Family Time

It seems that lately, I have no time to blog, then have an afternoon or evening where I have some time to think, load pictures and have some things to share.  This is one of those evenings.

My family has gone through several adjustments lately.  I think I have thought so much about me going through change, that I hadn't given as much thought to what my kids are going through.  After all, kids are resilient.  They adjust to change so much faster and better than adults.  But, they are still affected.

My kids (older two) have gone from going to public school their whole lives to now being home all the time.  Trust me, there are many benefits.  But there are downfalls for them as well.  They are not with their friends every day.  Their friends are experiencing going to junior high and high school for the first time...and they are not.  I am thankful that they are not, yet I know there are also a lot of good experiences that they will miss.  They have also gone from going to the same church for basically their whole life Jjosh was 5 and Tori was 3 when we started Life Church).  Now they go to a different church every week, to a place where they don't know anyone.  And a place that is usually different than they are used to.  They went from having their own rooms to all being in one room.

And they are dealing with a major move...major.  

Don't get me wrong.  They are doing great.  But sometimes, things happen...and it reminds me that they are dealing with a lot too.

I have also noticed a new closeness of my family.  It blesses me.  Of course, there is still arguing...that just happens.  But I also love how I see them becoming best friends again.  They are all they have right now.  And that is not a bad thing.  It may be like that, at first, when we move.  Of course, they will make friends quickly, because that is the kind of kids they are...but still, friendships that are deep, take time.

Moving on, our new in-apartment entertainment is playing hide and go seek.  The classics are just the best.  Each evening, as it gets dark, Josh begins to try to convince us that we should play...it will be so much fun...come on... you know it is good for us to spend time together.  He makes me think about it, consider it.  After all, it is fun. 

And so, once again, he convinces us.  We have got Dad to play too.  He is the best.  He is always hard to find.

So, just in case, you want to play...this is how we do it.  In a very small amount of space, mind you.

The person counting goes in the bathroom, with the light on, and counts to 20.

Then they say Ready or Not Here I Come....and turn out the light and open the door.

Seriously, you CANNOT see.  It is crazy.  So, walking in blindness, you begin to search.

Our rules are anywhere but our bedroom.

It is amazing, when you play IN THE DARK, how someone can hide in plain sight and you still cannot see them.  And sometimes, we run into the bathroom and rehide...you can rehide as many times as you want until you are found.

We get sweaty, laugh so hard our bellies hurt, and just enjoy our kids.

If only, we had an empty cupboard to hide in...

But, I must say, one huge benefit of the stage we are in, is that there are plenty of places to hide.  There are so many stacks of boxes, etc, that are great to hide behind.

Well, I am wore out from our session...Nightie Night.

A Million Things to Do

This weekend marks Lee and my 18th anniversary, so like I said in the previous post, we are going away overnight. I am so looking forward to a break. It is so different to have the kids out of school FOREVER. And for me not to go to work anymore. The days all seem to run together, not to mention countless getaways this past month. And friends who invite us over...I want to take advantage of every oppurtunity.

I am looking around my living room...ugh, what a mess. Not only do we have all the plastic boxes that we are moving to Belize, but now also have 6 air conditioners, and 4 boxes with tempurpedic mattress toppers. I have piles of laundry that need to be put away, and need to pack three kids for overnight tomorrow. I need to buy groceries, but that will wait until Monday. We are going to eat up some of the food we already have before I add more.

The longer I live in this apartment, the more ready I become to move. We have significantly downsized our life...our stuff. We really have gotten rid of SOOO much. I constantly am going through and making piles of things...that we just don't need. Plus our apartment or house in Belize will probably be furnished right down to pots and pans (but Im taking mine because Im used to them). So we are still taking a lot, though, just because for five years, I want familiar things around me. I do look forward to moving though, because we will have dressers to put our clothes away in...instead of suitcases. We hopefully will have a bigger home, so all the kids aren't squished into one room, and we don't trip over Erikas toys because there is nowhere to put them.

I think God has a way of preparing us for the future. Sometimes in ways that we don't even see until we look back and see His hand. In the beginning, I did not want to go to Belize because I did not want to give up everything I know...everything safe. But God has changed my heart. When I was in Belize a couple of weeks ago, I saw something I see here in America, but on a greater level. The people desperately need discipleship. They need people who will walk with them through life and teach them to turn to God themselves, not to another person to fix their problems. They need to see a living example that God's way really is better than man's way. They need generations of sin...to Stop. So that the next generation will have hope. So, this trip got me very excited. I feel it is very possible for our family to make an impact...with Jesus, of course. And I also felt that we are needed there. It is so cool how much God has done in me. How He has broken fear. I still like a plan, and want to know what is going to happen and all the details, but I see myself doing things I just wouldn't have done before. Like driving home from Conroe yesterday. In the past, I would have been scared to have done that. But I just had confidence and prayed when I got lost, etc. So cool.

We have been so blessed at the response of pastors and individuals to partner with us as we go to Belize. It is just one more confirmation of what God has called us to. But yet, still amazing. I am so thankful for the support our church has given us through this process. Walking into it, we did not know exactly how it would look, but God has provided and taken care of us in ways we could never have imagined. It is a little scary living by faith like this, but also so exciting.

