Way too busy, or Slacker?

I feel like a slacker.

Usually I am so busy, I don't get to do other things I also need to do, therefore feeling like a slacker for not doing the other stuff done.

For Example:

Christian's birthday is on Monday!!!

Last year, it was her first birthday here, her English was not so good,  and at the same time, our oldest child had gotten married 2 days before, and Christmas was 2 days later.

Can we say whirlwind??!!?

RIGHT?

So as not to ignore it all together from the business of it all, we invited her little friend, family, had pizza, cake & presents.  It was good.

I had no excuse this year.  And I didn't want one!

I had a list of 5 little friends and a plan.  My oldest daughter and I discussed it planned it and are excited about.  The only problem is, I forgot to tell the 5 little ones until... TODAY!!!!

Thankfully, I have good friends who don't offend easily and are on the same boat as I am, and the graciously showed their support by laughing at me.

I love my friends.

Because at the end of the day, all of those 5 little ones are coming.

Life is good.

This week has been interesting.

I got violently sick on Tuesday.  Lets just say I lost about 4 pounds in one day.  Use your imagination.  Last night, Samuel started hurling at 10:30ish pm.  And didn't stop until 7 this morning.  Needless to say, he has slept all day trying to catch up on his sleep and recoup his strength.

Then, to top it off, I just found out my husband has been hurling at work since 4 this afternoon.   Why he is still there is  beyond me.  I called him and he sounded terrible.  My poor love.  And he can't afford to lose 1/2 pound!!!!!

To top it off...

Yes, ladies and gentlemen.

It is only 6 days until Christmas.

I am up to 5 gifts.  :P

Pray for me.

No wonder no one reads this. I forget to update.

SO, last night, for pizza & movie night at our house, we watched Here Comes The Boom.  Wait...is that the name of that movie?  I think it is.  It was predictably sweet.  My kind of movie.

We really should be watching all the Christmas movies on our shelf.  Oh well.

Now, I am not telling you this because it was such a great movie, though it was cool and weird to see The Fonz so old.  After the movie, we switched it back to tv mode and The Fellowship of the Rings was on.It had about 1/2 hour left.

WHOA!!!!

I forgot how great those movies are!!!

Mind you, we own the trilogy.  Both in regular version and extended version.  But we were too lazy ( and cold) to go to the basement and get them.  We just kept on watching it on tv.  STILL!!  They show EVERYTHING!  Even when the heads were getting Chopped off!!!  Sheesh.

Youngest son went to go see the new Hobbit movie with his friends last night.  I still have yet to see the first one. We own it.  We got it the week it came out.

I probably should see it, but now I want to see the other 2 LOTR movies instead.

I need a life.  

And another 10 hours in a day, AT LEAST.

Moving on.

Our anniversary is next month.  I remembered this this morning because today would have been my sister & bro-in-law's anniversary.  Yup.  Still miss him.  And it reminded me to pray for my dear sister, who in my opinion, lives way too far away.

I saw this picture yesterday on FB and actually posted it on my wall.  It was a REALLY elderly couple kissing and it said What GOD has joined together...

It reminded me to keep running the race of faith.  And boy is our marriage a race of faith in our faith.  Not saying it is bad, well it is sometimes it is. It does have it's potholes, cracks, loads of twists and turns and even some serious drops into the abyss, but I think almost everyone I know can say the self same thing about their marriage at one point or another.

It is all on the altar of Faith.  Its survival, its growth, its joy.

I also remember WAY BACK when we were celebrating our 10th anniversary, how I wanted to play this song:

I think about how I thought we had done such a great accomplishment by being married for 10 years.

Little did I know what the next 19 years would bring.

Now I think I should wait at least another 21 years, on our 50th anniversary to actually deserve a song like that.

This picture is OLD.

It is about 5 years old, when I was a young 41 years.  Now I am closer 50. 

He had short hair back then.  :::sigh:::  I am a fan of short hair on men.  Though now I am so used to his long hair, it is OKish.

