It seems like it has been a long time since we had nothing to do on a Saturday, but today was the day. We hung out together and played after chores in the morning. We played with the 6 new foster puppies in the wind. We watched the snow blow across the fields. We watched a couple of movies together in the afternoon. We cooked together, cleaned up together and just enjoyed our down time together.

As I was going through some old papers I came across this poem that was written by a friend of mine and I changed a few of the words so it would pertain to our family.

Digging holes, picking flowers

Working in the garden for hours and hours.

Watching the stars, searching the clouds,

Running and leaping, singing out loud.

Another lost shoe, more missing books,

Family memories, coats on hooks,

Shooting off rockets, performing plays,

Ice cream cones on long hot days.

Toys left out, messy yards

Coloring pictures, “oh well” cards,

Hand-me-down clothes, worn out toys,

7 beautiful girls, 5 wonderful boys.

Some still ask if we are done.

We can’t imagine missing one.

Each a blessing from the Lord.

Within them all are great treasures stored.

As years increase, they give to us.

Think of all we’d miss if we did not trust.

In faith we walk and freely receive

Blessings upon blessings, too rich to believe!

Yes, the Lord has blessed us much more through adoption than we ever believed He would. I can’t WAIT until tomorrow!

The more we go through together, the more we are cemented as a family. Right now, there are children here whose memories in our family are only two years old and there are those whose memories are 13 years old. As we tell and re-tell family stories, everyone’s memories sort of melt together.

Thirteen years ago our first precious Haitian blessings came home and life has never been the same. As they have entered their teen years, my role as parent is changing and it is SO exciting!! They are AMAZING young people with lots of great ideas and plans and they make me laugh every day with their unique perspective on life. I am so glad that we decided to grow our family through adoption.

Happy Gotcha Day Luc and Elizabeth

I remember the day they came home like it was yesterday. They were just 7 and 9 months old and weighed 12 and 15 pounds!! God has been so good to us to allow us to raise more children for His kingdom and I am looking forward to many more family memories together.

Steve – Adopting sons and daughters – just what my Lord does in the world that we live in today.  It’s a great honor to share this with the woman that I love, and such a privilege.  It’s my wish for all my children, and especially on this day for Luc & Elizabeth, that they live a life that honors our God as well as Mom & Papa.

Hello Everyone!!! Did you know that even Christians can find themselves overwhelmed at times? Look at Peter, who was walking on water in the middle of a storm, and took his eyes off of Jesus and looked at the storm around him. He began to sink!!! Christians can start sinking too when they look at everything around them instead of looking to Jesus to hold them up.

Since this weekend, our family has a renewed vision of where the Lord is taking us and how we are to get there. It was just a matter of re-focusing and seeing everything through God’s eyes. I am so very thankful to Him for the family He has given me and overwhelmed that He would allow me to have all these beautiful children.

This week we have been spring cleaning the kitchen. I had no idea my kitchen was so big! Thankfully I have many hands that willingly help me. As we cleaned away the cobwebs and got rid of the things we no longer had need of, I was reminded of how much this is like sin. We get comfortable and let things pile up in the corners and pretty soon we don’t even notice the dirt and junk we have in our lives. We need God’s Holy Spirit to help us “spring clean” our hearts and lives just like we spring clean our homes. If we don’t take time to get back on track, we will soon be off the track and in the mire and mud of sin. After that, it is easier and easier to let more and more sin into our lives. If we took the time to look back once in a while we might be able to see how far off course we have drifted into sin. Believe me, others can see it even if we can’t. The things that used to prick our conscience no longer bother us. We over look something so we can “enjoy” ourselves and have a bit of fun. Pretty soon, we are rolling in the mud with the pigs.

Thirteen years ago today, my life changed forever and I am SO grateful to the Lord for allowing me to begin our adoption journey. Our first two babies came home from Haiti and life has never been the same. What a blessing from the Lord these children are! I can’t imagine my life without each and every one of them.