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

Alligator-ville

Look at this brave girl. She rode in the canoe with her daddy and was so brave...even with all the alligators in the water. It is amazing how much more she could do this year being older. She was great.

Yes, I did try to keep him from the alligators, but just couldn't do it. At least he brought her back first!!!

One of the best parts about the cabin is that they pick us up in a carriage driven by horses each morning and take us to breakfast. So Fun!!!

The kids loved the pool. How could they not? With the cave and rocks, it was amazing. They also rode down by the big slide into the lake. I was not so daring.

Erika loves her cousin, Tyler. They sat on the swimg dicussing important world matters, like what they thought of Toy Story 3.

We had a great couple of days at Artesian Lakes. My brother and sister-in-law blessed us with this trip and my mother and father-in-law came as well. They would like to have a yearly tradition of going there. It is so beautiful and relaxing...except for the fact that we have a 3 year old. The older kids are finally old enough to just go have fun, but we constantly had to keep an eye on Erika. It was great just spending time with the family before we leave to Belize.

Road Trip

I am so tired tonight, after riding in a car for 3 days, but wanted to begin to share about our roadtrip. I will share more details over the week to come.

First of all, we did a LOT in 13 days. We went from Atlanta, Georgia(for Foursquare Convention), to Pennsylvania (to see the Amish), up to New York state for a few days, then to Niagara Falls, Canada, coming back down to Ohio (where Josh was born and the first church we pastored), visited friends in Kentucky, then finally worked our way back home today.

It was a busy two weeks, we stayed at many different places, and I am exhausted...but so thankful for this wonderful trip.

What happened in a nutshell...

God spoke through many different people at convention...once again confirming His plans for our life...

I was overwhelmed with love by my family...and for my family

once again, I was reminded how much I love my kids and husband...it was a crazy trip with everyone in close quarters, but sp many wonderful memories were created on this trip

I laughed...alot...and it was great for my soul

I cried when I said goodbye to my Grandma...not knowing if I will ever see her again

I actually got so sick of eating out that I cant wait to cook tomorrow ( don't tell Lee)

I realized that even when you havent seen special friends and relatives for years, it is still easy to catch up where you left off

and

that although not settled yet, there is NO PLACE LIKE HOME!!!!

More Pictures

I apologize these are not in order. I need to have someone show me how to move them.

This is a relieved lady...moments after the Adoption is final.

The next one is a daddy skipping with his Adopted Daughter...ours forever.

And those mints were "Life Savers for the waiting time...."

The last pic is Erika on the wall of Justice...Thank you Lord for allowing us a government that sometimes is a blessing like allowing us to raise this beautiful child!!!

PARTY

Last night was our Adoption Party/Dedication for Erika. It was so wonderful to be surrounded by church family and friends. My friend, Courtney, has just begun cake decorating and she made the BEST cake for the party. It was beautiful and delicious. I will have more pictures later. Chris took pictures and here are some from the courthouse on Wednesday. There are some posted on Facebook as well. What a blessing. She truly caught the emotions of the day: anxiety, nervousness, relief, pure joy, hoping Erika would behave, overjoyed that she did, etc. We were so blessed to be surrounded by our family as we stood in court.

At the party, we shared the reason we changed Erika's middle name to Ruth and everyone prayed over her. It was awesome. I also shared our journey of adopting Erika and how God has had His hand on this entire process. I wish it had gotten videotaped. I think some of it was. Just an amazing evening, though.

Oh, and by the way, I am using Tori's laptop she got for Christmas. I have put in my order to Lee that I want one for my birthday. I love it....

Preparing for the long awaited day

I would love to say that there is complete unity in our home as to how to raise the kids and dog. This picture communicates a lot. I do not want the dog on the couch, but Lee says it is okay...So this morning, I was just having a sweet morning with Erika. I got home late so I bathed her this morning, and blow dried her hair. She was just so cute. Erika was watching QUBO, her favorite thing to do in the morning, with her doggie. Although I really do not want the dog on the couch, I thought this moment was incredibly sweet.

Tomorrow is our long awaited Adoption Day. I never imagined the journey would be so long. But I am thankful for the things the Lord has taught me along the way. The most important being that He is a father that loves me and wants to bless me with good things...like a precious little daughter. He put that desire in my heart, and put people in my path, but I had to take steps to see this dream come about. He has given us His favor, but that does not mean that we have had not had our trials along the way. But after a very long journey, I would do it again to have Erika.

I have everyone's clothes ready for tomorrow. I envision a day of just enjoying my children. We will sleep in a little, I'll make a big breakfast, there will probably be some nerves in my tummy, maybe a little arguing among the kiddoes. But it will be a perfect day with my very real family. I think that is one thing about being a mom that I have learned along the way. Being a mom is the most awesome amazing thing that can happen to a woman, but also the hardest. There is always so much to do, we are always so torn between the many responsibilities we have, and the worry... But I would not trade it for a second. I am fixing to go on a trip for two weeks. I know I will so enjoy the quiet...at first. I know I will enjoy taking my time getting ready and not doing chores and dressing a little one...at first. But then...I will not know what to do with myself. My life revolves around taking care of my family. And I am so thankful to have a family. And I am so thankful to be adding a little girl to our family permanently at 1 pm tomorrow afternoon.