We need more pictures together.  I think I have about 4 from these past 5 years.  

I am the picture taker, so I am usually behind the camera.

ANYWAY, seeing this picture ...yup, I love this guy.  

Love is never a given.  Nor is it a feeling.

It is a daily choice.  A job that never ends.  A sacrifice.  A decision to live your life...well. not about you.

Yup.  I love this guy.

In other news.

I am NOT ready for Christmas.

Seriously.  I have 2 gifts.  :P

It is snowing today, but I am going out anyway.

I enjoy Christmas shopping.  Hopefully I will be done this week.  The hardest people will be my sister and her kids.  They are IMPOSSIBLE.  Still it will be fun to look for and find the right gift for them.  THAT may take me the longest.  Who am I kidding.  I hope I can have that challenge done by Christmas Eve.  I guess no matter how hard I try, there is always the receipt so they can take it back.

So...how disappointing is it that both the Steelers and Giants are doing so badly??!!??  They have the same record.  Nothing to brag about.   Who to cheer for the playoffs this year?  Denver is a given.  I love the Manning brothers.  And of course Green Bay.  Other than that...

I love football.  Have I ever mentioned that?

I do.

OK, I have spent enough time here.  There are songs to be sung, food to make, cookies to bake, gifts to buy, movies to watch, books to read, girls to enjoy, teenage boy to survive, husband to love, friends to see, floor to vacuum, clothes to wash.

You get the point.

Until next time:

SEEK HIS FACE! 

  

Holy Moses, is it December already?!?!?!?

Let me begin by saying, it is cold.  I am ashamed to say that I need to buy Daisy a new coat.  She is so scrawny and skinny, every time she goes outside to do her 'business' she is shivering like crazy.  I am an anti-get-your-dog-a-sweater/coat.  Someone has a weird sense of humor.  

And then to top it off, Kipper will need a sweater also.  

Someone is out to get me.  :P

He recently got his haircut, and now he is shivering, too.

Reilly on the other hand is SO FAT he has enough to keep him warm even if he went to the Arctic.

Moving on.

The son had a birthday.

It was just family, one of his best friends and another friend ( not that way) who came to observe a Hispanic family celebrating.

Thanksgiving came with the 'twins' performing in their first production (which spans decades) as part of the Cousins Circle Players.

It was a musical.

Dancing with bog brother.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  It forces family together with out the stress of gifts, but still keeping GOD in HIS place as Provider and Giver of all good things.

Still soon after our wonderful meal, we were on to getting the tree.

The whole crew came.  Well, not the whole crew, our son and his wife were not able to make it, but the rest of the kids came, as well as my niece and her fiance.

It was getting dark by the second and we had to find a tree QUICK!!

And here it is!!!

Meet our tree.  We should name him.

How about Troy?

Thankfulyl the Conts. also found a good tree in time.  Once it got dark the place is not lighted so...

The grandson loves to 'drive'. Peanut #2 was freezing.

John with his vegan cupcake on his birthday celebration.

We are gearing up for what will hopefully be a holy advent season.  Always trying to keep HIM in the center of the holiday season, as well as enjoying traditions with the kids.

I pray you may see HIS Coming as the gift that it truly is!

You make me feel like crying/dancing.

This was not a good day.  By many accounts.

GOD will always be good, and praise HIM for even days like this.

And then to top it off, 

Boo has pink eye, and that being the case, Missy girl may have been next in line.

We treated it naturally and it is about gone.  Today, after church, we were suppose to go paint my daughter & son-in-law's home.

(BTW, have I told you how much I love their home?  She has made it so comfy and homey. Add to that that she is a good mommy, I love being there.  But my favorite part about their home?  How much they both love it.  <3  )

Anyway, the girls and I stayed home so as not to spread 'the love'.

We raked for a little while until I realized, it was dumb.  The wind was doing a good job of putting them all back on the lawn.  So I will go to Home Depot and get some bags tomorrow.

We came in and I let the girls watch The Incredibles for the first time.

