Homeschooling

So, I shared about some of the conversations we had at Tim's brother's wedding about adoption. The other topic of conversation revolved around homeschooling. All you need is a homeschooling, transracial family to stir things up a bit!! :)

Many of the talks started out with "do you enjoy homeschooling?" Anyone who knows me, knows that I enjoy the home part, but struggle a bit with the schooling! I will say that there are so many things that I love about homeschooling...and none of those are the actual "textbook teaching" times!

I love slow, lazy mornings. I love having my children home. I have them for the best part of their day! I am so encouraged by my children's friendships with one another--and yes, they argue and fight, but they have also learned to seriously enjoy one another. I am reassured to know what they are learning and where they are struggling. I think home schooling allows them to be kids longer--shorter school day, longer play day!! I believe having them home gives us more time to instill the characteristics in them that we want them to have..less outside influence. They have plenty of "socialization" (the biggest concern from those who don't homeschool) and are active in sports.

I usually exercise early in the morning and try to get cleaned up before the kids are all up. Especially Lindsey who, just at first glance of my running clothes, tells me, "I don't like the smell of your run". The other morning, this is how I found my four:

They were looking at magazines--I was so happy to let them spend time together and start "school" a little later. You see, they were reading to the girls, so I count that as school!!

(I feel the need to add that we do all the required school work and both of the boys have tested very well.)

So, homeschooling, like adoption, may not be the "calling" for every family, but if you haven't ever considered it...I would encourage you to. We take it a year at a time, a child at a time. So far it has been the best choice for both of the boys and I find myself being a bit excited about schooling the girls---And when I say schooling, I mean watching them read to their little brother or sister, or two, or three!! :) :)

A visit to Korah, Ethiopia

My dear friend, Jody, is in Ethiopia right now. She is visiting the kids who live in Korah, many of whom she and her husband blogged and facebooked (?) to get sponsored to go to a boarding school. She is a fabulous, descriptive writer with a heart for Ethiopia like no one else I know!!

Please, take some time this week to check out her blog. You will look much differently at our American sufferings and our need of things!! Her blog is talkissheep.blogspot.com. (It is on my sidebar)

Or you can just click HERE.

It is hard for me to do a post without a picture..so here is one more from the wedding.

Wedding Fun

We had a great weekend with Tim's family and friends for his brother's wedding. His brother has held out for the "right" girl...and we are so happy that he did. His new bride is a wonderful, sweet girl. We had a such a fun, packed weekend. Tim was the best man.

They had the cutest flower girls:)

The reception was held at a really cool horse stables. The view, especially with the fall leaves, was beautiful. We had so much fun. The boys danced, seriously, for 3 hrs. We got to visit with several of Tim's old high school friends. We had several couples ask about Lindsey's adoption. They were all considering adding to their families through adoption.

This was one of my favorite pictures of the night. Tim is such a great daddy to these girls.

We never seem to get many pictures of just us without the kids. I liked this one....Lindsey took it!!

I hope you all had a great weekend. After our conversations about adoption, I realized that they almost always came down to willingness and obedience. Like every aspect of our Christian lives...are we willing to listen to the Lord and then, obey? Will we put away our fears of the unknown? All the Lord asks is if we are willing to obey Him in which ever direction He leads... I am so thankful that for my family it was a road of adoption that led us to our daughter and now on to our fifth child.

Christmas Frenzy

We have all heard the verse "It is more blessed to give than to receive." I certainly don't believe in adding or taking away from scripture, but if I did :), I would add, "unless you are a fundraising family!" I can't tell you of the joy our family feels when we sell one of our "got love?" items or the celebrating we do when a donation comes in. That is because we know that the money is going directly to pay the ransom needed to bring our child home! Do I necessarily understand why adoption costs as much as it does? No--but money is certainly not going to stop me from obeying and receiving the blessing that the Lord has for my family. IT'S ALL GOD'S MONEY, ANYWAY, SO..

With this being said, I want to encourage all the readers of this blog during the next few months to stop by

www.mycupoverfloweth.blogspot.com

This blog is featuring fundraising families and their products. (I have already bought two gifts and am looking forward to checking back as more families are added) There all different types of things but all being sold for the same cause: A ransom for a son or daughter.

Take a look, consider buying from these fundraising families instead of Wal-mart or Target. When you do...your gift will be giving two blessings.

Happy Shopping...only 65 days until Christmas!!

Loved by Choice

In July of 2007, Tim and I traveled to China to bring our daughter home. It was a wild feeling to sit and wait in a very hot and stuffy government building to meet your child for the first time. There was a whole lot of unknown...how would she react to these strangers with big eyes? How would I react to her...would or could I love her like my three biological children? All my fears and concerns quickly vanished when the Chinese nanny handed our daughter to me. God did a miracle in my heart.....I WAS IN LOVE!!

It was so exciting to see 9 baby orphans meet their forever families that day...but this was just one room. ONE room in an orphanage of many rooms and one orphanage in a country of many, many orphanages. Our hearts broke for our daughter's story of abandonment and our eyes opened to the desperate needs of million of orphans.

Shortly after returning home the Lord used His word to confirm what we were already feeling.

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts & keeps our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act" Proverbs 24:12

One thing we really wanted to do was to share our adoption experience with others. We ordered the "Launching an Orphan Ministry in your Church" by Family Life, Hope for Orphans. (We would really recommend this for anyone interested in getting their church on board with adoption and foster care.) We shared our heart with some like-minded friends, prayed, and so it is that LOVED BY CHOICE adoption, foster care and support ministry was born.

