Happy Birthday Channie-Mae.....We hope you don' t have many long days but if you do bring it on home to us and we'll make it better.....

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My kitchen sink memories

Yes I know I have memories all over the place but my kitchen sink is a biggy.
I have bathed all of my children in my kitchen sink. I love being able to see how much they have grown by them "out growing" my sink. It is so much fun for them and I love being busy in my kitchen while my kiddos are busy playing and yes splashing in the water...Cooper who is 6 still wants to squish his body in my sink but I wont let him it doesn't make for very cute pictures if the limbs are not in the sink.....

Civil war ball

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The kids were invited to a civil war ball last night..It was so much fun for them and me.I loved getting the kids ready for this special event..
There was a nice breeze in the night air as the twinkling lights lit up the darkness.
The music was festive and alive from the civil war times and with all the hoop skirts and civil war memorabilia I was temporarily taken back to a different time..The level of dancing you had or didn't have in our case didn't matter in the least. Everyone taught
each other and any laughing done was in the spirit of love...
I loved this evening spent with my daughter and her friends..

Tuck was not able to go because of a sinus infection but I made him dress up
anyway so I could get some pictures of him..

The Birthday Boy.......

Happy Birthday Jokey- Jo! Thank you for sharing your life with us....

Happy Birthday to my Liberian Son!!

Last week was Jo's birthday he turned 2...What a delight he is to us.
He is shy when you first meet him but warms up quicker and quicker these days.
He has a real laid back personality..He was getting a nick-name of chubby so I put this handsome little doll on portion control. I can still find him cleaning "others"
plates when he thinks no-one is looking.
It has been such an easy road adopting Joseph. He is so easy to discipline and all I have to say is "Joseph first time" and boy he gets on it...He LOVES to aggravate Channie. I believe that is his favorite past time....He has learned several signs and uses them all very well but his favorite one is please...He uses that one alot.... He didn't know what to think of his cup-cakes and presents for his birthday..I took and got his two year old pictures made and took him to lunch. He is taking two to three steps at a time and should be walking very soon.I'm so blessed to call him my son.
I believe that the lessons we have learned through him are priceless, like color really doesn't make a difference. You do love them just as much as your bio kids. I don't know what we did without him. He is a gift that I'm so un-worthy of. I'm unworthy of all my precious children but I'm thankful..

My back seat is full of surprises

I love the memories we build from the back seat of my van.

I can look through that rear view mirror and see the faces of
all my children and their childhood flashes before my face.

Gosh I LOVE being a mom.

(almost as much as I love being a wife.)

There's a Storm a brewing....

1. Allow thyself to complain of nothing, not even of the weather.


For today I set a challenge before myself and the kids that we would not complain about ANYTHING....

There seems to be a bug going around my home.

No it's not a virus per-se, at least not the kind I can treat with tylenol. This I believe can only be treated with Gods help..
My kids seem rather grumpy and complaining alot about chores and brothers and sisters etc...
I went through a drive thru the other day and one of my precious grateful children said "do we have to eat here, can't we eat at Wendy's?"
It hit me like a brick..The ungratefulness of that statement/attitude ... being taken out to eat, when 10 mins earlier this same child was about to "pass out" from starvation.
What is that?
When I started examining my house-hold I realized that the thread of complaining had settled deep into my older children.
It had settled into the heart of my younger children as well. ( Their complaints come in the form of crying and whining.)

Most of our complaining is directed toward others, what someone did, or said or didn't say...
Complaining about what others choose to do or don't do.

Our peace and harmony is not found "in Others." It should be found in Christ.
We will always have something to complain about but I'm tired of complaining.
I want to live a quiet life.
I want to find joy in the small things.
I don't want to always look at others and either they are making me happy or mad or sad.
People are always going to let us down.

Why is it we feel justified in complaining about others yet feel rejected when others don't agree with us.

I believe it always comes back to self...I know in my case it does. I didn't get MY way or it wasn't done MY way etc.........
One of Scott's favorite verses he always lends to me when I'm complaining is " Love covers a multitude of sins."
If we are busy loving someone it's hard to complain...because you do choose to not see their faults...(most of the time).......