They LOVED it.  :)

I watched this documentary on Netflix.

It is called Stuck, and it went through the problems of international adoption and its process.

I believed it to be about how we should do more to help the bio-parents be able to keep their children in their own home.  I am ALL for that.  

And though it did touch on that, it also gave the reality that even if they did that, there are still so.many.orphans. that are still being abandoned and in need of homes.

Watching it took me back to all out technical difficulties.  And seriously, we had difficulties up the wazoo. ( Can I say that?)   I remember the anger and tears.  You can't explain it, until you walk or crawl through it.

I highly recommend it.  It made me wish we had more money/room.

Speaking of our 'imported' jewels, they were SO excited and jealous that their brother was able to go to a ball, in which the girls attending HAD to wear ball gowns.  They have their ball gowns all ready to go.  You can have a Chinese and an African Cinderella in no time flat.  Just say the word and they will make your head spin.

Still, they loved on him before he left.

Do you think anyone will know who he is?  I was trying to talk him into wearing his batman mask.  

Her hair is almost Pocahontas long.  Which is her goal.  She has so many difficulties in her little life, and she is slowly overcoming those that she can, that letting her grow and helping her take care of her long hair is such an easy thing to do for her.  She loves it, and she can keep it until she is done.  If she is ever done.

And hey, everyday she checks to see if any of her teeth are loose.  All her little friends ( and even her little sister) have lost a tooth or two.

Hers are holding on for dear life.

Her hair is growing also.  We are so excited!!!  I am getting the hang of her hair maintenance.  Granted it has been over a year, but HEY, I started from less than no knowledge.  If that is possible.

She is getting another set of braids right before Thanksgiving.

I am still learning how to do styles.  Not real good at that, but give me some more time.

Start her laughing... oh.my. she will put a smile on your face you just can't seem to wipe off once she starts her laughter.  And it doesn't take much.

My he-wishes-he-was-a-nerd son.  He is wearing my glasses and wishing he needed them for real.

I think only those who don't have them wish they needed them.  The rest of us wish we didn't have to be bothered.

Such is life.

Anyway, he came home late and had a great time at the ball last night.

He and his friends laughed and danced and just enjoyed the night away.

These are the good things about high school.

But don't get me wrong, I wouldn't go back there for nothing!!!

:::gasping::: Brain washing??!!??! No wait...Apple picking.

My son has expressed how several times he has been accused of being brainwashed.

I told him that person is right.

I will spend everyday of my life 'brain washing' my children.

Just yesterday, he started on a rampage cloaked self-righteousness and judgement on monumental levels.

I stood in front of him and asked him to look me in the eye.

He struggled because quite frankly he did not want to, for the simple reason that he knew Truth was about to spoken and he would rather keep walking in his own road.

After finally getting him to look at me, I lovingly looked into his eyes and asked him to 'stone me first'.

  Yes, sir, I am a evil, prideful sinner. No different. 

 Stone me first. 

Thus once again, began the brain washing.

HECK YES I will brain wash him.

For those parents who think they will/do not brain wash their kids, they are dillusional, and slightly sad. 

Of course they are brain washing their kids!!  Just because it is not like some one else doesn't mean it is not brain washing.

Brain washing to think they are individuals who don't need GOD in their lives.  A GOD who is 'judgemental and requires too much'.  A GOD who will not let them be 'free' to do what they want.

They are right, but the self same GOD gives unconditional love, grace, mercy, honor, freedom, free will.

The same GOD who gave HIS ALL, at all cost...

... for you.

I feel so very sorry for those kids who are lost in their own wisdom.

Seriously, I know some.

I have heard the arguments, and at one point walk away because they are not interested in reason, they are interested in being right, even if they have to deceive to get there.

May we never cease to pray for them.

Moving on.

Apple picking season is my favorite thing.  Ever.

Have I mentioned she loves everything.

Everything.

They are so goofy.  And, yes, Boo still needs to grab on to something quick before she falls.  Again.

She is going through a growth spurt.  She looses her balance when that happens.

