What should we do while we wait for July 28?

So, we had this dog.  Her name was Shelby-Gurl.

She was a glorified mutt.  She was actually a Leonberger, so she is a breed specifically made for something.  Also known as a glorified mutt.

We got her when she was 5 months old from the pound.  She was abused, so training her took a l-o-n-g time.

I mean looooonnnngggg time.

But she was a sweetheart.  I used to think she was a semi useless dog, only around for the kids sake.  They loved her and she really was a good dog; but one day when Samuel was still small, one of our friends was over at the house and was wrestling with his son. He turned around and went for Samuel;  she jumped up and stood between the 2 of them, growling and her fur flying, protecting Samuel from this character.  Ok, he is a good friend.  STILL she was protecting Samuel.  Samuel, who pulled her ears & tails and sat on top of her and dragged her around. 

Last Friday, the 16th, Shelby had to be put down.  She was tired.  She was old.  She was done.  She was beautiful to the end.

And I cried.  

She was a good dog. 

Now we are a 2 beagle family.

The fact that my son is gone for weeks on end, and my dog died, I had to go.  SO, the perfect solution was...VA Beach to go see a grandson.

Elly loves going.  Granted the 7 hour one way ride leaves much to be desired, the end result totally ROCKS!!

With his grandpa!  <3  He has the most perfect chucnker legs.  And cheeks.  And toes, and a smile to melt even the coldest hearts.

John turned vegan on me.  Well, mostly vegan.

Gross.

Anyway, Chloe made him a vegan cake.  Which I have to say, was not 1/2 bad!!  It was coconut.  Seriously, anything with coconut has got to taste good.  But still it tasted better than I thought it would.

On Father's Day we went out to lunch.  Josiah had this amazing looking steak...thing.

And John had vegetables.   duh.

Speaking of vegetables.  Check out the radishes from my garden.  All organic, all natural.  The size of an apple!!!  Delicious.  I love radishes.

As of today, 36 more days to go until my boys comes home.  It has been a hard time, but I wouldn't change it for the world.  I pray he is doing well, and he is learning to trust and rely on GOD and HIM alone.  Work hard, trust HIM, love hard.  I pray he changes to HIS glory.

I will try to write more often, life is too busy.  But I need to remember and record.

Next time I will tell you about my crazy fast.  Because it is crazy, and I am already regretting my decision.  But I will stick to it because I am too stubborn to quit right now.  Even though I REALLY WANT TO!!!!!

Quiet is not as cool as you think

Well, Samuel has been gone for a week.  It is so quiet around here.  I don't like it.  At all.

At first, Elena was in her glory having all the attention.  Yesterday, on the way to the bank, she asked me if she could pray that Samuel come home very very soon. I told her that he will come home when he is suppose to, but maybe she could pray that it FEELS like soon.

I need to pray that, too.

Seriously.  I miss that boy.

Terribly.

8 weeks is a long time.  2 weeks is doable.  1 week is nothing.

As I mentioned before, my babies will be in the same continent together, in fact in bordering countries.  But they will have to wait until they are both in the good old USA to meet.  

We had our embassy appointment on Monday and everything went well.  WOO-HOO!  Now we just wait for the visa to be issued, then apply for the exit permit which takes 3 or 4 days, and SHE IS HOME!!!   Unfortunately, visas are taking WAY too long.  As of April, they were taking 1 week.  Now minimum 3 weeks.

Of course.

I am nervous.  But not.  I have such a wonderful network of friends to support us, who have been praying, worrying, getting excited, calling, getting frustrated along side me, can't wait to meet her, love her already, love her skin, love her hair, love her name, love her, period!!  And yet, still making Elena feel like she is worth her weight in gold, kind of friends.

And our children??   They are totally sold out, too!

GOD is good to us.

My mom, sister and I went to a Lilly sale yesterday.  Afterwards, we hit an outlet mall.  While we were walking to a store, I saw this lady with a cool stroller that I may have to get.  I ran over to her, with my mom running behind me.  This woman was blonde and had 2 white-blonde haired daughters.  As we were talking,  we realized her 2 bio little girl are my adopted daughter's ages.  Almost EXACTLY!!  It was awesome.  And then, she introduced her oldest daughter who was 8.  She had the most beautiful dark skin EVER.   And her smile?  It lit up the world.

It made me glad.  She was a domestic adoption; came home with them from the hospital at 2 days old.  This couple decided to adopt from the start.  In fact, it could be said the adoption was a honeymoon baby.

I love hearts like that.

And you know what?  She didn't care that my girls are internationally adopted.  In fact, she was thrilled!