I wonder what Christ thinks when our kids complain about what they have to eat when there are kids in Africa who don't have food.

I wonder what Christ thinks when we complain about not having enough money to do something when there are people living on the streets everywhere across the United States>

I wonder what Christ thinks about us complaining about having to do chores when there are kids that have become prostitutes to earn enough money to eat?

Why is it so easy to lose our perspective in this life?
Why do we get wrapped up in our self so easily?
Why do we feel like our way is the BEST way?

hmmmmmmmm PRIDE maybe?

Well doesn't God HATE pride?....
My house-hold needs some refinement in this area.
My way is not the best way,

God's way is.

My world has been a little cloudy lately but I'm supposed to be grateful in All things not just when all things go my way. I don't do this very well...

With the Lord's help:
I will choose not to complain today not even about the weather.

My best girl friends...

Taylor turns 15 in a few days and I can hardly believe she is growing into such a incredible lady.
I have loved the path that we have journeyed down together to get to this point in her sweet life. She is a remarkable daughter and a wonderful loving friend. She is so devoted to me and I guess I take that for granted thinking ALL 15 years old are this devoted but I know they're not. She is so protective of me and would fight anyone for my honor and I have to laugh when she takes up my burdens because that's what I'm supposed to be doing for her. She is so caring and gentle yet there is a side to her that I like to refer to as the

"Nana side."

She is so much like my mom.
Growing up if someone (anyone) would do something to hurt me she would come in with all guns blazing and not have a gentle and quiet spirit about it....
My mom is the most loyal person you would ever meet. She is always thinking of others and she always brings gifts when she goes shopping because she couldn't leave without buying everyone just a little something.
I love my mom and I'm so thankful that she is around to laugh with me and cry with me as I go through this stage of my life.
As I get older I realize how fragile life is and it really makes you stop and think about those around you

I know I will never be ready to let my mom go....

Channie-Mae is two, and boy she keeps me on my toes. She is hardly what I would call sweet..She is tough minded and strong spirited kinda like a mustang horse. She is nurturing though and for that I see STRONG possibilities..Scott laughs alot because he says that "she is a little Robin". I do see myself in her and I will start praying now for her future husband....lol
So these are the little women in my life whom I adore and devote myself to....

I would not trade it for anything in the world..........




Thanks Sara for the great pic...

We all have "our" prisons

Prisons in Bible times were miserable places, devoid of even the most basic comforts.It was in such a place that "Paul and Silas were...singing praises to God....When a strong earthquake shook the jail...The doors opened,and the chains fell from all the prisoners"Ac 16:25-26. And it can happen for you and me too. If we want to shake things up, see doors open and chains break, begin to praise God "IN SPITE OF." In spite of your hardships, In spite of the way things go your way or don't go your way. In spite of the way your co-workers act. In spite of how much money you have or don't have. In spite of...... The secret they say to soaring above your circumstances is approaching God on the wings of praise. David said, "Those who have learned to acclaim {praise, applaud,honor,pay tribute to } you...walk in .....your presence...Lord."Praise isn't simply a reaction to coming into God's presence;it creates a channel through which He enters to go to work on your problem.
It's not a matter of emotion; it's a matter of faith. It's not something that comes naturally; it's something you choose to do. Whether you're in the wilderness or the Promised Land, when you "rejoice, and sing praises" things start to happen; as your praises go up, God's blessings come down. Nehemiah says, "The joy of the Lord is your strength" (ne 8:10)

During this time of losing our baby I chose to praise God. I played scripture music and praise music all the time. I read my bible and kept reminding myself who God is.Faithful .At times I want to get down and feel sorry for myself but what purpose would that serve? Who would that serve not my Lord and saviour. He is the author and I don't know the ending to His book for my life but I will trust it will be a great ending...
So Let the Joy of the Lord be my strength today and always..

Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction,your teachers will be hidden no more;with your own eyes you will see them.
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, yours ears will hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the way;walk in it."Isaiah 30:20-21