It was a perfect Autumn day.  Full of family and friends, laughter, rotten apple flinging, telling stories,  taste testing, and of course, runny noses.

GOD is good to us.  All of us.  All the time.

Dreamin'

I hardly ever share my dreams.  With anyone.

I might mention one or two to my kids, but I pretty much hold them close to my heart and leave them there.

BUT I do share one dream with anyone who will listen.

I have never been to Disneyworld.  Disneyland a few times, but never Disneyworld.

We know people who love, love, love it.  We know people who went, thinking it was going to be fun for the kids, and end up loving it themselves.  We are told it is just wonderful and worth every penny.

I imagine if we took the girls, they would be thrilled beyond words and/or reason.

And I have a feeling if we finally get some money, it is someplace we may go.




But I would so much rather go to Patagonia.

That is one of my dreams.

I keep thinking, if we have the money to go to Disney, then lets go to Patagonia instead.  Or Alaska.

I 'discovered' Patagonia about 20 years ago, and from that moment...the dreaming started.

A few times a month, I go online and I google pictures of both places.

And I dream.

It makes my heart beat faster and my mind explode with joy.

If pictures could do that, imagine seeing it with your own four eyes!!!!!

I know dreams usually don't come true, and if I never get to go, that is ok.

But I will wish we could.

Sharing this with my daughter, she expressed it so well.  Disney is man made wonder.  Alaska/Patagonia are GOD made wonders.

True enough.

I will hold on to my dream.  IF someone I know ends up going, I want to drag them to my house and make them share their experience and show me every single picture they took.  I want them to describe everything so I can close my eyes and see it in my mind's eye.  I want them to tell me how they felt, all the little thoughts that popped into their mind, so I can be there, too.  Then I will continue to dream.

I suppose I could settle for Disney. ( If we ever got the money)

But I will dream of my other homes of my heart.

And I hope you, too, have your own dreams.  I hope you keep hoping, even if it never happens.  I hope you cling to them even if no one 'gets' them.

Homelife-ing

HA!  I made up a new word!!

Of course, it will not catch on because quite frankly, I don't have that kind of pull on anyone.

And I am okay with that.

What on earth is homelife-ing??!!?Well, it is what our home life looks like.  Yes, we homeschool, but it just doesn't look like it is suppose to.

( Excuse me for ending with a preposition.)

It looks more like life.  And no, I am not an unschooler.  In fact, we are the total opposite as classical educators.

Last week, I had an interesting conversation with a fellow homeschooler.

And then I went to church and had another conversation with someone at church ( not a homeschooler).

And they got me thinking.

Mind you, when I said I had a conversation, they did most of the talking and I listened.

I had plenty to say, but they...well they are not there yet.

Do I think I am way more spiritually mature than they are??!!?

Um. no.

Just...I walked and am walking a different journey, been dragged through the mud, thorns and gravel, and have come out in a different location. And couldn't/wouldn't go back if I tried.

GOD may be taking them there soon, or not for some more time.  OR even at all.  They will learn their lessons, and I will be happy to walk along with them, pray for them, and cheer them on while they go through it, just like my friend did with me.

See.. Christians, in general, are an odd lot.

Homeschoolers are just plain crazy.

I know.  I am both.

Funny thing.  Not many people are surprised to know I am a Christian.  But most people are shocked I am a homeschooler.




I'm back!!

I know, I know.  You had no idea I was gone.

I started writing this and then life got in the way.  Kids have the nerve of needing me and school work has a way of eating your life away.  LOL.  No, I am not complaining.  I don't just love my kids, I really like them, too, and I love learning, but like any mom, I wish I had a few more hours in a day.  Like. maybe. you know.  8 more would do it.

I think.

ANYWAY, back to the conversation about us crazy, odd people.

