Can You Count Them???

and there is even one missing from this pic!

Oh yeah and the cat!

I LOVE my vaccum cleaner!

Ha!

Lesson Learned

So I guess this is what happens when you go to small group at church...

take your 9 year old (home schooled) son...

leave him with work to do....

but neglect to take your phone with you!

 

Lesson learned!

hehe

Sunday Snapshot -They Are Getting It!

These two girls constantly amaze me.

They are at an age where their minds are questioning and soaking up information like a sponge and as much as Hubby and I have learned and grown in the past few years, our children have learned and grown right along with us and today, the girls reaffirmed to us that they are watching, they are listening and they are totally getting it.

We were at my Mom's today and as Hubby and I sat together for a quiet moment (and only a moment - ha), the girls came running in and what we heard was so great!

As they ran in, they were talking and setting up their pretend game.  Apparently, they had decided to pretend to be sisters (not too much of a stretch - right - hehe) but not just sisters, they were going to pretend to be rich sisters who lived in a "big house with a media room and everything"!  This was when we heard Lizzie pipe up and say, "yeah but we believe in God."  To which Em replied, "yes, we are rich but we go to church and believe in God."

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think "being rich" is sinful.  I mean I still fill out my Publisher's Clearing House but during Hubby's unemployment, we read a lot from the Bible about money and lack thereof.

Verses like:

Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. 

and 

Hebrews 13:5

 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

and

Luke 6:20-21

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. 

and

Matthew 19:23

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

These precious bits of comfort and wisdom helped so much as we waited on Him and His plan and His provision for us and apparently

these 2 beautiful girls were listening and learning and soaking up His words and that is worth all of the struggle.

Joel 1:3

Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.

To read more wonderful Sunday Snapshots, go to Stefanie's amazing blog, here,

Sunday Snapshot - They are Multiplying!!!

Run for the hills!!!

We officially have another TEEN in da house!!

Yes, my sweet little 12 year old is now a dreaded 13 year old!

We have talked about this...

Charlie and I and...

 

He promises me that he has been talking notes....

and learning from his 15 year old brother...

what not to do...

but I am certain that I will need to remind him on more than one occasion to...

REFER BACK TO HIS NOTES!

If ya know Charlie...

ya love Charlie

 

 

He just has this ability to put a smile on your face.

 

 

This year, he wanted a sleep over with a few of his closest friends.

He wanted to burn the Christmas tree (something we do every year)...

and he wanted to make smores - yum!

One of his closest friends is P

P and Charlie have been best friends since they were 2 years old.

They have been there for each other and are so very close.

It will be very hard for Charlie to leave P behind when we move...

but for now....

they just love hanging out together!

It was a good birthday even though we now we have TWO teens in da house!

Yikes!

We love you sweet, funny, caring, loving, LOUD Charlie

You will forever be 3 years old to me with that mischievous grin and that beautiful blond hair...

and I pray you will always keep that precious child close in your heart as he is in mine.

Happy birthday my wonderful Charlie and please have pity on me...  

"grin"

 

To read more wonderful Sunday Snapshots, please go to Stefanie's blog, here,

 

Inching Our Way...

closer to you my sweet girl!

We were fingerprinted exactly 2 weeks ago today and were approved - today!

This wait has been so much different than the wait for Lizzie.

I am peaceful in this wait...

not so much in the wait for Lizzie

Maybe it is because I am, ahem, older.

Maybe it is because I have BTDT.

Maybe it is because I am just so insanely busy, that I simply don't have time to dwell on the wait.

Maybe it is because, in doing what I do, I see so, so many precious faces whose wait is so much longer and more heartbreaking than mine - and in many cases - never ending.  

Sigh

Maybe...

I think, though, the biggest reason is that I am that much closer to the Lord and that I am so much stronger in my faith.  

He has put such a calm in my heart about when we will bring our Lucy home...

and that "because" enough for me.

Why Didn't I Think of That!!!

Got these from a friend and wanted to share.

Some are actually kinda cool!

So, which ones will you try?

Sunday Snapshot - Passing It On

So this Sunday Snapshot is a all about finding snapshots.

I know many of my readers are in the adoption community and I wanted to pass along a little tidbit that I just found out about not too long ago.

As we all know, when you are waiting for your child, when you are loving that child from a far, when all you have to hold onto are a few pictures and if you are lucky some video, when you crave any little teeny tiny bit of info about that child's present or past...

any info, any pics, any anything about that child is such a gift and such a blessing and such needed oomph for a weary heart.

Another beautiful soul in the adoption world, told me about Baidu Images.

Now I had heard of Baidu but I had not heard that if you go first to Goggle translate, you can type in the name of your child's orphanage, get the Chinese characters, type them into the Baidu Images site and...

maybe find pictures...

of your child...

I did and got all of these...

any glimpse into Lucy's world...

is such a treasure to me and helps me to keep putting one foot in front of the other, reminding me that each step brings us that much closer to bringing her home.

I tired  doing the same with Lizzie's orphanage and while I found so, so many photos of absolutely beautiful children, I didn't find any of Lizzie - yet!

 I need about 5 hours of uninterrupted time to go through them all!  

One of these days...

So, if you are adopting or have adopted and have about 3 to 4 hours of uninterrupted time (ha), check it out!

You might find a precious piece of your child's life that will help you to hang on or help you to continue to piece together the life that your child had, pre-you.

To read more wonderful Sunday Snapshots, just go to Stefanie's blog, here,