On Sunday we had our third information seminar. We invite a speaker from an adoption agency and foster care service to share about their programs and offer pamphlets from several adoption agencies. It was a great time of sharing our story and answering questions. We are so thankful and excited to be a part of this growing ministry to encourage families to get involved in caring for the least of these!!

We came home to a sign on the door for "The Show". It was an exciting show put on by our kids. It was a mixture of gymnastic and circus-like moves. We were given tickets and snacks--I loved that they had worked on it together.

I hope you all have a happy Monday--pray about what you can do to get others, especially your church, involved with adoption and foster care in your area. "Speak up for those, who have no voice".

Family Photo Shoot

I have been wanting to get a family picture in our "got love?" shirts for several months. We finally had wonderful weather, an unscheduled evening, beautiful fall colors and another family to take pictures with. And like all family photo shoots, from the beginning of time, we had:

THE GOOD

THE BAD

THE BEAUTIFUL (sisterly love)

My favorite picture is on the header of our blog. Any other moms breathe a huge sigh of relief when the family picture is done and you have a few good ones?! (and it only took 2 hrs and several bribes!! haha!!)

Thirty-One Party Fundraiser

Friday night some of my friends gathered together for an evening of laughing, chatting, eating, and buying.......Thirty-One products. Thirty-One is a company that sells purses, totes, stationary and other items with fun fabrics and monogramming. A good friend of mine started working for this company during the summer. She offered to donate her proceeds from a party to our Minus 1 Project fund!! Two other good friends planned and hosted a party. And there you have one very fun and successful fundraiser!

Jody, from talkissheep.blogspot.com, and me. Many of you followed Jody's journey this summer in Korah (Ethiopia). She is preparing to go back next week to visit the kids there and help out at the school. Her husband and she worked and blogged to get the kids from Korah sponsored to go to boarding school.

These women have been so supportive! Many walked and prayed with us through Lindsey's adoption. I can't imagine my daily life without these great girlfriends!

"got winner?"...yes we do!!

I know, I know...my husband and sons said, "cheesy!", but I like the title!

MONICA!!

Thank you all for becoming followers and leaving such fun, encouraging comments! I have to give a extra thanks to those who ordered "got love?" items this week. Each one is a step forward on this journey! Monica--please email me (top right sidebar) and let me know what you would like and your address!!

We had a great weekend that started with a Friday night fundraising party (next post) and ended with a family photo shoot. I have been wanting to do a family picture and love the fall colors that are appearing. Watch for our new blog header. Here is a sneak peek:

If you do a gIvE aWaY, they will come!

Ha!! I have had such fun over the past two days reading all the comments from you out there!! I know it is hard to do each time you read a post, but what a blessing it is to the writer to get some responses.

I have taken several things from the comments left:

*My family is certainly not alone. Just when you think no one else understands or sees the urgency for adoption...a comment

*When I wonder "where o where will the money come from?", there is a comment to purchase a "got love?" item...come to find it is from another fundraising family!

*I am NOT crazy to have an undying love for a child that I have never met...or seen!

I have honestly come to really like this blogging thing. I have come a long way, as far as my computer ability, but for such a purpose. I love how I have been connected with so many families just like my own. There have been so many posts that I have read and thought....I could have written it because it is just how I am feeling. Blogging has let me write what is on my mind without the worry of offense.

If you haven't caught on yet...I LOVE ADOPTION. I could talk about it all the time, share it with strangers, and shout it from the rooftops. I take comfort in knowing that many of you would comment "Amen"!!

Don't forget to leave me a way to enter your name in our give away...become a follower or leave me a comment! Or make an order and get a double entry to win!!

In 5 days...

we will have been waiting 2 months for our referral. With the end of summer and beginning of school, it has gone by rather quickly. Our agency is still holding to a 6 to 8 month referral wait time. I will say that this time around (compared to waiting for Lindsey) I am a bit more sane. I would like to attribute this to my trust in the Lord's timing for our family...I find it somewhat easy every time I see my children together and the ease to which Lindsey fits in. There is such comfort in watching the four of them snuggle, play and fight equally!

To mark the 2 month wait, I'm thinking we need a

GiVe AwAy!!!!

During the next 5 days, become a follower or leave me a comment with your name or something so you can get entered in.

Winner gets to choose their choice of a "got love?" tote, travel mug or t-shirt!!

*Let's make this a crazy week to order, too. If you order a "got love?" item, I will put in two bonus entries for your chance to win a free item.

*if you have been thinking of ordering....this is a great week to do it!!

*winner will be chosen on Sunday! (If you are already a follower you don't need to do anything...but I do LOVE when you all leave comments...it lets me know someone out there is reading my posts!! :)

Happy fall and two months closer!!

These siblings have GOT some LOVE!!

"The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love"

Psalm 33:5

In many ways, I can understand why Jesus tells us to be like little children. Understandable as adults we rethink, analyze and stress over our decisions. Adoption is a BIG decision...similar to the decision to try to get pregnant...it is permanent. Adoption is a common word in our house. We talk openly about God using this miracle to bring Lindsey into our family and a day doesn't go by without some talk/prayer for our newest member who we have yet to meet.

To this bundle of four above, it is a logical solution to an unthinkable problem. There is a child out there ( over 147 MILLION) that has no home, no daddy or mommy, no sisters, no brothers, no love.......and we have ALL of that, with some to spare.

I think we would all agree to change some things about the adoption process: the financial cost, wait time, crazy notarized, perfect-to-each-letter stack of papers. But we can't and so we accept what needs to be done to bring our children home.

Knowing all it entails, we rejoice to walk the journey of adoption, although frustrating and lengthy, so very logical!!

"In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.."

Ephesians 1:5