This particular homeschool mom was lamenting rebellion they are experiencing in their home.  I was praying hard in my head, as I was trying so hard not to judge.  COME ONE.  If my kid did that I would be thrilled!!!!  If you think that is rebellion, but you ain't seen nothing yet, mom.  He is FIVE!  And I wouldn't even say it was rebellion, it was being 5!!!! ( I may have shared that simple idea)

At church a woman was sharing a scary experience they had with a homeless/not well in the head person, and how they escaped but it shook them to the core.  Mind you, the homeless man was in the general vicinity, and didn't even know they were there, but it scared them as to what he might do.

::::sigh:::

WHO ARE WE??!!??!!??!

Are we so afraid of people that we can't be effective anymore?  Are we so sheltered that thoughts of what might happen scare us??!!??!

::sigh:::

As Christians, my husband and I started our kids at, oh, around 2 months old hanging around the less fortunate.  Not just to help, but to see them as people who are just like us.  Just maybe not as blessed in the money department. Or the family department.  Or the faith department.  So what if they smell funny?  So what if their clothes are 10 sizes too big? So what if they have no teeth?  So what if they are intoxicated? What happened in their life that made them that way?  And good grief, what are YOU going to do about it?  Isn't this what our GOD talked about?

Isn't this HIS heartbeat?

You are not just going to serve them a meal, you will sit at their table and eat WITH them, talk to them, laugh with them.

It was at moments like this, way back when my oldest daughter was 7, that she spoke to a woman who had run the NYC marathon back in her better days.  Chloe thought she was a superstar, and she never forgot.  That morning, when I drove her at 5am the day she herself was going to run it, she reminded me of of this woman.  Of how she gave her the vision and here she is.  So, this down trodden, useless to society, nobody to most... gave her a vision way back then.

She was her inspiration.

Amazing what happens when you walk along side the 'less' fortunate'.

FAITH and HOPE walk in and if you do it enough, hopefully becomes part of your life.  You will never know faith, until you sit with it.  Until you walk with it.  Until you smell it.  Until you love it. Until you live it.  It is not doing it once in a while.  It is a life style. 

It is intentional.

THAT is and has always been our goal.  THAT mindset has been the compass of our lives, our homeschooling.

Probably why no one thinks we homeschool.

We tend not to shelter our kids in the conventional ways.

Not that we throw them to the wolves or let them do whatever. And not to say we don't have boundaries.

But we show them life, the good, the bad, the ugly.

Confessions:  Sometimes my kids probably wish people didn't know they were homeschooled.

Not that they hated it.  They didn't.  In fact, my daughter now has 2 beautiful babies and homeschooling is in their future.But not your typical homeschooling.  It will probably be homelife-ing.

EXAMPLE:

My kids did not grow up with video games in our home.

Why?  TIME WASTERS.

As well as mindless violence.

Did I shelter them from that?  Yes, and no.  We told them exactly why they were not welcomed in our home, and gave them real reasons.  Not because we were afraid of them, but because we are pro life.  Because we can't justify the evil.  It is never within our acceptability to even play with senseless violence.

Did the boys play these outside our home?

Most certainly.

But they knew where we stood.

They got the truth.

All the time.

But we have a tv.  And cable.  Suprisingly, only the 15 year old watches it sometimes, and then only to watch political news while doing boring school work.  It helps him concentrate. duh.  

( I get it for football.  Don't call me during a game.  Pray for me. )

ALSO:

We refused to have homeschool-only parties, get togethers, meals, football parties, whatever.

REFUSED.

Anyone was welcomed in our home.  For anything, at anytime.

Parties?  Homeschooled/public schooled/private school kids all over the place.

Will my kids hear things?

Will they learn things before their time?

Yes.  And we dealt with it. While they are still at home.

What better way to hone in your battle techniques than in a battle where your teacher is available???

Our kids did not have to agree with us.  

But they got the truth.  Constantly.

And isn't that the point?

Teaching truth?

Bible studies in our home?

All are welcomed.

I may not agree with some ideologies, but HEY...GOD works in all of us who seek HIM.  And uses all of us to teach each other.  Every so often, even me.  :P

AGAIN:

Bullying.

