Sunday Snapshot - Happy Birthday Charlie

Say it ain't so!!!!! 

My sweet little mischievous Charlie,

who used to love to cuddle up right next to me at night with his sweet little hand on my cheek

making sure that my hand was on his cheek - is 11 years old?????

Please tell me how that happened!  Wasn't it just yesterday that we were seriously looking for a "full body helmet" for my crazy active 2 year old?  Seriously!!!

That is NOT is normal nose!!  Hehe!

Most days, he still needs a full body helmet...

or maybe even just regular helmet - Charlie!  Hint Hint!!

Charlie was a handful from the get go and was born with only one volume control - LOUD!

As a little one, Charlie played hard, cried hard, laughed hard and loved with his whole heart.

These days, we don't see much tears, just joy and love, lots and lots of love!!! 

He is my sweet sensitive soul who has a huge heart for those in need but will throw down (I mean literally throw down - to the ground - what is it with boys) with his friends and is the life of the party!  He is the peacemaker, unless, of course, he is the one disturbing the peace!  Hehe!  There is never a quiet dull moment when my sweet Charlie is around and I treasure every single second I have with him. 

It is in the late hours of the night that we have our nicest conversations and I get to truly see what a beautiful soul this 11 year old of mine has. 

Even though he will always be my sweet little blond haired 2 year old,

he is growing up

and it is wwaayy too fast for me - still no M games - sorry Charlie!

So we celebrate Charlie today and in true Charlie fashion, he had a bazillion a few of his friends over to throw down play

There was cake, chocolate, chocolate cake...

that the girls enjoyed...

really enjoyed

and a few quiet (kind of) moments for presents, the only time he sat still!

We ended the "throw down" with the yearly burning of the Christmas tree!  Yeah, fire and a bunch of 11 year old boys???  Probably not the smartest thing we have ever done!!  Hehe!

My sweet Charlie, your love of life, and your ability to laugh at yourself, will take you far.   Your beautiful soul will take you farther!  We love you and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

To view more wonderful Sunday Snapshots, go here,

He's BAACCKK!!!

My dear sweet old Kendal, that is.  Poor Kendal has had a tough go of it lately and my heart breaks for this dear sweet old guy!

If you have been around for a while, you know that we foster doggies and about 2 years ago, sweet Kendal made his way to our home.  A wonderful organization found out that this dear sweet old guy had been tossed aside after his elderly owner died and the family couldn't be bothered to take in their father's beloved pet, the pet that, more than likely, had given him much love and joy.  Sigh!!!  I really do not understand how some people close their eyes at night and sleep peacefully.

Anyway, sweet old Kendal was with us for 9 MONTHS, and for a foster, that is a LONG time!  It was so hard to let him go (here) but he was going to another elderly couple and I just knew they would spoil him rotten - and - they - did!! 

Unfortunately, Kendal's very sweet new Mom recently got diagnosed with cancer and could no longer care for him.  My heart just broke for sweet Kendal and his Mom.  She is the dearest little lady and I know how much she loved him. 

So, Kendal is back

and he has aged - so much!  I was shocked to see just how much he has aged.  I am not sure he can see very well and he has gotten much, um, rounder! 

He is the same old sweet Kendal who loves balls and toys and food but he is really showing his age.  This couple had sweet Kendal for 1 1/2 and in the life of an elderly dog - that - is - a lot!!! 

He was obviously loved (just not exercised very much).  She sent 2 dog bowls, a chew toy, his gigantic dog bed and a pill organizer for his seizure meds! 

It makes me very sad that she had to give him up.  I can just imagine how much comfort he would have brought to her during this very hard time in her life and I just want to cry for her and for Kendal.  He is just made for giving love and comfort and asks for very little in return!

He is figuring out the dog door once again but the stairs are proving to be a huge problem.  He has either forgotten how to maneuver them or simply cannot because of his arthritis. 

There is no way out of our house or to the dog door, without going up and down stairs, which means I have to lift him up the stairs when he goes outside to (ahem) potty!  He is BIG, y'all and heavy and my back is feeling his presence!  Any suggestions???  I honestly don't think he could even handle the incline of a ramp.  Do they make "Jenny Craig" for doggies?? 

Welcome back sweet Kendal, even our wonderful Lily (you know our other foster doggie who never left!!!),

is warming up to you!  It is hard not to!

Dear Kendal, I hope your forever family is looking for you right now and if not, maybe you will just live out the remainder of your days right here - but we gotta work on that waist line, dawg!!!  Hehe!

Sunday Snapshot - Week of Prayer and My Christmas Gift

Sorry for the delay in posting my Sunday Snapshot - more on that in a minute!

I first want to thank everyone who participated in our week of prayer.  Sharon and I faithfully prayed for each and everyone of you and I know there were many others praying as well.  This was a leap of faith for me and I felt so very privileged and moved to be able to pray for you all.  Looking back, I understand why it had to be this week, why the Lord chose this week instead of the week that Sharon and I had first discussed.  It has been a rough week for me and being able to absolutely loose myself in prayer for others has gotten me through and just today when I was finishing up a round of prayers, I received an email.  A beautiful email and I asked if I could share it with you:

I have seen prayer working really strongly this week! Prior to this week, I had thought it was God's plan to add another WC to our family, but my husband hasn't been so sure, especially because we depleted our savings with our adoption in September. (For that adoption we did no fundraising and relied solely on savings and our incomes to pay for the adoption.) DH has done an about-face this week, and I attribute that to all our prayers! Now he so firmly believes that it's God's will for us that we've even looked at some WC lists together.  I stumbled upon a little boy Thursday night, and I believe he is my child.  I approached my husband, and he has given me the go-ahead to inquire about the child!  He says he believes that God will provide the money!  (This is a far cry from his previous "we need to wait and build up the savings account".)  Again this morning during church, I saw him jot down the quote, "God doesn't call those who are equipped...He equips those He calls."  And then DH mentioned the quote and referred to our adoption discussion!  So...thanks again for the prayer!!  It's definitely been effective in my situation, and our questions and prayers are being answered!! 

