Really? July 15?

I'm not sure how this happened. I really did vow to do better with my blog. I can't believe July 15 was the last post. Yes, we moved to Mt. Vernon to slow down the pace of our lives, but there is still so much to do. Just different things.

Today was absolutely wonderful. My Mommy heart is full of joy and peace. It was the first true day of fall weather this year. We did school this morning, but by lunchtime I was itchin' to get outside. We decided to forgo treadmill time and get our exercise outside. The perimeter of our property measures 2 miles. So, we grabbed a bag to collect nature and set off on a great adventure. The boys LOVED it. We collected trash along the road to throw away. They had so much fun spotting pieces of nature and throwing them in our bag. Our favorite find was a group of 5 pinecones----one for each member of our family----on a stick. They are all stuck together and we named them after each of us. So neat. Luke and Jonah did not stop talking the entire time. I was just so blessed to see our world through their eyes. We looked at the red berries with the deer prints nearby and talked about how the deer must like the berries. Then, just a few steps away, we found deer poop with the berry seeds in it. Such great boy science!

We did make it the whole 2 miles. When we got home, we cut brown paper sacks into pieces. We each got a piece of paper, wadded it up to make texture, and then "painted" with the berries. They had great fun talking about "God's paint" that He put in nature! Then, we glued all of the colorful leaves around the edges to make frames for our initials. So, we have 5 initial nature art pieces. Well, I guess they were more "craft" than art since we all make like pieces. After that, we made a tablescape with everything we brought in.

Fun day! God is good and this is reason #124 why we home school. We made a great memory today that they'll never forget!

A TV-free Life

Ok, so, it's been 24 days now (yes, I actually stopped to count it up!) since our family has watched TV. On Monday, June 21, we gave our last TV to our neighbors. It's not that we don't ever want a TV again. We just knew that moving here was going to begin a whole new way of life for our family. We also knew that we'd be busy, busy, busy getting the business going and not really have time to watch it. Also, the way our new living room is set up, a flat screen really is the only option. Well, I guess there are other options, but they would look pretty iffy. So, while we enjoy the peace and calmness that a TV-free household is, we are saving for a flat screen. Robby says we'll have a new one by the time football season starts. (My Dad breathed a great sigh of relief on that one!)
It has also been a good detox time for our in-house Wii professional. He has gotten to go to grandparents and get his "fix" a few times, so he's doing fine. We are listening to a lot more music, playing a lot more games, and reading a lot more books. It really is a good thing. (Oh, yeah...and saving a lot of money every month by not giving it to DirectTV!)
Why do we need to watch the junk on a screen when we have the beauty outside our back door???

Little Churches

One thing I love about driving through East Texas is all of the small churches you pass. You can't go very far down the road without passing a church and many of them have the marquis signs out front with messages. On the way to pick up our cousin today, I passed this inspiring message:
"Where God guides, He will provide."
So encouraging! I love when God speaks to me even in church signs on the road. I guess He could've put that up there for someone else who needed it to, but I claimed it as mine today. God has guided us here every step of the way and we know, without a doubt, that He will provide for our every need as we journey down the road.
Phiilipians 4:19 is one of my faves:
"My God will meet all of your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Our NEEDS---not our wants. I have to have that conversation so often with our boys. I am trying to teach them the difference between what we NEED vs. what we WANT. Yet, I still struggle with the same idea. I should be thankful that we have internet access right now, even if it moves at the speed of molasses! We could have none. I need to be thankful we have a back-up car to drive since my van seems to be dying a slow, painful death. These are all minor details that are "wants" in our lives and not needs. We have been blessed with everything we need, plus so much more than we could "ever ask or imagine".
God is good and we are blessed. He has guided us here and He will provide for us here.

Home Sweet Home!

We are home....as of last Wednesday, June 23, 2010, we are official citizens of Mt. Vernon TX. We wake up every morning and are just in awe at this beauty that God has blessed us with. We still feel like we're "camping out" at someone else's house. Even Noah said this. That will change in time, though. We have grown to know and love the family who lived here so much that it was different from most moves that people make. Not only did we see their furniture in this house, but we visited here a lot. So, now to be here with our stuff and living here....it's just strange.

Not to be a bragger, but we truly live right in the middle of pure country beauty. It doesn't get any prettier than this. We have 28 acres, a pond, beautiful trees, and rolling hills. All 28 acres are mowed, so it looks like a state park. The 2nd morning we were here, Robby and Noah rode the tractors to "check the hog trap" (a trip taken every morning by the guys). The hog trap is up the hill at the back of the property. Robby came back and was just in awe at the land. It was the first time he had seen all 28. Yes, that's right. We were buying property that we had never even seen! Crazy, I know, but we knew that if the front few acres were this beautiful, it didn't matter what the back looked like!

Internet has been very slow, so I can't post pictures yet. We hope to get a faster connection at the end of the week and I will post pictures. The boys are just loving it. No sadness at all. Jonah keeps asking if we'll "ever have to go back to Melissa". I think he's afraid this is just a vacation that's going to end.