I taught my kids : bullying is not acceptable for any reason.  It flies in the face of everything holy.  A no brainer.

BUT I also taught them...if they are bullied, how to deal with it.  I gave them confidence, not by emotionally dying inside, but by learning to overcome. 

YIKES.

Not PC.  But real.

 I taught them, if someone belittles you, it is the only way they can lift themselves up.  Which makes them very needy/insecure and deserving of your prayers, or at least your pity.

YUP:

I am not a fan of our only Christian station in our state.  There you go.  My evil. In fact,  don't love it so much, that I will only listen to it if NOTHING ELSE is on  AND I AM BORED STUPID. Even then I will sometimes turn off the radio completely, rather than turn it on.  Yes, I love certain Christian music.  But not most.  There is so much god-fluff in music lately.  Yes, I did not capitalize god because quite frankly, I am not sure which god they are talking about; they make him seem so 'friendly', he has ceased to be holy, righteous and all-powerful. 

I rather listen to secular music.  At least they are real in their content, whether good or bad. ( Again, only certain music; boundaries on the crud, too)

But seriously, I am all about talk radio.

Teaching kids discernment is detrimental.  Just because it has a 'Christian' label or title, well...

FINALLY:

My oldest has probably lost count of how many tattoos he has.  Though he took out all his piercing when he became a missionary, he had plenty of those, too.

But you should see his heart.  <3  You should hear him call me and talk about his wife.  <3  You should see his work ethic.  You should hear his laughter.

You should see my daughter's heart.  You should see what kind of mommy she is. What kind of wife she is becoming as she allows HIM to shape her for HIS glory.  You should see that amount of time and effort she puts into setting girls free from the slave trade.  

You should see the 14 year old almost trip over himself to help out a person in need, no matter whether they are well dressed or being dragged out to be beaten up.  He has expressed he wouldn't mind living out the rest of hs life in Africa.  If HE desires it.  He can be so harsh and disrespectful, but then come back 5 minutes later asking forgiveness with a contrite heart and humbled soul.  

And the girls.  I can write pages and pages on their little hearts for HIM.

This is not about me.

When I see what I have to offer them, it makes me gag.

Quite frankly, all I could do is point them to HIM.. And there in lies our homeschooling efforts.

They did not go to great colleges.

They have nothing worldly to offer.

THANK GOD!!!!

And yes, I thank HIM everyday.

They have living faith.

And in the end, that is all that matters.

That has been and is our homeschooling journey for our children, from the 28 year old down to the 5 year old.

If I taught them academics and not Truth, I failed them.

And I failed HIM.

If our vision was on  (worldly) success, I failed them.

And I failed HIM.

If they scaled spiritual, financial, academic or any kind of mountains, but cheated by doing it on the backs of the 'less fortunate', I failed them.

And I failed HIM.

Nope, we are not your typical homeschool Christian family. 

And I am thankful.

We will let people take advantage of us.

It is what HE does.

We will most likely put our kids in what some perceive as dangerous situations (we have) but HE is in control.  

We never want to shelter to the point where HE could not use them.

We can take humiliation, for the most part.

Sometimes our humanity gets in the way.  :( 

And we never know what HIS plan for our children will look like.  Will it look like it 'should'?  Probably not.

BUT we let it be HIS, not ours. 

And we did the best we could with leading them to the cross.

The rest is theirs.  And HIS.

In the end, I don't care if we EVER look like typical homeschoolers.

BUT may HE always be evident in all we do.

( HE won't.  We will fail HIM.)

BUT... 

HE IS FAITHFUL!!!

I was watching the debate about Obamacare that are going on this week.

Let me rephrase that.

My son was watching the Obamacare debates that are going on this week.  I was listening to them while doing stuff.

I had no intention of doing that.  Quite frankly, I can't care too much.  If I do, I will go insane.  I will get so angry and frustrated and the ignorance and stupidity of the choice we, as a nation, made on election night.

