As you may know... or not know, Our oldest son is an urban missionary with The Relief Bus.  It is an amazing thing to watch him work.  He volunteered there for a a while before being asked to join the staff.  He loves it.  I mean he really loves it.

We try to go volunteer on Friday nights.  Samuel, too, loves it.  He would every week if he could.

Last Friday, we went and were joined by our Pastor and his son. 

Here, Pastor Bill is talking with John, and it cracks me up because it really does look like he is trying to say " You want a piece of me??"  And Samuel is trying not to crack up.  And it is about killing him to hold it in.

The Bus helps out in ways that go above and beyond a meal.  But if all you want is a meal, they will joyfully do that too.  

Samuel is the ultimate Mets fan.  Can you tell?

Anyway, it was cold.  I mean in the 20s cold; so not too many people came out.  But they know it is there.  Faithfully.

On another note.  Elena is doing well with her school work.  She just turned 4 but knows her letters, sounds, numbers, colors, is starting to write and loves it all.   (Not bad for our child who has been in the USA for just a mere 14 months.)

Except this:

Every time I ask her what that is, she says New Jersey.  EVERYTIME!!  What does that mean?  What is going through her head when she sees this.  How come she forgets what we told her it means/says.  What does she know about Jersey, that truthfully we are probably denying?  It doesn't even look like the shape of our state!!

I need to just let it go.

Well today is Ash Wednesday.  Do you know what you are going to sacrifice for the next 40 days?  I am doing the typical thing of something I like, for example, chips, sugar... but this year I am also going to do my best not to be cynical.  Arrgghhhhhhh.  Do you know how hard this is for a Jersey person?  Being cynical & sarcastic are in our DNA.  

:::sigh:::

Pray for me.  It will be a long 40 days.  But to GOD be the Glory.

WE GOT A PLOT!!!!!

We have a small-ish backyard.  It is ok for this area, bigger then most.

In fact, we have a double lot,  we have 2 addresses!  Of course, all you people from anywhere other then NJ would laugh so hard at the size of our yard.  Kansas we are not.  Our neighbors are mighty close.

ANYWAY, in our yard we have a raised garden.  ( Our oldest son & I already have plans to knock it down this year) It was here when we bought the house.  Unfortunately, we have too many trees and nothing grows from lack of sun.

SO, last year I decided we were going to apply for a plot at the local community garden.

We didn't get in last year.

We were down somewhere deep on the waiting list.  I called.  They told me.  I was bummed.

This year, I tried again, and they just called with the good news!!  Thankfully I answered the phone, for it is first come first serve.  They had called 14 people before calling me and no one answered, so the next person on the list gets a try at the plot.

SHEESH.

Regardless of my thoughts on that philosophy,  WE HAVE A PLOT!!!

I called John with the good news, using those self same words instead of 'hello'.

He asked me if I was planning on burying him.

He thinks he is a funny guy.  :P

So, I am looking forward to enjoying days with my children as we create a vegetable garden, and hopefully, my grandchild and his/her momma will join in on the fun if they come out for the summer!

Now I have to wait for Monday to go to the library and get a load of books out!

Pain.

It is a pain.

Sometimes I think GOD has a major reason for allowing us to feel pain, whether physically or spiritually.  And sometimes I wish HE would just let us know the reason so we can get to it, understand, do our part in the acceptance and learning, and move on.

But usually, HE doesn't.

I threw my back out getting out of bed this past Monday.  It still hurts, but now I can move.  Slowly.  And I can take a deep breath without wanting to pass out or throw up from the pain.

My heart is tired as I am going on year #6 of desert walking.  And just when I think I can handle this, it just gets harder.  Desert walking stinks.

There are sermons that are meant just for me, and they are like some one threw  crutches my way that allow me to walk a little further down this path.  Yes, people say Christianity is a crutch.  I totally agree.  We are all crawling around in the mud called this world.  We are all called to be dependent on HIM.  We can't do it alone.  I 'own' my crutches.  With them I can stand, and move and hope.  I can't stand very tall or not very proud.  But they help me get me out of the mud pit.

Pain.  I wish we didn't have to have it, but can you imagine living without it??!  That would truly be a nightmare.

On another note, we went to visit my daughter and son in law this weekend.  We had no grand plans like we usually do, just to see them with our own eyes.  :D

And the 2 youngest members of this family got haircuts down there.

Josiah did Samuel's.

He has been begging for a crew cut for months.  I refused because he skis too much and it gets cold.

So it went from this:

To this:

Here she is...

And of course, this was the best:

Next time we see this child of ours, she will either be getting ready to have the baby the next day, or we will hold that baby on our arms. 

God is good.

Is It Dirty Laundry?

Point # 1

Laundry is my least favorite chore.  Not true, doing dishes, is but somehow, the dished get done where as the laundry grows in leaps and bounds.

Point #2

My husband is a neat nut.

One day a few months ago, I went to wake Samuel  up because he had gone to sleep super late and 'needed help' to get his day started.  His room is pretty neat for the most part.  Don't get me wrong, there are days that it could use a bit of spiffing up, but it would probably take about 10 minutes to get it in tip-top shape.  Not bad for a 12 year old.  *With some help.*

Hence this story.