We keep telling God THANK YOU, but that just doesn't seem like enough. Robby and I have not done anything to deserve this. We are SO unworthy of His blessings and His love, but He gives it anyway. We also recognize that because we have been given this opportunity, He is going to require more from us. We are up for the challenge. It was time for a change.
Just getting here after 8 months of planning and dreaming feels like a big step. But, the challenges are just beginning.
"God is good and everything He does is good." Psalm 119:68

A New Name and a New Look!

I really do want to be a better blogger. This morning, while meditating on Proverbs 13:19, I was thinking of all the longings that God has already fulfilled in my life. He had given me this verse a while back as a promise for Gracie's adoption. Another translation says, "A dream fulfilled is sweet to the soul." It is our longing, our biggest dream, to bring our daughter Gracie home. For now, God is saying wait. But, while we're waiting, He is fulfilling so many other longings in our family's life. As we set out on this new adventure, I want to be a better blogger. So, I'm trying to motivate myself by making this new title and new look. Ok, well, I just changed the colors. I'm hoping my more technologically advanced husband can help me redo the format (kinda boring). I love to read other people's blogs and I want mine to look a little spiffier.

All my life, all I ever wanted to be was a Mommy and a wife. God has definitely fulfilled those longings and I am trying to live my life to honor Him every day. I am humbled to be called His child.
Here's an Easter picture of my three blessings that call me Mommy.

Swim!

Noah asked me to post this for "the Nanas" to see. I can think of at least one Nana who will see danger in it. I promise all swimming and swim tricks are done under extreme supervision. : )

Brown Bear, Brown Bear

Okay, I am one proud Mama! I hate that the phone rang at the end (Amber, you can hear yourself on the machine!), but it's still adorable. When Robby gets time, he should be able to edit that out on iMovie.
Enjoy!

A Promise from God

The Bible study that I've been doing lately has us in Psalm 119---which is a very lonnnng Psalm. Anyway, in today's reading, I read Psalm 119:165:
"Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble."
In the mornings, I try to sit down with the boys and read a Bible story with them. We have a great little book with Bible stories and how to apply them in real life. Half the time I'm reading, I'm refereeing and disciplining and it can get very frustrating. God just reminded me today to keep on keeping on. It is our (mine and Robby's) highest calling to teach His word to our boys. When we are teaching them, they are growing to love it and "nothing can make them stumble." If we teach them His Word now, they will not stumble later in life because they will love His law. God just told me to do my job and He will take care of everything else. He has Noah, Luke, and Jonah in the palm of His hand.
I am humbled to be called by Him.

Big, Big House

Jonah LOVES to sing and we love it even more when we get to listen to him. His two favorite songs right now are "Stand on the Rock" and "Big, Big House". He goes to chapel with his class on Sunday mornings and they sing these there. I actually had to borrow the church's CD to copy the song so we could play it for him. Enjoy!
I will type the lyrics just in case you can't understand his sweet voice:
"Come, and go with me to my Father's House. Come, and go with me to my Father's house. It's a big, big house with lots and lots of room. A big, big table with lots and lots of food. A big, big yard where we can play football---TOUCHDOWN!! A big, big house...it's my Father's House"

THE GARAGE DOOR VIDEO!

The action in this video is very near and dear to my heart. It means a lot to me. As I was filming it tonight, Noah said, "Why is this such a big deal to you?" Well, it's always the "little things" in life that make such a difference. In all of my 32 years, I have never lived in a house with a functioning garage/garage door combo. For 7+ years, I have carried babies (in HEAVY carseats!) through cold and rain to get in the house after parking in the driveway. One of the biggest excitements to us of buying this house (the garden tub was a plus, too) was the possibility of parking in the garage. It took many months to unpack all of the boxes stored in the garage. For a while, I parked in the garage, but since we had no opener, we (Noah, usually) had to manually open the door. Over the holiday break, my handy husband installed an opener. I am living in the lap of luxury, as one of my friends said. It's the little things than can make such a big difference in my life and I am so thankful!

More Derby

AWANA Derby Grand Prix

Today was the AWANA Derby Grand Prix. AWANA stands for Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed (from 1 Timothy in the Bible) and it's a children's program at our church. Noah goes every Wednesday night and memorizes Scripture. They earn "bucks" and get to shop with them. Every year they have a derby race and the kids make the cars out of wood (similar to the Boy Scouts' derby cars). Noah made a race truck and even though it wasn't the fastest, he won FOURTH PLACE for Design. He was VERY excited to get his trophy!

The Last of the Mohicans

SIXTEEN years ago today, I said yes to Robby when he asked me to go to the movies to see "The Last of the Mohicans". The rest is history, as they say. In some ways, we feel like we've been together forever, but in other ways, it seems like we've only just begun. I am so thankful for a husband who loves me unconditionally and fills my life with joy every day. Happy "Dating" Anniversary, honey!

Happy Birthday House!

A year ago tomorrow, we were moving into this house. Funny, we still refer to it as our "new house". I wonder how long that will last. The boys still talk fondly about our "old house" and ask to drive by there anytime we're in the neighborhood. When I think back to a year ago, I marvel at all of the blessings God has given us. I LOVE our home. I love making it a home for our family. We've done a lot (new furniture, painting, etc.), but of course, there's still a lot we want to do. We have made new friends in our neighborhood and I get such joy in my heart when all of the kids on our street are in our backyard!

