because she limps from an injury.  She is a rescue and mean-as-all-get-out.)(They told us she was nice.  They lied) and Surely.  (A nickname for her real name, Surely Goodness and Mercy Will Follow You All the Days of Your Life.  Samuel named her that when he was almost 5 and he had just learned that verse.)

See what happens when you let the kids name a pet???

Anyway, Peg, being mean-as-all-get-out, wouldn't let Surely upstairs.  She terrorized Surely making her stay in the basement corner somewhere.  There were times when I didn't see her for...oh...2 or 3 weeks.

Here she is when Samuel found her and dragged her upstairs and made her stay by putting her in his shirt.

She is never thrilled to be up here, fearing Peg is going to jump her and be mean.

Our oldest asked if he could take Surely to his apartment.  I jumped at the chance!!  It was a win-win-win situation!!  She was going to be in a place where she was going to be the only pet, she loves Lance, and we would be down to 2 cats!!!

It has been reported that she is loving her new home, is very outgoing ( who knew???) , and happy.

Here is the funny part.  My husband tried to complain about it.  He loves his cats (no comment) and was sad to think of giving one away.  WELL, I gave him the update, and he shamefully admitted he didn't even notice she was gone.

I was going to insert a laugh track in here, but I will  be nice.

On another note.  I really am not crazy about training.  Just thought you would like to know.  I think if my knees had hands and could reach, they would slap me.

No joke.

The 1/2 is 2 months from today.  I hear my daughter talking about personal best times.

WHATEVER.

I just want to cross the finish line.

And that will be my personal best.  :P

Where is my soap box??!?

I need this soap box. But this is not the point of this post.

Someone needs to look around for my soap box. I am about to burst.

I am not the about-to-burst type of person.

Ordinarily, I am the Woe-to-me-I-will-cry-it-out-then-put-on-my-big-girl-pants-and-deal-with-it kind of person.

But then every so often, I need to pull out my soap box out of the garage.

Today is that day.

Soap box issue #1

Ever since the first time we mentioned that we were adopting, people found fault with our decision.

Are you crazy? I can't wait for our kids to grow up and move out, what is wrong with you? Kids are too expensive. It is time to sit back and enjoy your life, ect...

Smile and nod, smile and nod.

Then they found out we were adopting from China.

HOLY MOSES.

There are kids here in the USA who need homes.  Why do you have to travel around the world when there are kids in your own neighborhood.

We know.  We tried.  Only to realize our daughter was not here, she was there.

(And HEY, are you adopting from here??  IS there someone in your home in need of a family and you rose up to the occasion?  I found out most did not.  Halleluia!! for those who did.  But to tell you the truth, those who we know who did adopt domestically, never judged our decision.  They just shared our joy.  Interesting.)

Now comes the most irritating comment from people.

AFRICA??!!?  Why don't you just go back to China?!?  Will she be black?  Why would you put a black child in your family.  They belong to black families.

EXCUSE ME??!!??!

We are adopting from the Congo because that is where our daughter is.

duh.

I pray with all my heart, our children in our home walk away from here delighting in their own heritage/race/color/sex/faith, as well as delighting in other's.

That they may look upon others, not because of what they look like, but who they are. My african daughter may love hispanic food as much as her chinese sister does, and our chinese daughter may excel in irish dancing as her big sister did.

Sometimes my evil heart screams silently " If you are so concerned about kids here, go and adopt one!!" But GOD is so good to me.  And HE allows me to just kindly explain HIS will in our lives.

Soap box issue #2.

I was talking to someone this weekend, and he made the comment " If you take a picture of me, it takes away part of my soul."

Well, maybe you need to START giving away parts of your soul instead of holding onto it with both hands.  Maybe then you will be less bitter.  It is a picture for crying out loud.  Get a grip.

Again, GOD is so good to my evil heart.  I honored the request, and prayed for him.  And myself. :P

Soap box issue #3.

When people tell me "Church is full of hypocrites."

In the words of a wise and joyous woman, Ruth Bell Graham:

Well, there is always room for one more.

Amen.

Okay, I know I need to work out my issues.  I know soap boxes are not necessarily graceful and kind. And probably not GODly either. 

But every so often people, myself included, need a good smack on the back of the head.

I am the person to do it?

I. WISH.

Pray for me.

GOTCHA!!!

2 years ago today...

We got her.

I was a mess.  A no sleep, rotten hair, emotional mess.

But she was beautiful.

And now, 2 years later, she still is.  <3

2 years have done wonders.  They have cemented her in our hearts.

I can't remember life without her.  She is funny, sweet, Miss Bossy-pants( ask Samuel), particular, hard working, gentle, joyous, stubborn, affectionate, loves to sing, smile, play, cut, color, swing, work in the garden, vacuum, school, be with friends, go to church, watch movies, play with her babies, irish dance,  eat her Nana's food, play kitchen, both real & play.

She sticks up for herself, fights and plays with her brother.  Surrenders entirely too soon, loves to serve, and be served.

She loves to look pretty.  Wants Rapunzel hair, and pretty dresses.

She loves to talk.  To anybody.  

She loves to sing.  It can take her out of a bad mood in seconds.

She is learning to love Jesus.  Church is her second favorite.  Next to dance class. lol.

I am so very thankful to GOD for this treasure. HE is faithful.  And generous.

Happy Gotcha Day Peanut Butter.  Life is so good with you here.

Happy New Year!!

We went over my daughter's in-law's house for New Years.  No my daughter in not in Jersey anymore.  But I love them, they are dear people.  Since they do not dress up for halloween, they have a dress up New Year's Party.

I went as a gypsy.

A few years back, I read an interesting book  on gypsies.  At the same time I  read a book about the hassidic people.

I really shouldn't do that because then, I mix up some fact of what belongs to whom.   Not all the facts.  Like the fact that gypsies have no concept what modesty means.  But the hassidic people have the market on it.  Yet, they both take purity seriously.

I KNOW!

Anyway, all to say, both groups are some crazy interesting people.

I should reread the books again, by themselves. 

And so, the gypsy, angel, and...I still don't know what John was suppose to be:

Hangover Race.

It made me realize that I am a fool for signing up to race.  

FINE, not a fool, but why do I torture myself??!?!?

Probably because it is good for me.

me & my boys

Our cheering squad!

Samuel was not as ready for this race as he thought.  He is training, but he is a scatterbrain soul.  I was hoping this race would show him that HE NEEDS TO LISTEN TO ME when we train.

I believe it worked.

Hoops encouraing Samuel

My friend & I crossing the finish line.

This year's goal is:

Invite Jesus in.  In everything.

I know HE is here all the time, but so many times, in my head, I make believe I can decide, ( HE lets me, but then chaos follows.  Not HIS fault, but my choices) ) I can do whatever I want and HE won't notice, ( I can, but HE grieves for me), I can be holy 'enough' ( never happens without HIM).  And I expect HIM to do my bidding. ( spoiled child syndrome.  It lives in all of us) 

duh.

Change us O GOD.  Change our wicked and selfish hearts.

I was talking to an angry soul the other day.  The hatred and anger, that were just below the superficial 'nice' surface, made my heart ache for this person. ( as HE aches for me)

Not judging the soul, just wishing it would surrender and be at peace.  Get relief.

It take so.much.more to live without HIM.  

I know, I do it all the time.  :(

Well...Jesus, please come on in and make Yourself at home.   Please excuse the mess, I am working on it...with YOU by my side.  <3