Wow!  Our Lord is so great and so powerful and I am thanking Him over and over tonight!  Please know that Sharon and I will continue to pray for all those who leave requests.  You can go to my post, here or Sharon's post, here or both to leave your continued requests!  Thank you to all who left requests and all who joined us in prayer!

Now, on to why this Sunday Snapshot is late. 

I only asked for 2 things for Christmas this year, Retin A for my face (hey, what can I say, I was a sun worshiper in my young and foolish days, sigh) and some time with my wonderful Mom - alone - you know - without kids!!

Well I got the Retin A and I am shedding worse than the blasted dogs and...

I am spending the night with my wonderful Momma - alone - without kids!  Wow!

When I was out of college and past the "you just don't understand" phase of our relationship, I moved closer to home and rediscovered my Mom.  We truly had a great time hanging out together and just enjoying each other.  No matter what we did, however, it always seemed to revolve around food and cooking, something we both enjoyed and could share together.

As the years passed and I got married and started having kids and um, didn't stop, we have not had a lot of time to just hang and talk and cook and EAT!   

So, tonight, we were able to talk and eat (she did the cooking because well, I started having kids and didn't stop - LOL) and really enjoy each other - without interruption!

Have you ever had ginger sandwhiches??  They are to die for!!!

We indulged in a glass

or two of the bubbly - cause this was a special occasion and all, y'all!!

We had cheesecake for dessert - my absolute fav!!

and tomorrow...

I get to sleep in!!!!!!  Life is SO good!!!!! 

Tonight I had the chance to be a daughter again and my wonderful Mom had the chance to be a Mom again and it was good for my soul - and yummy!!!!

Thank you Mom and a special thanks to my fabulous hubby who is checking his list taking care of the kids tonight and hasn't even once called me screaming!!!  I love you!!!  Please don't let those kids of yours destroy my house!!!  Hehe!!

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Are you ready for some FOOTBAAAAAALLLLLL!!

pic courtesy of one of the kids - don't know which one but I didn't take it!  LOL!

Yep, that's right, Flag Football started, and yes, right after Soccer!!  Ugh!  Thank goodness this is all on ONE day and all at the SAME field - no drivng all over creation.   However, our Saturday's full of football usually start around 8:30 in the morning and last until about 2:00 in the afternoon and on days like today...

It can be painful!!  LOL! 

I know, I know, I am certain 38 degrees probably feels like a spring day to all of you in the great white north, but to us thin skinned southerners, it is PAINFUL, y'all!!!

However, if we didn't brave the cold, we would miss this...

or this...

or this...

or this..,

couldn't help myself - that was one BIG dog!!!  Hehe!!

and I wouldn't have conversations with those around me who were obviously meant to be there and be touched by Lizzie and her story. 

At the beginning of every new season, there are new parents who look at little Lizzie and say how cute she is.  These "Lizzie newbies" don't expect to see the dynamo that is our Lizzie, on the soccer/football field and it is always so much fun to see the expression on their faces when she is handed the ball and off she goes!!!  She usually draws quite the crowd!  Hehe!!

Well, after watching little Lizzie make her 3rd touch down of the game one of the moms from the other team started talking to me about Lizzie and how amazing she is.  Of course being the gloating proud Momma that I am, I proceeded to say, "Well, let me tell you about her journey!"  I then began to tell her about Lizzie's sweet little foot and how it was turned completely backwards and upside down and how we chose to cast her foot and how (obviously) great she is doing now.  I don't normally share all of this on the football field but I felt led to do so that day.  Turns out, wouldn't ya know it, that this "mom from the other team" had a sister who was getting ready to give birth to her first child - with - clubfeet!!!!!  I was able to give her some info on casting for clubfeet and some wonderful internet resourses that had helped us in deciding on Lizzie's treatment. 

Later that SAME day, I began talking to a mom of one of the kids on Charlie's team.  We had spoken before and had spoken of our faith and our families but on this day the conversation turned to adoption.  Lizzie was not around at the beginning of our conversation so when I heard that her hubby traveled to China for work, I immediately told her that we had aopted our beautiful youngest daughter from China and began to share Lizzie's story.  She told me with tears in her eyes that they had prayed about adoption but had not felt the calling - yet.  At that point, Lizzie came flying up to me, yelling "mommie, mommie," and gave me the biggest hug!  Her tears were flowing at that point.  Did we plant a seed?  I pray so. 

I felt His presense with us that day.

Lizzie has touched many hearts and if it takes a friendly game of flag football to move those hearts so be it!

So, we will continue to trudge out to the field (football or soccer) and we will continue to cheer for our (warning, mommie brag ahead) very talented kiddos

and we will continue to take His lead with the inspiration that is our little Lizzie!!

Hand surgery???  What hand surgery!!!!  LOL!