In celebration (ha, ha) of our one year house birthday, I finally painted the boys' bathroom. Nana D. bought them the "Peek a Boo" monkeys shower curtain and the rug, so we went with a light blue for the walls. When Nana saw the color swatch for the paint, she said, "That's going to be really bright!" Well, it is bright and it's definitely not a color you'd see in the Highland Park Tour of Homes, but the boys love it and that's all that matters. Jonah had fun "helping". I painted the boys names just for fun and they begged me to leave them that way. I draw the line there.
Happy Birthday House!

Is this the billboard?

So, with the whole idea of adopting our baby girl from Haiti, I have asked God to just make it crystal clear. I want a huge billboard with flashing lights. I don't want to miss it. The "Adoption Stories" show I blogged about earlier, had another Haitian adoption this week from the SAME orphanage---GLA. Then, last night, I was reading a story in my "Today's Christian Woman" (very good mag, by the way!) magazine and there was a mention of Haiti in it.

THEN, tonight, I had a meeting at the boys' school and a friend sat down next to me and proceeded to tell me all about her friend going to HAITI on a mission trip!

Okay, God.....what are you doing?

Haiti?

Robby and I have felt for a long time that our daughter, Gracie, would be from Africa. Even after we got home from our mission trip to Ethiopia, we felt confirmed that she would be from Ethiopia.

Now....God has placed a new idea in our path and we are praying for discernment. On Friday, I watched an episode of "Adoption Story" on TLC. I love this show and record it every now and then. There were actually 2 episodes on the Tivo and both episodes spotlighted the same orphanage in Haiti. The orphanage is run by an American missionary couple. They take in newborns (and older children), feed them American food, and teach them English to transition them to their forever families in America. The orphanage is called God's Littlest Angels. As I watched these precious children, I just cried over their loneliness and wondered if God was leading us to Haiti.

That night, I asked Robby, "So what do you think about Haiti?" He was worried for a minute that I meant going there on a mission trip. I explained to him about the 2 shows I had seen and we watched them together that night. This is another one of those times when living with a history teacher is helpful because he explained to me the economy and culture in Haiti. The people there live in utter poverty with basically no hope for the future. Very often, mothers have their babies and after they are unable to nurse any longer, give the children up because they cannot feed them. This is such a sad, but selfless act of love.

The statistic the orphanage director quoted that kept resonating in my head all day is that 50% of Haitian children die before the age of 5. Later, I thought about Luke's little pre-k class which consists of 19 four year olds. In Haiti, by the end of this year, 10 of those kids would be dead (I know that's morbid to think about Luke's class, but it really hit home with me). Isn't that shocking and just so heartbreaking?

So....all of this to say, we are praying for discernment. We have always known that our Gracie would have brown skin. We have felt called to Africa for a while. Haitians are former Africans, so in a way, she would still be from Africa. A question I'm wrestling with is, "Is it wrong to want to adopt from Haiti because the people there are so much more destitute than what we experienced in Africa?"

We have already researched Haiti through the God's LIttlest Angels website and if you go there, you will see...they make it look so easy. Haiti is very close to us and also their adoptions are very affordable. Please pray for us. I always ask God to just make his will so clear to us that we know without a doubt what He has planned. I want a billboard with flashing lights!

Helen Keller

I found this quote today and I just love how it speaks to my heart. So many ask, "Why adopt? There are so many orphans. You can't save them all."
I always think, but, I can save one. And that is what we plan to do. God has called us all to do something. That something is different for everyone. I pray you listen to His voice and go for it!

"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do.”--Helen Keller

First Day of School!

Today is Noah's first day of 2nd grade. This morning, he was up at 6:45 and we got to cuddle on the couch for a few minutes. I kept thinking about how just 7 years ago, I was quitting my job as a 2nd grade teacher to have him. Those kids seemed so big when he was a tiny newborn. Now, he's one of them. Where did the time go? He was VERY excited about going. Luke, on the other hand, flatly refused to get out of bed. After he got dressed and got his backpack on, he was all smiles UNTIL we got to his classroom. I think he'll be fine when he gets into a routine. His teacher has lots of Little Critter books, so he was happy with that. Jonah is enjoying watching his morning dose of Max and Ruby in peace and quiet. : )

"One more kiss"

The closer we got to Luke's classroom, the tighter he grabbed my leg. He was very sad. Luke is my big Mama's boy and would be happy to stay home with me all day, every day. This will be good for him if we can get him in a routine. Ms. Odet, his teacher, gave all of the kids their journals to color in. I drew a picture of me and Luke drew a picture (smiling!) of himself. I told him to look at Mommy's picture when he got sad. The picture of his teacher is her teaching them to "Zip your lips, lock it, and put the key in your pocket." Woo, boy. Luke has a lot to learn!

Question of the Day

Today's 7 year-old Question of the Day:
"If you go up in space in a rocket and somebody on Earth dies, would you see them go to Heaven?"