ANYWAY, on this morning, I noticed that his laundry was still in his basket, so, being the mom that I am, I woke him up with.."Samuel, you better put your laundry away so your dirty clothes don't get mixed in with your clean clothes."

To which he responded in a sleepy, irritated voice " MOM it's ALL dirty laundry, someone keeps coming into my room and folding my dirty laundry while I sleep.  It's so ANNOYING."

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Because it was obvious that neither Elly or I did it.  And who folds dirty laundry anyway?

My husband.

I just happen to pop my head in his room 5 minutes ago, and guess what?  His dirty laundry was folded.   LOL.   I think he finally surrendered after complaining for so many months.

I was going to say pray for me.  But maybe you should pray for him. Or maybe pray for Samuel.  Hmmm...

Pray for all of us.

Oh the things we do...

Catching up again.  Elena went to Jacob's Star Wars party.  Nobody here watches Star Wars, so it was a foreign thing to Elly, and she liked the balloon better then the light saber. lol.

And this week, we went to the mall...yes I know, we even went on a Saturday night.  Ew.  I think the last time I went on a Saturday night I was, maybe, in high school and then it was maybe once.  But when you hang out at home because of snow & cold, you just get desperate and go to the mall on a Saturday night.  

And we had a gift card for this store where you pick out an unstuffed animal and then they stuff it for you.  I'll let you guess what store that is...  

Elly got a Hello Kitty.  Big surprise there.

A picture from our forced field trip.  When John saw this picture, he was slightly shocked that this building was from our state.  It looks old European-ish.

Friday night the girls from my missions class went to feed those less fortunate then they are.  It was great.   And since Samuel is my son, he goes wherever I go. :)

My parents FINALLY got home from El Salvador.  They were gone for 7 weeks.  That is a long time.  LONG.  They live 7 minutes away and not having them around was not something I feel comfortable with.  At all.

Well guess what they bought back for my nephew, Stephen?   

Go ahead and guess.

Or bette yet, check out the pictures:

She goes to Elena, maybe thinking she is a puppy person.  lol.

Meet Mindy.  

She is so cute.  We are having a hard time letting her sleep.  You would, too, if she was in your possession.  And the paper work to get this dog here...she is a naturalized citizen.  :D

On a different note for a minute, our Borders that is 5 minutes away is closing.  Can we say...wHaT?!!??!!?  How can that be?

But as we went to their closing sale, I felt slightly guilty, thinking I am partially responsible for this.

  After all, I sure do love my nook.

Valentine's Day A forced Field Trip.

Today is Valentine's Day.

But before I could enjoy it, I had to go to Trenton, our state capitol, and pick up more documents for the adoption.

( Don't let this picture fool you, though it is pretty in a FEW parts, it is not this pretty all over.)

No biggie.  Run to Samuel's ortho appointment, and then make the drive.  It was a 10 minute thing once we got down there, so after we got back, the day was a great day in the making!!

Not so much.

As it turned out, the 10 minute thing turned into waiting almost 5 hours.   And I refused to make that hour and 20 minute drive one way for NOTHING.  So we waited.

But then it hit me, since we are stuck here, lets make the most of it.  Hence, the forced field trip.

We went over to Princeton, and I enjoyed a Valentine's Day lunch with my children at Panera's, across the street from Princeton University.

And then we went to see Drumthwacket, though we didn't go in, and went to see some Revolutionary War monuments.

And to top it off, it wasn't FREEZING!!!!   :D

So despite the fact that the paper work wasn't done when they said it would be done, it was a good day anyway.

And now off to get ready for another date.

It is a month away!!!

Well, we were talking the other day, my husband and I, and he once again mentioned how St. Paddy's Day is his favorite holiday.   ( Is it a real holiday??!!??)

In case I have forgotten the other million times he has mentioned it on the past 26 years.

And please bear with me as I am not trying to blow my husband off, and really, you should come to our house on St. Paddy's.  We decorate and I make the proper meal and we hear the history as to why real irish people from Ireland don't eat corned beef and why american irish do.  And how he sits at the head of the table and feels like a king on this day( why not other days I don't know) and it is my pleasure to do it.


But...I guess you have to be irish...or part irish to get it.

Today, I got yet another post card on the mail, encouraging me to get yet another ANYTHING with our last name in time for St Paddy's.

But today, I seriously considered it.

I am considering getting something for our children.  At least the 4 that still have out last name.  lol.  The 25 year old, the 12 year old and the 2 girls.

Why am I considering it?

Because then, maybe, just maybe, our Chinese daughter and our African daughter can start realizing that yes indeed, my child, you are 1/2 irish.  You won't be able to help it having your daddy around.  You will grow up with U2 in your veins.  With Black 47 in the back of your mind.  You will irish step dance just like you older sister, and you too, will love St. Paddy's Day.

( As I write this the Dropkick Murphys are on iTunes because music helps my 12 year old concentrate in school, and he likes them.   Thankfully he also likes classical and country. ) ( Pray for me)

So, with our family, faulty math works.  You are 1/2 irish, 1/2 hispanic, all Chinese/African, and 100% american.

And as far as March 17...it is a month away.  But I just dusted off the box of decorations...ready to be put up on March 1.

Life is good.