I'm Pleased

This morning I had a neat experience with God.  It is a more private thing, yet, I felt I should share on my blog, to encourage others.

We have some new friends, missionaries from Canada.  They have four children and have a heart towards children needing homes.  Over Christmas, they are taking in four beautiful girls, along with their four already.  These girls are available for adoption, but they will just see where the Lord leads.  Like any children who are needing a new home, they have pain in their lives that needs healing.  Two of the girls sat with us (because the oldest girl is Tori's friend).

I can't remember what song we were singing, but it was about the power of the name of Jesus.  I just began to think about these girls and how the Lord may use my friends to bring these girls to Jesus and bring healing.  I began to weep over the amazingness of this family...that they would serve like this, love like this.  I am so proud of them.  Then, as I was wiping away my tears, and thinking about talking to her after church and encouraging her, the Lord whispered in my ear..." I am proud of you, too..."  I looked and both sides of me are two beautiful girls that I did not give birth to, either.  Two girls who needed someone to be their mommy.  And I have just been overwhelmed with love for both of them the past couple of days...  I am sure it is Christmas, but it is also just what the Lord is doing, too.

The other part is that when I was thinking about my friend, and all these extra girls to feed, clothe, buy gifts for, I thought, but God will provide.  He will take care of it.

And when I got home and opened a card that a NetGroup had given us...inside was a gift card to a local store here.  We received gifts like that in the states, but never here.  I felt it was once again God reminding me that He also blesses us.

So, this is just a reminder that sometimes we look at others and see their service...but also must remember that God is pleased right where we are too.  He is pleased with the things we are doing out of obedience.  And He sees the cost.  And He provides a way.

Erika's Party

Friday night we had Erika's Birthday party and IT WAS SO MUCH FUN.  Everything flowed and everything we did, the girls seemed to enjoy...which made this mama happy:)  Erika went to bed with a big smile on her face.

I found these adorable ornaments for the girls to make...what a great take-home gift at Christmas...

We played the "Frozen" soundtrack over and over, but still, it did not snow:(

The "Can you build a Snowman?" Craft was a big hit too...even with Daddy.  Poor guy was surrounded by girls all night...

A couple of her friends couldn't come, which is normal since she is a Christmas baby.  Especially here...a lot of people leave for Christmas.

But we still had a good amount of friends that she knows from church and ballet.

It was a SPA party with a Frozen theme.  The two combined beautifully.  I loved decorating and was so happy to find some things while we were in Mexico, too.  And my sister in law helped by sending face masks, which were a hit.

Tori and Elizabeth made the cutest "Pin the Nose on Olaf".

Yep, they did Daddy's face too...don't worry, we didn't paint his nails...

Tori and Kailey did pedicures for the girls and Elizabeth did Erika's...and she is equal to about five girls...because it is  hard for her to sit still...especially when it is her birthday!

At the end, we did freeze dance, and it was just so much fun.  Eight is a fun age.  And Erika is blessed with such great friends here.  And I am so glad we did an un-slumber party...which means they come in their jammies, but they go home to sleep.  Because I was exhausted on Saturday:/

I especially miss our families when we have birthdays.  I can't really explain it, but always feel like something is missing.  But, now that the girls are older and can help, it seems that God has given me a full family right within my own home:)

And now you are eight...

There once was a mommy who was not finished with her family...she knew there was one more out there...

There once was a precious baby who needed a family...

And thus began the story of our family.

I will always ache a little that I was not there the moment our sweet Erika was born.  I would have willingly sat by her little incubator, fed her, held her, kissed her little head.  But that was not what happened.  Instead...in December 2006, the Lord impressed upon me to pray for this little girl.  I did not know her, know about her, know if it is was even really God...until one day when I looked back through my journals.

We actually did not get to meet Erika until she was about 15 months old.  I will never forget how she toddled over to me, laid her head on my shoulder and let me pick her up.  As if somewhere deep inside of her, she knew that I was the mommy she had been looking for.  I remember when a month later, we finally got to bring her home...and she was immediately at home.  There was no adjusting to a new house, simply contentment.

A week after Erika came to live with us, we went to Disney World.  A trip that had been planned for over a year, as Lee was performing a wedding in Florida.  It was a dream vacation for me for sure.  I remember as we entered Disney World...my three precious children...Josh, 12, Tori, 9 and Erika 16 months...I was overwhelmed and began to cry.  God had answered my deepest prayer.

Now, here we are in Belize, Central America.   Erika had just turned four when we moved here.  So she has now almost lived half her life in the US and half her life in Belize.  It is hard to believe.  When I think back to how little she was when we came.  How much has happened in those years.  So many changes in our lives, our family, our home...

And who misses her big brother most of all (after his mom)????

Happy Birthday to a little girl with big attitude who will change the world for Jesus some day!!!!

Mommy can't imagine her life without you:)

Grandparents

Visits from the grandparents are the best.

Its been a couple weeks now since my mom and dad came and left.  But it has been non-stop busy.

What I love most about my parents visit is the time they spent with the girls.  Time that my girls needed.  Just to be loved on.  It was the first time they met Kailey and there was such a strong connection almost immediately.  I love how God did that for her and them.

We took them a couple of places, but mostly hung out at home.  My parents even had some oppurtunities to minister at LifeNet.  My mom led a Women's breakfast, which the women have all shared how blessed they were.  My dad led a NetGroup (the one I go to).  Also, they were just available as little things came up here and there.  Oh, also my mom did some teaching at the new Pregnancy Help Center...a ministry close to her heart.

ZOO

IQUANAS

It was unusually warm when my parents were here.  That part was hard.  And on the Sunday they were here, we had the Community of Cultures, a very exciting Sunday for them to experience...but no electricity all day long!!!!  So they definitely got a taste of life in Belize.

I was so thankful that they came.  It seemed to go so fast.  But was a refreshing visit in the midst of regular life.