Teachable Moments.....

I've had many teachable moments with Garrett this week.  I guess that's what happens when he comes to the office after school with me.  On Monday, we were driving to pick up Ryan from the sitters and Garrett asked me why Caed moved to Dallas.  (Caed is a little boy who he became quick friends with at the beginning of school.  Caed's family moved to Dallas so that his dad could go work with I-go Global.)  I told Garrett that sometimes God asks us to do things that seem crazy to other people. I said God asked James to move to Dallas to work with I-go Global.  I then told him that it was kind of like when God asked our family to adopt from Ethiopia that it seems crazy to other people.  I told him that when God asks us to do something we need to do it no matter how crazy it seems to other people.  He said okay.

I cherish these teachable moments with him.  Thank you God for precious children!

Ryan does not want to go on a date.....

Tonight Brent and I were watching a video from Max Lucado's 3:16, getting ready for our home group.  There was a short video with a teenage boy and girl who were running away because they had the world figured out.  Anyway, Ryan asked, "Mom are they going on a date." I said, "Not really." I then asked him if he wanted to go on a date.  He said, "No Mom, I don't need to go on a date to fall in love.  I already felled in love with you." What a sweet boy! I'm going to cherish those words forever! I just hope he doesn't "felled in love" with anyone for a long, long, long, long time!

Please help!

A fellow AWAA adoptive parent has posted this on her blog.  Please read it!

I've got a remarkable friend living in Ukraine. She and her husband have hearts full of compassion, and it shows in everything they do.


My friend has asked me for help and I cannot refuse her. She's asked me to help her find a family for one precious little boy named Vanya. Vanya is blind and living in a baby home in Ukraine. He does not receive the specialized care required to give him the life skills necessary to manage with his impairment. If Vanya does not find a family he faces being moved into the next tier of children's homes where it is very likely he will continue on being largely ignored, and possibly fall prey to victimization at the hands of older children.

I cannot tell you how much I trust the opinion of my friend. If she says Vanya is a remarkable and loving child HE IS. My friend and her husband would bring Vanya home themselves if it weren't for the fact that they are already in process to adopt sibling boys from Ethiopia.

Please, please, Bloggy friends, help get the word out about Vanya! Follow http://doyouhaveroomforme.blogspot.com/ link to learn more. Then, please post about Vanya on your blog or social networking site.

Brent's Dad

Brent's dad was really sick again today.  His mom kept trying to get him to go to the hospital and being the stubborn guy he is, he refused.  She called Brent to go down and help her with him.  Max decided to get dressed and go to the hospital without Brent's assistance.  (probably a smart thing to do)

Anyway, Carolyn took Max to Carlsbad where he was seen in the ER.  The ER docs decided to air lift him to Albuquerque. I'm not sure if he is being transported to the VA or to UNM.  Please pray that the docs would be able to help him, that Max would DO what the docs say, strength for Carolyn (I think this is the 3rd hospital stay since October), pray for the docs to have guidance from the Great Physician, and that whatever comes to be would bring peace and rest to the family.

We are all tired and worn out from the roller coaster ride we have been on the last few years!

Christmas Break

What a busy few weeks it has been! I will attempt to give you details on what we have been doing the last few weeks.

We left for Christmas vacation on 12/22 to travel to Casper, Wyoming to spend Christmas with my dad and step-mom.  We stopped in Pueblo for the night on 12/22.  It started snowing on us outside of Pueblo so we decided to stop and spend the night.  We got up the next morning and it was snowing again!  We drove in the snow all the way to Casper.  We saw so many cars off I-25 all the way to Casper.  We were wondering if they were going to close the interstate but they didn't.  We met my dad and step-mom, Grandma Bette and Erik (my step-brother) and Jessica's family to eat and then went to Erik and Jessica's and exchanged Christmas gifts.

We spent Christmas Eve doing a little shopping for snow boots for Ryan and then went home.  We opened gifts that night.  The kids went to bed to wait for Santa Claus.

We had a laid back Christmas at my dad's.  The boys woke up around 8 to see what Santa had brought.  They were very excited at the gifts he had left.  We had breakfast a little later and then went out to sled.  We pulled the boys behind the four wheelers.

My dad even joined the boys sledding behind the four wheelers.  They had a blast doing this as we normally don't get enough snow in New Mexico to sled.

The boys soon got too cold since we aren't used to freezing temperatures and wanted to go inside.  We had an early Christmas dinner of smoked turkey and mashed potatoes.  We also went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks the Squeakel that evening.  It was a great Christmas celebrating our Savior's birth and spending time with family!

The next day (12/26) we got up and went ice fishing! It was so fun and cold.  The boys had a great time watching Grandpa drill the holes while they followed to clean out the slush.  We didn't catch anything but had fun anyway.

Beautiful Wyoming skies......

The boys also did some sledding while at the lake!

We went back to my dad's house.  Later that evening the plumbing backed up so my dad and Brent were up until 1:30 am fixing it in the cold weather! They got it done but we all slept in super late on Sunday morning.  When we finally got up, we did a little shopping and then went to see the heavy equipment that dad works with.  The boys liked seeing that.

On Monday, Garrett, Brent and my dad went elk hunting with one of dad's friends.  They were able to shoot elk calves.  Brent did a lot of work getting the calves back to the truck.  While the boys were hunting, my step-mom, Ryan, and I did a little shopping in town.

We left to come home on Tuesday morning.  We stopped in Loveland and did some shopping at the outlet malls and also made a great deal on a new Suburban.  We were looking for one in anticipation of our little girl arriving.  We picked up the Suburban on Wednesday morning and headed south.  We only made it to the outlets in Castle Rock and did some more shopping.  We stopped for the night in Pueblo.  We left Pueblo Thursday morning and arrived in Artesia around 5 pm.  We were so glad to be home! There is no place like home!

We got to spend some time on Thursday and Friday with Brent's little brother, Matthew and his family.  My niece Lily spent the night with us on Thursday.  She is so sweet! I love that little girl!

We have since returned to normal.  The boys went back to school yesterday.  Praise God for school! Garrett was tired and so was Ryan.

We hope you all have a blessed New Year! We are on the countdown to receive a referral for our daughter - almost one month down!

2010

I can't believe 2010 is here. This is the year that we will have our sweet baby girl. I can't believe it. I'm so anxious for our referral but know it will be in God's timing. I just want to see what she looks like and know about her. I can't wait until we can see her sweet face and hold her. I can't wait to introduce her brothers to her.

Just thought I would share that. It is what has been on my mind lately.

Happy New Year!

Adoption.....

I found this on someone else's blog about adoption. I love it and thought I would share it.

Once there were two women who never knew each other

One you do not remember, the other you call Mother

Two different lives shaped to make you one

One became your guiding star, the other became your sun.

The first one gave you life, and the second taught you to live it

The first gave you a need for love, the second was there to give it

One gave you a nationality, the other gave you a name

One gave you a talent, the other gave you aim

One gave you emotions, the other calmed your fears

One saw your first sweet smile, the other dried your tears

One made an adoption plan, that was all that she could do

The other prayed for a child, and God led her straight to you.

Now, which of these two women, Are you the product of?

Both, my darling, Both, Just two different types of love.

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