Parents of adopted children, domestically or internationally, get that.

<3


Anyway, we are off to see a beautiful baby boy.  Oh, and my daughter and son-in-law, too.  I need me some grandson time.  The drive is a killer, but seeing that family is worth it.

Modifying Participles

I teach grammar to some high school homeschoolers.

I really enjoy grammar.

Most times, I correct people, in my head.   I have learned not to correct them in public.  People would rather be ignorant than corrected.


Unless they ask, and if they do, they usually change their minds before the day is over, not really knowing just how bad their grammar is in real life and therefore ask me to 'knock it off with the correcting, already'.

Mind you, I DO NOT have perfect grammar all the time, but I know when I am saying something incorrectly, and I cringe inside, remember the rule in my head, then move on.

Today we reviewed for the final.  I am proud of some of the students; their efforts and hard work is exemplary.  The others, they are the ones that challenge my (our) sanity.

ANYWAY, our son leaves in about 36 hours.  I am getting nervous.  I think he is, too, and it is the same kind of nervous that I have.

I will miss him.  He is thinking he will be homesick.

He will.

But GOD is good, and he will pray through it.

I am counting down the days until he comes back.  Elena and I will have two count down calendars.  One for when her little sister gets here ( again pushed out another week, so HOPEFULLY July 15) and one for when her big brother gets back home.  And we will be praying daily.

Speaking of Elly-Bug, I am taking this time when it is just the two of us, to really perfect reading.  She is right on the cust of taking off.  We are in that in-between stage, when she will sound out all the sounds of almost any word, regardless of how long or hard it is, but doesn't make it flow.

It is my goal, that when her little sister gets here, she will be able to read to her if she so desires. <3

How is eating vegetarian for the past two weeks going, you ask??   LOL  Fine you didn't ask.

It is ok.

Granted, Samuel, Elena and I are not full vegetarians, we eat organic fish & chicken sporadically, today, I took them to Burger King ( nothing in the fridge, shame on me) and they both felt gross.  I guess their body is cleaned out and it is revolting to that kind of food.  Samuel is the one who told me he felt sick, and for the first time in his life, he understood why people hate fast food.

He is the kid who always threatened to have a fast food diet when he moved out of the house.

Gross.

I think he may be changing his mind.

:D

Ok, off to church's mission classes for the kids.  Mission should be the heart beat of every believer.

After all...it is HIS heartbeat.

I am tired.

Seriously, parenting is exhausting.

Wifing ( I made that word up) is exhausting.

Last night I watched the tail end of Fireproof.  Again.

I remember when it first came out, how people either loved it or thought it was so cheesy, it was bordering on insulting.

I liked it.  

A lot.

I certainly wasn't holywood-ish.  But that was part of its charm.

Anyway, watching it again reminded me...

STOP DEMANDING YOUR RIGHTS.

As Americans, that is such a foreign concept for us.

My son reminds me all the time of his rights.  I remind him his basic rights are to serve others;

And to surrender himself for HIS glory.

Which flies in the face of what the world is telling him.

And telling me.

Glad I saw the movie again.

Last week, I took the boys ( Samuel & Co.) as well as Elena to Six Flags.

Again.

I find it hilarious how sometimes the boys want to go on the kiddie rides, so they snatch Elena from me and use her as an excuse to HAVE to go on certain rides.

As if she needs 3 chaperones.

Mind you, they also go on those rides that will take 5 years off your life in 2 minutes.

You can't get me on those for nothing.

The most adventurous ride I like is the Buccaneer boat. 

True story.

My son leaves in 6 days.  He is gone for 7 1/2 weeks.

Most people tell me we are crazy to send him.

It hurts.  But not in a bad way, just in a human way. 

At the same time, I will not be one of those people who say " Jesus said we would be persecuted."

Duh.

I mean HE did say that.

But not as something to exhalt ourselves, to use for an excuse and to let everybody know that we are so holy.

Because in the end, we make choices.  We live it out as best as we can, we take the hits, the knocks and the consequences fo those decisions.

Good or bad.

And we move forward.

I am excited for him.  In a terrified way.  lol.

After all I am his mom.

I am already counting the days until he comes home.

If you are of the praying persuasion, please keep him in prayer.

And finally,

WE GOT PICTURES OF OUR DAUGHTER!!!!!

Woo-Hoo!

She is beautiful.  And it has nothing to do with her looks.  It is because she is our daughter.  <3

Legally, we can not post the pictures publicly.  Just friends and family.

But when she gets home!

<3  

Yous are all going to sick of all the pictures.

Excuse my Jersey.