I get so angry at the double speak of our politicians.  At the 'look how good we are doing as a nation.' ( Yes I know I said good, it is what they were saying.  :P )

Still, I was glad I listened to it.  It kind of inspires me that maybe DC is not completely full of foolish/what's-another-word-for-idiot people. Mind you it is full, but not completely full.

Unfortunately, the majority weighs in.

Oh well.

Anyway, moving on.  I am teaching Spanish 1 to my son.  I dreaded it when I taught the older children.  One learned it, the other probably can't say 'Hola!'

This one, on the other hand, well... it has been quite fun!  WhO KnEw??!??!  Maybe because he has been wanting to learn it for so long.  Maybe because he wants to impress his grandparents, and saying his first sentence ( Can I please have food?) makes him feel like a million bucks.  No matter why, it can only get more fun as time goes on.  He is proud of his hispanic heritage.  Actually, all my kids are.  I made sure.

Let me back-track here a little bit.

I have a multi- cultural family.

People ask me how I can possibly raise an African American child?  Will she feel black?  Will she support her people?  Will she understand her heritage?  The same people never ask those things about our Chinese daughter.

To which I say...duh.

Our goal with our kids is for them to love their heritage, be identified by it, but NOT defined by it.

See obviously you are identified by it.  Look at us!!  But they should never define us.  Our faith should define us.  Will she support her people?  Of course!!  As will our Asian child.  They will support the human race.  Those are their people.  Will she feel black?  I don't know.  I have yet to figure out what feeling hispanic feels or looks like.  Is it prejudice that will be experienced?  I have had prejudice thrown at me for being hispanic/Christian/a stay at home mom/homeschooling/holistic/not thin.

Whatever.

The girls will learn to discern stupidity and move on.  Prejudice people will hate and if it is not your skin color/eyes/gender/whatever, they will find something else.  Prejudice comes from insecurity and ignorance.

AND not for nothing, the girls are also learning Spanish.  They are so excited every time they go to my parents.  They are chomping at the bit to learn it so they can converse with my mom & me.  And watch the soaps with my mom and actually understand them.

Seriously...

What kind of hispanic-chinese-africans will they be without it??!!??!



Moving on.

 The Emmys were last night!  Right??!!  Am I wrong?  To tell you the truth, I don't even know what  kind of award that is.  Music?  Tv? Broadway?  Who knows.  Who cares.  Last night, we had pupusas for dinner and life was good!

I went to my daughter's new house and once again, thought..."GOD is good!"

I laughed at the girls' 5 & 6 year old made up jokes, and laughed, not because they were funny, but because they couldn't stop laughing and that was funny.

SO, politicians?  They need our prayers.

Obamacare?  Maybe it will drive us to our knees.

Heritage? Love it, but don't let it rule you.

Life?  GOD is good.

Vision.

Our brother in law gave us a vision about 14 years ago.

We had no money, and had not thought that this idea was even viable for us.

After all, we were(are) on the bottom half of the middle class American family status.

Adoption is not cheap.

Nor is it a fun process.

Plus, who did we think we were??!??!

Did we have what it takes to parent a child not of my womb?  Did we want to take the time to learn to love this child? bond with him or her? Take the good, bad, ugly, tears, frustration, resentment, joy, laughter, delight, love, tenderness and issues that they bring.  And they ALL bring issues?

Of course the answer is...

no.

BUT

GOD does! 

In HIM, we are able to take the good & bad.

In HIM we are able to handle the process, both in the paperwork, which can I say, is horrible, the bonding, which is hard, the work involved once they come home.

HE provided the finances, or at least the resources/possibility to pay it off.

Slowly if need be.

In HIM we can look at these faces and not 'see' the differences. 

In HIM we see the eyes of hope and yes, sometimes fear that they will be shipped off some place else if they do not behave.  

In HIM we remind them they are with us FOREVER.  They cannot get rid of us.  And we get to hear the laughter of relief, shaded with a little fear, still.

We have 2 baby girls that are not of my womb.

We have 2 girls that ask hard questions, like why did the mommy who had us in their belly not want us?  Why do you want us?

We have 2 girls who laugh with abandonment.  Cry with hopelessness.

We have 2 girls who remind us almost daily, of GOD's love for us.

At the end of the day, we would not change any of it. 

Why am I randomly talking about this??!!?

Every year,  I want to do an Orphan Sunday event.

Remind the church of the simplicity of remembering.

Remembering orphans.

Remembering our life is not about us.

Remembering the American dream is really a nightmare in the faith.

Remembering our abundance is not for us to keep, but to bless.

Remembering we, too, are adopted, grafted and became part of the Family.

Will I do it?

Probably not.

People don't want  to be reminded.

They want to be encouraged in their lifestyle.

:::sigh:::

Maybe we will attend a church that is doing it!!!

Maybe we will attend an adoption event at a park somewhere, where we parents can come together and rejoice in the joy and yes, even the pain.

Regardless, if nothing happens, if no one remembers, we will.

We can't help it.

They come tumbling down every morning.

They remind us skin color/eye shape/nationality has nothing to do with love.

GOD does.

It is a good reminder.

First Day of School

Today is this Family's 1st day of school.

It is actually this Family's - 23rd first day of school.

By my calculations I have 11 of these to go before I can retire!!!!

Which got me thinking...HoLy MosEs.  I try not to think too hard on this, but I will be...57!!!!

57.

That is a pretty darn high number if you ask me.

Probably the reason no one is asking me.

I would really like to have a moment of silence as we think about this, and I would like to have a 'woe-to-me'  pity party.














Thank you.  I appreciate it.

On to bigger and different things.

Samuel is in high school.

Who knew this moment would sneak up on me so quickly.  I was driving the other day and passed a far from home pharmacy, which reminded me of the year when he turned one year old, and we spent the day before in the hospital because he had pneumonia.  It honestly didn't seem like that long ago.

:::Sigh::: now he is taller, stronger, more snarky than I am.

Sheesh.

Randomness:

I am thinking of taking up drinking coffee.

Seriously, my husband is a morning person.  I am not.

So he wakes up and starts conversations, discussions and arguments as I am trying to focus my eyes to the ceiling above my bed without my glasses on.

Obviously he 'wins' these conversations and arguments.  :P

It's like if I did that while he was snoring on the couch at 9pm.  I could run circles around him and don't even have to make sense!!!!  I could prove my point without much effort.

But if I drank coffee...!!!!!!

Still thinking on it, though.  I tend to be addited to it, which is why I haven't had any is 24 years.

We will see.

I have been thinking about coloring my gray.  I think I am almost decided that I am going to pass.  I think I will let the gray take over. For now and probably a few more years.

 Right now, it is just in the front.  Maybe I will color later, maybe not.

But...who needs that kind of maintanance??!!??!  I have friends who go every 6 weeks to get their roots done or a totally new color.

If you know anything about me, 6 weeks of maintanance for the rest of my life is just not my cup of tea.  Or my cup of anything for that matter.  I should take better care of myself, but I think I will take better care of myself in the health department.

Speaking of...

I am praying about doing a small-ish triatholon.  WAY smaller than the regular one.  My crazy daughter is all excited about it.  We will see.  If I do it, I think the swimming part is going to be the worst. Who am I kidding?  I don't have to think it, it WILL be the worst part.  I hate swimming.  More than running.

Why do I do these things??!!??!

Because I can't.  So I make myself.  And I gripe all through the training.  And I scowl at people when they talk about it, refusing to add anything to the conversation. And I blame said daughter for my misery. And I curse myself for signing up when I wake up at 6am to go to the gym. And I drag Samuel out of bed to go with me because misery loves company, doggone it, and someone should be as miserable as I am.

And then I cross the finish line.

And it was all worth it.

Even if everyone else finished long ago, I still did it.

SO...starting Monday, the training begins.

Ending on this note:


FOOTBALL STARTS TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!

WOO-HOO!!!

GOD is good.  All the time.